Abstract
The link between vitamin D and bone health is well established. However, little is known about the bone health, vitamin D status, and lifestyle characteristics of women living in Saudi Arabia. To characterize: i) bone health indices; ii) vitamin D status; iii) potential influential of sunlight exposure and physical activity level. A total of 100 premenopausal aged 20-30 years and 112 postmenopausal aged 45-60 years were included. Bone mineral density was determined at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, intact parathyroid hormone, and ionized calcium and phosphorus were measured. The subjects interviewed about their physical activity levels and lifestyle. Using the WHO criteria, 37% of the premenopausal and 52% of the postmenopausal were osteopenic at the lumbar spine. Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent in Saudi women, with 98% of women being below the IOM recommended level of 50nmol/L. There was a significant correlation between duration of sunlight exposure (min/day) and axial BMD and calcaneal bone mass in partly veiled women. These data indicate that younger and older Saudi Arabian women had poor bone health and that their vitamin D status and lifestyle factors do not promote skeletal integrity. © 2013. Marsland Press, Zhengzhou University.