Prevalence and risk factors for spousal violence among women attending health care centres in Alexandria, Egypt

We conducted a cross-sectional survey to determine the prevalence of, and factors affecting, spousal violence among 3271 ever-married women attending 12 randomly selected family health centres in Alexandria Governorate. More than three-quarters of the participants [77%] reported experiencing spousal violence during their marital life. Emotional violence was the most common type reported [71.0%], followed by physical [50.3%], economic [40.8%] and sexual [37.1%] violence. The study confirms the high prevalence of spousal violence across all socioeconomic strata. Logistic regression analysis indicated large family size, divorce or separation, low educational attainment of husband, smoking habit and drug use in husband, husband's psychological status and history of exposure to physical violence during adolescence were associated with spousal violence. This high rate of spousal violence highlights the urgent need for government and civil society to address the issue, which hinders progress toward Egypt's development goals

Survey of hormonal levels in meat and poultry sold in Alexandria, Egypt

An analysis of residues from anabolic agents found in commercially available meat and poultry was undertaken in Alexandria, Egypt. This study shows that beef meat samples purchased from government cooperative supermarkets exhibit higher levels of the synthetic growth promoter, trenbolone acetate, than meat from private butchers; however, estrogen levels were much higher in chicken obtained from private growers. A comparison of different cooking methods was conducted on the chicken samples; boiling without skin is recommended to reduce the consumer's intake of hormonal residues

Implications of fructose in liver tumours of the Egyptian toad

Environmental factors play an important role in the etiology of several types of cancer; this discovery has led to a great deal of interest in the role of diet in cancer etiology. It is well known that some factories which produce jams and juices use fructose rather than glucose or sucrose to sweeten their products. This study demonstrates that fructose insignificantly enhances the incidence of liver tumours in Egyptian toads previously injected with 7,12-dimethylbenz [a]-anthracene

Upgrading the nutritional and hygienic conditions of street vendors low socioeconomic areas in Alexandria

Despite occasional attempts by the Egyptian Government to repress street food vending, it is on the increase and has become a part of Egypt's culture. It is encouraged by a growing urban population, as well as an increase in unemployment among young adults who tend to regard vending as a reasonable mode of generating income. Women, both as manufacturers and vendors are also deeply involved in this practice. Despite the potential hazard of such food, it has become a necessary element of the daily life of many children easing the difficult problem of providing inexpensive and tasty food. This study analyzed the nutritional and hygienic conditions of street food sold in Ras El Tin, Misr Station, Karmooz, Moharem Bey, Zahereya and Aboukier. Three hundred and fifty samples of food were collected in sterile bags and analyzed for chemical and microbiological contaminants. Three hundred and fifty vendors were interviewed to estimate the conditions under which the food was prepared and assess the potential for improvement. Similarly, an observation study was conducted to establish the attitude, knowledge and practice of street food vending. Results showed the different types of food to be highly nutritious but of poor hygienic quality. The vendors had very poor information regarding proper sanitation and food preparation procedures

Effect of intermittent heating in the laboratory on some of the physical and chemical properties of different types of refined oils

The heating performance of refined, bleached and deodorised sunflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed and sunflower oils were assessed. The quality changes in oils during intermittemt heating at 190 +/- 5°C for 10 hours per day for 5 consecutive days were determined. The change occurring in these oils as a result of thermal and oxidative decomposition during heating were evaluated. Refractive indices, viscosity free fatty acid content, p-anisidine and% polymers of both oils increased during heating, however, peroxide value, smoke point and iodine value decreases, color of oil changed gradually to dark brown from light yellow with increased heating time. Overall, the results indicated that both oils had reached the end of its useful life after 30 hours

Study on the metal content of some popular canned vegetables and fruit juice

Due to the increased popularity of canned food in Egypt, this study was carried out to evaluate the amount of inorganic residue present in canned fruit and vegetable products and to determine quantitatively some metals known for their toxicity and those known for their high nutritional value. The study was carried out on tomato paste, peas, okra and bean, in addition to guava, mango and apricot, collected from Edfina Company for Preserved Food, Alexandria. Canned beans and okra exceeded standard limits for zinc, and all canned vegetables exceeded the standard for copper. All canned fruit juices were within the permissible limit for zinc and copper. However, canned vegetables showed very high levels of lead