Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition最新文献

Background: This study assessed the relationship between HFCS and knowledge, attitudes, and practices of vitamin A, iron, and iodine among nutritionally vulnerable households within Ethiopia's industrial area.

Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted using structured interviews and food frequency questions. The association between KAP variables and HFCS was assessed by ordered logit regression, controlling demographic and socio-economic factors. The study took place in three of the most densely populated and industrially active districts of Akaki-Kaliti Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Results: In all, 504 nutritionally vulnerable households containing at least one under-five child, pregnant, or lactating woman were interviewed, of which the majority were male-headed and married. Only 23.5% of households had an acceptable HFCS, mainly cereal- and tuber-based diets with very low fruit and vegetable consumption. Mean household wealth index was low at 0.33, with one-quarter of household heads and mothers being unemployed. Overall KAP scores were not significantly related to HFCS, but certain micronutrient practices were strongly positively related to vitamin A and iron intakes. Vitamin A knowledge and attitude also showed a significant positive association with higher HFCS, while iodine-related attitude was negatively associated. Higher education level and household wealth were positively associated with acceptable HFCS. Older maternal age was inversely associated, while household size showed mixed effects, being negative in the overall model and positively associated with acceptable HFCS in the nutrient-specific models for iron and vitamin A. Households having a pregnant woman and those from highly urbanized districts had higher odds of having acceptable HFCS. Although there was a widespread use of iodized salt, knowledge on the three micronutrients remained poor, with only 2.2% of the households showing good knowledge in all categories.

Conclusion: Dietary quality among households was generally low and closely associated with socioeconomic status and specific micronutrient practices. Improving education and household economic capacity could enhance nutritional outcomes, particularly among larger households and older mothers. Nutrition programs should prioritize promoting micronutrient-related behaviors and addressing socioeconomic and spatial disparities across urban districts.

Background: Diet low in vegetables and fruits is one of the leading dietary risk factors for non-communicable diseases. In Hungary, the average consumption of vegetables and fruits is less than the recommended daily amount. Home gardening is a feasible option in rural areas and could provide a sustainable way to increase daily vegetable and fruit intake. This study evaluated the effect of a home gardening intervention on vegetable and fruit consumption in two rural settlements in Hungary.

Methods: A pre-post interventional study was conducted between May and September 2022 with the participation of 50 adults. The intervention included education on gardening, nutrition and healthy cooking techniques. The participants were provided with seeds and seedlings, and an information booklet. Before and after the intervention a questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic data, vegetable and fruit consumption, knowledge of healthy diet, physical activity, weight and height, and wellbeing. The differences between vegetable and fruit consumption, and other variables measured before and after the intervention were tested using statistical tests.

Results: The consumption of fruits and vegetables increased from a median of 1.6 (IQR 0.8-2.7) servings to 5.5 (IQR 3.9-7.6) servings per day (p < 0.001). The proportion of participants meeting the recommended intake of at least 5 servings per day increased from 10% to 60% (p < 0.001). Nutrition knowledge and physical activity slightly improved (p < 0.001), while BMI did not significantly change.

Conclusion: The complex home gardening intervention had a positive effect on the vegetable and fruit intake of the study participants. Home gardening is potentially a feasible way of promoting healthier eating habits in rural communities.

The aim of this research was to objectively assess the effectiveness of the traditional drinking cure using Karlovy Vary mineral springs, focusing on the quantitative measurement of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), through the determination of liver elasticity before and after a 21-day course of therapy. The study included randomly selected subjects from the Karlovy Vary population, aiming to scientifically validate the health benefits associated with this long-standing therapeutic practice, particularly with respect to metabolic health and liver function.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, particularly among middle-aged and elderly populations. And early risk assessment is essential for early intervention and effective prevention. This study aims to investigate and compare the associations of the triglyceride, total cholesterol and body weight index (TCBI), a novel nutritional index, and the widely researched insulin resistance index-triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) with CVD risk.

Methods: Using data from the CHARLS (2011-2020), including 8,104 participants without CVD at baseline. The associations of TCBI and TyG-BMI with CVD risk were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, subgroup analysis and sensitivity analyses were also conducted.

Results: After 9 years, 1,840 participants developed CVD. Each 1-unit increase in log-transformed TCBI (LgTCBI) was associated with a 59% higher risk of CVD (HR 1.59, 95%CI 1.31-1.92, p < 0.001), while a 10-unit increase in TyG-BMI corresponded to a 6% higher risk (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.04-1.07, p < 0.001). RCS analysis revealed a nonlinear relationship for TCBI and a linear one for TyG-BMI. ROC analysis indicated limited independent predictive accuracy for both indices, with area under the curve (AUC) values ranging from 0.556 to 0.576. In short-term prediction (2-4 years), TCBI and TyG-BMI showed similar discriminatory ability, whereas TyG-BMI performed slightly better in long-term prediction (7-9 years). The subgroup analysis indicated that there was no interaction between the subgroups and the two indices (p for interaction > 0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results.

Conclusions: TCBI and TyG-BMI were significantly associated with an increased CVD risk. Both indices demonstrated limited discriminative ability as standalone predictive tools, but TCBI performed comparably to TyG-BMI in short-term risk assessment, TyG-BMI held a slight advantage in long-term prediction. These findings suggest that TCBI and TyG-BMI may serve as simple, complementary screening tools to help identify high-risk individuals warranting further comprehensive clinical evaluation, rather than as standalone primary screening instruments and their clinical applicability requires further validation in diverse cohorts.

Background: Obesity in female undergraduate students heightens cardiovascular risk through endothelial dysfunction, yet the synergistic effects of ketogenic diets (KDs) and exercise remain underexplored in this demographic.

Methods: Between September 2024 and January 2025, 110 obese female undergraduate students (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m²) were randomly assigned to either a control group (KD only, n = 55) or an observation group (KD + exercise, n = 55). The 4-month exercise protocol alternated 10-minute aerobic with 5-minute resistance bouts (four times per week). The primary outcome was wall shear stress (WSS). Secondary outcomes included lipid profiles (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]), endothelial markers (nitric oxide [NO], endothelin-1 [ET-1], vascular endothelial growth factor) measured at baseline and monthly and cardiac function indices (stroke volume, cardiac output, end-diastolic volume). Generalised estimating equations were applied to analyse time-group interactions.

Results: At 2 months, the observation group demonstrated substantially greater improvements in WSS (1.534 dynes/cm²), NO (4.916 µmol/L) and HDL-C (8.4%), along with reductions in ET-1 (- 3.327 ng/L) and LDL-C (- 12.3%) than the control group (all p < 0.05). Generalised estimating equations confirmed substantial time-group interactions for WSS (β₃ = 1.743) and endothelial function markers (β₃ = 1.345; 1.854; p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Ketogenic diet-exercise synergy substantially improves vascular function within 2 months in obese female undergraduate students. However, long-term lipid monitoring remains essential due to heterogeneous LDL-C responses to KDs. This study uniquely addresses the research gap regarding the synergistic vascular effects of KDs combined with structured interval training, highlighting its novelty as the first trial in obese young women linking endothelial biomarkers with haemodynamic adaptations.

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) poses unique therapeutic challenges and imposes a substantial burden. Yet data on its burden and trends are limited. To analyze the global disease burden and epidemic trend of CL from 1990 to 2021 and to project its change to 2036.

Methods: The data utilized in the analysis are sourced from the Global Health Exchange Database. The database covers 204 countries and territories. All the analysis procedures and graphic representation were undertaken by R statistical software and GraphPad Prism 9. Incidence, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) and age-standardized years lived with disability rate (ASDR) were calculated per 100,000 population.

Results: The global burden of CL increased significantly during this period, with consistently higher rates observed in males compared with females. The trends exhibited dynamic fluctuations, including a temporary decline in the ASIR in the early years. Meanwhile, both the ASPR and ASDR continued to rise significantly, with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 0.8%. Population analysis revealed a bimodal age distribution, characterized by high incidence among children under five years of age and males over 70 years old with males experiencing a higher burden across all age groups. Geographically, the distribution of the disease burden was highly uneven. The global burden can be mostly attributed to population growth and aging. Significant uneven regional disparities grouped by socio-demographic index were observed. ARIMA model projections predict that the ASIR is expected to plateau after 2025, and both the ASPR and ASDR are projected to continue rising linearly by 2036.

Conclusions: These findings highlight rising absolute burdens, significant gender and age disparities, and pronounced geographic inequalities in CL. Enhanced monitoring and intervention are needed to address this growing public health challenge.

Background: This study aimed to analyze trends in colorectal cancer (CRC) burden attributable to lifestyle factors in China (1990-2021), focusing on shifts of lifestyle, and to project future trajectories to inform public health strategies.

Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 were utilized to assess deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for CRC linked to nine lifestyle factors (including: diet low in whole grains, diet low in milk, diet low in fiber, diet low in calcium, diet high in red meat, diet high in processed meat, smoking, high alcohol use, and high BMI). Statistical analyses included estimated annual percentage change (EAPC), Joinpoint regression, age-period-cohort modeling, and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) projections (2022-2050).

Results: Between 1990 and 2021, the burden of CRC attributable to most dietary factors declined, with significant reductions in low fiber (DALYs EAPC: -3.77) and low calcium intake (DALYs EAPC: -3.18). In contrast, processed meat intake showed an increase (DALYs EAPC: 1.64). Alcohol-related CRC burden rose slightly (DALYs EAPC: 0.35), while high BMI showed a marked increase (DALYs EAPC: 2.31). ARIMA projections suggest continued declines in dietary risk-related CRC burden. In contrast, the burden attributable to high body-mass index (BMI) is projected to rise substantially through 2050.

Conclusions: While improved dietary habits have reduced CRC burden in China, rising obesity pose growing threats. Public health policies must prioritize interventions targeting processed meat intake, and weight management to curb future CRC incidence and mortality.

Introduction: Transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) remain a major threat to blood safety, especially in resource-limited settings. In the Tigray region, where blood demand is high due to trauma, obstetric emergencies, and other medical needs, ensuring the safety of donated blood is critical. Limited data exist on the prevalence and trends of TTIs among blood donors in the region.

Method: the study was conducted utilizing data from the Tigray Regional Blood Bank from 2020 to 2023. A total of 35,034 blood donations were analyzed, focusing on the prevalence of four key infections: HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV). One-way Anova, Kruskal Wallis, tests were performed to assess trends and fluctuations in infection rates over the designated period. We have used 95% level of confidence (CL) and statistical significance was declared at p-value less than 0.05.

Results: The total number of donations reached 35,034, with male donors consistently outnumbering female donors across all age groups. Younger donors aged 18-34 were the most age group population who actively donate blood. Blood donation showed consistent increase from the year 2020 to 2022, but declined in 2023 (early recovery phase). Among the total blood donors, blood type A + was detected in 22.9% (8,034) followed by B + which is 22%. The overall TTI prevalence in this study was 4.33%. of those HIV was 0.257%, HBV was 3.157, HCV was 0.11 and Syphilis was 1.33%. TTIs exhibited fluctuations over the study period, rising from 4.3% in 2020 to a peak of 4.64% in 2022, before stabilizing at 4.3% in 2023. HIV cases declined steadily from 20 (0.376%) in 2020 to 13 (0.15%) in 2023. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences were found for Total TTI, HIV, HBV, and HCV, across years or war status (p > 0.05). The Kruskal Wallis test indicated that no significant difference in Syphilis and overall TTI detection over time (p > 0.05).

Conclusion and recommendation: The analysis revealed a significant decline in blood donation after the war period (early recovery phase). From the total donations in those years, male gender and young population were the most contributors to the blood bank. HIV, HBV, HCV, Syphilis and Total TTIs remained stable over years. These findings highlight the need for continued donor screening, and improved data collection to strengthen blood safety and ensure early detection of transfusion-transmitted infections.

Background: There is a growing interest in the relationship between the global incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and climate change. However, the precise relationship between long-term temperature change and IBD incidence on a global scale remains unclear.

Methods: The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data set was employed, which comprises the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of IBD from 1990 to 2021. The temperature change index was defined as the 32-year mean temperature combined with the metric of maximum temperature variability. A general linear mixed-effects regression model was employed to investigate the relationship between temperature variability and ASIR of IBD. Furthermore, we projected future changes in the incidence of associated IBD under four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP: 126, 245, 370 and 585) for the period between 2020 and 2100.

Results: Maximum temperature variability increased approximately threefold over the 32-year period from 1990 to 2021. We found that for each 1 °C increase in maximum temperature variability, the risk of IBD increases by 12.1%. Compared to the low-emissions scenario (SSP 126), we predict that global IBD incidence rates will change four times faster under the high-emissions climate change scenario (SSP 585) than under the low-emissions scenario (SSP 126) by 2100.

Conclusion: Our study suggested an association between global temperature variability and IBD incidence. Acknowledging the constraints of ecological data, this observed relationship indicates a need for further research to explore the underlying mechanisms and confirms the importance of considering climate change in the context of chronic disease prevention.