ArticleBMC nutrition2026
Awareness and knowledge of vitamin D deficiency among Palestinian adults recruited online: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVitamin D deficiency remains a major public health concern in the Middle East and North Africa despite abundant sunlight. The public's understanding of vitamin D sources, risk factors, and preventive practices may influence recognition and prevention of deficiency, yet data from Palestine remain limited. This study assessed awareness and knowledge of vitamin D deficiency among Palestinian adults recruited online and examined whether knowledge differed according to sociodemographic characteristics and vitamin D-related experiences.
methodsAn analytical online cross-sectional study was conducted among Palestinian adults using an adapted Arabic self-administered questionnaire distributed through social media between November and December 2025. The instrument assessed sociodemographic characteristics, vitamin D-related experiences, and knowledge across benefits, sources/determinants, and toxicity domains. Knowledge scores ranged from 0 to 14, and scores greater than 7 were classified as adequate knowledge, consistent with the source instrument. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and multivariable logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 25.
resultsA total of 756 respondents were included (mean age 27.5 ± 9.9 years; 79.1% female). The mean knowledge score was 10.21 ± 2.25, and 88.8% of participants were classified as having adequate knowledge. Correct responses were highest for skeletal benefits and the role of sun exposure in vitamin D production. Lower correct response rates were observed for items related to vitamin D toxicity, vegetarian-related risk, and the effect of darker skin pigmentation on deficiency risk. Higher mean knowledge scores were observed among males, single participants, participants without children, and those who had undergone vitamin D testing or had taken supplements. However, no independent predictors of adequate knowledge were identified in the adjusted logistic regression model.
conclusionsPalestinian adults in this online non-probability sample demonstrated a generally high level of vitamin D knowledge, particularly regarding bone health and sun exposure. However, important gaps persisted in specific domains, especially toxicity and less commonly recognized risk factors. Because the sample was recruited online and was disproportionately female and highly educated, the findings should be interpreted as descriptive of this sampled group rather than representative of all Palestinian adults.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.