The effect of outfitting style on bone mineral density.

Aim: Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most important risk factors in the development of osteoporosis. Recently, vitamin D deficiency is more frequently encountered than expected in Mediterranean countries, which are sunny most of the time. Our country is one of these sunny countries and here, we investigated the effect of outfitting style on bone mineral density (BMD) and plasma vitamin D levels in women aged between 30-40 years.

Method: Eighty women, aged between 30 and 40 years, were included in the study. They were divided into two groups, depending on their dress selection. Group-1 consisted of 40 cases with an open clothing style, while the 40 women in group-2, preferred the covered clothing style. Women were questioned in terms of the risk factors for osteoporosis. Levels of plasma 25(OH)2 vitamin D3 and parathormone (PTH) were tested along with routine blood analyses. BMD of Lumbar 1-4, femur neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle were measured.

Results: In group-2, number of pregnancies and body mass index (BMI) was statistically significantly higher (p < 0.05). When the laboratory parameters were compared, in group-2, only levels of plasma 25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 was significantly lower than group-1 (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference among groups in terms of BMD. In group-2, there was a positive correlation between BMI and BMD at L1-4, hip, femur neck, and trochanter regions (p < 0.01, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.05, respectively).

Conclusion: Traditional clothing style leads to vitamin D deficiency in women. In order to meet vitamin D need, the face, arm and leg regions of the body should be exposed to one minimal erythemal dose (MED; i.e., slight redness of the skin) of sunlight, at least two or three times a week. We believe that these cases should be more closely monitored for bone loss, especially during postmenopausal period, which is considered as a risky term in terms of osteoporosis development.