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OBJECTIVE: To compare the maternal and umbilical cord serum selenium concentrations in Low and normal birth weight neonates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was carried out in Vali-Asr and Akbarabadi Hospitals (Jan. to Dec. 2013). Two groups; case group; 91 mothers who delivered a low birth weight (LBW) neonate and control group; 86 subjects who delivered a normal birth weight neonate were selected. Immediately after birth, 5 ml of maternal blood and umbilical cord blood were collected, and sent to laboratory to assay Se concentrations. To compare both groups' blood Se concentration, data were analyzed in SPSS 16.0. RESULTS: Eighty six (48.6%) mothers with normal birth weight neonates and 91 (51.4%) mothers with low birth weight infants entered the study. Mean maternal mothers' age and mean maternal blood Se were 28.55 + 5.90 years and 79.3756+26.46915. A significant association was seen between maternal blood and cord blood Se level in control and case group (P value < 0.0001, r = 0.69) and (P value<0.001, r = 0.79). On the other hand no differences were seen between 2 groups' maternal blood Se level (P Value = 0.65). Umbilical Cord blood Se concentration was not also different between case and control group (P value = 0.46). CONCLUSION: We found that maternal and umbilical cord blood Se concentrations were not different in low and adequate birth weight infants, however; umbilical cord Se concentrations were positively correlated with maternal blood Se concentrations.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Malnutrition and dehydration are two most common types of ailments residents of nursing homes (NH) prone to. It is very important to assess these problems because they can predispose the residents to severe illnesses. The aim of this study was to gather information on nutritional status and its associated risk factors in elderly residents of NHs in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: From 16 NHs in Tehran, 263 residents were randomly selected. Data were collected via questionnaires, including demographic characteristics, past medical history, present health problems and daily routines. The MNA questionnaire was used to gather information regarding their nutritional status. RESULTS: The present study showed that 10.3% of the elderly residents in nursing homes were malnourished. 66.4% of males and 70.8% of females were at risk of malnutrition. Multivariate analysis showed that after adjusting for confounders the following elderly-related factors were the independent risk factors of malnutrition: consuming half or less than of the food (OR=8.0, 95%CI=3.7-17.7), having no teeth or good prosthesis (OR=1.7, 95%CI=1.1-2.7), diabetes (OR=1.6, 95%CI=1.1-2.4), smoking (OR=0.6, 95%CI=0.3-1.2), studying (OR=0.4 95%CI=0.2-0.9) and praying in their free time (OR=1.8 95%CI=1.2-2.6). CONCLUSION: The subjects' health-related factors and their free-time activities and nutritional behavior are the most important factors associated with poor nutrition among elderly residents of NHs; however, further investigation is needed to clarify the role of other factors in maintaining a suitable nutritional plan for them.
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BACKGROUND: The most common geriatric psychiatric disorder is depression, known to be a multi factorial disorder. However, the influence of common preventable factors is yet to be discovered. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of depression and some possible risk factors in elderly residents of nursing homes in Iran. METHODS: Data on demographic characteristics, nutritional and health status of 244 residents aged 60 years or older were collected from seventeen nursing homes in Tehran, Iran, during 2010 to 2012. Depression was assessed and classified according to the 15-item GDS. Univariate and then multivariate complex sample survey ordinal regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between depression and the risk factors. RESULTS: The average age of the 244 cases studied was 75.8 (±8.7) years, 53.3% were female (of whom 74.2% were housewives), 43.4% illiterate, and 32.0% were divorced or were living separately. The percentages of non-depressed, mild, moderate and severe depression were 9.8%, 50.0%, 29.5% and 10.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that dissatisfaction with personnel of nursing homes and food quality had odds ratios of 2.91 (1.33-6.36) and 2.64 (1.44-4.87), corresponding to greater odds of having a higher grade depression. Moreover, those who rested or walked had significantly higher risk of a more severe depression in comparison with those who did not (OR of 2.25 (1.50-3.38) and 1.98 (1.24-3.18), respectively), however, studying had a protective odds ratio of 0.17 (0.13-0.22). CONCLUSION: Depression was very common in our sample and their lifestyle influenced its prevalence.
RESUMO
As a contributing factor to health, the trace element selenium (Se) is an essential nutrient of special interest for humans and all animals. It is estimated that 0.5 to 1 billion people worldwide suffer from Se deficiency. In spite of the important role of Se, its concentrations in soil, water and essential crops have not been studied in Iran. Therefore, the main aim of the current study was to determine the Se content of soil, water, and essential crops (rice in North, wheat in Center, date, and pistachio in South) of different regions of Iran. Sampling was performed in the North, South, and Central regions of Iran. In each selected area in the three regions, 17 samples of surface soil were collected; samples of water and essential crops were also collected at the same sampling points. Upon preliminary preparation of all samples, the Se concentrations were measured by ICP-OES Model Varian Vista-MPX. The amount of soil-Se was found to be in the range between 0.04 and 0.45 ppm in the studied areas; the Se content of soil in the central region of Iran was the highest compared to other regions (p<0.0001). The average Se concentration in irrigation water of different areas was less than 0.01 mg/L, and the mean concentrations of Se in the rice, wheat, date, and pistachio samples were 0.95, 0.74, 0.46, and 0.40 ppm, respectively. Although Se-soil and water-Se level in different regions were low, the typical levels of Se in the essential crops were relatively high.
