Vitamin D Deficiency Among Medical Students in Osijek, Croatia

Stipe Vidović*; Željko Debeljak; Tatjana Bačun; Sven Viland; Milorad Zjalić; Marija Heffer

doi:10.26332/seemedj.v6i2.258

Stipe Vidović* Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Željko Debeljak University Hospital Centre Osijek, Institute of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Croatia
Tatjana Bačun University Hospital Centre Osijek, Department of Endocrinology, Osijek, Croatia; Department of Internal Medicine and History of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Croatia
Sven Viland Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Milorad Zjalić Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Marija Heffer Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26332/seemedj.v6i2.258

Abstract

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate serum levels of 25-OH D3 (calcidiol) among students of the Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Croatia, thereby determining to what extent vitamin D deficiency is present.

Methods: The present cross-sectional analysis was based on data collected from 60 participants. Blood sampling was done in March 2021. Concentrations of 25-OH D3 were measured using LC/MS-MS procedure on Shimadzu LCMS 8050 and RECIPE kit for serum levels of 25-OH-D3.

Results: The study was conducted on a sample of 60 respondents aged 19 to 28, of whom 16 were men and 44 were women. All subjects had a 25-OH D3 deficiency (<20 ng/ml), while 11 had an extreme deficiency. Mean 25-OH D3 concentration was 11.36 ng/ml, ranging from 7.70 ng/ml to 16.70 ng/ml. There was no statistical significance of 25-OH D3 concentration levels between the sexes (Student’s t-test, P>0.05).

Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was detected in all subjects. In addition to the results of several other studies conducted worldwide that evaluated vitamin D status among medical students, this study further highlights the problem affecting this student subgroup.