Adherence to low-carbohydrate diet in relation to gastric cancer : Findings from a case-control study in Iran

This study examined the association between adherence to low carbohydrate diet (LCD) and risk of gastric cancer (GC). This hospital-based case-control study was conducted in Iran Cancer Institute, Tehran, Iran between 2010 and 2012. Totally, 178 patients with GC and 276 apparently healthy controls participated in this study. Cases were histo-pathologically confirmed GC patients aged ≥40 years diagnosed with GC in the last year. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated 146-item Diet History Questionnaire. We computed the LCD score trough the protocol explained by Halton. Patients with GC were older (60.8 vs. 53.2 years, P < 0.001) and more likely to be male (74.2 vs. 63.8%, P = 0.02), married (97.8 vs. 86.6%, P < 0.001) and illiterate (62.4% vs. 26.1%, P < 0.001) than controls. Before adjusting for covariates, adherence to LCD-diet was not associated with risk of GC [odds ratio (OR) 1.31; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82-2.09 for highest vs. lowest tertile; Ptrend< 0.26]. Adjustments for several potential confounders including H-pylori infection and BMI, participants in the highest tertile of LCD score were 7% more likely to have GC than those in the lowest tertile; however, it was not statistically significant (OR 1.07; 95% CI 0.59-1.95 for highest vs. lowest tertile; Ptrend< 0.79). No significant association was also seen between adherence to animal- or vegetable-based LCD diet and risk of GC. In conclusion, we failed to find any evidence on the association between consumption of LCD and odds of GC. Further studies, in particular of prospective design, are required to confirm these findings.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Socioeconomic status in relation to childhood general and central obesity in primary school children in the city of Farokh Shahr in 2009

Introdution: Since limited data are available in regard of the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity among children, our aim was to examine the association between SES and obesity among children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in Farokh Shahr among children aged 6-12y in 2009. 380 students were recruited through multi-stage cluster random sampling method from different districts. SES was defined through the questionnaire and participants were classified in to tertiles. Overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity were defined based on age- and sex-specific national cut-off points. Comparison of continuous and categorical variables was conducted by using independent samples&rsquo; t-test and Chi-square test, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess SES in relation to general and abdominal obesity in uni- and several multi-variable adjusted models. All statistical analyses were done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 15.0). P values less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results: Comparing individuals in the highest versus lowest tertile of SES, there was no significant difference in waist circumference mean, but those in the middle tertile of SES had greater means of BMI after controlling for potential confounders (16.19&plusmn;0.27 vs. 15.27&plusmn;0.27 kg/m2, P= 0.002). We observed a greater chance of being overweight/obese for those in the highest tertile of SES compared with the lowest tertile (OR: 4.00, 95% CI: 1.53-10.59, Ptrend=0.004). No significant association was seen between SES and abdominal adiposity, either before or after controlling for potential confounders. Conclusion: We found that children in the highest SES class had a greater chance of being overweight/obese than those in the lowest SES class