Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency for Obese Women in Western of Libya

Today, an association between vitamin D deficiency and obesity is well known, but the mechanisms are not yet clear. This study was designed to investigate the effect of body weight on serum vitamin D levels in obese women. The study was conducted between 1st April and 20th June 2022 for obese women (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²). The obese women diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency were aged between 18 and 60 years. The study took place in both government and private clinics of Nutrition and Dietetics for weight loss in Tripoli, Libya. The participants' sociodemographic features, anthropometric measurements (height, weight, body mass index, hip and waist circumference), body composition (body fat mass in kg, body water content in kg), and biochemical parameters (calcium, vitamin D, triglycerides) were collected through face-to-face interviews. Serum vitamin D levels were measured in all obese women using 2 millilitre blood samples. A standard interview-based questionnaire was used to gather demographic data, including age, occupation, income, social status, illnesses, medications, and use of vitamin D, calcium, and other laboratory investigations such as lipid profile. A statistically significant relationship (p = 0.02) was found between serum vitamin D levels and BMI values in obese women. Also, there was a strong relationship between serum calcium values and vitamin D levels (p = 0.008). This indicates that women diagnosed with vitamin D levels ranging from 10 to 20 had the highest levels of calcium.