[EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire role as predictor for malnutrition risk in head and neck cancer Mexican patients]. / Papel del cuestionario EORTC QLQ-C30 en la predicción de riesgo de desnutrición en pacientes mexicanos con cáncer de cabeza y cuello.

INTRODUCTION: Head and neck cancer treatment restricts oral intake and conditioning malnutrition. Adequate nutritional support during treatment can limit the impact of side effects. OBJECTIVE: To describe EORTC QLQ-C30 role for malnutrition risk screening in head and neck cancer patients. METHODS: Analytical and cross-sectional, diagnostic test study in head and neck cancer patients. We correlated malnutrition diagnosis with subjective global assessment (SGA) and score for the EORTC QLQ-C30 scales with Pearson and Spearman correlation. We realized COR (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curves to calculate cut point in the score for the EORTC QLQ-C30 scales; we calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and Odds Ratio through logistic regression. RESULTS: Functional scales (role, physic, global health status/QoL) showed limited utility to malnutrition risk estimation in people with head and neck cancer. Symptoms' scales with strong association were: pain (sensitivity 76.47%, specificity 69.23%), insomnia (sensitivity 88.24%, specificity 53.85%), fatigue (sensitivity 70.59%, specificity 76.92%). CONCLUSIONS: EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire is a useful tool to early malnutrition diagnosis in head and neck cancer patients with short term results in nutritional condition, treatment response and a better QoL in this kind of patients.

Oral Health: Validation of a questionnaire of self-perception and self-care habits in Diabetes Mellitus 2, hypertensive and obese patients. The UISESS-B scale.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and to evaluate a questionnaire of self-perception and self-care habits on oral health on a first level population. METHODS: A descriptive, observational study was performed to validate a questionnaire on oral health self-perception (UISESS-B). After non-probabilistic sampling, 94 users, 30-59 years of age, with either diabetes mellitus 2, hypertension or obesity were included. Duration of disease was lesser than 10 years. Pearson's r, Cornbach's , factorial analysis, chi-square and Snedecor's F tests were employed. RESULTS: A Pearson's r of 0.7 and Cronbach's of 0.82 was observed on the pre-post values of the global questionnaire. In the factorial analysis, the variance explained more than 60% for a first factor. A punctuation of very high risk for the three groups with the scale UISESSS-B that coincides with the index CPO-D and the index UISESS-F was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The UISESS-B scale shows significant validity and reliability, suggesting its use as a sensitive instrument for the measurement of oral health in people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Body fat at pubertal genital stage 2: a comparison between Spanish and Mexican boys.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To compare body fat mass at the same stage of pubertal maturation, genital stage 2 (G2), in a Spanish and in a Mexican sample of boys. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data from Spain (n=177) were from a previous longitudinal clinical follow-up and data from Mexico (n=91) from a cross-sectional study. Subjects were grouped according to the presence of G2 at similar ages. Spanish sample was divided into boys with G2 at age 12 (n=60), 13 (n=74) and 14 (n=43). In Mexican sample, 23 boys were at G2 at 12 years, 38 at age 13 and 30 at 14 years. Height, weight, upper arm circumference and four skinfold thicknesses were recorded. Genital development was assessed (Tanner scale). Sum of four skinfolds (SUM), body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat (%BF) and extremity/trunk skinfold ratio (ETR=(triceps+biceps)/(subscapular+suprailiac)) was calculated. RESULTS: When comparing subjects with different ages at G2 from the same country, or with the same age at G2 from different countries, no significant differences were found in adiposity variables (%BF, SUM), nor in BMI. Nevertheless, there were differences in body fat distribution: ETR was higher in Spanish boys (P<0.001), because of their greater triceps skinfold thickness (P=0.013), and due to the greater trunk fat stores in Mexican boys (P<0.01, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds). CONCLUSIONS: There is a subcutaneous fat mass store characteristic of G2 in boys, which is not only independent of age, but is also observable in two different populations.

How important is patient education?

The prevalence and disability rate of rheumatic diseases are increasing. It seems that non-medical causes play an important role in the morbidity, disability and mortality of these patients. Efforts to reduce their impact are extremely important. Patient education is thought to be one way to limit disability in rheumatic diseases and to achieve an improvement in quality of life. In this chapter, we review the influence of non-medical causes of morbidity on disease outcome, some basic aspects of education and the evidence of the effectiveness of patient education in diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia syndrome.

[The migration process as risk factor in chronic malnutrition of pre-school children from Jalisco]. / El proceso migratorio como factor de riesgo en la desnutrición crónica del preescolar migrante cañero de Jalisco.

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors in the family's migratory profile of preschool children with chronic malnutrition. A comparative observational study was conducted, including 511 12 to 60 months old children from childcare centers in the Jalisco sugar cane area, from February to March 1988. We evaluated their nutritional status using anthropometric indicators and Waterlow's classification. Their migratory history included information on place of origin, migratory mobility, cause of immigration, sociodemographic characteristics of parents and history of siblings who died under five years. The prevalence of malnutrition was 79 percent per 100 preschool children (68.5% adapted, 21.5% acute chronic and 10.4% acute). Factors associated with chronic malnutrition (OR greater than 1 CI 95%) included: coming from a poverty stricken population and being permanent migrants. A significant difference (p less than 0.05) was found among children of parents who were jobless at the time of migration. These findings could be used to justify the implementation of nutritional epidemiologic surveillance and intervention programs.

[Factors associated with acute malnutrition in migrating pre-school children from the sugar cane region of Jalisco]. / Factores asociados a la desnutrición aguda en preescolares migrantes de la zona cañera de Jalisco.

The purpose of this study is to identify the association between socioeconomic, environmental, feeding and individual factors involved in the acute malnutrition of the migrating pre-schooler. A comparative, transversal, observational study was conducted in 511 children between the ages of 1 and 5 from child care centers in the Jalisco sugar cane area. Using anthropometric indicators, classified according to Waterlow, their nutritional state was evaluated. The prevalence of the malnutrition was 79.0 per 100 preschoolers (68.1% adapted, 21.5% acutely chronic and 10.4% acute). Those factors associated with acute malnutrition included: a family income of less than the established minimum wage (O.R. = 6.32, P = 0.00), a lesser amount with an acute pathology (O.R. = 3.34, P = 0.00) and being a year old (O.R. = 2.22, P = 0.01). Significant differences were found among children of parents who: did not have an education (P = 0.04) and who were sugar cane cutters (P = 0.05). The findings identify risk factors for acute malnutrition, probably modifiable using nutritional epidemiological surveillance strategies.