Vitamin D status in young female reported with backache

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the Vitamin D status in young females who reported with the complaint of backache. This study was conducted in a private hospital in Karachi from Aug. 2010 to Dec.2011. A descriptive prospective study. This study was conducted in two private hospitals Memon Medical Complex and Mamji Hospital from Aug 2010 to Dec. 2011. In this study 113 adults females were taken. The age range between 21-35 with mean age 27.2 +/- 4.6 years. They attended the hospital with complaint of backache. The patients were enrolled through a Proforma with an inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Proforma recorded the basic information i.e. age, marital status, pregnancies, occupation, work load, duration of sun exposure, area of skin exposed, veiled, type of residence and dietary habits. The serum vitamin D level and simultaneously the serum calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase. X-ray Lumbo/Sacral spine and pelvis were taken. All these tests were got done from a well reputed laboratory. Total of 113 cases, age ranging from 21-35 years with mean 27.2 +/- 4.6. All were females. Subjects were predominantly married 84 [74.33%], 54 [64.28%] had multiple pregnancies, 29 [25.66%] were house wives, 84 [74.33%] were working women, 34 [30.08%] were doing heavy work, sun exposure was almost negligible, 80 [70.79%] were veiled, 30[26.54%] had opened face, 11[9.73%] had opened face and forearm, 97[85.84%] were lived in flats, dietary habits were poor, black burqa were using outside. Vitamin D was deficient in 83 [73.45%] cases, insufficient in 21 [18.58%] cases and near normal in 9 cases[7.96%]. Inspite most of them belonged to middle class socio-economic status. The calcium was low in 90 cases [79.64%] while phorphorus was low in 83 cases [73.45%] and alkaline phosphate was not correlated positively. The X-ray of L/S spine and pelvis showed straightening of the spine and osteopenia. Vitamin D deficiency was the main reason of back pain of the young females