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. 2022 Nov 18:9:1050745.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1050745. eCollection 2022.

Vitamin D insufficiency is high in Malaysia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on vitamin D status in Malaysia

Shamin Mohd Saffian  1 , Nor Aini Jamil  2 , Nor Asyikin Mohd Tahir  1 , Ernieda Hatah  1
Affiliations

Vitamin D insufficiency is high in Malaysia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on vitamin D status in Malaysia

Shamin Mohd Saffian et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

Purpose: To estimate the vitamin D status of participants residing in Malaysia.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and MyJurnal were searched up to June 2022 without language restrictions. Studies that reported the 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and defined their cut-off for deficiency or insufficiency from healthy participants residing in Malaysia were included. The random effects model was used to pool vitamin D status using established cut-offs of <30, <50, and <75 nmol/L according to age group.

Results: From 299 studies screened, 32 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled proportion for <30 nmol/L was 21% (95% CI 9-36, n = 2,438 from 10 studies), while the pooled proportion <50 nmol/L was 64% (95% CI 56-72, n = 13,977 from 30 studies), and <75 nmol/L was 85% (95% CI 61-100, n = 1,376 from five studies). Heterogeneity was high (I2 ranged from 98-99%). Higher proportions of vitamin D insufficiency (defined as <50 nmol/L) were found in participants living in the urban areas (compared to rural areas), in females (compared to males), and in Malays and Malaysian Indians (compared to Malaysian Chinese) ethnicities.

Conclusion: More than half of Malaysians have insufficient vitamin D levels, despite being a country that is close to the equator. We strongly urge prompt public health measures to improve the vitamin D status in Malaysia.

Systematic review registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/], identifier [CRD42021260259].

Keywords: 25-hydroxyvitamin D; Malaysia; cholecalciferol; prevalence; vitamin D.

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Conflict of interest statement

The 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 study selection.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Pooled proportion of the <30 nmol/L 25-hydroxyvitamin D cut-off.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Pooled proportion of the <50 nmol/L 25-hydroxyvitamin D cut-off.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Pooled proportion of the <75 nmol/L 25-hydroxyvitamin D cut-off.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations in Malaysia according to states. Data are the mean (95% confidence interval) of 25(OH)D concentrations reported in studies done in each state. The 25(OH)D mean values were pooled if there were more than one study from a form and were computed only from studies that stated the mean (SD), or median and interquartile range or range.
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