[Association between dietary factors and renal stones in adults]

Urolithiasis is the third urinary disease and evidence shows that its incidence has increased continually during the past decades. The relationship between urinary stones and diet is known to some extent, but there are controversies about it. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between dietary habits, food intake patterns and urinary stone disease. This was a case-control study with 161 adult patients with urinary stone disease referred to Hasheminejad Urology Center, Tehran, Iran, and 254 healthy subjects matched for age and gender. All the subjects were interviewed using a questionnaire to obtain data on demographic characteristics, dietary habits, and food consumption frequency. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 14. The independent T-test, chi square and regression were used to examine the differences. Findings showed that male-to-female ratio was 1.98:1. The prevalence of renal stone was highest in men aged between 30 and 50 years and in women aged between 40 and 60 years. There were no differences in height and weight between the two groups, but BMI was significantly higher in the case group [p=0.007]. A family history of renal stones was observed more frequently in the patients [59% compared to 31.9%; p<0.001]. The mean intakes of food sources of several nutrients were lower in the patients than in the healthy subjects: calcium [p=0.048], phosphorus [p=0.001], potassium [p<0.0001], vitamin A [p<0.0001], vitamin D [p<0.0001], and vitamin C [p=0.004]. Regression analysis confirmed the differences between the two groups as regards sources of vitamins A and D. The intakes of sources of magnesium and vitamin B6, as well as of foods rich in oxalate, were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Results suggest that there are associations between urinary stone formation and the dietary intakes of nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin C. Considering the challenges of treatment and the costs of this relatively common disease, dietary recommendations may be an easy and cost-effective way to reduce its burden

relationship between women's satisfaction with prenatal care services and characteristics of the women and the provision of services

Women's satisfaction from prenatal care, can lead to increase using the services and ultimately improve pregnancy outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between women's satisfaction with prenatal care services and demographic characteristics of the pregnant women. This study used a descriptive correlational design. Data collection instrument was a questionnaire. The satisfaction dimensions were the accessibility, coordination, communication of the personnel, availability, and the received information regarding prenatal care, quality, and the cost of the services. The study subjects consisted of 530 Iranian women living in the west of Tehran, who gave birth and attended to the health clinics, at 6 week postnatal period. Most of the women [69.8%] had good level of satisfaction with provided prenatal care and 21.9% were satisfied at the level of excellence. The women were more satisfied with accessibility, received information, communication, quality of services. There was a statistically significant positive association between education levels, economical status, and health situation during pregnancy and women's satisfaction with prenatal care services [P < 0.05]. Women with high education levels, good economical status and optimum health situation during pregnancy were more satisfied. There were statistically significant association between the waiting time for prenatal care visits and the number of prenatal visits and women's satisfaction with prenatal care services [P < 0.05]. Women's satisfaction with the services were increased with the frequency of prenatal care visits, but their satisfaction were decreased as the waiting time was prolonged. According to the study findings, the majority of the subjects [90.7%] were satisfied with the received prenatal care. Therefore they could use health services continously and appropriately; so encouraging the other women to use the services frequently would be necessary