The status of serum vitamin D in the population of the United Arab Emirates.

Research exploring the status of serum vitamin D levels in the populations of countries bordering the Arabian Gulf shows a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency. These reports were usually drawn from small samples unlikely to be representative of the population. We explored serum vitamin D level in a large sample (7924) of patients who were given a blood test to check their vitamin D status on their first consultation at a day surgery hospital in Dubai. The overall mean level of 25(OH) D was ~ 20 ng/mL Deficiency was found among all age groups, in both sexes and in both local and non-local populations: overall 85.4% were vitamin D deficient, 12.5% showed insufficient serum vitamin D level, and only 2.1% had an appropriate level. In the multivariate model, serum vitamin D concentrations were positively correlated with male sex, local population and the 17-31 years age group.