Vitamin D Levels, General Health Status, and Work Productivity Among Healthcare Workers—A Scoping Review of Published Literature (2010–2025)

Why It Matters

Vitamin D inadequacy threatens frontline staff health and productivity, potentially inflating healthcare costs and compromising patient care. Addressing this gap can improve workforce resilience and reduce infection‑related absenteeism.

Key Takeaways

• Vitamin D deficiency prevalence among HCWs ranges 30%–90%.
• Nurses and night‑shift staff show highest deficiency rates.
• Deficiency linked to higher COVID‑19 infection risk.
• High‑dose supplementation improves serum levels and cuts respiratory infections.
• Limited evidence suggests higher vitamin D may lower presenteeism.

Pulse Analysis

The review underscores a silent occupational hazard: widespread vitamin D insufficiency among those who care for patients. While the general population’s vitamin D status has attracted public health attention, healthcare workers face unique risk factors—indoor environments, rotating night shifts, and protective clothing—that exacerbate deficiency. This convergence of occupational exposure and physiological need creates a perfect storm, elevating infection susceptibility, especially during pandemic waves, and impairing musculoskeletal health essential for demanding clinical tasks.

Emerging evidence from randomized controlled trials offers a pragmatic solution. High‑dose vitamin D regimens not only corrected serum levels but also demonstrated a measurable decline in respiratory infections among staff, translating into fewer sick days and lower transmission risk within hospitals. Such findings align with broader nutritional epidemiology that links adequate micronutrients to immune competence. However, the literature remains fragmented; few longitudinal studies track productivity metrics like presenteeism, and methodological heterogeneity hampers definitive policy recommendations.

For healthcare administrators, the implications are clear. Integrating vitamin D screening into occupational health programs, especially for high‑risk groups such as nurses and night‑shift workers, could be a cost‑effective strategy to bolster workforce resilience. Supplementation policies, tailored to seasonal variations and individual risk profiles, may reduce infection‑related costs and improve overall staff well‑being. As the sector grapples with staffing shortages and heightened demand, addressing this modifiable risk factor could yield measurable gains in both employee health and institutional performance.