ABSTRACT
Sedentary lifestyle is a major underlying cause of death, disease, and disability worldwide. This survey in 2006 aimed to estimate the current level of physical activity among 293 school and university teaching staff and 246 support staff working in the education sector in Dohuk city, Iraq. The short form of the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to estimate physical activity. Using the higher IPAQ cutoff point (i.e. high, not moderate, level of activity) the prevalence of physical activity beneficial to health among all participants was 39.5%. Small but nonsignificant differences in physical activity were found among sex, age and BMI categories. Teachers reported significantly higher physical activity levels than support staff, and individuals with longer average sitting times per day reported significantly lower levels of physical activity.
ABSTRACT
Sedentary lifestyle is a major underlying cause of death, disease, and disability worldwide. This survey in 2006 aimed to estimate the current level of physical activity among 293 school and university teaching staff and 246 support staff working in the education sector in Dohuk city, Iraq. The short form of the international physical activity questionnaire [IRAQ] was used to estimate physical activity. Using the higher IPAQ cutoff point [i.e. high, not moderate, level of activity] the prevalence of physical activity beneficial to health among all participants was 39.5%. Small but non significant differences in physical activity were found among sex, age and BMI categories. Teachers reported significantly higher physical activity levels than support staff, and individuals with longer average sitting times per day reported significantly lower levels of physical activity
Subject(s)
Faculty , Schools , Universities , Surveys and Questionnaires , Health Surveys , Body Mass Index , Motor ActivityABSTRACT
This study in Dohuk district of Kurdistan region, northern Iraq, in 2003 estimated the prevalence of contraceptive use and unmet need, and investigated associated knowledge, attitudes and practices. With multi-stage sampling, 800 married women aged 15-49 years were interviewed. Current prevalence of contraceptive use (any method) among 668 non-pregnant women was 60.6%: use of modern methods was 26.5% and traditional methods was 34.1%. Among all respondents, current unmet need for any contraception was 29.3% (most commonly among women of low socioeconomic status) and that for modern (effective) contraception was 28.5% (most commonly among women of high socioeconomic status). A comprehensive and decentralized family planning programme needs to be implemented in the region.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health/ethnology , Family Planning Services/organization & administration , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Islam/psychology , Needs Assessment/organization & administration , Women/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Birth Rate/ethnology , Chi-Square Distribution , Contraception/methods , Contraception/psychology , Contraception/statistics & numerical data , Contraception Behavior/ethnology , Employment/statistics & numerical data , Family Characteristics , Family Planning Policy , Family Planning Services/education , Female , Humans , Iraq , Male , Middle Aged , Pregnancy , Pregnancy, Unwanted/ethnology , Residence Characteristics/statistics & numerical data , Socioeconomic Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Women/educationABSTRACT
This study in Dohuk district of Kurdistan region, northern Iraq, in 2003 estimated the prevalence of contraceptive use and unmet need, and investigated associated knowledge, attitudes and practices. With multi-stage sampling, 800 married women aged 15-49 years were interviewed. Current prevalence of contraceptive use [any method] among 668 non-pregnant women was 60.6%: use of modern methods was 26.5% and traditional methods was 34.1%. Among all respondents, current unmet need for any contraception was 29.3% [most commonly among women of low socioeconomic status] and that for modern [effective] contraception was 28.5% [most commonly among women of high socioeconomic status]. A comprehensive and decentralized family planning programme needs to be implemented in the region
Subject(s)
Family Planning Policy , Islam , Surveys and Questionnaires , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Attitude to Health , Needs Assessment , Women , Socioeconomic Factors , Family Planning ServicesABSTRACT
The effectiveness of the supplementary feeding programme for malnourished children aged 6 months to 3 years in Dohuk province, northern Iraq was evaluated. The enrolment criterion was child weight > or = 2 standard deviations below standard weight-for-age. Children enrolled in the programme in January 2001 were followed over 7 months. Children received high-protein high-energy biscuits in the first month and a monthly child ration for preparing soyabean mix throughout. Their families received food rations in the first 4 months. Improvement was noticed for all children, particularly in the first month. Problems with the rations and within the growth monitoring units resulted in significant drop-out. Use of standard growth charts may be a way to overcome this problem. High-protein biscuits should be distributed throughout instead of the mix.
Subject(s)
Child Nutrition Disorders/diet therapy , Food Services/organization & administration , Protein-Energy Malnutrition/diet therapy , Body Weight , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child Health Services/organization & administration , Child Nutrition Disorders/diagnosis , Child Nutrition Disorders/epidemiology , Child, Preschool , Dietary Proteins/administration & dosage , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infant , Iraq/epidemiology , Mobile Health Units/organization & administration , Nutrition Assessment , Nutrition Surveys , Nutritional Status , Patient Dropouts , Prevalence , Primary Health Care/organization & administration , Program Evaluation , Protein-Energy Malnutrition/diagnosis , Protein-Energy Malnutrition/epidemiology , Glycine maxABSTRACT
The effectiveness of the supplementary feeding programme for malnourished children aged 6 months to 3 years in Dohuk province, northern Iraq was evaluated. The enrolment criterion was child weight > or = 2 st and ard deviations below st and ard weight-for-age. Children enrolled in the programme in January 2001 were followed over 7 months. Children received high-protein high-energy biscuits in the first month and a monthly child ration for preparing soyabean mix throughout. Their families received food rations in the first 4 months. Improvement was noticed for all children, particularly in the first month. Problems with the rations and within the growth monitoring units resulted in significant drop-out. Use of st and ard growth charts may be a way to overcome this problem. High-protein biscuits should be distributed throughout instead of the mix
