The assertions by some researchers are that vitamin D is immunosuppressive while others argue that the vitamin activates the immune system. Those who promote Vitamin D supplementation view base their case on the fact that almost all vitamins protect the body against a good number of the never-ending syndromes (Lappe, 2007). However, this claim has not been supported by any research findings. Even researchers who have hypothesised all-encompassing supplementation with the substance have not fully understood the metabolism of the vitamin. This study tends to examine whether vitamin D contributes to the activation of the immune system or is immunosuppressive. The study will provide explanations on how vitamin D benefits the immune system or whether these explanations do not exist.
Statement of the problem
The realisation that there is a lack of knowledge and explanations of vitamin D metabolism has led to the need for further study. Most recently, vitamin D is viewed as the most essential vitamin particularly to the enhancement of the immune system (Lappe, 2007). Explanations on how it provides these benefits are lacking. In addition, the available rationalisations on how these benefits accrue are simplistic and imprecise. Thus, it has been established that lack of sufficient and reliable information linking immune system and the vitamin is a major problem for most academic researchers and professional nutritionists. It is such attributive relations that will be explored in this study.
Research questions
This cross-sectional study will be assessing whether vitamin D increases the activities of immune systems. Therefore, the conclusion of this study tends to answer the following questions:
- Does intake of food rich in vitamin D increases the individual immune system?
- Is there any improvement in the symptoms of the related diseases such as autoimmune with the increase in Vitamin D intake?
- What are other factors that might explain the symptom improvement with the increased intake of Vitamin D?
Hypothesis to be tested
This study will test the following hypothesis:
- H1: Vitamin D contributes to the activation of the immune system.
- Ho: Vitamin D do not contributes to the activation of the immune system or suppresses the immune system.
The above stated hypotheses will be tested based on the collected data. If the null hypothesis is correct, it will be accepted while the alternative hypothesis will be rejected. Conversely, in case null hypothesis is found to be incorrect, it will be cast off whereas alternative hypothesis will be suitable.
Literature review
Early studies indicate that various forms of vitamins including vitamin D may possibly be defensive against persistent maladies (Marshal, 2008). These findings have not been confirmed by long-term studies and systematic reviews. However, Arnson et al. (2007) assert that patients suffering from autoimmune indicate lack of 25-hydroxyvitamin-D. Arnson et al. (2007) further argue that the consumption of foods that will help elevates 25-D or rich in vitamin D alleviate the symptoms of the autoimmune disease. Molecular biologists, Autier & Gadini (2007) have associated secosteroids with 25-D. It is believed that secosteroids depress inflammation and is understood as ways through which symptom get better.
While in active mode, the nuclear receptors of vitamin D have great impact on the transcription of at least 900 genes (Lappe, 2007). Further, the genes have been found to influence calcium metabolism in addition to antimicrobial peptides expression. According to Autier & Gadini (2007), bacteria are currently becoming more pervasive. Thus, the probability that autoimmune disease being caused by bacteria is pronounced. Further, molecular evidence indicates that those administered with vitamin D show symptomatic improvement. This is as a result of the capability of 25-D to temper with bacterial induced inflammation through reducing the activities of vitamin D nuclear receptors (Arnson et al., (2007).
Significance of the study
Findings from this research will provide explanations for the metabolisms of vitamin D. Further, this study will provide more knowledge on the importance of vitamin D to human health as well as the need to increase vitamin D in the diet. Most importantly, the study findings will provide information that links vitamin D and the immune system. This knowledge is highly needed by the nutritionists as well as health practitioners.
Limitations of the study
Given the kind of research study to be carried out, the stipulated timeframe might hinder the full investigation and coverage of all the success parameters. Moreover, effects of consumption of vitamin D can not easily be measured since most of such variables are non-quantifiable. This is anticipated to pose considerable threats when the gathered research data will be evaluated and consequently analysed.
Methods
Participants
In this particular study, all health professionals as well as patients are deemed viable. However, the population target will be chosen patients and nurses of the selected hospital. The sample will comprise of 60 participants consisting of both male and female. This sample size is selected via a convenience sampling strategy and the research questionnaire will be administered to them to help in addressing the formulated research questions (Reeve & Smith, 2001).
The proposed sample size will comprise of forty five nurses and fifteen patients suffering from the disease relevant to the study. All the participants will be interviewed to obtain the required data. Regardless of the fact that the chosen sample size of sixty participants materialize to be exceptionally small given the type of research study to be carried out, the constraints such as the available financial resources and the planned timeframe makes it completely necessary to confine the study selected sample to the precisely specified size.
Data collection
As a field survey, the relevant information will be collected through administering properly designed research questionnaires, observation alongside conducting well structured in-depth interviews to the unbiased selected participants (Reeve & Smith, 2001). The soundly designed research questionnaire will be administered to sixty participants comprising health practitioners and the patients. Each part of the questionnaire will constitute key items that suitably attend to the research questions.
The questionnaire will thus be made of both open and closed ended research questions and this is believed to be of great significance to the researcher since it will assist in performing data analysis. Different scales will however be applied in the survey questionnaire during data collection to ensure the scales reliability and validity of some research questions. For example, ordinary scale will be applicable in various research questions given that most questions will measure knowledge, feelings and experience.
Data analysis
In order to ensure logical completeness as well as response consistency, the acquired data will be edited by the researcher each day to be able to identify the ensuing data gaps or any mistakes that needs instant rectification. When data editing is completed, the collected research information will definitely be analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. For example, any data that will be collected through in-depth interviews and secondary sources such as the patients’ health records and the hospital documents will be analysed by means of content analysis along with the logical analysis techniques.
References
Arnson, Y., Amital, H. & Shoenfeld, Y. (2007). Vitamin D and autoimmunity: new aetiological and therapeutic considerations. Ann Rheum Dis, 66(9), 1137-1142.
Autier, P. & Gadini, S. (2007). Vitamin D supplementation and total mortality: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med, 167(16), 1730-1737.
Lappe, J. (2007). Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of the randomized trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(6), 1586-1591.
Marshal, T. (2008). Vitamin D discovery outpaces FDA decision making. Bioessays, 30(2), 173-182.
Reeve, C. & Smith, S. (2001). Refining Lodahl and Kejner’s job involvement scale with a convergent evidence approach: Applying multiple methods to multiple samples. Organizational Research Methods, 4(2), 91-111.