scholarly journals Characteristics of Pica Behavior among Mothers around Lake Victoria, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study

Author(s):  
Esther O. Chung ◽  
Brian Mattah ◽  
Matthew D. Hickey ◽  
Charles R. Salmen ◽  
Erin M. Milner ◽  
...  

Background: Pica, the craving and purposeful consumption of nonfoods, is poorly understood. We described the prevalence of pica among women on Mfangano Island, Kenya, and examined sociodemographic and health correlates. Methods: Our cross-sectional study included 299 pregnant or postpartum women in 2012. We used a 24-h recall to assess pica, defined as consumption of earth (geophagy), charcoal/ash, or raw starches (amylophagy) and built multivariable logistic regression models to examine sociodemographic and health correlates of pica. Results: Eighty-one women (27.1%) engaged in pica in the previous 24 h, with 59.3% reporting amylophagy and 56.8% reporting geophagy, charcoal, and/or ash consumption. The most common substances consumed were raw cassava (n = 30, 36.6%), odowa, a chalky, soft rock-like earth (n = 21, 25.6%), and soil (n = 17, 20.7%). Geophagy, charcoal, and/or ash consumption was negatively associated with breastfeeding (OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.18–0.81), and amylophagy was associated with pregnancy (OR = 4.31, 95% CI: 1.24–14.96). Pica was more common within one of six study regions (OR = 3.64, 95% CI: 1.39–9.51). We found no evidence of an association between food insecurity and pica. Conclusion: Pica was a common behavior among women, and the prevalence underscores the need to uncover its dietary, environmental, and cultural etiologies.

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2163 ◽  
Author(s):  
José María Rico-Gomis ◽  
Antonio Palazón-Bru ◽  
Irene Triano-García ◽  
Luis Fabián Mahecha-García ◽  
Ana García-Monsalve ◽  
...  

Few studies have assessed the association between the rs1414334 C/G polymorphism in the HTR2C gene and the development of the metabolic syndrome in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. To provide further evidence, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Spain between 2012 and 2013 in 166 patients with these characteristics. In these patients, the association between the polymorphism and the presence of the metabolic syndrome was determined by implementing binary logistic regression models adjusted for variables associated with the metabolic syndrome. We did not confirm previous claims that the C allele of the polymorphism was linked to the metabolic syndrome: the association was in the opposite direction and non-significant. This conclusion held after taking gender and lifestyle variables into account.


2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 1036-1049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guiping Hu ◽  
Yi Bai ◽  
Tian Chen ◽  
Shichuan Tang ◽  
Lihua Hu

Background: Serum uric acid (SUA) has been associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in observational studies; however, data in women without hypertension and diabetes are sparse. Purpose: To examine the association between SUA and CKD among women without hypertension and diabetes. Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 6,776 US women without hypertension and diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2006), we investigated the relationship between SUA and CKD using multivariable logistic regression models. Moreover, a generalized additive model and smooth curve fitting (penalized spline method) and a 2 piecewise logistic regression models were conducted to address for nonlinearity. Results: The prevalence of CKD was 8.3%. Multiple logistic analyses showed that per 1 mg/dL increase in SUA was associated with 39% increased prevalence of CKD. Analyses using restricted cubic spline confirmed that the association between SUA and CKD was nonlinear. Further, threshold and saturation effect analysis showed that the inflection point of SUA was 4.5 mg/dL. The ORs (95% CIs) were 0.84 (0.66–1.08) on the left side of inflection point and 1.87 (1.56–2.24) on the right side of inflection point, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the stronger association between SUA and CKD was observed in elder women with never/former smoking and higher fasting blood glucose levels (all p values for interaction <0.05). Conclusion: Our study suggested threshold effects of SUA on the prevalence of CKD among US women without hypertension and diabetes. SUA levels >4.5 mg/dL were positively and independently associated with CKD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Daher ◽  
Ofra Halperin

Abstract Background: Neck pain (NP), one of the most reported musculoskeletal disorders, is a major cause of illness and absence from university lessons among students. The COVID-19 pandemic affected higher education institutions worldwide. Academic studies shifted to online-learning, changing students’ habits and lifestyle. Data demonstrated that the pandemic and consequent lockdowns can affect people’s physical and mental well-being. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on the prevalence of and risk factors of NP among college students compared to the pre-epidemic period. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the form of an online questionnaire survey that included sociodemographic data, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). NP was reported at four time points—lifetime, last year, last six months, and current—on a scale ranging from never/seldom to almost every day. Logistic regression models were calculated for all study variables and compared to the (NDI) cut-off score of 15. Results: A total of 295 college students were recruited. Among them, 35.6% reported at least moderate neck-related disability (NDI≥15) and significantly more NP than before the lockdown. NP increased gradually and significantly (on a scale 1-4), from a lifetime mean of 1.80 to a mean of 2.57 last year to 2.73 during the past six months to the current mean of 3.07 (p< .001). Participants’ scores on the PSS were moderate, with 59.3% reporting a high level of study-related stress. Logistic regression models revealed that sitting more than three hours a day, high study-related stress and higher PSS and VAS scores were associated with higher risk of at least a moderate level of neck-related disability (R2=.513, p< .001). Conclusions: The transition from on-campus studies to online learning had negative effects on students. It significantly increased study-related stress and the development of NP. Identifying risk factors at an early stage may prevent NP from becoming chronic and affecting students’ future careers, thereby improving students’ quality of life.


Author(s):  
Leila Hassannia ◽  
Fatemeh Taghizadeh ◽  
Mahmood Moosazadeh ◽  
Mehran Zarghami ◽  
Hassan Taghizadeh ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe COVID-19 outbreak has exerted a great deal of psychological pressure on Iranian health workers and the general population. In the present study, the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms along with the related variables in this epidemic were investigated.MethodAn online cross-sectional study was conducted for the general public and healthcare workers in IRAN using a questionnaire comprised of demographic questions and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Chi square test was used to compare categorical variables, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were conducted.ResultsOf the 2045 participants,1136 (65.6%) were considered to have moderate and severe anxiety symptoms, and 865(42.3%) had moderate and severe depression symptoms. Based on the logistic regression models, the prevalence of anxiety was higher in the females than in the males (OR=1.4, 95% CI: 1.123-1.643, P=.002); the prevalence of anxiety was significantly higher in those aged 30-39 years than in other age groups (OR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.123-2.320, P=0.001); furthermore, the prevalence of anxiety and depression was significantly higher in doctors and nurses compared with other occupations (OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.367-2.491, P< 0.001) and(OR=1.5, 95% CI: 1.154-2.021, P=0.003). In addition, the prevalence of anxiety symptoms in the likely-infected COVID-19 group was higher than in the noninfected COVID-19 group (OR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.093-1.654, P=0.005).ConclusionsRegarding the high prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms, especially among health care workers, appropriate psychological/psychiatric intervention necessitates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Ran ◽  
Qi Chen ◽  
Jingyi Zhang ◽  
Xinlong Tu ◽  
Xiaodong Tan ◽  
...  

AbstractHypertension (HTN) and osteoarthritis (OA) are frequent in middle-aged and elderly people, and the co-occurrence of these two diseases is common. However, the pathogenesis of the multimorbidity of both diseases and the relation with sleep quality, hyperlipemia, and hyperglycemia is unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional study to make sense of the multimorbidity of HTN and OA and the relation with sleep quality, hyperlipemia, and hyperglycemia. The relation between sleep quality and OA and its joint effect with hyperlipemia or hyperglycemia was evaluated with logistic regression models. The additive interaction was assessed with the relative excess risk due to interaction (REEI), the attributable proportion (AP), and the synergy index (S). According to this research in a remote rural area, approximately 34.2% of HTN patients are accompanied with OA and 49.1% are suffering poor sleep. Both hyperlipemia/hyperglycemia and sleep quality were related to OA prevalence with crude ORs of 1.43 (95% CI 1.014–2.029) and 1.89 (95% CI 1.411–2.519, P < 0.001) respectively. An observed additive effect was found greater than the sum of the effects of sleep quality and hyperlipemia/hyperglycemia posed on OA prevalence alone. This additive interaction was observed in females (OR = 3.19, 95% CI 1.945–5.237) as well as males ≥ 65 years old (OR = 2.78, 95% CI 1.693–4.557), with RERI, AP, and S significant. Therefore, poor sleep and hyperlipemia/hyperglycemia are associated with OA, and further studies on the additive interaction among females and males ≥ 65 are warranted.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zifeng Liu ◽  
Xiaoting Su ◽  
Mianli Xiao ◽  
Peien Zhou ◽  
Jianwei Guo ◽  
...  

Hyperuricemia (HU) is a risk factor for different kinds of chronic noncommunicable diseases, and eating away from home (EAFH) may play an important role in their development, which has been ignored greatly so far. This study aimed to investigate the association between EAFH and HU in different models. A cross-sectional study involving 8,322 participants of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) was conducted. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. We found that participants who consumed more away-from-home food had a higher risk for HU, and the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) (for each increment in grades of EAFH) were 1.11 (1.02, 1.20) in a multiadjusted model (adjusted for age, gender, province, net individual income, body mass index, smoking, leisure-time physical activities, energy intake, and sleep duration). As for stratified analyses, the aOR (95% CI) of EAFH was 1.12 (1.01, 1.24) for men and 1.06 (0.92, 1.21) for women. Similar results can be found in the middle-aged and obese population, with aOR (95% CI) of EAFH as 1.17 (1.05, 1.30) and 1.15 (1.03, 1.29), respectively. In conclusion, EAFH is positively associated with the prevalence of HU.


2006 ◽  
Vol 85 (12) ◽  
pp. 1134-1137 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Dietrich ◽  
E. Krall Kaye ◽  
M.E. Nunn ◽  
T. Van Dyke ◽  
R.I. Garcia

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate whether gingivitis susceptibility is associated with periodontitis. We analyzed data of 462 men in the VA Dental Longitudinal Study aged 47 to 92 years who had never smoked or had quit smoking 5+ years previously. Multiple logistic regression models, with tooth-level bleeding on probing at sites with attachment loss ≤ 2 mm as the dependent variable, were derived with adjustment for plaque, calculus, crown coverage, age, income, education, marital status, body mass index, diabetes, and vitamin C intake, and stratification by age (< 65, 65+ years). Periodontitis and mean attachment loss were positively associated with bleeding on probing, with stronger associations among men < 65 years old (for periodontitis, OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.5, 3.1) than men 65+ years of age (OR 1.2; 95% CI 0.9, 1.6). Our results suggest that among never and former smokers, gingivitis susceptibility is higher among men with periodontitis compared with that in men without periodontitis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anbissa Muleta ◽  
Dejene Hailu ◽  
Barbara J. Stoecker ◽  
Tefera Belachew

Abstract Undernutrition is a major global health problem. Various types of animal milk are used for feeding children at early ages; however, associations of camel milk (CaM) and bovine milk (BM) with the nutritional status of children have not been explored. A comparative community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among pre-schoolers in rural pastoral districts of Somali, Ethiopia. Children were selected from households with lactating camels or cows. Anthropometric measurements followed standard procedures for height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height scores. Independent sample t-tests identified significant differences in anthropometric indices based on the type of milk consumed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between milk consumption and other predictors of growth failures. The prevalence of stunting was 24⋅1 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 20⋅5, 28⋅3] of pre-schoolers, 34⋅8 % (95 % CI 29⋅9, 39⋅6) were wasted and 34⋅7 % (95 % CI 30⋅1, 39⋅9) were underweight. Higher proportions of BM-fed children were severely stunted, wasted and underweight compared with CaM consumers. Using logistic regression models, children who consumed BM [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2⋅10; 95 % CI 1⋅22, 3⋅61] and who were anaemic (AOR: 4⋅22; 95 % CI 2⋅23, 7⋅98) were more likely to be stunted than their counterparts, while girls were less likely to be stunted than boys (AOR: 0⋅57; 95 % CI 0⋅34, 0⋅94). Similarly, children who consumed BM (AOR: 1⋅97; 95 % CI 1⋅20, 3⋅24), who were anaemic (AOR: 2⋅27; 95 % CI 1⋅38, 3⋅72) and who drank unsafe water (AOR: 1⋅91; 95 % CI 1⋅19, 3⋅07) were more likely to be underweight than their counterparts. In conclusion, CaM consumption was associated with lower prevalence of stunting and underweight than BM. Promoting CaM in pastoralist areas may help to curb the high level of undernutrition.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e033679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenhui Sun ◽  
Yanhong Jessika Hu ◽  
Xiaomin Wang ◽  
Jingjing Lu ◽  
Leesa Lin ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo investigate leftover antibiotics and their influence on self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) for Chinese children, and further explore the different influences of leftovers from two main sources: previous prescriptions and pharmaceutical purchases.DesignA cross-sectional questionnaire study.SettingThe participants were approached through kindergartens and primary schools as well as in vaccination clinics.ParticipantsA total of 9526 parents from three Chinese provinces whose children were aged 0–13 years completed the survey.Outcome measuresThe prevalence of keeping antibiotics at home for children and the proportion of leftover antibiotics from two main sources were measured by a self-administrated questionnaire. Logistic regression models were established to examine the association between keeping antibiotics at home and SMA for children, specifically the risks of leftovers from two main sources.ResultsOverall, 4580 (48.1%) reported keeping antibiotics at home for children. Among those who had leftovers, 2891 (63.1%) reported that their leftovers came from previous prescriptions and 1619 (35.3%) reported that their leftovers came from pharmaceutical purchases. Mothers, older age of child, higher household income, higher education level and medical background were significantly associated with keeping antibiotics at home. Keeping antibiotics at home was significantly associated with SMA for children (adjusted OR=4.91, 95% CI 3.84 to 6.28). Particularly, compared with parents who did not keep antibiotics at home, parents who kept leftover antibiotics from previous prescriptions and those whose leftovers came from pharmaceutical purchases were 3.80 (95% CI 2.89 to 5.00) and 6.45 (95% CI 4.89 to 8.51) times more likely to engage in SMA for children, respectively.ConclusionsKeeping antibiotics at home for children was pervasive in China. Most leftovers came from previous prescriptions, while those from pharmacies had a higher risk of SMA for children.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabet Rodby-Bousquet ◽  
Atli Agustsson

Purpose: To describe the use of assistive devices and postural asymmetries in lying, sitting and standing positions in adults with cerebral palsy, and to analyze postural asymmetries and any associations with their ability to maintain or change position and time in these positions.Methods: A cross-sectional study based on data from the Swedish Cerebral Palsy follow-up program of 1,547 adults aged 16–76 years, at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I (n = 330), II (n = 323), III (n = 235), IV (n = 298), and V (n = 361). Assistive devices such as wheelchairs, seating systems, adjustable beds, standing equipment and time in each position were reported. The Posture and Postural Ability Scale was used to identify asymmetries and rate the ability to maintain or change position. Binary logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for postural asymmetries in supine, sitting and standing.Results: Assistive devices were used by 63% in sitting (range 5–100% GMFCS levels I–V), 42% in lying (4–92% levels I-V), and 32% in standing (2–70% levels II–V). Wheelchairs were used as seating systems by 57%. Most adults had postural asymmetries in supine (75%; range 35–100% levels I–V), sitting (81%; 50–99% levels I–V) and standing (88%; 65–100% levels I–V). Men were more likely than women to have postural asymmetries, and the likelihood of postural asymmetries increased with age, GMFCS levels and inability to change position. Inability to maintain position increased the probability of postural asymmetries in all positions from OR 2.6 in standing to OR 8.2 in lying and OR 13.1 in sitting.Conclusions: Almost twice as many adults used assistive devices in sitting than in lying or standing. Two thirds of the adults who used standing devices used it for &lt;1 h per day, indicating that they might spend the remaining 23 out of 24 h per day either sitting or lying. Asymmetric postures were frequent across all ages and were highly associated with inability to change or maintain position.


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