Association of hyperuricemia with metabolic syndrome among university workers: sex and occupational differences

Background: The relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and hyperuricemia is not fully understood.Objective: To examine the association of hyperuricemia with MetS and the component of MetS that is mostly influenced by hyperuricemia among university workers.Methods: Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, glucose, lipid profiles, renal function tests were measured in 1198 male and 1075 female (22-60 years old) workers on annual medical examination. Results: Hyperuricemia was 3-fold higher in males (odds ratio, OR, 2.938, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.909-4.522, P<0.01) than females after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI) and renal function. Overall, individuals with hyperuricemia were 3.9-fold likely to have MetS OR, 3.903; CI (2.439-6.245), P<0.01, and dyslipidemia, 2.5 times (OR, 2.501; 95% CI, 1.776-3.521, P<0.01) after adjustment for age, BMI, sex and renal function. However, no associations were found in individuals with hypertension (OR, 1.427; 95% CI, 0.996-2.205, P=0.052) and hyperglycemia (OR, 1.476; 95% CI, 0.989-2.202, P=0.057). Administrative work positively associated (OR, 1.895; 95% CI, 1.202-2.925, P<0.05) with hyperuricemia in males and not females.Conclusion: Male workers with hyperuricemia, especially those working in administration were at risk of metabolic syndrome. It is important to screen, prevent and treat metabolic syndrome in individuals diagnosed with hyperuricemia at the workplace.Keywords: Hyperuricemia, metabolic syndrome, uric acid, workers

Anthropometric characteristics and nutritional status of older adults in the Lake Victoria Basin of East Africa: Region, sex, and age differences

Background: Malnutrition, either as undernutrition or overnutrition, leads to detrimental alterations in body composition. The objective of this study was to investigate selected anthropometric measurements, and the nutritional status of older men and women living in the Lake Victoria Basin. This was a cross-sectional study.Setting: The setting was selected rural and urban areas of Kisumu, Jinja, and Mwanza, in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, respectively.Subjects: The subjects were older adults (227 men and 310 women) aged ≥ 60 years.Outcome measures: The outcome measures were weight, height, arm span, mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) and triceps skin-fold thickness (TSF). Body mass index (BMI) and arm muscle area (AMA) were computed using standard equations.Results: The results show that older adults in the three regions were significantly different (p-value < 0.05) in all anthropometric measurements, except MUAC. The women had significantly higher (p-value < 0.05) BMI, TSF, and MUAC, than the men. Negative slopes indicated a decline in all anthropometric measurements with age. Overall underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) was 26.4%, 58.3% were normal (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2), 10.8% were overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2), and 4.5% were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). Older men (29.5%) were significantly more underweight (p-value < 0.05) than older women (24.2%), with overweight (12.5%) and obesity (6.8%) being significantly higher (p-value < 0.05) in older women.Conclusion: The findings suggest energy depletion and loss of muscle mass, with significant differences in the three regions, and in the sex and age groups. A small proportion was overweight and obese. The decline in anthropometric measurements with age indicates poor nutritional status with aging. Thus, nutrition and health interventions should be specific to regions

Leveraging on germplasm acquisition for Arabica coffee improvement in Kenya

Abstract. The low genetic variability within Coffea arabica species is a major hindrance to its improvement. The emergence of new pathogen races, especially for the prevalent fungus Hemileia vastatrix causing Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) is a challenge to coffee production worldwide. Two accessions, namely Selection 5A and Selection 6 were received in 2008 from India as part of germplasm exchange in a Coffee Leaf Rust collaborative project involving India and four African countries namely, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Kenya. Seedlings of two Kenyan commercial varieties SL 28 and Ruiru 11 representing susceptible and resistant varieties respectively were also raised alongside the Indian accessions. The seedlings of the four varieties were planted at Coffee Research Institute (CRI) sub-centre in Kisii country and Agricultural Training Centre in Machakos country for field evaluation. Data was recorded on growth and yield parameters before and after crop bearing. Field records were also taken for infection by Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) and Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR). Growth parameters related to crop bearing had stronger correlation with actual berry count and hence yield confirming that potential yield of a coffee variety can accurately be predicted by combining early measurements of growth parameters and yield records. The yield potential of the Indian accessions was found to be lower than the standard Kenyan varieties. However, the accessions were outstanding in resistance to CLR which was only comparable to the resistant Ruiru 11 variety. The study confirmed that CLR, if not controlled can erode the high yield potential of elite varieties if conditions are favorable. It was also concluded that the Indian accessions provides an opportunity upon which traditional Kenyan commercial cultivars can be improved to withstand existing and new races of the rust pathogen

GENDER, LAND OWNERSHIP AND FOOD PRODUCTION NEXUS IN MBEERE DRYLANDS, KENYA: IMPLICATIONS ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY

Land ownership gives an individual the confidence and dignity required to be active in society. Indeed, land ownership and rights are important for effective utilization of farmland for food production to alleviate food insecurity and revitalize household welfare and national development. While the foregoing is the ideal situation, the reality is that culture and gender dictates who owns land especially when customary laws seem to override any legal and policy provisions regarding land ownership, access and control. In particular, women are largely land caretakers, with men owning most of the land, titled or otherwise. Based on the foregoing, this paper sought to identify gender and land ownership structures in the context of dryland farming and their implications on household food security in the Mbeere drylands of Embu County. It utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods of social investigation and concluded that while many factors combine to determine food production and food security, inadequate access to and control of land and related resources by women in the Mbeere drylands is significant. Consequently and given the environmental and cultural milieu on which land is utilized, measures have been proposed to augment dryland farming and alleviate food insecurity in the Mbeere drylands.  Article visualizations

Organoleptic, Sensory and Biochemical Traits of Arabica Coffee and Their Arabusta Hybrids

Coffee as a cash crop, reduces food insecurity by providing regular incomes and is a major foreign exchange earner in more than fifty tropical countries where it is grown either as Arabica (Coffea arabica) or Robust (Coffea canepora). In Kenya which grow some Robusta but mostly Arabica coffee, the production has been declining, mainly because world coffee prices have plummeted to about 5 USD for a 650Kg of un-hulled beans per acre. The only way world prices are likely to increase and benefit the small-scale farmers, is by improving the cup quality and enabling these countries to sell their coffee in specialty markets. This review, underscores the importance of analyzing and estimating organoleptic, sensory and biochemical compounds diversity in Arabica coffee, since these are the factors that determine cup quality. In an attempt to do so, the chapter presents experimental data that analyzed various sensory and organoleptic traits of Arabica coffee and their Arabusta hybrids that proves that tremendous genetic diversity exists in coffee genotypes grown in Kenya and it is possible to utilize this genetic variation to improve cup quality

Association of hyperuricemia with metabolic syndrome among university workers: sex and occupational differences

Background: The relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and hyperuricemia is not fully understood. Objective: To examine the association of hyperuricemia with MetS and the component of MetS that is mostly influenced by hyperuricemia among university workers. Methods: Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, glucose, lipid profiles, renal function tests were measured in 1198 male and 1075 female (22-60 years old) workers on annual medical examination. Results: Hyperuricemia was 3-fold higher in males (odds ratio, OR, 2.938, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.909-4.522, P<0.01) than females after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI) and renal function. Overall, individuals with hyperuricemia were 3.9-fold likely to have MetS OR, 3.903; CI (2.439-6.245), P<0.01, and dyslipidemia, 2.5 times (OR, 2.501; 95% CI, 1.776-3.521, P<0.01) after adjustment for age, BMI, sex and renal function. However, no associations were found in individuals with hypertension (OR, 1.427; 95% CI, 0.996-2.205, P=0.052) and hyperglycemia (OR, 1.476; 95% CI, 0.989-2.202, P=0.057). Administrative work positively associated (OR, 1.895; 95% CI, 1.202-2.925, P<0.05) with hyperuricemia in males and not females. Conclusion: Male workers with hyperuricemia, especially those working in administration were at risk of metabolic syndrome. It is important to screen, prevent and treat metabolic syndrome in individuals diagnosed with hyperuricemia at the workplace

Determinants of dietary diversity among women of reproductive age in two different agro-ecological zones of Rongai Sub-County, Nakuru, Kenya

This study demonstrated that the diets of women were of poor quality despite the differences in agro-ecological zones and availability of food from the farm. Education level influenced women’s dietary diversity positively in low agricultural potential areas while household gender, education level, age and family size were important determinants in high potential areas. Nutrition interventions focusing on improving dietary quality of women should therefore pay special attention to developing region-specific interventions instead of generalizing interventions