Factors Influencing Zinc Status of Apparently Healthy Indians

Objectives: To identify dietary, environmental and socio-economic factors associated with mild zinc deficiency, three zinc status indices; erythrocyte membrane zinc (RBCMZn), plasma zinc and super oxide dismutase (SOD) were assessed in free living and apparently healthy Indian population.

Methods: Dietary patterns of 232 men and 223 women (20–65 yr) from rural, industrial and urban regions of Western India were evaluated by food frequency questionnaire. RBCMZn was estimated using atomic absorption spectrometry, hemoglobin and serum ceruloplasmin by spectrophotometer. On a sub sample (48 men and 51 women) plasma zinc and SOD were also assessed.

Results: Mean RBCMZn was 0.5 ± 0.1 μmols/g protein with 46% individuals showing zinc deficiency. Mean plasma zinc was 0.98 ± 0.12 μg/mL with 25% men and 2.5% women having values below normal range. Mean SOD was 0.97 ± 0.1 (u/mL cells). A significant positive correlation was observed between intakes of green leafy vegetables, other vegetables and milk products with RBCMZn status (p < 0.05). But these were not correlated with plasma zinc (p > 0.2). Cereal and legume intakes were negatively correlated with RBCMZn (p < 0.05) but positively correlated with plasma zinc (p < 0.05) and not correlated with SOD (p > 0.2). Fruit and other vegetable intake were positively correlated with SOD (p < 0.05) alone. Logistic regression analyses revealed that RBCMZn was positively associated with intakes of β-carotene, zinc and environmental conditions and negatively associated with family size (p < 0.05). Plasma zinc indicated positive association with zinc, thiamin and riboflavin intakes (p < 0.05) and SOD showed negative association with iron and family size.

Conclusion: RBCMZn was a more sensitive indicator of long-term zinc status than plasma zinc and SOD. Prominent determinants of zinc status were intakes of beta-carotene and zinc along with environmental conditions and family size.     

Associations between Leukocyte Counts and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Apparently Healthy Japanese Men

Increased leukocyte counts, particularly white blood cell and neutrophil counts, are reportedly associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mortality in subjects with acute and moderate coronary diseases. However, few reports have determined the associations between leukocyte subset (i.e., white blood cells, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, basophils and eosinophils) counts and CVD risk factors. In this study, we examined the associations between leukocyte subset counts and CVD risk factors in apparently healthy Japanese men. We conducted a cross-sectional study of men who participated in health checkups, and selected those who were not being treated for metabolic diseases. We determined associations between leukocyte subset counts and CVD risk factors by multivariate linear regression (MLR) analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Overall, 3,576 subjects aged 49.3±5.75 (range, 40-59) y were recruited. MLR and ANCOVA showed that white blood cell, neutrophil, monocyte counts are associated with decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and increased C-reactive protein levels, the lymphocyte count is positively associated with lipid abnormalities (i.e., decreased HDL-C, increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased triacylglycerol (TG)), and the basophil count is associated with increased TG and liver injury marker levels (i.e., alanine aminotransferase). Our results in this study demonstrated that leukocyte subset counts showed differential associations with CVD risk factors in apparently healthy Japanese men.     

Nutritional Status Of A Healthy, Middle Class, Elderly Population

Dietary intakes were examined in a group of New Mexican elderly subjects without financial or medical restrictions. Intakes were often similar to those of survey populations more representative of the United States population.     

健康人群与猪感染乙型脑炎病毒状况分析

目的通过调查健康人群以及乙脑动物宿主猪乙脑抗体水平变化,为有效预防乙脑提供科学依据。方法采用纵横结合研究,在观察点饲养未经历乙脑流行期的仔猪12头,按旬对每只猪采集血清,每份血液采集4ml,应用间接法ELISA检测乙脑抗体;在观察点所在村,按整群抽样的方法,在乙脑流行季节前后（4月、11月）对调查点健康人群各采血1次,应用间接法ELISA检测乙脑抗体。结果共采集猪血清标本221份,乙脑抗体阳性150份,抗体阳性率为67．87％。在乙脑流行季节前后分别采集健康人群血清标本300份、294份,乙脑抗体阳性率分别为39．33％、42．86％。结论幼猪出生后无免疫力,受蚊子叮咬后几乎100％受感染,病毒血症期长,是乙脑的主要传染源;健康人群在乙脑流行季节后乙脑抗体阳性率有所升高,但总体乙脑抗体阳性率较低,要警惕乙脑流行。建议提高乙脑疫苗免疫接种率;对猪只进行乙脑免疫;避免人猪间乙脑的相互传播。     

The Association Between Sleeping Pill Use and Metabolic Syndrome in an Apparently Healthy Population in Japan: JMS-II Cohort Study

BackgroundSleeping pills are widely used for sleep disorders and insomnia. This population-based study aimed to evaluate the association between the use of sleeping pills and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and metabolic components in an apparently healthy Japanese cohort.MethodsWe examined baseline cross-sectional data from the JMS-II Cohort Study. The criteria for MetS and its components were based on The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Sleep habits including the sleep duration of the subjects and the frequency of sleeping pill use were obtained using The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire. For different sleep durations, the association between sleeping pill use and MetS was assessed. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multiple logistic regression models to quantify this association.ResultsOur study included 6,153 individuals (mean age, 63.8 [standard deviation 11.2] years), and 3,348 (54.4%) among them were women. The association between sleep duration and MetS was an inverted J-shaped curve among sleeping pill users and a J-shaped curve among non-users. After adjustment for various confounders, less than 6 h of sleep among sleeping pill users was associated with increased rates of MetS (<6 h, OR 3.08; 95% CI, 1.29–7.34]). The frequency of sleeping pill use in individuals with short sleep duration showed a positive association with the prevalence of MetS and its components.ConclusionsSleeping pill users with a short sleep duration had a 3-fold higher chance of having MetS than non-users with a short sleep duration.Key words: sleeping pills, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, epidemiology     

河南省流动儿童免疫状况及影响因素调查

为了加强流动儿童的计划免疫管理 ,于 1999年 1月在河南省开展了流动儿童计划免疫状况调查。按照不同地理位置及聚集特点将流动人口聚居地分为 4类 ,在调查点内采取挨门逐户调查流动儿童的免疫接种情况。结果发现 :河南省流动儿童四种疫苗接种率均 <6 0 % ,“四苗”全程免疫覆盖率为 32 0 % ;大型农贸市场、建筑工地等流动儿童“四苗”全程免疫覆盖率(2 0 8% )低于其它类型地区 ;流动商贩子女的“四苗”全程免疫覆盖率 (2 5 1% )低于其它职业。说明流动性大是造成该人群免疫接种率低的主要原因 ,流动儿童家长对计划免疫工作的不理解及针对流动儿童的计划免疫服务存在漏洞 ,也是计划免疫工作存在的重要问题 ,提示流动儿童的免疫接种已成为制约我省计划免疫工作深入开展的关键。今后要进一步加大计划免疫的宣传力度 ,改进计划免疫服务方式 ,加强流动人口的计划免疫管理     

Probiotic Supplementation and Micronutrient Status in Healthy Subjects: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials

Micronutrient deficiencies are a worldwide public health concern. Emerging evidence supports the ability of probiotics to enhance micronutrient status, which could aid in the prevention of non-communicable disease-associated malnutrition. This systematic review evaluated evidence of the efficacy of probiotic supplementation to improve micronutrient status in healthy subjects. The authors searched for published English language peer-reviewed journal articles in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar databases from inception to July 2020 using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The quality of eligible studies was assessed using the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool (RoB)2 and Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions tool (ROBINS-I tool). Fourteen original studies out of 2790 met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that, despite varying degrees of efficacy, the intake of certain probiotics in healthy subjects was associated with a positive impact on the status of certain micronutrients (vitamin B12, calcium, folate, iron and zinc). A limitation was that studies were widely heterogeneous in terms of participant age, probiotic strain, species, dosage, intervention duration, and form of administration. Additional clinical trials are warranted to determine the most effective strains of probiotics, doses and durations of interventions.     

银川地区正常人群硫胺素营养状况研究

<正> 我国营养调查结果表明,多数居民硫胺素(B_1)摄入量超过RDA,但生化及体检仍有B_1不足及缺乏症检出。宁夏1982年营养调查,负荷尿试验有45.2％的人有B_1生化缺乏,1.7％的人有B_1缺乏症。为了解银川地区正常人群B_1营养水平及影响因素,进行了本次研究。 1 材料与方法 1.1 调查对象 233人,其中新入伍集训者52人;住校医科大学生140人;农村中学生41人。     

Prevalence of Selected Intermediate Risk Factors for Non-communicable Diseases in an Apparently Healthy Indian Community in KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

South Africa, burdened with the emerging chronic diseases, is home to one of the largest migrant Indian population, however, little data exists on the risk factors for non-communicable diseases in this population. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of yet undiagnosed selected intermediate risk factors for non-communicable diseases among the Indian population in KwaZulu-Natal. We randomly selected 250 apparently healthy Indians, aged 35–55 years, living in KwaDukuza to participate in this study. Clinical and anthropometric measurements were taken under prescribed clinical conditions using Asian cut-off points. Pearson correlations was used to detect associations between anthropometric and clinical risk markers. A large percentage of participants’ systolic blood pressure fell within the normal range. Diastolic blood pressure was >85 mmHg for 61 % of the participants and triglyceride levels were >1.69 mmol/L for 89 % of the participants’; 94 % of the women and 87 % of the men were classified as centrally obese. Raised fasting blood glucose was seen in 39 % of participants’. Waist circumference and body mass index showed statistically significant associations with all clinical risk markers except for diastolic blood pressure. Our findings suggest that the use of ethno specific strategies in the management of the disease profile of South African Indians, will enable the South African health system to respond more positively towards the current trend of increased metabolic and physiological risk factors in this community. Moreover, key modifiable behaviours such as increased physical activity and weight reduction may improve most of these metabolic abnormalities.     

Working Memory and Inadequate Micronutrient Consumption in Healthy Seniors

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether inadequate intake of micronutrients, as defined by the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) according to gender, is associated with lower working memory performance in healthy seniors.

Method: 601 female and 530 male seniors (≥60 years) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included. Analyses of the association between RDA micronutrient reference levels and having a memory performance score in the lowest quartile were stratified by gender. Logistic regression was used to estimate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for having a memory performance score in the lowest quartile for individuals with inadequate RDA levels compared to adequate RDA levels.

Results: Over half of participants had inadequate intake of vitamin C, choline, and zinc. Men who had less than the RDA of choline from their food were more likely to be in the lowest memory performance quartile, while women who with inadequate B₂ were more likely to be in the lowest quartile.

Discussion: Inadequate intake of micronutrients was significantly associated with lower working memory performance.     

Impact of Socioeconomic Status and Sociodemographic Factors on Melanoma Presentation Among Ethnic Minorities

Minority melanoma patients have worse survival. In this study, we evaluated the impact of socioeconomic and demographic factors on minority melanoma patients presenting to two different New York City hospitals (one public and one private) managed by the same multidisciplinary team. Sociodemographic and clinicopathologic characteristics were retrieved for melanoma patients presenting to Bellevue Hospital Center (BHC), a public hospital, and the New York University Cancer Institute (NYUCI), a private cancer center. Socioeconomic data was obtained from the United States Census Bureau database. The Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were used to evaluate the associations between race/ethnicity and continuous and categorical variables (e.g. income, stage at presentation), respectively. Minorities comprised 2% (27/1296) of melanoma patients at the NYUCI compared to 42% (50/119) at BHC. Those presenting to the NYUCI were more likely to have a higher median household income (P = 0.05), a higher educational level (P = 0.04), and an earlier stage at presentation (P = 0.02) than those at BHC. NYUCI patients were predominantly covered by commercial insurance (70%), whereas Medicaid (62%) was common among BHC patients. Only 19% of Hispanic patients at BHC chose English as their preferred language. Our data demonstrate that language and health care system factors affect melanoma presentation in minorities.     

Influence of Micronutrient Intake,Sociodemographic, and Behavioral Factors on Periodontal Status of Adults Assisted by a Public Health Care System in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Multivariate Analysis

The lack of access to a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and minerals, can predispose people to inflammatory diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and periodontitis. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between micronutrient intake, sociodemographic behavioral characteristics, and periodontal health in adults assisted by a public health care system. Participants (n = 450) answered a food frequency questionnaire and were submitted to anthropometric and oral clinical examinations. Principal component analysis was used to summarize the number of components emerging from 17-micronutrient intake. Subsequently, cluster analysis was employed. The prevalence of at least one periodontal pocket ≥ 4 mm was 67.4%. Three clusters were identified according to periodontal status. Cluster 1 “poor periodontal status” was characterized by older individuals (n = 202; 85% females) with poor periodontal status, lower education level, mainly smokers with non-transmissible chronic diseases (NTCD), with lower energy, omega-3, fiber, Zn, K, Cu, and vitamin C intake. Cluster 3 “healthy periodontal status” included younger individuals (n = 54) with the healthiest periodontal status, a higher education level, without NTCD, and with higher energy, omega-3, fiber, Zn, calcium, retinol, and riboflavin intake. Cluster 2 was labeled as “intermediate periodontal status”. Micronutrient ingestion was associated with periodontal status and may be considered in health promotion actions for low-income populations.     

Socioeconomic Risk Factors of Poor Nutritional Status in Polish Elderly Population: The Results of PolSenior2 Study

Poor nutritional status (PNS) threatens successful aging. Identifying potentially modifiable predictors of PNS is essential for elaborating a preventive strategy for the population at risk. To assess the prevalence of PNS in the Polish elderly population and analyze its socioeconomic correlates based on the data from the nationwide PolSenior2 project. Special emphasis was put on potentially modifiable factors among the identified PNS predictors. Nutritional status was assessed in 5698 community-dwelling older adults with the Mini Nutritional Assessment–Short Form. We evaluated the effect of age, sex, level of education, marital status, place of residence, subjective loneliness, and self-reported poverty on the nutritional status of the studied subjects. PNS was found in 25.3% of studied subjects (27.7% women and 21.9% men; p < 0.001). Female sex, older age, unmarried status (in men), subjective loneliness, and self-reported poverty were independent correlates of PNS. The two last above-mentioned predictors were identified as potentially modifiable. Based on our results, we recommend preventive interventions (e.g., performing regular screening), particularly in unmarried (men), poorly educated individuals, self-reporting poverty, complaining of loneliness, and the oldest old. PNS preventive strategies should include social support (both emotional and instrumental) to reduce the effect of poverty and subjective loneliness.     

Medical and Sociodemographic Risk Factors for Preterm Birth in a French Caribbean Population of African Descent

There appears to be an incompressible high rate of preterm births among populations of African origin irrespective of their geographic location. The objective of this study was to assess the risk factors for preterm birth in a French Caribbean population of African descent, offered medical care comparable to that on the French mainland, but presenting a higher rate of preterm birth. The study was based on a birth cohort at maternity hospitals in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) including 911 singleton pregnancies enrolled during their third trimester check-up visits. Associations between risk factors and the risk of preterm delivery (spontaneous and induced) were assessed using a multivariate Cox model. In addition, prevalences of sociodemographic and medical factors in Guadeloupe were compared with those on the French mainland. 144 women (15.8 %) delivered preterm, medically induced in 52 %. Women delivering preterm were more often over 35 years old (37 %), single (54 %), and had higher prevalence of prior preterm birth (20 %), prior miscarriage (37 %), lupus (3 %), asthma (14 %), gestational hypertension (26 %), gestational diabetes (13 %) and urinary tract infection (24 %) than women with term births. In the whole cohort, these risk factors were also more frequent than in mainland France. Our results suggest highly prevalent medical risk factors for preterm births in Guadeloupe. This observation combined with specific social risk factors (older maternal age, single living) less frequent on the French mainland probably explains a large part of a higher prevalence of preterm births in this population despite similar medical provision.     

Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors are Associated with the Use of Dietary Supplements in a Korean Population

Objective

The use of dietary supplements has been increasing rapidly in Korea over the last decade. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between the pattern of dietary supplement use and the sociodemographic/lifestyle characteristics of Korean consumers.

Methods

Participants were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire on their sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, perceived health status, and regular dietary supplement use.

Results

A total of 697 men and 832 women completed the questionnaire. Of the respondents, 44.3% of the men and 53.2% of the women used some kind of dietary supplement regularly. Dietary supplement users were more likely to be women (P < 0.001), to be older than 50 years (P < 0.001), to have a higher household income (P = 0.003), to engage in moderate or vigorous physical activity (P < 0.032), to perceive themselves as healthy (P = 0.026), and to have received a diagnosis of a chronic disease (P < 0.001). In addition, the type of dietary supplements used varied with respect to sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Among dietary supplement users, men preferred ginseng, and older respondents were more likely to use carbohydrate supplements and less likely to use lipid supplements. Those who had a lower BMI, were ex-smokers, or were nondrinkers preferred either vitamins or minerals. Those who were highly physical active or were nondrinkers tended to prefer either vitamin/mineral complexes or carbohydrate supplements.

Conclusions

The use of dietary supplements was related to sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in a Korean population.Key words: sociodemographics, lifestyle, dietary supplements, factors     

乡村婴幼儿271例健康状况及影响因素分析

目的 了解湖南农村儿童生长发育，疾病和智力发育状况及其影响因素。方法 采用国家统一的体格检查方法及残疾筛检方法，对湖南省衡山县福田乡271例0－7岁儿童进行生长发育，疾病，发育障碍及其影响因素的,同时与当地1989年的体检资料对比。结果 该乡儿童体格发育水平较10年前明显提高，视，听，语言，肢体运动，智力等方面发育障碍分别为1．5％，0．7％，0．7％，15．9％。结论 父母亲化程序，母亲疾病与妊娠年龄对儿童的生长发育影响较大。     

Sociodemographic Determinants of Leisure Participation Among Elderly in Malaysia

Leisure participation has been proven to be beneficial and has a positive link to successful ageing. This study aims to explore the sociodemographic determinants of leisure participation among the Malaysian elderly. A cross-sectional study was conducted among persons aged 60 years and above, purposively selected from eight health clinics in the state of Selangor. Leisure participation was measured using a validated Leisure Participation Questionnaire specific for Malaysian elderly, consisting of 25 activities, categorized into 4 categories, namely recreational (physical), cognitive, social and productive. Frequency of such participation was measured on a 6-point scale. Its association with sociodemographic variables was examined using inferential and regression analysis. 268 participants were involved in this study (response rate = 100%). The most common daily leisure activities were having conversations while relaxing (78.7%), watching television (74.6%) and reading (63.4%). The least frequently done leisure activities were from the recreational and cognitive categories. The activities were weakly correlated to each other, reflecting the lack of diversity of leisure activities among respondents. Education was the main predictor for leisure participation among elderly, with higher educational level is associated with high RAS (B = 1.020, P < 0.05), CAS (B = 1.580, P < 0.05) and SAS (B = 1.276, P < 0.05). Education level, marital status and locality were important determinants of leisure participation among elderly, with education being the main predictor. Further studies exploring the effective method of educating the ageing society are recommended.     

社区中老年人群血脂现状调查

目的了解社区人群血脂状况 ,为制订合理的高脂血症防治计划提供依据。方法采用整群随机抽样的方法抽取6 96名 35岁以上社区居民 ,开展问卷调查、体格检查及与血脂相关实验室检查。结果高脂血症患病率为 6 0 .6 3% ,血清总胆固醇 (TC)、甘油三酯 (TG)、空腹血糖 (FPG)、餐后 2 h血糖 (OGTT)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇 (L DL - C)在各年龄组间差异有显著性 (P<0 .0 5 ) ,女性 TC、HDL - C水平显著高于男性 (P<0 .0 1) ,血糖、血压、体质指数 (BMI)、腰臀比 (WHR)非正常状态组 TC、TG明显高于正常状态组。结论通过调查发现 :1血脂水平随年龄而变化。2血脂水平存在性别差异。3血脂水平与血糖、血压水平以及 BMI、WHR有着密切的相互关联。 4控制高脂血症的发病率 ,是控制与之密切相关疾病(冠心病、高血压、糖尿病等 )发病率的关键措施之一。     

影响人群健康的心理社会因素随访比较研究

目的：运用应激理论和综合健康概念,研究影响人群健康的心理社会因素及其一年间变化。方法：抽取简阳市某厂1160名职工为研究对象,进行基线调查和一年后随访。以问卷和临床检查相结合调查其社会人口学特征、应激性生活事件、心理健康状况、社会支持和社会功能及现患疾病,并进行单因素和多元线性回归分析。结果：1997年影响该人群疾病总分的主要因素有工种、年龄、阳性症状数、阳性症状均分、主观支持分,R^2＝0．32;1998年的主要因素有年龄、SCL－90总分、阳性症状均分、支持利用度,R^2＝0．345。结论：年龄、心理应激水平、社会支持等是影响人群健康的主要心理社会因素,且一年时间变化不大。     

家庭中儿童躯体虐待及影响因素分析

目的 了解长沙市4～8年级儿童家庭躯体虐待的发生情况及影响因素。方法 采取分层随机整群抽样的方法，在长沙市四个区的中、小学抽取1481名学生，男生793名，女生688名。使用父母—儿童冲突策略量表和儿童自身、父母、家庭因素调查表对儿童躯体虐待现况进行调查和分析。结果 儿童躯体虐待率达62．4％，轻微的52．2％，严重的47．4％，非常严重的21．3％。儿童躯体虐待主要与儿童的性别、年龄、学习成绩、父母的健康相关行为、父母关系、家庭经济状况及家具面积等因素有关联。结论 长沙市4～8年级学生中受父母躯体虐待的现象非常普遍，应引起重视。制定预防措施时应综合考虑儿童自身的、家庭的和父母的等影响因素。