Influence of gestational and perinatal factors on body composition of full-term newborns / Influência de fatores gestacionais e perinatais na composição corporal de recém-nascidos a termo

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the influence of gestational and perinatal factors on body composition and birth weight of full-term newborns. Method: This was a cross-sectional study, within a prospective cohort, consisting of 124 postpartum women and their newborns. Data included the following: maternal age; ethnicity; pre-gestational body mass index; gestational weight gain; parity; gestational morbidities (hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus); gestational age at birth; birth weight; and newborn's gender. Anthropometric and body composition data of the newborns were collected using air-displacement plethysmography (PeaPod® Infant Body Composition System-LMI; Concord, CA, USA). The stepwise technique was applied to a multiple linear regression model. Results: The significant variables in the model that explained 84% of the variation in neonatal fat-free mass were: birth weight; maternal age; newborn's gender and gestational age. For body fat mass: birth weight; newborn's gender; gestational arterial hypertension; gestational diabetes; and gestational weight gain. These variables explained 60% and 46% of fat mass, in grams and as a percentage, respectively. Regarding birth weight, the significant factors were gestational age, pre-gestational BMI, and gestational weight gain. Female newborns showed higher body fat mass and male newborns had higher fat-free mass. Conclusion: Gestational and perinatal factors influence neonatal body composition. Early identification of these gestational factors, which may be modifiable, is necessary to prevent obesity and chronic noncommunicable diseases in the future.

Resumo Objetivo: Avaliar a influência de fatores gestacionais e perinatais na composição corporal e no peso de nascimento de recém-nascidos a termo. Método: Estudo transversal, dentro de uma coorte prospectiva, composto por 124 puérperas e seus recém-nascidos. Os dados incluíram: idade materna; etnia; índice de massa corpórea pré-gestacional; ganho de peso gestacional; paridade; morbidades gestacionais, (hipertensão arterial e diabetes mellitus gestacional); idade gestacional do nascimento; peso de nascimento; e sexo do recém-nascido. Os dados antropométricos e de composição corporal dos recém-nascidos foram coletados com a pletismografia por deslocamento de ar (PeaPod®). Foi aplicada a técnica de stepwise no modelo de regressão linear múltipla. Resultados: As variáveis significativas do modelo que explicou 84% da variação da massa livre de gordura neonatal foram: peso de nascimento; idade materna; sexo do recém-nascido; e idade gestacional. Para a massa de gordura corporal: peso de nascimento; sexo do recém-nascido; hipertensão arterial gestacional; diabetes gestacional; e ganho de peso gestacional. Essas variáveis explicaram 60% e 46% da massa de gordura, em gramas e percentual, respectivamente. Em relação ao peso de nascimento os fatores significativos foram: idade gestacional; IMC pré-gestacional; e ganho de peso gestacional. Os recém-nascidos do sexo feminino apresentaram maior massa de gordura corporal e os do sexo masculino maior massa livre de gordura. Conclusão: Fatores gestacionais e perinatais influenciam a composição corporal neonatal. A identificação precoce desses fatores gestacionais, que podem ser modificáveis, é necessária para prevenção de obesidade e de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis no futuro.

Gender Differentials In Nutritional Status of Elderly People In Selected Rural Areas of Bangladesh.

Background: The present cross sectional study was undertaken to assess the food habits and nutritional status among elderly people in rural Bangladesh and to compare the same between male and female. A simple random sampling and geographical re-conciliation method was used to select the study population. All the patients in a pre-publicized medical camp were approached and a total of 186 male and 237 female participated in the study. Data were collected through face to face interview with a semi-structured questionnaire and anthropometric measures were collected using instruments. Associations between dietary intake and World Health Organization (WHO) referred Body Mass Index (BMI) range was done using cross tabulation. Results: The mean age of male was 67.69 years and that of female was 65.46 years. The female subjects were higher than males in number in this study. The rate of male literacy was found to be 39.8% where literacy among the female was 13.9%. Among all, 79.6% males were found to be living with their spouse where the rate of living with spouse among the female amounted 53.2%. About half of elderly people were found to be living under poor and 32% in low middle class socio-economic condition. Study revealed that 80.6% male and 78.9% female got no opportunity to take protein-rich food more than three days per week. Again 95.7% male and 97.5% female had no opportunity take more than two servings of protein rich food per week. The similar case occurred in case of taking fatty food, vegetable and fruits per week. Similarly 100 % male and 99.6% female reported that they were taking more than two servings of fatty food per week. No significant association was found between BMI and food intake. The significance was tested by Pearson chi-square. In this test the p –value for protein rich food was 0.234 (p?0.05), while fatty food (0.712), vegetable (0.502) and fruits (0.274) which was more than referred significance p-value ?0.05. Hence, the study confirmed that malnutrition remains a common problem among older people living in rural Bangladesh though there is no significant association was found between food intake and nutrition. Conclusion: Management of malnutrition in case of elderly population requires a multidisciplinary approach that treats pathology and uses both social and dietary forms of intervention.

Lead Exposure and Intellectual Function: Findings from Primary School Children in Bangladesh.

Backgrounds: About 120 million people around the world are overexposed to lead which is neurotoxic and 99 percent of the most severely affected children are in the developing world including Bangladesh. Methods and Materials: The present cross-sectional ecological study was carried out to explore the impact of lead poisoning on the intelligence level among 84 primary school children of a school of Bangladesh, aged between 8 and 14 years from September 2010 through January 2011. The research instrument was an interviewer questionnaire, questionnaire for IQ test and assessment of blood lead level (inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry with collision/reaction cells) of the study subjects after obtaining permission from their parents and the school authority. Results: Data were cross-checked and frequency distribution and association using chi-square test was accomplished. Background information depicted majority (69.1%) of the children aged10-11 years (mean = 10.25 ±1.177 yrs), female (51.2%), parents having primary level of education or below (73.8% in case of father and 77.4% in mother) and from lower socioeconomics (78.6% earned BDT 10,000 or below per month). Among all, majority (56%) were found to be moron, 27.4% in borderline, while 8.3% were imbecile with the same proportion with normal level. By their blood lead level. Majority (70.2%) had blood lead level up to 10 microgram/dl and the rest (29.8%) had more than 10 microgram/ dl. Though no statistically significant association was found between IQ level of the children and their blood lead level (p>0.05), the health problems found among the respondents as abdominal pain (53.57%), impatience (14.29%), nausea (10.71%) and all other problems (loss of concentration to study, ear problem, anorexia and loss of weight) amounting for 21.43% are suggestive of chronic lead poisoning. Conclusion: Further studies in large scale with larger samples including comparative studies of inter-industrial areas have been strongly recommended.

Health Awareness among Geriatric People.

Demographic and epidemiological transitions reveal geriatric problems as burning public health issue. The present cross-sectional study was undertaken to explore the health awareness among geriatric people in Mirpur in Dhaka city from January to April 2008 on purposively selected persons aged 60 years and above. An interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The mean age of the respondents was found to be 66.5 ±7.25 yrs (Range: 60-103 yrs). It was found that perfect knowledge about food, nutrition, health and disease is significantly high among male respondents. The study revealed that 13.3% and 12.8% respondents have perfect knowledge on balanced diet and fiber containing food for regular bowel movement respectively. A large number of respondents (40.6%) were found having no knowledge about osteoporosis preventing foods. It was also found that 38.0% and 22.6% respondents have no knowledge regarding the causes of gingivitis and helminthasis respectively. On the basis of significant findings, it was suggested that more emphasis should be given on health education and awareness among geriatric people in order to ensure physical, mental and socially sound health.

Depression and anxiety in patients undergoing hysterectomy

The present research evaluated depression and anxiety in patients undergoing hysterectomy during their pre-surgical and post surgical phases. A Pre-Post Research Design was used. This study has carried out at Department of Gynaecology Lady Wellington Hospital Lahore Pakistan Sample consisted of 50 hysterectomy patients, selected from the Gynaecology Department of Lady Wellington Hospital of Lahore, Pakistan. Each subject was individually administered Depression Scale and Anxiety Check-List twice; that is: 1-7 days before and 1-7 days after surgery. All the hysterectomy patients seemed to experience more depression [t=-2.55;df=48;*p<0.05] and anxiety [t= -5.74;df=48;*p<0.05] during their post-surgical phase as compared to their pre-surgical phase, probably due to the psychosocial and cultural misconceptions and biased attitudes attached to "loss of uterus" in Pakistani society where a woman's status and role primarily revolves around her reproductive capacity. Women undergoing hysterectomy experience more depression and anxiety in post-surgical phase probably due to the psychosocial and cultural misconceptions and biased attitudes attached to "loss of uterus" in Pakistani society where a woman's status and role primarily revolves around her reproductive capacity

Rorschach indicators of schizophrenia measured by Exner's schizophrenia index [SCZI]

This research investigated the Rorschach Indicators of Schizophrenia as measured by Exner's Schizophrenia Index [SCZI]. Eighty adult psychiatric patients [40 schizophrenics and 40 non-schizophrenics] were selected from six different Psychiatric Hospitals of the state of New Jersey, U.S.A. A dual diagnostic procedure was used to ensure the accuracy of the diagnostic classifications of the subjects. This involved cross validations by independent senior clinical psychologist and/or Principal Clinical Psychologist who used observation and unstructured interview following DSM-III-R criteria [1988]. Each subject was administered Rorschach Inkblot Test individually by doctoral level psychology interns who were blind to the diagnosis of the subjects. 30% of the total Rorschach protocols were checked for coding and scoring by an independent Principal Clinical Psychologist and the principal researcher of this study who were skilful in Exner's comprehensive scoring system. ANOVA yielded a significant F ratio: F [1.78] = 42.36, [P<.01]. The schizophrenic group's mean score [X=4.33] was significantly higher than the mean score of non-schizophrenics [X=2.28]. Discriminant analysis yielded the highest prediction accuracy [83% of the grouped cases were accurately diagnosed] when ALOG, FABCOM, DV, SCZI, X-percent, F, FQ, D, COL-Sh Blend, Fr + rF and L variables of Exner's comprehensive scoring system were included in the analysis

Token economy as a method of teaching basic concepts to the mentally retarded

A pilot study was conducted to test the effectiveness of Token Economy Techinique as a method of teaching basic concepts to severely retarded children.. Two subjects were selected from a population of 10 residential retarded children of [Chaman]. Their base line behaviour was determined by " basic concepts scales" devised on the pattern of "Bales Category system" six one-hour orientation sessions were given to each subject to make them familiar with the value of tokens and their association with back up reinforcers and contingent required responses. Then twenty four one hour teaching sessions [twice a week] were administered. The results showed a significant difference between pre and post therapeutic sessions on color naming, object naming, general orientation, names of body parts and facial feature, and names of class fellows and teachers [p<05]. However, no such difference was found on space and time orientation. [p>05]. Thus, token economy program was found effective in teaching all basic concepts except very abstract ones

Birth order, sex and temperament

The paper attempts to determine temperamental differences as a function of birth order and sex, Statistical analysis based on a small sample of post graduate students revealed significant differences between males and females of identical ordinal positions in matters of tough-mindedness [p <-01], acceptance [p <.OI], activity [p <.05] and responsibility [p <.01]. As such, it may be concluded that temperament of an individual depends both on his ordinal position and his sex

Male-female differences in anxiety

In an attempt to determine sex difftrerces in anxiety, IPAT Anxiety Scale was administered to a raodom sample of fifty post graduate male students and fifty female students, and it was found that they significantly differed between themselves. Moreover, majority of the female students were more anxiety redden than male students