Assessment of anxiety, depression, stress and vitamin d levels in women in warfare
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18370/2309-4117.2024.72.35-45Keywords:
military women, civilian women, vitamin D, deficiency, stress, depression, anxietyAbstract
Objective of the study: to assess the levels of vitamin D (25(OH)D) in the blood serum of military women and women involved in a military conflict, as well as to identify the relationship of its indicators with the level of anxiety, depression and stress.
Materials and methods. 52 women serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other categories of women involved in the military conflict were surveyed. They entered the main group. The comparison group includes 50 women who are not related to military conflict.
The concentration of vitamin D (25(OH)D) in blood serum was determined by enzyme immunoassay In all women. The level of stress was studied using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21).
Results. The vast majority of women in the main group (76.5%) were diagnosed with vitamin D hypovitaminosis conditions, which significantly exceeded the specific gravity of such patients in the comparison group – 46.0% (р < 0.05). Only 12 (23.08%) women of the main group had a normal level of this vitamin, which was half as much as the specific gravity of such patients in the comparison group – 54% (р < 0.05).
The values of the DASS-21 test on the depression scale were 5.74 ± 0.26 points In the main group, while in the comparison group – 4.57 ± 0.31 points (p < 0.05), on the stress scale – 8.22 ± 0.24 points and 6.67 ± 0.28 points, respectively (p < 0.05). Anxiety levels, on the contrary, were more pronounced in civilian women – 5.81 ± 0.24 points compared to the main group (р < 0.001). Signs of anxiety were found in 84.0% of civilian women and in 61.54% of women involved in the military conflict (p < 0.05). However, the specific weight of patients with different levels of this disorder almost did not differ between groups.
Conclusions. Today, vitamin D deficiency is a widespread problem among women, regardless of profession. But a more pronounced decrease in its levels was found in female military personnel and other categories of women involved in the military conflict, which is related to the type of chosen profession, service conditions and psycho-emotional stress.
It has been established that women who serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine are more prone to depression and stress. Civilian women, on the other hand, show more signs of anxiety. The revealed relationship between the levels of vitamin D in the blood and elevated scores of the DASS-21 questionnaire in both groups indicates the importance of this vitamin in psycho-emotional stability. The pronounced decrease in the concentration of vitamin D, found in military women against the background of high stress load, substantiates the feasibility of a rational approach to the examination before military service and periodic determination of the vitamin D level, as well as the regular use of its adequate preventive doses.
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