Health-related quality of life and associated factors in HIV-positive transplant candidates and recipients from a HIV-positive donor.

INTRODUCTION: HRQOL in transplant candidates and recipients who are also infected with HIV and are awaiting a kidney, or have received one from a HIV-positive donor, has not been previously investigated. METHODS: The HRQOL of 47 HIV-positive kidney transplant candidates and 21 recipients from HIV-positive donors was evaluated using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and face to face interviews at baseline and at 6 months. The correlation between SF-36 scores and sociodemographic, clinical and nutritional factors was determined. RESULTS: 68 patients completed the SF-36 at baseline and 6 months. Transplant candidates: transplant candidates had lower HRQOL than recipients. The main mental stressors were income, employment and waiting for a donor. Physical health complaints were body pain (BP) and fatigue. Pre-albumin and BMI was positively correlated with general health at baseline (r = 0.401, p = 0.031 and r = 0.338, p = 0.025). Besides a positive association with role physical (RP) and BP, albumin was associated with overall physical composite score (PCS) (r = 0.329, p = 0.024) at 6 months. Transplant recipients: Transplant recipients had high HRQOL scores in all domains. PCS was 53.8 ± 10.0 and 56.6 ± 6.5 at baseline and 6 months respectively. MCS was 51.3 ± 11.5 and 54.2 ± 8.5 at baseline and 6 months respectively. Albumin correlated positively with PCS (r = 0.464, p = 0.034) at 6 months and role emotional (RE) (r = 0.492, p = 0.024). Higher pre-albumin was associated with better RE and RP abilities and MCS (r = 0.495, p = 0.034). MAMC was associated with four domains of physical health and strongly correlated with PCS (r = 0.821, p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Strategies to improve HRQOL include ongoing social support, assistance with employment issues and optimising nutritional status.

Estimation of true height: a study in population-specific methods among young South African adults.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy of arm-associated height estimation methods in the calculation of true height compared with stretch stature in a sample of young South African adults. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed. SETTING: Pietermaritzburg, Westville and Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 2015. SUBJECTS: Convenience sample (N 900) aged 18-24 years, which included an equal number of participants from both genders (150 per gender) stratified across race (Caucasian, Black African and Indian). RESULTS: Continuous variables that were investigated included: (i) stretch stature; (ii) total armspan; (iii) half-armspan; (iv) half-armspan ×2; (v) demi-span; (vi) demi-span gender-specific equation; (vii) WHO equation; and (viii) WHO-adjusted equations; as well as categorization according to gender and race. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 21.0. Significant correlations were identified between gender and height estimation measurements, with males being anatomically larger than females (P<0·001). Significant differences were documented when study participants were stratified according to race and gender (P<0·001). Anatomical similarities were noted between Indians and Black Africans, whereas Caucasians were anatomically different from the other race groups. Arm-associated height estimation methods were able to estimate true height; however, each method was specific to each gender and race group. CONCLUSIONS: Height can be calculated by using arm-associated measurements. Although universal equations for estimating true height exist, for the enhancement of accuracy, the use of equations that are race-, gender- and population-specific should be considered.

Consumer Acceptance of Yellow; Provitamin A-Biofortified Maize in Kwazulu-Natal

Objectives: To assess the acceptance of popular maize food products (phutu; thin porridge and samp); prepared with yellow; provitamin A-biofortified maize varieties; in 212 subjects between the ages of three and 55 years; from rural KwaZulu-Natal.Design: A cross-sectional study.Method: Preschool; primary school and secondary school subjects were randomly selected from two primary schools and one secondary school; respectively; while adult subjects constituted a convenience sample. Pre- and primary school children completed a paired preference test. Secondary school and adult subjects completed a five-point facial hedonic and a preference ranking test. Focus group discussions were conducted using adult subjects.Results: Preschool children preferred yellow maize to white maize food products: phutu (81 vs. 19; p-value 0.001); thin porridge (75 vs. 25; p-value 0.001) and samp (73 vs. 27; p-value 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in preference for white and yellow maize by primary school children. Secondary school and adult subjects preferred white maize to yellow maize. Focus group discussions confirmed the preference for white maize by the adultsConclusion: The study findings suggest that yellow; provitamin A-biofortified maize has the potential to succeed as a new strategy of dealing with the serious problem of vitamin A deficiency; especially among children of preschool age. However; in older groups; this strategy is unlikely to be successful; unless other strategies are implemented; including intensive nutrition education programmes on the nutritional benefits of the maize; targeting the market price at which yellow maize is sold; increasing its availability in local grocery stores; and improving its sensory properties through breeding