Evaluation of maternal performance about food security in dietary diversity for children aged 12-24 months and its relationship with anthropometric measurements

BACKGROUND

Despite growing awareness of the problem of food security, some areas of Iran continue to experience food insecurity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate maternal performance about food security in dietary diversity for children aged between 12-24 months and its relationship with anthropometric measurements in Bushehr.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out using 400 mothers of children aged from 12 to 24 months in Bushehr selected via quota sampling. Data were collected using a reliable localized version of a 32-item food frequency questionnaire, consisting of six subscales, with a Cronbach's α: 0.81. The anthropometric measurements of height and weight were also calculated. Data analysis was performed using median, Mean±SD and multinomial logistic regression test, and odds ratio in SPSS, version 18.

RESULTS

According to standard servings, only 24% of the mothers fed their infants cereals, whereas 54.8%, 36.3%, 39.8%, and 20.3% of the mothers used meat, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, respectively. The strongest associations were between attendance at educational classes and vegetable consumption (OR=2.09, CI=1.03-4.21), age at the onset of complementary feeding and the consumption of meat (OR=1.30, CI=1.02-1.66) and fruits (OR=1.44, CI=1.03-2.03), and the mothers' level of education and use of dairy products (OR=0.29, CI=0.09-0.90). No evidence of a significant association was found between consumption of any food groups and the anthropometric measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

Mothers in Bushehr performed poorly in providing their infants with the required nutrition with regard to dietary diversity and amount of food. However, their performance can be improved by enhancing their basic nutrition knowledge, holding practical classes on food preparation for them, and focusing on mothers with infants in high-risk groups, e.g. infants suffering from excessive weight gain, obesity, and malnutrition.

Development and Evaluation of an Attitude and Practice Questionnaire on the Role of Social Distancing in Prevention of Covid-19 in Iran

bjective: Social distancing remains an effective solution to prevent Covid-19 and its new strains as approved by WHO and CDC. This study aims to develop and evaluate an attitude and practice questionnaire on the role of social distancing in the prevention of Covid-19. Methods: Based on a mixed-method exploratory approach, the study was conducted to develop a social distancing questionnaire using Waltz method in 4 steps. The preliminary items were developed based on semi-structured interviews with the target group and social distancing guidelines. After the face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed, the questionnaire was distributed among the target population via mobile-based social networks. Next, the reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. In the next step, EFA and CFA were carried out in SPSS-16 and IBM SPSS AMOS -24 software programs. Finally, the reliability was evaluated using the test-retest method. Results: The 33 preliminary items (15 attitude and 18 practice items) of the questionnaire were answered by 623 participants. The resulting attitude questionnaire after CFA consisted of 7 items and three factors with CVR = 0.77, CVI = 0.92 and Cronbach's alpha =0.73; the 8-item practice questionnaire had three factors and CVR=1, CVI=0.98 and Cronbach's alpha=0. 76. Conclusion: The 7-item social distancing attitude questionnaire with three factors and the 8-item social distancing practice questionnaire with three factors are valid and reliable tools to evaluate the status of social distance in Iranian societies during Covid-19.

The Effect of an educational Intervention on Anxiety of Pregnant Women: A Quasi-Experimental Study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of study is the effect of educational intervention on anxiety of pregnant women.

METHODS

This quasi-experimental study is done on the pregnant women referring to family physicians offices in Gerash City, Iran. 62 women were selected and divided into 2 groups (control and intervention). In intervention group the anxiety reduction training classes were held as a group discussion in 4 weekly 90-minute sessions. Control group received routine care. The anxiety assessment completed by two groups before and after the educational intervention. The measurement instruments included a demographic information questionnaire and the short form of the Pregnancy Related Anxiety Questionnaire (PRAQ-17).

RESULTS

Comparison of the mean scores of different dimensions of pregnancy anxiety in the pre-intervention and post-intervention stages in the intervention group using paired t-test indicated a statistically significant difference in the dimensions Fear of childbirth, Fear of giving birth to a physically or mentally disabled child, Fear of mood swings and Fear of changes in marital relations (p < 0.05) in comparison with control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Holding pregnancy-training classes using group discussion method is a good strategy to reduce anxiety in pregnant women. Therefore, it is recommended that this educational strategy classes be used with mothers from the second trimester of pregnancy in urban family physician centers or those referred to a nearby clinic.

Examining the views of operating room nurses and physicians on the relationship between professional values and professional communication

Purpose

Professional communication and professional values are two basic concepts in operating rooms and should be studied more closely in view of the nature of work and the high circulation of patients in operating rooms.

Methods

The present work is a descriptive-analytic study with a cross-sectional design. The sample was 603 operating room physicians and personnel selected from the public hospitals of Shiraz. The data collection instruments were the 41-item professional communication questionnaire and the 26-item professional values scale.

Results

The results showed that the operating room nurses and physicians perceived the status of professional communication and professional values to be satisfactory. As for professional communication, the participants’ perception of the domains of mutual respect and trust (p ≤ 0.001), teamwork (p ≤ 0.001), ethical competence (p ≤ 0.017), and workplace conflicts (p ≤ 0.001) was significant. As for professional values, only the dimension of care (p ≤ 0.016) was perceived to be significant. Moreover, a significant positive relationship was found to exist between professional communication and professional values (p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion

Considering the significance of the concept of professional communication and its connection with professional values, it is recommended that operating room personnel and physicians receive systematic education about professional communication and the harms of destructive attitudes as part of their academic education and afterwards.

Extraction, Purification, and Characterization of Trypsin Obtained from the Digestive System of Yellowfin Seabream (Acanthopagrus latus)

The development of the marine aquaculture industry has led to the generation of significant amounts of fish wastes. Marine farm wastes exert adverse effects on the surrounding area of the cages. On the other hand, wastes of fish and other aquatic animals are regarded as major sources of valuable natural bioactive compounds, including enzymes, proteins, bioactive peptides, oil, amino acids, collagen, gelatin, calcium, biopolymers, and water-soluble minerals. To investigate the potential of marine fish waste, the whole digestive system of yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus latus) was extracted for extraction and identification of trypsin enzyme. Fish (179.93&amp;plusmn;93.67 g; 184&amp;plusmn;28.17 cm) were caught from the Persian Gulf and stored at -20 &amp;deg;C. Yellowfin seabream were dissected and their whole digestive systems were removed. Samples were thoroughly washed with distilled water and purified through defatting using acetone and ammonium sulfate precipitation. The following issues were assessed: the total and specific activity of trypsin, protein determination, molecular weight, enzyme activity and stability in different pH values and temperatures. The obtained results indicated that specific activity and protein content of trypsin enzyme were 4.4 U and 3.4 mg/ml, respectively. The molecular weight of 23 kDa was reported for trypsin using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) method. Maximum activity and stability of trypsin were observed at 60&amp;deg;C and 45&amp;deg;C, respectively. Trypsin demonstrated maximum activity and stability at a pH value of 8.0. In general, the results of the current study suggested that trypsin extracted from the digestive system of yellowfin seabream has considerable potential for industrial applications, such as the food industry, owing to its characteristics and stability under alkaline conditions.

Assessment of the knowledge and attitude of infants' mothers from Bushehr (Iran) on food security using anthropometric indicators in 2016: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Among the main elements of food security, in terms of food usage, are knowledge and attitude. These are particularly important during the initial two years of a child's life. The present study was conducted in 2016 and aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of infants' mothers from Bushehr (Iran) towards food security using anthropometric indicators.

METHODS

The present cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was performed on 400 mothers of children aged 1-2 years in Bushehr, Iran. Data were collected using a 20-item knowledge questionnaire (CVR = 0.95, CVI = 0.95, and reliability 0.7), a 26-item attitude questionnaire (CVI = 0.94, CVR = 0.91, and reliability 0.76), and a 16-item Radimer/Cornell questionnaire, which were completed by all mothers. Anthropometric indicators of children, including height-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-height were also measured in accordance with the z-score benchmark of the World Health Organization.

RESULTS

A positive and significant relationship was found between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.26, P = 0.0001) as well as between knowledge and household food security (r = 0.11, P = 0.02) in complementary feeding. Approximately 26% of the studied children fell under the risk category of overweight to obese. A significant relationship was found between inadequate knowledge of the mothers and height-for-age (OR = 4.87, P = 0.001) and weight-for-height (OR = 2.33, P = 0.04) indices, as well as between the negative attitude of the mothers and weight-for-height index (OR = 2.91, P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

The knowledge of food security purely relates to the dimension of the household food security of a family and not to the individual/child level of food security. It seems that the knowledge of a mother, as a positive factor, does not support child's food security when the severity of household insecurity triggers the child's hunger and food inaccessibility. Also, inappropriate knowledge and negative attitude towards food security were associated with an increased risk of obesity. Increased weight, in addition to being affected by the knowledge and attitude of the mothers, is probably also influenced by the incorrect conduct of the mothers. Further investigation on this topic is recommended.

Homocysteine levels in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Abundant epidemiological evidence has demonstrated that the presence of mild to moderate hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis in the coronary, cerebral, and peripheral vasculature, and for vascular disease, including coronary disease. It has been demonstrated that plasma total homocysteine level is a strong predictor of mortality in patients with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease.

HYPOTHESIS

The study was undertaken to determine the extent of homocysteine levels in patients without documented coronary artery disease, but with at least one risk factor for atherosclerosis.

METHODS

Fasting blood samples were collected prospectively from 160 consecutive patients (50 women and 110 men, mean age 65+/-7 years) who had at least one risk factor for atherosclerosis, but had no documented coronary artery disease. Homocysteine levels were measured by an immunoassay method.

RESULTS

Of the patients studied, 78 (48.75%) with at least one risk factor for atherosclerosis had high homocysteine levels; 62 patients had mild hyperhomocysteinemia (15-30 micromol/l); and 16 patients had moderate hyperhomocysteinemia (30-100 micromol/l).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia is highly prevalent in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis. Homocysteine level (an independent convertible risk factor to atherosclerosis) should be measured routinely in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis and treated appropriately.

Quantification of root surface plaque using a new 3-D laser scanning method

There are no published reports in the literature objectively quantifying thickness of plaque on teeth. The aim of this study was to quantify plaque on a tooth surface and assess if this quantification correlates with a clinical index of plaque from each of 51 patients. Patients were instructed not to perform any oral hygiene on the day of the assessment. The Silness and Löe plaque index was scored and replicas were scanned using a co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM) and laser scanning probe. A replica was obtained from this surface before and after toothbrushing. Plaque adjacent to the gingival margin had a mean thickness of 0.106+/-0.118 mm (mean+/-SD) whilst mean plaque thickness 250 microm from the gingival margin was 0.053+/-0.052 mm (mean+/-SD). There was a significant correlation between the plaque index and the plaque thickness (p < or = 0.002). The finding that plaque is present in the greatest amount adjacent to the gingival margin supports a previously reported hypothesis that primary root carious lesions (PRCL's) may initiate adjacent to the gingival margin. This method quantifies plaque thickness on exposed root surfaces which correlates with the plaque index as well as illustrating how the morphological characteristics of teeth, gingivae and plaque can be studied in vivo from replicas recorded.