Objective: To determine the association of vitamin D status with depression and health-related quality of life among women. Design: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity status, perceived depression and health-related quality of life were assessed via a selfadministered questionnaire. Fasting blood samples were taken for the analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, fasting blood glucose and full lipid profile. Complex samples multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. Setting: Public secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Subjects: Seven hundred and seventy female teachers were included. Results: The mean age of participants was 41路15 (95 % CI 40路51, 41路78) years and the majority were ethnic Malays. Over 70 % of them had vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml or <50 nmol/l) and two-thirds were at risk for depression. In the multivariate analysis, ethnic Malays (adjusted OR (aOR) = 14路72; 95 % CI 2路12, 102路21) and Indians (aOR = 14路02; 95 % CI 2路27, 86路59), those at risk for depression (aOR = 1路88, 95 % CI 1路27, 2路79) and those with higher parathyroid hormone level (aOR = 1路13; 95 % CI 1路01, 1路26) were associated with vitamin D deficiency, while vitamin D deficiency was negatively associated with mental health-related quality of life (Mental Component Summary) scores (aOR = 0路98; 95 % CI 0路97, 0路99). Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with depression and mental health-related quality of life among women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vitamin D deficiency is a global public health problem affecting a billion people worldwide (1) . Malaysia is a tropical country located near the equator. Being close to the equator, Malaysia enjoys abundant sunshine throughout the year. On average, Malaysia receives about 6 h of sunshine per day. With the exception of the monsoon seasons, it is extremely rare for Malaysians to have a stretch of days with completely no sunshine. However, the Malaysian population, especially the ethnic Malay and Indian women, have been found to be more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency (2,3) . The role of vitamin D is well established in Ca homeostasis and bone health (4,5) . Current evidence shows that vitamin D deficiency is also associated with increased risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS), certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus and CVD (6,7) .Depression is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Globally, about 840 million people suffer from depression (8) . The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2011 in Malaysia reported that the prevalence of lifetime depression and current depression was 2路4 % and 1路8 %, respectively (9) , using the Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview (MINI). Although there is a variation in the prevalence of depression using different tools, mental health problems namely depression are health conditions that should not be overlooked. Its consequences include impairment in func...