Family Medicine
Vitamin D Deficiency in Jordan: How Common It Is, Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment
Reviewed by the JordanMedHub Medical Editorial Team · 8/29/2026
Quick Answer
Despite plentiful sunshine, vitamin D deficiency is widespread across Jordan and the region — here's why, and what actually helps.
In this article
Vitamin D plays a central role in bone health, calcium absorption, and immune function. The body produces most of its vitamin D when skin is exposed to sunlight, which might suggest that a sunny country like Jordan would have little reason to worry about deficiency. In practice, though, vitamin D deficiency is remarkably common across Jordan and the wider region.
Several everyday factors explain this paradox. Many people spend most daylight hours indoors, for work, school, or simply due to modern lifestyles. Clothing that covers most of the skin, commonly worn for cultural or religious reasons, further reduces the skin's sun exposure. Sunscreen use, air pollution, and time spent in air-conditioned spaces during the hottest months all add up to less effective sun exposure than the region's climate would suggest. Beyond these regional factors, having darker skin, being older, having obesity, or — for infants — being exclusively breastfed are also recognized risk factors for vitamin D deficiency, since each of these affects how much vitamin D the body makes or stores.
What Jordanian Research Shows
- A national household survey of 4,056 Jordanian adults (2017) found 89.7% had a vitamin D level below 30 ng/mL and about 71% were below 20 ng/mL (the usual cutoff for deficiency). Deficiency was more frequent in women (about 78%) than in men (about 54%), and was associated with female sex, age 40–59, obesity and unemployment.
- An earlier study of 2,013 non-pregnant Jordanian women aged 15–49 (2010 data) found deficiency (below 12 ng/mL) in about 60%, higher in urban than in rural women, and higher among women who wore a hijab or niqab.
Percentages differ between studies because researchers used different cutoffs and populations, so treat them as a picture of how widespread low levels are — not as a number about your own level, which only a blood test can tell you.
Vitamin D deficiency often causes no obvious symptoms, which is part of why it's so easy to overlook. When symptoms do appear, they can include fatigue, bone or muscle pain, and, in more significant or prolonged deficiency, increased risk of fractures. Because the symptoms are so general, a simple blood test is the only reliable way to confirm a deficiency.
Symptoms and Complications by Age
| Group | What deficiency can cause |
|---|---|
| Adults | Bone or muscle pain, tiredness, softening of the bones (osteomalacia), higher fracture risk over time |
| Older adults | Muscle weakness and a higher risk of falls and fractures |
| Babies and children | Rickets — soft bones, bowed legs, delayed walking |
| Pregnancy and breastfeeding | Ask your doctor about testing and supplements; do not self-prescribe high doses |
Read more in our guides to vitamin D deficiency symptoms and vitamin D and bone pain.
The good news is that vitamin D deficiency is straightforward to correct. Depending on the severity, a doctor may recommend vitamin D supplements, along with sensible sun exposure — even 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, with hands, arms, or face exposed, can help — and, where appropriate, dietary sources such as fortified dairy products and fatty fish. Supplement doses should be set by a doctor based on your blood level rather than taken in high amounts on your own, since excessive vitamin D can build up in the body and cause harm, including elevated calcium levels (hypercalcemia).
If you experience persistent fatigue or bone pain, or simply want to know where you stand, a vitamin D blood test is a quick and informative first step. As with all the health information on this site, this article is general in nature and does not replace a conversation with your doctor about your specific situation.
Should You Get Tested?
A vitamin D test (25-hydroxyvitamin D) is worth discussing with a doctor if you have bone or muscle pain, fatigue without another explanation, limited sun exposure, covered clothing outdoors, darker skin, obesity, a digestive condition that affects absorption, or you are older. The usual reading bands are below 20 ng/mL (deficient), 20–29 ng/mL (insufficient) and 30 ng/mL or above (sufficient), though laboratories and guidelines differ — our vitamin D test guide and lab test page explain how to interpret a result. A doctor may also check calcium (vitamin D and calcium).
Treating and Preventing Deficiency Safely
- Dose comes from your blood level and your doctor, not from a fixed number: see vitamin D dosage.
- Food helps but rarely fixes a true deficiency on its own: see best sources of vitamin D.
- More is not better. The UK's NHS gives 4,000 IU (100 micrograms) a day as the upper limit for adults and children 11 and over, and lower limits for younger children. Excess vitamin D can raise calcium too high — see vitamin D toxicity.
- Babies: the NHS advises daily supplements for breastfed babies and for babies drinking less than 500 ml of formula a day. Ask your pediatrician what is right for your baby in Jordan.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if you have persistent bone pain, muscle weakness, or frequent falls. For a baby or child, seek care if you notice bowed legs, delayed walking or unusual irritability. Seek urgent care for muscle cramps or spasms, tingling around the mouth, or a seizure — especially in a young infant — since very low calcium can accompany severe deficiency.
Related Guides on JordanMedHub
Vitamin D deficiency condition page · Bone density scan · Endocrinology
Sources
- Vitamin D deficiency and associated factors in Jordan — El-Khateeb et al., SAGE Open Medicine (2019), PMC
- Vitamin D status and determinants of deficiency among non-pregnant Jordanian women of reproductive age — PMC
- Vitamin D — NHS
- Vitamin D — MedlinePlus
Disclaimer
This guide is for general education only and does not replace a conversation with your doctor about your specific situation.
In this guide
Best Sources of Vitamin D
Sunlight, food, and supplements are the three ways to get vitamin D — here's how much each realistically provides.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is often silent, but when symptoms do appear, they tend to be subtle and easy to attribute to other causes — here's the full picture.
Vitamin D Deficiency and Bone Pain
Vague, hard-to-pinpoint bone and muscle aches are one of the more overlooked signs of vitamin D deficiency — especially relevant in a region with abundant sun but surprisingly common deficiency.
Vitamin D Dosage: How Much Do You Need?
General daily intake recommendations for vitamin D vary by age, but correcting an actual deficiency is a different, doctor-guided process — here's the distinction.
Vitamin D Test: Normal Range and What It Means
A simple blood test is the only reliable way to know your vitamin D level — here's how it works and how to interpret the result.
Vitamin D Toxicity: Can You Take Too Much?
Vitamin D toxicity is rare but real, almost always caused by long-term high-dose supplementation rather than sun or food — here's what to know.
Vitamin D and Calcium: How They Work Together for Bone Health
Vitamin D and calcium work as a team for bone health — without enough vitamin D, the body can't use calcium effectively, no matter how much you consume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is vitamin D deficiency common in a sunny country like Jordan?
Indoor lifestyles, covering clothing, sunscreen use, and time spent in air-conditioned spaces all reduce effective sun exposure despite the region's sunny climate.
How is vitamin D deficiency treated?
Depending on severity, a doctor may recommend vitamin D supplements, sensible sun exposure, and dietary sources such as fortified dairy products and fatty fish.
How common is vitamin D deficiency in Jordan?
Very common. A national survey of 4,056 Jordanian adults (2017) found about 71% below 20 ng/mL and nearly 90% below 30 ng/mL, with deficiency more frequent in women. Results vary by study and cutoff, and only a blood test shows your own level.
Should I take vitamin D without testing?
It is better to test first and let your doctor set the dose from your blood level. Very high doses can build up and raise calcium too high; the NHS gives 4,000 IU a day as the upper limit for adults.
Do babies need vitamin D in Jordan?
Breastfed babies are a recognised risk group: the NHS advises daily vitamin D drops for breastfed babies and those drinking under 500 ml of formula a day. Ask your pediatrician for the right product and dose for your baby.
Written by JordanMedHub Medical Editorial Team
Updated
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