Hypertension and associated cardiovascular risk factors among urban slum dwellers in Egypt: a population-based survey

Background: The economic deprivation of most slum inhabitants, and the lack of services and facilities may increase their vulnerability to unhealthy lifestyles and cardiovascular diseases.

Aims: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in slum residents in Cairo, Egypt and evaluate their association with hypertension.

Methods: A household cluster survey was conducted in Mansheiet Nasser, a large slum area in Cairo. The study included 984 adult participants. The World Health Organization STEPS instrument for noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance was used to determine the prevalence of smoking, fruit/vegetable consumption, overweight/obesity, physical activity, diabetes and hypertension.

Results: Smoking, insufficient fruit/vegetable consumption, low physical activity and diabetes were reported by 43.4%, 92.2%, 98.4% and 8.7% of the sample respectively. The prevalence of hypertension and overweight/obesity were 31.2% and 73.0% respectively. Most of the participants [83.8%] had = 3 cardiovascular risk factors. A significantly higher proportion of men smoked, engaged in less physical activity, had diabetes and had multiple risk factors. Hypertension was significantly associated with age 30–< 50 years [OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.66–5.58], age = 50 years [OR = 12.5, 95% CI: 6.71–23.26], overweight [OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.0–62.35], obesity [OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.49–3.35], low fruit/vegetable consumption [OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.02–3.48], and diabetes [OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.08–2.92].

Conclusions: Urban slum dwellers in Mansheiet Nasser have an increased vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases compared with the Egyptian population. Measures are needed to improve their lifestyles and reduce their risk of cardiovascular diseases

Association of rotating night shift with lipid profile among nurses in an Egyptian tertiary university hospital

The main objective was to identify whether night shift nurses are more prone to dyslipidaemia than day shift nurses. One hundred and fifty female nurses aged 20-49 years were recruited from Ain Shams University Hospitals, Egypt, from January to March 2016: 64 day shift and 86 night shift. Diet type was assessed by interview questionnaire and job satisfaction was assessed using the job satisfaction survey. Triglyceride [TG], low-density lipoprotein [LDL] and high-density lipoprotein [HDL] were measured in all nurses. The predictors of high TG level were ages 30-39 and >/= 40 years and night shift. The only predictor of high LDL level [> 130 mg/dl] was age >/= 40 years. An unhealthy diet and night shift were predictors of risky HDL levels. Seventy nurses were unsatisfied with their jobs, and 137 ate a semi-healthy diet. The findings emphasize that night shift nurses are at risk of abnormal lipid profile, therefore an occupational programme to help nurses cope with their employment conditions is necessary

Women's awareness of obstetric danger symptoms: is there a need to promote a preconceptional educational program?

Awareness towards the symptoms of obstetric complications will lead to timely access to appropriate emergency obstetric care. The aim of the study was to assess and compare the awareness towards obstetric danger symptoms among never-pregnant and ever-pregnant women and to identify predictors of their awareness as a measure for the need to promote a preconceptional educational program in Egypt. This study was conducted in selected villages of Alfayoum and Benisuef governorates as a comparative study between 173 newly married never-pregnant women and 827 ever-pregnant women who were randomly targeted by a structured interview during a period of 8 months. The questionnaire included personal data, social data, and data related to awareness of obstetric danger symptoms, complications, and action taken on having any of these symptoms. The scoring system was designed for women's awareness, with one degree allocated for a correct answer. The study revealed that the percent of women who gained a score of knowledge of at least 50% was higher among ever-pregnant women than among never-pregnant women [43.9 and 19.1%, respectively]. Although bleeding is the highest reported cause for obstetric complications and is one of the reported causes of maternal deaths in the studied villages, only 26.6 and 20.2% of the never pregnant and 43.9 and 34.3% of the ever pregnant groups, respectively, knew that bleeding is a danger symptom during delivery and the postnatal period. Meanwhile, better awareness about obstetric danger symptoms and exposure to health educational messages was significantly higher among ever-pregnant women [OR = 3.08 and 2.28, respectively] [P < 0.001]. This study reflects the need for intensifying antenatal health educational messages given to pregnant women and the need for the implementation of preconceptional health education programs

Prioritizing high-risk practices and exploring new emerging ones associated with hepatitis C virus infection in Egypt

The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize the risky behaviors and explore the newly emerging practices related to Egyptian habits that may lead to HCV transmission. From January 2011 until January 2012, a case control study matched on socio demographic factors was conducted comparing 540 hepatitis C patients and their contacts who were HCV serologically negative [102 subjects]. They were randomly selected from six governorates representing Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt, Middle and Canal regions. The questionnaire covered demographic data, risk exposures, behaviors, and practices for HCV infection. Focus group discussions were done with groups of professionals in Hepatology to discuss the observed emerging risk practices in Egypt. In univariate analysis, invasive medical procedures, wound stitches, illiteracy and marriage were significantly associated with HCV infection. Among women, delivery at home by traditional birth attendant was associated with 3 times [OR=2.91, CI=1.23-6.98] and 4 times [OR=3.94, CI=1.44-11.35] increase in HCV risk than delivery at hospital and by doctors respectively. Among males, shaving at barbershops was associated with 2 fold increase in the risk of infection [OR=2.6, CI=1.44-4.89]. Newly observed emerging risk practices were: sharing scarves' pins by veiled women in same houses, sharing loofah for personal cleaning and sharing toothpaste among family members. Increasing risk of HCV infection in Egypt reinforces the need for strict implementation of effective HCV prevention programs according to the prevailing risk behaviours

Saudi mothers' experiences on signs and symptoms associated with infant teething

The aim of this study was to investigate the Saudi mothers' experiences regarding local and general symptoms associated with primary teeth eruption. One thousand and four hundred self-administrated questionnaires in Arabic were distributed to Saudi mothers during the winter of 2003 in five different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All the mothers included in the study had children between 4 to 24 months of age with at least one erupting primary tooth. Out of 1400 distributed questionnaires, 912 were returned yielding a response rate of 65.14%. The majority of the mothers [71.8%] reported a positive association between teething and different local and systemic signs and symptoms. The most frequent signs and symptoms reported by the mothers were: temperature elevation [78%] and diarrhea [62.8%]. Sleeping disturbances and nervousness were shown in lower percentage of 32.1% and 28.2% respectively while only 0.9% reported no symptoms. Data analysis showed significant variation in the mothers experience between the different regions of the Kingdom at p = 0.001. Most of the mothers believe there is an association between local and general symptoms with eruption of primary teeth. There is statistically significant variation in mothers experience between the different regions of the kingdom