Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is an emerging concern that has the potential to impact one’s health, even in sunny Mediterranean countries like Tunisia. This issue is particularly notable among indoor workers in the healthcare sector, who experience minimal sun exposure. The aim of this study was to describe the Vitamin D profile within this specific population and to establish its association with lipid parameters.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study, conducted from August 2022 to October 2023, involved 64 young and healthy hospital-based healthcare workers. Exclusions were made for individuals with medical conditions that might impact phosphocalcic metabolism. Vitamin D levels were classified as Deficiency (<10 ng/ml) and Insufficiency (10-29 ng/ml).

Results: The study participants had a mean age of 29.51 ± 7.064 years, with 57% being women and 43% men. Among women, 28.6% wore veils. The mean vitamin D level was 21.05 ng/ml [12.87; 21.05]. A vitamin D deficiency was present in 16.7% of cases, and an insufficiency in 62.5% of cases. Women had a lower Vitamin D level compared to men (15.5 vs 16.4 ng/ml, P=0.57). The frequency of vitamin D deficiency was higher in women than in men (29.6% vs 0% P=0.007). A positive correlation was found between Vitamin D and Ldl levels (P=0.042), and between vitamin D and total cholesterol level (P=0,024). Healthcare workers with vitamin D deficiency had lower Hdl levels than workers with vitamin D insufficiency. (1.41 vs 1.24 mmol/l, P=0.028).

Conclusion: This study revealed a significant prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among young healthcare workers, with women exhibiting a higher deficiency rate. The positive correlations with Ldl and total cholesterol levels emphasize potential links with lipid metabolism. The lower level of Hdl observed in workers with a vitamin D deficiency highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve the vitamin D status among healthcare professionals.