Nutritional status of Ugandan school-children: The effect of age imprecision.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the nutritional status of Ugandan school-children in a cross-sectional and longitudinal perspective, considering the effect of age imprecision. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anthropometric measurements of 831 school-children (381 males and 450 females) were analyzed. A subsample of 246 children was measured in July 2014 and 2015. Stunting (based on height-for-age Z-scores), underweight (weight-for-age), and thinness (body mass index-for-age) prevalence were calculated. Three different ages were used: declared (from schools registers), attributed (based on multiple information sources), and bootstrap (from 10,000 replicates). Significant differences among malnutrition prevalence calculated with different ages and in different groups were assessed by means of bootstrap analysis. Longitudinal analysis was conducted using a paired t test. RESULTS: The mean prevalence of malnutrition calculated with declared, attributed, or bootstrap ages were very similar: stunting (11.9-12.7); underweight (5.4-5.9); thinness (3.3-3.7); and obesity (0.7). Undernutrition was more prevalent among older children, while obesity was mostly associated with young age. Obesity was equally distributed among sexes, while undernutrition was more prevalent among females of up to 10 years of age and males above 10 years. The longitudinal analysis indicated a reduction in underweight and thinness, and an increase in stunting, especially among older children. DISCUSSION: Age imprecision did not significantly affect malnutrition estimates. Despite the decline in the prevalence of thinness and underweight observed over a 1-year period, undernutrition persists, with an observed rise in stunting. On the other hand, obesity is starting to appear. Public health efforts are required to eliminate stunting and address the emerging burden of obesity.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of nutritional status of school-children from Bumbire Island (United Republic of Tanzania).

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the nutritional status of schoolchildren from Bumbire Island (Tanzania) from cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives. METHODS: During 2014 and 2015, we collected anthropometric measurements in a sample of 437 schoolchildren (226 males, 211 females; 5-16 years). A sub-sample of 126 children were measured in both surveys. Socio-demographic data have been taken and dietary habits investigated. The accuracy of age data was checked. Malnutrition prevalence was calculated according to the WHO references and the z-score criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of undernutrition was high (stunting: 30.7%; underweight: 12.9%; thinness: 4.5%), while overweight was rare (2.4%). The prevalence of stunting was higher in males and in older children. The one-year longitudinal analysis indicated that stunting prevalence increased. CONCLUSIONS: Undernutrition is affecting Bumbire Island children, likely due to micronutrient deficiencies. The effects of linear growth deficit continue to accumulate throughout childhood and adolescent years.

Pseudoischemic electrocardiogram in myasthenia gravis with thymoma: reversibility after thymectomy.

Abnormal ST T-wave changes can be found at presentation in various noncoronary disorders; misinterpretation of these patterns as ischemic heart disease can lead to erroneous diagnosis and treatment. Here we present a case of myasthenia gravis (MG) with thymoma, in which the resting electrocardiogram (ECG) led to a misleading diagnosis of myocardial ischemia. After thymectomy, the ECG resumed a normal pattern. Myasthenia gravis is not usually considered in the differential diagnosis of conditions associated with an abnormal ECG. The combination of dysphagia, dyspnoea, ECG changes, and creatine kinase (CK) elevations may easily bring to mind an erroneous and possibly deleterious diagnosis of myocardial ischemia.