Awareness of Vitamin D Deficiency among the General Population in Taif City, Saudi Arabia

Recently, vitamin D deficiency has been considered the most common nutritional deficiency all over the world that affects all age groups. The current study aimed to evaluate the level of awareness of the general population in Taif city, Saudi Arabia, toward vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D sources, and toxicity. A cross-sectional study was conducted. A validated questionnaire was distributed to the participants through social media platforms. The study included 431 participants. About half of the participants (46.6%) reported having a vitamin D deficiency history, and 13.5% of the participants were healthcare providers. Only 103 participants (23.9%) showed a good awareness level regarding vitamin D's role, sources, and toxicity. A better awareness regarding the benefits of vitamin D was indicated in females (p-value<0.001), participants with a university degree (p-value<0.001), and healthcare professionals (HCPs) (p-value<0.001). Respondents from the medical field, hold a university degree, and with a history of vitamin D deficiency had a significantly higher awareness level regarding the sources of vitamin D (p-value<0.001, p-value=0.028, and p-value=0.024, respectively). In addition, being one of the medical staff and holding a university degree were significant factors that had a favorable effect on the awareness level regarding the toxicity of vitamin D (p-value<0.001, p-value=0.009 respectively). The study demonstrated a low level of awareness among the general population toward vitamin D deficiency. Further studies are recommended to fill the awareness gap and to improve the awareness of vitamin D, its benefits, sources, and toxicity.