Malay women 14 X more likely to be Vitamin D deficient than Chinese in Malay – July 2017

Vitamin D deficiency and depression among women from an urban community in a tropical country

Public Health Nutrition: 20(10), 1844-1850 doi:10.1017/S13689800l6000811

 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

Foong Ming Moy1'*, Victor CW Hoe2, Noran Naqiah Hairi1, Shireene Ratna Vethakkan3 and Awang Bulgiba1
1Julius Centre University of Malaya, Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 2Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health-UM, Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 3Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Objective: To determine the association of vitamin D status with depression and health-related quality of life among women.

Design: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity status, perceived depression and health-related quality of life were assessed via a self- administered questionnaire. Fasting blood samples were taken for the analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, fasting blood glucose and full lipid profile. Complex samples multiple logistic regression analysis was performed.

Setting: Public secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Subjects: Seven hundred and seventy female teachers were included.

Results: The mean age of participants was 41-15 (95% CI 40-51, 41-78) years and the majority were ethnic Malays. Over 70% of them had vitamin D deficiency (<20ng/ml or <50nmol/l) and two-thirds were at risk for depression. In the multivariate analysis, ethnic Malays (adjusted OR (aOR) = 14-72; 95% CI 2-12, 102-21) and Indians (aOR = 14-02; 95 % CI 2-27, 86-59), those at risk for depression (aOR = 1-88, 95% CI 1-27, 2-79) and those with higher parathyroid hormone level (aOR = 1-13; 95 % CI 1-01, 1-26) were associated with vitamin D deficiency, while vitamin D deficiency was negatively associated with mental health-related quality of life (Mental Component Summary) scores (aOR = 0-98; 95% CI 0-97, 0-99).

Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with depression and mental health-related quality of life among women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.