Vitamin D Deficiency in Adults Attending an Outpatient Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Supplement Use
Öz
Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is a major global public health concern. Despite its high prevalence, community awareness and knowledge remain insufficient, particularly in outpatient clinical settings. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 310 adult patients attending an outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Istanbul over a four-month period. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Normality was assessed with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Spearman correlation were applied; p<0.05 was accepted as significant. Results: 62% of participants were female, median age 36 (18–75) years. Among those who had previously had vitamin D levels measured (n=180), 91.1% had deficiency or insufficiency; this finding is limited to the measured subgroup and is not generalizable to all participants. Overall, 54.8% used vitamin D supplements, predominantly upon physician prescription. Women used supplements significantly more than men (66.5% vs 36.1%; p<0.001). Chronic disease was significantly associated with supplement use (78.2% vs 45.7%; p<0.001). Vitamin D deficiency was significantly more prevalent in non-working individuals (measured subgroup: 94.8% vs 89.3%; p=0.016). The total knowledge score did not differ significantly by gender (p=0.094), age (p=0.847), education (p=0.128), or supplement use (p=0.056). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent in the measured subgroup while general awareness remained limited across all demographic groups. These findings underscore the need for structured patient education and systematic screening strategies in outpatient clinical settings, and highlight the central role of physicians in outpatient settings in guiding appropriate vitamin D use.
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Destekleyen Kurum
Etik Beyan
Teşekkür
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Klinik Tıp Bilimleri (Diğer)
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Aybüke Bacanlı
*
0000-0003-1836-194X
Türkiye
Yayımlanma Tarihi
30 Haziran 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
23 Nisan 2026
Kabul Tarihi
21 Mayıs 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 2 Sayı: 2