Assessment of Mental Health Comorbidities and Relief Factors in Moroccan Women during the Third Trimester of Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: During pregnancy, women can experience mental alterations, particularly anxiety and depression, which mark an important transition period in their lives. Social support appears to be a crucial alleviating factor for these disorders. The aim of this study is to assess the extent of psychological disturbances and their relieving factors by investigating correlations between mental status and different sociodemographic and clinical characteristics during the third trimester of pregnancy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study including 160 pregnant women in their last trimester was carried out in Morocco, notably at the Ibn Sina University Hospital and in two health centers. A pre-structured questionnaire, including sociodemographic and clinical variables and internationally recognized scales such as the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Bergen Insomnia Scale (BIS), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), was mobilized. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 18.75% and 12.5%, respectively. A correlation between these two mental disorders and the level of education, pregnancy planning, monthly income, and provision of health coverage was found (p-value < 0.05). The main determinants of anxiety were stress (p-value = 0.047) and social support (p-value < 0.001), while depression was limited to social support (p-value < 0.001) and sleep quality (p-value = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: It is essential to take action against these disorders and their predictive factors by raising awareness and implementing a diagnosis and care protocol with healthcare professionals to guide and orient distressed women.

Genetic analysis based on 15 autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) in the Chaouia population, western center Morocco, and genetic relationships with worldwide populations.

The complex demographic history of human populations in North Africa has resulted in a high degree of genetic heterogeneity across the region. However, little is known about the pattern of these genetic variations in its current populations. The present study provides new data on the genetic background of Chaouia, an Arabic-speaking North African population in the western center of Morocco. A random sample of 150 unrelated healthy individuals from Chaouia was assessed using the AmpFLSTR Identifiler kit. The most polymorphic markers were D21S11 and D18S51, with 23 and 22 alleles, respectively. After Bonferroni's correction, two loci (TH01 and D18S51) deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The phylogeny analysis separated North African populations into northeastern and northwestern groups. The Chaouia population was clustered with northwestern Africans. It was the closest to the Berbers of Azrou. The Chaouia shared close genetic affinities with populations from North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, particularly Iberians, and to a lesser extent with sub-Saharan populations. The pattern of genetic admixture varied across North African populations without a clear correlation between their geographic (northeastern or northwestern) or linguistic identities (Arab or Berber), however, genetic heterogeneity among Berbers was observed. These findings suggest that the diversity observed in North African populations extends geographical and linguistic boundaries. It is further linked to each population's unique and complex demographic history. Human North African population genetics seems to present an intriguing landscape for future studies in the region and its surrounding populations to trace the origins of the genetic heterogeneity observed in these populations.

Genetic characterization of the Berber-speaking population of Souss (Morocco) based on autosomal STRs.

BACKGROUND: The Souss, located in southern Morocco, is one of the oldest areas of human settlement in North Africa. Despite this historical relevance, the Souss has not received sufficient attention in terms of population genetic studies. METHODS: In this study, we utilized the AmpFlSTR Identifiler PCR amplification system to establish the allelic frequencies and statistical parameters of 15 autosomal STRs (Short Tandem Repeats) in 150 healthy unrelated Berber-speaking individuals from the Souss. We explored the genetic relationships between Souss and other reference populations based on our dataset as well as previously published population data. RESULTS: A total of 210 alleles were detected with corresponding allele frequencies ranging from 0.003 to 0.367. The most polymorphic locus was D18S51 with 23 alleles which was also the most discriminating locus as expected. The phylogenetic analysis clustered the Souss closer to the Azrou and southern Moroccan populations. The population comparison showed affinity between the Souss and most North African populations, as well as with Middle Easterners and Europeans. CONCLUSION: Historical events and geographical proximity have contributed to the affinity between the Souss and surrounding North African, Southern European, and Middle Eastern populations. Overall, this study highlights the reliability of the 15 STRs for identifying individuals and assessing paternity in the Souss population.