ABSTRACT
The present study was designed to develop Nutrition Education Program (NEP) based on PRECEDE-PROCEED model (PPM) to address healthy eating behavior among middle school girls aged between 4 and 12 years. For this, middle school girls from grade 1 to 8 (n = 900) were consulted for their eating behaviors, followed by the analysis of their health problems. From 15 different schools of three large cities (Faisalabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi) of Pakistan, students were divided into two groups: control group (n = 30) and intervention group (n = 30) from each school. The data were collected through interview-based questionnaires according to the phases of PRECEDE Model and evaluated based on PROCEED model. Implementation of NEP was carried out through lectures. Lessons were prepared to enhance student's awareness about nutritious food and healthy lifestyle through educational pamphlets and influenced their attitude towards selection of food choices from My-Plate. Results showed that NEP was quite successful for long-term results. A significant increase in total caloric intake was observed after 8 weeks of NEP intervention (1694 ± 217 Kcal) as compared to before intervention (1329 ± 318 Kcal). Similarly, carbohydrate, protein, and fat content was also increased in daily diet. Conclusively, NEP based on PPM has great impact on healthy lifestyle of middle school girls. Significant difference was observed in score of health variables before and after NEP intervention.
ABSTRACT
This study reports the baseline data of chlorination disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and their associated health risks in the water distribution network of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. THM monitoring was carried out at 30 different sampling sites across the twin cities for 6 months. The average concentration of total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and chloroform ranged between 575 and 595 µg/L which exceeded the permissible US (80 µg/L) and EU (100 µg/L) limits. Chloroform was one of the major contributors to the TTHMs concentration (>85%). The occurrence of THMs was found in the following order: chloroform, bromodichloromethane > dibromochloromethane > bromoform. Lifetime cancer risk assessment of THMs for both males and females was carried out using prediction models via different exposure routes (ingestion, inhalation, and dermal). Total lifetime cancer risk assessment for different exposure routes (ingestion, inhalation, and skin) was carried out. The highest cancer risk expected from THMs seems to be from the inhalation route followed by ingestion and dermal contacts. The average lifetime cancer risk for males and females was found to be 0.51 × 10⻳ and 1.22 × 10⻳, respectively. The expected number of cancer risks per year could reach two to three cases for each city.
