Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and determination of factors affecting vitamin D level: The example of Yozgat province

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and the factors affecting vitamin D levels in pregnant women. The cross-sectional study was completed with 350 pregnant women who applied to the Yozgat Bozok University Research and Application Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Polyclinic with the diagnosis of pregnancy between 09 April 2021 and 30 September 2021 and were asked to have vitamin D tests by the doctor. The data of the study were collected by face-to-face interview technique using the "Introduction and Evaluation Form". The statistics of the descriptive characteristics of the pregnant women participating in the study are presented with frequency and percentage values. Normality of data distribution was determined by Kolmogorov Smirnov Test and Shapiro Wilk Test. Since serum vitamin D levels were not normally distributed, the Mann Whitney U Test was used for the averages of two independent groups and the Kruskall Wallis H Test for the averages of more than two independent groups. Continuous variables are expressed as mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum, median and interquartile range values. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. In the research findings, 37.4% of the pregnant women had vitamin D deficiency, 39.2% had vitamin D deficiency, and 23.4% had a normal serum 25(OH)D level. A significant difference was found between the education level, trimester, counseling about vitamin D, the use of vitamin D during pregnancy, the time of sunbathing and the area of the body exposed to the sun, and mean serum 25(OH)D levels. Age, employment status, BMI, number of pregnancies and births, smoking status during pregnancy, presence of a diagnosed disease, daily sun exposure, daily sunbathing time outdoors, use of sunscreen, skin color and consumption of dietary sources of vitamin D. There was no significant difference between mean serum 25(OH)D levels. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women is high and there are modifiable factors affecting vitamin D levels during pregnancy. Awareness and knowledge of midwives about the prevalence of vitamin D and the factors affecting vitamin D level, and integrating this knowledge into antenatal care are important for the prevention and elimination of vitamin D deficiency.