Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38625871›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

Vital D: A modifiable occupational risk factor of UK healthcare workers.

James Phelan, Angukumar Thangamuthu, Srinivasagam Muthumeenal, Kirsteen Houston, Mark Everton, Sathyanarayana Gowda, Jufen Zhang, Rengarajan Subramanian

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

James PhelanBasildon Hospital, Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust, Basildon, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-1848-3982
Angukumar ThangamuthuBasildon Hospital, Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust, Basildon, United Kingdom.
Srinivasagam MuthumeenalBroomfield Hospital, Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust, Broomfield, United Kingdom.
Kirsteen HoustonSouthend Hospital, Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust, Westcliff-on-Sea, United Kingdom.
Mark EvertonBasildon Hospital, Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust, Basildon, United Kingdom.
Sathyanarayana GowdaBasildon Hospital, Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust, Basildon, United Kingdom.
Jufen ZhangSchool of Medicine, Faculty of Health Education, Medicine and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Rengarajan SubramanianBasildon Hospital, Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust, Basildon, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-0145-9377
Basildon Hospital · GBAnglia Ruskin University · GBBroomfield Hospital · GBSouthend Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe role of Vitamin D in immune function is well reported with a growing evidence base linking low levels to poorer outcomes from infectious disease. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are prevalent worldwide with healthcare workers identified as a known at-risk group. Here we aim to investigate serum Vitamin D levels in a UK population of front line healthcare workers and to promote the occupational risk.

methodsA cross-sectional study of 639 volunteers was conducted to identify the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency amongst a population of front-line health care workers in the UK. Participant demographics and co-morbid factors were collected at the time of serum sampling for multivariate analysis.

resultsOnly 18.8% of the population had a normal vitamin D level greater than or equal to 75nmol/L. This is compared to Public Health England's (PHE) stipulated normal levels of 60% during winter. 81.2% had a level less than 75nmol/L, with 51.2% less than 50nmol/L and 6.6% less than 25nmol/L. For serum levels less than 25nmol/L, Asian ethnicity was more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency than non-asian (OR (95%CI): 3.81 (1.73-8.39), p = 0.001), whereas white ethnicity was less likely to have a vitamin D deficiency compared to non-white (OR (95%CI: 0.43 (0.20-0.83), p = 0.03). Other factors that contributed to a higher likelihood of lower-than-normal levels within this population included male sex, decreased age and not taking supplementation.

conclusionIt is concluded that our population of healthcare workers have higher rates of abnormal vitamin D levels in comparison with the general UK population reported prevalence. Furthermore, Asian ethnicity and age 30 years and below are more at risk of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency. This highlights an occupational risk factor for the healthcare community to consider.

Indexed as

Health PersonnelVitamin DVitamin D DeficiencyAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceUnited KingdomVitaminsVitamin DVitamins

Identifiers

PMID38625871
PMCPMC11020869
OpenAlexW4394856308

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.