HEALTH STATUS AND KNOWLEDGE OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AMONG FEMALE PHARMACY AND DENTISTRY STUDENTS IN AJMAN, UAE

Abstract

Objectives: This study was carried out to evaluate the level of knowledge of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and to assess the factors affecting the knowledge score among female pharmacy and dentistry students in Ajman, UAE. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted at Ajman University (AU) with a total of 390 pharmacy and dentistry students surveyed from October 2015 to February 2016. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 24. Correlation tests were used to determine the association between the knowledge scores and the socio- demographic data. In addition, the Chi-square test was included in the data analysis. p-value < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: The majority of the participants were first year students in Ajman University and have a high level of knowledge about vitamin D deficiency. About forty-three percent (42.5%) were already diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency. 97.9% think that sunshine is an important source of vitamin D, while 92.6% are aware that healthy sun exposure depends on factors like time of the day, exposure duration, direct exposure and the necessity of exposing specific body parts to produce optimally vitamin D in the body. Still, the majority of the students (89.5%) spent most of their time indoors. Conclusion: Although AU pharmacy and dental students have sufficient knowledge about VDD, many are diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency or complain about its symptoms. Students have to implement strategies for the prevention or treatment of VDD. Students need to be encouraged to transfer classroom knowledge more efficiently to practice.