[Association between nuts consumption and abdominal obesity, overweight and obesity in female adolescents: an epidemiological study]

Nuts are one of the most healthy food groups, but due to their fat content and high energy density their consumption is mostly restricted for weight control. The aim of this study was to assess the association between nuts consumption and abdominal obesity, overweight and obesity. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected on 550 female adolescents, aged 15-18 years, selected by multistage cluster random sampling from Najafabad high schools. Anthropometric measurements were obtained using standard methods. Intakes of nuts and other food groups were evaluated by a semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire [IPAQ] questionnaire. Other required variables were collected by general questionnaires. Abdominal obesity was defined on basis of the 75[th] Waist circumference percentiles for Iranian children and adolescents. Overweight and obesity were defined on the basis of International Obesity Task Force [IOTF] cut-points. The prevalence of abdominal obesity and overweight or obesity were 48.9 and 25.7 percent respectively. Mean and median intakes of nuts in this community were 22.36 and 10.35 gr/day respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, the subjects in the top quartile of nut consumption were less likely to have overweight and obesity [odds ratio [OR]:0.25; 95% Cl: 0.11-0.54] and abdominal obesity [OR: 0.54; 95% Cl, 0.28-1.03], compared to those in the lowest quartile. Consumption of nuts was associated with lower risk of abdominal obesity, overweight and obesity. The results of this study suggest that incorporating nuts into diets might help weight control

[Correlation between food intake and exam anxiety among female 3rd -grade high school students in educational zone 3 of Tehran, 2010]

Exam stress is an unpleasant emotional reaction to the process of assessment. It is considered as a serious and common educational problem. Exam stress causes eating disorders, including binge eating, which can lead to obesity and complications that usually accompany it. This study investigated the correlation between food intake and exam stress in 3rd-grade high school female students in Educational district 3 of Tehran, 2010. A cross-sectional study was conducted, in which 140 high school female students in the third grade of Educational District 3 of Tehran participated. Data was collected through interviews, one dietary recall and 3 food record questionnaires during a week. Exam stress was assessed by the Test Anxiety Inventory. Data on 10 students were excluded because of unriable/inappropriate responses. Therefore, data analysis was done on the data collected on 130 subjects, using the SPSS 16 program. There were no relationships between food intake and the 4 exam stress groups or stress scores. The food subgroups which were found to have a significant association with exam stress were bread [p=0.003], rice [p=0.035], processed meats [p=0.031], dairy products [p=0.029] and industrially produced fruit juices [p=0.049]. However, after adjustment for body mass index [BMI] and changes in food intake at stress time, the only food subgroup which had a significant positive relationship with stress scores was industrially produced fruit juices. The average intakes of energy, carbohydrate, and protein in the 4 stress groups differed significantly, but here again, after adjustment for BMI and changes in food intake at the time of stress, the differences disappeared. Consumption of industrially produced fruit juices increases with increases in exam anxiety. Since such juices have a high content of sugar, this observation can be said to confirm the hypothesis of existence of a positive association between anxiety and carbohydrate consumption

[Relationship between major dietary patterns and stunting in Tehrani school children]

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between stunting and major dietary patterns among the first-grade pupils in Tehran in 2008. In this case-control study, children's height [n=3147] was measured in 5 areas of Tehran by expeienced nutritionists using standard protocols. Children with a height lower than the 5th percentile of height for age of the CDC2000 standard were considered as stunted [n = 86, the case group]. Control children were selected randomly from among healthy, non-stunted children with the same age and sex [n=308]. Data on demographic characteristics, socio-economic status, birth weight and length, and duration of breast feeding were collected using standard questionnaires. In addition, two 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires were completed for each subject on 2 cosecutive days by interviewing their mothers. Factor analysis was used to identify major dietary patterns. Logistic regression models were adjusted for sex, mother's age and education, father's education, birth weight, family size, and energy intake. There were significant differences between the stunted children and their control group with regard to sex, birth weight, age of mother, and parents' education of [P<0.05]. Based on the 24-hour dietary recalls, the mean consumptions of dairy products [308 +/- 167 g/day] and dried fruits and nuts [2.58 +/- 9 g/day] in the case group were significantly lower than the respective control values [7.15 +/- 26 and 382 +/- 232 g/day, respectively; p<0.05]. However, consumption of the fat and oils group in the case group [37.85 +/- 29 g/day] was higher than in the control group [30.94 +/- 22 g/day; P< 0.05]. Three dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis: dietary pattern 1, high in bread, potatoes, fats, eggs, relish, other vegetables, sugar, and soft drinks; dietary pattern 2, high in leafy vegetables, fast foods, nuts, other cereals, fruits, legumes, and offal; and dietary pattern 3, high in biscuits and cakes, chicken, dairy products, fruits, etc. Dietary patterns 1 and 2 were not significantly associated with stunting, while children in the third quartile of dietary pattern 3 had a lower risk for stunting as compared to those in the first quartile of that dietary pattern [p<0.05]. It seems that following dietary patterns high in protein [e.g., dairy and meat products] and carbohydrate [e.g., fruits and biscuits/cakes] may reduce the risk of stunting in children

[Effects of daily consumption of Iranian yogurt drink doogh fortified with vitamin D or vitamin D plus calcium on the anthropometric and glycemic indices in type-2 diabetes patients]

Poor vitamin D status has been associated with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of daily intakes of Iranian yogurt drink doogh fortified with vitamin D or vitamin D + calcium on anthropometric and glycemic status in type-2 diabetes patients. Ninety patients with type-2 diabetes were randomly allocated to one of three groups as follows: group1: plain doogh; group 2: vitamin D-fortified doogh [fortified with 500 IU vitamin D3 and 150 mg Ca/250 mL]; group 3: vitamin D + calcium-fortified doogh [fortified with 500 IU vitamin D3 and 250 mg Ca/250 mL]. The subjects took their respective doughs twice per day for 12 weeks. Anthropometric markers [weight, body mass index, and waist circumference], fasting serum glucose [FSG], glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], and homeostasis model of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] were measured before and after the intervention. In both groups 2 and group 3, the mean serum 25[OH]D3 level increased significantly [P>0.001]. As compared to group 1, in groups 2 and 3 the decreases in FSG [-12.9 +/- 33.7 mg/dL [P = 0.015] and -9.6 +/- 46.9 mg/dL [P = 0.035], respectively], Hb A1c [-0.4 +/- 1.2% [P<0.001] and -0.4 +/- 1.9% [P, 0.001], respectively], HOMA-IR [-0.6 +/- 1.4 [P = 0.001] and -0.6 +/- 3.2 [P, 0.001], respectively], and waist circumference [WC; -3.6 +/- 2.7 and -2.9 +/- 3.3, respectively; P<0.001 for both] were significantly higher. An inverse correlation was observed between changes in serum 25[OH]D3 and FSG [r = 20.208, P = 0.049] and HOMA-IR [r = 20.219, P = 0.005]. Daily consumption of vitamin D-fortified doogh with or without added calcium, improves anthropometric and glycemic status in diabetic patients

[Determinants of inflammation and systolic blood presure in women with central obesity: a cross-sectional study]

High prevalence of obesity is closely associated with a prominent rise in the incidence of hypertension, both of which result in a major increase in cardiovascular disease risk. Several studies also suggest obesity as a major risk factor for systemic inflammation. The purpose of this study was to determine associations between metabolic and anthropometric indicators on the one hand and serum levels of high-sensitivity CRP [hsCRP] and blood pressure in overweight and obese women on the other hand, as well as determine the predictors of hsCRP level and blood pressure in this population. Subjects were recruited by convenience sampling from health care centers and schools in Tehran in winter. From among volunteers 200 women meeting the study criteria were selected and their fasting blood samples collected. Dietary intake was assessed, anthropometric measurements were made, and the related laboratory tests [total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and hsCRP] were performed. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression were used for statistical analysis. Serum levels of hsCRP were significantly associated with those of glucose[p=0.015, triglycerides [p=0.005], total cholesterol[p=0.002], body mass index [BMI][<0.0001], waist circumference [WC][p<0.001], and fat mass [FM] [p<0.0001]. Also, systolic blood pressure [SBP] was significantly associated with serum levels of glucose[p=0.018], triglycerides [p=0.011], BMI [p<0.0001], WC[p<0.0001], FM[p=0.005] and WHR[p=0.049]. In different regression models, WC and FM were found to be predictors of hsCRP [p= 0.020, 0.015], wheras BMI was a strong predictor of SBP [p <0.0001]. This study demonstrates that waist circumference and fat mass are the predictors of hsCRP, while body mass index is the main predictor of systolic blood pressure, in Tehrani obese and overweight women with waist circumference more than 88cm