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Background and Objectives: Cancer treatments leading to increased survival rates are reported to participate in the creation of debilitating physical and psychosocial deficits for cancer survivors. Measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are designed to tap such consequences of cancer treatment together with the impact of the disease itself. Methods: Parents of 67 included patients aged 8 - 12 years, were asked to complete the parent proxy report of PedsQL^TM 3.0 Cancer Module (Arabic version), as well as a separate sheet for socio-demographic data. Results: The ratio of Males to females was 1.8:1 among study patients with a median age of 8 years at diagnosis. Hematological malignancies represented 70.1% of the sample, with the highest proportion for ALL (52.2%). Total QOL showed to be relatively low with mean value of 62.29 for the whole group. Subscales with least scores were for; worry (44.11), perceived physical appearance (50.6), and procedural anxiety (55.34). On the other hand, the best score was 75.98 for communication, followed by 72.63 for cognitive problems. The impacts of some medical and socio-demographic variables on QOL and its subscales were elicited in our results. Conclusion: Increased treatment intensity, long duration of hospital admission, higher frequency of hospital visits, female sex, younger age at diagnosis, and large family size were all associated with a poorer total QOL and/or its subscales among Egyptian pediatric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: In developing countries, stunting among children is a major public health concern. It affects all aspects of children’s lives; its effects are not constrained to physical wellbeing but reach out to mental, social, and spiritual wellbeing. AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of stunting in some of the Egyptian governmental primary school children and its nutritional and socioeconomic determinants. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on primary school children aged 6–12 years. General demographic, socioeconomic, and anthropometric data, as well as dietary pattern, were collected. RESULTS: Out of 1740 children, 7.8% were stunted. Not eating eggs and dairy products had the most profound effect on stunting in children (p < 0.001). Not having meals on time, skipping breakfast, and having <3 meals per day were predictors of stunting (p = 0.003, p = 0.00, and p = 0.008, respectively). Mother’s education (p = 0.005) followed by family income (p = 0.007) was the most affecting social factors. CONCLUSION: There are many nutritional factors associated with stunting as skipping breakfast, not having meals on time, and having <3 meals per day. Scarcity in nutritive foods as eggs and dairy products and increased soft drink intake can lead to stunting. There are many enabling social factors for stunting as mother’s education and family income. However, the effects of these factors can be modified by health awareness.

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BACKGROUND: In developing countries, overweight among children becomes an alarming problem and a health concern. Obesity is a factor in disease severity of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) having the greatest impact on patients. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight in some of the Egyptian governmental primary school children, its nutritional and socioeconomic determinants. Special focus was directed to identify the current dietary practices including risky nutritional habits of overweight children as a weak point leading to increasing their vulnerability to catching COVID-19 infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on primary school children aged 6–12 years. General demographic data, socioeconomic data, dietary pattern, intake of a diversity of nutrient-rich food versus calorie-dense food, and anthropometrical data were collected. RESULTS: Of 1600 child, there were 8% overweight who are considered at risk of COVID-19 infection. Considering the weekly share of the stomach, only one-third of the food consumed by overweight children is nutrient-rich, with high consumption of French fries and Candies (once per day among 95% and 78 % of overweight children, respectively). Moreover, 90% of them consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) more than once per day. The majority of overweight children belonged to small, middle- income families, and had illiterate or read and write mothers. CONCLUSION: Overweight children eat narrow diversity of nutrient-rich food that includes vegetables, fruits, protein, and dairy products. They eat more calorie-dense foods, every day. The increase of family income increased the likelihood of having overweight children with a high intake of SSB, candies, and chips; consumption of snacks between meals and before sleep. Protective predictors against overweight were highly educated mothers, taking breakfast before school, having dinner, and taking meals on time. RECOMMENDATION: Nutritional behavioral education aiming at choosing nutritious and varied options of food that is effective for improving children’s nutritional status is the key to decreasing vulnerability toward COVID 19.