High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among South Asian pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among South Asian pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Siddiqee et al., 2022 | Br J Nutr | Meta Analysis

Citation

Siddiqee Mahbubul Hasan, Bhattacharjee Badhan, ... Rahman Mohammad Meshbhaur. High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among South Asian pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Nutr. 2022-Sep-28;128(6):1118-1129. doi:10.1017/S0007114521004360

Abstract

Insufficiency of vitamin D, during pregnancy, is a common cause of various pregnancy-related complications. Despite such insufficiency being frequently reported among South Asian pregnant women, the absence of systematic review and meta-analysis renders the true extent of this problem being poorly characterised. In this systematic review, three main databases (PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar) were searched for original studies. We included original studies published between 1January 2001 to 31 December 2019, conducted on pregnant women who lived in South Asian countries and reported the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among the study participants. Twenty studies with a total of 7804 participants from four South Asian countries finally met our selection criteria. Overall pooled prevalence of insufficiency was 65 % (95 % CI: 51 %, 78 %) with a significant heterogeneity (I2 = 99·37 %; P = 0·00). The average level of vitamin D ranged from 9 ng/ml to 24·86 ng/ml with a weighted mean of 16·37 ng/ml (weighted standard deviation 7·13 ng/ml). The highest prevalence of insufficiency was found in Pakistan (76 %) followed by India (67 %), Bangladesh (64 %) and Nepal (14 %). Results obtained in this study suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is highly prevalent among South Asian pregnant women. Being the first systematic review in this region, findings from this study will help the future studies and strengthen the evidence for policymakers to develop effective mitigation strategies.

Key Findings

Being the first systematic review in this region, findings from this study will help the future studies and strengthen the evidence for policymakers to develop effective mitigation strategies.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 7804
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Female
  • Pregnancy
  • Vitamin D
  • Pregnant People
  • Prevalence
  • South Asian People
  • Vitamins
  • Pregnancy Complications
  • Vitamin D Deficiency

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review, Journal Article
  • Vertical: vitamin-d

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09