Selenium and Health: An Update on the Situation in the Middle East and North Africa.

Selenium (Se) is an important trace element that should be present in the diet of all age groups to provide an adequate intake. Se is incorporated in 25 known selenoproteins, which mediate the biological effects of Se including, immune response regulation, maintenance of thyroid function, antioxidant defense, and anti-inflammatory actions. A balanced intake of Se is critical to achieve health benefits because depending on its status, Se has been found to play physiological roles or contribute to the pathophysiology of various diseases including, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders. Se status and intake are very important to be known for a specific population as the levels of Se are highly variable among different populations and regions. In the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, very little is known about the status of Se. Studies available show that Se status is widely variable with some countries being deficient, some over sufficient, and some sufficient. This variability was apparent even within the same country between regions. In this review, we summarized the key roles of Se in health and disease and discussed the available data on Se status and intake among countries of the MENA region

Barriers to Diabetes Adherence (BDA): Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Instrument into Arabic Context

Objectives: Barriers to Diabetes Adherence (BDA) instrument is a measure developed in English to assess barriers to adherence in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). The main objectives of the present study were to translate and culturally adapt the BDA tool into Arabic for the assessment of barriers to adherence in adolescents with T1DM in Arabic-speaking populations. Methods: The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research guidelines for the translation and cultural adaptation of patient-reported outcome measures were used for the process. Permission to use the instrument was obtained from the developers. This was followed by 2 forward translations of the tool into Arabic. The 2 Arabic versions were combined into a reconciled Arabic version that was then back-translated into English. This was then tested against the original tool. The resultant Arabic version underwent a cognitive debriefing process to assess its comprehension and appropriateness among potential users, and this resulted in further refinements, leading to the final Arabic version of the tool. Results: The translation and cognitive debriefing processes revealed issues related to the cultural or conceptual equivalence of the tool that were addressed and resolved by rewording, restructuring, or addition or elimination of words or phrases that in certain circumstances necessitated communications with the developers for further clarifications of the intended meaning of relevant items. This process generated an easy, comprehensive, clear, and culturally acceptable tool as proven by the cognitive debriefing and clinical review processes. Conclusion: A culturally acceptable Arabic translation of the BDA tool was developed to be used in adolescent Arabic population with T1DM. 2020 ISPOR-The professional society for health economics and outcomes researchScopu

Adherence as a Predictor of Glycemic Control Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: A Retrospective Study Using Real-world Evidence

Purpose: Metabolic control among adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is generally poor. Nonadherence is a contributor to this poor glycemic control, leading to adverse outcomes. The findings of studies reporting the association between adherence and glycemic control are conflicting. This study aimed to assess the level of adherence among adolescents with T1DM and its relationship with glycemic control. Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study that was conducted at Sidra Medicine, a state-of-the-art tertiary health care facility for women and children in Qatar. Mean blood or interstitial glucose monitoring frequency (BGMF) was used to assess adherence level among adolescents with T1DM, whereas glycemic control was assessed via documented glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Adolescents who had a mean BGMF of ?4 checks per day were considered adherent, and those who had an HbA1c level of <7% were considered as having controlled diabetes. Correlational and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between adherence and glycemic control, incorporating other covariates into the model. Findings: The rate of adherence among adolescents with T1DM in Qatar was 40.9%. Adherent adolescents had significantly lower median HbA1c levels compared with nonadherent adolescents (9.0% vs. 9.7%; P = 0.002). A significant negative correlation was found between BGMF and HbA1c level (correlation coefficient rs = ?0.325; P <. 001). Approximately 97% of nonadherent adolescents compared with 87% of adherent adolescents had suboptimal diabetes control (HbA1c ?7%) (P =. 016). Furthermore, nonadherent adolescents were 78% less likely to have controlled diabetes compared with adherent adolescents (adjusted odds ratio = 0.221; 95% CI, 0.063?0.778; P = 0.019). The combined effect of the determinants of glycemic control among adolescents with T1DM that were included in the multiple regression model was able to explain approximately 9% of the variances in glycemic control (Cox and Snell R2 = 0.092). Implications: The current findings suggest that nonadherence was highly prevalent among adolescents with T1DM and was a significant independent predictor of glycemic control, explaining 9% of the variability. This finding warrants further exploration of other possible predictors of poor glycemic control among the adolescent population. Comprehensive interventions, including educational, technological, and health service delivery aspects, aimed at improving adherence and ultimately optimizing glycemic control are warranted in adolescents with T1DM. 2022 The Author(s)Open Access funding was provided by the Qatar National Library. This work was supported by grant number QUCG-CPH-22/23-592 and QUST-2-CPH-2019-2 from the Qatar University through the Office of Research Support. The content of the manuscript is the sole responsibility of the authors, and Qatar University did not play any role in the content of the paper. The authors have indicated that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the content of this article.Scopu