Habitual food consumption, eating behavior and meal-timing among Jordanian adults with elevated Blood pressure: a cross-sectional population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of elevated blood pressure (BP) has been raised worldwide. Food consumption, eating habits, and nutritional lifestyle related to meal timing, skipping meals, and meal contents have recently received more attention in studies on BP and metabolic syndrome. Purpose: This study evaluated the association between habitual food consumption, eating behavior, and meal timing with BP among Jordanian adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 771 Jordanian adults. A food frequency questionnaire was completed. Data about eating habits, meal timing, and emotional eating were collected. BP was measured. RESULTS: The prevalence of less than recommended intake of vegetables, milk, protein, and fruits was higher in participants with elevated BP (69.2%, 90.2%, 58.9%, and 25.5%, respectively) as compared to the normal BP group (p < 0.001). Consuming vegetables and milk less than the recommended was reported to significantly increase the likelihood of elevated BP by OR= (1.60, and 2.75 (95%CI: 1.06-2.40; 1.62-4.66). Hence, consuming more than recommended fruit reduced the risk of elevated BP by OR = 0.56 (95%CI: 0.38-0.82). A 63.2% of elevated BP participants have three meals daily, a higher percentage of intake of one (23.5%) and two (45.7%) snacks. However, they had a higher percentage of morning eaters (50.7%), had lunch between 1:00-6:00 PM (92.7%), and had dinner between 6:00 and 9:00 PM (68.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Although Jordanian adults with elevated BP appear to have healthy eating habits and meal timing and frequency, their habitual food consumption falls short of the daily recommendations for milk, fruits, vegetables, and protein.

Numerous epidemiological studies have revealed a steadily rising prevalence of elevated BP, and one critical independent and modifiable risk factor for this condition is obesity.One global non-communicable diseases (NCD) target adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2013 is to lower the prevalence of raised BP by 25% by 2025 compared with its 2010 level.Lifestyle improvement is a cornerstone of CVD prevention; diet is one of the most effective strategies for attaining BP reduction and control as low-salt diets, dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), a low-salt Mediterranean diet, an energy-restriction diet, vegetarian diet, and alternate-day fasting.Eating habits and nutritional lifestyle related to meal timing, skipping meals, and meal contents have recently received more attention in studies on BP and metabolic syndrome.a relationship between elevated BP and metabolic syndrome, infrequent fruit eating, skipping meals, irregular meal frequency and timing, and obesity has been found among adults.It has been found that earlier meal timing could reduce cardiometabolic disease burden and aid in weight loss; on the other hand, meal frequency was inversely associated with the prevalence of abdominal obesity, elevated BP, and elevated triglycerides. Morning eating was associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome than no morning eating.

Does probiotic supplementation improve quality of life in mild-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis patients in Jordan? A secondary outcome of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

PURPOSE: Recent findings revealed a potential effect of a probiotic in improving quality of life (QoL) in ulcerative colitis (UC). In Jordan, there is scarce data about UC patients and QoL. METHODS: Twenty-four UC patients were included in the study and were randomly allocated into probiotic (3 × 1010 probiotic capsules containing nine Lactobacillus and five Bifidobacterium species) and placebo control groups (containing polysaccharide supplied in an identical bottle) 3 times daily/6 weeks. A short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (SIBDQ) was used to assess the change in the quality of life in both groups at the beginning and the end of the intervention; The study was completed during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Patients treated with probiotics showed a higher score of social (6.92 ± 0.29, p = 0.019), bowel (6.31 ± 0.46, p = 0.001), emotional (6.47 ± 0.46, p < 0.001), and total SIBDQ scores (6.54 ± 0.29, p < 0.001) compared to the placebo group (5.75 ± 1.57, 4.72 ± 1.34, 4.42 ± 1.67 and 4.96 ± 1.27; respectively). Also, the probiotic group had significantly better scores in the systemic, social, bowel, emotional, and total SIBDQ scores in terms of pre- to post-treatment (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of probiotic therapy containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species had significantly improved the quality of life among UC patients, this was shown by the improvement in the scores of the systemic domain, social domain, bowel domain, emotional domain, and total SIBDQ. This study is part of a registered study at ClinicalTrials.gov with the number NCT04223479.

Do macronutrient intakes affect obesity indices in Jordanian adults?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether macronutrient intake is associated with novel obesity indices, including the conicity index (CI), body adiposity index (BAI), abdominal volume index (AVI), body roundness index (BRI), and weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI). METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 491 adults (344 males and 147 females) working at different universities in Jordan (July-December 2019). Daily intake of energy (kcal), carbohydrates (g), protein (g), and fat (g) was obtained using 24-h recalls collected over 2 days. Additionally, obesity indices were calculated. RESULTS: Regardless of sex, energy, and carbohydrate intakes had a moderately significant positive association, whereas protein and fat intakes had a weakly significant association with BAI, AVI, and BRI. CI and WWI showed a weakly significant association with all macronutrients in males, a moderate correlation with energy and carbohydrate intake, and a weak association with fat and protein intake in females. Male participants had significant increases in the CI (T1 = 1.29 ± 0.01 vs. T3 = 1.36 ± 0.01, p = .018), AVI (T1 = 17.96 ± 0.52 vs. T3 = 22.81 ± 0.57, p = .011), and WWI (T1 = 10.72 ± 0.11 vs. T3 = 11.29 ± 0.09, p = .047) indices scores through the carbohydrate intake tertiles. Additionally, there was a significant increase in scores of AVI (T1 = 18.60 ± 0.56 vs. T3 = 21.42 ± 0.46, p = .048) and an almost significant increase in CI (T1 = 1.30 ± 0.01vs. T3 = 1.33 ± 0.01, p = .056) through the tertiles of protein intake. CONCLUSION: Macronutrients were significantly associated with all indices. The effect of macronutrients on obesity indices is sex-based. Among men, CI, AVI, and WWI were the indices most affected by carbohydrate and protein intakes. Future studies should further investigate food sources and macronutrient quality.

Psoriasis Management Using Herbal Supplementation: A Retrospective Clinical Case Study.

Background: Currently, there is no effective long-term treatment for psoriasis by conventional medicine. Thus, several alternative treatments are currently used to attenuate the severity, including herbal and dietary supplements. Primary Study Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a mixture of traditional Jordanian herbal supplements on psoriasis treatment. Methods/Design: A retrospective case study was conducted at The Herbal Dynasty Medical Center, Jordan. Three psoriasis patients were selected to participate (2 males; 1 female); patients obtained their diagnosis by a physician. Participants were prescribed a specific dose of 2 capsules daily of the herbal supplement, which consisted of dandelion, olive leaf, nettle leaf, and turmeric, along with 2 capsules of milk thistle half an hour before breakfast. Participants were instructed to follow therapy protocol for 5 consecutive months. The psoriasis area and severity index score was calculated pretreatment and posttreatment. Results: The 3 psoriasis cases were diagnosed as mild, moderate, and severe at the study onset. The severity index scores were 3.2, 14, and 16.2, respectively, and improved posttreatment to 0, 0.8, and 2, respectively. Conclusion: Traditional herbal supplementation was shown to be beneficial for the treatment of psoriasis.

Anthropometric indices of obesity as predictors of high blood pressure among school children.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is related to increased body fat, which can be evaluated by anthropometric indicators. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive power of anthropometric indicators and to establish their cutoff points as discriminators of high blood pressure. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 793 schoolchildren aged 10-14 years. Six anthropometric indices were used: body mass index-z-score (BMI-z-score), waist circumference (WC), waist-toheight ratio (WHtR), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI) and conicity index (CI). Elevated blood pressure (EBP) and hypertension (HTN) were characterized by values ≥ 90th and <95th percentile and ≥ 95th percentile for systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure, respectively. The predictive power of anthropometric indices was analyzed by sex using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). RESULTS: The prevalence of EBP and HTN was 11.0% and 14.8%, respectively. According to the analyses of the ROC curve, WC provided the largest area under the curve (AUC) value, while CI showed the lowest AUC value in predicting elevated blood pressure in the total sample. The BMI z-score provided the largest area under the curve (AUC) value (0.722), followed by WHtR (0.709) and BRI (0.709), in predicting hypertension in boys. CONCLUSIONS: BMI z-score and WC may be the best predictors of EBP and BMI z-score for HTN among Jordanian schoolchildren.

Remodeling Immune Response in A Celiac Disease Patient Using Herbal Supplementation: A Clinical Case-Study.

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by abnormal serological response (autoimmune anti-tissue-Transglutaminase antibodies) triggered by gluten ingestion in genetically predisposed individuals. The only available effective management for those patients is a strict gluten-free diet. Aim: To investigate the improvement of CD after completing a traditional herbal supplementation and alternative medicine treatment. Case description, treatment, and results: A 23-year-old female presented with a confirmed CD diagnosis (positive anti-tissue Transglutaminase IgA with infiltration of mixed inflammatory cell detected in small bowel biopsy). After 9 months of alternative treatment with traditional herbal supplementation (Taraxaf®, Ferrolina®, and Indomirol®), the clinical, laboratory, and endoscopy profile tests have shown an overall improvement with negative results for anti-tissue Transglutaminase IgA, and normal small bowel mucosal appearance. She was returned to an ordinary diet containing gluten. Conclusion: A traditional herbal supplementation with specific doses followed by a physician's instruction led to obvious improvement in this CD patient.

Are There Any Correlations between Vitamin D, Calcium, and Magnesium Intake and Coronary and Obesity Indices?

OBJECTIVE: The association between nutrient intake and obesity and coronary problems has received great attention. So, this study aimed to examine the association between vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium intake and obesity and coronary indices. METHODS: A total of 491 male and female university employees (18-64 years) were randomly included in a cross-sectional study. Blood samples were drawn, and the lipid profile was analyzed. Different anthropometrics were measured. Obesity and coronary indices were calculated based on standard formulas. A 24-h recall was used to measure the average dietary intake of vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium. RESULTS: For the total sample, vitamin D had a significantly weak correlation with the abdominal volume index (AVI) and weight-adjusted waist index (WWI). However, calcium intake had a significant moderate correlation with the AVI and a weak correlation with the conicity index (CI), body roundness index (BRI), body adiposity index (BAI), WWI, lipid accumulation product (LAP), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP). In males, there was a significant weak correlation between calcium and magnesium intake and the CI, BAI, AVI, WWI, and BRI. Additionally, magnesium intake had a weak correlation with the LAP. In female participants, calcium and magnesium intake had a weak correlation with CI, BAI, AIP, and WWI. Additionally, calcium intake showed a moderate correlation with the AVI and BRI and a weak correlation with the LAP. CONCLUSION: Magnesium intake had the greatest impact on coronary indices. Calcium intake had the greatest impact on obesity indices. Vitamin D intake had minimal effects on obesity and coronary indices.

The use of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and selected inflammatory indicators for predicting malnutrition in COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition causes diverse alterations in the immune system, and COVID-19 is an infection affecting the immune system, consequently leading to malnutrition. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the use of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and selected inflammatory indices for malnutrition screening among COVID-19 hospitalized patients. MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY: This is a single-center retrospective study that enrolled 289 hospitalized COVID-19 patients between 1st January to 30th April 2021, their median age was 59 years. Demographic and biochemical data were collected from patients' records. The PNI, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and an early warning score to predict mortality risk (ANDC) were calculated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: about 30 % of patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and ICU patients had significantly higher levels of white blood cell (WBCs) count, neutrophils, C-reactive protein (C-RP), and D-dimer (P < 0.05). On the other hand, they had significantly lower levels of lymphocytes and serum albumin (P < 0.001; for both). Those with high ANDC scores were more likely to develop severe conditions affecting nutritional status compared to non-ICU (OR = 1.04, 95 % CI:1.014-1.057; P < 0.001). ANDC showed good discrimination ability with an AUC of 0.784 (cut-off value > 68.19 score). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that ANDC could be used as a predictor for nutritional status and severity in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

The Novelty of using Obesity Indices as Blood Pressure Predictors.

AIMS: To study the association between selected obesity indices, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 491 Jordanian adults (19-65 years old). The sociodemographic data, anthropometrics, and blood pressure were measured and recorded. Obesity indices (Conicity Index (CI), Abdominal volume index (AVI), Body Roundness Index (BRI), and Weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI)) were calculated using standard validated formulas. RESULTS: Based on age, the SBP had a significant moderate correlation with BRI and AVI in all age groups. In the age group 20 to 34 years, SBP had a significantly moderate correlation with CI, and DBP had a significantly moderate correlation with BRI and AVI. In the age group of 35 to 44 years, DBP had a significantly moderate correlation with CI, BRI, WWI, and AVI. For the age group of 45 to 65 years, the SBP had a significantly moderate correlation with all the obesity indexes, opposite to DBP. Obesity indices explain 23.6 to 24.1 % of the changeability in SBP, and one unit increase in them, increased SBP ranges from 0.61±0.14 to 19.88±4.45. For DBP, obesity indices explained 15.9% to 16.3% of the variability in DBP, and raising them by one unit led to an increase in the DBP range from 0.27±0.11 to 10.08±4.83. CONCLUSION: All the studied obesity indices impacted SBP and DBP with the highest reported effect for AVI and BRI and a lower impact for WWI. The impact of obesity indices on DBP was affected by age group.

Dietary fat types consumption association with obesity and coronary indices.

This article aims to study the different dietary fat types associated with obesity and coronary indices. A sample of 491 healthy adults was included in a cross-sectional manner. Dietary fats intake, obesity indices (conicity index (CI), body adiposity index (BAI), abdominal volume index (AVI), body roundness index (BRI), and weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI)), and cardiovascular indices (cardiometabolic index (CMI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP)) were calculated and studied. Participants with an acceptable intake of omega-3 had a higher BRI score (1⋅90 ± 0⋅06 v. 1⋅70 ± 0⋅06). Participants with an unacceptable intake of cholesterol had a higher CI (1⋅31 ± 0⋅11 v. 1⋅28 ± 0⋅12; P = 0⋅011), AVI (20⋅24 ± 5⋅8 v. 18⋅33 ± 6⋅0; P < 0⋅001), BRI (2⋅00 ± 1⋅01 v. 1⋅70 ± 1⋅00; P = 0⋅003), WWI (11⋅00 ± 0⋅91 v. 10⋅80 ± 0⋅97; P = 0⋅032), and lower AIP (0⋅46 ± 0⋅33 v. 0⋅53 ± 0⋅33; P = 0⋅024). Total fat, saturated fat (SFA), and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) intake had a significant moderate correlation with AVI and BRI. The monounsaturated fat (MUFA) intake had a significantly weak correlation with CI, AVI, BRI, WWI, and AIP. Cholesterol and omega-6 had weak correlations with all indices. Similar correlations were seen among male and female participants. The different types of fat intake significantly affected obesity and coronary indices, especially SFA and PUFA, as well as omega-3 and cholesterol. Gender and the dietary type of fat intake have a relationship to influence the indicators of both obesity and coronary indices.

The Use of Herbs, Dietary Products, and Different Types of Diet for Weight Loss Purposes.

Background: Obesity is a global pandemic health problem. Attempting weight reduction, excess weight people commonly seek herbal products in addition to claim diets. We aimed to assess the prevalence of consuming herbal and dietary products for weight loss purposes and to assess weight reduction attitudes and beliefs among a group of excess-weight adults in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 477 Jordanian adults (81.6% females), between Feb-Apr/2021. The study data collection was completed by using a validated online structured questionnaire. Results: 28.9% of the male participants reported that the most common source of diets they followed was by themselves (43.2%) and by dietitians (25%). Whereas female participants followed the weight reduction diets prescribed by dietitians, by themselves, and on the internet (31.1%; 26.5%, and 23.7; respectively, P=0.011). The majority of participants from both genders do not believe in using weight reduction herbs alone for losing weight; it must be done along with diet and exercise (P=0.018). Females who use herbs for weight reduction were more than males. In addition, green tea was the most used herb by all participants (8%). The main advisor for using weight reduction herbs and dietary products in females was the internet (30.1%) followed by their own (24.2%). However, in males, it was by their own (21.6%), then by a dietitian (12.6%), and by the internet (12.5%) (P=0.001). Moreover, a quarter of male participants and 21.6% of females did not feel that using herbs to lose weight was efficient. Conclusion: The excess weight adults in Jordan seek to use diet, herbs, and dietary products for weight reduction, advised by unreliable sources. Although the majority are convinced that it is not effective alone, further studies are needed to assess the side effects and safety of such consumption among the population.

The impact of energy releasing B-vitamin intake on indices of obesity and cardiac function: a cross-sectional study.

Background: B vitamins play a crucial role in the balance and metabolism of energy. Energy metabolism mainly benefits from the B-complex vitamins. Specifically, decarboxylation, transamination, acylation, oxidation, and reduction of substrates that are ultimately employed in energy intake require thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6. Vitamin deficiency could lead to chronic disease occurrence. Objectives: To assess the impact of energy-releasing B-vitamins intake (B1, B2, B3, and B6) on selected indices of obesity and cardiac function. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 491 apparently healthy adults (18-64 years old) between January and May 2019 at Hashemite University, Jordan. Anthropometric measurements were taken, lipid profiles were analyzed, and indices of obesity and cardiac function were calculated. The typical dietary intake of B1, B2, B3, and B6 vitamins was calculated. Results: Conicity index (CI) and abdominal volume index (AVI) scores significantly decreased with the increased adjusted vitamin B1 and B6 intake. Also, body roundness index (BRI), weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) scores were decreased with the increase of adjusted B6 intake ( p<0.05). The total sample showed a significant inverse weak correlation between energy-adjusted intake of B1 and AVI (r= -0.156, p=0.001) and BRI (r= 0.111, p=0.014). Similar correlations were detected among male participants between energy-adjusted B1 intake and BAI, AVI, and BRI. Female participants had a significant weak inverse correlation between BAI and energy-adjusted B2 (r= -0.180, p=0.029) and B6 intake (r= -0.212, p=0.010). Only B1, the vitamin, significantly explained 2.43 and 1.24% of changes observed in the AVI and BRI scores, respectively ( p<0.05). Conclusions: Increasing the consumption of B1, B2, and B6 may significantly lower values of indices of obesity and cardiac function regardless of sex differences. Thus reducing the occurrence of obesity and related coronary heart diseases.

Jordan's Population-Based Food Consumption Survey: Protocol for Design and Development.

BACKGROUND: One of the factors influencing health and well-being is dietary patterns. Data on food consumption are necessary for evaluating and developing community nutrition policies. Few studies on Jordanians' food consumption and dietary habits at various ages have been conducted, despite the increased prevalence of overweight, obesity, and chronic diseases. This will be the first study focusing on Jordanians' food consumption patterns that includes children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aims to describe the design and methodology of the Jordan's Population-based Food Consumption Survey, 2021-2022, which was developed to collect data on food consumption, including energy, nutrients, and food group intake, from a representative sample of Jordanians and to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their relationship to food consumption. METHODS: Participants were selected by stratified random sampling, using the Estimated Population of the Kingdom by Governorate, Locality, Sex, and Households, 2020 as the sampling frame. The food consumption survey sample was at the population level, representing gender and age classes (8-85 years old). The data collection period was 6 months. Food consumption was assessed using 24-hour dietary recall (2 nonconsecutive days, 1 week apart) interviews representing weekdays and weekends. In addition to data on food consumption, information on the use of food supplements, sociodemographic and socioeconomic status, and health was gathered. Weight, height, and waist circumference were all measured. RESULTS: The survey included 632 households with 2145 participants, of which 243 (11.3%) were children, 374 (17.4%) were adolescents, 1428 (66.6%) were adults, and 99 (4.6%) were older adults. Three food consumption databases were used to stratify the mean 24-hour dietary recall food consumption into energy intake, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and food groups. BMI was calculated and classified as normal, overweight, or obese. Central obesity was classified as normal or abnormal based on the waist-to-height ratio. The survey results will be disseminated based on age, energy, nutrient, and food group consumption. The prevalence of overweight and obesity by age group will be presented, as well as a comparison to the situation in Eastern Mediterranean countries. CONCLUSIONS: The survey data will be helpful in nutritional studies, assessing changes in dietary patterns, and developing and evaluating nutrition or health policies. It will be a solid base for developing a future national surveillance system on food consumption patterns with comprehensive food consumption, physical activity, biochemical, and blood pressure data. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/41636.

Association between dietary fatty acid patterns and obesity indices in Jordanian adults: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The ratios of fatty acids in different diets and their connection to chronic diseases including obesity and CVD have been researched. The current study set out to detect the dietary fatty acid patterns among Jordanian adults and their relationships with obesity indices. Methods: The data of 1096 adults were extracted from a household food consumption patterns survey study. Food intake was analyzed, and fatty acid patterns were determined. After anthropometric measurements, obesity indices were calculated. Results: Two fatty acid patterns were determined (High fatty acids from Protein and Olive Oil sources pattern, and the low Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) pattern), explaining an overall variance of 41.78% and 24.31%, respectively. A significant difference in obesity scores through fatty acids pattern quartiles was only seen among female participants. Q4 of the "High fatty acids from Protein and Olive Oil sources" pattern had a significantly higher means of body mass index (25.12 ± 0.46; p = 0.015), waist-to-height-ratio (0.51 ± 0.01; p = 0.002), weight-adjusted waist index (10.13 ± 0.09; p = 0.021) and body roundness index (3.61 ± 0.15; p = 0.007) compared to Q1, while Q4 of "Low EPA and DHA" pattern had significantly higher means of waist circumference (WC) (86.28 ± 1.34) and a body shape index (ABSI) (10.12 ± 0.30) in comparison to Q1 (WC = 81.55 ± 1.08 and ABSI = 9.07 ± 0.22; p = 0.025, 0.013; respectively). In females, there was a significant association between the "High fatty acids from Protein and Olive Oil sources" pattern and all the obesity indices. Conclusion: Our results suggest that an increase in the high fatty acids from Protein and Olive Oil sources pattern is associated with a reduction in obesity indices, which is opposite to the low EPA and DHA pattern. This was a sex-specific association.

Energy and macronutrient intakes in Jordan: a population study.

Jordan has never conducted a nutrition survey to determine nutrient and energy intakes. The current study aimed to describe the energy and macronutrient consumed by the Jordanian population. A cross-sectional food consumption study was conducted, including a sample of Jordanians using two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls (24-h DR) between October 2021 and March 2022. A total of 2145 males and females aged 8 to 85 years old living in households were studied. The average of two 24-h DRs for each individual was converted into energy and nutrient intakes. After measuring weight, height, and waist circumference, the body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. The percentage of under-reporters was higher in women than men (58.2% vs. 45.9%). Adults and older adult women had the highest prevalence of obesity (29.6%), while adults and older adult men had the highest prevalence of overweight (41.4%). There is a significant increase in energy intake in children, boys, and all adults, compared to the recommended calories. The mean energy percentage (E %) of total fat was 38%, exceeding the upper limit of the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR). At the same time, the mean daily dietary fiber intake fell below the recommended levels (ranging from 13.5 g in children to 19.5 g in older adults). The study population consumes more fat and less fiber than the recommended levels. Actions must be taken across all age groups to correct the deviation of energy and macronutrient intakes from the recommended dietary allowances.

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Body Weight, Eating Habits, and Physical Activity of Jordanian Children and Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic affects lifestyle patterns globally and impacts children and adolescents. This study aims to assess the effect of the lockdown on body weight, eating habits, and physical activity of Jordanian youth (children and adolescents). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 477 Jordanian children and adolescents aged 6-17 y. The study tool was a structured validated questionnaire. It comprised 4 parts, including a general description of the study purpose, sociodemographic and anthropometric data, physical activity data, and food intake pattern. Questions were reported before and during lockdown. Changes in outcomes over the 2 study time points were evaluated. RESULTS: After the lockdown period, the mean body weight and body mass index for age Z-scores (BAZ) showed a significant increase (P < 0.001) compared with before the lockdown period. More than 50% of the subjects reported that they spent more than 3 h in front of the screen during the lockdown. The percent of subjects who watched TV for more than 3h was increased. Moreover, physical inactivity was increased significantly during the lockdown. All food groups consumption was significantly increased during the lockdown compared to before the lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 lockdown period was characterized by an increase in the use of screen-based devices, lower physical activity, uncontrolled food intake, and weight gain.

Using inflammatory indices for assessing malnutrition among COVID-19 patients: A single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes malnutrition in infected patients. This study aimed to investigate the use of systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for malnutrition assessment among COVID-19 inpatients. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective study on 108 hospitalized COVID-19 patients; 14 were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Data were collected from patients' profiles while NLR, PLR, GPS, and SII were calculated. Inflammatory indices' predictive power was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Hospitalization days, neutrophils count, C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum urea levels were significantly higher in ICU patients. None of SII, PLR, and NLR were significantly different between ICU and non-ICU groups. Also, albumin and GPS showed a higher sensitivity level (100.0), followed by PLR and SII (78.57 and 71.34, respectively). Regarding ROC curves, even though NLR, PLR, and SII provided the largest area under the curve (AUC) (0.687, 0.682, 0.645; respectively), they have shown a poor discrimination ability, while GPS and albumin were ineffective in predicting malnutrition in COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: NLR, SII, and PLR showed poor predicting ability for malnutrition among COVID-19 inpatients. Additional consideration should be taken for using inflammatory parameters (SII, PLR, GPS, and NLR) to predict malnutrition in COVID-19 inpatients.

Hyperthyroidism treatment by alternative therapies based on cupping and dietary-herbal supplementation: a case report.

OBJECTIVES: Hyperthyroidism is characterized by increasing production of thyroid hormone (TH) and decreasing of thyroid stimulation hormone (TSH) secretion. The treatment of hyperthyroidism includes such as anti-thyroid drugs, radioiodine, and thyroidectomy have many side effects without complete curing results. We described a successful treatment of hyperthyroidism patient with dietary-herbal supplementation with wet cupping without any medicine. CASE PRESENTATION: A 29-years female, blood analysis showed that she had low TSH (0.012 mlU/mL), and normal levels of T3 and T4. After completing 16 weeks on Carbimazole, TSH value still low (0.024 mlU/mL) and urticaria was appeared. She decided to stop Carbimazole and try alternative therapy choices. She received wet cupping and dietary-herbal supplementations (including royal jelly, green barley grass and Taraxaf®) for two months. Notably, TSH values was increased during-after intervention and urticaria was disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: Alternative therapy could be a beneficial choice for hyperthyroidism treatment without any side effects or complications under physician supervision.

Hyperthyroidism treatment by alternative therapies based on cupping and dietary-herbal supplementation: a case report.

OBJECTIVES: Hyperthyroidism is characterized by increasing production of thyroid hormone (TH) and decreasing of thyroid stimulation hormone (TSH) secretion. The treatment of hyperthyroidism includes such as anti-thyroid drugs, radioiodine, and thyroidectomy have many side effects without complete curing results. We described a successful treatment of hyperthyroidism patient with dietary-herbal supplementation with wet cupping without any medicine. CASE PRESENTATION: A 29-years female, blood analysis showed that she had low TSH (0.012 mlU/mL), and normal levels of T3 and T4. After completing 16 weeks on Carbimazole, TSH value still low (0.024 mlU/mL) and urticaria was appeared. She decided to stop Carbimazole and try alternative therapy choices. She received wet cupping and dietary-herbal supplementations (including royal jelly, green barley grass and Taraxaf®) for two months. Notably, TSH values was increased during-after intervention and urticaria was disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: Alternative therapy could be a beneficial choice for hyperthyroidism treatment without any side effects or complications under physician supervision.

Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa among nutrition students and nutritionists: Pilot study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is defined as an excessive concern in choosing and preparing of meals according to strict rules. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of ON among nutrition students and nutritionists and to identify the related variables affected by the ON tendency. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in July and August of 2019 among 421 nutrition students from six universities, in addition to nutritionists in Jordan. Participants completed questionnaire related to individual characteristics and the ORTO-15 scale. Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) tendency was measured using ORTO-15 questionnaire, referring to different diagnostic thresholds (40/35). p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS: Orthorexia had 72.0% prevalence in our sample using the 40-point threshold; the figure was reasonably lower with the 35-point threshold (31.8%). Also, ON tendency was significantly affected by BMI categories (p = 0.007) and gender (p = 0.043) at 35-point threshold. Males have more tendency (39.4%) than females (28.6%) (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: The results of this study highlight the magnitude of ON in Jordan. Using cut-off at 35 is preferable than cut-off at 40 to identify factors influencing ON. Moreover, ON tendency is affected by gender and BMI and not affected by educational level.