Effect of food intake on lipid pattern of young adults in Beheira governorate

This study was conducted in Beheira governorate during 1999. Three districts were chosen [Rashied Delengat and Damanhour] on the assumption that their populations differ in their food habits. The study included 197 males and 169 females from both rural and urban areas in each district. The mean age of the males was 21.3 years and for females was 20.2 years. Fasting blood sample for plasma was collected from each subject to study the effect of food consumption on plasma lipid pattern as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Total cholesterol, HDL-C, IDI-C and triglycerides were determined for each subject and their food intake was recorded. The results indicated that prevalence rates for hypercholesterolemia were 12.9%, 12.7% and 4.2% in males and 18%, 17.5% and 15.6% in females in rashied, damanhour and delegate, respectively. On the other hand, hypertriglyceridemia was recorded in 16%, 27% and 19.4% of males in Rashid, Damanhur and Delengat, respectively compared with 23% 24.6% and 31.4% in females, respectively. The study recommended that nutrition education is needed for touth and young adults and the encourarge practice of sports in the both urban and rural areas. Further studies should be conducted in other governorates to identify the prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerosis among youth

Exclusive breast feeding and nutritional status of infants

A longitudinal study was conducted to assess the nutritional status of 60 breast fed infants [37 females and 23 males] after delivery and up to the age of 6 months from different MCH Centers in rural areas. Weight, length an arm circumference were measured monthly as well as blood samples were collected to etermine hemoglobin and hematocrit. Wight-for-age, height-for-age, arm circumference for-age and incremental data for weight and length gains was used to determine nutritional status. Acute malnutrition tends to occur from about 2 months and 4 months of age among male and female infants respectively. Weight gains of female infants were greater than that of male infants. The sex related differences in length gain is manifested only at 2-4 months increments where it reached to 50 the percentile in male as compared to 5 the perecentile in female infants. Arm circumference-for-age revealed the presence of malnutrition among those infants irrespective of the sex. With the increase in age, the mean no. of epidoes of diarrhea and the average duration per individual per months were increased. Haemoglobin and hematocrit values showed a nor mal physiological pattern. So, growth failure of those infants may result from the prevalence of diarrhea among them as well as from a low quality of breast milk