Abstract
Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem. It is significantly associated with skeletal and non-skeletal problems. Prevention can be maintained mainly by effective sun exposure or supplementation and to lesser extent by dietary intake. To determine the magnitude of knowledge and practice of women towards vitamin D deficiency.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study, purposive sample of 442 women were approached who attended consultants’ clinics of Imam Hussein Medical City in Karbala. Data collection done between March 2 and June 30, 2018 through direct interviews using a special questionnaire prepared for the purpose of the study.
 Results: Less than half (45.2%) of the women had heard about vitamin D; their source of information was from relatives and friends then from health care provider. The mean score for the participants’ knowledge about VDD was 4.25 out of 9.0 (47%). It has a significant association with higher educational levels and urban residence. There is no significant difference regarding age, marital status or occupation. The mean score for the participants’ practice about vitamin D deficiency was 2.53 out of 5 (50.71%). There is no influence of practice score by socio-demographic factors.
 Conclusion: Overall knowledge towards vitamin D deficiency was suboptimal. Improving practices towards VD is directly related to increase knowledge about it that indicates the need to increase public awareness about the problem, encourage appropriate way of sun exposure, consumption of vitamin D rich food and taking supplementation when sun exposure is difficult.
Highlights
Less than half (45.2%) of the women had heard about vitamin D; their source of information was from relatives and friends from health care provider
Nowadays the whole world is complaining of an unhealthy lifestyle and incorrect habits that can lead to several disorders like Vitamin D Deficiency (VDD), which affecting about 1 billion people worldwide [1]
Our findings were nearly in line with the results by Oudshoorn et al (2011) study, who studied the association between knowledge, VD status and dietary calcium intake in older people in the Netherlands, It was found that 38% of the subjects had heard about VD [23]
Summary
Nowadays the whole world is complaining of an unhealthy lifestyle and incorrect habits that can lead to several disorders like Vitamin D Deficiency (VDD), which affecting about 1 billion people worldwide [1]. Vitamin D (VD) can be provided through Sun exposure, dietary sources and supplements [3]. It is thought that about 10,000 units of VD are produced within 30 min of full-body exposure to the sun. The dependence on dietary sources to provide adequate intakes of VD especially in vulnerable groups during winter month is increased If sunlight exposure is limited [6]. Vitamin D is responsible for a lot of functions in the human body [7]. Groups at risk of VDD include Persons with limited sun exposure, elderly, Breastfed infants, individuals with dark skin, Persons with fat malabsorption, obese Persons or those who had a gastric bypass surgery [10]
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