No abstract

BACKGROUND:Body weight concern and belief in adolescent females are of great importance. They are the keys to successful dietary interventions including dietary habits’ modifications to practice a healthy diet. This critical phase of transition from childhood to adulthood is the most sensitive stage of behavioural rectification.AIM:This study was conducted with the aim to figure out the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and the association of body image satisfaction and believe with body mass index in adolescent girls aged 16-18 years.MATERIAL AND METHODS:Two hundred and three Egyptian adolescent females were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Their mean age was (17.4 ± 0.64) years old. Self-administered questionnaires about the students’ body satisfaction and weight belief were answered by the candidates. Their body mass index was calculated. Also, sociodemographic data were collected. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 16.0. Chi-square test was conducted for the variables.RESULTS:Sixty-eight percent of the students were within normal weight, 3.3% were underweight, while 18.2% and 10.5% were overweight and obese respectively. Body dissatisfaction was prevalent among 37.4%. The prevalence of body dissatisfaction was higher in both obese and underweight candidates reaching (93.8% and 80%) respectively. This reflects students’ awareness of their body shape.CONCLUSION:More than one-third of adolescent females were dissatisfied with their body image. The subjective belief about self-body image matched the objective Body Mass Index measurements.

Vitamins are evaluated for their role in immunity. Recently, vitamin A received a particular attention as a critical micronutrient for regulating immune system. Therefore, the present study aimed to search for new about vitamin A. Forty-eight Egyptian adults aged from 18 to 42 years old from both sexes were subjected to clinical examination and nutrition questionnaire and were screened for vitamin A by using ELISA method. Forty subjects were selected and subdivided into two groups. Group 1 with vitamin A at level >200 µg/dl consists of 10 healthy subjects. Group 2 with vitamin A deficiency at level <50 µg/dl consists of 30 subjects. Tβ4 and CD4 levels were also determined by a commercial ELISA kit. Results showed a significant decrease in serum levels of Tβ4 and CD4 in group 2 than group 1 at P < .003 and P < .019 respectively. Both of Tβ4 and CD4 had positive correlation with vitamin A level at P < .000 and P < .003 respectively as well as with each other at p < .000. We concluded that vitamin A deficiency may be influence the levels of Tβ4 and CD4.

No abstract

BACKGROUND:Mercury exists worldwide in food, water and air throwing its health hazards on all body systems.AIM:To show the influence of the presence of mercury in pregnant mothers’ blood on its level in the umbilical cord blood; and to display the relationship between the different foodstuff on the mercury levels in pregnant mothers’ and umbilical cord blood.PATIENTS AND METHODS:This cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly chosen 113 pregnant mothers at the time of labour and on their newborns. Full history, sociodemographic data and food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment were recorded. The Maternal and neonatal anthropometric measurements together with the Apgar scoring were also measured. Serum mercury levels in both mothers’ and umbilical cord blood were measured using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).RESULTS:A high percentage of mothers (82.3%) were exposed to passive smoking. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the maternal and fetal umbilical cord blood mercury levels (p = 0.002). There was an insignificant negative correlation between the maternal blood and fetal umbilical cord blood mercury levels on one side and each of the different foodstuff on the other side (fish, vegetables, fruits and proteins, for example, meat and legumes). An insignificant positive correlation was found between dairy products and of the maternal blood and umbilical cord blood mercury levels.CONCLUSION:The fetal umbilical cord blood mercury levels correlate positively with the maternal blood mercury. The different foodstuff can influence the maternal and umbilical cord blood mercury levels whether by increase or decrease. Strict measures should be taken to decrease environmental mercury contamination with attention to pregnant mothers.