Dietary Diversity and Associated Health Status of Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Jashore Region of Bangladesh

The contribution of homestead pond fish culture to household food security and dietary diversity in central coast of a developing country

Fish farming in homestead ponds help alleviate poverty, provide animal source food, micronutrients, and indirect income and various jobs in developing nations. This study investigated the impact of homestead pond fish farming on dietary diversity (HDDS and MDD-W), food security (HFIAS and ELCSA), income, and women's engagement. A total of 185 households were selected randomly for data collection through well-structured questionnaire interviews in the central coast of Bangladesh. HDDS revealed significant dietary diversity (73.3%) among beneficiary farmers, surpassing controls and nearly doubling that of non-aquaculture farmers (41.1%). Additionally, this study found that 86.7% and 74.3% of women in beneficiary and homestead pond farmers exhibited high dietary diversity (MDD-W ≥ 5), whereas 48.6% of women in non-aquaculture farmers' households had low dietary diversity (MDD-W ≥ 5). Based on both ELCSA and HFIAS, higher prevalence of food security was observed among the beneficiary farmers that was about 60% and 63.3%, respectively compared with the control farmers. Most non-aquaculture farmers (62.9%) indicated their family consumed fish for one week before the research. More than half of the homestead pond culture (55.7%) and more than 90% of the beneficiary farmers, aquaculture farmers and non-aquaculture farmers had gross income (<$ 500). Pertaining to women's participation in homestead pond was positively correlated to productivity while male dominated tasks was negatively correlated with productivity. The results offer insights into how homestead pond fish farming can enhance food security by supplying direct animal protein, addressing protein and micronutrient deficiencies, and boosting income. The study emphasizes the urgent necessity for training and promoting homestead pond culture, increasing female participation, and advocating comprehensive support from governmental organizations (GOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to optimize production, improve micronutrient adequacy, and guarantee household food security. Keywords: Fish farming, food security, dietary diversity, women's participation.

The Association Between Dietary Diversity Score and Odds of Diabetic Nephropathy: A Case-Control Study

A dietary diversity score (DDS) may be a useful strategy for monitoring risks associated with chronic diseases. Few studies have investigated the relationship between DDS and the progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD). A better understanding of the relationship between DDS and diabetic nephropathy (DN) may provide insight for monitoring the overall diet and clinical outcomes. This case-control study included 105 women with DN and 105 controls with age and diabetes duration-matched to evaluate the extent to which DDS is associated with DN. Dietary intake was assessed using the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). DDS was calculated based on the method using five food groups: bread/grains, vegetables, fruits, meats, and dairies. Conditional logistic regression was performed to examine the association between DDS and odds of DN. Anthropometric measures and physical activity levels were evaluated using standard protocols. In a fully adjusted model [controlled for age, body mass index (BMI), energy intake, physical activity, diabetes duration, cardiovascular disease history, and drug usage], greater adherence (the third vs. the first tertile) to DDS [odds ratio (OR) = 0.13; 95% CI (0.05–0.35)], vegetables group [OR = 0.09; 95% CI (0.02–0.36)], and fruits group [OR = 0.05; 95% CI (0.01–0.20)] were significantly associated with lower odds of DN. However, we did not observe any significant relationship between other DDS components and the odds of DN. Our findings showed that higher DDS might be associated with reduced odds of DN. However, more prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Prevalence and associated factors of undernutrition among adult TB patients attending Amhara National Regional State hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia

Background

TB (tuberculosis) is an infectious disease affecting millions of people worldwide; globally, an estimated 10 million people developed TB disease in the past two years; and there were an estimated 1.4 million TB deaths. In Ethiopia, the burden of TB is ranked third and seventh in Africa and the world, respectively. Hence, studies are limited to solving many of the problems related to undernutrition. Therefore this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of undernutrition among adult TB patients attending Amhara National Regional State hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the TB clinics of Amhara Regional State Referral hospitals from March to April 2020. A total of 405 TB patients participated in the study. Proportional allocation and Systematic random sampling were employed to get representative study participants. The outcome variable, undernutrition, was determined by using Body Mass Index (BMI). Interviewer administered structured questionnaire, anthropometric measurements and patients' document review were done. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were done to identify factors associated with undernutrition. Crude odds ratios (COR) and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals and P-values < 0.05 were employed to declare the significance and strength of association.

Results

The prevalence of under nutrition was 42.2% [95%CI: 32.8, 51.6]. The mean (±SD) BMI was 19.30(±2.83). The odds of undernutrition was higher among TB patients with poor wealth status [AOR = 2.39, 95%CI; 1.19, 4.79], alcohol consumption [AOR = 1.57; 95%CI, 1.01, 2.47], bedridden [AOR = 3.02, 95%CI; 1.21, 7.50] and ambulatory patient [AOR = 2.11, 95%CI; 1.36, 3.26]. Furthermore, being farmer [AOR = 2.59;95%CI,1.08,6.20], housewife [AOR = 2.72;95%CI,1.22,6.06] and unemployed [AOR = 2.46;95%CI,1.18,5.13] were significantly associated with undernutrition.

Conclusion and recommendations

This study illustrated that a considerably high proportion of TB patients were undernourished in Amhara regionals state referral hospitals. Behavioral and socio-economic characteristics were significantly associated with undernutrition. Therefore, nutritional and social support activities are essential for TB patients, particularly those who are socio-economically disadvantaged. Regular nutritional screening and management, as well as behavioral interventions, should be strengthened.