Prevalence of Rickets among Saudi Population in Arar, Saudi Arabia

Background Rickets is the most common non-communicable disease in pediatrics in developing countries, often observed in societies with strict vegetarian diets and not introduced to foods enriched in vitamin D. This poses a barrier to effective treatment, making it a chronic and often subclinical disease. Objective: This study aims to assess the prevalence of rickets among Saudi children and infants in Arar, Saudi Arabia, identify risk factors, and assess symptoms. Methodology: This is a cross- sectional study conducted among Saudi general population in Arar, Saudi Arabia. Adult participants completed a self-administrated questionnaire for their children concerning rickets. All data was entered and analyzed using SPSS 23 with using appropriate statistical methods for description and analysis. P-value less than 0.05 was considered for statistical significance Results: The study included 393 participants, 21.1% of them were males and 78.9% were females. 51.9% aged between 20- 30 years old. 27.3% of participants reported having a child diagnosed with rickets. Age of child at time of diagnosis was less than 12 months (63.4%), between 12- 24 months (31%) and more than 24 months (5.6%) of diagnosed children. Risk factors were identified as vitamin D deficiency at the time of diagnosis in 81.7%, vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy in 78.9%, preterm labor in 45.1% and artificial breastfeeding in 31% of diagnosed children. 91.5% of diagnosed children improved after adherence to treatment. Conclusion: Prevalence of rickets among Saudi children is high, and infants and toddlers should be the focus of rickets prevention strategies.