Epidemiology of Overweight and Childhood Obesity in Abidjan:Cases Collected by the Nutrition Department of the National Institute of Public Health in Abidjan(Côte d’Ivoire)

Objective:The objective of this work is to describe the epidemiological profile of overweight or obese children monitored at the nutrition service of the National Institute of Public Health(INSP)of Abidjan.Methodology:This is a retrospective and cross-sectional study that took place from April 28,2017 to December 28,2018 at the Nutrition Department of the INSP.It concerned 181 children or adolescents of both sexes aged 5 to 19 years monitored for their excess weight in the said service.Data was collected using a summary sheet of medical records over the study period.Results:The results obtained indicate that out of all 181 young patients,130(71.8%)were girls,of which 122(67.4%)were obese.49.2%of these patients were between 10 and 14 years old with a mean age of 12.24 years.Their biochemical assessment showed that the disturbance was always greater in obese patients except for the proportion of biochemical results disturbed in uric acid level which was higher in overweight subjects.These subjects developed eating disorders such as overeating for 87.8%and snacking in 55.2%of them.Conclusion:The epidemiological profile of overweight children and adolescents requires a rapid fight against this pathology.

Stem cell transplantation in cerebrovascular accidents:A global bibliometric analysis(2000-2023)

BACKGROUND Cerebrovascular accident(CVA)is a major global contributor to death and disability.As part of its medical management,researchers have recognized the importance of promising neuroprotective strategies,where stem cell transplantation(SCT)is thought to confer advantages via trophic and neuroprotective effects.AIM To evaluate the current state of research on SCT in patients with CVA,assess key trends and highlight literature gaps.METHODS PubMed was screened for SCT in CVA-related articles in October 2023,for each country during the period between 2000 and 2023.Using the World Bank data,total population and gross domestic product were collected for comparison.VOSviewer_1.6.19 was used to create the VOS figure using the results of the same query.Graphs and tables were obtained using Microsoft Office Excel.RESULTS A total of 6923 studies were identified on SCT in CVA,making 0.03%of all published studies worldwide.Approximately,68%were conducted in high-income countries,with a significant focus on mesenchymal stem cells.The journal“Stroke”featured the largest share of these articles,with mesenchymal SCT having the highest rate of inclusion,followed by hematopoietic SCT.Over time,there has been a noticeable shift from in vitro studies,which assess stem cell proliferation and neurogenesis,to in vivo studies aimed at evaluating efficacy and safety.Additionally,the number of reviews increased along this approach.CONCLUSION This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive guide for physicians and researchers in the field through an objective overview of research activity,and highlights both current trends and gaps.Having a potential therapeutic role in CVA,more research is needed in the future to focus on different aspects of SCT,aiming to reach a better treatment strategy and improve life quality in patients.

Strategies and governance to reduce health inequalities:evidences from a cross-European survey

Background:The main objective of the paper is to identify the governance system related to policies to reduce health inequalities in the European regions.Considering the Action Spectrum of inequalities and the check list of health equity governance,we developed a survey in the framework of the AIR Project-Addressing Inequalities Intervention in Regions-was an European project funded by the Executive Agency of Health and Consumers.Methods:A web-based qualitative questionnaire was developed that collected information about practiced strategies to reduce health inequalities.In total 28 questionnaires from 28 different regions,related to 13countries,were suitable for the analysis.Results:Progress in health equity strategies at the national and regional levels has been made by countries such as France,Portugal,Poland,and Germany.On the other hand,Spain,Italy,and Belgium have a variable situation depending on the region.However,the results of the survey indicate that the governance system for health equity different in terms of commitment,resources and tools.Conclusions:The survey highlights a weakness of governance system for the majority of countries in terms of evaluation actions and of impact of interventions in reducing inequalities,and the difficulties in having a clear and integrated vision between the national and regional levels.

Association of problematic internet use with depression,impulsivity,anger,aggression,and social anxiety:Results of a national study among Lebanese adolescents

Importance:Several studies conducted worldwide(mostly in Western countries)highlighted the negative effects of problematic internet use,particularly among adolescents aged 12 to 17,including depression,impulsivity,aggression,and social fear and avoidance.In Lebanon,literature on the prevalence and impact of problematic internet use among adolescents is limited.Objective:This study aim was to study the association between problematic internet use and depression,impulsivity,anger,aggression and social phobia among Lebanese adolescents.Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed on 1103 young adolescents(14-17 years),recruited from October 2017 till April 2018.The Internet Addiction Test(IAT)was used to evaluate the level of problematic internet use.Data were analyzed using the MANCOVA analysis.The main independent variable of interest was the IAT,while the dependent variables included the psychological scales.Results:The multivariate analysis taking the psychological scales as the dependent variables and the problematic internet use(IAT score)as an independent variable,showed that problematic internet use was associated with higher depression,impulsivity,aggression,anger,hostility and social anxiety.Interpretation:Problematic internet use has become an important health issue that should not be overlooked,particularly because of the increased use of the internet by adolescents.Educational programs on early exposure to the internet should be developed.