Sugar-sweetened carbonated beverage consumption correlates with BMI, waist circumference, and poor dietary choices in school children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prevalence of obesity and overweight is increasing globally. Frequently coexisting with under-nutrition in developing countries, obesity is a major contributor to chronic disease, and will become a serious healthcare burden especially in countries with a larger percentage of youthful population. 35% of the population of Saudi Arabia are under the age of 16, and adult dietary preferences are often established during early childhood years. Our objective was to examine the dietary habits in relation to body-mass-index (BMI) and waist circumference (W_C), together with exercise and sleep patterns in a cohort of male and female Saudi school children, in order to ascertain whether dietary patterns are associated with obesity phenotypes in this population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>5033 boys and 4400 girls aged 10 to 19 years old participated in a designed Food Frequency Questionnaire. BMI and W_C measurements were obtained and correlated with dietary intake.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 12.2% and 27.0% respectively, with boys having higher obesity rates than girls (P ≤ 0.001). W_C and BMI was positively correlated with sugar-sweetened carbonated beverage (SSCB) intake in boys only. The association between male BMI and SSCB consumption was significant in a multivariate regression model (P < 0.0001). SSCB intake was positively associated with poor dietary choices in both males and females. Fast food meal intake, savory snacks, iced desserts and total sugar consumption correlated with SSCB intake in both boys (r = 0.39, 0.13, 0.10 and 0.52 respectively, P < 0.001) and girls (r = 0.45, 0.23, 0.16 and 0.55 respectively, P < 0.001). Older children reported eating significantly less fruit and vegetables than younger children; and less eggs, fish and cereals. Conversely, consumption of SSCB and sugar-sweetened hot beverages were higher in older versus younger children (P < 0.001). BMI and W_C were negatively correlated with hours of night-time sleep and exercise in boys, but only with night time sleep in girls, who also showed the lowest frequency of exercise.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A higher intake of SSCB is associated with poor dietary choices. Male SSCB intake correlates with a higher W_C and BMI. Limiting exposure to SSCB could therefore have a large public health impact.</p

Spectrum of epilepsy &ndash; prevalence, impact, and treatment gap: an epidemiological study from Al-Quseir, Egypt

Hamdy N El-Tallawy,1 Wafaa M Farghaly,1 Tarek A Rageh,1 Ghaydaa A Shehata,1 Nabil A Metwally,2 Reda Badry,1 Mohammed A Sayed,3 Ahmed M Abdelwarith,2 Mahmoud R Kandil,1 Mohamed A Hamed,1 Khaled O Mohamed,1 Amal M Tohamy11Department of Neurology, Assiut University, Assiut, 2Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University &ndash; Assiut Branch, Assiut, 3Department of Neurology, Sohag University, Sohag, EgyptBackground: Epidemiology continues to be an important research tool in the study of epilepsy and related disorders, providing a better understanding of the frequency, causes, and natural history of the disorder.Objective: To estimate the prevalence of epilepsy in Al-Quseir, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt, and its magnitude of treatment gap.Methods: The study was part of a door-to-door study, including every door, to screen all inhabitants in Al-Quseir (33,818 inhabitants) by three specialists of neurology and 15 female social workers (for demographic data collection) using a standardized screening questionnaire. All suspected cases were subjected to detailed history, clinical examination, and electroencephalogram. Neuroimaging studies and estimation of serum drug level were done in select cases if needed.Results: The study revealed that the lifetime prevalence rate of epilepsy in Al-Quseir is 5.5/1,000, with the highest peak during early childhood, while that of active epilepsy is 3.3/1,000 population. The annual incidence rate is 48/100,000, and the age-specific incidence rate has a U-shaped pattern with two peaks of incidence in early infancy and elderly life. Localization-related epilepsy is the most frequently encountered type (58.8%). The treatment gap of epilepsy in Al-Quseir is 83.8%.Conclusion: The lifetime prevalence of epilepsy in Al-Quseir city, Red Sea Governorate, was 5.5/1000. Keywords: epidemiology, epilepsy, treatment gap, Egypt, Al-Quseir, epidemiolog

Construction of standardized Arabic questionnaires for screening neurological disorders (dementia, stroke, epilepsy, movement disorders, muscle and neuromuscular junction disorders)

Hamdy N El Tallawy,1 Wafaa MA Farghaly,1 Tarek A Rageh,1 Ahmed O Saleh,2 Taha AH Mestekawy,3 Manal MM Darwish,4 Mohamed A Abd El Hamed,1 Anwar M Ali,1 Doaa M Mahmoud1 1Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, 2Psychology Department, Faculty of Education, 3Psychology Department, Faculty of Arts, 4Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt Abstract: A screening questionnaire is an important tool for early diagnosis of neurological disorders, and for epidemiological research. This screening instrument must be both feasible and valid. It must be accepted by the community and must be sensitive enough. So, the aim of this study was to prepare different Arabic screening questionnaires for screening different neurological disorders. This study was carried out in three stages. During the first stage, construction of separate questionnaires designed for screening the five major neurological disorders: cerebrovascular stroke, dementias, epilepsy, movement disorders, and muscle and neuromuscular disorders were done. Validation of the screening questionnaires was carried out in the second stage. Finally, questionnaire preparation was done in the third stage. Questions with the accepted sensitivity and specificity in each questionnaire formed the refined separate questionnaires. Keywords: screening questionnaires, neurological disorder