How good is the obesity associated with blood groups in a cohort of female university going students?

Objective: To find out frequency of obesity in female University students in Faisalabad and to investigate its association with blood groups of ABO system

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 200 female University students, recruited from the Faisalabad based institutes from May 2017 to July 2017. Relevant information was taken by administering questionnaire. Height in meters and weight in kg were taken by stadiometer. BMI was calculated using formula BMI=weight in kg/height m2. Blood groups were determined by classic [antigen-antibody agglutination test].The data was analyzed through SPSS 20. Descriptive were presented as mean+/- SD and association of BMI with blood groups was assessed by regression analysis. P value

Results: Out of students, 192 attempted the questionnaire and participated in study [96% response rate], 30% of the 192 females were obese, distribution of ABO blood group showed 43%, followed by O, A and AB. 90% were Rh positive and 10% were Rh negative. Blood group O showed a trend towards obesity and blood group AB showed a trend towards lean body

Conclusion: The blood group O showed the significant positive association with obesity. Population with blood group O showed greatest susceptibility to be overweight and obese

Life style practices and health risk behaviors of medical students: a cross sectional study

Objective: A health risk behavior like physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, tobacco use, drug abuse, unprotected sexual practices or harmful use of alcohol is linked with serious ailments like liver cirrhosis, hypertension, abnormal lipid profile and number of cardiovascular diseases. Our study is aimed to explore perception of students about health risk behaviors; eating routines, life style and stress handling practices and compare amongst medical students of first and second year

Subjects and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 233 female students between 1 8-25 years of age, from first two years of medical college were administered a self-structured questionnaire Response of each item was rated on five-point Likert scale. Maximum points in the scale were five and the minimum was one for each item. Mean score was obtained by adding points of all responses. Degree of health awareness was categorized into low, medium and high on the basis of mean cumulative scores. Independent sample t test was used to compare means between study groups based on academic level [Year I and II medical students]

Results: The overall results of the study revealed positive health behaviors among medical students. Year I MBBS had superior acquaintance on healthy eating routines [p-value = 0.001], lifestyle patterns [p-value = 0.002], and stress handling practices [p-value < 0.001] as compared to senior class. Tendency to have anxiety attacks was more in 1st year students [p-value=0.002] while capability to withstand stress was better in senior class [p-value=0.004]

Conclusion: Majority of medical students practiced positive health behaviors. These attitudes in terms of selection of life style choices; healthy food and physical activity with avoidance of health risk behaviors and supportive practices was better in Year I students

Evaluation of cognitive levels and item writing flaws in medical pharmacology internal assessment examinations

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the cognitive levels of Multiple Choice Questions [MCQs] and Short Answer Questions [SAQs] and types of Item Writing Flaws [IWFs] in MCQs in Medical Pharmacology internal assessment exams

Methods: This descriptive, study was conducted over a period of six months, from December 2015 to May 2016 and evaluated six internal assessment examinations comprising SAQs and MCQs. A total of 150 MCQs and 43 SAQs were analyzed. These questions were administered to third-year medical students in the year of 2015. All SAQs were reviewed for their cognitive levels and MCQs were reviewed for cognitive levels as well as for IWFs. Items were classified as flawed if they contained one or more than one flaw. The cognitive level of the questions was determined by the modified Bloom's taxonomy

Results: The proportion of flawed items out of 150 items in six exams ranged from 16% to 52%. While the percentage of total flawed items was 28%. Most common types of flaws were implausible distractors 19.69% [26], extra detail in correct option 18.18% [24], vague terms 9.85% [13], unfocused stem 9.09% [12] and absolute terms 9.09% [12]. The two-third of MCQs 97[64.67%] were assessing the recall of information, while 29 [19.33%] and 24 [16%] were assessing the interpretation of data and problem-solving skills respectively. The majority of the SAQs [90.7%] were assessing recall of the information and only 9.3% were assessing interpretation of data while none of the questions was assessing the problem-solving skills

Conclusions: The cognitive level of assessment tools [SAQs and MCQs] is low, and IWFS are common in the MCQs. Therefore, faculty should be urged and groomed to design problem-solving questions which are devoid of any flaws

Frequency of nutritional anemia among female medical students of Faisalabad

Background and Objective: Anemia is a common health problem worldwide. This problem is most commonly faced by 18 to 25 years of females. Medical students especially female hostelites poses high risk of anemia because of their poor eating habits, breakfast skipping, long schedule in college, burden of medical studies, clinical postings, and extra-curricular activities. Therefore the current study was designed to determine the hemoglobin status in young female medical students. We also elucidate its association with BMI

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at The University of Faisalabad during December 2015 to February 2016. A total of 221 female students were recruited by convenient sampling technique. All relevant information about participants was taking by administering structured questionnaire. Participants were categorized as hostelities and day scholars for comparison. Study subjects were also sub grouped on the bases of their BMI. Hemoglobin, MCV, MCH and MCHC were estimated at Madina Teaching Hospital Faisalabad. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS 20

Results: Mean age of the study subjects was 19.92 +/-0.93. 33.4% of the students were found to be anemic. Significantly high number of hostelites [39.2%] were anemic as compared to day scholars [23.1%] [P value= 0.015*]. On analyzing by BMI categories, greater number of underweight subjects was found to be anemic as compared to normal and overweight subjects

Conclusion: Anemia is more prevalent in hostelites as compared to day scholar female medical students which might also affect the efficiency of these students

Fertilization rate and its determinants in intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Objective: To identify predictors of fertilization rate in patients of unexplained infertility after intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI]

Methods: Retrospective analysis of females [282] enrolled in quasi experimental design for ICSI at "Islamabad Clinic Serving Infertile Couples" was carried out from July 2013 till June 2014. Females with unexplained infertility were included, whereas well defined male and female causes of infertility were excluded. Fertilization rate [FR] was calculated as percentage transformation of micro injected oocytes into two pronuclei. Categorical variable of FR defined on the basis of 50% FR grouped females; Group I with FR ?50% and Group II with FR >50%. The groups were compared in terms of demographic variables, base line hormones and oocyte parameters. Univariate logistic regression was executed to obtain odds ratio with 95% confidence interval to quantify the association of predictors like age, duration of infertility, oocytes parameters, hormones; Estradiol, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone [FSH], luteinizing hormone, prolactin and cytokines interleukin-Ibeta [IL-Ibeta] with the FR

Results: In our study out of 282 females, 19 [6.73%] were in group I and 263 [93.26%] comprised of Group II. Females with high FR[group II] had low Progesterone and FSH [p=0.04,p=0.02] respectively. Mature oocytes [OR: 0.35; 95% CI 1 - 2.56] and IL-Ibeta in follicular phase [OR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.000- 1.20] were significant positive predictors of FR while peak progesterone and FSH had significant negative effect on it

Conclusion: Fertilization of oocytes in females of unexplained infertility depended on maturity of oocytes and optimal amounts of ILI- beta released by developing follicles in the follicular phase of stimulation cycles of ICSI

Role of Interleukin-I beta in conception after intracytoplasmic sperm injection

To identify the role of Interleukin-I Beta[IL- I beta] in patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The quasi-experimental study was conducted at an infertility clinic in Islamabad from June 2010 to August 2011, and comprised couples opting for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Down regulation of ovaries was followed by calculated stimulation, ovulation induction, oocytes retrieval, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, in vitro maturation of embryos and embryo transfer. Serum Interleukin-I Beta was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay onovulation induction day. Patients were grouped as non-pregnant with beta human chorionic gonadotropin 5-25 mIU/ml, pre-clinical abortion; beta human chorionic gonadotropin >25 mIU/ml with no cardiac activity and clinical pregnancy with foetal heart confirmation by trans-vaginal scan after 4 weeks of transfer. SPSS 15 was used for statistical analysis. Of the total 323 patients initially registered, embryo transfer could be carried out in 282[87.30%]. Clinical pregnancy was achieved in 101[36%] patients, clinical abortions was the result in 61[22%] cases, while 120[42%] subjects did not conceive at all. Clinical pregnancy was achieved in subjects with high mean Interleukin-I Beta levels; 155.84 +/- 51.65 compared to 41.81 +/- 11.77and 118.46 +/- 35.62pg/mlin non-pregnant, preclinical abortion groups respectively [p=0.001]. The production of Interleukin-I Beta was associated with oocyte maturation, fertilisation, endometrial receptivity and implantation in patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection