The Effects of Chewing Betel Nut with Tobacco and Pre-pregnancy Obesity on Adverse Birth Outcomes Among Palauan Women

Global prevalence of preterm birth among Pacific Islanders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The epidemiology of preterm birth among Pacific Islanders is minimally understood. The purpose of this study was to estimate pooled prevalence of preterm birth among Pacific Islanders and to estimate their risk of preterm birth compared to White/European women. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Global Health, and two regional journals in March 2023. Observational studies were included if they reported preterm birth-related outcomes among Pacific Islanders. Random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled prevalence of preterm birth with 95% confidence interval (CI). Bayes meta-analysis was conducted to estimate pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% highest posterior density intervals (HPDI). The Joanna Briggs Institute checklists were used for risk of bias assessment. We estimated preterm birth prevalence among Pacific Islanders in the United States (US, 11.8%, sample size [SS] = 209,930, 95% CI 10.8%-12.8%), the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI, SS = 29,036, 6.7%, 95% CI 4.9%-9.0%), New Zealand (SS = 252,162, 7.7%, 95% CI 7.1%-8.3%), Australia (SS = 20,225, 6.1%, 95% CI 4.2%-8.7%), and Papua New Guinea (SS = 2,647, 7.0%, 95% CI 5.6%-8.8%). Pacific Islanders resident in the US were more likely to experience preterm birth compared to White women (OR = 1.45, 95% HPDI 1.32-1.58), but in New Zealand their risk was similar (OR = 1.00, 95% HPDI 0.83-1.16) to European women. Existing literature indicates that Pacific Islanders in the US had a higher prevalence of preterm birth and experienced health inequities. Learning from New Zealand's culturally-sensitive approach to health care provision may provide a starting point for addressing disparities. The limited number of studies identified may contribute to higher risk of bias and the heterogeneity in our estimates; more data is needed to understand the true burden of preterm birth in the Pacific region.

Prevalence and risk factors of adverse birth outcomes in the Pacific Island region: A scoping review

Background

Prevalence and exposures of adverse birth outcomes is well studied in low-and-middle-income countries but not well-established for the Pacific Island region. Our study mapped the available evidence on low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth, and small for gestational age (SGA)’s prevalence and their corresponding risks in the region.

Methods

We followed the five-staged Arksey and O'Malley's framework with clinicians’ consultation in the region. Five scholarly databases and non-indexed studies were searched and extracted data were analysed as numerical and thematic summaries mapping the outcomes and exposures.

Findings

We included 20 studies representing 11 Pacific Island countries with the following mean prevalence and associations at 95% confidence interval. Estimated mean prevalence for LBW and preterm births were 12% and 13%, respectively. LBW were associated with malaria in pregnancy [aOR 3.3 (1.00, 10.60)], and betel nut and tobacco [aOR 2.4 (1.00, 6.00)]. Preterm births were associated with malaria in pregnancy [aOR 6.6 (2.46, 17.62)] and maternal obesity [aOR 1.5 (1.00, 2.30)]. SGA were associated with short stature [aOR 1.7 (1.22, 2.41)] and no antenatal bookings [aOR 4.0 (2.12, 7.57)]

Interpretation

Several significant factors identified were malaria infection, obesity, betel nut and tobacco and no antenatal care, also validated by clinicians consulted.

Funding

Australia National Health and Medical Research Council.

Lived experiences of women with low birth weight infants in the Solomon Islands: A descriptive qualitative study

Every year, around 20 million women worldwide give birth to low birth weight (LBW) infants, with majority of these births occurring in low-and middle-income countries, including the Solomon Islands. Few studies have explored the pregnancy lived experience of women who deliver LBW infants. The aim of the study is to understand the lived experience of women in the Solomon Islands who gave birth to LBW infants by exploring their personal (socio-demographic and health), behavioural, social and environmental contexts. We used a qualitative descriptive approach and purposely selected 18 postnatal women with LBW infants in the Solomon Islands for an in-depth interview. All data were analysed using thematic analysis in NVivo. We identified six themes reported as being related to LBW: health issues, diet and nutrition, substance use, domestic violence, environmental conditions and antenatal care. Our findings suggest that women in the Solomon Islands are exposed to various personal, behavioural, social and environmental risk factors during pregnancy that can impact birth outcomes, particularly LBW. We recommend further research should be redirected to look at the factors/themes identified in the interviews.

Prevalence and risk factors of adverse birth outcomes in the Pacific Island region: a scoping review protocol

Introduction

Fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, low birth weight and stillbirth are adverse birth outcomes that are prevalent in low-income and middle-income settings such as the Pacific Island region. It is widely accepted that the excess burden of adverse birth outcomes is attributable to socioeconomic and environmental factors that predispose families to excess risk. Our review seeks to determine the prevalence of adverse birth outcomes in the Pacific Island region and to identify the risk factors of adverse birth outcomes in the Pacific Island region.

Methods

This scoping review will follow the five-staged Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and consultation with Solomon Islands’ health stakeholders. A preliminary literature review was undertaken to understand the scope of the review. We will use Medical Subject Heading and keyword terms for adverse birth outcomes to search CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, ProQuest and Springer Link databases for articles published from 1 January 2000. The subsequent searches will be undertaken via Google Scholar and the internet browser to world health organisation and regional health organisations for published and unpublished reports on non-indexed studies. All articles retrieved will be managed with EndNote software. Eligible studies will be screened using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow chart for final selection. In the charting phase, we will extract the data into Excel spreadsheets. The results will be presented as numerical and thematic summaries that map risk factors and prevalence to the population and cultures of the Pacific Island region.

Ethics and dissemination

Formal ethical approval is not required as primary or administrative data will not be collected. However, we will seek ethics approval for the stakeholder consultation from the Research Office of Curtin University and the Solomon Islands. The findings of this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented in national and regional conferences and disseminated to stakeholders.

Ethics approval

There will be no direct contact with human or patients in the case of the scoping review; therefore, no ethics will be required. However, we will seek ethical approval from the Research Ethics Office of Curtin University and the Health Research and Ethics Committee in the Solomon Islands for stakeholder consultation. Dissemination will be made through regional conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Betel Quid Health Risks of Insulin Resistance Diseases in Poor Young South Asian Native and Immigrant Populations

Betel quid, traditionally prepared with areca nut, betel leaf, and slaked lime, has been consumed for thousands of years, mainly in the form of chewing. Originally used for cultural, medicinal, and ceremonial purposes mainly in South Asian countries, its use has recently spread across the globe due to its psychoactive, euphoric, and aphrodisiac properties. Now it is widely used as a social lubricant and source of financial profit. Unfortunately, the profit motive has led to high rates of habitual consumption with eventual conversion to addiction among young girls and boys. Moreover, the worrisome practice of including tobacco in quid preparations has grown, particularly among pregnant women. Major health concerns include increased rates of malignancy, oral pathology, and cardiovascular, hepatic, fertility, metabolic, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Metabolic disorders and insulin resistance disease states such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. Mechanistically, the constituents of areca nut/betel quid are metabolized to N-nitroso compounds, i.e., nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic at high doses and cause insulin resistance following chronic low-level exposures. From an epidemiological perspective, the rising tide of insulin resistance diseases including obesity, diabetes, and dementias that now disproportionately burden poor countries has been propagated by rapid commercialization and enhanced access to betel quid. Public health measures are needed to impose socially and ethically responsible barriers to yet another cause of global health disparity.

Eating Disorders in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women: A Systematic Review

Background: Pregnancy is a stage associated with various biopsychosocial changes. These changes, along with concerns about keeping an adequate weight, can modulate an individual's risk for psychological disorders, especially eating disorders (EDs). The aim of this review was to investigate the prevalence, associated risks, and consequences of eating disorders in pregnancy and in breastfeeding mothers. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA guidelines in the scientific databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO. Search terms related to EDs, pregnancy, and breastfeeding were used. The evaluation of the methodological quality of the studies was carried out using different scales; CASP (Checklist for Cohort Study), NICE (Methodology Checklist for Cohort Study), ARHQ (Methodology Checklist for Cross-Sectional), and NOS (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for Cohort). Results: From 2920 studies, 16 were selected to study EDs in pregnant women and 2 studies in nursing mothers. Most of the studies used questionnaires and scales as tools for the diagnosis of EDs. Binge eating, anxiety, and depression were the most common comorbidities of EDs, accompanied in most cases by excessive concern about weight gain. The consequences of EDs are diverse. The prevalence of EDs in this population is estimated to be 1 out of 20. Conclusions: Eating disorders are related to anxiety and depression and have negative consequences for both mothers and fetuses (cesarean, miscarriages, premature births). More research on the field to determine the risk factors for EDs in the population of pregnant and lactating women is needed.

Areca catechu-From farm to food and biomedical applications

The family Arecaceae includes 181 genera and 2,600 species with a high diversity in physical characteristics. Areca plants, commonly palms, which are able to grow in nearly every type of habitat, prefer tropical and subtropical climates. The most studied species Areca catechu L. contains phytochemicals as phenolics and alkaloids with biological properties. The phenolics are mainly distributed in roots followed by fresh unripe fruits, leaves, spikes, and veins, while the contents of alkaloids are in the order of roots, fresh unripe fruits, spikes, leaves, and veins. This species has been reputed to provide health effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. However, in many developing countries, quid from this species has been associated with side effects, which include the destruction of the teeth, impairment of oral hygiene, bronchial asthma, or oral cancer. Despite these side effects, which are also mentioned in this work, the present review collects the main results of biological properties of the phytochemicals in A. catechu. This study emphasizes the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and clinical effectiveness in humans. In this sense, A. catechu have demonstrated effectiveness in several reports through in vitro and in vivo experiments on disorders such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, or anticancer. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that this species presents clinical effectiveness on neurological disorders. Hence, A. catechu extracts could be used as a bioactive ingredient for functional food, nutraceuticals, or cosmeceuticals. However, further studies, especially extensive and comprehensive clinical trials, are recommended for the use of Areca in the treatment of diseases.

Betel Nut Use in Vanuatu: Investigating Opportunities to Reduce Harms to Health

Background: Betel nut chewing is a public health concern in the Asia-Pacific region and is an emerging issue in Vanuatu. Despite the significant health risks associated with betel nut chewing, few interventions have been undertaken to reduce its harm. Objectives: To investigate betel nut use in Vanuatu and to identify opportunities to reduce its harm and possible interventions, framing the responses using the World Health Organization's MPOWER tobacco control model. Method: Qualitative research design, in the form of semi-structured interviews with ten participants with expertise in health, agriculture, education or non-communicable disease in Port Vila, Vanuatu during June 2017. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim, and a general inductive approach was used to identify key themes. Results: Participants reported a recent increase in betel nut use in Vanuatu due to the influence from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. To reduce the harm of betel nut use in Vanuatu, participants suggested policies and strategies that aligned with the MPOWER framework that could be adopted for betel nut control, including restricting cultivation and sale of betel nut in Vanuatu and using radio and existing community networks to reach people with messages about the dangers of betel nut use. Conclusion: Betel nut use may be growing in popularity in Vanuatu, where there are potential policy options to minimize harm. The MPOWER model for tobacco control may be a useful framework to help the Vanuatu government to deliver a comprehensive approach to reducing harm from betel nut use.

Investigating Betel Nut Use, Antecedents and Consequences: A Review of Literature

Background: Betel nut use is a public health issue in the Asia-Pacific region that is often neglected. To control betel nut use, understanding of the adverse effects of betel nut use and evidence-based policies and strategies is necessary. Objectives: This narrative review aims to characterize the current situation on betel nut use at a global level regarding the epidemiology, pharmacology and toxicology, health effects, treatment options, policies and strategies. Methods: We found 139 existing literature published between 1970-2019 on the Web of Science database and other technical documents to collate the most relevant information on betel nut use. Data were categorized into appropriate themes. Results: The literature demonstrates that there is a lack of up to date statistics on betel nut use. There is limited research on the effect of policies and strategies to control betel nut use. Conclusion: Betel nut-chewing countries should focus on understanding which populations chew betel nut and implement appropriate policies, educational and cessation programs to help control betel nut use.

Systematic review of areca (betel nut) use and adverse pregnancy outcomes

BACKGROUND

Betel nut is the fourth most commonly abused substance worldwide and has been associated with significant adverse health outcomes. Little is known about its effects on the fetus.

OBJECTIVE

To perform a systematic review of studies investigating prenatal betel nut use and adverse perinatal outcomes.

SEARCH STRATEGY

Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception until July 2018 using the terms areca, betel nut, pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and infection.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Eligible studies included case-control, cohort, and randomized control studies involving pregnant women.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Where appropriate, bivariate meta-analysis was performed, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

MAIN RESULTS

In total, 28 studies were screened and eight studies (including 15 270 women) were included in the review and meta-analysis. Preterm birth, low birthweight, and anemia were most commonly investigated. Meta-analysis revealed a significant association between betel nut use and low birthweight, with a pooled OR of 1.75 (95% CI, 1.35-2.27).

CONCLUSIONS

The review identified only eight eligible studies, all based in the Asia-Pacific region. There was a significant association between low birthweight and betel nut exposure in pregnancy. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm this association.

Disparities in Adverse Perinatal Outcomes Among Pacific Islanders in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Introduction

Although other studies have found evidence for perinatal health disparities among Pacific Islanders in other regions, no studies have evaluated racial/ethnic disparities in adverse perinatal health outcomes in the small US island territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

Methods

We used retrospective cohort data on 8,427 singleton births from 2007 to 2014 at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC), the only hospital in the CNMI. We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate risk for preterm birth (<37 weeks) and macrosomia (>4,000 g) among the racial/ethnic groups in the CNMI.

Results

Indigenous CNMI mothers (Chamorros and Carolinians, hereinafter Chamorro/Carolinian) and other Pacific Islander mothers were significantly more likely to have a preterm birth than Chinese mothers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0–3.6 for Chamorro/Carolinians and AOR = 2.9; 95% CI, 2.1–4.1 for other Pacific Islanders). Additionally, Chamorro/Carolinian mothers and other Pacific Islander mothers were also significantly more likely to deliver babies with macrosomia (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.7–3.5 and 2.3; 95% CI 1.4–3.6 respectively) than Filipino mothers.

Conclusion

Although underlying causes for these disparities are still unknown, these findings add to the limited knowledge on maternal and neonatal health among Pacific Islanders and provide support for further research and intervention development to aid in reducing racial/ethnic disparities of perinatal health in the CNMI.

Areca (betel) nut chewing practices of adults and health behaviors of their children in the Freely Associated States, Micronesia: Findings from the Children's Healthy Living (CHL) Program

BACKGROUND

Chewing areca (betel) nut has been deemed carcinogenic. The practice has become a public health concern in Micronesia. The Children's Healthy Living (CHL) Program included an areca (betel) nut questionnaire in a survey of household characteristics in the Freely Associated States (FAS). This paper describes areca (betel) nut chewing practices of adults and the health behaviors of their children.

METHODS

A cross-section of 1200 children (2-8 year-olds) and their caregivers in Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and Yap were recruited. Socio-demographics, adult areca (betel) nut chewing practices, and other health behaviors of children and adults were assessed. Child anthropometric measurements were collected to estimate weight status.

RESULTS

The FAS areca (betel) nut chewing prevalence was 42%, ranging from 3% (RMI) to 94% (Yap). Among chewers, 84% added tobacco, 97% added slaked lime, 85% added betel leaf, and 24% mixed the components with alcohol. Among FAS children, 95% practiced daily teeth-brushing and 53% visited the dentist annually. Compared to non-chewing households, areca (betel) nut chewing households were more likely to have very young children enrolled, more highly educated adults, and members that used tobacco and alcohol.

CONCLUSION

The FAS areca (betel) nut chewing prevalence (42%) is above the world prevalence of 10-20%, with wide variability across the islands. The oral health findings in this study may inform future oral cancer prevention programs or policies. Regular monitoring of areca (betel) nut use is needed to measure the impact of such programs or policies.