ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1635075
Assessing the Neurological Impact of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Among the Population of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Provisionally accepted
Khalid A. Bin Abdulrahman*
Abdulelah Faiz FaizFaisal Marzouq AlmutairiFaisal Ali AlmahyawiRayan Saleh SalehOsama Thamer Al-AhmariKhalid Ghadban AlshammariTurki Ahmed AljuhaniYazeed Yahya AlkadiMohammed Atiah Alisi- Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Cobalamin, also known as vitamin B12, is important for the proper functioning of the nervous system and the production of red blood cells. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can result in anemia, peripheral neuropathy, visual impairments, ataxia, and neurological harm. This study aimed to examine the level of awareness regarding the effects of cobalamin deficiency on the nervous system in the population of Riyadh. A population-based cross-sectional survey was performed in March 2024 among the residents of Riyadh. Respondents who were older than 18 years were eligible to participate in the survey. The subjects were contacted through various social media sites and provided with a hyperlink to access the survey questionnaire. A total of 1337 participants completed the survey. The majority of the participants were female (62.3%). Twothirds (65.6%) of the participants were aware of the importance of vitamin B12, 38.7% indicated knowledge of a food source for vitamin B12, and approximately one-third (29.9%) consumed vitamin B12 supplements. Overall, 63.4% of the participants were aware of the consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency. Compared with their male counterparts, females displayed greater knowledge of vitamin B12 (P < 0.001). A statistically significant association was observed between occupation and awareness levels (P < 0.001). Participants who were employed or categorized under 'other' occupations demonstrated higher levels of awareness compared to students. This study assessed participants' knowledge of vitamin B12, its deficiency symptoms, and prevention strategies, revealing a generally high level of awareness.
Keywords: Vitamin B12, cobalamin, Nervous System, public awareness, Saudi Arabia
Received: 25 May 2025; Accepted: 25 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bin Abdulrahman, Faiz, Almutairi, Almahyawi, Saleh, Al-Ahmari, Alshammari, Aljuhani, Alkadi and Alisi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Khalid A. Bin Abdulrahman, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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