Predictive Factors For Nutritional Behavior Among Pregnant Women Attending Ante Natal Care Clinic In 6th Of October City

Predictive Factors For Nutritional Behavior Among Pregnant Women Attending Ante Natal Care Clinic In 6^th Of October City

D A Nasrallah, H S Ez-elarab, M F Allam, E A Sultan

QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 113, Issue Supplement_1, March 2020, hcaa048, https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcaa048

Published: 05 May 2020

Background. Good maternal nutrition during pregnancy is important to ensure health for the mother and the fetus. This study aimed to establish optimal health of Egyptian mothers and their babies through proper nutrition, by assessing nutritional knowledge and behavior among a group of Egyptian pregnant women in addition to identifying the factors influencing their nutritional knowledge and behavior.

Methods. This descriptive cross sectional study included 300 pregnant women attending the antenatal care clinics in 6^th of October University private hospital and EL-Hussary primary health care unit. The data was collected through a modified nutritional survey that was translated from Spanish to Arabic and revised by language experts for clarity.

Results. Almost all of the women attending the private hospital were university educated while about half of the women attending the PHC unit were graduated from technical education (skills diploma). In general, the level of knowledge about food requirements of both groups was satisfactory good; however, neither of them fulfilled the WHO recommendations of food intake during pregnancy or the optimum number of meals per day. The mean of random blood glucose was higher among the women attending the PHC unit; the BMI, mid arm circumference and subcutaneous fat were higher among the same group as well. In regard to fulfilling the WHO recommended servings per day, only starch and fat items were fulfilled by both groups, whereas the other three items (vegetables, fruits and dairy products) were merely included in the diets of both groups.

Conclusion. Women with higher education showed an active lifestyle with a lower BMI but showed no relation to the choice of a good and healthy diet. These findings could give an insight to the policy makers in order to update nutritional care programs for pregnant women addressing all aspects of sociodemographic differences among women.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Nutrition, Life-style behaviour, Eating habits, Antenatal care.

Issue Section: Family Medicine

https://epidemiologyandpreventivemedicine.blogspot.com/2020/05/vitamin-d-level-in-sample-of-egyptian.html

Vitamin D level in a sample of egyptian females in child bearing period attending a family medicine center

Vitamin D level in a sample of egyptian females in child bearing period attending a family medicine center

D M Abdelhamid, M F Allam, G Essamaldin, M E S Gerges

QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 113, Issue Supplement_1, March 2020, hcaa048.002, https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcaa048.002

Published: 05 May 2020

Abstract 

Background. Vitamin D deficiency is now recognized as a pandemic. It plays an important role in the development of bone health and possibly non-communicable diseases. The normal range of Vitamin D in the Arab countries is much lower than the international standards. Some Arab countries had made their own national studies to assess serum vitamin D level among women, yet in Egypt there is no national survey done, therefore we tried to assess serum vitamin D level among women during the child bearing period in Egypt and to investigate the factors affecting it.

Objective. To measure vitamin D level among a sample of females during the child-bearing period attending a family medicine center. To identify the factors affecting vitamin D level among studied females.

Patients and Methods. In the present study, we included 100 healthy adult females in their childbearing period who were attending a Family Medicine Center. The age of the included women ranged from minimum 19 years to maximum 49 years old with a mean age of 34 ± 8.47 years. We found that the majority of participants have deficiency and insufficiency of vitamin D level; 43% of the included women had vitamin D deficiency and 13% of the women had vitamin D insufficiency. In the present study, we sought to identify the factors affecting vitamin D level among studied females.

Results. The analysis showed that there was a statistically significance association between the employment status of the included women and vitamin D3 level groups; unemployed women were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency than employed women. In the present study, a statistically significance association was observed between the duration of sun exposure and vitamin D3 level groups. Participants who exposed to sun > 30 min/day were more likely to have sufficient vitamin D level. The results of the present study demonstrated that all participants who consume fish ≥3 times/week have sufficient vitamin D level. Therefore, there was a statistically significance association between a number of consuming fish/week and vitamin D3 level groups. The results of the present study also showed that there was statistically significant association between number of consumed milk cups/day and vitamin D3 level groups. All participants who drink 2 cups of milk have sufficient vitamin D level. In addition, we found no statistically significance association between using multivitamins and vitamin D3 level groups. Half of the participants who were using multivitamins had vitamin D insufficiency.

Conclusion. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are prevalent among Egyptian women in childbearing period. In addition, the unemployment, low milk and fish consumption, and infrequent sun exposure are significant risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, for improving the health and productivity of women in childbearing period, a routine monitoring system for vitamin D and the other factors should be put in place. Nevertheless, future research on the role of multivitamins supplements and fish consumption in improving vitamin D nutrition is warranted.

Keywords: Vitamin D, Osteoporosis, Antimicrobial peptides.

Topic: Vitamin D deficiency, child, cholecalciferol, family medicine, vitamin D.  

Issue Section: Family Medicine

https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article-abstract/113/Supplement_1/hcaa048.002/5829110?redirectedFrom=PDF