Association Between Serum Vitamin D Levels and Body Mass Index Status: A Cross-Sectional Study at King Khalid Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, From 2019 to 2020

Introduction Low vitamin D levels have been associated more with overweight and obese people in previous studies. One of the possible explanations behind this association is the lipophilic property of vitamin D that causes the vitamin to deposit in adipose tissue and reduces the serum concentration of the vitamin, which still warrants further evaluation. Objective This study estimated the association between serum vitamin D levels and body mass index (BMI) among male patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of male patients that was carried out in King Khalid Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Patients were included between October 2019 and November 2020. Results We concluded that almost half of the patients, 1,132 (48.3%), had adequate vitamin D, followed by 773 (33%) with vitamin D inadequacy, and only 288 (12.3%) had vitamin D deficiency. There was a significant relationship between age and vitamin D levels; younger people had lower vitamin D levels compared to older people (p<0.001). It was found that there was no significant relationship between BMI categories and vitamin D levels (p>0.05). Conclusion According to the findings of the current study, there was no discernible relationship between serum vitamin D levels and BMI. However, there was a substantial correlation between age and vitamin D levels, with younger age groups having lower amounts than older individuals. Future studies should adopt a prospective design encompassing multiple centers and preferably include the risk factors for developing vitamin D deficiency, such as sun exposure, dietary habits, comorbidities, etc. Such studies can provide a more accurate assessment of the association between BMI and vitamin D levels.