Nutrient Intakes among Jordanian Adolescents Based on Gender and Body Mass Index

Background: This study was conducted to examine the dietary intakes of macro- and micronutrients for a Jordanian adolescents based on gender and compare their intake to the Dietary Recommended Intakes (DRIs). Methods: A sample of 398 male and female adolescents, aged 14-18 years, were recruited from private and public schools using convenience sampling. Socio-demographic questionnaire and 3-days food record were self-reported. Bodyweight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated for all participants. Results: There were no significant differences between male and female adolescents regarding the intake of micro and macronutrients except for protein, insoluble fibre, saturated fat, cholesterol, omega-6, vitamin E and calcium. The intake of insoluble fibre (g/day), omega-6(g/day), and vitamin E (mg/day) was significantly higher in female adolescents (3.1±0.1, 5.6±0.5, and 3.1±0.3, respectively, P≤0.05) compared to male adolescents (2.9±0.1, 5.1±0.4, and 2.5±0.2, respectively, P≤0.05). On the other hand, the intakes of protein (g/day), saturated fat (g/day), cholesterol (mg/day), calcium (mg/day) were significantly higher in male adolescents (90.1±2.3, 31.7±1.0, 339.2±18.3, and 651.5±27.8) as compared with female adolescents (79.2±2.1, 29.2±1.2, 263.6±14.9, and 555.2±21.7) (P≤ 0.05). Comparing of the adolescents’ nutrients intake to the DRIs, many nutrients were found to be below or above the recommendations. Conclusion: The study findings highlighted that there is an urgent need to establish a plan of action to combat malnutrition among adolescents in Jordan

Assessment of Nutrients Associated With the Risk of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women: A Case-Control Study

Osteoporosis is a chronic bone disease characterized by the loss in bone density and modification in bone structure. These changes will increase bone fragility and the risk of fracture particularly among postmenopausal women. The purpose of this study is to explore the possible association between nutrient intake and the risk of suffering from osteoporosis in postmenopausal women who have recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis. A case-control study was designed to determine nutrients intake, as well as dietary and lifestyle patterns. One hundred patients who were newly diagnosed with osteoporosis, and 100 osteoporosis-free controls Jordanian postmenopausal women were enrolled in this study. The ratio of case to controls is 1:1. Several macro and micronutrients were identified as having a protective effect on the risk of osteoporosis. The intake of carbohydrates, vitamin B6 and phosphorus was associated with lower risk of osteoporosis in all quartiles. Moreover, Fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc are protective in the third and fourth quartiles. A significant protective effect of fats, monounsaturated fats, and vitamins C consumption was detected in the fourth quartile. The present results suggest that a poor diet and a lack of a healthy lifestyle do have significant effects on the development of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.The authors would like to thank the Deanship of Academic Research of The University of Jordan. In addition, a great appreciation devoted for Dr. Munther Almomani for his support inside the Jordan university hospital regarding this study. The authors would like to express their appreciation to the Jordanian Osteoporosis Prevention Society for their cooperation in facilitating the enrollment of participants in this research and to the Arab Engineers Medical Equipments & Supplies Trading Co. for lending the instrument that was used in this research. The authors' thanks extend to all the staff and managers of Al-Tayseer laboratory for their kind help, patience and cooperation throughout the research period. This research was funded by Deanship of Academic Research of The University of Jordan.Scopu

Prevalence of Food Insecurity among Women in Northern Jordan

Food insecurity—not having sufficient quantities of good-quality foods—is inversely related to physical and mental health and directly related to poor dietary intake. The objectives of this research were to (a) measure the prevalence of food insecurity among women in northern Jordan, (b) study the socioeconomic factors associated with an increased risk of food insecurity, and (c) investigate the relationship between household food insecurity and women's reported body-weight. This cross-sectional study was conducted using an interview-based questionnaire. In total, 500 women were interviewed in the waiting rooms of the outpatient clinics of two major public hospitals in northern Jordan. Food insecurity was assessed using the short form of the U.S. food security survey module. The prevalence of food insecurity was 32.4%. Income below the poverty-line, illiteracy, unemployment, rented housing, and woman heading the household were among the socioeconomic factors that increased the probability of food insecurity. No evidence was found to support the relationship between obesity and food insecurity. Except grains, food-insecure women with hunger had lower intake of all food-groups. This study demonstrated that the problem of food insecurity is present in Jordan. Food-insecure women with hunger are at a risk of malnutrition. Interventions that target reduction of the factors associated with food insecurity are necessary

Adequacy of Nutrients Intake among Jordanian Pregnant Women in Comparison to Dietary Reference Intakes.

Maternal nutrition is considered an important pillar in the pregnancy outcomes for both mother and infant. A mother's malnutrition and inadequate nutrient intake is associated with many undesirable pregnancy outcomes. Hence, assessing the nutritional status of the mother in the early stages of the pregnancy and preventing any inadequacy can preclude many health problems for both mother and infant. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the adequacy of nutrient intakes among Jordanian pregnant women as compared to their corresponding dietary reference intakes (DRIs). This cross-sectional study was conducted at a major University Hospital in Jordan. Three hundred pregnant women were invited to participate in the study and 286 agreed to participate. Fifty pregnant women were enrolled at week 9, then 96 pregnant women were at week 20 and 137 pregnant women were at week 30 of pregnancy. The participants completed the interview-based demographic questionnaire, pregnancy physical activity questionnaire, and quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The mean energy intake was 2768.9 ± 767.8 kcal/day and it was significantly higher in the 3rd trimester ( < 0.05). Women in the 3rd trimester consumed significantly more protein, carbohydrates, and sugar than women in the 1st and 2nd trimesters ( < 0.05). The pregnant women in the 3rd trimester consumed more sodium than women in the 1st and 2nd trimesters ( < 0.05). The vitamin K intake was significantly ( = 0.045) lower in the 2nd trimester than the 1st and 3rd trimesters. The calcium intake was significantly higher in the 3rd trimester than the 1st and 2nd trimesters ( = 0.021). The total micronutrient (vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, and D, calcium, and iron) intakes derived from dietary supplements and food sources throughout the 3 trimesters was significantly higher in the 3rd trimester than the 1st and 2nd trimesters ( < 0.05). The vitamin D, calcium, and iron intakes had the most significant increases between the 1st and 3rd trimesters ( < 0.001), while folic acid intake was significantly higher in the 1st trimester than the 2nd and 3rd trimester ( < 0.001). Most women exceeded the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for sodium in all trimesters, while 82% of women exceeded the UL of folic acid in the 1st trimester and from the supplement, not the diet. While the intake of some nutrients from food alone remains below the DRIs in the diets of pregnant women, the intake of other nutrients is above the UL. Raising the awareness of pregnant women about their diet and how a supplement intake can reduce the risk of inadequate intake for many micronutrients and improve their pregnancy outcomes is of great importance

Dietary inflammatory index and odds of breast cancer: A case-control study

Breast cancer (BrCA) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. This study aimed to examine the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII®) and BrCA among Jordanian women. A total of 400 adult women were enrolled into this case-control study. Cases were 200 women recently diagnosed with BrCA selected from the two hospitals that provide cancer therapy in Jordan. They were matched on age, income, and marital status with 200 BrCA-free controls. DII scores were calculated from dietary data that were collected in a face-to-face interview conducted between October 2016 and September 2017 using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. The study results revealed no significant associations between DII scores in relation to the odds of developing BrCA after multivariable adjustment including age, education, total energy, BMI, number of pregnancy, contraceptive use, lactation, smoking, and family history of BrCA. Stratified analyses by obesity status showed that overweight/obese participants in the highest DII tertile had a >75% increased BrCA risk (OR of 1.77 [95% CI, 1.01–3.12]) compared with participants in the lowest tertile, after adjusting for age. The results from this study showed no significant relationship between the proinflammatory potential of the diet and BrCA risk in the overall study population. However, results stratified by weight category indicated an effect of diet-associated inflammation on BrCA risk in the overweight/obese group. Results of the study are consistent with a recommendation aimed at maintaining higher diet quality, that is, adopting healthy diets characterized by low DII scores in order to reduce the risk for BrCA.Deanship of Academic Research of The University of Jordan, Grant/Award Number: 2016-2017/1

Dietary Patterns and the Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Findings from a Case-Control Study

Scientific evidence shows that dietary patterns are associated with the risk of IBD, particularly among unhealthy and Western dietary patterns. However, Western dietary patterns are not exclusive to Western countries, as Jordanians are steadily moving towards a Western lifestyle, which includes an increased consumption of processed foods. This study aims to investigate the association between dietary patterns and the risk factors for IBD cases among Jordanian adults. This case-control study was conducted between November 2018 and December 2019 in the largest three hospitals in Jordan. Three hundred and thirty-five Jordanian adults aged between 18-68 years were enrolled in this study: one hundred and eighty-five IBD patients who were recently diagnosed with IBD ( = 100 for ulcerative colitis (UC) and = 85 for Crohn's disease (CD)) and 150 IBD-free controls. Participants were matched based on age and marital status. In addition, dietary data was collected from all participants using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis and principal component analysis were used to determine the dietary patterns. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a multinomial logistic regression model. Two dietary patterns were identified among the study participants: high-vegetable and high-protein dietary patterns. There was a significantly higher risk of IBD with high-protein intake at the third (OR, CI: 0.136 (0.068-0.271)) and fourth (OR, CI: 0.126 (0.064-0.248)) quartiles in the non-adjusted model as well as the other two adjusted models. In contrast, the high-vegetable dietary pattern shows a significantly protective effect on IBD in the third and fourth quartiles in all the models. Thus, a high-vegetable dietary pattern may be protective against the risk of IBD, while a high-protein dietary pattern is associated with an increased risk of IBD among a group of the Jordanian population

La ingesta de grasas y el riesgo de enfermedad coronaria de los jordanos

Introduction: dietary fat has been reported as one of the significant risk factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Objective: this study aimed at assessing the possible association between fat intake and CVD. Methods: the present case-control study was conducted in the center of coronary angiography. Three-hundred and ninety nine patients who referred for elective coronary angiography with clinical suspicion of coronary artery disease were enrolled. Dietary data were collected from each patient using an interview-based food frequency questionnaire. Results: the findings of the present study revealed no significant differences between cases and controls regarding the intake of all types of fat either before or after energy adjustment. For both cases and controls the percentage of fat intake from total energy and the intakes of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, cholesterol, omega-6 and omega-3 were within the recommended amounts. The intake of all fat types (except trans-fat) was not associated with the risk of developing CVD. Trans-fat intake in the second and third quartile increased the risk of CVD by OR 1.86 (95% CI: 1.03-3.34) and 2.01 (95% CI: 1.12-3.60), respectively. Conclusions: while trans-fats may be significantly associated with the development of CVD in the first two quartiles, no association has been detected with other fat types.Introducción: se ha establecido que la grasa en la dieta es uno de los factores de riesgo significativos en el desarrollo de enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV). Objetivo: este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la posible asociación entre la ingesta de grasa y la ECV. Métodos: el presente estudio de casos y controles se realizó en el centro de la angiografía coronaria. Se inscribieron 399 pacientes que fueron remitidos para una angiografía coronaria electiva con sospecha clínica de enfermedad coronaria. Los datos dietéticos se obtuvieron de cada paciente mediante un cuestionario de frecuencia de alimentos basado en entrevistas. Resultados: los hallazgos del presente estudio no revelaron diferencias significativas entre los casos y los controles con respecto a la ingesta de todos los tipos de grasa, ya sea antes o después del ajuste de energía. Para ambos casos y controles, el porcentaje de ingesta de grasas de la energía total y las ingestas de grasas poliinsaturadas y monoinsaturadas, colesterol, omega-6 y omega-3 se encuentran dentro de las cantidades recomendadas. La ingesta de todos los tipos de grasa (excepto las grasas trans) no se asoció con el riesgo de desarrollar ECV. La ingesta de grasas trans en el segundo y tercer cuartil aumentó el riesgo de ECV en OR 1,86 (IC 95 %: 1,03-3,34) y 2,01 (IC 95 %: 1,12-3,60), respectivamente. Conclusiones: si bien las grasas trans pueden estar asociadas significativamente con el desarrollo de ECV en los dos primeros cuartiles, no se ha detectado asociación con otros tipos de gras

Prevalence of Food Insecurity among Women in Northern Jordan

Food insecurity\u2014not having sufficient quantities of good-quality foods\u2014is inversely related to physical and mental health and directly related to poor dietary intake. The objectives of this research were to (a) measure the prevalence of food insecurity among women in northern Jordan, (b) study the socioeconomic factors associated with an increased risk of food insecurity, and (c) investigate the relationship between household food insecurity and women\u2019s reported body-weight. This cross-sectional study was conducted using an interview-based questionnaire. In total, 500 women were interviewed in the waiting rooms of the outpatient clinics of two major public hospitals in northern Jordan. Food insecurity was assessed using the short form of the U.S. food security survey module. The prevalence of food insecurity was 32.4%. Income below the poverty-line, illiteracy, unemployment, rented housing, and woman heading the household were among the socioeconomic factors that increased the probability of food insecurity. No evidence was found to support the relationship between obesity and food insecurity. Except grains, food-insecure women with hunger had lower intake of all food-groups. This study demonstrated that the problem of food insecurity is present in Jordan. Food-insecure women with hunger are at a risk of malnutrition. Interventions that target reduction of the factors associated with food insecurity are necessary

Use of dietary supplements among pregnant women in the center of Jordan

Background: Balanced nutrition during pregnancy is necessary to meet the increasing demands of both maternal physiological changes and fetal growth. The present study aimed to investigate types of dietary supplements used by pregnant women living in central Jordan during the three pregnancy trimesters compared by socio-demographic factors. Methods: This was a prospective observational study which was carried out at a major university hospital in the center of Jordan between March 2017 and December 2018. Two hundred and eighty five pregnant Jordanian women were conveniently recruited to take part in the study. Data was collected by an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire, and results were analyzed. Results: The findings showed that 96.8% of the recruited women used supplements during pregnancy. The most frequently used nutrients combined with multivitamins were iron (71.9%),vitamin D (64.2%) and folic acid (33%). Furthermore, the most frequently used single nutrients were calcium (67%), iron (55.8%), Vitamin D (47.8%), Folic acid (15.6%) and omega-3 fatty acids (6.3%). Intake of supplements varied in the three pregnancy trimesters. Use of vitamin D, calcium and iron-containing supplements were higher in the third trimester (85.6%, 89.2% and 91.4%, respectively) compared to the second trimester (62.5%, 67.7% and 77.1%, respectively) and the first trimester (8%, 4% and 8%, respectively) (P <.001). Conclusion: Compliance with the intake of some nutrient supplements among pregnant Jordanian women living in the center of Jordan is acceptable, where 96.8% used dietary supplements. While 71.9%, 67%, 64.2% and 33% used Iron, calcium, Vitamin D and Folic acid respectively, more efforts are required to educate pregnant women and raise the awareness about the importance of supplement intake particularly in defiance cases in order to avoid maternal and fetal complications. 2020This project was funded by the Hashemite University (Grant number 16/13/10/1601100).Scopu

Fast Foods, Sweets and Beverage Consumption and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Case-Control Study in Jordan

Background: The effects of consuming fast foods, sweets and beverages on the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) are unclear. The aim of this case-control study was to assess possible associations between the consumption of different fast foods, sweets and beverages and CRC risk in a Jordanian population. Methods: Two hundred and twenty diagnosed CRC cases and 281 controls were enrolled. Diet history was obtained using a validated quantitative questionnaire. Results: Consumption of some types of fast food, and particularly falafel, was associated with an increased risk of developing CRC. Elevated risk was found for potato and corn chips with an AOR of 4.36 (95%CI: 1.24-15.28) for daily consumption and 3.33 (95%CI: 1.00-11.11) for ≥5 servings/week. Consuming 1-2 or >5 servings per week of fried potatoes or 2-3 servings per week of chicken in sandwiches also increased the risk while exposure to fresh tomato juice and hot pepper sauce on a monthly basis appeared to exert a protective effect. Conclusions: Consumption of fried fast food items was significantly linked with an increased risk of developing CRC in Jordan