[Association between variety of food groups and adequacy of nutrients in a group of Tehranian adult males]

The present study was conducted to examine the relationship between variety scores of food groups and specific nutrient adequacy in Tehranian adult men. In this cross-sectional study, 295 men aged 18 years and over were included. We assessed food intake by two 24-hour recalls questionnaires. Two different dietary diversity indices; dietary diversity score [DDS] and food variety [FV] score were used. Mean adequacy ratio [MAR], i.e. the mean ratio of intake to recommended amount of 12 nutrient and energy, was calculated as an indicator of nutrient adequacy. Meanwhile, nutrient adequacy ratio [NAR] was calculated. The mean of age and body mass index was 40+/-13 years and 25+/-4 kg/m[2]. The mean of DDS was 6.05+/-1.02. DDS was correlated with MAR [r=0.4, p<0.05] as well as the NAR of thiamine [r=0.2, p<0.05], vitamin A [r=0.4, p<0.05], calcium [r=0.4, p<0.05], phosphorus [r=0.4, p<0.05] and total fat [r=0.4, p<0.05]. Variety of whole grain was correlated mostly with the NAR of vitamin B2 and protein [r=0.3, p<0.05]. Variety of vegetable and fruit had the highest correlation with the NAR of vitamin C [r=0.3, p<0.05]. In the forth quartile of variety score of food groups the intake of most macro-and micronutrients were in the highest amount. Variety of meat and milk were the most important predictors of MAR. Variety of different food groups is a useful indicator of specific nutrient adequacy. Thus to determine the adequacy of a specific nutrient, the variety score of specific food groups can be considered

[Validation study of height-weight difference index [HWDI] for screening underweight and obesity and obesity status in Tehranian adults]

Body mass index [BMI] is the most common index for assessing weight status of adults, at both individual and population levels. However, calculating BMI without an instrument is quite difficult and time consuming. The objective of this study was to test whether the proposed new and simple height weight difference index [HWDI] is valid for screening different weight status. The data, obtained from adult participants of Tehran lipid and glucose study [TLGS] were used for this cross-sectional study. Height and weight of 10723 [4555 male, 6168 female] 18 to 70 year old subjects were used for calculating BMI [weight in kg, divided by height squared in meters] and HWDI [height in cm, minus weight in kg]. Linear regression was used to determine the relationship between BMI and HWDI, and Kappa statistic was used to test the agreement between the indices. There was an inverse strong relationship between BMI and HWDI [r=-0.98, p<0.0001]. Cut-off points for different weight status, according to HWDI, based on current BMI references, were calculated by the prediction formula: HWDI = 163.4-2.67 BMI. HWDI had high sensitivity and specificity for obesity at all levels, and Kappa test, showed an excellent agreement between the two indices. Specificity of HWDI was high for total thin subjects, but sensitivity and Kappa for grades 1 and 2 thinness was low. Although a high sensitivity was observed for grade 3 thinness, Kappa was low for the grade 3 thinness. While considering all thin subjects all together, there was a high sensitivity and specificity, and a good agreement. HWDI can be used as an applied and simple index for diagnosis of different grades of obesity from normal status. Although the index can not determine different grades of thinness, but is useful to diagnose the status as a whole

Timing of the effect of iodine supplementation on intelligence quotients of schoolchildren

Iodine deficiency is the most important preventable cause of mental deficiency. The aim of this study was to specify the phase during fetal and postnatal development when iodine supplementation would have optimum effect on the prevention of brain damage

Materials and Methods: forty schoolchildren aged 7-13 years, from the previously iodine deficient villages of Kiga and Randan, were divided into 3 subgroups: in subgroup I the mother had received iodized oil 1-4 years prior to conception and infant consumed iodized salt from the age 14 years onwards; in subgroup II mothers received iodized oil during pregnancy and the child received iodized salt from the age 2-4 years and in subgroup III the child received iodized oil injection from age 1-3 and iodized salt from 3-6 years of age onwards. Serum T4, T3, TSH and TJ uptake and urine iodide concentrations were measured. Bender-Guestalt and Raven tests were employed for psychomotor evaluation. A group of 40 age and sex matched schoolchildren from Tehran served as controls

Results: mean age of subgroups I, II and III were 8.9+/-1.7, 9.4+/-1.4 and 1l.9+/-1.2 years, respectively. Serum T4, T3, TSH and urinary iodine concentrations were normal in all children. Urinary iodine and serum T4, T3 and TSH concentration did not differ between the 3 subgroups. Mean IQ was higher in subgroup I [102+/-7], as compared to subgroup II [93+/-10, p<0.002] and subgroup III [95+/-10, p<0.05]. Mean IQ of subgroup I was not significantly different from age-matched controls, but a significant decrease in IQ was evident in subgroups II [93+/-10 vs 109+/-8, p<0.002] and III [96+/-10 vs 114+/-1l, p<0.00l], as compared to the control children

Conclusion: it is concluded that children whose mothers received iodide supplementation before conception had normal IQs of significantly higher values than those whose mothers received iodine during pregnancy and the children who received iodine after birth