Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Background The use of vitamin D supplements has increased substantially in recent years. The role of vitamin D supplementation, and the optimal vitamin D dose and status, is always a subject of debate. The guidelines for vitamin D supplementation change every few years and proper education of both patients and the medical community about the benefits of vitamin D and the importance of its proper provision according to the updated guidelines is of great importance. Methodology A Cross-sectional, Observational, Questionnaire-based survey was conducted after obtaining the approval of the Institutional ethics committee. Practitioners including Diploma holders and general practitioners, a total of 100 were invited to fill out the survey form. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze questions. Results Of 66 respondents, 36.36% reported that up to 10 % of their tested patients showed vitamin D deficiency. 69.7 % answered that people over 65 years of age were at high risk of deficiency. 72.73% of the participants believed that daily exposure to direct sunlight at peak UV times would help in the prevention of deficiency. 51.52% of participants felt that people required about 30 min of direct sunlight. The most common query regarding Vitamin D was about the sources of Vitamin D at 62.12%. 50% advised their patients who are at risk of deficiency to not always use sun protection in summer. 34.84% believed that a person of average sun sensitivity required about 10 min of direct sun exposure during a summer day in peak UV time. 60.61% of participants expressed greater concern about vitamin D deficiency than skin cancer. 96.97% of participants believed clear clinical guidelines would be useful. Discussion and Conclusion In India, studies have reported vitamin D deficiency in as high as 70%–100% of healthy individuals. Our results suggest there is some confusion among practitioners regarding the amount of UV exposure time in summer and winter necessary for sufficient vitamin D. Testing less number of patients for Vit. D deficiency was noted. The participants felt they had insufficient information and resources to provide advice to their patients.