Avoiding the sun (and vitamin D) – most Chinese medical students do not want darker skins – Feb 2015

Investigation on vitamin D knowledge, attitude and practice of university students in Nanjing, China

Public Health Nutrition / FirstView DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980015000373, 5 pages. online: 23 February 2015
Ming Zhoua1 mzhou78 at 163.com, Weiwei Zhuanga2, Yunyun Yuana3, Zhong Lia1 and Yunqing Caia1
a1 Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing 211166, People’s Republic of China
a2 Center for Disease Prevention and Control of Qixia District, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
a3 Center for Health Service of Jiangqiao Community, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

Objective To investigate university students’ knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) regarding vitamin D.
Design The students were requested to answer a questionnaire related to vitamin D and sun exposure. The consumption frequency of foods rich in vitamin D was assessed. Additionally, the intake of vitamin D-containing supplements was recorded.
Setting A medical university in Nanjing, China.
Subjects Five hundred and fifteen medical students were included.
Results The highest rate of correct responses for the quiz was 68·0 %, while the lowest was 9·6 %. Most students lacked sun exposure because they did not want to get tanned; 82·7 % of students used some sun protection and sunscreen use was more popular in the female group. The consumption frequency of foods rich in vitamin D was low and 5·6 % of the students used vitamin D supplements. The students’ knowledge on vitamin D was derived mainly from the media and health professionals. Most of the students were interested to know more about vitamin D.
Conclusions The present study suggested that medical students had little knowledge and unfavourable behaviours. They should get more health education through the media and health professionals. It is advisable to increase their consumption of foods rich in vitamin D.

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See also VitaminDWiki

• Fewer than 1 in 4 of nutrition students actually consumed RDA of Vitamin D – May 2013 in the same journal
• Medical students in Pakistan – 1 in 3 aware than sun creates Vitamin D, 1 in 12 get noon sun – Jan 2015
• Good description of Discrimination based on skin color WikiPedia
  skin bleaching was a $28 billion/year market in 2008
• Studying more results in less sun ,which results in less vitamin D – Jan 2015