Elderly with low vitamin D were depressed, anxious, or stressed (Saudi Arabia)
The Concealed Hazard: Vitamin D Deficiency, Awareness, and Its Impact on Psychological Wellness among Elderly
Noha Ahmed Mohameda, Sameer Hamdy Hafeza,b*, Ahmad A. Alshehric, Abdalla MohamedAhmed Osman Abdallab, Hoda Khalifa Abdelhady e,f, Hanan Saad Abdullah Alwadeib, Abdelelah Abdelgadir Ahmedd, Elsadig Eltaher Hamed Abdulrahmand, Nahla Elradhi Abdulrahmanb, Nahid Khalil Elfakib, Sadeq Abdo Alwesabid , Mohammed Ateeg Abdelrahman Ahmedb
Depression, Anxiety, or Stress
Background: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its consequences is expected to increase with ageing. Consequently, this study aimed to explore the prevalence of the hidden danger posed by vitamin D deficiency among the elderly, awareness and its impact on psychological well-being. A cross-sectional study design was employed in Najran City, using a convenient sample of 100 elderly.
Data collection included socio-demographic information, serum 25 (OH) D analyses, knowledge questionnaires, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21).
Results revealed that 9% of the sample had deficient vitamin D levels (<20 ng/mL), 33% were insufficient (20-29 ng/mL), and 58% were sufficient (>30 ng/mL). Knowledge about vitamin D was satisfactory only in 23%. Negative emotional states were mild in 40%, moderate in 31%, and severe in 29% of the sample. Correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between knowledge/lifestyle scores and vitamin D (p<0.0001). Moreover, a highly significant association was found between vitamin D sufficiency levels and negative psychological states (p=0.0002).
Conclusion: The findings of this study highlighted the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among elderly individuals where about the third had vitamin D deficiency, a significant proportion of participants exhibited unsatisfactory knowledge about vitamin D (47%). The study also revealed the significant association between varying degrees of negative emotional states among the elderly and their sufficiency levels of vitamin D.
Recommendations: perform routine screening for vitamin D levels among elderly individuals especially those at risk of deficiency due to limited sun exposure or dietary factors and raising awareness about the importance of vitamin D, sources of supplementation, and the role of adequate levels in overall health.
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