Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is a global public health issue increasingly associated with health conditions beyond bone health. Its prevalence shows significant variability depending on geographic region and a range of clinical and environmental factors. This article describes the current status of this condition in Latin America, with a specific focus on the Dominican Republic. Method: A literature review was conducted based on scientific articles published in the last 10 years, available on PubMed and SciELO, reporting the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in populations from Latin America or the Caribbean. Results: A total of 25 articles were evaluated, with most studies being conducted in three countries of the region (Brazil, Mexico, and Ecuador). The calculated median prevalence of reported vitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL was 70.4%. Factors frequently associated with this condition included female sex, older age, and geographic region. Only one article included data from the Dominican Republic, reporting a prevalence of vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL of 3.6% in children and 3.9% in adults. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent across the Latin American region. However, the available scientific literature does not equitably represent all countries in the region, including
Authors: Manuel Soto, Berniza Calderón
Institution: Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo
Language: English
Topic: Vitamin D Research Studies
Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4414104584