Adoption Of Healthy Lifestyles Research Articles

Indoor air pollution: an Italian Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) study among the general population.

Indoor air pollution negatively affects population health and the national health services in terms of socio-economic costs. The presence of indoor pollutants depends a lot on lifestyles. The aim of this work is to evaluate knowledge, daily habits and the preventive behaviors in order to contrast the effects on health caused by indoor pollutants. The study was conducted through the administration of questionnaires to the population resident in the metropolitan city of Messina (Italy), asking about sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, daily habits and preventive behaviors. The questionnaire was filled by 894 subjects (46.8% M; 53.2% F). Regarding knowledge, 66.8% had heard of indoor air pollution and 94.9% knew what the most common indoor pollutants are; regarding daily habits they often aired out the house (91.9% in the morning and 71.4% after cleaning), 24.8% were smokers and 36.7 of them smoked indoors; regarding preventive behaviors, 41.6% chose the cleaning products based on habit and only 32.9% bought plants able to purify environments. Although the analyzed population had adequate knowledge of indoor air pollution, this did not strongly impact on the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Therefore, it becomes necessary to intervene on a social level with environmental education activities, starting from school age.

FIGO Preconception Checklist: Preconception care for mother and baby.

The preconception period is a unique and opportunistic time in a woman's life when she is motivated to adopt healthy behaviors that will benefit her and her child, making this time period a critical "window of opportunity" to improve short- and long-term health. Improving preconception health can ultimately improve both fetal and maternal outcomes. Promoting health before conception has several beneficial effects, including an increase in seeking antenatal care and a reduction in neonatal mortality. Preconception health is a broad concept that encompasses the management of chronic diseases, including optimal nutrition, adequate consumption of folic acid, control of body weight, adoption of healthy lifestyles, and receipt of appropriate vaccinations. Use of the FIGO Preconception Checklist, which includes the key elements of optimal preconception care, will empower women and their healthcare providers to better prepare women and their families for pregnancy.

History of primary health care in Iran.

The history of the primary healthcare system in Iran portrays a journey of strategic development and implementation that has resulted in significant advancements in healthcare access and overall population well-being. Starting in the early 1980s, Iran embarked on a comprehensive approach to health care delivery prioritizing universal access, equity, and community participation. The foundation of this system was established during the Alma-Ata Conference in 1978, which placed a strong emphasis on the role of primary health care in attaining health for all.Iran's unwavering commitment to this approach led to the creation of an extensive network of rural and urban health centers designed to offer essential health services and preventive care to all citizens. Over the years, the expansion of Iran's primary healthcare system has yielded noteworthy accomplishments. Maternal and child mortality rates have seen substantial declines, attributed to improved access to maternal care and immunization services. The effectiveness of the system in reaching diverse populations has been enhanced through community engagement and the integration of traditional medicine. Furthermore, Iran's focus on health education and disease prevention has resulted in heightened public awareness and the adoption of healthier lifestyles. Despite these achievements, challenges continue to persist. Disparities in the quality and accessibility of services between urban and rural areas remain a concern. Moreover, the ongoing necessity for infrastructure development, training of the health workforce, and efficient resource allocation underscore the continuous efforts required to strengthen the primary healthcare system. The history of Iran's primary health care system is marked by progress and achievements, underscored by an unwavering commitment to providing comprehensive, community-based care. Iran's journey serves as an exemplary model, highlighting the positive impact of prioritizing primary health care in achieving better health outcomes for its population. As Iran continues to evolve its health system, addressing challenges and building upon successes, the history of its primary health care system serves as a valuable lesson in the pursuit of accessible and equitable health care for all.

Improvement of Patients’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Tuberculosis Treatment Using Video and Leaflet

Background: The effectiveness of Tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes for patients is currently suboptimal, posing a significant challenge to comprehensive efforts aimed at eradicating the disease. To address this problem, several studies have proposed that the implementation of health education initiatives have the potential to enhance treatment adherence and behavior of patients. Therefore, this study aims to assess the efficacy of health education programs using video and leaflet modalities.Method: This was a quasi-experimental study with a non-randomized pretest-posttest control group design. The sample population consisted of 85 TB patients at the Kenanga Health Center, Tegal Sari Mandala II, Medan Denai District, Medan City in 2022. Furthermore, the samples size was obtained using a purposive sampling method, involving 64 patients, which were evenly divided into two groups, namely intervention and control. The controls and intervention groups were educated using leaflet and video media, respectively. Pre-test and post-test were given to all the participants using the same instrument. A post-test was administered on the twenty-fifth day, where the materials were the same as those used at the pre-test stage. The data collected in this study were analyzed using the Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, and N-Gain tests.Results: There were significant differences between knowledges, attitudes, and practices of the participants before and after being given the interventions. Furthermore, knowledges, attitudes, and practices scores increased after the interventions were administered. Based on the results, health education using video (N-Gain score of 76.82) improved behavior of TB patients compared to the use of leaflet (N-Gain score of 49.74). After being educated, people with TB were expected to exhibit higher treatment adherence and adoption of healthy lifestyles.

Is there a relationship between the motivation of female fitness practitioners and tobacco and alcohol consumption? Perspectives for improving lifestyle for health

The practice of PE has been associated with the adoption of healthy lifestyles. The objective of the study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between tobacco and alcohol consumption and the type of modality practiced; and if the reasons presented for the practice are somehow related to these habits. The sample consisted of 177 adult women, who practice Fitness, divided into 3 groups: 68 practitioners of high intensity modalities, 54 of Zen modalities, and 55 of modalities of both types. The Exercise Motivation Inventory 2 was used to assess the reasons for the practice of PE. Relating smoking and alcoholism habits with the reasons for the practice, significant positive correlations were found between: smoking habits/affiliation (p = .037); alcohol consumption/keeping healthy (p = .035). Significant inverse relationships between: number of cigarettes smoked per day/weight management (p = .000); number of cigarettes smoked per day/health (p = .048). Class 3 of women who quit smoking had statistically significant higher scores on disease (p = .012) and staying healthy (p = .001). Affiliation is a common reason for smoking and exercising; those who smoked for a longer period of time seem to resort to the practice for reasons relating to the onset of illness or to maintain their health. Women who don't drink seem to be more concerned about their health than women who do drink. Clarifying these relationships is essential for creating more effective intervention programs to eliminate/reduce tobacco and alcohol consumption and their harmful effects on health.

The Key Digital Tool Features of Complex Telehealth Interventions Used for Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management and Monitoring With Health Professional Involvement: Scoping Review.

Therapeutic education and patient self-management are crucial in diabetes prevention and treatment. Improving diabetes self-management requires multidisciplinary team intervention, nutrition education that facilitates self-management, informed decision-making, and the organization and delivery of appropriate health care services. The emergence of telehealth services has provided the public with various tools for educating themselves and for evaluating, monitoring, and improving their health and nutrition-related behaviors. Combining health technologies with clinical expertise, social support, and health professional involvement could help persons living with diabetes improve their disease self-management skills and prevent its long-term consequences. This scoping review's primary objective was to identify the key digital tool features of complex telehealth interventions used for type 2 diabetes or prediabetes self-management and monitoring with health professional involvement that help improve health outcomes. A secondary objective was to identify how these key features are developed and combined. A 5-step scoping review methodology was used to map relevant literature published between January 1, 2010 and March 31, 2022. Electronic searches were performed in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Embase databases. The searches were limited to scientific publications in English and French that either described the conceptual development of a complex telehealth intervention that combined self-management and monitoring with health professional involvement or evaluated its effects on the therapeutic management of patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Three reviewers independently identified the articles and extracted the data. The results of 42 studies on complex telehealth interventions combining diabetes self-management and monitoring with the involvement of at least 1 health professional were synthesized. The health professionals participating in these studies were physicians, dietitians, nurses, and psychologists. The digital tools involved were smartphone apps or web-based interfaces that could be used with medical devices. We classified the features of these technologies into eight categories, depending on the intervention objective: (1) monitoring of glycemia levels, (2) physical activity monitoring, (3) medication monitoring, (4) diet monitoring, (5) therapeutic education, (6) health professional support, (7) other health data monitoring, and (8) health care management. The patient-logged data revealed behavior patterns that should be modified to improve health outcomes. These technologies, used with health professional involvement, patient self-management, and therapeutic education, translate into better control of glycemia levels and the adoption of healthier lifestyles. Likewise, they seem to improve monitoring by health professionals and foster multidisciplinary collaboration through data sharing and the development of more concise automatically generated reports. This scoping review synthesizes multiple studies that describe the development and evaluation of complex telehealth interventions used in combination with health professional support. It suggests that combining different digital tools that incorporate diabetes self-management and monitoring features with a health professional's advice and interaction results in more effective interventions and outcomes.

Adjustment strategies adopted by higher education students during COVID-19 pandemic: focus group discussions

IntroductionWith the closure of higher education institutions during the COVID-19 sanitary crisis, students have experienced problems such as interruptions to their education, loss of peer support networks, and mental health issues.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore adjustment patterns used by students to overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA qualitative descriptive study was developed by carrying out Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Portuguese students enrolled in education levels above high school, including undergraduate and graduate programs, were considered eligible. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Each FGD took approximately 60–90 min.Results Twelve students were participated in 2 FGDs, each one with 6 participants. Mostly were undergraduate students (Bachelor’s degree), in the field of health area. The thematic analysis revealed three main themes. The first theme was related to the personal sphere and included most of adjustment strategies used, namely: pandemic as a “window of opportunity” to be involved in new academic and professional projects; work-life balance by organizing and separating work from private life; self-care through the adoption of healthy lifestyles; being compassionate with others and compliance with sanitary measures. In the social sphere, students evoked new ways of communicating via digital networking to compensate for the lack of physical proximity and stay in safe contact with friends and relatives. In the contextual sphere, students talked about the importance of adapting the “teaching/learning” environment. Tailored teaching support was a significant strategy, especially in maintaining their motivation.ConclusionsSeveral strategies were pointed by students to stay mentally healthy and mitigate delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, positive coping and hope should be integrated into the standard training of students across all study areas.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Familial predisposition to diabetes: How do parents and offsprings perceive the risk?

Introduction: Familial predisposition to diabetes is an important determinant for its occurrence in the immediate descendants. Perception of this risk provides an opportunity to educate the family to adopt health-promoting behaviors and thereby delay or prevent new cases among children. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among parents with diabetes to assess their awareness on the risk of developing diabetes in their offsprings and recognition of the need for transference of health-related advice. Simultaneously, a questionnaire was presented to their offspring to determine their perceived risk of developing diabetes and motivation toward adoption of healthy lifestyles. Results: There were a total of 100 parents (Group 1) and 100 offspring (Group 2). Only 25% of parents perceived that their children were at an increased risk of acquiring diabetes. Only 10% and 15% advised their children to adhere to diet and exercise, respectively. The mean age of the offspring was 32.30 ± 9.33 years, and the body mass index was 25.08 ± 4.58 kg/m2; 10% were detected to have prediabetes and 8% overt diabetes during the study. A higher percentage (36%) of offspring perceived an increased risk of incurring diabetes than an average person due to a positive family history, while the majority (64%) did not perceive any increased risk. Only 20% were adopting healthy eating and exercise habits. Conclusion: The awareness of the risk of diabetes among the parents and offspring was low. Even those who understand the risk did not adopt healthy lifestyles. Almost one in five offsprings who were detected to be glucose intolerant were unaware of it.

Bridging Epidemiological Data with Features of the Urban Context: An experience of Urban Public Health within the City of Milan, Italy

Abstract Referring to the Research Project “Enhancing Healthcare and Well-Being Through the Potential of Big Data: An Integration of Survey, Administrative, and Open Data to Assess Health Risk in the City of Milan with Data Science” the Authors present preliminary results regarding a survey distributed to a sample of citizens across all neighborhoods of Milano city. This survey sought to collect data regarding health risk factors of this population, including both individual (e.g. socio-demographic characteristics, behaviors, etc.) and community (e.g. environmental/morphological features, available social services, etc.) data. A digital survey was designed to collect information on the health conditions, risk factors, and lifestyle characteristics of a representative sample of the Milanese population at the neighborhood level, with reference to the census tracts and Local Identity Units (NIL). Collected survey data are entered into a system containing corresponding individual health information acquired from the Local Health Authority databases, creating a synthesized information profile with each respondent's state of health, including existing conditions, health services used, and drug therapies. The disseminated survey was developed from comparisons with similar experiences at the national/international level and divided into 60 multiple choice questions (6 for Sociodemographic profile; 8 for Context of residence; 12 for Functional limitations; 25 for Behaviors and lifestyles; 9 for Access to health services). The data from urban analysis conducted on the NIL of the City of Milan are assessed with particular reference to the theme of bicycle-pedestrian accessibility (Walkability) in the urban context and repercussions on the adoption of Healthy Lifestyles. The models developed through this research are expected to provide critical insight for designing health promotion, health protection, and disease prevention interventions aimed both at individual and community level.

Knowledge and Practice about COVID-19 among Medical Students

Background: Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill where the only hope to end this is the prevention and control of the disease. Medical students hold significant importance in this crisis as being the individuals at increased risk as well as future health care providers. Aim: To assess the knowledge and practice regarding Covid-19 Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Lahore Medical and Dental College, Tulspura. The duration of study was three months from Feb 2021 till April 2021 after the approval of synopsis by IRB committee, LMDC. Study Population included final year MBBS students. Sample size was n=113.Sampling technique used was non-probability convenience sampling technique. Data collection was done using a structured questionnaire consisting of three sections viz socio demographic characteristics, knowledge and practice about Covid-19. Data entry and analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 21. Results: Study participants included 48.7% males and 51.3% females. Most of the students 99.1% were aware of the Covid-19 pandemic. About 99.1% students also knew that it is an infectious disease and 96.5% knew that a virus is the causative agent of Covid-19. However, 84.1% had correct knowledge regarding the incubation period of the disease. Maximum respondents 73.5% believed that everyone is equally susceptible to get infected with Covid-19. Fever and cough are the most common symptoms of the disease and internet and electronic media are most common source of information regarding Covid-19. Majority 46% of respondents did not adopt good practice of regular washing of hands. Nearly 63.7% ate healthy food and 73.5% maintained healthy life style focusing on outbreak Conclusion: The medical students had adequate basic knowledge regarding the disease, electronic media and internet being the most common source of knowledge. The practices of mask wearing and adoption of healthy lifestyle were widely adopted yet the practice of hand hygiene and reduced social mobility was poorly conducted. Keywords: Covid-19, knowledge and practice, medical students

Improving knowledge about breast cancer and breast self examination in female Nigerian adolescents using peer education: a pre-post interventional study

BackgroundPrevention of BC of which the cornerstone is creating awareness and early detection is important in adolescents and young women because of their worse outcomes. Early detection strategies such as mammography are currently beyond the reach of most women in sub-Saharan Africa.. Lack of awareness and late presentation contribute to the poor outcomes. Awareness creation among adolescents may result in modification of some risk factors for BC with adoption of healthy life styles including accessing early detection activities. This study determined the effect of peer education as a strategy to create awareness on BC and breast self examination (BSE) among in-school female adolescents in Benin City.MethodsThis was a pre-post interventional study carried out in October –December 2016 on female students of four secondary schools in Benin City. Pre-peer training, using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire, knowledge about BC and BSE was assessed in about 30% of each school population. This was followed by training of 124 students selected from the schools (one student per class) as peer trainers. The peer trainers provided training on BC and BSE (the intervention) for their classmates. Within two weeks of peer training knowledge about BC and BSE was reassessed in 30% of each school population. Selection of students for assessment pre and post intervention was by systematic sampling. Correct knowledge was scored and presented as percentages. Chi square test, student t test and ANOVA were used to assess associations and test differences with level of significance set at p < 0.05.ResultsThere were 1337 and 1201 students who responded to the pre and post-training questionnaires respectively. The mean BC knowledge score (20.61 ± 13.4) prior to training was low and it statistically significantly improved to 55.93 ± 10.86 following training p < 0.0001 Following peer training, statistically significant improvement (p 0.037- < 0.001) occurred in most knowledge domains apart from symptomatology. Pre-peer training 906(67.8%) students knew about BSE but only 67(4.8%). Significantly more students 1134(94.7%) knew about BSE following peer training.ConclusionsPeer education strategy can be used to improve BC and BSE knowledge in adolescents. This strategy is low cost and could be very useful in low resource settings.

Health Advocacy and Psycho-body empowerment: An effective Salutogenic Model to fight Burnout syndrome addressed to Health Managers, Health and Social Workers

This study was carried out with the implementation of the ECM Training Course: "Health advocacy and Psycho-corporeal Empowerment 2020", designed by the U.O.C. Quality &amp; Humanisation to fight the burnout of health workers during the pandemic through the strategic use of the “Salotti del Benessere©” method in its online version. This Medical Humanities methodology allows the acquisition of psycho-body awareness in order to encourage, even in emergency situations, the adoption of healthy lifestyles. The whole process takes place in 7 meetings, in which the exploration of the 5 Keys to Well-being (Conscious Breathing, Relaxation, Empowerment, Movement and Emotion) is carried out, supported by a multidisciplinary team. In order to assess the effectiveness of the training course, a battery of tests has been administered. The following research is a pilot study on the method in its online version, with the aim of verifying if it was possible to implement, despite the physical distance, a path of psycho-body empowerment and improvement of interpersonal relationships, in this case among the mental health workers participating to the course. An analysis of the results obtained from the tests shows that this online course led to the acquisition of greater self-awareness for health workers and strengthened those relational aspects that, among other things, encourage the mental health management of the patient/caregiver. These results justify the spread of the course to a wider target.

Health Advocacy and Psycho-body empowerment: An effective Salutogenic Model to fight Burnout syndrome addressed to Health Managers, Health and Social Workers

This study was carried out with the implementation of the ECM Training Course: “Health advocacy and Psychocorporeal Empowerment 2020”, designed by the U.O.C. Quality &amp; Humanisation to fight the burnout of healthworkers during the pandemic through the strategic use of the “Salotti del Benessere©” method in its online version.This Medical Humanities methodology allows the acquisition of psycho-body awareness in order to encourage, evenin emergency situations, the adoption of healthy lifestyles. The whole process takes place in 7 meetings, in which theexploration of the 5 Keys to Well-being (Conscious Breathing, Relaxation, Empowerment, Movement and Emotion)is carried out, supported by a multidisciplinary team. In order to assess the effectiveness of the training course, abattery of tests has been administered. The following research is a pilot study on the method in its online version, withthe aim of verifying if it was possible to implement, despite the physical distance, a path of psycho-body empowermentand improvement of interpersonal relationships, in this case among the mental health workers participating to thecourse.An analysis of the results obtained from the tests shows that this online course led to the acquisition of greater selfawareness for health workers and strengthened those relational aspects that, among other things, encourage themental health management of the patient/caregiver. These results justify the spread of the course to a wider target.

Estimated Prevalence and Number of PiMZ Genotypes of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin in Seventy-Four Countries Worldwide.

BackgroundThe α-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protease inhibitor PiMZ is a moderately deficient genotype, until recently considered of little or negligible risk. However, a growing number of studies show that MZ carriers have an increased risk of developing lung and liver diseases, if exposed to smoking or other airborne or industrial pollutants, and hepatotoxic substances.MethodsWe used the epidemiological studies performed to determine the frequencies of PiM and PiZ worldwide, based on the following criteria: 1) samples representative of the general population; 2) AAT phenotyping or genotyping characterized by adequate methods, including isoelectric focusing and polymerase chain reaction; and 3) studies with reliable results assessed with a coefficient of variation calculated from the sample size and 95% confidence intervals, to measure the precision of the results in terms of dispersion of the data around the mean.ResultsThe present review reveals an impressive number of MZs of more than 35 million in 74 countries of the world with available data. Seventy-five percent of them are people of Caucasian European heritage, mostly living in Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand. Twenty percent of the remaining MZs live in Asia, with the highest concentrations in the Middle East, Eastern¸ Southern, and South-eastern regions of the Asian continent. The remaining five percent are Africans residing in Western and Eastern Africa.ConclusionConsidering the high rate of smoking, the outdoor and the indoor air pollution from solid fuels used in cooking and heating, and the exposure to industrial dusts and chemicals in many of these countries, these figures are very worrying, and hence the importance of adequately assessing MZ subjects, recommending them rigorous preventive measures based on the adoption of healthy lifestyles, including avoidance of smoking and alcohol.

Association between Lifestyle Factors, Eating Habits and Metabolic Syndrome in Cameroonian Pregnant Women

Although poor eating habits and lifestyle factors have been reported to be associated with metabolic syndrome (MS), little is known about this association in Cameroonian pregnant women. The aim of this study was to describe lifestyle choices and eating habits in Cameroonian pregnant women, and determine their association with MS and its components. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 859 participants aged 17-45 years (mean ± SD: 27.3±5.6) from the Littoral and Centre Regions of Cameroon. Height, weight, serum lipid profile, fasting blood glucose and arterial blood pressure were measured using standard procedures. Information concerning the lifestyle, eating habits and sociodemographic characteristics were recorded using structured questionnaire. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using a slightly modified of National Cholesterol Education Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Statistical analysis was performed through descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, frequency and logistic regression analysis in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 23) software. Statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05. The proportion of participants who reported eating fruits and vegetables occasionally, sugary foods and drinks ≥ 5 times a week and fatty foods ≥ 5 times a week were 77.4%, 23.7% and 22.8% respectively, 41.6% and 39.8% had unhealthy (long and short ) sleeping duration and lack of physical exercise respectively. Also, 54.8% were alcohol consumers. Non-sedentary participants (OR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.29 - 0.85) had lower odds to develop metabolic syndrome compared to sedentary participants. Participants with short sleep and long sleep duration were 5.1 and 2.4 times respectively more likely to have MS than those with normal sleep duration. Participants who had vigorous activities or physical exercise (OR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.18 - 0.82; p: 0.014) where significantly less likely to experience MS than those with lack of physical exercise after controlling for potential covariates (age, parity, gravidity, BMI). Moreover, high consumption of sugary drinks, fatty foods, alcohol consumption (OR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.12 - 3.58; p: 0.019) were associated with MS. Our findings suggest that, adoption of healthy lifestyle and dietary habits should be encouraged to reduce the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its abnormal components. Further prospective studies are needed to consolidate our findings.

Association between healthy lifestyle practices and life purpose among a highly health-literate cohort: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe national health promotion program in the twenty-first century Japan (HJ21) correlates life purpose with disease prevention, facilitating the adoption of healthy lifestyles. However, the influence of clustered healthy lifestyle practices on life purpose, within the context of this national health campaign remains uninvestigated. This study assessed the association between such practices and life purpose, in line with the HJ21.MethodsWe performed a nationwide cross-sectional survey on certified specialists in health management. Participants’ demographic information, lifestyle, and purpose in life were measured using a validated tool. The cohort was median-split into two groups based on their clustered health-related lifestyle score. The values for health-related lifestyle and purpose were compared between the two groups and the correlation between health-related lifestyle and purpose in life was measured.ResultsData from 4820 participants were analyzed. The higher-scoring health-related lifestyle group showed a significantly higher life purpose than the lower group (35.3 vs 31.4; t = 23.6, p < 0.001). There was a significant association between the scores of clustered healthy lifestyle practices and life purpose (r = 0.401, p < 0.001). The higher-scoring health-related lifestyle group achieved a higher life purpose than the lower-scoring group. This association between healthy lifestyle practices and life purpose denotes a positive and linear relationship.ConclusionsOur results suggest that individuals who have a better health-related lifestyle gain a higher sense of life purpose. In other words, a healthy lifestyle predicts a purpose in life. Our findings posit that examining the causal relationship between healthy lifestyle and purpose in life may be a more efficient approach toward health promotion.

Healthy lifestyles and noncommunicable diseases: Nutrition, the life‐course, and health promotion

AbstractCardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, targeted by Sustainable Development Goal 3.4, afflict millions of people and account for the highest global morbidity and mortality. Obesity is associated with noncommunicable diseases. Globally, diets have become sweeter, saltier with higher fat content, whereas physical activity has declined; which triggers the onset of obesity and noncommunicable diseases. Healthy nutrition and regular exercise are the foundations for healthy living and important for preventing noncommunicable diseases, in alignment with health promotion. The preconception, gestational, and lactational periods present windows for improving and optimizing progeny growth and development for better health outcomes. Malnutrition is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases; therefore ingesting healthy nutritious food, over the life‐course, is critical for countering these global epidemics that have a more profound adverse impact on people from low‐ and middle‐income countries. To combat obesity and noncommunicable diseases, people's ownership of their health, government action, and private sector responsibility should be aligned and supported by global initiatives and enabled through partnerships and collaborations. Many noncommunicable diseases are avertable through health promotion strategies mainly directed at the maternal and child health lifecycle, by focusing on women of reproductive age (prior to and during pregnancy, and during lactation) and during infancy and childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and ageing. Healthy lifestyles support health promotion and disease prevention, which is cost‐effective for noncommunicable diseases. The global high burden of obesity and noncommunicable diseases remains a complex and prevalent challenge; therefore, the adoption of healthy lifestyles is critical to slow down their onset and exacerbation.

Mediterranean-Type Dietary Pattern and Physical Activity: The Winning Combination to Counteract the Rising Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and type 2 diabetes) are the main causes of death worldwide. Their burden is expected to rise in the future, especially in less developed economies and among the poor spread across middle- and high-income countries. Indeed, the treatment and prevention of these pathologies constitute a crucial challenge for public health. The major non-communicable diseases share four modifiable behavioral risk factors: unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco usage and excess of alcohol consumption. Therefore, the adoption of healthy lifestyles, which include not excessive alcohol intake, no smoking, a healthy diet and regular physical activity, represents a crucial and economical strategy to counteract the global NCDs burden. This review summarizes the latest evidence demonstrating that Mediterranean-type dietary pattern and physical activity are, alone and in combination, key interventions to both prevent and control the rise of NCDs.

Beyond weight: examining the association of obesity with cardiometabolic related inpatient costs among Canadian adults using linked population based survey and hospital administrative data

BackgroundThe global population has transitioned to one where more adults are living with obesity than are underweight. Obesity is associated with the development of cardiometabolic diseases and widely attributed to increased hospital resource use; however, empirical evidence is limited regarding obesity prevention to support hospital cost containment. This study aims to test for obesity in predicting hospitalization costs for cardiometabolic conditions among the Canadian population aged 45 and over.MethodsData from the 2007−2011 Canadian Community Health Survey were linked to eight years of hospital discharge records. A cohort was identified of inpatients admitted for diabetes, hypertension, and other cardiometabolic diseases. Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate the association between obesity status and inpatient costs, controlling for sociodemographic and behavioural factors.ResultsThe target cohort included 23,295 admissions for cardiometabolic diseases. Although inflation-adjusted inpatient costs generally increased over time, compared with the non-obese group, living with obesity was not a significant predictor of differences in cardiometabolic-related resource use (0.972 [95% CI: 0.926–1.021]). Being female and rural residence were found to be protective factors.ConclusionsObesity was not found in this study to be independently linked to higher cardiometabolic hospitalization costs, suggesting that actions to mitigate disease progression in the population may be more beneficial than simply promoting weight loss. Results amplified the need to consider gender and urbanization when formulating which levers are most amenable to adoption of healthy lifestyles to reduce impacts of obesogenic environments to the healthcare system.

La nutrition au Zimbabwe contemporain: une analyse situationnelle

Background: Malnutrition in all its forms continues to be a global public health challenge affecting mostly women and children in Africa. The socioeconomic consequences of poor nutrition are far-reaching and cross-generational. Objective: To provide an update on the nutrition situation in Zimbabwe in the context of the United Nations 2030 sustainable development agenda. Key findings: In Zimbabwe, the leading nutrition problems include high levels of childhood stunting, micronutrient deficiencies (Vitamin A, Iron, Zinc, and Selenium) affecting mostly children younger than 5 years and women aged 15-49 years. This paper presents evidence on the emergence of obesity and associated complications like diabetes, hypertension, and several cancers in addition to the traditional problem of undernutrition burden “multiple burden of malnutrition”. These nutrition challenges can be attributed to poor breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, the low dietary diversity affecting mostly rural households and nutrition transition. Cultural and religious beliefs are barriers to the adoption of appropriate breastfeeding and IYCF practices. Conclusion: The multiple burden of malnutrition exists in Zimbabwe. Although there is political, commitment and multisectoral initiatives to address malnutrition and food insecurity, the declining socio-economic situation and the COVID-19 associated restrictions are worsening the situation and poor households are getting more vulnerable. Considering that Zimbabwe’s economy is agriculture-based there is a need to put emphasis on promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture initiatives and urgently implement the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) to propel the adoption of healthy lifestyles and dietary behaviors. Keywords: Stunting, Breastfeeding, IYCF, Micronutrient deficiency, SDGs, COVID-19, Zimbabwe.