nutritional status

Malnutrition affects school-age children's health, growth, and academic performance. Adolescents often consume unhealthy fast foods and follow crash diets influenced by peers, media, and cultural norms. Adolescents with disabilities, including physical, intellectual, sensory, developmental, and mental health disabilities, may face additional challenges in accessing and maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet as they may face additional barriers. Understanding the unique needs and challenges faced by adolescents with disabilities is crucial in promoting their overall health and well-being.

The study aimed to compare the nutritional status of able and disabled adolescents in Government Vocational and Technical College and Niger State School of Special Education in Minna, as well as their food preferences, eating practices, and the factors affecting their nutritional status.

The study used a cross-sectional design, administering 400 questionnaires to disabled and able students. The responses were 100% collected using self-administered structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed, and results were presented utilizing tables and figures, with a statistical significance level set at P < 0.05. The IBM statistical product and service solutions (IBM SPSS statistics), version 27.0 software was employed for data analysis to explore and understand the food preferences, eating practices, and nutritional status of in-school adolescents with disabilities in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. This approach allowed for a comprehensive assessment of the diverse factors influencing the dietary habits and nutritional well-being of adolescents with disabilities in the study.

The study involved 400 participants, with 12.8% aged over 12 years, 50.3% aged 12 - 15 years, and 37.0% above 15 years. Females made up 51.0% of the participants. About 40% of disabled participants had inadequate dietary patterns, compared to 10% of able participants. There was a significant difference in the distribution of BMI groups between the able and disabled subjects (x 2 = 26.984, df = 3, P = 0.000). Socio-demographic of the participants based on age and gender showed a significant association with the nutritional status of able adolescents at (χ 2 = 44.593, P = 0.000) and (χ 2 = 4.650, P = 0.031) respectively and among disabled at (χ 2 = 18.303, P = 0.000) and (χ 2 = 23.925, P = 0.000) respectively.

The study revealed disabled adolescents often skip meals, consume fast foods, and have poor dietary habits. Interventions like education and increased access to healthy food options are needed.

Systemic sclerosis is an incurable autoimmune fibrotic skin disease. Many factors were described as aetiology of SS, but the impact of nutritional factor is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional status and gastrointestinal manifestations in patients with systemic sclerosis in Ilam, Iran. In a case-control study, 47 people confirmed with systemic sclerosis disorders were enrolled as case group and 47 subjects as control group; while they were matched for age and BMI and compared statistically. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and demographicvariables were collected for all participants. Meat and dairy consumption was higher among case group (Adjusted OR=5.1, p<0.01, CI=1.08-24.64; Adjusted OR=4.2, p<0.01,CI=1.23-14.29, respectively); while there was a reduction for vegetables intake (Adjusted OR=0.09, p<0.05, CI=0.01-0.876). An increase in meat and dairy consumption and reduction in intake of vegetables seems to be the causes for systemic sclerosis in patients in the area. Further evaluations in a large sample size with a longer follow-up duration are needed to verify these findings. The results can help health authorities when planning for patients with systemic sclerosis.

Fournier’s gangrene (FG) is a type of necrotizing fasciitis affecting the external genitalia or perineum. The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) has been reported as a prognostic factor to evaluate the outcomes of various diseases. This study aimed to investigate the utility of GNRI in predicting the mortality of FG patients.

This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated the patients admitted to a referral hospital, during 14 years, with diagnosis of FG. The role of GNRI in predicting the mortality of these patients was studied. To further investigate the relationship of the GNRI score with patients’ prognosis, we controlled for the scores of Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).

78 patients with the mean age of 60.79 ± 13.76 (range: 24 -85) years were included in the study (89.74% male). The mortality rate in this series was 23 (29.5%) cases. The survived cases had significantly higher GNRI score (p < 0.001), higher Albumin level (p < 0.001), higher weight (p = 0.04), and lower mortality risk based on FGSI score (p < 0.001). In patients with low mortality risk according to FGSI score (p = 0.036) and mild comorbidities based on CCI score (p = 0.030), the association between GNRI and final prognosis was significant. In contrast, in patients with high mortality risk according to FGSI score (p =0.074) and moderate (p = 0.118) and severe (p = 0.215) comorbidities by CCI score this association was not significant. The independent predictors of mortality in FG patients were GNRI score (OR: 1.242, 95%CI: 1.08, 1.41; p =0.001) and FGSI score (OR: 54.614, 95%CI: 6.89, 432.31; p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of GNRI score in predicting themortality of FG patients was 0.84 (95%CI: 0.75 - 0.93). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of GNRI score at the optimal cut-off point (78.5) were, 80%, 77.9%, 60.6%, 90.4%, 3.69, and 0.255 respectively.

Our findings indicate that among patients withmild FG, as assessed by FGSI score, and those with low comorbidities based on CCI score, the GNRI score in survivors was significantly higher than that in non-survived. Additionally, multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that the GNRI score serves as an independent predictor of patient outcomes.

Food security is described as physical and economic access for all people at all times to sufficient food for an active and healthy life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity and its relationship with the health status of pregnant women referred to North Tehran Health Center.

The current study is a cross-sectional study conducted on 160 pregnant women in the third trimester covered by North Tehran Health Center in 2017-2018. Food security status, and dietary intake were assessed using general demographic and socioeconomic questionnaires, USDA 18-item household food security, and semi-quantitative food frequency recall, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS and nutritionist IV software. Significance level was set at 0.05.

The study showed that 21.8% of mothers suffered insecure nutritional status and 78.2% of them were in safe nutritional status. There was a significant difference (P=0.013) between the two category of food groups (P=0.013). The mean consumption of legumes in people with insecure nutrition status (65.72±42.40 g) was more than nutrition secure group (50.08±29.77 g). Other food items showed no significant difference between the two groups of safe and unsafe nutrition status. In terms of economic status, there was a significant difference between safe and unsafe groups (P=0.001).

In this study, food insecurity rate and prevalence of pregnant women was much less than that other studies. Given the role of the economic situation in the ability to purchase and supply food, probably one of the main reasons of more consumption of legumes in insecure groups would be low-income level and lower purchasing power of other food groups, such as meat.

During adolescence, nutrition is crucial for physical and cognitive development, yet socio-economic disparities and nutritional deficiencies, especially in girls, lead to health vulnerabilities, including high anemia rates. Despite recent data from the National Family Health Survey, there is limited information on adolescents aged 11-16 years, requiring targeted research. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the nutritional status, determine the prevalence of anemia, and explore associated factors among adolescent girls of the scheduled caste in District Yamunanagar, Haryana, India.

The study sampled 450 scheduled caste girls aged 11-16 years from schools in District Yamunanagar, Haryana. Height and weight were measured to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). Data on micro-environmental factors, socio-economic and demographic variables, and dietary habits were collected through interview-based schedule. Hemoglobin levels were measured using Sahli’s Acid Haematin technique, and nutritional status was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) standards (Z-score method).

The study found increases in height, weight, and BMI with age, with notable spurts at 12-13 years for height and 11-12 years for weight and BMI. Significant differences in height, weight, and BMI were observed between age groups. Moreover, 92.2% girls were found to be anemic, with most of them suffering from moderate anemia. Additionally, the prevalence of stunting was 67.33% and wasting was 64.90% among the girls. Household size, number of family members and menarcheal status of the girls showed a significant association with the nutritional status and anemic of the girls.

The study emphasizes the need of regular screening and timely interventions to improve the nutritional and anemic status of adolescent girls.

Sexual function is an important aspect of overall quality of life, and disruptions in this area can significantly harm interpersonal relationships, emotional well-being, and self-esteem. The high prevalence of sexual dysfunction and its complications, especially in men, and the shortcomings of the current treatments highlight the need for alternative approaches, particularly traditional Persian medicine.

The methodology used in this narrative review study is content analysis. The search was conducted using sources from traditional Persian medicine, including the following: "Qanoon in Medicine" by Ibn Sina, "Zakhirrh (Repository) of Kharazmshahi" by Seyyed Ismail Jorjani, and "Exir (Elixir)" by Hakim Azam Khan. Additionally, databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and SID were searched until April 2023, using relevant keywords without any time restrictions.

From the perspective of Persian traditional medicine (TPM), sexual dysfunction is the inability to have sexual intercourse, and its leading causes include: quantitative and qualitative changes in semen, weakness of vital organs of the body such as the brain, heart, and liver, stomach and kidney, long-term intimacy leaving, low intravascular flatulence (gas), weakness of mental and emotional states, and weakness of the nerves of the penis. The principles of treating this disorder are based on dietary measures, strengthening vital organs, and then using sexual-enhancing drugs or supplements or manipulations such as massage.

Integrating knowledge from traditional Persian medicine and modern treatments can facilitate future research, develop projects in this area, and enhance the treatment of sexual disorders.

The role of the mothers is very important in providing care and monitor their children`s health in general. Their awareness concerning quality of foods which is needed for each child`s developmental stage can effect on nutritional status This Study assess the effect of an nutritional education Program on mother knowledge regarding their children nutritional status.

Sixty moms were chosen from Al-Ayn Social Care Foundation International in Al-Samawah City and take on using a quasi-experimental design. The researcher used a non-probability "purposive sample" and measured the height and weight for child before calculating the body mass index.

The current study found a relationship between moms' educational level and knowledge regard to sociodemographic characteristics with a p-value of .001. However, there were no significant correlations observed between mothers' knowledge in the control group and their age, level of education, occupation, residency, monthly income, and sources of information.

Following the interventional program on nutrition-related health, the level of knowledge among the mothers in the study group was enhanced. The study suggested that the nutrition education program should be offered to all moms in order to enhance their understanding and enthusiasm regarding the significance of child nutrition. Additionally, it was advised that their education should be regularly updated.

Children are prone to undernutrition which adversely affects their health status. Nutritional status of under-five children is a sensitive indicator of nutrition and child health. Hence, the present study is undertaken to assess the prevalence and determinants of undernutrition among under-five children in a rural area of West Bengal, India.

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1680 under-five children who were selected by 30 cluster sampling technique to assess the prevalence and determinants of undernutrition. Nutritional status was assessed by means of weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-for-height and mid-upper arm circumference-for-age criteria based on World Health Organization’s child growth standards.

The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting among under-five children was found to be 33.7%, 34.8%, and 21.6%, respectively. Moreover, 39.4% of the studied children had low mid-upper arm circumference-for-age.  After adjustment for possible confounders, maternal illiteracy, lower socio-economic status, presence of anemia and any childhood morbidity were found significant determinants of undernutrition.

Widespread prevalence of undernutrition among under-five children with anemia and childhood morbidity as important determinants highlights a need for multi-disciplinary integrated approach towards improving the child health and nutrition. Long term measures like improvement of maternal education and poverty alleviation should also be considered in future plans.

This study aimed to explore caregiver practices for optimizing toddlers’ healthy growth and development.

This qualitative research was done using an explanatory case study design. Qualitative exploration was conducted through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 19 parent participants selected via purposive sampling. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcriptions were screened for relevant information, manually coded, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Five themes related to caregiving practices emerged, including the fulfillment of children’s health requirements, the provision of sufficient nutrition, responsive parenting, ensuring safety and security, and offering early learning opportunities.

Comprehensive support for optimizing the growth and development of stunted children requires collaboration among parents, family members, health centers, government initiatives, community organizations, and professionals in the health, education, and social sectors.

Malnutrition in hospitalized children can impair health outcomes. The STRONGkids screening tool requires further reliability testing across diverse healthcare providers to identify pediatric patients requiring nutritional support. This study evaluated the effectiveness of STRONGkids compared to standard anthropometric criteria in determining malnutrition risk among hospitalized Iranian children.  This cross-sectional analysis evaluated 287 patients (mean age nine months) admitted for ≥4 days across all non-critical wards in a pediatric hospital in Mashhad, Iran, from November 2020 to October 2021. STRONGkids categories were compared to weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), BMI-for-age (BMIZ), and weight-for-length/height (WLZ/H) z-scores using agreement statistics.  The malnutrition rate exceeded previous estimates for Iranian pediatric patients. STRONGkids demonstrated statistically significant agreement with WLZ/H (p<0.001) and WAZ (p=0.014) in ruling out malnutrition risk. However, sensitivity for identifying high-risk cases was suboptimal.  STRONGkids can reliably exclude malnutrition when agreement exists with anthropometric criteria. Standardizing training and administration of the tool could optimize sensitivity and utility for detecting hospitalized children requiring nutritional intervention.

Hematological cancer patients are prone to the development of sarcopenia and impaired nutritional and functional status. SARC-CalF is a screening tool for the risk of sarcopenia that has shown good results in this population. This study aimed to identify the risk of sarcopenia by SARC-CalF and to verify its association with nutritional status and Hand Grip Strength (HGS) in patients with hematological cancer.

Adult patients, of both sexes, with hematological cancer, and in outpatient care participated in the study. We measured the Hand Grip Strength of the Dominant Hand (HGSD) and the Adductor Pollicis Muscle Thickness of the Dominant Hand (APMTD). Moreover, we applied the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and SARC-CalF. Data were analyzed with SPSS® software, 22.0, with a significance level of 5.0%.

Fifty-one patients aged an average of 60.4 ± 15.1 years were evaluated. Of those, 58.8% were elderly, 51% female, and 80.4% declared themselves non-white. The predominant diagnosis was Mature B Lymphoid Cell Neoplasia (37.7%), and 60.8% of the patients had a diagnosis time of ≤ 3 years. PG-SGA revealed that 35.3% of the patients were malnourished; APMTD and HGSD revealed that 60.8% and 25.5% had reduced muscle strength, respectively. SARC-CalF exposed that 39.2% of the patients were at risk for sarcopenia. Significant associations were found between SARC-CalF and diagnosis time ≤ 3 years (p = 0.039), PG-SGA (p = 0.020), APMTD (p = 0.039) and HGSD (p = 0.002). After binary logistic regression adjusted for age and sex, the reduced HGSD remained associated with the risk of sarcopenia.

SARC-CalF identified a risk of sarcopenia in 39.2% of patients. The reduced HGSD was associated with the risk of sarcopenia.

Considering that nutritional status is one of the influential factors in the process of recovery of patients with COVID-19, this study was conducted to determine the nutritional status of COVID-19 patients and its relationship with clinical outcomes.

This cross-sectional study included 155 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 disease (18-80 years) using PCR test and chest CT scan. The nutritional status of participants was assessed employing Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire, Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, and Nutrition Risk in Critically(NUTRIC) score.

Among 81 men (52.3%) and 74 women (47.7%) based on MNA, 30 participants (19.4%) and based on GLIM criteria, 42 participants (27.1%) suffered from malnutrition. Also, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (GLIM: p=0.038, p=0.008, respectively; MNA: p=0.04, p=0.01, respectively) and blood oxygen saturation (MNA: p=0.01; GLIM: p=0.012)were significantly associated with nutritional status of participants. MNA and GLIM findings showed a relative agreement of 0.35 (p<0.0001).

Nutritional status was demonstrated to be a critical factor that can affect the clinical condition and recovery process of COVID-19 patients. GLIM was shown to be practical and reliable criteria to measure the nutritional status for diagnosis and prognosis of patients with COVID-19.

Some studies indicated that membership in social networks could lead to overweight or obesity. Other studies showed that social networks and the Internet could affect people's nutritional status. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of social networking on students' attitudes and eating habits. This study is a descriptive survey conducted among students. A questionnaire designed in four main parts to measure students' nutritional status and attitude was used as an instrument. Three hundred sixty-four (364) students participated in this study. In addition, a Chi-square test was used to determine the relationship between the variables. Most participants in this study were female and single, and Telegram was the social network with the most users. The participants believed that spending time on social networking did not significantly change their tendency to get more nutritional information. Also, respondents to the questionnaire stated that there was no significant change in their food consumption patterns following social networking. Moreover, the results explained a statistically significant difference in the participants' dietary beliefs due to social networking (p<0.001). Although the effect of social networking on users is a fact, and most of the participants used social networking and were members of several channels, the role of social networking in students' nutrition status was not confirmed. However, social networking could change the students' nutritional beliefs.

Social capital is a concept that has been identified to improve health outcomes in many populations. Due to COVID-19 and many other factors, Sri Lanka faced a massive economic crisis that affected the nutrition of communities. Many community engagement initiatives have begun to promote the country’s nutrition during the worst-hit years. The Mothers’ Support Groups initiative is one of the existing community engagement initiatives that is well known for strengthening community social capital. This article discusses how the Mothers’ Support Groups (MSG) initiative in Sri Lanka contributed to improving social capital in Sri Lanka during the economic crisis, focusing on nutrition.

We conducted a case study on the activities undertaken by mothers’ support groups in view of how they focused on social capital. We selected all activities presented by districts that improved social capital related to nutrition promotion captured in the YouTube video stream. We analyzed these qualitative data to identify the main themes related to social capital and nutritional promotion. Two coders transcribed the video recordings. We analyzed the data using the iterative thematic inquiry (ITI) method and initially assessed beliefs about concepts, building new beliefs through encounters with data, listing tentative themes, and evaluating themes through coding.

Six major themes were identified (that social capital had been strengthened to promote nutrition): awareness creation of nutrition, home gardening promotion, promoting livestock farming, minimizing food waste, improving the home economy, and psychosocial health promotion. The most common forms of social capital encountered in these themes were bonding, bridging, and linking. Furthermore, strengthening structural social capital is more prominent than strengthening cognitive social capital.

Social capital can improve nutritional status during crises. Activities that can be used to achieve this vary from simple awareness creation among communities to more advanced psychosocial health promotion. Overall, social capital contributed to the community development aspect of health promotion to a greater extent.

 The Maluku region encompasses thousands of islands. The study analyzed factors related to stunting among children under two years old in the Maluku Region of Indonesia.

Study Design: 

A cross-sectional study.

 This cross-sectional study examined 4764 children under two years. In addition to nutritional status (stature), the study analyzed ten independent variables (province, residence, maternal age, marital status, maternal education, employment, wealth, children’s age, gender, and early initiation of breastfeeding [EIBF]). Finally, the contribution of various factors to stunting was examined using logistic regression.

 Children in Maluku province were 1.13 times more likely than those in North Maluku province to become stunted. In addition, children aged 12-13 months were 4.09 times more likely than<12 months, and boys were 1.87 times more likely than girls to have the patterns of stunting. Children in rural areas were 1.10 times more likely to become stunted than those in urban areas (95% confidence interval: 1.06, 1.14). Divorced/widowed mothers were 1.88 times more likely than married mothers. Mothers of all education levels were more likely than those without formal education, and unemployed mothers were 1.07 times more likely than employed mothers to have stunted children. The possibility of becoming stunted was lower when the children were wealthier.

 Nine variables were related to stunted incidence, including province, residence, maternal age, marital status, maternal education, employment, wealth, children’s age, and gender.

Since most studies evaluating the prevalence of hospital malnutrition in Iran have only been conducted on a specific group of patients, the present study was designed to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition in several different hospital wards.

The nutritional status of 284 hospitalized patients was evaluated using the PG-SGA short form and compared according to demographic data and body mass index (BMI). Demographic and SGA domains were compared across BMI categories. Malnutrition degree was also compared.

Among the participants, 37.0% (n=105) had moderate malnutrition and 51.1% (n=145) had severe malnutrition. Comparing differences within patients according to their BMI status, there were no significant differences according to age, hospitalization duration, and current food intake status. Only sex and cause of hospitalization showed significant differences. Most of male participants had normal weight and were hospitalized for non-GI disorders (P=0.001 and 0.031, respectively). As expected, the scores obtained from weight, food intake, and symptoms sections of the questionnaire were higher in underweight patients in comparison to other BMI categories. Comparison of the same characteristics as per malnutrition status showed that people with high risk of malnutrition were older (P= 0.023), had oral food intake (P=0.007) and normal BMI (P=0.001).

The number of patients at high risk of malnutrition was relatively significant in the study. A high frequency of malnutrition was observed among individuals with normal BMI. Screening tools in addition to BMI should be used to detect patients at risk of malnutrition.

Sports nutrition knowledge is one of the essential needs of coaches. However, there is no standardized questionnaire in Persian to assess coaches' nutritional knowledge and information. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of Persian version of the Coach Sports Nutrition Questionnaire (CSNQ).

CSNQ was translated-re-translated according to the WHO standard method, following Iranian culture and eating habits. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by test-retest method, correlation coefficient and internal reliability by Cronbach's alpha, and differential validity by independent t-test. 123 Iranian coaches completed the questionnaire.

The total internal reliability of the questionnaire assessed by Cronbach's alpha was 0.73. The intragroup correlation of the questionnaire, assessed by the test-retest method, was 0.71. Moreover, the comparison of the coaches with different levels of education was found to be significant (P < 0.001).

The Persian version of the questionnaire regarding the coaches' nutrition sports knowledge has acceptable reliability and validity. It can help other studies and evaluate sports nutrition knowledge in Persian coaches.

Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is vital to investigate vascular atherosclerosis. Studies have provided conflicting information regarding the factors affecting this thickness. This study aims to determine CIMT in adults and investigate its relationship with background variables, and metabolic and nutritional factors.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on the adult population of Mashhad City, Iran, and in the cohort center of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences during 2018-2019. At the beginning of the study, a complete history was taken and general examinations were performed. For all subjects, a B-mode ultrasound was performed by a radiologist in the neck region to evaluate the carotid arteries. Also, anthropometric characteristics, including height, weight, and body mass index, and metabolic factors, including blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol level, triglyceride level, and nutritional factors, including daily calorie consumption were calculated.

A total of 431 people with an mean age of 43.41±6.59 years were included in the study, 190 cases (44.1%) were men and 241 cases (55.9%) were women. The median thickness of the left carotid artery (0.63, 0.50) was 0.55 mm, and the median thickness of the right carotid artery (0.49, 0.61) was 0.54 mm (P=0.003). Also, the mean intima-media thickness (IMT) of the right and left carotid arteries was significantly higher in males than in females (P<0.05). Correlation of different quantitative data with IMT of both carotid arteries showed that all quantitative data except pulse rate (P<0.05) and energy (P<0.05) had a significant positive correlation with IMT of both right and left carotid arteries which were weak to moderate. Age and weight had a direct and significant relationship with the right and left CIMT (P<0.05). In addition, the male gender was associated with greater thickness of the left carotid artery (P<0.05).

The results of our study indicated that what is almost certainly related to CIMT is age and weight, which increases with the increase of both CIMT. More studies are needed to confirm these things