Vitamin D status in preschool children in Algeria.

It is well established today that an optimal vitamin D intake plays a crucial role in the constitution of optimal osseous mass during childhood, and hence in the prevention of the osteoporosis in adults. The prevalence of the vitamin D deficiency is increasing globally and Algeria is no exception in this regard. Our study is the first to be carried out with healthy children of preschool age in North Africa. AIMS: The study aimed to evaluate the vitamin D status of a pediatric population, during all four seasons of the year, living in the north of Algeria, as well as to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, identifying the potential risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was an analytic and cross-sectional study carried out between March 2014 and March 2016 with healthy preschool infants from an urban environment in the town of Hussein Dey. A total of 1016 infants aged 9-72 months were included during this period. The consensual threshold value was 20ng/mL. RESULTS: The sex ratio was of 1.47 (535 boys/481 girls) and the average age of the children was 36.5±1.79 months. The daily average calcium ratio was 395±23 mg/with food contributions in vitamin D at an estimated average of 164 UI/day (4.1µg/day). The average concentration of the total 25-OHD for all four seasons of the year was 18.6±10.4ng/mL with an average rate of parathyroid hormone (PTH) of 30.9±14.6pg/mL. There was a highly significant inverse correlation between the serum level of vitamin D and PTH (r=-0.57; P=0.0001), the point of inflection was situated at 34.1ng/mL. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency follows a seasonal variation that is statistically significant (P=0.0001), and the prevalence is higher during the autumn-winter period. The risk factors identified by multiple logistic regression were autumn-winter season (OR: 7; 95% CI: 3-11; P=0.001), age less than 24 months (OR: 3.8; 95% CI: 3.4-4.4; P=0.0001), high body mass index (OR: 2; 95% CI: 1.2-3.2; P=0.3), darker skin pigmentation (OR: 2.8; 95% CI: 2.2-5.2; P=0.001), duration of sunlight exposure less than 15min (OR: 6.1; 95% CI: 3.6-10.2; P=0.0001), low socioeconomic status (OR: 3.9; 95% CI: 1.5-4.3; P=0.01), calcium intake lower than 500 mg/day (OR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.8-6; P=0.001), and a weekly dietary intake of vitamin D lower than 200 UI (OR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.6-4.2; P=0.02). DISCUSSION: No studies have been conducted in north Africa or Algeria concerning healthy preschool children; however, this population has a rapid growth rate and deserves special attention. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the children of this study was higher than that reported in studies of children of the same age living in Europe or America, despite the fact that Algeria is closer to the equator (36° latitude north). CONCLUSION: The changes experienced by Algerian society and the shorter exposure of the population to the sun call for more efforts regarding the detection and treatment of vitamin D deficiency, as well as an update of the vitamin D supplementation schedule.

Algerian medical teachers' research output and its determinants during the 2000-2009 decade.

BACKGROUND: Publications are the primary output of scientific research. We conducted a national study to quantify Algerian medical teachers' research output and identify its determinants during the 2000-2009 decade. METHODS: The American Medline database and the French Pascal database were used. A publication was eligible only if the lead author was an Algerian medical teacher (in medicine, pharmacy, or dentistry) working in Algeria. The same questionnaire was completed by cases (teachers who were first authors of an original article during the study period) and randomly selected controls. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors related to research output. RESULTS: A total of 79 original articles (42.2% of publications) were retrieved, a quarter of which were listed in Pascal alone. The publication rate was 2.6 original articles per 1000 teachers per year. The journals that published these original articles had a median impact factor of 0.83. The ability to publish an original article was 4.3 times higher if the teacher had undergone training in biostatistics and/or epidemiology (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=4.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.79-10.38). A promotion evaluation grid that did not encourage writing (aOR=3.44, 95% CI: 1.42-8.33), a doctoral thesis, seniority, foreign collaboration, and English language proficiency were found to be associated with publication output. CONCLUSIONS: Algerian medical teachers' research output was particularly low. Replacing the current promotion grid with a grid that promotes writing, developing abilities to read and write articles and developing English language proficiency are likely to improve this situation.

[Factors associated with neonatal, infant and child mortality. Results of a national survey in Algeria]. / Facteurs associés à la mortalité juvénile, infantile et néonatale. Résultats d'une enquête nationale en Algérie.

BACKGROUND: The immediate medical causes of childhood death in developing countries are low birthweight, inadequate nutrition and serious infectious diseases. This report describes the main diseases causing infant mortality in Algeria. POPULATION AND METHODS: 1% of Algerian household was investigated in December 1989 in a cross-sectional single-interview survey. Sampling was simple random stratified based on the population dispersion, with a second degree cluster for district and household. Questionnaires included 6 data on the deaths: birthdate, day of death, sex, associated factors, diagnosis of the mother, and diagnosis of the survey team. RESULTS: 32,945 births were registered between 1985 and 1989. There were 1,608 deaths. The main factors linked to these deaths were acute diarrhea (18.4%), acute respiratory diseases (13.8%), premature birth (11.6%). Premature birth was the main factor (31.9%) linked to mortality before the age of 1 month. Factors linked to mortality were not influenced by sex but were influenced by population dispersion. The mortality rate and the factors linked to it remained unchanged between 1985 and 1989. CONCLUSIONS: These results will help target the national program to reduce infant mortality.