Comparison of Nutritional Status in Different Type of Exercises.

Background: Nutritional evaluation is necessary in training program for the athletes and general people. Objective: To determine the effect of different types of activities on nutritional status and to compare the nutritional status in people with four groups of activities: 1) national rowing athletes training using mixed aerobic and anaerobic exercises, 2) national bicycle athletes training using aerobic exercise, 3) regular exercise people, and 4) sedentary activities. Material and Method: 18 cases per group for a total of 72 participants were trained in techniques for accurately recorded dietary patterns by the interviewers. Dietary records were analyzed by using INMUCAL-N (WD 4.4) program. Body composition was measured. Results: Mean age were 21.89±5.83, 20.71±3.62, 25.05±7.09, and 20.83±2.09 years respectively. The body mass index among groups was not significantly different (mean 21.87±3.56 kg/m(2)). Sex was not different among groups. All participants had no known chronic or cardiovascular diseases. The athlete groups (Groups 1 and 2) had more total energy intake than the others. Group 2 had the highest percentage of fat contribution per day 37.99±6.06% of total energy per day, (p<0.05). The micro-nutrients by recommended daily allowance (RDA) was not adequate in all groups, including vitamin E (VE), Magnesium (Mg), and Selenium (Se), especially group 4 had not enough ferrous (Fe), vitamin B1 (B1), Niacin (B3), and vitamin C (VC). Conclusion: Several micro-nutrients intakes in all groups did not reach the recommended daily allowance (RDA), especially in females of all group and both sex in the sedentary activities group. The implications of these results for widely propagated sport nutrition are to control the dietary fat intake and increase the intake of fruits and vegetables. We suggest that both education and management of optimum intensity aerobic exercise and controlled dietary fat intake are essential to prevent cardiovascular diseases for the entire population including the training athletes.

Nutritional Status among Schoolchildren in the Risk Areas of Liver Fluke Infection, Surin Province, Thailand.

Background: Opisthorchis viverrini is endemic in the Lower Mekong Basin, including Thailand, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Cambodia, and central Vietnam. This figure indicates that it is a serious public health problem in Thailand, particularly in northeastern and northern region. Objective: To survey the nutritional status among schoolchildren including the association between nutritional status and related O. viverrini infection that is reported in their living areas. Material and Method: A cross-sectional survey of nutritional status among schoolchildren was conducted in the rural communities of Surin province, Thailand, between September 2013 and July 2014. Nutritional evaluations, Socio-economic, and family information were collected through questionnaires. Four hundred sixty two children aged between 6 to 14 years were enrolled. Pearson correlation test and multiple logistic regression were used in this study. Results: Most respondents who answered the questionnaire were mother (37.23%), and followed by children (34.41), female (51.73%), and age rank older than 9 to 12 years old (41.99%). Schoolchildren were evaluated for weigh for age, which resulted in normal weight (60.82%), wasting (8.01%), underweight (7.58%), obesity (2.38%), and overweight (1.95%). Height for age was divided into normal height (60.17%), stunting (0.74%), slightly short (4.76%), tall (3.46%), and slightly tall (2.6%). Weight for height was divided into appropriate (54.11%), thin (10.82%), slightly thin (8.02%), obesity (2.38%), and morbid obesity (1.73%). Children were not infected with O. viverrini in this study even if 15.8% of them consumed undercooked particularly cyprinoid fish. Children with slightly underweight was statistically significant associated with O. viverrini infection (Adjust R square = 0.445, p<0.05). The equation for prediction of liver fluke infection among schoolchildren who had slightly underweight is Y = -0.508 + 0.517 X(12) and Z = 0.694 X(12). Conclusion: The present study indicates that stunting, underweight and wasting children were found in high infectious areas of O. viverrini. Slightly underweight was associated with infection. Therefore, implementation of nutrient in this group is urgently required. Furthermore, health education for children and relative family should be encouraged for further campaign in this province.

Perceptions of Medical Students and Facilitators of an Early Clinical Exposure Instructional Program.

BACKGROUND: Early introduction to clinical medicine program was use as medical curriculum, Suranaree University since 2007. Today, medical students are learning introduction to patient contact, communication skills and clinical examination in the pre-clinicalyears with the purpose ofgaining early clinical experience. OBJECTIVE: Investigation for pre-clinical students and clinical facilitators' perception through early introduction to clinical medicine. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Third-year medical students were enrolled in the introduction to clinical medicine coursefor 2 weeks. Questionnaires for student andfacilitator versions were distributed to 60 students and 21 facilitators. In the analysis, both t-test analysis and bivariate analysis for mean difference were used, statistical significant p < 0.05. RESULTS: Sixty students (participation rate 100%) and 16 `facilitators (participation rate 76%) completed the questionnaire. Differences in perception between medical students and facilitators were found in domains of professionalism, facilitator's perception were greater than medical students in medical profession were (4.5 vs. 3.87, p = 0.03), domain that medical student's perception were greater than facilitator's in encouragement was (3.95 vs. 3.25, p < 0.01) and pressure in learning environment (3.92 vs. 3.12, p < 0.01). No learning gaps of facilitators and medical students in the other domains ofcognitive, interpersonal skills, ethics, learning, teacher preparation and social environment and overall stratification were identified. CONCLUSION: The students experienced the course as providing them with a valuable introduction to the physician professional role in clinical practice. In medical students' perception, they often experienced encouragement and the learning environment more so thanfacilitators did. Overall stratification was good in perception of facilitators and medical students.

Risk Factors of Small for Gestational Age and Large for Gestational Age at Buriram Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Babies with low birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) are at increased risk of many perinatal complications. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risks factors associated with SGA and LGA births at Buriram Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Pregnant women who were admitted to the labor room at Buriram hospital were selected, alternate cases in the daytime between October 2012 and January 2013. Pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain were categorized based on Institute of Medicine BMI groups. The predicted risk of either SGA or LGA births were estimated using generalized linear modeling and multivariate regression. RESULTS: Data were collected on 197 pregnant women including pregnancy characteristics, antenatal care, labor characteristics, maternal complications and neonatal health. The average maternal age was 25.74 ± 6.47 years old. The results showed that the factors of weight gain during pregnancy < recommend for the pre-pregnancy BMI weight, gestational age < 37 weeks and pregnancy induce hypertension were correlated with SGA by logistic regression. Maternal age < 19 years old was correlated with a lower incidence of LGA. When using multivariate analysis the factor associated with SGA was gestational age < 37 weeks (Adjusted odds ratio 10.403, 95% CI 2.109-51.313, p = 0.004), whereas the factor associated with decreased LGA was maternal age < 19 years old (Adjusted odds ratio 0.128, 95% CI 0.017-0.983, p = 0.048). CONCLUSION: The risk factor associated with SGA was gestational age < 37 weeks. The factor associated with LGA was maternal age, with maternal age < 19 years old having the least incidence for LGA. Public health programs should be targeted towards improving antenatal care screening and close monitoring including maternal age, gestational weight gain, monitoring obstetric care, prevent preterm delivery and providing proper newborn resuscitation in order to decrease perinatal complications and improve the quality of perinatal health.

Situational analysis of palliative care education in thai medical schools.

OBJECTIVE: The Thai Medical School Palliative Care Network conducted this study to establish the current state of palliative care education in Thai medical schools. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was given to 2 groups that included final year medical students and instructors in 16 Thai medical schools. The questionnaire covered 4 areas related to palliative care education. RESULTS: An insufficient proportion of students (defined as fewer than 60%) learned nonpain symptoms control (50.0%), goal setting and care planning (39.0%), teamwork (38.7%), and pain management (32.7%). Both medical students and instructors reflected that palliative care education was important as it helps to improve quality of care and professional competence. The percentage of students confident to provide palliative care services under supervision of their senior, those able to provide services on their own, and those not confident to provide palliative care services were 57.3%, 33.3%, and 9.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of knowledge in palliative care in students may lower their level of confidence to practice palliative care. In order to prepare students to achieve a basic level of competency in palliative care, each medical school has to carefully put palliative care content into the undergraduate curriculum.