Association between Vitamin D Status and Health Status of Adults in Western Libya

Abstract

Vitamin D (VitD) is essential for health and preventing diseases. This study aimed to investigate the possible association between VitD status and health status in 306 Libyan male and female young adults (18–25 Y) and adults (26–65 Y). There were 89.54% of subjects that had VitD levels below normal (<30 ng/mL), of which 45.42% were VitD deficient (<10 ng/mL) and 44.12% were VitD insufficient (10–29.9 ng/mL). VitD deficiency was associated with higher fasting blood sugar (FBS), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triacylglycerol (TAG) levels. Young adults had lower VitD levels than adults, which was associated with some health conditions. VitD insufficiency was associated with higher body mass index (BMI) values in adults, especially females, with higher FBS levels in adult males and higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in adult females. VitD deficiency in young adults was associated with higher TAG levels (more likely in adults) and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) values. Furthermore, VitD deficient adult females appeared to have a higher risk of sleeping problems, psychological disorders, headache, and osteoporosis, whereas their male counterparts appeared to be at a higher risk of developing obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM). Findings showed a serious prevalence of VitD inadequacy in the Libyan population, which appears to negatively affect health status and be associated with some disease conditions.