Comparison of Undernutrition Prevalence of Children under 5 Years in China between 2002 and 2013

Objective To describe the undernutrition status of children under 5-year in China, and study the trend between 2002 and 2013. Methods The study was based on two national surveys. Undernutrition was determined against WHO＇s 2006 growth standards. The prevalence in 2013 and 2002 was weighted by China sixth National Population Census （2010）. The relationship between undernutrition and gender/age groups/different areas use weighted logistic regression. Results The results indicated the overall prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting of Chinese children under S-year was 8.1%, 2.4%, and 1.9% in 2013, respectively. The prevalence of stunting was higher for children aged 12-47 month, while underweight was higher for children aged 48-59 month. The prevalence of undernutrition was higher in rural areas than in urban areas, especially in poor rural areas. There was a decline of stunting, underweight, and wasting between 2002 and 2013 among the children, with greater reduction in rural areas than in urban areas. Conclusion The prevalence of undernutrition of children under 5-year remains high in rural areas especially in poor rural areas in China. It is urgent to take action to control undernutrition in the vulnerable areas and subgroups.

Prevalence of Undernutrition and Related Dietary Factors among People Aged 75 Years or Older in China during 2010-2012

Objective Undernutrition is highly prevalent among older people. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of undernutrition in elderly Chinese residents and explore the relationship between undernutrition and dietary factors. Methods Data were collected from 2,552 elderly people aged 75 years and over from the Chinese Nutrition and Health Surveillance during 2010-2012 using questionnaires, anthropometric measurement, and individual consecutive 3-day 24-hour dietary records. Results The present study showed that 10.5% of participants had undernutrition. The prevalence was higher among the population living in rural areas, those living in the South region, those who smoked, and those with low income levels. Most participants failed to meet the Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes for energy（66.1%） and protein（72.1%）. When comparing quartiles of food intake, high rice consumption [odds ratio（OR） = 2.44, 95% confidence interval（CI）： 1.35-4.40）], animal oil intake（OR = 1.60, 95% CI： 1.18-2.17）, and high fat intake from animal sources（OR = 1.56, 95% CI： 1.06-2.31） were positively associated with underweight whereas high wheat consumption（OR = 0.44, 95% CI： 0.26-0.74）, a proper proportion（24%-32%） of energy intake from fat（OR = 0.54, 95% CI： 0.35-0.83）, and high fat intake from plant sources（OR = 0.67, 95% CI： 0.46-0.99） were inversely related.Conclusion The prevalence of undernutrition was high among elderly Chinese people, especially in rural areas. Dietary factors, such as high consumption of rice, were associated with undernutrition.

Effects of Perinatal Undernutrition and Massage Stimulation upon the Ambiguus Nucleus in the Rat Prior to Weaning

Undernutrition produces morphological brain alterations and cognitive deficiencies in children of underdeveloped countries. The central nervous system (CNS) alterations mainly interfere with the anatomical organization of areas undergoing a phase of intense postnatal cell proliferation, disrupting plastic processes like learning, memory, and phonation. In the rat pup, prenatal malnutrition interferes with the elaboration of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) by poorly understood mechanisms. The neuronal caudal portion of the nucleus ambiguus (Ambc) innervates the laryngeal intrinsic muscles to produce phonation, a basic USV communication system. During postnatal development, enhanced plasticity phenomena play a fundamental role in improving brain function. Thus, the massage stimulation (MS) may accelerate growth and induce neurogenesis in different areas of the brain. The current study analyzed the effects of a daily 10-min MS on the dendritic tree and perikarya measurements of Ambc multipolar motoneurons (Golgi-Cox) of perinatally underfed (U), control (C), control massage-stimulated (CMS), and underfed massage-stimulated (UMS) groups at postnatal days (PDs) 8, 12, and 15. The data indicated that the dendritic scores were reduced (p < 0.05) in both number and density at PD8 and PD15 in the U subjects and that MS increased the values of these parameters (p < 0.05). In addition, MS induced body weight gain in both U and CMS groups, and it enhanced the dendritic density in CMS subjects. These results show that MS during the pre-weaning period restores the plastic properties of the Ambc over the hypoplastic multipolar motoneuron after the alterations caused by perinatal undernutrition.

Interactions among Micronutrient Deficiencies and Undernutrition in the Philippines

Data gathered from the 1987 National Nutrition Survey in the Philippines provided the opportunity to study the interactions among micronutrient deficiencies and undernutrition in different age groups as basis for program targeting. A randomly selected set of 50% of the households (3,200) covered by the national survey served as source of subjects. Results showed that there was a greater proportion of anemia among the undernourished (as judged by weight for age in children and weight for height in adults) (66.0%)than among the adequately nourished (54.6%) (P <0.01 ). However, the observed differencesin the proportion of serum vitamin A deficiency and of goiter among the undernourished compared to the adequately nourished were not significant. Also not significant were the observed higher prevalence of anemia among subjects with acceptable serum vitamin A levels for both adequately nourished and undernourished, and the higher prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among the non-anemics. Again there were no significant differences in the prevalence of anemia among goitrous and non-goitrous subjects, as well as the prevalence of goiter among anemic and non-anemic subjects. Neither were there significant differences in the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among goitrous and non-goitrous subjects, but there were significant differences in the prevalence of goiter among vitamin A deficient and non-vitamin A defjcient subjects among the 7-14 years old and among pregnant and lactating women.The study concludes that at the national level, there is apparently an interaction between anemia and protein-energy undernutrition and possibly also between goiter and vitamin A deficiency in the high-risk age groups, but between anemia on the one hand and goiter and vitamin A deficiency in the other, perhaps because of clustering in the latter conditions not found in anemia and general undernutrition. These findings may be useful in targeting communities with high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies by using prevalence of underweight and goiter as indicators for high prevalence of anemia and vitamin A deficiency, respectively

Effects of Neonatal Undernutrition on Development of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Pyramidal Cells in the Rat

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) of the rat plays a role in the encoding of neuronal signals involved in conflict-induced behavioral adjustment, working memory, planning and executive abilities, attentional control and other cognitive responses. In altricial species, early perinatal undernutrition interferes with the morphofunctional organization of a number of central nervous system (CNS) structures including the prefrontal cortex. The effects of neonatal undernutrition on dendritic arbor density, perikaryon measurements, and the number of spines (detected by rapid-Golgi) of basilar dendritic segments in layer III pyramidal neurons of the dlPFC were examined in male Wistar rats on postnatal (PDs) 12, 20, and 30. In the underfed (U) subjects the distal portions of the dendritic arbors had a consistent hipoplasia, mainly on PD 30, with reduced cross sectional area, perimeter, and spine densities on the basilar dendrites on all days studied. Thus, the alterations of the dlPFC pyramidal neurons may interfere with the plastic synaptic activity and cognitive performance of rats subjected to the stress of early underfeeding. Characterizing these anatomical alterations may help to understand the disrupted cognitive processes associated with neonatal undernutrition.

Parabrachial neuron development: Effects of pre- and neonatal undernutrition in the rat

Pre-and neonatal fasting in the rat has been used as an experimental model to obtain information on how the newborn gustatory system can be damaged, in- terfering with the basic sensory and hedonic proc- esses to different tastants. Fasting during the prenatal period and for 24 days postnatally results in signifi- cant reductions of body and brain weight, number of branches, dendritic density, and cross-sectional area of the PBN multipolar neurons in the central lateral and central medial subnucleus particularly at post- natal days 20 and 30. Furthermore, the underfeeding paradigm affected more the middle portions of the dendritic tree than other parts of the neurons possibly disturbing the afferent characteristics of neuronal acti- vity propagation that may partly disrupt the elabora- tion of synaptic plasticity at later ages. These findings may play a role in the development of complex physio- logical phenomena such as food intake, taste discrimi- nation, learning taste aversion, and appetitive beha- vior.

Biological Markers of Undernutrition and Risk of Complications in Children Hospitalized at the Teaching Hospital of Brazzaville

Introduction: Undernutrition is a condition frequently encountered in pediatrics. It leads to an increased morbidity and mortality regardless of the underlying condition or other risk factors such as age. In countries with limited resources such as ours, the diagnosis of undernutrition is often limited to the clinical presentation, and the contribution of biology is not often taken into account. Objectives: To establish the relationship between anthropometric parameters and biological markers in the diagnosis and classification of undernutrition and to assess the risk of infectious complications during undernutrition in children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in Brazzaville among undernourished children aged 1 - 59 months between October 2018 and April 2019. Clinical diagnosis was based on WHO growth charts. The CRP, orosomucoid, albumin and transthyretin were obtained using the Cobas c311 analyzer, which enabled the calculation of Prognostic Inflammatory and Nutritional Index (PINI). The comparison of the means of the biological markers used the Student’s t-test, the risk of infectious complications the chi-square. The correlation of the diagnostic value of Z-score weight/height and PINI was also investigated. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: Of the 95 children enrolled 63 (66.3%) were clinically severely malnourished, including 26 acute (41.3%) and 37 chronic (58.7%). The PINI revealed severe undernutrition in 85 children (89.4%) including 50 acute (58.8%) and 35 chronic (41.2%). CRP and orosomucoid were statistically higher in severe acute undernutrition (p Conclusion: Anthropometric parameters have a front-line advantage for assessing and classifying undernutrition. However, biological markers of undernutrition with PINI should be systematized in the diagnosis and management of undernutrition.

Effects of Pre-and Neonatal Undernutrition on Long-Term Hearing Cognition of the Rat

Experimental evidence in the rat suggests that perinatal undernutrition, associated with sensory and hormonal deficiencies, interferes with brain network integrative actions. We review peripheral and central morpho-functional alterations related to early food restriction along with the auditory relays, and their connections with the limbic system, which are essential for motivation-emotional arousal. The findings indicated that different morpho-functional alterations in the auditory system permanently affect the brainstem, the reticular thalamic nucleus, and the prefrontal and auditory cortices. Moreover, data showed the noxious role of early food restriction and the external ear occlusion on the distal portions of dendritic arbor measurements, in the cochlea, nucleus ambiguous and motor cortical pyramids. These anatomical alterations also correlated with deficiencies in the dynamic motor and auditory cognitive brain plasticity. Food restriction-related deficiencies in the motor-emotional-behavioral arousal systems may be useful to understand long-term cognitive disorders in humans.

Focus on Undernutrition in Care Homes： A Retrospective Service Evaluation

“Let them eat cake”： a retrospective service evaluation of Focus on Undernutrition in care homes. Introduction： Undernutrition is a major cause and consequence of poor health in older people, affecting 35% of residents in care homes. Focus on Undernutrition （FoU）, a dietetic service delivered by dietetic assistants uses a multifaceted approach to undernutrition management. This study aims to evaluate FoU’s impact on undernutrition outcome measures in care homes; including FoU’s influence on weight change in residents “at risk” of undernutrition, and prevalence of undernutrition and pressure ulcers （PU）. Methods： A retrospective pragmatic service evaluation was undertaken using pseudonymised data collected over 13 years on weight, undernutrition risk and PU from long-stay residents’ notes before and six months after training （FoU）. Results： Analysis completed on 104 homes, 4,315 residents （71.3% female; mean stay 10.8 （1-278） months） in County Durham. Following FoU a significant difference was identified for： improved rate of weight change for “at risk” residents （p 〈 0.001）. Undernutrition risk significantly influenced weight change （low： B1.04 kg, E0.01 kg; moderate： B-1.79 kg, E-0.38 kg; high： B-0.83kg, E1.00 kg, Bp 〈 0.001, Ep = 0.001）. Reduced undernutrition prevalence （p 〈 0.001） from 32.7% to 29.1% residents “at risk” of undernutrition （moderate： B13.1%, E8.9%; high： B19.6%, E15.9%）. Nutrition screening significantly improved （B76.3%, E98.7%, p 〈 0.001）, reduced prevalence PU （51%, p 〈 0.001）. PU prevalence significantly increased with undernutrition severity at baseline （p 〈 0.001）, but not following FoU （p = 0.233） （low： B5%, E2.3%; moderate： B6.9%, E1.6%; high： B10.5%, E3.9%）. Odds of developing PU reduced 53% （OR： 0.47）. B：baseline; E：evaluation; OR： odds ratio. Conclusion： These results demonstrate dietetic assistants delivering FoU significantly improves weight, undernutrition and PU prevalence in care homes. Indicating FoU is an effective model for improving undernutrition outcomes, with the potential of reducing possible harm, such as PU in care homes.

Undernutrition in Adults Hospitalized Patients: Magnitude and Associated Factors at the University Hospital of Bobo-Dioulasso

Background: Despite numerous advances in medicine and clinical care, in developing countries, adult undernutrition is overlooked and not considered as a sufficient medical priority. The objective of this study was to identify the magnitude of adult undernutrition and its associated factors in hospitalized patients. Methods: Cross-sectional study, performed in the university hospital in Bobo-Dioulasso, from August to September 2016, in a sample of 244 adult individuals. Patients were included in the study consecutively to their admission. A structured questionnaire was applied consisting of anthropometric, clinical and dietary data. The patients were evaluated and dichotomized into undernourished and non-undernourished. The rate of undernutrtion was reported using and associated factors were tested using the unadjusted crude Odds ratios (COR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) and the Chi-square test. Results: Undernutrition occurred in 32.4% of the sample and at the univariate analysis, the variables associated with undernutrition were: recent and involuntary weight loss (COR = 2.58, 95% CI = 1.45 - 4.59, p Conclusion: Adult undernutrition is common in hospitalized patients. A proper early diagnosis and therapy need to be considered as medical priority of the entire healthcare team that treats adult’s inpatients.

Magnitude and Determinants of Undernutrition among Pregnant Women Attending a Public Hospital in Kenya

Background: Undernutrition during pregnancy in the developing countries is a major public health problem due to its strong association with maternal and child morbidity and mortality. The available data on the extent and determinants of under-nutrition among pregnant women in Kenya is scant. This main objective of the study is to establish the extent and determinants of undernutrition in pregnant women attending a public hospital in Kenya. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 162 randomly selected pregnant women who attended antenatal clinic at Pumwani Maternity Hospital, a well-known public health facility in Nairobi. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Nutritional status of the pregnant mothers was determined using mid-upper arm circumference measurement. Hemoglobin level was extracted from the maternal antenatal card to determine their anemic status. Descriptive and inferential analyses were done using SPSS Software (version 22.0). Frequencies and proportions were generated for categorical variables. While mean and standard deviation were computed for continuous variables. The chi-square test of independence was employed to establish the relationship between the independent variables and dependent variable. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the variables independently linked to maternal undernutrition. Results: The overall prevalence of undernutrition and anemia among the pregnant women was 27% and 39.7%, respectively. Multivariable logistic analysis showed that being single [AOR = 4.27;95% CI = 2.21 - 8.32, P = 0.001], divorced/separated [AOR = 2.25;95% CI = 1.13 - 4.87;P = 0.021], self-employed [AOR = 4.27;95% CI = 2.21 - 8.32;P = 0.022], illiterate [AOR = 4.31;95% CI = 2.55 - 8.20;P = 0.007), having short birth interval (<24 months) [AOR = 2.54;95% CI = 1.43 - 5.53;P = 0.042] and being anemic [AOR = 2.7;95% CI = 1.66 - 4.97;P = 0.037] were the variables significantly and independently associated with undernutrition among the pregnant women. Conclusions: Our findings show that the burden of undernutrition during pregnancy is still high in Kenya which requires urgent attention. Pregnant women who were never married, divorced/separated, self-employed, illiterate, and those with short birth interval were at increased risk of undernutrition. Nutrition intervention targeting social determinants of maternal undernutrition may result in positive outcomes. This will significantly help achieve the SDGs by reducing maternal child mortality.

Prevalence of Undernutrition among Children Aged 6 - 59 Months in the Municipality of Toucountouna (Benin) in 2017

Introduction: Undernutrition is a public health problem in the world and especially in developing countries. According to the demographic and health survey with multiple indicators of Benin IV (DHS-MICS-IV), the prevalence of acute undernutrition (AU), chronic undernutrition (CU) and that of underweight (UW) was 16%, 45% and 21%, respectively. The objective of this work was to determine the prevalence of undernutrition in children aged 6 to 59 months in the municipality of Toucountouna in 2017. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with two-stage cluster random sampling, composed of 390 children aged 6 to 59 months, living in the municipality of Toucountouna for at least six months. The study variables were: socio-demographic, economic, behavioral, socio-sanitary and anthropometric. Data were entered and analyzed using Epi-info 7.2 software. Results: 203 out of 390 children included, were boys (sex ratio of 1.08). The mean age of the children was 28.70 ± 11.79 months. The prevalence of AU, CU and UW was 10.26%, 31.54% and 11.79%, respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that efforts remain to be made in terms of undernutrition and other surveys could identify the determinants linked to this situation in the locality for the effective implementation of prevention.

Prevalence of Nutritional Risk, Undernutrition, Overweight/Obesity and Application of Nutritional Support Among Geriatric Patients at Peking University People’s Hospital

Objective To investigate the prevalence of nutritional risk, undernutrition, overweight/obesity, and the application of nutritional support among geriatrics so as to provide evidence for whether elderly inpatients with undernutrition and nutritional risk should receive timely nutritional support. Methods A total of 445 elderly inpatients in the Department of Geriatrics of Peking University People’s Hospital were consecutively enrolled from July 2010 to June 2011. The Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) questionnaire was used on the second day after admission. The application of nutritional support was investigated on the 14th day or the discharge day. The relationship between the nutritional risk and nutritional support was analyzed. A NRS 2002 score ≥ 3 was defined as nutritional risk. A body mass index (BMI)< 18.5 kg/m2 was defined as malnutrition, 24.0 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 28.0 kg/m2 as overweight, and a BMI ≥ 28.0 kg/m2 as obese. Results A total of 445 patients were enrolled and 423 patients (95.1%) completed the NRS 2002. The prevalence of undernutrition and nutritional risk was 4.7% and 13.2%, respectively. Among 230 patients who were overweight/obese, the prevalence of nutritional risk was 6.1%. In total, 15 of the 56 patients (26.8%) with NRS 2002 scores ≥ 3 received nutritional support, and 14 patients (3.8%) with NRS 2002 scores < 3 also received nutritional support. The average PN: EN ratio was 1.6:1. Conclusion A certain proportion of elderly inpatients in the department of geriatrics were experiencing undernutrition or were at nutritional risk. The prevalence of nutritional risk did not increase significantly with age. The current application of nutritional therapy is inappropriate. Evidence-based guidelines are required to improve this situation. The NRS 2002 may not applicable for overweight/obese elderly inpatients.

Nutritional Status, Feeding Practices and Factors Associated to Undernutrition among 6 to 59 Months of Age Orphans in the Arusha Region

Background: Orphans are potentially at greater risk of malnutrition because they are more likely to be extremely poor and receive less medical and social care. Children living in orphanages tend to be neglected and may be malnourished and they’re at risk of losing their full potential, with consequences to the child, nation and worldwide. Despite the nutritional concerns raised globally and in neighboring countries among these children, there exists an inadequate body of information about orphans’ nutritional status and feeding practices in Tanzania. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status, feeding practices and factors contributing to malnutrition among children aged 6 - 59 months in Arusha region orphanages, Tanzania. Study Objective: To assess the nutritional status, feeding practices and factors contributing to undernutrition among children aged 6 - 59 months in Arusha region orphanages, Tanzania. Methodology: This was an institution-based cross-sectional study conducted in selected orphanage Centre in the Arusha region. A representative sample size of 216 children aged 6 - 59 months in Arusha orphanages was selected to participate in the study. Multistaging sampling was used to select the study participants. Interviewer-administered questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were used during data collection. The data collected were entered, processed, and analyzed;continuous variables were summarized by use of mean and Standard deviation, while categorical variables were summarized by use of frequency, percentages and figures. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the Odds Ratio with 95% CI and measure the strength of association between the outcomes with respect to selected independent variables. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 216 children from the orphanage Centre were involved in this study. Prevalence of Stunting, underweight and wasting among orphan children were 23.60%, 15.30% and 9.30%. The proportions of MDD and MMF were 89% and 99%. Children being on medication for any kind of illness during the survey (AOR: 7.9;95% CI: 1.95, 31.78), unmarried caregivers (AOR: 1.9;95% CI: 1.32, 10.86), fever 2 weeks before the survey (AOR: 2.9;95% CI: 1.09, 9.24) and orphanage Centre with more than 30 children (AOR: 1.8;95% CI: 1.08, 6.86) were found to be associated with undernutrition. Conclusion: In Arusha orphanages, the prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting among children exceeded WHO standards. Despite adequate feeding practices, the child’s illness, the number of children in the orphanage, and the marital status of caregivers were factors influencing the nutritional status of the orphans.

High helminthic co-infection in tuberculosis patients with undernutritional status in northeastern Ethiopia

Background:Tuberculosis and parasitosis are the widely distributed diseases in Ethiopia with the leading cause of mortality and morbidity,respectively.There has been no information on the status of co-infections of tuberculosis and parasitosis in Oromia Zone of Amhara Region and South Wollo,Ethiopia.Hence,this study primarily focuses on determining the status of tuberculosis and parasitosis co-infections and associated factors.Methods:The study was conducted in Oromia Special Zone of the Amhara Regional State and South Wollo Zone,northeastern Ethiopia from April 2015 to January 2017.Tuberculosis cases confirmed by health personnel at the health institutions were the source of the study sample.In a cross-sectional study 384 smear positive pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis cases were recruited.Faecal specimens provided by the study participants were examined for parasitic co-infections using direct saline microscopic test,Kato-Katz and concentration techniques.Nutritional status was determined using body mass index and mid-upper arm circumferences.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods and Pearson chi-square.Results:Tuberculosis and parasitosis co-infection prevalence was 10.8%,and the proportion of intestinal helminths accounted for 9.7%while intestinal protozoa accounted for 1.9%.Cases with single parasitic infection was 89.3%among co-infected individuals.Co-infection of both disease was not significantly associated with gender and age(P>0.05).The prevalence of undernutrition was 58.6%as determined using body mass index and 73.0%as determined using mid-upper arm circumference with no significant association with gender.Among all forms of tuberculosis cases(384)screened for the study,the bacterial positivity was relatively more common in males(55.5%)than females(44.5%).Tuberculosis lymphadenitis was found to be the most prevalent(85.9%)form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis with cervical adenopathy(75.3%)being the commonly existing disease.Conclusions:The rate of helminthic co-infection is predominantly high than that of intestinal protozoa.Single parasitic co-infection was more common than double or multiple co-infections.Both body mass index and midupper arm circumference anthropometric parameters revealed greater risk of undernutrition in tuberculosis patients.Thus,screening and prompt treatment of parasites in tuberculosis patients and a support of nutritional supplementation for malnourished tuberculosis patients should be further studied which might enhance the disease treatment and minimize the risk of its complexity.

Early life undernutrition reprograms CD4^+T-cell glycolysis and epigenetics to facilitate asthma

With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,the research team directed by Prof.Huang HeFeng(黄荷风)at Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease,Institute of Embryo Fetal Original Adult Disease and International Peace Maternity&.Child Health Hospital,School of Medicine,Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Prevalence and risk factors of undernutrition among schoolchildren in the Plateau Central and Centre-Ouest regions of Burkina Faso

Background:Multiple factors determine children’s nutritional status,including energy and nutrient intake,recurrent infectious diseases,access(or lack thereof)to clean water and improved sanitation,and hygiene practices,among others.The“Vegetables go to School:improving nutrition through agricultural diversification”(VgtS)project implements an integrated school garden programme in five countries,including Burkina Faso.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of undernutrition and its risk factors among schoolchildren in Burkina Faso before the start of the project.Methods:In February 2015,a cross-sectional survey was carried out among 455 randomly selected children,aged 8-14 years,in eight schools in the Plateau Central and Centre-Ouest regions of Burkina Faso.Nutritional status was determined by anthropometric assessment.Helminth and intestinal protozoa infections were assessed using the Kato-Katz and a formalin-ether concentration method.A urine filtration technique was used to identify Schistosoma haematobium eggs.Prevalence of anaemia was determined by measuring haemoglobin levels in finger-prick blood samples.Questionnaires were administered to children to determine their knowledge of nutrition and health and their related attitudes and practices(KAP).Questionnaires were also administered to the children’s caregivers to identify basic household socio-demographic and economic characteristics,and water,sanitation and hygiene(WASH)conditions.To determine the factors associated with schoolchildren’s nutritional status,mixed logistic regression models were used.Differences and associations were considered statistically significant if P-values were below 0.05.Results:Complete datasets were available for 385 children.The prevalence of undernutrition,stunting and thinness were 35.1%,29.4%and 11.2%,respectively.The multivariable analysis revealed that undernutrition was associated with older age(i.e.12-14 years compared to<12 years;adjusted odds ratio(aOR)=3.45,95%confidence interval(CI)2.12-5.62,P<0.001),multiple pathogenic parasitic infections(aOR=1.87,95%CI 1.02-3.43,P=0.044)and with moderate and severe anaemia in children(aOR=2.52,95%CI 1.25-5.08,P=0.010).Conclusions:We found high prevalence of undernutrition among the children surveyed in the two study regions of Burkina Faso.We further observed that undernutrition,anaemia and parasitic infections were strongly associated.In view of these findings,concerted efforts are needed to address undernutrition and associated risk factors among school-aged children.As part of the VgtS project,WASH,health education and nutritional interventions will be implemented with the goal to improve children’s health.Trial registration:ISRCTN17968589(date assigned:17 July 2015).

Adding chitosan nanoparticles of green tea extract in diluent and thawing temperatures ameliorate the post-thawed quality of Boer buck semen

Objective:To improve the quality of post-thawing Boer buck semen for artificial insemination by adding green tea extract chitosan nanoparticles to skimmed egg yolk diluent,and the proper thawing temperature.Methods:The ejaculate of Boer buck was added to skimmed egg yolk diluent without(the control group)and with adding 1μg of chitosan nanoparticles of green tea extract per mL of diluent(the treatment group).Then,the diluted semen was filled in French mini straws containing 60×106 live sperm per straw,frozen in a standard protocol,and stored as frozen semen at−196℃for a week.Six replicates from each group were diluted for 30 s at 37℃or 39℃sterile water to evaluate the semen quality.Results:Post-thawing(at 37℃or 39℃)of live sperm,progressive motility,and plasma membrane integrity were lower compared to those of the pre-freezing stage(P<0.05).Thawing at 37℃resulted in no significant difference in live sperm,progressive motility,and plasma membrane between the control group and the treatment group(P>0.05).The live sperm,progressive motility,and plasma membrane of the treatment group in the pre-freezing stage,and post-thawed at 39℃were higher compared to those of the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in malondialdehyde(MDA)concentration,DNA fragmentation,and catalase concentration of thawing at 37℃compared to those of 39℃in the same group.The MDA concentration and DNA fragmentation in thawing at 37℃and 39℃of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group(P<0.05).However,the catalase concentration in thawing at 37℃and 39℃of the treatment group was not significantly different than the control group(P>0.05).Conclusions:Higher quality post-thawing Boer buck semen is achieved by adding 1μg/mL of chitosan nanoparticles of green tea extract to the skimmed egg yolk diluent and thawing at 39℃.

Benefits of jejunostomy feeding in patients who underwent gastrectomy for cancer treatment

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer is associated with significant undernutrition responsible for an increase in morbidity and mortality after gastrectomy.AIM To evaluate the impact of enteral nutrition by jejunostomy feeding in patients undergoing gastrectomy for cancer.METHODS Between 2003 and 2017,all patients undergoing gastrectomy for cancer treatment were included retrospectively.A group with jejunostomy(J+group)and a group without jejunostomy(J-group)were compared.RESULTS Of the 172 patients included,60 received jejunostomy.Preoperatively,the two groups were comparable with respect to the nutritional parameters studied(body mass index,albumin,etc.).In the postoperative period,the J+group lost less weight and albumin:5.74±8.4 vs 9.86±7.5 kg(P=0.07)and 7.2±5.6 vs 14.7±12.7 g/L(P=0.16),respectively.Overall morbidity was 25%in the J+group and 36.6%in the J-group(P=0.12).The J+group had fewer respiratory,infectious,and grade 3 complications:0%vs 5.4%(P=0.09),1.2%vs 9.3%(P=0.03),and 0%vs 4.7%(P=0.05),respectively.The 30-day mortality was 6.7%in the J+group and 6.3%in the J-group(P=0.91).CONCLUSION Jejunostomy feeding after gastrectomy improves nutritional characteristics and decreases postoperative morbidity.A prospective study could confirm our results.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Anemia among People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Followed at the Outpatient Treatment Centre of Panzi General Referral Hospital in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction: Anemia in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) is a major health problem. Although anemia often responds to combination antiretroviral therapy, many patients remain anemic despite treatment, and such persistent anemia continues to adversely affect prognosis, regardless of drug response. Scientists have identified some of the factors involved. However, the mechanisms put in place have not been effective in overcoming them. Examples include the withdrawal of zidovudine from antiretroviral treatment lines, iron and folate supplementation, etc. Anemia is still a major concern in HIV-positive patients. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among PLHIV followed up at the outpatient treatment centre (CTA) of the Panzi General Reference Hospital (HGR) in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Method: We conducted a cross-sectional, comparative study of 276 HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy (ART) followed up at the CTA of Panzi HGR. Socio-demographic and nutritional parameters were collected using a survey questionnaire, and clinical assessment and nutritional status were performed at the centre. Hemoglobin, seric albumin and viral load determinations were performed at the HGRP laboratory. We constructed univariate and multivariate logistic regression models to assess factors associated with anemia in people living with HIV/AIDS. Results: We found a prevalence of anemia of 39.4%, including 4.1% severe anemia, 17.7% moderate anemia and 17.5% mild anemia. After multivariate adjustment, the factors associated with anemia in our PLHIV were: moderate undernutrition (aOR = 1.26;95% CI: 1.50 - 4.20;p = 0.001), severe undernutrition (aOR = 115.4;95% CI: 2.04 - 164.52;p = 0.021), hypoalbuminemia (aOR = 2.11;95% CI: 1.87 - 5.10;p = 0.004) and the lower degree of dietary diversity (aOR = 1.56;95% CI: 1.10 - 4.32;p = 0.034). Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia in PLHIV on ART is high. This greatly affects quality of life and increases the need for care. Early detection tools and management algorithms are essential in the follow-up of PLWHIV.