Nutritional status of primary school children in Abbottabad

In Abbottabad district, with the vast poverty stricken rural majority and 80% literacy rate, primary-level education faces great influx of students. This study was carried out to see the nutritional status of children 5-10 years of age attending primary schools of Abbottabad. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out in June 2009 on 400 schoolchildren of 5-10 years of age from three randomly selected primary schools of Abbottabad. After informed consent by the parents/ teachers, a semi-structured Performa/questionnaire was filled for each child. Anthropometric measurements were recorded. Correlation of age of the child with height, and weight was calculated. The nutritional status of the study children was particularly optimum; 90% children were in optimal nutritional status and had sound skeletal growth irrespective of their socioeconomic background. There was a significant correlation of nutritional status and skeletal growth of children with parents' socioeconomic status. There was a direct correlation between height and weight of children, and their age. Anthropometric measurements indicate a high majority of children in healthy status despite the overall poor setup

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome and sexually transmitted infections among health care providers in Lahore, Pakistan

Human Immunodeficiency Virus [HIV] infection is a global problem of extraordinary dimensions and has so far resulted in nearly 25 million deaths worldwide. Health care providers [HCPs] are considered to play a pivotal role in the provision of preventive and curative services to individuals suffering from HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Pakistan, which was previously categorised as having a low-prevalence, high-risk HIV epidemic, is now facing a concentrated HIV epidemic among its most at-risk populations such as injecting drug users. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and reported practices relating to HIV/AIDS and STIs among private and public sector health care providers providing clinical services in areas where women sell sex. This was an exploratory quantitative study, where a structured questionnaire was administered in face-to-face interviews with 200 HCPs from the public and private sectors. Knowledge about AIDS and correct diagnosis of STIs were defined as according to the national guidelines of NACP. Pearson's chi-square analysis was performed to test associations between predictors and level of knowledge of STIs in each group separately. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to indicate predicting factors for correct management of STIs. Forty-five percent of the HCPshad correct knowledge about the transmission and prevention of HIV, whereas 21% had seen a patient with advanced HIV infection, only two HCPs had been trained to manage such cases and 82% were not aware of syndromic management of STIs. Only 10% could cite the 'correct treatment' of gonorrhoea, syphilis and vaginal discharge. The odds of having the 'correct knowledge' of diagnosing gonorrhoea and syphilis were 2.1 [CI 95%, 1.2-3.8] if the HCP was a female medical doctor working in public sector. Further intensive training is needed to improve the ability of relevant HCPs to correctly diagnose and effectively treat patients infected with HIV and STIs

Changes in concentration of iron and lead in food due to rotting

To determine whether there is any change in concentration of iron and lead due to rotting process of food. The concentration of iron and lead in fresh samples of apple, precement [Japanese fruit], banana, grapes, potato and tomato and normally marketed cereal, brand name "cerelac", was determined, using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Samples were taken each week for six weeks. The highest concentration of lead [3.336microg/g], in fresh samples, was in precement, perhaps, its thin peel and soft internal tissue has greater diffusivity and is more absorptive for lead from environment. Cerelac had higher iron content. The change in concentration of iron and lead with respect to rotting time is inconsistent and does not follow any derived mathematical relationship. Initially, it increases, followed by a decline in value and then increases again, with variation depending upon the nature of sample. However, on the average, it is showing an increase. The inconsistency in concentration of metal ions at various rotting stages, perhaps, is due to different rotten products, with varied absorbency at different states of decay