WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY?

Here are the main risk factors for vitamin D deficiency — people in these groups are more likely to have low levels:

🌞 Limited Sunlight Exposure

• Living in northern latitudes or areas with little year-round sunlight.
• Spending most of the time indoors (office workers, elderly in nursing homes).
• Wearing covering clothing for cultural or religious reasons.
• Regular use of sunscreen (blocks UVB needed for vitamin D synthesis).

🧑‍🦱 Skin and Age Factors

• Darker skin tones (higher melanin reduces vitamin D production).
• Older adults (skin makes less vitamin D, kidneys less efficient in converting it).

🍽 Diet and Lifestyle

• Vegetarians or vegans (since vitamin D-rich foods are mostly animal-based).
• People with poor diets low in fatty fish, eggs, or fortified foods.
• Alcohol dependence (interferes with absorption and metabolism).

🩺 Medical Conditions

• Obesity (vitamin D gets trapped in fat tissue, lowering bioavailability).
• Liver disease (reduces conversion to active form).
• Kidney disease (kidneys help activate vitamin D).
• Digestive disorders that impair fat absorption:
• Celiac disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Cystic fibrosis

💊 Medications That Interfere

• Long-term use of anticonvulsants (e.g., phenytoin).
• Glucocorticoids (steroids like prednisone).
• Some weight-loss drugs and cholesterol-lowering drugs (reduce fat absorption).

👉 In short, people with less sun, darker skin, older age, obesity, restrictive diets, or chronic health conditions are at higher risk.