ABSTRACT
Breakfast, considered to be the most important meal, is skipped more ferquently than other meals by children and adolescents. This study aimed to determine breakfast consumption and its predictors among Qom school girl students based on the Pender's health promotion model constructs. This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 100 secondary school girl students selected by classified random sampling from among secondary schools of the City of Qom, Iran. The Pender's health promotion model [HPM] constructs were used as the theoretical framework. Data were collected using questionnaires. Statistical analysis of the data was performed by SPSS [version 17] software, the statistical tests being correlation and regression analysis. The average number of breakfasts consumed per week was 3 [ +/- 1.5]. Body mass index, time of waking up in the morning, and interpersonal influences had no significant correlations with the average number of breakfasts consumed per week. On the basis of the Pender's health promotion model constructs and personal factors having a potentially significant correlation with behavior, 69% of the variability in breakfast consumption by the girl students [R[2] =0.69, F =12.68, p< 0.0001] was predicted by the following variables: prior related behaviors, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and competing demands and preferences. In designing nutritional interventions aiming at increasing breakfast consumption in school girl students, it is better to put more emphasis on strategies to promote self-efficacy and reduce perceived barriers. Also, paying due attention to prior related behavior and competing demands and preferences can be beneficial in designing effective interventions
ABSTRACT
Rheumatoid arthritis [RA] is an autoimmune disorder with unknown etiology. In recent years, a great number of studies have investigated the possible role of reactive oxygen species in the etiology and pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. The aim of this study was to analyze the level of activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidas [GSH-Px], Super oxide dismotase [SOD] in patients with RA compared with the healthy subjects. In a case-control study sixty rheumatoid arthritis patients 18-75 years old and 60 healthy sex and age-matched controls were selected, Catalase activity was measured by determining the constant rate [k] of hydrogen peroxide decomposition. GSH-Px activity of plasma was measured with spectrophotometer by Glutathione oxide generation due to GSH-Px. SOD activity is measured by degree of inhibition effect of SOD in generating super oxide radicals by xanthine and xanthine oxidase. C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor values were determined by agglutination and latex tests. The plasma activity of catalase [p<0.001], GSH-Px [p<0.01], plasma level of hemoglobin and hematocrit [p<0.05] were significantly lower in patients with RA comparing with controls. The reduction in SOD activity was not significant [p>0.05]. There was a negative significant relation between C reactive protein and Rheumatoid factor values with the erythrocyte activity of catalase and GSH-Px [p<0.01]. These results suggested that oxidative stress plays a very important role in the inflammation and pathogenesis of RA