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Vitamin D deficiency is widely common among nationals of the Arabic Gulf region despite the
abundance of sunshine throughout the year. We investigated in a pilot study whether advised sun
exposure for 12 weeks could improve the vitamin D status of young adult Emirati females. A
convenience sample of Emirati females (N=114) attending a federal university in Abu Dhabi were
invited to participate in the study. After assessment of vitamin D status, a total of ten females with
hypovitaminosis were randomly selected as sunlight exposure intervention group. Participants in the
intervention group agreed to expose the face, arms and hands for a total of 60 minutes per week
without the use of sunscreen. All sunlight exposure sessions were done privately and recorded in a
diary for documentation by the participant herself. A natural none-intervention control group of
participants (N=10) who did not seek any treatment despite the advise was considered for
comparison. Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD), anthropometric and lifestyle
variables related to sun exposure were all measured in each participant at baseline and after 12
weeks. Results demonstrated that mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations for the intervention group
increased from 10.50 ± 5.37 ng/mL at baseline to 19.52 ± 11.67 ng/mL after 12 weeks. The
increase was statistically significant as revealed by the t-test t [18]= 2.61, p< 0.05 (Cohen’s d=
1.23). On the other hand, the mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations for the natural control group
dropped slightly after 12 weeks from 10.92 ± 6.23 ng/mL to 9.02 ± 4.97 ng/mL. Even though there
was no statistical difference in the sun avoidance index between the 2 groups (difference =-2.1; SE ±
6.4 P=0.74), however, some extra sun exposure resulted in statistically and clinically important
differences in the vitamin D concentration between the groups (P=0.01). This study showed that
sunlight exposure could be a simple but effective way to improve vitamin D status among female
Emiratis who minimize sun exposure to the skin due to heat and both cultural and religious reasons.
Further investigations should include a group of participants with supplements and increase the
sample size.
Keywords: Vitamin D deficiency, Sunlight exposure, Emirati females, United Arab Emirates.