Vitamin D Status and Anthropometric Indices of an Omani Study Population

Objectives: serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d [25(oh)d] concentrations reflect vitamin d status, with deficiency implicated as causative of many diseases. this study assessed vitamin d status and anthropometric indices in a sample of healthy omanis. methods: serum 25(oh)d concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography in 206 healthy omanis, aged 18–55 years (mean age: men 31.1, women 26.8) in muscat, oman. of this number, 95% indicated that they had never taken vitamin d supplements. findings were compared with published values for populations domiciled in more northerly latitudes. classical procedures were used to determine global obesity (body mass index [bmi]), and central obesity determined by waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (whr), and waist-to-height ratio. results: women, as compared to men, had markedly lower concentrations of 25(oh)d. applying the cut-off point of serum 25(oh)d levels at 50 nmol/l, the prevalence of vitamin d deficiency in the study population was 87.5%; this was higher than the rates reported for the british, and european-, hispanic-, and african-americans. at a bmi cut-point of ≥30 kg/m2, the prevalence of obesity was 14.6%; this was lower than the rates reported for european-, hispanic-, and african-americans. levels of 25(oh) d increased relative to age and obesity. whr was the main predictor of 25(oh)d levels. conclusion: the striking vitamin d deficiency seen in the study population, relative to more northerly populations, may be linked to sun avoidance, inadequate dietary vitamin d, and virtual non-intake of supplemental vitamin d. age and male-gender determined the status of vitamin d and of obesity.