Overview on main nutrition-related diseases in three countries from North Africa

The aim of this review article is to give a holistic overview on the magnitude of nutrition-related diseases in the North African region and to outline major factors associated with the prevalence of these complications. A literature analysis was performed on PubMed and Google Scholar for data relating to nutrition-related diseases published between January 2007 and March 2017. The employed keywords were; "Algeria AND Morocco AND Tunisia AND Nutrition-Related diseases". We focused firstly on the nutrition-related diseases associated to inadequate intake of nutrients and unhealthy dietary habits such as low birth weight, anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies, thereafter, diseases associated with changes in lifestyle such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are highlighted. Factors contributing to nutritional problems vary from country to another. Low socioeconomic status, low educational levels, unhealthy eating habits, poverty and ignorance are mainly responsible for both under and over nutrition problems. Despite their alarming rates, national strategies to combat these nutritional diseases do not exist or are ineffective in North African countries. Efforts are focused on therapeutic actions, however, the scarcity or the complete lack of preventive health care services, epidemiological surveys, nutritional surveillance and lack of nutritional assessment need to be considered. Continuous and accurate analyses of the evolving situation will allow setting up a good tools, strategies and health intervention programs in North African countries. ​

The Effects of Iron Deficiency and Anaemia on Primary School Learners' Scholastic Performance

Background. Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a preventable cause of cognitive impairment and other negative effects on the academic potential of learners. Objectives. To determine the local prevalence of IDA among grade 2 learners in a resource-poor community and to evaluate the association between IDA and the learners' scholastic performance. Methods. This was a case-control observational design study. Data were collected using a stadiometer and an electronic scale; HemoCue Hb 201+ system and official grade 1 school reports. Results. The point prevalence of IDA was found to be 9.8% (n=19); with a higher prevalence among girls (58%). There was no statistically significant difference between the performances of the two groups (p=0.511) in mathematics. There was a statistically significant difference for life skills (p=0.00017); and the difference between the groups in literacy or languages approached statistical significance (p=0.071). Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that IDA is prevalent and may have negative effects on learners' scholastic performances. Such negative effects warrant early preventive measures so as to avoid the possibilities of school failure; drop-out and poor productivity in adulthood

Nutritional Assessment of Primary School Pupils in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State; Nigeria

This is a descriptive survey that was carried out to assess the nutritional status of school pupil in Bokkos. A multi-staged sampling technique was used. An interview guide (Structured Questionnaires) was used to obtain data from the pupils of the various primary schools in Bokkos. The result showed that 34 of the pupils are within the age range (7-9) years. and 17.5 of the pupils are of the age range of (13-15) years. Mean age of respondents was 6.6years. Furthermore the average height and weight of the respondents was 1.27m and 27kg respectively. The average body mass index of the study population is 12.6 kg/m2. A null hypothesis tested at significant level of 0.05 suggested that; there is no/a significant relationship between BMI and gender. It was therefore concluded that the nutritional status of pupils in Bokkos is low. Recommendations like nutritional education on the constituent of food locally available in the community; and Government should subsidize agricultural inputs so as to encourage local farmers to produce crops that have high nutritional value among others were made

Factors associated with undernutrition and overweight in elderly patients presenting at a primary care clinic in Nigeria

Background: Undernutrition and overweight are commonly overlooked health problems of the elderly, often due to the implicit assumption that undernutrition is a rare occurrence in old age and overweight is an invariable consequence of ageing. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study of 500 patients aged 60 years and above who presented consecutively at the general outpatient department, University College Hospital, Ibadan, between September and October 2009, was undertaken. The main outcome measures were prevalence of nutritional problems (undernutrition and overweight), healthcare utilisation pattern and morbidities. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) tool was used to assess undernutrition, while body mass index was used to assess body weight. Results: The prevalence of undernutrition and overweight was 7.8% and 54.1%, respectively. Previous hospital admission (p < 0.001) and chronic morbidities like hypertension (p < 0.001), osteoarthritis (p < 0.001) and psychosomatic disease (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with undernutrition, but not with overweight. Logistic regression analysis showed that previous hospital admission (OR = 2.105, 95% CI 1.479-2.996) and hypertension (OR = 0.122, 95% CI 0.048-0.306) were the most important factors contributing to the development of undernutrition. Conclusion: Nutritional problems were prevalent among the elderly in this setting. Co-morbidities in the elderly constitute risk factors to be addressed in order to reduce the occurrence of nutritional problems. Health workers should always assess the elderly for nutritional problems, together with other morbidities with which they may present, and institute appropriate management

Ethnic Differences in Age of Onset and Prevalence of Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviours: a School-Based South African Study

Objectives: To determine the age of onset and prevalence figures for disordered eating for diverse ethnic groups among a sample of South African schoolgirls.Method: A cross-sectional design was implemented. Two questionnaires were used to elicit prevalence figures and attitudes towards eating.Results: The study population (n = 418) consisted of black and white schoolgirls in various educational phases. Black students were found to experience a significant increase in reported bulimia-associated behaviours in grades seven to nine (mean age 13.7 years) but did not report any significant increases in drive for thinness; body dissatisfaction or poor eating attitudes across the different phases. White students reported significant increases in all measured disordered eating attitudes and behaviours in grades 10-12 (mean age 16.7 years). In grades four to six; black and white students did not differ with respect to their reported disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. However; in grades seven to nine; black students were more likely to report bulimia-associated behaviours than their white counterparts. The most apparent differences emerged in grades 10-12. White students reported significantly higher drive for thinness; greater body dissatisfaction and poorer eating attitudes than their black counterparts. Furthermore; the ethnic differences that emerged during grades seven to nine with respect to bulimia disappeared in grades 10-12.Conclusion: This study fills the hiatus in the existing South African literature with respect to age of onset and prevalence of disordered eating attitudes and behaviours across ethnic boundaries. Furthermore; it creates a foundation for developing appropriate strategies to address eating disorders in the multicultural South African context

Aspects de la perturbation du bilan nutritionnel au cours du SIDA a Brazzaville

Deux cent malades des deux sexes; atteints de SIDA et hospitalises au CHU de Brazzaville pour diverses affections associees; sont etudies au plan de leur bilan nutritionnel evalue par des parametres anthropometriques; proteiques et lipidiques (index de masse corporelle; albumine; transferrine; retinol-binding protein; transthyretine; apolipoproteine A1; apolipoproteine B; cholesterol total; HDL-cholesterol; LDL-cholesterol; phospholipides; triglycerides). Les resultats obtenus sont compares a ceux obtenus chez soixante dix temoins seronegatifs donneurs de sang. Ces resultats montrent chez les malades atteints de SIDA; une diminution statistiquement significative de l'index de masse corporelle et des concentrations seriques de tous les parametres; a l'exception des triglyceriques et de l'apolipoproteine B

Pancreatite chronique calcifiante et diabete sucre

La pancreatite chronique calcifiante (P.C.C.) est decrite comme une cause relativement frequente du diabete sucre (D.S.) en zone tropicale. L'etiologie dominante de cette P.C.C. est la malnutrition suivie de l'alcoolisme. Un seul element aide au diagnostic: c'est le cliche de l'abdomen sans preparation. 24 dossiers ont ete selectionnes parmi les malades hospitalises dans le service des maladies metaboliques et endocriniennes du C.H.U. de Brazzaville

Etude la malnutrition neonatale dans la malnutrition maternelle au cours de la grossesse

L'influence de la nutrition maternelle sur le bien-etre perinatal sera favorable ou non selon que l'apport nutritionnel correspond aux recommandations. Ce travail montre que les 2000 kcal/jour recommandes a la gestante africaine n'est pas une surestimation; mais surtout qu'en dessous de 1700kcal/jour le risque de malnutrition neonatale est tres eleve. Le seuil de 1700kcal apparait donc comme le niveau en dessous duquel il ne faut absolument pas descendre

Health aspects of repatriation of ex-soldiers

The general condition of the soldiers upon arrival at the shelter camps was poor. The post war conditions and physical exhaustion resulting from the movements had created a state of stress in most of the groups. Poor nutritional status was also noticed. Those who were suffering from war wounds were not few in number

Migration and health : refugees and returnees in Ethiopia

Health services to the refugees are based on a four-tier system linked by referral and supervisory arrangement and is consistent with the policy of the Ministry of Health. As with all refugee populations; the health status has to be compared with the levels achieved before immigration and also with those of the neighbouring host population. The health and nutritional status of the refugees under the care and maintenance programme; both in the East and West; is quite stable on the whole and at least comparable to; if not better than; that of the local population

Socioeconomic background and feeding practices of families with severely malnourished children

A total of 58 mothers and 2 guardians whose children were admitted with severe malnutrition at the Mitundu Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre were interviewed to identify the socioeconomic background and feeding practices. 80 percent of the families depended solely on farming for food and income. 57 percent of the mothers were illiterate; 42 percent of the mothers had polygamous husbands. 40 percent of the children were completely weaned before 12 months of age and a total of 76 percent of the mothers used harsh methods for weaning their children. Inappropriate weaning methods appear to be an important cause of childhood malnutrition

Outbreak of pellagra among Mozambican refugees--Malawi; 1990

Micronutrient deficiency disorders; including pellagra; have emerged as major problems in refugee populations that depend on international relief assistance for food supplies. This report summarizes an investigation of pellagra that occurred among Mozambican refugee in Malawi during 1990

Contributions of dietary protein and zinc deficiencies to protein energy malnutrition

Some degree of zinc deficiency seems present in all cases of Protein-Energy malnutrition. Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) was induced in male Wistar rats fed either adequate (30ppm) or moderately deficient levels of zinc (6ppm) in diets containing either 0.4 or 20 per cent spray-dried egg white. The protein-deficient rats developed PEM with oedema in 4 - 5 weeks regardless of their dietary zinc level. Except for disorders of the brain; protein deficiency was the major cause of most PEM signs - loss of appetite; growth failure; oedema; water accumulation in the liver; hypoalbuminaemia and mortality. Dietary zinc deficiency aggravated some of these to a small extent. Dietary zinc alone accounted for elevations of brain iron and sodium in both PEM and non-PEM rats. This suggests that zinc deficiency may significantly contribute to some of the symptoms of PEM