Evaluation of personal water footprint components in Turkey: factors associated with obesity and food consumption

This study aimed to evaluate the personal water footprint individuals, and was conducted with 3431 individuals İbetween 18-95 years. A questionnaire form included questions about demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and food consumption was applied. The "Extended Water Footprint Calculator" was used to evaluate the personal water footprint, and various questions were asked to determine the components of food consumption, domestic water, and industrial water use. The average age of the participants was 34.6 ± 13.93 years. The total water footprint of the male was significantly higher than the female. The total water footprint of individuals between the ages of 41-64 was higher than other age groups, and also obese individuals had the highest total water footprint (p < 0.05). Meat and meat products contributed the most to the total water footprint. Having a normal body weight and adopting more sustainable dietary patterns should be emphasized because of their impacts on the environment and health.

Association between ecological footprint awareness and health literacy in adults: a population-based study from Turkey

This study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy and ecological footprint which is an indicator of sustainability and environmental impact and to examine the factors that may affect them. It was found that 20.3% of individuals have inadequate, 43.7% problematic, 26.1% sufficient and 10.0% excellent health literacy levels. There were differences in age, education level and BMI classification according to Ecological Footprint Awareness Scale score quartiles and health literacy levels (p < 0.05). It was determined that age and Turkey Health Literacy Scale score had effect on ecological footprint awareness. Individuals with a high level of health literacy have a high awareness of their ecological footprint. The increase in people's health literacy levels and ecological footprint awareness with age can be interpreted as the increase in people's education and knowledge levels and their awareness levels against the protection of nature and the environment.

Effects of High-dose Folic Acid Supplementation on Maternal/Child Health Outcomes: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Pregnancy and Insulin Resistance in Offspring

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal high folic acid (FA) supplementation during pregnancy on glucose intolerance in dams and insulin resistance in offspring.

METHODS

Wistar female rats (n=18) were mated and randomly divided into 3 groups: a control group and 2 experimental groups. Three different feeding protocols were administered during pregnancy: control group, 2 mg/kg FA (recommended level FA supplementation); experimental 1 group, 5 mg/kg FA (tolerable upper intake level of FA supplementation [ULFolS]); and experimental 2 group, 40 mg/kg FA (high FA supplementation [HfolS]). All dams were fed the same FA content diet (2 mg/kg FA) during the lactation period. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed on day 16 of pregnancy. After the lactation period, body weight and food intake of 36 pups were monitored. Dams were euthanized at the end of the lactation period and half of the pups were euthanized at the end of week 7 and the others at the end of week 12. Serum FA, homocysteine, vitamin B₁₂, insulin, glucose, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, glycated hemoglobin (A1C), and adiponectin levels of mothers and pups were evaluated. The homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used to determine insulin resistance in dams and offspring.

RESULTS

According to glucose tolerance test results of dams, blood glucose values at minutes 0, 60, 90, and 120 for the HFolS group were significantly higher compared with the control group (p<0.05). The A1C level in HFolS dams was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05). The mean birthweight of the pups in the HFolS group was significantly higher than that of control pups (p<0.05). HOMA-IR values for control and HFolS offspring were similar at weeks 7 and 12 and higher than in ULFolS offspring (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

It was determined that high doses of FA exposure during pregnancy might be effective in the development of glucose intolerance in dams and insulin resistance in offspring in this study.

An Evaluation of Awareness, Knowledge, and Use of Folic Acid and Dietary Folate Intake among Non-Pregnant Women of Childbearing Age and Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study from Turkey

This study was carried out to evaluate awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid and dietary folate intake among non-pregnant women of childbearing age and pregnant women. A cross-sectional study was completed with 1442 women (1106 non-pregnant and 336 pregnant) in Ankara, Turkey. The individuals' awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid were questioned and food consumption were taken. More than two-thirds of the non-pregnant and pregnant women had heard of folic acid (77.2% and 89.0%, respectively). The pregnant women (53.9%) knew more that folic acid should be used before conception in order to prevent congenital anomalies than non-pregnant women (41.4%). It was found that 70.2% of the pregnant women and only 15.1% of the non-pregnant women used folic acid supplementation. The pregnant women (1368.4 mcg; 330.4 mcg) significantly had higher folic acid and dietary folate intake than non-pregnant women (29.6 mcg; 289.3 mcg) (p < .01). Despite many public health campaigns, awareness, knowledge, and appropriate use of folic acid are still inadequate and not at the desired level in women of childbearing age.

Tip 2 Diyabetli Bireylerde Abdominal Obezite/Adipozite ve Aterojenik Belirteçlerin Değerlendirilmesi

Amaç: Bu çalışmada tip 2 diabetes mellituslu (DM) bireylerde insülin direnciyle ilişkili olan abdominal obezite/adipozite göstergeleri ile aterojenik indeksin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bireyler ve Yöntem: Bu kesitsel çalışmaya yaşları 18-65 yıl arasında değişen tip 2 DM’li yetişkin 100 gönüllü birey dahil edilmiştir. Bireylere ait genel ve sağlık bilgileri anket formu aracılığıyla alınmıştır. Bireylerin antropometrik ve vücut bileşim ölçümleri araştırmacılar tarafından kurallarına uygun şekilde yapılmıştır. Biyokimyasal bulgularından açlık glukoz, açlık insülin, glukozillenmiş hemoglobin (HbA1c), kan lipit parametreleri alınmıştır. Abdominal obezitenin değerlendirilmesinde bel kalça oranı ve bel boy oranı, abdominal adipozitenin değerlendirilmesinde viseral adipozite indeksi (VAİ) ile koniklik indeksi (Kİ) hesaplanmıştır. Ayrıca vücut adipozite indeksi (BAİ) hesaplanmıştır. Ateroskleroz risk değerlendirilmesinde serum aterojenik indeksi (Aİ) kullanılmıştır. Bireylerin insülin direnci değerlendirilmesinde homeostaz model değerlendirmesi (HOMA-IR) hesaplanmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmaya dahil edilen erkek (%91.2) ve kadın (% 98.5) bireylerin tamamına yakınının şişman olduğu saptanmıştır. Bel boy oranına göre kadınların (%100) tamamının erkeklerin ise %94.1’inin hastalık riskinin yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Aterojenik indeks sınıflamasına göre erkeklerin %85.3’ü, kadınların ise %83.3’ü yüksek riskli ateroskleroz grubundadır. Bireylerin insülin direnciyle Beden Kütle İndeksi (BKİ) (r=0.212, p=0.035), bel çevresi (r=0.222, p=0.027), VAİ (r=0.323, p=0.001), Aİ (r=0.318, p=0.001), viseral yağlanma % (r=0.201, p=0.044), HbA1c (r= 0.297, p=0.003) ve trigliserit düzeylerinin (r=0.289, p=0.004) pozitif ilişkili olduğu saptanmıştır. Bireylerin aterojenik indeks ile abdominal obezite/adipozite göstergeleri arasındaki ilişki değerlendirildiğinde ise erkeklerde Aİ, yaş (r=0.414, p=0.015) ve VAİ (r=0.778, p=0.000) ile kadınlarda ise bel kalça oranı (r=0.250, p=0.043), bel boy oranı (r=0.264, p=0.032), VAİ (r=0.708, p=0.000) ve açlık insülin değeriyle (r=0.271, p=0.006) pozitif ilişkili bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Artmış Aİ tip 2 DM riskinde artışla ilişkili olup kardiyovasküler hastalık gelişimini olumsuz etkilemektedir. Buna bağlı olarak Aİ tip 2 DM’li bireylerde kardiyovasküler hastalık risk tahmininde objektif bir gösterge olarak kullanılabilir. Ancak tip 2 DM bireylerde kardiyovasküler hastalıklar açısından en iyi risk tahminini bulmak için daha ileri çalışmalara gereksinme vardır.