Body composition in healthy obese/overweight and normal weight subjects compared to patients with metabolic syndrome

Background: According to previous studies, patient with metabolic syndrome [MetS] are different in terms of body composition from healthy subjects. The purpose of the present study was to determine the body composition of healthy obese/overweight patients and compared them with those having MetS

Methods: A case-control study was conducted on both men and women aged 20 to 55 years, who were selected using sequential sampling method, based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, from those referred to an endocrinology and the diabetes clinic affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. One hundred and forty seven subjects were enrolled in the study and divided into three groups, including 49 with MetS, 49 obese/overweight subjects without MetS, and 49 were normal weight subjects. Body composition was measured for all subjects using bioelectrical impedance analysis. NCEP ATP III was the criterion for definition of Mets

Results: No significant differences were found between the study groups in terms of demographic variables. The mean of the waist circumference [WC] was higher in MetS patients [P < 0.05] as compared with the control groups. Obese/overweight group had higher percentage of body fat and lower fat free mass than normal weight group [P < 0.05]

Conclusion: Obese/overweight patients with and without MetS had significantly higher fat mass and WC than normal weight controls, while only WC was higher in MetS group as compared with obese/overweight patients without MetS. Therefore, reduction in body fat and WC should be emphasized in patients with MetS

Decomposing economic disparities in risky sexual behaviors among people who inject drugs in Tehran: Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: To our knowledge, no previous study has systematically assessed the role of economic status in risky sexual behavior among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Iran. In this study, we used Blinder-Oaxaca (BO) decomposition to explore the contribution of economic status to inequality in unprotected sex among PWID in Tehran and to decompose it into its determinants.METHODS: Behavioral surveys among PWID were conducted in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, from November 2016 to April 2017. We employed a cross-sectional design and snowball sampling methodology. We constructed the asset index (weighted by the first principal component analysis factor) using socioeconomic data and then divided the variable into 3 tertiles. We used the BO method to decompose the economic inequality in unprotected sex.RESULTS: Of the 520 recruited individuals, 20 were missing data for variables used to define their economic status, and were therefore excluded from the analysis. Not having access to harm reduction programs was the largest factor contributing to the economic disparity in unprotected sex, accounting for 5.5 percentage points of the 21.4% discrepancy. Of the unadjusted total economic disparity in unprotected sex, 52% was unexplained by observable characteristics included in the regression model. The difference in the prevalence of unprotected sex between the high-income and low-income groups was 25%.CONCLUSIONS: Increasing needle syringe program coverage and improving human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge are essential for efforts to eliminate inequalities in HIV risk behaviors among PWID.

Decomposing economic disparities in risky sexual behaviors among people who inject drugs in Tehran: Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: To our knowledge, no previous study has systematically assessed the role of economic status in risky sexual behavior among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Iran. In this study, we used Blinder-Oaxaca (BO) decomposition to explore the contribution of economic status to inequality in unprotected sex among PWID in Tehran and to decompose it into its determinants. METHODS: Behavioral surveys among PWID were conducted in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, from November 2016 to April 2017. We employed a cross-sectional design and snowball sampling methodology. We constructed the asset index (weighted by the first principal component analysis factor) using socioeconomic data and then divided the variable into 3 tertiles. We used the BO method to decompose the economic inequality in unprotected sex. RESULTS: Of the 520 recruited individuals, 20 were missing data for variables used to define their economic status, and were therefore excluded from the analysis. Not having access to harm reduction programs was the largest factor contributing to the economic disparity in unprotected sex, accounting for 5.5 percentage points of the 21.4% discrepancy. Of the unadjusted total economic disparity in unprotected sex, 52% was unexplained by observable characteristics included in the regression model. The difference in the prevalence of unprotected sex between the high-income and low-income groups was 25%. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing needle syringe program coverage and improving human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge are essential for efforts to eliminate inequalities in HIV risk behaviors among PWID.

Correlation between diet quality and metabolic syndrome

Background: The metabolic syndrome [MetS] is increasing with an alarming rate world wide. Since diet components' studies that focus on MetS have produced largely inconsistent results, assessing the whole diet than single nutrients on health can be more practical. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between diet quality and MetS components

Methods: This cross-sectional study included a total of 152 participants aged 20-55 years recruited from the endocrinology center of Tehran University of medical sciences. Dietary intake assessed by food frequency questionnaire [FFQ] was used to calculate healthy eating index 2010 [HEI-2010]. Body mass index [BMI], weight, height, waist circumference, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol [HDL-c], triglycerides [TG], fasting blood glucose [FBG], and blood pressure were measured

Results: In this study HEI mean score was 55.26. Based on HEI-2010 values, diet quality was good in 0.7% of participants, needed improvement in 55.9%, and was poor in 43.4% of cases. Diet quality [HEI] was significantly and linearly related with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, TG, and BMI [P < 0.05]

Conclusions: According to this study, low diet quality can be related to MetS components

Relation of healthy eating index with body composition parameters in Iranian adult

Background: Obesity as the excessive accumulation of adipose in adipocytes has still remained equivocal. Since diets contain many components to prevent from or promote diseases, assessing effects of the whole diet on health can be more practical. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between quality of diets through healthy eating index [HEI], and body composition parameters in Iranian adults

Methods: This cross-sectional study included a total of 138 participants in the age range of 20-55 years, who referred to Endocrinology Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences to receive health care services and fulfilled the eligibility criteria to participate in this study. Food frequency questionnaire [FFQ] was used to calculate HEI scores. Body composition data included: Fat mass [FM], fat free mass [FFM], abdominal fat [AF], muscle mass [MM], and total body water [TBW] that were collected by bioelectrical impedance instrument

Results: In this study the mean HEI score was 55.26. Based on HEI-2010 values, diet quality was good in 0.7% of participants, needed improvement in 55.9%, and was poor in 43.4% of the cases. There were significant linear trends between quality of diets and body composition parameters [P < 0.05]

Conclusion: According to our study poor diet quality can be related to FM and obesity in Iranian adults