The Prevalence of Hypovitaminosis D and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Women of Reproductive Age in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

摘要

Vitamin D deficiency is currently a worldwide epidemic. Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, have high vitamin D deficiency prevalence, most prominently among women, despite their plentiful year-round sunshine. Previous research investigating vitamin D status among Saudi women of reproductive age (15-49?years) is scarce, and no study has used a nationally representative sample, so this review quantified overall hypovitaminosis D prevalence among women in Saudi Arabia and explored the associated risk factors. The Web of Science, Scopus, and Medline databases were searched for prior studies in Saudi Arabia exploring vitamin D status among women of reproductive age, published between January 1, 2000 and May 25, 2017. Data were extracted from the identified studies, and a random effects model meta-analysis established the overall hypovitaminosis D prevalence. The initial search yielded 223 possibly relevant articles; 13 were confirmed as eligible, with samples totaling 2877 women aged between 15 and 49?years. Meta-analysis revealed a mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 25(OH)D, level of 13.1?ng/mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.6-14.6) and an overall prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, defined as 25(OH)D?