Vitamin D status among adults (18-65 years old) attending primary healthcare centres in Qatar: a cross-sectional analysis of the Electronic Medical Records for the year 2017.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among individuals attending primary healthcare facilities in Qatar and to assess the association between vitamin D deficiency and some medical conditions in persons aged 18-65 years old. SETTING: The study was undertaken in publicly funded primary healthcare services in the State of Qatar. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 102 342 participants aged between 18 and 65 years old with a valid serum vitamin D test result during the year 2017. OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum level <10 ng/mL (<25 nmol/L) was defined as severe vitamin D deficiency, a serum level of <20 ng/mL (<50 nmol/L) was defined as vitamin D deficiency and a serum level <30 ng/mL (<75 nmol/L) defined as vitamin D insufficiency. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of severe vitamin D deficiency was 14.1% among study participants with no history of vitamin D replacement therapy in the previous months. The prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was as high as 71.4% and that of vitamin D insufficiency was up to 92.7%. None of the five chronic conditions explored in the study (diabetes, hypertension, asthma, stroke and cardiovascular disease) had an obvious association with severe vitamin D deficiency status in a bivariate analysis. However, multivariate modelling showed that (adjusting for age, gender, body mass index and nationality and each of the included chronic conditions) hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke placed an individual at a higher risk of having an associated severe vitamin D deficiency status. CONCLUSION: Although not comprehensive and nationally representative, this study is suggestive of a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among young adults, females, Qatari nationality and those with higher body mass index. Multivariate modelling showed that hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke were associated with a higher risk of severe vitamin D deficiency status.

Iron deficiency, its epidemiological features and feeding practices among infants aged 12 months in Qatar: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the magnitude of anaemia, iron deficiency (ID), iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and to explore epidemiological features of ID and feeding practices among infants aged 12 months in Qatar. SETTING: Well baby clinics in 14 randomly selected primary healthcare centres covering all geographical areas on the national level. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred and six (163 male and 143 female) infants of all nationalities were enrolled. Mothers were asked to complete a predesigned interview questionnaire and infants were blood tested for anaemia, ID and IDA. OUTCOME MEASURES: Cut-off point used to diagnose anaemia was haemoglobin <11.1 g/dL, and to diagnose ID, serum ferritin <6 ug/L with normal C reactive protein. RESULTS: Prevalence of anaemia was 23.5%, ID was 9.2% and IDA was 7.8%. ID was more prevalent among non-Qatari infants compared with Qatari (10.9% vs1.7%, p=0.029), more prevalent among infants born to housewives and to families of low income (p≤0.05). With regard to feeding practice, ID was higher in infants who continued breastfeeding until the age of 1 year and among those who never took infant formula milk (p≤0.05). Mothers who received infant feeding counselling had less ID occurrence among their infants compared with their counterparts who did not receive such counselling (4.2%vs13.4%, p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Although ID and IDA among infants in Qatar are less prevalent compared with many developing countries, still further efforts are needed for improvement towards more developed countries. Efforts should be contextualised and should target the key epidemiological features with special emphasis on infant feeding and infant feeding counselling to mothers.