Favorable association between Mediterranean diet (MeD) and DASH with NAFLD among Iranian adults of the Amol Cohort Study (AmolCS)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging cause of chronic liver diseases and a major health problem worldwide. Dietary patterns may play a critical role in controlling and preventing this disease, but the available evidence is scarce. The current study aims to ascertain the association of adherence to the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and Mediterranean diet (MeD) with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Iranian adults of the Amol Cohort Study (AmolCS). In a cross-sectional analysis among 3220 adults (55.3% men), age ≥ 18 years (46.96 ± 14.67), we measured usual dietary intake with a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and then calculated dietary pattern scores for DASH and MeD. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were collected by a structured questionnaire. The presence and degree of NAFLD were also determined by abdominal sonography. Multiple regression models were used to estimate NAFLD odds across tertiles of DASH and Mediterranean dietary scores. Dietary DASH and Mediterranean components were adjusted for total energy intake, based on the residual methods. After adjusting for multiple potential confounders, we found an inverse association of DASH and MeD with NAFLD (Ptrend = 0.02, and Ptrend = 0.002, respectively). Those in the highest tertiles of adherence to the DASH and MeD had the lowest risk for NAFLD (OR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.66–0.96, OR = 0.64, 95%CI = 0.52–0.78, respectively). The results of logistic analysis of MeD, stratified by gender and abdominal obesity, revealed the favorable association was more pronounced in women (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.29–0.61, Ptrend = 0.004), and in participants with or without abdominal obesity (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.47–0.81, Ptrend = 0.03, OR = 0.64, 95%CI = 0.475–0.91, Ptrend = 0.04, respectively). Similar results were obtained for the adherence to DASH diet score with the prevalence of NAFLD patients with abdominal obesity (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.57–0.97, Ptrend = 0.04). The findings suggested the favorable association between DASH and MeD with NAFLD in Iranian adults, especially women and subjects with or without abdominal obesity. Further prospective investigations are needed to confirm the integrity of our findings

Relationship Between Using Television and Behavioral Problems of Pre-School Children

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the use of television and behavioral problems in children.  Methods: This is a descriptive and correlational research. The statistical population of the study included 4- to 6-year-old pre-school children in Tehran who were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. A sample of 150 children was selected. The subjects responded to two questionnaires of Rutter’s behavioral problems and a researcher-made questionnaire on the extent of using electronic devices. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software in two sections: descriptive (tables and diagrams) and inferential statistics (univariate and multivariate analysis of variance and one-way and two-way Chi-square tests). Results: The findings showed that there was a relationship between the use of television with isolation and anxiety in 4- to 6-year-old children. There was no significant relationship between having a personal computer and the time spent in watching television, but overall, the percentages of the total results indicated that children who did not have computers spent more hours watching television. Further, there was no significant relationship between the number of hours spent for playing with children and the time spent for watching television, but the results represented that children who played more than 2 hours spent less time watching television. However, there was a significant difference in aggressive behavior, neglect and childish behavior, but no significant difference in isolation and anxiety between children watching foreign movies and cartoons and those who watched Iranian movies and cartoons. Discussion: It seems that decreasing children’s television watching can prevent behavioral problems