Overweight and life style among Bulgarian seafarers

Obesity is a major health problem in many parts of the world. It is a recognized risk factor for many chronic non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, endocrine and metabolic diseases. Obesity among seafarers is not only an obstacle for fulfilling their full working capacity; it is also known as a risk factor for acute complications of chronic diseases that require urgent professional medical care, which is not always available. The frequency of obesity and overweight among 438 Bulgarian seafarers and its link to some health indicators shows that the number of overweight seafarers were 213 (48.4%) and a fifth of them (n = 96 or 21.8%) were obese according to their BMI. There were no reliable significant differences in the allocation of people with overweight and obesity according to the hours of sleep they get, having main meal at dinner or at various levels of physical activities

Evaluation of the anthropometric nutritional status of pupils in primary schools in Varna

Въведение: Училищната възраст е рисков период по отношение нарушения в хранителното поведение. Както затлъстяването, така и недохранването могат да имат негативни последици за здравето. Цел: Да се анализира антропометричният хранителен статус на ученици от начален курс на обучение от град Варна. Материали и методи: През учебната 2011/2012 г. в гр. Варна е проучен антропометричният статус на ученици 1-4 клас. Обхванати са 3091 деца (1565 момчета и 1526 момичета). Със съдействието на училищните лекари са измерени ръстът и телесната маса. Изчислен е ИТМ, чиито стойности са сравнени със стандартите на СЗО за съответната възраст от 2006 г. Данните са обработени чрез вариационен и алтернативен анализ. За сравнение на резултатите е използван критерият на Стюдънт-Фишер. Статистическата достоверност е определена при ниво на значимост p<0,05. Резултати: Индексът ИТМ - за възраст, показва нормални стойности при над 50% от учениците. Относителният дял на учениците от втори и трети клас със свръхтегло според ИТМ е достоверно по-висок от този на първокласниците и при двата пола. При учениците от различните възрастови групи не установяваме достоверни разлики по отношение наличието на затлъстяване според ИТМ. То е достоверно по-често при момчетата спрямо момиче тата на същата възраст. С поднормено тегло и недохранване са под 5% от измерените ученици. Най-висок е делът на децата с недохранване в І клас (n=12; 1.23%), a най-нисък - в ІV клас (n=12; 0.24%). Заключение: При целодневно обучение в началния курс трябва да се създадат условия, профилактиращи натрупването на телесна маса.Introduction: The educational period carries a high risk of imbalanced nutritional behavior. Obesity, as well as undernourishment, may be extremely dangerous for the health. Aim: To analyze the anthropometric nutritional status of pupils in primary schools in Varna City. Materials and Methods: During the school year 2011/2012 the anthropometric nutritional status of pupils from first to fourth grade was analyzed. The study covered 3091 children (1565 boys and 1526 girls). With the help of the school doctors their height and body mass was measured. BMI was calculated and its rate compared with the WHO standards for this age from 2006. The data was processed via variance and alternative analysis. To compare the results, the Stu-dent-Fisher criterion was used. The Statistical Reliability was determined with significance p<0.05. Results: The Body Mass Index (BMI) reveals normal values with over 50% of the pupils. The relative part of pupils in second and third grade with obesity according to BMI is significantly higher than the one in first grade with both boys and girls. Among the pupils from different age groups, a significant difference in the percent of obesity according to BMI cannot be determined. The latter is significantly higher among boys compared to girls of the same age. Children with underweight and undernourishment are less than 5% of all measured. The part of children with undernourishment is the highest among the first-graders (n=12; 1.23%), and the lowest among the fourth-graders (n=12; 0.24%).Conclusion: In full-time education in primary schools, conditions should be created to prevent the accumulation of body mass

Impact of Maternal Nutrition on Child Neurodevelopment: Insights from Recent Studies

Background: The initial 1000 days of human life, from conception to two years of age, are crucial for health growth and neuropsychological development. This period’s primary environmental influence is maternal nutrition, which significantly impacts the development of the fetal nervous system.Objectives: This review aims to synthesize current literature on the effects of dietary patterns and nutritional status of pregnant women on the neurodevelopment of their offspring.Methods: Adhering to the Scale for the Quality Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) and elements of the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature search in electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Mendeley, focusing on publications from 2018 to 2023.Results: Our review encapsulates findings from 25 peer-reviewed articles, highlighting the influence of various nutrients like polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), vitamin D, folate, iodine, and iron on child neurodevelopment. Studies also examined the effects of maternal dietary patterns, body mass index (BMI), and alcohol exposure. Key findings indicate the crucial role of balanced maternal nutrition in optimal neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.Discussion: The review reveals intricate relationships between maternal dietary habits, supplementation, and child growth and neurological development. While some nutrients show clear benefits, others present mixed findings, underlining the complexity of maternal nutrition’s role in child development.Conclusion: The review underscores the importance of balanced maternal nutrition for favorable neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring, calling for more detailed research to understand the nuanced roles of specific nutrients and dietary patterns

Impact of risk factors on growth of children from families with atopy

Nutritional and non-nutritional factors might interfere with growth of children with atopy in the first years of life and complicate even further weight gain and development. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the impact of nutrition and several environmental factors on the growth of children from families with atopy in early childhood. During the period 2017–2020, a prospective cohort study, which included 120 children 13–31 months of age (24.0±3.9 months) with family medical history for allergy was conducted in Varna, Bulgaria. The sample was followed for around 2 years. Sociodemographic data, family and personal history for smoking, pet presence, atopy and common acute infections was collected at regular intervals. Anthropometric measurements were taken at birth, 2, 4, 6 month, 1 year and 2 years. The conducted study found that factors from the living environment and nutritional nature are related to the processes of growth and development in children from families with allergy. The presence of diseases such as atopic dermatitis, acute infections of the digestive and excretory system, hospitalizations in connection with urinary infections, smoking have relation to the growth and development of children with a family history of atopy. The data resulting from our study may serve as a basis for further research so the mechanisms of atopy to be investigated better and potential preventive measures during pregnancy and early childhood to be specified. The impact of risk factors on children‘s growth during the first 1000 days could be modified by targeted behavioral interventions of the whole family

Comparative analysis of the immunization practice efficiency in England and the Republic of Bulgaria upon the implementation of the national immunization programs

An Internet survey of the immunization practices in England and the Republic of Bulgaria was conducted and their effectiveness in regard to the vaccine coverage of the population was investigated. The comparative analysis of the mandatory and recommended immunoprophylaxis systems shows that the established organizational and management structure in both countries supports the successful implementation of the national immunization programs. All of this presents with a high immunization coverage among the pediatric population - over 90%

Study of eating behavior of workers with different occupational psycho-emotional factors

Психоемоционалните рискове на работното място повлияват хранителните навици на работещите. Здравните ефекти на нездравословния начин на труд, свързани с наднормено тегло, затлъстяване и сърдечно-съдови усложнения са опосредствани от нарушения в навиците за здравословен начин на хранене. Проведено е срезово проучване на хранителния режим и условията на труд с акцент върху психо-емоционалното напрежение сред лица в трудоспособна възраст от Североизточна България. Анкетирани са 502 работещи на възраст от 19 до 80 години. Средната възраст на участниците е 39±0,5 години. Разделени са в три групи според нивата на самооценката за психо-емоционално напрежение на работното място. Режим на хранене с две и по-малко хранения показват 68 или 63% от лицата, работещи при умствен труд с непостоянна програма, спрямо 111 или 47,4% от работещите при постоянна и ясна програма. (Хи квадрат 7,142 при р<0,01 и корелационен коефициент r -0.145 при р<0,01). Нездравословно хранещите се лица, които поемат риск на работното място, са 28 или 70%, спрямо 151 или 50% от тези, освободени от такъв риск на работа. (Хи квадрат 5,664 при р <0,05 и корелационен коефициент r -0.129 при р <0,05).Двукратно е храненето на 19 или 27,1% от работещите при хипострес, 62 или 31,2% от лицата в еустрес и 66 или 34,7% от тези с хиперстрес на работното място. Подобни са тенденциите и при хранещите се основно на вечеря.В заключение стресът на работното място оказва влияние върху режима на хранене.Групата на изследваните лица, работещите в условия на психо-емоционално напрежение не се хранят според препоръките за здравословно хранене. За промоция на здравето на работното място, службите по трудова медицина следва да мониторират хранителните навици и адекватно да съветват и обучават работещите при интензивно психо-емоционално напрежение за здравословно хранително поведение.Psycho-emotional risks at work affect the eating behavior among workers. The health effects of unhealthy work related to overweight, obesity and cardiovascular complications are mediated by disturbances in healthy eating habits. A cross-sectional diet and work study was conducted focusing on the psycho-emotional tension among working-age people from northeastern Bulgaria. Five hundred and two people aged 19 to 80 were interviewed. The average age of participants was 39 ± 0.5 years. They were divided into three groups according to the levels of self-assessment for psycho-emotional stress at the workplace. A regimen consisting of two meals or less was observed in 68 or 63% of the people involved in mental work with a non-permanent schedule, compared to 111 or 47.4% of those working with a permanent and clear schedule (Chi square 7,142 at p <0.01 and correlation coefficient r -0.145 at p <0.01). Workers with unhealthy behavior who take a risk in the workplace were 28 or 70%, compared to 151 or 50% of those who had no such risk at work. (Chi square 5,664 at p <0.05 and correlation coefficient r -0.129 at p <0.05).Twice daily is the feeding of 19 or 27.1% of those with hypostress, 62 or 31.2% of those in eustres and 66 or 34.7% of those with hyperstress in the workplace. Similar are the tendencies for those who eat mainly at dinner

Adherence to disease-modifying therapies among patients with multiple sclerosis in Bulgaria – A real world study

Introduction: The purpose was to assess the level of medication adherence (MA) and related factors among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Bulgaria. Materials and methods: A prospective one-year study was conducted among 54 patients with MS diagnosed, treated, and monitored in Clinic of Neurology, University Hospital “Alexandrovska”, Sofia in 2022/2023. Clinical data, patients reported outcomes, patients’ characteristics such as age, gender and reduced work capacity, and other data were collected to define the predictors of non-adherence to medicines. MA level was assessed through a free Morisky–Green 4-item questionnaire. Results: Мost of the observed patients were rated with high and moderate adherence to MS therapy (n = 44; 81.48%). The remaining 18.52% of the patients with poor adherence to therapy were women. There was no statistical basis for asserting differences in adherence levels among the various factors considered. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates the importance of MA assessment and provides insights into MA among patients with MS in Bulgaria. Still, there are low-adherent patients, and the responsible factors should be further investigated

The role of vitamin K in human health

Introduction: Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin. It exists in the form of three compounds with similar structures and functions. Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone, phytomenadione) is the most common active form in nature and is found in plants. Vitamin K2 (menaquinone), which has about 75% of the potential of K1, is synthesized by bacteria in the human intestinal tract. Vitamin K3 (menadione) is a water-soluble synthetic compound that can be converted to K2 in the intestinal tract.Aim: The purpose of this review is to discuss the role of Vitamin K in human health.Materials and Methods: An analysis of publications available in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Medline scientific databases was conducted. The keywords used were vitamin K, menaquinone, phylloquinone, physiological effects of vitamin K.Results: Vitamin K’s best known function is its participation in the synthesis of coagulation factors in the liver. Vitamin K affects the osteoblast proliferation and differentiation as well as the calcium deposition in the blood vessels. The vitamin’s essential role in the synthesis of sphingolipids in the brain determines its importance for the central and peripheral nervous system.Conclusion: Vitamin K has numerous biological effects, including blood coagulation, regulation of calcium metabolism in tissues, oxidative stress, inflammatory reactions, cell growth, and proliferation

Caffeine consumption among workers exposed to noise and vibration

Introduction: There are controversies regarding the benefits and the risk of caffeine consumption. The ability of caffeine beverages to increase systolic blood pressure levels for several hours after consumption has been proven. Their health effects are associated with the richness of phytonutrients such as caffeine, chlorogenic and caffeine acids, and hydroxyhydogycinone.Aim: The aim of this article is to investigate the consumption of coffee among workers in noise and vibration.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of coffee consumption and working conditions was conducted with emphasis on exposure to noise and vibrations among people of working age from Northeastern Bulgaria.Results: A total of 502 respondents were interviewed between the age of 19 and 80. The average age of participants was 39 ± 0.5 years. A structured proprietary questionnaire was also developed, including questions about: coffee intake and working conditions. The results found regular coffee consumption in 82.5% of workers at high noise levels and in 82.1% of workers exposed to local vibrations. Non-consuming caffeinated beverages are only 9.4% of the people working in noisy environments and 12.8% of vibro-exposed ones.Conclusion: Careful attention should be given to the safety of coffee use as a boosting drink in the workplace when there is exposure to noise and vibration with regard to the possibility of combined unilateral adverse effects on bone density and peripheral nerve damage. The comprehensive approach to assessing the health effects of coffee consumption necessarily involves taking risk factors into account in terms of working conditions and lifestyle