Prevalence of overweight and obesity and associated risk factors in urban primary-school children in Babol, Islamic Republic of Iran

Childhood obesity is a major public health problem globally because of changes in lifestyles. We assessed the prevalence of overweight/obesity and associated factors in urban schoolchildren in Babol in a cross-sectional study of 1000 schoolchildren aged 7-12 years. Weight and height were measured and data on sports activities and leisure time physical activities were collected by questionnaire. Overweight/obesity were assessed by comparing body mass index [BMI] values to the BMI index for age and sex percentiles set by CDC, Atlanta. The prevalence of obesity and overweight was 5.8% and 12.3% respectively. The prevalence was significantly lower in girls compared with boys [age-adjusted OR= 0.69, 95% Cl: 0.50-0.96] and higher among private-school educated children compared with public-school educated students [age adjusted OR = 2.17, 95% Cl: 1.47-3.18]. For each additional score of leisure time physical activity, the age-adjusted OR decreased significantly

Outcomes of total versus subtotal abdominal hysterectomy

There is still controversy about the best technique for hysterectomy to reduce postoperative adverse effects. This randomized clinical study in Babol, Islamic Republic of Iran, compared some clinical complications and sexual functioning following subtotal [SAH] and total abdominal hysterectomy [TAH]. A total of 150 women [50 allocated to SAH and 100 to TAH] were followed up at 6 months postoperatively. Length of hospitalization was 4.40 [SD 1.90] days after SAH and 4.48 [SD 1.67] days after TAH. Haemoglobin level, postoperative fever, symptoms of dyspareunia and frequency of sexual intercourse were not significantly different between the 2 groups of women. SAH did not show any significant benefits over TAH

Age at menarche in girls born from 1985 to 1989 in Mazandaran, Islamic Republic of Iran

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 2246 girls born between 1985 and 1989 to determine the age of menarche in Mazandaran province, northern Islamic Republic of Iran. Six cities were selected randomly and cluster sampling used to select high-school students in urban and rural areas. Students with malnutrition, anaemia and chronic infections such as tuberculosis were excluded. The mean [standard deviation] age of menarche was 12.5 [1.1] years, 95% CI: 12.45-12.55 years. The most frequent occurrence of menarche was in summer and least frequent in winter. Menarche age was significantly higher in girls living in rural areas and with fathers with lower education