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.

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.

Prevalence of Hyperuricemia and Associated Factors Among Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Jordan.

Background: Previous studies showed variable estimate of the prevalence of hyperuricemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The prevalence of hyperuricemia and associated risk factors in Jordanian patients with T2DM is largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of hyperuricemia and its associated factors in Jordanian patients with T2DM. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 655 patients with T2DM. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data. In addition, records of the study subjects were reviewed to obtain other clinical data. Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured, and body mass index was calculated. Lipid profile, serum uric acid and glycated haemoglobin were analysed. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. An informed written consent was obtained from each participant. The confidentiality of the information was assured and only used for scientific purposes. Results: Overall, the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 28.1%. Female gender (OR: 2.37; 95%, CI: 1.63-3.45), intake of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs) (OR: 1.68; 95%, CI: 1.12-2.50), intake of ß-blockers (OR: 2.20; 95%, CI: 1.51-3.22), increased waist circumference (OR: 3.17; 95%, CI: 1.39-7.22) and family history of hyperuricemia (OR: 2.56; 95%, CI: 1.57-4.16) were associated with increased odds of hyperuricemia. Conclusion: Hyperuricemia was high among type 2 diabetic patients, and screening test will be useful for those patients.

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.

Role of body composition in the glycaemic response to foods fed to three different ethnic groups: a pilot study.

AIM: To examine the role of overweight and obesity on the glycaemic response to foods across the whole population. DESIGN: Randomised, repeated measures design. SETTING: Oxford, UK. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven healthy volunteers, 9 Caucasian, 9 Asian, and 9 African, voluntarily participated in the study. The glycaemic response to two breakfast cereals and two bread types was determined in obese and overweight subjects. RESULTS: The current study shows that a very strong correlation exists between fasting blood glucose, peak change in glucose and the IAUC for glucose with each of BMI and WC (r = 0.88, 0.92; 0.82, 0.82; 0.91, 0.81; p = 0.01, respectively) for the Caucasian group. In addition, there was a strong significant negative association between the mean GI values of the four foods and the BMI for the Caucasian subjects (r = 0.61, p < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a strong positive significant association between the mean GI values of the four foods and the percentage body fat mass for the Asian subjects (r = 0.67, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that the GI values of foods are affected by body composition in Asian and Caucasian subjects.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among adult females in the United Arab Emirates.

The purpose of this present study was to investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adult females in the United Arab Emirates. A total number of 724 females, age 20-90 years, were recruited from the seven Emirates. The sample was divided into three age groups, 20 to <30 years, 30 to <60 years and >60 years. Height, weight and mid-upper-arm circumference were measured in each subject. Overweight and obesity were defined as a body mass index of 25.0-29.9 kg/m2 and >30 kg/m2, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 27% and 16%, respectively. The age group between 30 and <60 years had the highest prevalence of overweight (33%) and obesity (24%). In conclusion, the findings from our study suggest that a high proportion of adult females in the United Arab Emirates are overweight and obese. The consequences of this are a serious concern for public health and need to be addressed.

Estimated risk of coronary heart disease in obese adult males in Northern Jordan.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between obesity, lipid profile and blood pressure, and to quantify the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) for the next 10 years, using the Framingham risk scoring scheme among Jordanian adult males. METHODS: We conducted this study in Al-Sarieh, Jordan during the period March to May 2001. A total of 306 apparently healthy adult males, aged 30-50 years completed all the study procedures. We selected the participants using a multi-stage cluster sampling design. Dietary history and smoking habits were obtained using a pre-tested questionnaire and interview. Blood samples were obtained and examined for lipid profiles. We measured the blood pressures, as well as the weight and height to calculate the body mass index (BMI). The sample was categorized into 3 groups using the World Health Organization classifications for BMI. The risk of CHD was calculated using a scoring scale according to Framingham scheme. Analyses of data were carried out using the Chi-square test, and the Analysis of Variance. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 39 years with a mean BMI of 28.2 kg/m2. The percentage of current smokers was 44.1%. The mean of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, increased significantly with increasing BMI categories, whereas the mean of high density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased with increasing BMI categories. Prevalence of medium and high risk of CHD significantly increased as BMI categories increases. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of estimated CHD risk for the next 10 years in moderate and high CHD categories increases as the BMI categories increases among Jordanian adult men in Al-Sarieh area.

Lifestyle related risk factors for breast cancer in Jordanian females.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the lifestyle related risk factors for breast cancer such as physical activity, cigarette smoking, the use of contraceptive pills and increased body weight between non-familial and familial breast cancer females in Jordan. METHODS: This study was carried out in the Kingdom of Jordan during the period 2000 through to 2002. A questionnaire was used to collect information from 99 females who were histologically and pathologically diagnosed for breast cancer. Data of the questionnaire was entered and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences. RESULTS: This study showed no significant difference between familial, non-familial breast cancer females and controls in the following risk factors: physical activity, contraceptive methods, and smoking. On the other hand, a statistically significant difference in weight was found between the familial breast cancer females, the total breast cancer females and the controls. In addition, the highest percentage of overweight and obese was found among postmenopausal breast cancer females. CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal obesity is a significant risk factor among Jordanian breast cancer females.

Physical activity and levels of inactivity in adolescent females ages 11-16 years in the United Arab Emirates.

The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns of physical activity and levels of inactivity in adolescent females in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total of 58 adolescent females, age 11-16 years, were recruited from two female-only governmental schools in Abu-Dhabi. Subjects were divided into two groups: 11-13 years (n = 22) and 14-16 years (n = 36). Physical activity patterns were determined from a 3-day activity diary. Total energy expenditure (TEE) was estimated using a factorial approach. The amount of physical activity was expressed as the physical activity level (PAL) and the activity-related energy expenditure (AEE). The number of hours spent watching television was estimated from the activity diaries. There were no significant differences in the energy expenditure parameters between age groups or between schooldays and weekends. PAL was low in both age groups. Television was the predominant leisure time pursuit. The number of hours per day spent watching television (median and interquartile range) was 2.5 (2.3-3.1) in 11-13 years and 2.5 (2.3-2.8) in 14-16 years. Television-watching was significantly higher during the weekend than schooldays: 11-13 years (P = 0.006) and 14-16 years (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the amount of physical activity undertaken by adolescent females in the UAE was very low. Cultural and weather restrictions and social change of the community in the UAE are not conducive to physical activity and play a major role in levels of physical inactivity. This may explain, in part, the rise in the incidence of obesity in this population.

Comparison of some risk factors between non-familial and familial breast cancer females in Jordan.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the risk factors such as age, menopause, menarche, age at the first pregnancy, number of pregnancies and breast feeding period between the familial and non-familial breast cancer females in Jordan. METHODS: This study was carried out in Al-Basheer Hospital, Amman, Jordan during the period 2000 and 2002. A questionnaire was used to collect information from 99 females who were histologically and pathologically diagnosed with breast cancer. Data of the questionnaire were entered and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences. RESULTS: The highest percentage of non-familial and familial breast cancer occurrence was among age group 51-60 years. The age of the first pregnancy is another risk factor of which the highest percentage of breast cancer was reported for both familial (57.1%) and non-familial (65.4) breast cancer females who have their first pregnancy while they were 20-years-old and above. More than 4 pregnancies also represents a risk factor for both non-familial (67.9%) and familial (68.6%) breast cancer patients. In this study, there are no statistical differences between menopause and menarche age among the breast cancer females. Finally, an inverse relationship was shown between breast feeding period (equal or more than 24 months) and the occurrence of breast cancer in both non-familial (2%) and familial (0%) breast cancer. CONCLUSION: This study found that age 51-60 years and the increase number of pregnancies (more than 4) in the age of 20 years or more are risk factors for both types of breast cancer. On the other hand, longer period of breast feeding (more than 24 months) decreases the risk of breast cancer in both types.

Prevalence of overweight among adolescent females in the United Arab Emirates.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence of overweight in adolescent females in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total of 898 females, ages 11-18 years, were recruited from five of the seven Emirates with the highest resident Emirati population. Height, weight, triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), and mid-upper-arm circumference were measured in each subject. Reference data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) were used for comparison. At risk for overweight or overweight were defined as a body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) >or=85-95th percentile and >or=95th percentile, respectively. Mean values for BMI and TSF at all ages were higher than the 50th percentile (median) of the NHANES reference data. Using the BMI classification, 14% and 9% of all subjects were classified as at risk for overweight or overweight, respectively. The proportion of subjects at risk for overweight ranged between 7-19% and the prevalence of overweight ranged between 6-15%. The proportion of subjects with a BMI >or=85 percentile ranged from 15% at age 17 years to 33% at age 11 years. Furthermore, 27% and 28% of subjects ages 11 and 12 years, respectively, were above the TSF 90th percentile. These two age groups also showed a high prevalence of overweight using the BMI classification. In conclusion, the findings from our study suggest that a high proportion of adolescent females in the UAE are overweight or at risk for overweight. The consequences of this are a serious concern for public health and need to be addressed.