Background:

Vitamin D Deficiency is a public health problem associated with various diseases in the adult population that could be related to work activity.

Objective:

To relate vitamin D deficiency with nutritional status, body composition, and sociodemographic factors in workers from Quito, Ecuador.

Material and Methods:

A cross-sectional study in 245 workers. Serum vitamin D was evaluated by immunofluorescence, nutritional status by Body Mass Index, body composition by bioimpedance, and other sociodemographic factors were also evaluated. The associations between vitamin D deficiency and variables of interest were examined by logistic regression.

Results:

Vitamin D deficiency was presented in 76% of the participants. Cardiovascular risk by abdominal circumference, age, and sex were associ ated with vitamin D deficiency. For each centimeter increase in abdominal circumference, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency increased 4.4% (OR = 1.044 CI95%:1.001-1.008; p = 0.043). For each year of age increase, the prevalence decreased 4.1% (OR = 0.96; 95%CI:0.93-0.99; p = 0.030). Women showed 2.33 times more vitamin D deficiency than men (OR = 2.33 CI95%:1.28-6.94 p = 0.011).

Conclusion:

Vitamin D deficiency is high in workers in the city of Quito. Apparently, young female with a high abdominal circumference appear to be more likely to be this deficient. Excess weight likely influences outdoor physical activity, which in turn decreases exposure to sunlight and leads to vitamin D deficiency.

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