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Optimum Sun Exposure Times for Vitamin D Status Correction in Saudi Arabia

Received: 7 August 2015     Accepted: 15 August 2015     Published: 7 September 2015
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Abstract

Vitamin deficiency is considered to be a major public health problem in Saudi Arabia, especially during summer. The major source of vitamin D is sun exposure. In this study, we aimed to determine the optimum time for sun exposure in four different cities (North, South, West and East regions) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the current study ampoules containing 7-dehydrocholesterol in ethanol were exposed to sunlight every hour starting from sunrise until sunset in June 2013. Results indicated that the geographical location and the time of the day have a major influence in vitamin D production. In summer, conversion of pre-vitamin D3 was observed to be elevated between 8.00-9.00 AM to 3:30-4:30 PM, with peak hours between 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Moreover in the east region (Dammam), conversion of pre-vitamin D3 showed significant reduction by around 50%. In conclusion, the optimum sun exposure time for vitamin D3 production in the north, south and west regions of Saudi Arabia during summer is from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM, as well as 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.Air pollution might be the cause for the decreased conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to pre-vitamin D3 in the east region. Conservatively, the optimum time for sun exposure therefore in Dammam city is from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM, as well as 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Knowledge of the optimum sun exposure times during summer can be highly effective in preventing vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabia.

Published in European Journal of Preventive Medicine (Volume 3, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14
Page(s) 147-154
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Vitamin D, Sunlight Exposure, Optimum Times, Saudi Arabia

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Fahad Alamri, Fahad Alshahrani, Yousef Al-Saleh, Mohammed Yehia Saeedi, Mussa Hussein Almalki, et al. (2015). Optimum Sun Exposure Times for Vitamin D Status Correction in Saudi Arabia. European Journal of Preventive Medicine, 3(5), 147-154. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14

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    ACS Style

    Fahad Alamri; Fahad Alshahrani; Yousef Al-Saleh; Mohammed Yehia Saeedi; Mussa Hussein Almalki, et al. Optimum Sun Exposure Times for Vitamin D Status Correction in Saudi Arabia. Eur. J. Prev. Med. 2015, 3(5), 147-154. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14

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    AMA Style

    Fahad Alamri, Fahad Alshahrani, Yousef Al-Saleh, Mohammed Yehia Saeedi, Mussa Hussein Almalki, et al. Optimum Sun Exposure Times for Vitamin D Status Correction in Saudi Arabia. Eur J Prev Med. 2015;3(5):147-154. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14,
      author = {Fahad Alamri and Fahad Alshahrani and Yousef Al-Saleh and Mohammed Yehia Saeedi and Mussa Hussein Almalki and Nasser Al-Daghri and Abdulallah Alzahrani and Michael Holick and Ahmed Khair Ibrahim},
      title = {Optimum Sun Exposure Times for Vitamin D Status Correction in Saudi Arabia},
      journal = {European Journal of Preventive Medicine},
      volume = {3},
      number = {5},
      pages = {147-154},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ejpm.20150305.14},
      abstract = {Vitamin deficiency is considered to be a major public health problem in Saudi Arabia, especially during summer. The major source of vitamin D is sun exposure. In this study, we aimed to determine the optimum time for sun exposure in four different cities (North, South, West and East regions) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the current study ampoules containing 7-dehydrocholesterol in ethanol were exposed to sunlight every hour starting from sunrise until sunset in June 2013. Results indicated that the geographical location and the time of the day have a major influence in vitamin D production. In summer, conversion of pre-vitamin D3 was observed to be elevated between 8.00-9.00 AM to 3:30-4:30 PM, with peak hours between 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Moreover in the east region (Dammam), conversion of pre-vitamin D3 showed significant reduction by around 50%. In conclusion, the optimum sun exposure time for vitamin D3 production in the north, south and west regions of Saudi Arabia during summer is from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM, as well as 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.Air pollution might be the cause for the decreased conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to pre-vitamin D3 in the east region. Conservatively, the optimum time for sun exposure therefore in Dammam city is from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM, as well as 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Knowledge of the optimum sun exposure times during summer can be highly effective in preventing vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabia.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Optimum Sun Exposure Times for Vitamin D Status Correction in Saudi Arabia
    AU  - Fahad Alamri
    AU  - Fahad Alshahrani
    AU  - Yousef Al-Saleh
    AU  - Mohammed Yehia Saeedi
    AU  - Mussa Hussein Almalki
    AU  - Nasser Al-Daghri
    AU  - Abdulallah Alzahrani
    AU  - Michael Holick
    AU  - Ahmed Khair Ibrahim
    Y1  - 2015/09/07
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14
    T2  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
    JF  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
    JO  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
    SP  - 147
    EP  - 154
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8230
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20150305.14
    AB  - Vitamin deficiency is considered to be a major public health problem in Saudi Arabia, especially during summer. The major source of vitamin D is sun exposure. In this study, we aimed to determine the optimum time for sun exposure in four different cities (North, South, West and East regions) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the current study ampoules containing 7-dehydrocholesterol in ethanol were exposed to sunlight every hour starting from sunrise until sunset in June 2013. Results indicated that the geographical location and the time of the day have a major influence in vitamin D production. In summer, conversion of pre-vitamin D3 was observed to be elevated between 8.00-9.00 AM to 3:30-4:30 PM, with peak hours between 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Moreover in the east region (Dammam), conversion of pre-vitamin D3 showed significant reduction by around 50%. In conclusion, the optimum sun exposure time for vitamin D3 production in the north, south and west regions of Saudi Arabia during summer is from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM, as well as 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.Air pollution might be the cause for the decreased conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to pre-vitamin D3 in the east region. Conservatively, the optimum time for sun exposure therefore in Dammam city is from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM, as well as 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Knowledge of the optimum sun exposure times during summer can be highly effective in preventing vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabia.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Non-communicable Disease Directorate, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Family Medicine Department, King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Faculty of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Non-communicable Disease Directorate, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Specialized Diabetes and Endocrine Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Prince Mutaib Chair for Biomarkers of Osteoporosis, College of Science, Biochemistry Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Prince Mutaib Chair for Biomarkers of Osteoporosis, College of Science, Biochemistry Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Diabetes, Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, USA

  • Community Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Asyut, Egypt

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