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. 2022 Oct 10:13:954300.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.954300. eCollection 2022.

Associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, body mass index and body fat composition among Emirati population: Results from the UAE healthy future study

Fatme AlAnouti  1 , Amar Sabri Ahmad  2 , Laila Abdel Wareth  3 , Ayesha Al Dhaheri  4 , Abderrahim Oulhaj  5 , Abdulla Al Junaibi  6 , Abdullah Al Naeemi  7 , Aisha Al Hamiz  2 , Ayesha Al Hosani  2 , Eiman Al Zaabi  8 , Fatima Mezhal  2 , Fatma Al Maskari  9   10 , Habiba Alsafar  11   12   13 , Jamila Yaaqoub  14 , Marina Al Bastaki  15 , Mohammed Al Houqani  16 , Naima Oumeziane  15 , Nirmin F Juber  2 , Scott Sherman  17 , Syed M Shah  9 , Teeb Alsharid  2 , Thekra Al Zaabi  2 , Tom Loney  18 , Wael Al Mahmeed  19 , Abdishakur Abdulle  2 , Raghib Ali  2   20
Affiliations

Associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, body mass index and body fat composition among Emirati population: Results from the UAE healthy future study

Fatme AlAnouti et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are highly prevalent among several populations across the globe. Numerous studies have shown a significant correlation between body-mass-index (BMI) and Vitamin D status, however, some results differed according to ethnicity. Despite the abundance of sunshine throughout the year, vitamin D deficiency is prominent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this study, we analyzed the UAE Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS) pilot data to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and % body fat (BF) composition as well as BMI.

Material and methods: Data from a total of 399 Emirati men and women aged ≥ 18 years were analyzed. Serum 25(OH)D and standard measures of weight and height were included in the analyses. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25(OH)D concentration<20 ng/ml. Multivariate quantile regression models were performed to explore the relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and % BF composition and BMI correspondingly.

Results: There were 281 (70.4%) males and 118 (29.6%) females included in this study. More than half of the study participants had vitamin D insufficiency (52.4%), and nearly a third had vitamin D deficiency (30.3%); while only 17.3% had optimal levels. A statistically significant negative association between serum 25(OH) D levels and % BF composition was observed at intermediate percentiles while a statistically significant negative association between serum 25(OH)D and BMI was only observed at the median (50th percentile).

Conclusion: The study findings support the association between low serum 25(OH) D levels (low vitamin D status) and high % BF composition and high BMI among adult Emiratis. Further longitudinal data from the prospective UAEHFS could better elucidate the relationship between serum 25(OH) D levels, % BF composition, and BMI in the context of various health outcomes among this population.

Keywords: body fat; body mass index; quantile regression; serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D; vitamin D.

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Conflict of interest statement

MB and NO were employed by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, SEHA. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of Recruitment of Participants from the UAEHF pilot study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Two 3-Dimensional Scatterplots of Serum 25 (OH)D (ng\ml) versus age and BF (%) and age and BMI respectively. Data is labeled by sex: male (blackdots) and female (red dots).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Caterpillar plots of the BMI and BF (%) effects on serum 25(OH)D levels from two multivariate quantile regression model for the 25th, 30th,...,75th percentile .Each black dot is the slope coeficiant for the quantile indicated on the y axis. If 95% confidence intervals are below zero (red dotted line) indicating a statistically significant negative association, if 95% confidnece intervals cross the red dotted line then there is no statistically significant effect. Body Fat (%) is negatively associated with 25(OH)D level at the 25th, 30th,..., 75th percentile. statistically significant negative associations were observed between Body Fat (%) and 25(OH)D level at the intermediation percentile (40th,...,65th). BMI was also negatively associated with 25(OH)D levels at 25th, 30th,...,, 75th percentile. However, a statistically significant negative association between BMI and 25(OH)D levels was only observed at the intermediate percentile (40th,..., 65th).
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