Publication:

Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding vitamin D supplementation among medical students and resident doctors at a tertiary centre: a cross-sectional study

Background Vitamin D is a vital micronutrient for proper bone formation. Knowledge about vitamin D is often insufficient among individuals, including healthcare professionals. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of vitamin D supplementation among medical students and resident doctors in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out using a structured, well tested, validated questionnaire, focussing on knowledge, attitude and practice on self-medication of vitamin D on 222 undergraduate (UG) medical students from first to fourth year, interns and resident doctors of different specialities at a tertiary care teaching centre in India. The data was analysed using Graph Pad Prism 8.4.2 software.

Results There was no significant difference among pre-MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) and post-MBBS students’ attitude and practice related to vitamin D. However, the knowledge about vitamin D supplementation differed significantly among post and pre-MBBS students (p<0.05).

Conclusions In conclusion, it can be said that although medical students had a fair knowledge on some important aspects of vitamin D, their knowledge regarding symptoms of vitamin D toxicity and associated complications was moderate. Self-medication was very high (43%) among participants, a matter of grave concern. Practice related to vitamin D supplementation among participants was also not satisfactory. Knowledge of participants significantly increased upon completion of MBBS degree. However, there were gaps in the attitude and practice of vitamin D which did not seem to improve even in the post-MBBS students.