Dietary Patterns among Smokers and Non-Smokers: Findings from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018.

Diet behavior and nutrition are critical for maintaining health and improving quality of life. Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Poor dietary choices, such as excessively frequenting restaurants, consuming ready-to-eat foods from grocery stores, and ingesting ultra-processed foods (like frozen meals and pizzas), can adversely impact health. Despite this, research comparing dietary behaviors between smokers and non-smokers is limited. Using data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey 2017-2018, we analyzed diet behavior based on smoking status. Our findings reveal that smokers had a significant increase (90%) in the frequency of consuming frozen meals/pizzas in the past 30 days compared to non-smokers (coefficient: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.4, 2.6; p-value < 0.001). Additionally, over 70% of participants, regardless of their smoking status, were unaware of MyPlate, a nutritional guide created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to encourage Americans to make healthier food choices. There is an urgent need to increase public awareness of MyPlate and promote a better understanding of healthy dietary behaviors.

Factors affecting family-centered care practice by nurses: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: This study presents a systematic review of the obstacles to and enablers of family-centered care (FCC) implementation by nurses. FCC, which has demonstrated beneficial outcomes, is regarded as a crucial quality measure in certain pediatric units. However, not all nurses incorporate FCC into their practice. DESIGN AND METHODS: A systematic review was conducted from January to June 2023, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Various medical subject heading keywords and terms were used to search electronic databases, with the aim of synthesizing and evaluating the results. RESULTS: Twenty-three articles were identified for review. Most of these studies were carried out in Western countries. They revealed several facilitators and obstacles to FCC implementation by nurses when caring for sick children. Some of these factors are linked to the personal attributes of the nurses, while others are associated with the characteristics of the families and the healthcare system itself. CONCLUSION: Nurses face multi-level barriers that hinder their ability to implement FCC practice. This systematic review identifies the need to leverage nurses' attributes, foster effective nurse-client relationships, and promote organizational changes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nurses need to comprehend and work toward altering the factors that influence the delivery of FCC. The findings of this review can be used by healthcare organization leaders and policymakers to customize interventions and allocate resources to promote FCC practice. Further research in diverse cultural contexts is needed to examine the cause-and-effect relationship concerning the influence of the identified barriers and facilitators on FCC practice. In addition, experimental studies are required to evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions on FCC practice by nurses.

Nurses' practices of children and family-centered care for chronically ill children: A cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: There is limited evidence of children and family-centered care (CFCC) practice in different cultural contexts, particularly regarding the factors that predict it among nurses providing care to chronically ill children. Also, the CFCC's impact on the quality of care has not been well studied. This study aimed to test a hypothesized model in which nurses' attributes and care environments predict CFCC, thereby increasing the quality of nursing care. DESIGN AND METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of 405 nurses caring for chronically ill children in Saudi Arabia for an online survey between February 2023 and August 2023. Structural Equation Modeling evaluated the hypothesized model. RESULTS: The hypothesized model fits the data based on the fit indices. Care environment affected CFCC (ß = 0.831, p = .000), while nursing attributes only indirectly affected CFCC practices through the mediating effect of the work environment (ß = 0.553, p = .000). The CFCC practices positively affect the quality of nursing care (ß = 0.636, p = .000). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing attributes impact the work environment, which affects the practice of CFCC and enhances the quality of care for chronically ill children. Investing in nurses' attributes and a positive work environment is crucial for nursing leaders to enhance CFCC practice and the quality of care. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings of this study can be used to shape policies and develop interventions to improve nursing CFCC practices and promote better quality of care for chronically ill children.

Challenges of having a child with congenital anomalies in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative exploration of mothers' experience.

Background: Congenital anomalies in children lead to morbidity, mortality, or lifelong disabilities. Mothers of children with congenital anomalies face considerable obstacles in parenting their children because of their lack of knowledge about such health conditions, lack of family support, and lack of health, rehabilitation, and social care support. In Saudi Arabia, less attention are given to researching this important issue. In this context, the purpose of the study was to explore mothers' experiences and perceptions toward children with congenital anomalies. Methods: We employed a qualitative phenomenological study design. We purposively recruited 10 mothers of children with congenital anomalies from different cities in Saudi Arabia. We interviewed the mothers with an in-depth interview guideline. The interview questions were designed to explore their perception of congenital anomalies in children and their experience of parenting and seeking health, rehabilitation, education, and social care services for children with such anomalies. Result: Analysis of our data suggest that mothers of children with congenital anomalies face considerable challenges because of a lack of medical, rehabilitation, and social care support, lack of knowledge about these conditions and their management, lack of responsiveness of the healthcare providers, lack of support from the family and the stigma associated with such conditions. Consequently, mothers experience poor mental and social well-being. Conclusion: Mothers are facing considerable challenges in raising children with congenital anomalies. Regular screening for early detection of congenital anomalies, counseling support for mothers, and improving healthcare providers' responsiveness, knowledge, and skills are necessary. In addition, appropriate awareness-raising programs need to be implemented at the community level to counteract the stigma and negative attitudes of the community toward children with congenital anomalies and their families.

Consumer Behaviour and Attitude towards the Purchase of Organic Products in Riobamba, Ecuador.

The development of organic agriculture has been promoted worldwide to improve the nutritional health of families, and Ecuador is no exception. The aim of this research was to identify the behaviour and attitudes of consumers toward the commercialization of organic products in the city of Riobamba. This will help us to understand in what situations the consumers access these foods, the producer position in relation to the market, and to know their attitude towards these products. The study used a quantitative approach, and is descriptive, incorporating the deductive method and a non-experimental design. The techniques used were a survey as a source of data collection, with a sample including 195 consumers. Linear regression was applied to test the hypotheses; this made it possible to identify those demographic and cultural factors that determine, to a lesser extent, consumer purchase behaviour in regard to organic products. The study determined that motivation, emotions, and feelings are significantly related to the consumer's attitude and purchase of organic products.

Dietary Behavior of Adolescents in the Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia: A Comparison between Cities with and without the Healthy Cities Program.

This study reports dietary behaviors of adolescents in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, and comparison of these behaviors between cities with and without the Healthy Cities Program (HCP). We surveyed 1133 school-attending adolescents aged 15-19, using a multi-staged cluster sampling with probability proportionate to size. Prevalence of daily breakfast consumption was 27.7% among the adolescents. Prevalence of daily vegetables, fruits and milk or milk products consumption was 35.9%, 28.6% and 51.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, the prevalence of daily consumption of fast-food and carbonated drinks was 7.5% and 37.1%, respectively. There was no significant association between living in the healthy cities and daily intake of breakfast (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.87-1.53), fruits (OR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.77-1.36), vegetables (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 0.98-1.67), or milk/milk products (OR: 1.0; 95% CI: 0.77-1.29); and the daily intake of fast-food (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.49-1.35) or carbonated drinks (OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.60-1.05). These findings warrant further in-depth evaluation of the HCP in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.

Physical inactivity and its predictors among adolescents in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional comparison between cities with and without a Healthy Cities Program.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of insufficient physical activity and excessive screen time among adolescents living in cities participating in the Healthy Cities Program (HCP) and cities not running the program in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We surveyed 1133 adolescents from the Qassim region using systematic random sampling between April and September 2017. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the predictors of insufficient levels of PA and excessive screen time. RESULTS: The prevalence of <60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity/day was 82.4% and <3 days of vigorous intensity physical activity/week among adolescents was 59%. There was no significant association between living in healthy cities (HCPs) and insufficient levels of physical activity. The odds of excessive screen time were higher in HCPs than in cities not running the program (NHCPs) (OR: 1.49). The odds of insufficient daily PA (OR: 2.19) are higher among girls than boys. Increasing age is positively associated with insufficient weekly PA (OR: 1.19). The prevalence of excessive recreational screen time is 84.6% with higher odds in HCPs than in NHCPs (OR: 1.51). CONCLUSION: Our findings report a lack of evidence of any impact of the HCP on adolescents' physical activity behaviors. This outcome warrants a further in-depth evaluation of the process and outcomes of the HCP in Saudi Arabia.

Knowledge and awareness of diabetes mellitus and its risk factors in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize available peer-reviewed publications about public knowledge and awareness of diabetes mellitus (DM) among the population of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We followed the standard reporting guidelines outlined in the PRISMA statement for the preparation of this systematic review. In February 2018 we conducted literature searches of PubMed, Scopus, BIOSIS Citation Index, and Web of Science using the following keywords: "Knowledge" OR "Awareness" AND "Diabetes Mellitus" AND "Saudi Arabia." Records were screened, and relevant studies were selected and synthesized narratively. RESULTS: Nineteen articles are included in our systematic review. These studies included the following populations: DM patients (n=13), healthcare workers (n=3), medical students (n=1), secondary school students (n=1), and general population (n=1). Most studies found a lack of public awareness of the risk factors and complications of DM. Among medical students and healthcare workers, knowledge about the epidemiology of the disease and angle of insulin injection was deficient. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the need for increased knowledge and awareness of DM among the Saudi population. The means of improving knowledge and awareness of DM needs to be integrated into existing healthcare systems and processes to better inform patients, families and communities about this chronic disease.