Socioeconomic Determinants of Vitamin D Status in Women

Vitamin D deficiency can adversely affect women’s health and their offspring. Studies have uncovered many determinants of vitamin D; however, few have explored its relationship with socioeconomic status.

We aimed to determine the serum 25(OH)D level and its relationship with socioeconomic status.

In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 182 women aged 18 to 65 years from eastern Nepal. Sociodemographic variables were obtained from a semi-structured questionnaire and used to construct separate and aggregate indicators of socioeconomic status. The association of these indicators with vitamin D status was examined. We used serum 25(OH)D levels as a measure of vitamin D status and classified them as deficient (< 20 ng/mL), insufficient (20 - 29 ng/mL), and sufficient (30 - 100 ng/mL).

Median serum 25(OH)D was 18.6 ng/mL (14.3 - 23.9 ng/ml). Of women, 103 (56.5%) had serum 25(OH)D < 20 ng/ml, 61 (33.5%) had 20 - 29 ng/mL, and 18 (9.9%) had ≥ 30 ng/mL. The association between vitamin D status and socioeconomic indicators was assessed using the chi-square test or Fischer’s exact test, showing a significant association with total household income per month (P = 0.006) and income to poverty ratio (P = 0.005).

Women living in low-income houses and poverty have a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.