ArticleBMC medical education2023
Risk perception of sun exposure and knowledge of vitamin D among the healthcare providers in a high-risk country: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC medical education, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence and determinants of hypovitaminosis D in early pregnancy: a cross-sectional study among first-trimester pregnant women.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Assessment of understanding, attitudes, and clinical practices regarding osteoporosis among postgraduate students in China.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- The association of sun sensitivity, sun protective behaviors and depression in both genders: a study based on the U.S. population.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward pediatric vitamin D deficiency among parents.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2024Article
- Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of medical university students towards vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHigh levels of vitamin D deficiency are commonly reported even in regions with abundant sunshine. This necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the determinants that influence sun exposure practices. As the primary source of health-related knowledge for the general public, the attitude of the healthcare professionals towards sunlight and their awareness related to vitamin D deficiency can be critical in this regard.
methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2,242 physicians, intern doctors, and senior medical students in Bangladesh from October 2019 to February 2020. A pre-tested structured questionnaire (containing twelve close-ended questions) was used. The perceptions of health risks due to sun exposure, and basic knowledge of the physiological and epidemiological aspects of vitamin D deficiency were tested.
resultsAn overall negative attitude towards sunlight in the context of Bangladesh was highlighted - 68% participants thought regular sun exposure would be harmful or very harmful; 26% thought the level of UV radiation was very high; 44% recommended using sunscreen always; skin burns, heat stroke, and cancer were selected as potential consequences of regular sun exposure by 45%, 21%, and 30% respondents respectively. Overall knowledge regarding vitamin D deficiency appeared to be biased towards bone health; other symptoms and associated illnesses not having obvious link to Calcium-metabolism were identified much lesser frequently. Furthermore, 'sunrise to 10 am' was identified as the best time to get vitamin D by 69% participants; 60% believed < 30 min of weekly sun exposure would be sufficient for the Bangladeshi population; an only 33% identified that prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in Bangladesh would be 50% or more. Taking vitamin D-rich food was suggested by more respondents over regular sun exposure (43% vs. 33%) as more effective remedial strategy to curb vitamin D deficiency in Bangladesh.
conclusionIn addition to highlighting some crucial knowledge gaps, results from this study provides a comprehensive baseline dataset for knowledge and attitude regarding the public health aspects of vitamin D deficiency among the healthcare providers in Bangladesh, which would be generalizable to other countries with similar socio-demographic context, and will facilitate taking more effective policies worldwide.
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