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Vitamin D Deficiency And Sun Avoidance Among University Students At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Fatme Al Anouti, Justin Thomas, Laila Abdel-Wareth, Jaishen Rajah, William B. Grant, Afrozul Haq

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This study offers evidence that vitamin D deficiency could be a major public health burden among young Emirati adults, mostly because of sun deprivation in a sun-blessed country. This study included a random sample of 138 females and 70 males tested for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] status. To further evaluate the predictors of vitamin D status in this population, the study examined diet, obesity and sun exposure. In summer, the mean serum 25(OH)D concentration for females was 20.9 ± 14.9 nmol/L, whereas that for males was 27.3 ± 15.7 nmol/L. Females scored significantly higher than males on the sun avoidance …