Awareness of Calcium & Vitamin D among college going students in Bangladesh

Abstract

Calcium is essential to maintaining total body health, normal growth and development, metabolizing iron, helping blood clotting & regulating blood pressure, keeping bones & teeth strong over lifetime, the action of the number of hormones, cell structure etc. Vitamin D is required for regulation of cell growth, bone formation, immune function, muscle strength, hair growth, reducing autoimmune disease, fighting infection etc. Previous works intended to determine the status of these micronutrients in local population have reported that the people in Bangladesh are at high risk of calcium insufficiency and hypovitaminosis D related health complications. Lack of awareness and insufficient knowledge of the essentiality of these two nutrients are assumed to cause this problem in Bangladesh. The present study was designed and conducted to establish a basic understanding on the level of gap of knowledge and awareness among college going students in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a one of the most overpopulated country of the world. That’s why the most important part in living is to be as healthy as possible avoiding all the diseases. From the survey it was found that about the 75% & 80% college going students know Calcium & Vitamin D as a food supplement while 25% & 20% do not know about the Calcium & Vitamin D. The college going students have come to largely know about milk (41%), Sea fish (8.5%), Meat (12.%), Cheeses(10.5%) and others(27%) as Calcium containing food. They also know about Meat(13%),Liver(12%),Milk(43%),Eggs(10.5%),Banana(10.5%),Others (12%) as a Vitamin D containing food. On the basis of drinking milk is response mainly daily (31%).They remain in the high sun exposure per day like >1hr (35%).The term of “Osteoporosis” are known (22%) of college going students while (78%) & do not know about it. (65%) and (70%) ever been prescribed any Calcium & Vitamin D supplement by a physician while (35%) and (30 %) ever not been prescribed. The college going student have come to highly know about Calcium and Vitamin D from those source as books (45%).