TY - JOUR

T1 - Vitamin D Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors in Young Danish Women with a Non-Western Ethnic Minority Background-A Questionnaire Survey

AU - Özel, Erdinc

AU - Cantarero-Arevalo, Lourdes

AU - Jacobsen, Ramune

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in women with a non-Western ethnic minority background in Nordic countries is high. The aim of this study was to assess vitamin D knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in women with a non-Western ethic minority background living in Denmark. A validated vitamin D knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors' questionnaire was translated into Danish, piloted, and distributed via relevant Facebook groups. The responses were analyzed using parametric and non-parametric tests for descriptive and bivariate analyses. In total, 254 women who considered themselves having a non-Western ethnic minority background responded to the questionnaire. The median age (IQR) was 25 (23-33) years old; 32% had a professional bachelor's, 28% had high school, and 22% had a master's or higher university education. Participants scored higher on vitamin D general knowledge (scores above 80 on the scale 0-100) compared to vitamin D nutrition knowledge or vitamin D attitudes and behaviors (scores around 60 on the scale 0-100). In conclusion, the vitamin D knowledge among study participants-i.e., young well-educated non-Western ethnic minority women in Denmark-was pretty good. The further examination of vitamin D knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors should explore specifics related to nationality and religion and focus on less-educated non-Western ethnic minority women in Denmark and other Nordic countries.

AB - The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in women with a non-Western ethnic minority background in Nordic countries is high. The aim of this study was to assess vitamin D knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in women with a non-Western ethic minority background living in Denmark. A validated vitamin D knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors' questionnaire was translated into Danish, piloted, and distributed via relevant Facebook groups. The responses were analyzed using parametric and non-parametric tests for descriptive and bivariate analyses. In total, 254 women who considered themselves having a non-Western ethnic minority background responded to the questionnaire. The median age (IQR) was 25 (23-33) years old; 32% had a professional bachelor's, 28% had high school, and 22% had a master's or higher university education. Participants scored higher on vitamin D general knowledge (scores above 80 on the scale 0-100) compared to vitamin D nutrition knowledge or vitamin D attitudes and behaviors (scores around 60 on the scale 0-100). In conclusion, the vitamin D knowledge among study participants-i.e., young well-educated non-Western ethnic minority women in Denmark-was pretty good. The further examination of vitamin D knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors should explore specifics related to nationality and religion and focus on less-educated non-Western ethnic minority women in Denmark and other Nordic countries.

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph17218053

DO - 10.3390/ijerph17218053

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33139622

VL - 17

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

SN - 1661-7827

IS - 21

M1 - 8053

ER -