Maternal Gestational Diabetes Is Associated with High Risk of Childhood Overweight and Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study in Pre-School Children Aged 2–5 Years

Association of VDR gene variant rs2228570-FokI with gestational diabetes mellitus susceptibility in Arab women

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been linked with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene variants have been associated with diabetes mellitus susceptibility and related complications. This study assessed the association between VDR gene polymorphism (rs2228570) and GDM risk among pregnant Arab women. A total of 368 pregnant Saudi women who were screened for GDM at 24-28 weeks of gestation and genotyped for the VDR gene variant (rs2228570) were included in this cross-sectional study. Circulatory insulin levels, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and vitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured. There were 108 women with GDM and 260 women without GDM. The genotype frequency of women with GDM was CC 60.2 %, CT 33.3 %, TT 6.9 %, and CT + TT 39.8 %; for non-GDM women, were CC 61.1 %, CT 31.5 %, TT 6.9 %, and CT + TT 38.4 %. No association was found between the VDR gene variant (rs2228570-FokI) and GDM susceptibility after adjustment for covariates. Serum 25(OH)D had a significant inverse association with FBG (r = -0.49, p = 0.01) and HbA1c (r = -0.45, p = 0.03) among carriers of the TT-genotype. Furthermore, a significant inverse correlation was observed between serum 25(OH)D and HOMA-β (r = -0.20, p = 0.035) in individuals with the T-allele. Among pregnant Saudi women, glycemic indices appear to be influenced by vitamin D, suggesting a possible role it may play in mitigating the metabolic changes associated with GDM, particularly among individuals with specific genetic backgrounds. In our study population, rs2228570-FokI did not appear to be a significant contributor to GDM risk.

Assessing Moroccan physician knowledge and practices regarding maternal obesity's impact on childhood obesity: Implications for prevention and intervention

BACKGROUND

Childhood obesity is a growing global concern with far-reaching health implications. This study focuses on evaluating the knowledge and practices of physicians in Morocco regarding the link between maternal obesity and childhood obesity. Despite the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity worldwide, this issue remains inadequately addressed in the Moroccan context.

AIM

To assess the awareness and practices of physicians in Morocco concerning the connection between maternal obesity and childhood obesity.

METHODS

The research encompasses a comprehensive survey of practicing physicians, revealing significant gaps in awareness and practices related to maternal obesity.

RESULTS

Notably, a significant portion of doctors do not provide adequate guidance to overweight pregnant women, highlighting the urgency for targeted educational programs.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this research illuminates critical areas for improvement in tackling childhood obesity in Morocco. By addressing these gaps, fostering awareness, and enhancing medical practices, the healthcare system can contribute significantly to preventing childhood obesity and improving the overall health of future generations.

Knowledge of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among Adult Females in Al Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a carbohydrate intolerance of variable severity with onset or first recognition during pregnancy; it does not include diabetics who become pregnant or women who become lactosuric. Knowledge of this problem among the public will promote its prevention, screening, and treatment strategies. This study aims to assess the knowledge of GDM regarding its risk factors, screening, treatment, and complications among women in the Al Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted among 617 females aged 18 years and older through convenience sampling between October 2022 and January 2023. An online questionnaire was distributed using Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA) and WhatsApp (Meta, Menlo Park, CA, USA). Data was entered, cleaned, and analyzed using SPSS Statistics version 27 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Informed consent was obtained from every participant, and the participants' information was kept confidential. Results In this study, 52.4% of the women (323/617) had moderate knowledge, and 27.6% (170/617) had excellent knowledge about GDM. Only 13.3% (n = 82) knew the optimum time (24 to 28 weeks of gestational age) for gestational diabetes screening in the absence of risk factors. Moreover, 44.6% (n = 275) knew that insulin is one of the treatments for gestational diabetes, while 45.4% (n = 280) knew that gestational diabetes increases a baby's risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) later in life. A statistically significant association was found between the development of GDM with multigravida (19.5%), a BMI of >25 (15%), and age 31 to 45 years (17.8%), with corresponding p-values of 0.001, 0.0001, and 0.0001, respectively. Conclusion In this study, almost four-fifths of the study population had moderate to excellent knowledge regarding GDM. However, there is a need to enhance knowledge about optimum screening time and insulin use for gestational diabetes treatment. Therefore, encouraging the existing population to learn more about diabetes education programs and health promotional measures should be undertaken periodically. Further studies are required to support this study's findings.

Childhood Mediterranean Diet Adherence Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Childhood Obesity, Specific Sociodemographic, and Lifestyle Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study in Pre-School Children

BACKGROUND

The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been related with a decreased probability of overweight/obesity as well as central obesity at all stages of the human life, decreasing the risk of diverse disease states and improving quality of life. Over the last few years, the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity and especially abdominal obesity has highly increased worldwide, being associated with a higher likelihood of overweight/obesity as well as central obesity at the next stages of the life during adulthood. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship of MD compliance with sociodemographic, anthropometry and lifestyle features in pre-school children aged 2-5 years old.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study, which includes 5188 pre-school children from diverse regions of Greece. Relevant questionnaires were applied to evaluate the sociodemographic features of the enrolled children. Anthropometric parameters were measured by relevant techniques. Qualified questionnaires were utilized for assessing several lifestyle factors such as physical activity, quality of life, breastfeeding practices, MD adherence, as well as the prevalence of childhood asthma and diabetes mellitus type I.

RESULTS

Of the enrolled children, 41.7% showed low MD compliance and 36.4% of them indicated moderated compliance, while only 21.9% of them showed a high MD adherence. Overweight/obesity was noted in 24.2% of the assigned children, while abdominal obesity was noticed in 18.2% of them. Higher MD compliance was related with an elevated prevalence of sex (boys, p = 0.0005), Greek nationality (p = 0.0088), rural type of residence (p = 0.0099), childhood overweight/obesity (p < 0.0001) and abdominal obesity (p < 0.0001), lower childbirth weight (p < 0.0001), increased physical activity (p = 0.0041), improved quality of life (p = 0.0008), exclusive breastfeeding (p < 0.0001), childhood asthma (p = 0.0001) and diabetes mellitus type 1 (p = 0.0002).

CONCLUSIONS

A higher MD adherence is associated with specific sociodemographic, better anthropometric, and beneficial lifestyle factors in pre-school children. However, MD compliance remains low or moderate in the vast majority of children aged 2-5 years old. Thus, future public strategies and policies should be performed to inform parents of the potential beneficial effects of MD against obesity and related chronic diseases at the next stage of their children's lives.