The high prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy and dress style of women in the sunny UAE.

UNLABELLED: In the UAE, 255 women with different dressing styles (veiled and non-veiled) underwent assay for vitamin D(3). The vitamin level was suboptimal in all groups including those dressed in Western style. The contribution of hypovitaminosis D to osteoporosis was less impressive compared to that of age factor.
INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D deficiency is attributed to several causes including clothing styles that hinder exposure to sunlight. This work represents our experience of such issue and its relevance to osteoporosis.
METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-five women either fully covered (96, group G1), covered but face and hands exposed (104, group G2) or dressed in Western style (55, group G3) all underwent immunoassay of 25(OH)D; 78 % of them were Middle Easterners and North Africans. The mean age was 44.8 ± 14.6 years.
RESULTS: In the entire cohort, hypovitaminosis D prevalence was found to be 90.5 % (mean of 25(OH)D, 19.3 ± 9.35 ng/ml). The prevalence was 90.5, 94 and 83 % (all p = not significant (NS)), with a mean value of 17.6 ± 5.45, 16 ± 5.23 and 18.6 ± 6.18 ng/ml in the three groups, respectively. Significant differences in the mean value were observed between G1 vs. G2 (p = 0.04) and G2 vs. G3 (p = 0.01). Fifty-one women in G1 had longer adherence to their dressing habit than 68 in G2, yet the mean level of 25(OH)D was significantly lower in the latter (p = 0.008). Osteoporosis was found in 45/202 (22 %): 24.5, 22.5 and 14.5 % in the three groups, respectively (all p = NS). Patients with osteoporosis were significantly older than others with normal dual X-ray absorptiometry outcome. Values of serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, mild to moderate secondary hyperparathyroidism and low 25(OH)D were comparable in the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The pattern and longevity of dressing style should not be used as pretext for the hypovitaminosis D before other factors are being examined or considered.