@Article{, title={Serum Vitamin D3 Level in a Sample of Healthy Students in Baghdad College of Medicine}, author={Khudair Z Al-Bedri}, journal={Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal المجلة العراقية للاختصاصات الطبية}, volume={14}, number={3}, pages={429-435}, year={2015}, abstract={ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Vitamin D has an important biologic activity including cellular proliferation, differentiation, immune system modulation and muscle strengthening. Vitamin D is considered as essential environmental factor in the etiology of T-cell mediated auto immune disease.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the level of vitamin D3 in a sample of healthy students in Baghdad College of Medicine and correlation of the various variables to the levels of vitamin D3.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross–sectional study was conducted on 90 healthy Iraqi Students in Baghdad College of Medicine, from 1st March 2014 to 30th October 2014. Subjects had history of chronic illness, smoking, alcohol consumption, pregnancy, post-menopause and chronic use of medication was excluded from the study. Subjects were evaluated for age, gender, body mass index, dietary habit, walking exercise and graduate level of students (undergraduate or postgraduate). Venous blood samples were obtained from all subjects to estimate serum level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D3 using enzyme –linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).RESULTS: The frequency of female was more than males (63.3% versus 36.7%) with mean age of 32.24±9.59 years. Mean serum vitamin D3 level was 18.33± 8.8 ng/ml. There was significant higher level of vitamin D3 in the undergraduate student than postgraduate (22.29 ng/ml versus 15.93 ng/ml) with p value = 0.001. Subjects who consume vegetables rich diet had higher serum of vitamin D3 than those who consume more meat and balanced diet (27.467, 16.975 ng/ml and 15.971 ng/ml) with p value <0.001. Subjects who used to exercise and perform daily exercise > 30 minutes per day have higher level of vitamin D3 than subjects who exercised ≤ 30 minutes, and subject without exercise (29.27 ng/ml, 22.91 ng/ml and 16.34 ng/ml respectively) with p value < 0.00. Obese students have vitamin D3 level higher than over weight and normal weight students (25.85, 20.12 and 16.17 ng/ml respectively) with p value < 0.00. Gender did not exhibit statistical difference (male 18.42 ng/ml and female 18.28 ng/ml). CONCLUSION: Most studied subjects had mild to moderate vitamin D inadequacy. Subjects who consume more vegetable, perform brisk daily walking exercise, undergraduate and overweight have higher mean level of vitamin D3 while the gender have no effect on mean level of vitamin D3.

} }