Authors : Amal H. Uzrail, Mohammad Abu Assab, Reem Alkalbani, Raghad Al Kofahi and Abeer Kadhim
Abstract: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among the Jordanian population which is a public concern. Therefore, our study aimed to identify the population’s Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) towards vitamin D deficiency. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Jordanian adults$18 years old between October 2018 and January 2019 using a structured questionnaire. Our present study observed that 99.7% of participants were aware of Vitamin D. Media and educational institutions (53.6 and 45.9%, respectively) were among the most important sources of information about vitamin D. The majority (82.6%) indicated sunlight as the most important source of vitamin D, 81.6% of them were aware that vitamin D prevents osteoporosis and 78% believed that its deficiency causes pain in bones and joints. However, their awareness of the current recommended daily dose was low (13.9%). Although, 60.4% of the population study were not concerned about their vitamin D levels, they showed a positive attitude towards sun exposure as two-thirds (72.3%) of them liked to be exposed to sun with a frequency of ≥2 times/week, for ≤29 min, preferring the early morning, irrespective of sunscreen products and ointments use (42.8%). Participants believed in taking vitamin D supplements (46.4%) and exposing themselves to sunlight (72.7%) among the positive practices towards improving their vitamin status. Based on our findings, we suggest that along with education and research strategies, vitamin D supplementation and fortification may be effective in improving vitamin D health in Jordan.
Amal H. Uzrail, Mohammad Abu Assab, Reem Alkalbani, Raghad Al Kofahi and Abeer Kadhim, 2021. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Towards Vitamin D Deficiency in the Jordanian Adult Population: A Cross-Sectional Study. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 15: 62-71.