Impact of Excess Body Weight on Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adults in Lebanon

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of excess body weight on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). A convenience sample of 320 adults was recruited from different health centers in Lebanon. Body mass index (kg/m2 ) was calculated based on measured weight and height. Participants were divided into three groups: normal-weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25.0-29.9) and obese (≥30.0). HRQoL was assessed using the Short-Form health survey questionnaire (SF-36). The eight scales as well as the physical (PCS-36) and mental (MCS-36) component summary measures of the SF-36 were calculated and compared statistically among the three groups. The impact of Body Mass Index (BMI) on HRQoL was also examined through linear regressions, adjusting for sociodemographics, health behaviors and presence of chronic diseases. The results show that overweight and obese men reported reduced HRQoL on all physical scales, while overweight/obese women reported impairments on only two subscales: bodily pain and general health perceptions. PCS-36 showed lower scores in the obese and overweight subjects than the reference group. With regard to mental well-being, obese men and women displayed lower scores on vitality, social functioning and mental health subscales compared to the normalweight group. Additionally, MCS-36 showed lower scores in obese subjects. Results from linear regressions revealed significant negative correlations between BMI and both PCS-36 and MCS-36. In conclusion, overweight adults experience significantly worse physical HRQoL, while obese adults suffer from reduced physical and mental HRQoL. This highlights the importance of development and implementation of effective prevention strategies to improve HRQoL among adults with overweight and obesity

Qualité de vie relative à la santé chez les patientes atteintes d'un cancer du sein : une revue systématique dans la population moyen-orientale d'une étude prospective libanaise et une analyse du temps jusqu'à détérioration des valeurs d'utilité d'une base de données française

L'objectif principal de la présente thèse était d'identifier les différents facteurs associés à la qualité de vie relative a la santé chez les femmes ayant un cancer du sien au Moyen-Orient et d'explorer l'évolution du changement de l'image corporelle après une chirurgie conservatrice du sein chez les femmes qui vivent au Liban ; tout en essayant d'appliquer le temps à la détérioration de la valeur d'utilité, comme une approche d'analyse longitudinale. La première étude a identifié plusieurs facteurs modifiables et non modifiables qui affectent la qualité de vie relative a la santé chez les femmes atteintes de cancer du sein au Moyen-Orient. Il s'agit d'une importance pour la santé publique et fournit un cadre pour l'établissement d'interventions politiques visant à prévenir les facteurs influençant négativement la qualité de vie. De même, les systèmes de santé au Moyen-Orient sont encouragés à développer des programmes d'intervention ciblés sur les facteurs modifiables, notamment socio-démographiques, comportementaux et psychosociaux. La deuxième étude a également contribué à la connaissance que la qualité de vie (QdV) relative à la santé des femmes ayant un cancer du sein précoce change de manière significative après la chirurgie dans certains domaines (bien-être physique, bien être émotionnel et l'image corporelle). Néanmoins, certains facteurs de risque de détérioration de QdV ont été identifiés, notamment une image corporelle réduite et une perspective future réduite. Ces résultats soulignent l'importance d'envisager des interventions multidimensionnelles telles que la consultation psychologique, le soutien social et l'offre d'éducation sur le suivi thérapeutique. De plus, de futures études prospectives avec une cohorte plus importante et un suivi plus long sont nécessaires pour confirmer nos résultats et concevoir des essais interventionnels visant à améliorer la QdV chez les patients atteints de Colombie-Britannique. La troisième étude souligne que pour améliorer la QdV des patients atteints de cancer du sein, il est important d'estimer la charge psychologique causée par le traitement et la nécessité de trouver des mesures pour la réduire. Par conséquent, les patients atteints de cancer du sein qui suivent une thérapie ont besoin d'un soutien psychologique pour faire face à leur inconfort, leur douleur, leur dépression, leur anxiété et leur peur pendant le processus de diagnostic et de traitement afin d'améliorer leur QdV.The main purpose of the present thesis was to identify the different factors associated to the Health related quality oflife (HRQoL) among breast cancer (BC) women in the Middle-East (ME) and to explore the direction of change of body image after breast conserving surgery among women who live in Lebanon; while also attempting to apply the time to deterioration in utility value, as an approach oflongitudinal analysis. The first study identified several modifiable and non-modifiable factors that affect HRQoL in women with BC in the ME. This is a public health significance and provides a framework for establishing policy interventions to prevent factors influencing negatively on the HRQoL. Similarly, healthcare systems in the ME are encouraged to develop targeted interventional programs on modifiable factors, particularly socio-demographic, behavioral and psychosocial ones. Further, research on these factors is warranted, preferably through prospective longitudinal studies. The second study has also contributed to knowledge that early BC women's HRQoL change significantly after surgery in some domains (physical fonction, emotional fonction and body image). Nevertheless, some risk factors for poor HRQoL were identified, including decreased body image and decreased future perspective. These findings highlight the importance of considering multidimensional interventions such as psychological consultation, social support and offering education about therapeutic follow-up. Moreover, future prospective studies with a larger cohort and longer follow-up are needed to confirm our findings and design interventional trials to improve HRQoL in BC patients. The third study highlights that in order to improve the HRQoL of the patients with BC, it is important to estimate the psychological burden caused by the treatment and the need to find measures to reduce it. Therefore, BC patients undergoing therapy need psychological support to cope with their discomfort, pain, depression, anxiety and fear during the process of diagnosis and treatment in order to improve their Qo

Impact of Excess Body Weight on Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adults in Lebanon

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of excess body weight on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). A convenience sample of 320 adults was recruited from different health centers in Lebanon. Body mass index (kg/m2 ) was calculated based on measured weight and height. Participants were divided into three groups: normal-weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25.0-29.9) and obese (≥30.0). HRQoL was assessed using the Short-Form health survey questionnaire (SF-36). The eight scales as well as the physical (PCS-36) and mental (MCS-36) component summary measures of the SF-36 were calculated and compared statistically among the three groups. The impact of Body Mass Index (BMI) on HRQoL was also examined through linear regressions, adjusting for sociodemographics, health behaviors and presence of chronic diseases. The results show that overweight and obese men reported reduced HRQoL on all physical scales, while overweight/obese women reported impairments on only two subscales: bodily pain and general health perceptions. PCS-36 showed lower scores in the obese and overweight subjects than the reference group. With regard to mental well-being, obese men and women displayed lower scores on vitality, social functioning and mental health subscales compared to the normalweight group. Additionally, MCS-36 showed lower scores in obese subjects. Results from linear regressions revealed significant negative correlations between BMI and both PCS-36 and MCS-36. In conclusion, overweight adults experience significantly worse physical HRQoL, while obese adults suffer from reduced physical and mental HRQoL. This highlights the importance of development and implementation of effective prevention strategies to improve HRQoL among adults with overweight and obesity

Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer in the Middle East: A Systematic Review

Objectives: The aim of the present systematic review was to identify the factors that potentially influence health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women with breast cancer (BC) in the Middle East. Methods: A systematic search of the PubMed, Ovid Medline, Cochrane, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus, and Ebscohost databases was conducted to identify all relevant articles published in peer-reviewed journals up to April 2018. The keywords were “Health related quality of life”, “Breast Cancer”, and “Middle East countries”. The Newcastle–Ottawa (NOS) scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. Due to the methodological heterogeneity of the identified studies, no statistical pooling of the individual effect estimates was carried out; instead, the results were summarized descriptively. Results: A total of 5668 articles were screened and 33 studies were retained. The vast majority of these studies were cross-sectional and only two were longitudinal prospective studies. Concerning the methodological quality, only 39% were of high quality. Our comprehensive literature review identified several modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with HRQoL, including sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment-related factors as well as behavioral and psychosocial factors. Conclusion: This study has many implications for clinical practice and may provide a framework for establishing policy interventions to improve HRQoL among women with BC. Healthcare systems in the Middle East are encouraged to develop interventional programs targeting modifiable factors, particularly socio-demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors

Health-Related Quality of Life of Lebanese Women With Breast Cancer: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study

BackgroundIn the past few decades, Lebanon has witnessed a significant increase in the incidence rates of women diagnosed with breast cancer. This increase, which is associated with the advancements in treatment modalities, emphasizes the need to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of women with breast cancer and to compare its patterns before and after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). ObjectiveThis study aims to describe changes in HRQoL according to body image pre- and post-BCS and just before initiation of adjuvant therapy in newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer in Lebanon. MethodsA prospective cohort study targeting Lebanese women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and who have an indication for BCS will be conducted in 2 health care facilities. Baseline characteristics and clinical data will be collected. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life cancer-specific and breast cancer–specific questionnaires will be used to assess HRQoL. The outcomes will be measured at baseline and 1 day after breast surgery. The primary outcome will be the body image dimensions of the Quality-of-Life breast cancer–specific questionnaire. Statistical analyses will include descriptive statistics, paired 2-tailed t test, and stepwise multiple regression. A total of 120 patients will be required. ResultsA total of 120 patients were enrolled in the study. Future outcomes will be published in professional peer-reviewed health-related research journals. ConclusionsThis study is strengthened by its follow-up nature, allowing us to draw conclusions about causality. The results of this study will identify the most affected components of HRQoL, as well as the factors that could play a role in improving HRQoL among women undergoing BCS. The findings of this study will help decision makers, physicians, and social workers to design a comprehensive program with multidisciplinary components for the management and care of patients with breast cancer in Lebanon. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/2789

Nutraceutical Potential of Apiaceae

Apiaceae family is large, with over 3.000 species worldwide cultivated for many purposes. Some plants in this family such as carrots, parsley, parsnip and celery are common vegetable crops, while other members like anise, caraway, coriander, cumin, fennel, lovage, angelica and dill are famous for their medicinal and aromatic properties. Usage of these plants is very popular in everyday diet because of their documented health benefits. Apiaceae are a very important source of phytochemicals – chemicals with biological activity. However, phytochemicals are non-nutritive plant chemicals, also called nutraceuticals. They are widely used for prevention, treatment or cure of conditions or diseases. Bioactive compounds with nutraceutical potential are polyphenolic compounds, polyacetylenes and terpenoids. The aim of this review is to represent selected plants of Apiaceae family currently used as nutraceuticals and describe their nutritional benefits