Indicator Of Nutritional Status Research Articles

Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis as an indicator of malnutrition in children under five years with and without pneumonia in Mchinji District, Malawi: An exploratory mixed-methods analysis

Background Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) is a non-invasive approach to assessing body composition and cellular health, which may improve the assessment of nutritional status in sick children. We explored the reliability, clinical utility, and acceptability of BIVA, as an indicator of nutritional status for children under five years with and without pneumonia, in Malawi. Methods We conducted a parallel convergent mixed-methods exploratory study in Mchinji District Hospital, Malawi, in 2017. We recruited a convenience sample of children aged 0–59 months with clinical pneumonia, and without an acute illness. Children had duplicate anthropometric and BIVA measurements taken. BIVA measurements of phase angle (PhA) were taken of the whole body, and trunk and arm segments. Reliability was assessed by comparing the variability in the two measures, and clinical utility by estimating the association between anthropometry and PhA using linear regression. Focus group discussions with healthcare workers who had not previously used BIVA instrumentation were conducted to explore acceptability. Results A total of 52 children (24 with pneumonia and 28 healthy) were analysed. The reliability of sequential PA measurements was lower than anthropometric measurements, but trunk and arm segments performed better. The largest associations with PhA were a negative relationship with weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) and PhA in children with pneumonia in the trunk segment, and a positive association with WAZ in the full body measurement in healthy children. Healthcare workers in focus group discussions expressed trust in BIVA technology and that it would enable more accurate diagnosis of malnutrition; however, they raised concerns about the sustainability and necessary resources to implement BIVA. Conclusions While healthcare workers were positive towards BIVA as a novel technology, implementation challenges should be expected. The differential direction of association between anthropometry and PhA for children with pneumonia warrants further investigation.

Has COVID-19 influenced household food security in the Timorese population?

Food scarcity as an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused famine around the world. The solution of the COVID-19 problem, will involve the minor elements of the community, such as overcoming household food security. This cross-sectional study was carried out to assess whether composite index of household food security, nutrient intake, nutritional status, individual and household dietary diversity score with food and agricultural organization measuring household and individual dietary diversity score among the Timorese family with toddlers’ population during pandemic period, using interviews and direct measurements of respondents, involving 1444 participants. Areas prone to food insecurity had a lower average index score than food-insecure areas. There was a strong correlation between the index score and the level of nutritional adequacy of children under five in: energy, protein, fat, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. In addition, the index scores also had a strong positive correlation with the dietary diversity of children under five years old, as seen from the individual dietary diversity score (IDDS) score with r value 0.231 (p value 0.000). There was a strong positive correlation between the index score and the nutritional status of children under five according to body weight for age (BW/A), height for age (H/A), and body weight for height (BW/H). In general, the index developed from this study described the status of household food security. In addition, the total index score could be a fairly strong predictor of nutrient intake and nutritional status in children under five years old.

DNA base oxidation in relation to TNM stages and chemotherapy treatment in colorectal cancer patients 2–9 months post-surgery

Accumulation of DNA damage is a critical feature of genomic instability, which is a hallmark of various cancers. The enzyme-modified comet assay is a recognized method to detect specific DNA lesions at the level of individual cells. In this cross-sectional investigation, we explore possible links between clinicopathological and treatment related factors, nutritional status, physical activity and function, and DNA damage in a cohort of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with non-metastatic disease. Levels of DNA damage in peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PBMCs) assessed 2–9 months post-surgery, were compared across tumour stage (localized (stage I-II) vs. regional (stage III) disease), localization (colon vs. rectosigmoid/rectum cancer), and adjuvant chemotherapy usage, with the last dosage administrated 2–191 days prior to sampling. Associations between DNA damage and indicators of nutritional status, physical activity and function were also explored. In PBMCs, DNA base oxidation was higher in patients diagnosed with regional compared with localized tumours (P = 0.03), but no difference was seen for DNA strand breaks (P > 0.05). Number of days since last chemotherapy dosage was negatively associated with DNA base oxidation (P < 0.01), and patients recently receiving chemotherapy (<15 days before blood collection) had higher levels of DNA base oxidation than those not receiving chemotherapy (P = 0.03). In the chemotherapy group, higher fat mass (in kg and %) as well as lower physical activity were associated with greater DNA base oxidation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, DNA base oxidation measured with the enzyme-modified comet assay varies according to tumour and lifestyle related factors in CRC patients treated for non-metastatic disease.

Nutritional status and body mass index before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and associated outcomes: a rapid review.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients experience several post-HSCT complications affecting nutritional status, body mass index (BMI), and mortality that can potentially be mitigated by nutritional management. This rapid review examines the relationship between pre-HSCT nutritional status and BMI and post-HSCT survival. Articles were identified from PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. Two researchers independently completed the title, abstract, and full-text review. Inclusion criteria included the following: (1) randomized clinical trials or observational studies; (2) human subjects diagnosed with cancer and undergoing HSCT; (3) reported pre-HSCT nutritional status (e.g., diet recall, nutritional survey, dietitian session) or BMI; and (4) reported treatment related mortality and/or survival. The initial search found 3036 articles, 28 were included in full-text review, and 18 met inclusion criteria. Articles had quasi-experimental (n = 2) and observational (n = 16) study designs. Of the studies, n = 5 reported nutritional intake decreased post-HSCT, and n = 2 reported nutrition intervention (i.e., controlled feeding) post-HSCT improved survival. Four studies reported having a BMI classified as underweight improved survival, while n = 5 reported having a BMI classified as overweightorobese improved survival. Current research exploring the relationship between nutritional status and BMI with HSCT survival is mixed. Further research is needed to determine how nutritional status and BMI are associated withsurvival post-HSCT toinform future intervention work.

The effect of the nutritional status and dietary inflammatory index on frailty and activities of daily living in geriatric outpatients.

It has been reported that the inflammatory process plays a role in the pathophysiology of frailty in elderly individuals and that diet is effective in regulating chronic inflammation. This study aims to evaluate the effects of nutritional status and dietary inflammatory index on frailty and activities of daily living in the elderly. A cross-sectional study in a hospital in Turkey has been carried out with 187 over the age of 65 who presented to the geriatric outpatient clinic participants. Anthropometric measurements of the patients were recorded, and the dietary inflammatory index (DII) was calculated using the 24-h dietary recall method. Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was used to determine the malnutrition risk, the FRAIL scale was used for frailty assessment, and Katz and Lawton & Brody scales were used for daily living activities. The mean age of the elderly is 70.83 ± 4.98 years. The frailty rate was determined to be 28.3%. The DII score was determined as 4.41 ± 5.16 in frail patients and 1.62 ± 4.39 in non-frail patients (p < 0.05). While DII showed a negative correlation with the Lawton & Brody scale score (r = - 0.353), MNA was positively correlated to the Katz score (r = 0.386, p = 0.000) and the Lawton & Brody score (r = 0.475). In addition, one-unit increase in the MNA score was associated with a 29% decrease in the risk of frailty. The dietary inflammatory index was found to be high in frail and malnourished individuals. It was determined that the quality of life of individuals with malnutrition decreased.

Assessment of groundnut milk intake on nutritional status and some biochemical indices of normal rats

Groundnut milk also known as peanut milk, is an increasingly popular based beverage that serves as a potential alternative to cow’s milk. It is rich in essential nutrients such as proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals but limited research has explored its effect on nutritional status and biochemical indices. Therefore, this study assessed the effect of groundnut milk intake on nutritional status and some biochemical indices of Wistar rats. The Wistar rats (n=20), with body weight ≤50g were randomly divided into four groups of five rats each: Group 1 served as control. Groups 2, 3, and 4 were administered groundnut milk at daily doses of 247.2, 494.3, and 988.6 mg/kg respectively for eight weeks. Significant increase in abdominal circumference (P&lt;0.005) between groups was observed. However, increase in the BMI and thoracic circumference between groups were insignificant (P&gt;0.05). The levels of TC, TG and LDL-c were decreased significantly (P&lt;0.005). However, HDL-c showed no significant difference. The decrease in atherogenic index, atherogenic coefficient and cardiac risk ratio indices were insignificant (P&gt;0.05). The groundnut milk had no effect on serum total protein, adiponectin, and albumin while it increased serum leptin level significantly (P&lt;0.005). The blood glucose levels of group 2, 3 and 4 were lowered dose-dependently (P&lt;0.005) compared to the control. Groundnut milk showed no effect on liver and kidney-to-body weight ratio (P&gt;0.05), but showed effect on heart-to-body weight ratio (P&lt;0.005). The ratio of food and water intake of groups 2, 3, and 4 decreased significantly (P&lt;0.005) compared to the control group. The results revealed that groundnut milk could play a positive role nutritionally and positively influence lipid profile, glucose, and leptin levels in a dose-related manner.

Enhancing Child Development: Assessing the Impact of Monitoring Programs on Growth in Kendari City's Children Aged 6-59 Months

Growth serves as a crucial indicator of good nutritional status, attainable through adequate nutrition from an early age. Insufficient nutrition from the prenatal stage through birth can lead to various health issues that impede the growth and development of children. This study aims to analyze the effects of a monitoring program on toddler growth in Kendari City. Conducted between January and March 2023, this analytical observational study employed a cross-sectional design involving 120 respondents from the Benu-benua Health Center and Nambo Health Center in Kendari City, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The research data underwent processing and analysis using Chi-square tests and multiple linear regression. The findings revealed that knowledge, perceptions, family support, and the involvement of community health workers significantly impacted infant growth within the working areas of Puskesmas Benu-Benua and Puskesmas Nambo. Keywords: Influence, Monitoring, growth, Toddlers

Hubungan Intensitas Perilaku Merokok dan Lama Merokok Dengan Indeks Massa Tubuh (IMT)

Body Mass Index (BMI) is an important indicator of nutritional status in measuring health status. Smoking habits can have a negative impact because it can cause users to have poor nutritional status both in the form of underweight and overweight. This study aims to determine the relationship between the intensity of smoking behavior and duration of smoking with Body Mass Index (BMI). This study used a correlation descriptive design and a cross sectional approach. The research sample was 60 respondents who were taken based on inclusion criteria using total sampling technique. The analysis used was bivariate analysis using the chi-square and kolmogrov smirnov test. There were 38 respondents (63.3%) who were classified as light smokers, 47 respondents (78.3%) had habit of smoking &lt;5 years, 28 respondents (46.7%) had normal BMI, 20 respondents had an overweight BMI, and 12 respondents had an underweight BMI. Statistical test results show that there is a significant relationship between the intensity of smoking behavior and Body Mass Index (BMI) with p value (0.043) &lt; alpha (0.05) and there is no significant relationship between smoking duration and Body Mass Index (BMI) with p value (0.558) &gt; alpha (0.05). The intensity of smoking behavior has a significant relationship with Body Mass Index (BMI) and duration of smoking does not have a significant relationship with Body Mass Index (BMI).

Using generic drug elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor+ ivacaftor in patients with cystic fidosis in routine clinical practice

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem disease of exocrine glands with a progressive course. In recent years, targeted (pathogenetic) treatment aimed at correcting the function of the chloride channel has come to the fore in addition to the symptomatic therapy. The greatest effectiveness was demonstrated with the use of the triple combination of the drug elexacaftor (ELX) / tezacaftor (TEZ) / ivacaftor (IVA) + IVA – Trikafta® (Vertex Pharmaceuticals, USA) that has become the “gold standard” of targeted therapy. Currently, there is virtually no information about the effectiveness and safety of the generic products. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the generic drug ELX/TEZ/IVA+IVA (Trilexa®) (Tutor S.A.S.I.F.I.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina) in adult patients with CF in real clinical practice.Methods. The 6-month study included patients (n = 11) aged 18 to 46 years with a diagnosis of CF who were prescribed pathogenetic treatment with ELX/TEZ/IVA+IVA. Their external respiration function (forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second), conductivity of sweat fluid electrolytes (sweat test), anthropometric and other clinical and functional data were analyzed. Results. This study demonstrated pronounced positive effects in relation to indicators of respiratory function, sweat test, and nutritional status. The ELX/TEZ/IVA+IVA treatment was well tolerated, with clinical improvement in the form of a decrease in cough intensity, sputum volume, improvement in daily exercise tolerance, height, and body weight. No serious adverse events were recorded and none of the patients discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions.Conclusion. Obvious clinical and functional positive dynamics and safety over 6 months were demonstrated with ELX/TEZ/IVA+IVA combination.

Body Image, Waist Hip Ratio, and Menstrual Cycle in Adolescent Girls at X High School Sidoarjo

Background: In adolescent girls, sexual development is indicated by menarche. The irregular menstrual cycle is a sign of reproductive organ dysfunction. Negative body image and nutritional status are factors that can cause the menstrual cycle to be disrupted due to interference in estrogen hormone production. One of the nutrition status indicators that can be used is waist-hip ratio. Objectives: To analyzed the association between body image and waist-hip ratio with the menstrual cycle in adolescent girls at X High School Sidoarjo. Methods: This study was conducted with a cross-sectional design. The respondents enrolled in this study were 66 female students in X High School Sidoarjo. Body image data was collected using the Multidimensional Body Self Relation Appearance Scales (MBSRQ-AS) questionnaire, waist-hip ratio (RLPP) was measured with midline, and menstrual cycle was collected with menstrual cycle questionnaire. Data analysis used the Rank-Spearman correlation test. Results: The analysis showed that the average body image score was 80.4, the waist-hip ratio was 0,75, and the menstrual cycle was 34 days. The analysis also explained a significant association between body image and menstrual cycle (p-value=0.033, r-value=-0.262) and a significant correlation between waist-hip ratio and menstrual cycle (p-value=0.000, r-value=-0.504). Conclusions: There was a significant correlation between body image and waist-hip ratio with the menstrual cycle in adolescent girls at X High School Sidoarjo.

The Risk of Developing of Malnutrition and the Principles of Correction of Nutritional Status Disorders in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a severe hereditary disease with polysystemic manifestations and progressive course. Malnutrition in cystic fibrosis occurs as a result of exocrine insufficiency of the pancreas, an increase in energy losses in chronic inflammation in the bronchopulmonary system, manifested by increased stress on the respiratory system. The presented literature review highlights the modern principles of prevention and correction of malnutrition in children with cystic fibrosis, identifies the most promising methods for further development that correct nutritional status disorders. The review has shown that an active approach to nutrition at any age, the use of aggressive methods of nutritional support against the background of enzyme replacement therapy, timely and adequate therapy of respiratory tract pathology lead to an improvement in the indicators of nutritional status in cystic fibrosis. The most promising is the further development of targeted therapy, which allows, as a result of exposure to the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of the disease, to reduce the frequency and severity of bronchopulmonary exacerbations, partially restore the exocrine function of the pancreas, which is manifested in patients with cystic fibrosis by an increase in body weight and mass-growth index.

Monitoring of serum 25-(OH)D level in infants and its correlation with bone density and development.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is an indicator of nutritional status in the body. Vitamin D (VD) is important for promoting calcium and phosphorus absorption and bone health. This work investigated the correlation between 25(OH)D level and bone density and bone development in infants. the bone density in 150 infants aged 0 to 3 years was measured by ultrasound. Based on the values of bone density, the infants were grouped into a normal (N) group (n = 95) and an abnormal (ABN) group (n = 55). At the same time, serum 25(OH)D, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were detected to analyze their correlations. 25(OH)D, calcium, and phosphorus levels in the ABN group were greatly decreased, while ALP and PTH levels were increased obviously, all presenting remarkable differences with those in the N group (P<0.05). 25(OH)D was positively linked with bone density (r=0.918, P<0.01), calcium level (r=0.316, P<0.05) and phosphorus level (r=0.209, P<0.05) but showed negative associations with ALP level (r=-0.428, P<0.01) and PTH level (r=-0.327, P<0.05). elevating 25(OH)D was crucial in reducing the incidence of abnormal bone density, bettering bone metabolism, and improving the bone health of infants.

Impact of nutritional status and systemic immune-inflammation index on mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Background It has been known that malnutrition and elevated inflammatory markers are associated with clinical outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, few studies have investigated the association between nutritional status, inflammatory markers and survival in patients with AMI. Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate combined impact of nutritional status and systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) on outcome in patients with AMI. Methods We examined 1,984 patients (mean age = 64 ± 12 year-old, 1,493 males) admitted for AMI. Nutritional assessment was evaluated at the admission by geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) calculation. Malnutrition was defined as GRNI &amp;lt;92. We calculated SII from the equation, SII = P x N/L, where P, N and L are peripheral blood platelet, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts per liter at the time of admission, respectively. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1-year. Results GNRI was significantly correlated with SII (r = -0.135, p&amp;lt;0.001). GNRI (95.2 ± 8.4 versus 102.7 ± 7.3) was significantly lower, whereas SII (1,906.9 ± 2,016.0 x 109 cells/L versus 1,100.9 ± 981.6 x 109 cells/L) was significantly higher in non-survivors. Patients with malnutrition had significantly higher mortality compared with patients without malnutrition (19.2% versus 4.3%, log-rank p &amp;lt;0.001). In receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, area under the curve of SII for predicting all-cause mortality was 0.625. The optimum cut-off point for SII for a favorable prognosis was determined to be 1,425 x 109 cells/L. Patients with high SII had significantly higher mortality (9.6% versus 4.2%, log-rank p&amp;lt;0.001). The patients were divided into four groups based on GNRI &amp; SII; high GNRI &amp;low SII (Group 1), high GNRI &amp; high SII (Group 2), low GNRI &amp; low SII (Group 3), and low GNRI &amp; high SII (Group 4). In Kaplan-Meier survival curve, all-cause mortality was significantly higher in Group 4 compared with Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 (3.5% versus 6.7% versus 14.1% versus 25.6%, log-rank p&amp;lt;0.001; Figure). In Cox-proportional hazards model, compared with Group 1 (1, reference), Group 2 (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.02 – 2.63; p=0.038), Group 3 (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.06 – 3.68; p=0.032), and 4 (HR 4.17, 95% CI 2.40 – 7.24; p&amp;lt;0.001) was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality after adjusting for confounding variables. Conclusion Nutritional status was significantly correlated with immune-inflammatory index. Malnutrition and high SII was independent predictors of overall survival in patients with AMI.

Serum iodine concentration and its associations with thyroid function and dietary iodine in pregnant women in the southeast coast of China: a cross-sectional study.

Iodine deficiency is a major public health problem in pregnant women. Serum iodine (SI) may represent a useful biomarker for iodine nutrition evaluation. We aimed to assess the relationship between serum iodine concentration (SIC) and urinary iodine concentration (UIC), dietary iodine, thyroid function, and thyroid diseases in pregnant women in the southeast coast of China, and to provide a normal reference range of SIC for pregnant women. A multistage random sampling method was used to select the study population. We collected urine and blood samples from pregnant women and determined UIC and SIC as well as thyroid function using Arsenic-Cerium Catalytic Spectrophotometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and Beckman Coulter Access2 chemiluminescent immunoanalyzer and kit, respectively, and administered a questionnaire on dietary iodine intake in pregnant women. There was a significant negative correlation between SI and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (r = -0.141) and a significant positive correlation between SI and free triiodothyronine (FT3) (r = 0.106), free thyroxine (FT4) (r = 0.236), triiodothyronine (TT3) (r = 0.229), total thyroxine (TT4) (r = 0.433), and dietary iodine intake (r = 0.068). There was a significant difference in SI levels of pregnancy between the second (78.13 μg/L) and third trimester (75.37 μg/L) (p = 0.018). SI levels between inadequate intake (74.58 μg/L) and appropriate intake (77.92 μg/L) groups were statistically different (p = 0.036). Low SIC was a risk factor for the development of hypothyroxinemia (adjusted OR = 3.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.75-5.66). The reference range for SIC in normal pregnant women is 45.03-112.44 μg/L. SI may be a composite indicator of iodine nutritional status and thyroid function.

Preoperative controlling nutritional status (CONUT) is a predictor of short-term outcomes in patients with oral cancer

ObjectiveOral cancer impairs mastication and swallowing and worsens the nutritional status of patients; however, preoperative malnutrition is rarely diagnosed and treated. Controlling nutritional status (CONUT) is an indicator of the overall nutritional status. Herein, we aimed to determine the utility of the CONUT score in predicting short-term outcomes in patients with oral cancer. Materials and methodsWe included 85 patients with oral cancer who had undergone surgery between June 2007 and December 2022. Patients with a preoperative CONUT score of ≤2 were classified as the CONUT-low group, whereas those with a CONUT score of ≥3 were classified as the CONUT-high group, and their postoperative hospital stays were compared. In addition, factors associated with prolonged hospitalization were subjected to analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). ResultsThe median postoperative hospital stay for patients in the CONUT-low and CONUT-high groups were 46 (30–60.5, N = 69) and 59 (38–110, N = 16) days, respectively, revealing a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.033). The relationship between hospital discharge and postoperative hospital stay was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and a significant difference was detected between the two groups (p = 0.0113). Furthermore, ANCOVA revealed a difference only in CONUT-high/low scores (F = 4.4251, p = 0.039). ConclusionThe preoperative CONUT score could be an independent risk factor for predicting prolonged hospitalization and a useful screening tool for nutritional status.

Is a gluten-free diet enough to treat celiac disease?

Celiac disease is a chronic gluten-induced autoimmune enteropathy in genetically predisposed individuals with specific HLA genotypes carrying the DQ2 (DQA1*0501 and DQB1*0201) or DQ8 (DQA1*0301 and DQB1*0302) alleles. The overall global prevalence of celiac disease is 0.7–1.4%. The increase in the incidence rate is associated with significant consumption of gluten over the last century, which has a peculiar effect on the small intestine mucosa. Atrophic processes in the intestine mucosa contribute to malabsorption and development of gluten-dependent clinical symptoms, however, the manifestation of the disease can occur at any age. The small intestine disease with the development of hyper-regenerative atrophy of the small intestine mucosa is recognized as a systemic disease accompanied by various deficiency conditions both with and without atrophy of the small intestine mucosa. Long-term adherence to a gluten-free diet entails certain deficiency conditions, such as vitamins B, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and folic acid deficiencies, as well as a decrease in body mass index. To ensure adequate nutritional intake, patients with celiac disease require additional resources, namely specialized dietary nutrition products. The issues of understanding the need for enteral nutrition in the management of patients with celiac disease are stressed. The article presents a clinical observation of the nutritional support for a female patient with a typical course of celiac disease, grade 2 protein-energy malnutrition, which demonstrated that the use of specialized food products as additional nutrition can significantly improve the nutritional status and somatometric indicators in a patient with celiac disease on a gluten-free diet.

Influence of diet quality on nutritional status of school-aged children and adolescents in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Malnutrition among young children and adolescents poses a serious health challenge in developing countries which results in many health problems during adulthood. Poor diet quality is known as the root cause of malnutrition which is caused by unhealthy food choices and bad eating habits among young children and adolescents. However, limited evidence is available on diet quality and its association with nutrition status among young children and adolescents in Zanzibar. This study examined the diet quality and its relationship with the nutritional status of school-aged children and adolescents in Zanzibar. Data for this study was obtained from the cross-sectional survey of School Health and Nutrition (SHN) conducted in Zanzibar. The survey recruited children aged 5-19 years from 93 schools in Zanzibar. A seven-day food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary intake. Prime Dietary Quality Score (PDQS) consisted of 21 food groups was then constructed to assess the diet quality of school-aged children and adolescents. Body mass index (BMI-for-age Z-score) was used as the indicator of nutrition status. Both linear and logistic regression analysis techniques were used to determine the associations between BMI and PDQS. A total data of 2,556 children were enrolled in the survey. The prevalence of thinness was 8.1%, normal 82.1%, overweight 7.2% and obesity 2.6%. The mean (SD) PDQS score was 18.8 (3.2) which ranged from 8 to 33. Consumptions of green leafy vegetables (49.3%), yellow or red fruits (37.8%), legumes (38.3%), fish (36.3%), and vegetable oil (31.5%) were up to three times per week, whereas consumptions of white vegetables (77.3%), cooked vegetables (32.6%), citrus fruits (66.8%), other types of fruits (66.2%), nuts (46.4%), poultry (49.6%), whole grains (61%) and eggs (67.8%) were less than once per week. In terms of unhealthy foods, eating fried foods was reported by 26.3% up to three times per week, and 31.5% reported consuming sweets and ice cream up to three times in the past week. High PDQS was significantly associated with a reduction in BMI of children (p< 0.005). For each unit increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods such as fried foods, cooked vegetables and refined grains there is a significant increase in BMI. The odds of being obese decrease significantly as diet quality increases from the first to third quintile of PDQS (AOR = 0.2, 0.04-0.89 95% CI, p = 0.035). Consumption of high quality diet was found to be associated with a reduction in excessive weight among school-aged children and adolescents in Zanzibar. There is a need for interventions targeting to reduce unhealthy food consumption in school environment. Further research should be conducted to assess diet quality using PDQS among young children and adolescents.

Nutritional status of adults with phenylketonuria on pegvaliase: A 15-month prospective study

BackgroundPegvaliase has allowed many adults with phenylketonuria (PKU) to achieve acceptable blood Phe control while eating an unrestricted diet. However, little is known about potential differences in nutritional status and eating behaviors after transitioning from a phenylalanine (Phe)-restricted to an unrestricted diet. Here we assessed change in nutritional status in adults with early-treated PKU who were consuming a Phe-restricted diet (intact protein ≤0.8 g/kg/day) prior to starting pegvaliase. MethodsA 15-month, prospective, longitudinal study to assess change in anthropometrics, dietary intake, laboratory indices of nutritional status, bone mineral density (BMD), body composition, measured resting energy expenditure (REE), and eating behaviors between baseline and Month 15. ResultsEleven adults (n = 7 female) aged 19.5–52.9 years completed the study. Six participants had a substantial blood Phe reduction (responders) and five participants had a modest blood Phe reduction (partial responders) by Month 15. Intact protein intake increased by an average of 49.4 g/day and 26.7 g/day in responders and partial responders, respectively. Plasma concentrations of most vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids assessed were normal, though micronutrient intakes decreased as participants decreased or discontinued PKU medical food(s). Responders had a more variable change in body mass index (BMI) and lean mass index (LMI) compared to partial responders, though there were no clear trends in BMD or body composition changes. Total protein intake was positively correlated with LMI. Responders, but not partial responders, self-reported increased in enjoyment of food and decreased food neophobia, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. DiscussionParticipants transitioning to an unrestricted diet while on pegvaliase maintained adequate nutritional status overall with no clinically significant changes in cardiovascular or glycemic markers. Responders reported improvements in eating behaviors, including reduced food neophobia, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating, and increased enjoyment of food. There were no consistent trends in BMD, body composition, or BMI changes. A larger sample size and longer follow-up period are needed to further assess potential changes.

Excess weight increases the risk of sarcopenia in patients with multiple sclerosis

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disease. Nutritional status influences the course of the disease, however, its relationship with sarcopenia needs further investigation. The aim of the study was to identify patients with sarcopenia and assess its association with nutritional status and the clinical course of the disease. MethodsThe study assessed 110 patients submitted to evaluation of sociodemographic characteristics, level of physical activity, nutritional status, and presence of sarcopenia. The clinical course of the disease, age at onset, disease duration, disease-modifying therapy, and expanded scale of disability status (EDSS) were investigated. ResultsMean age was 37.17 (SD = 10.60) years, disease duration was 6.29 years (SD = 4.65), with a predominance of female gender (80.90 %), relapsing-remitting clinical form (RRMS) (89.10 %) and mild level of disability (EDSS median = 1.92). The group had excess weight (53.6 %) according to body mass index (BMI) and abdominal fat accumulation measured by waist circumference (WC) (53.6 %). High percentage of fat mass ( % FM) was observed in 54.5 % and 38.2 % of the patients according to bioimpedance (BIA) and ultrasound (US), respectively. It was observed that 15.5 % were at risk for sarcopenia, which was associated with excess weight, and high % FM (p<0.05). ConclusionThese findings highlight the importance of including nutritional status indicators, and sarcopenia assessment in the care of patients with MS.

Factors Associated with Oral Health and Oral Hygiene Status in Long Term Care Facilities

&lt;p&gt;The objective of this study is to determine whether oral health assessment factors commonly used in long-term care institutions are related to important physical and mental examination factors, including the daily life function assessment scale, physical health assessment sheet, mini nutritional assessment MNA, simple mental state assessment form, social adaptation, and psychological assessment form. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study that involved residents living in four long-term care service institutions in Xindian, Taiwan. A total of 233 residents who resided in these institutions before March 2021 were included in the study, and 110 residents with complete data were analyzed. Oral care assessments include halitosis severity and tongue coating de-gree. Severity of bad breath was classified into five grades, while degree of tongue coating was divided into three grades. Relevant factors were selected from routine physical and men&amp;not;tal examinations, such as history of hospitalization for pneumonia, eating or feeding duration, presence of dysphagia, cognitive function status, depression severity, functional status, nutri&amp;not;tional status, and body mass index. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used for analysis, with the prevalence ratio calculated for each independent variable in relation to the outcome at a 95% confidence level. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Results: The study found no significant relationship between the severity of halitosis/ tongue coating accumulation and several variables, including hospitalization history of pneumonia, duration of eating or feeding, type of food eaten, denture wearing, cognitive function status, severity of depression, functional status, nutritional status, and body mass index. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Conclusion: In conclusion, while our study did not find significant associations between halito&amp;not;sis/tongue coating accumulation and various potential risk factors in nursing home residents. Study with more participants more comprehensive oral examinations may be conducted in the future to better understand the underlying causes of halitosis in this population.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;