2024-06

Child health (القضية : 18) (الحجم : 6)

Background: Healthcare systems are very concerned about childhood obesity, which continues to be a barrier to medical innovation. Over the last three decades, the frequency of childhood overweight/ obesity has increased significantly. Children spend a significant amount of time in front of electronic devices such as cell phones, games, computers, and television that is linked to a decreased physical activity and weight gain. The purpose of the study was to find the association between watching screen media and obesity in school-aged children from Zakho. Materials and Methods. This is a cross-sectional, case-control, face-to-face survey study. All students aged 9–15 years from different schools were invited to complete the questionnaire. Well-trained medical students collected the anthropometric measurements of weight and height. Results. A total of 500 students between 9 and 15 years were interviewed. Approximately 72 % of them were males and 28 % were females. There was a significant association between a history of eating while watching screens and obesity (P = 0.003), as well as between the average number of hours spent daily using a computer and obesity (P = 0.016). Conclusions: In summary, this study supported the link between screen usage and childhood obesity in school-aged children. As a result, it is vital to create health promotion initiatives that emphasize a healthy 24-hour period, which includes a balanced amount of time spent engaging in physical activity, watching television, and sleeping

2024-01

Infection in developing countries (القضية : 18) (الحجم : 9)

Introduction: The purpose of this research was to investigate the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in healthcare workers, assess the incidence of infection among them, and identify factors linked to the severity of the disease.Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted retrospectively in Duhok city, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, from September 2021 to January 2023.Results: The study included 1,958 participants, of whom 1,338 (68.33%) contracted the infection. Among them, 830 (62.03%) and 372 (27.81%) patients experienced mild and moderate infections, respectively, while 136 (10.1%) had severe infections. The results indicated that several factors, including maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding obesity, having a chronic condition, working consecutive hours, and being in an overwhelmed work environment were significantly associated with a higher severity of infection (p < 0.05). However, factors such as smoking habits, adherence to preventive health guidelines, direct exposure to COVID-19 patients, work days and patterns, family members with COVID-19, and hand/glove sterilization did not appear to have a significant effect on the severity of infection (p > 0.05). Conclusions: These findings may offer valuable insights for clinicians and public health officials, and aid in the development of effective strategies to manage COVID-19 patients based on their risk factors for infection severity.

2024-01

Infection in developing countries (القضية : 18) (الحجم : 9)

Introduction: The purpose of this research was to investigate the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in healthcare workers, assess the incidence of infection among them, and identify factors linked to the severity of the disease. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted retrospectively in Duhok city, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, from September 2021 to January 2023.Results: The study included 1,958 participants, of whom 1,338 (68.33%) contracted the infection. Among them, 830 (62.03%) and 372 (27.81%) patients experienced mild and moderate infections, respectively, while 136 (10.1%) had severe infections. The results indicated that several factors, including maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding obesity, having a chronic condition, working consecutive hours, and being in an overwhelmed work environment were significantly associated with a higher severity of infection (p < 0.05). However, factors such as smoking habits, adherence to preventive health guidelines, direct exposure to COVID-19 patients, work days and patterns, family members with COVID-19, and hand/glove sterilization did not appear to have a significant effect on the severity of infection (p > 0.05). Conclusions: These findings may offer valuable insights for clinicians and public health officials, and aid in the development of effective strategies to manage COVID-19 patients based on their risk factors for infection severity.

2023-10

Passer Journal (القضية : 2) (الحجم : 5)

Background: Anaemia is a lower concentration of hemoglobin and red blood cells. Nearly 1.62 billion individuals worldwide suffer from anaemia, of which approximately 47% are preschool-aged children. Anaemia due to iron deficiency can be prevented by breastfeeding, taking formula with iron, avoiding cow's milk before the age of 1, and including iron-rich foods in the diet. Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anaemia in children under the age of five who were admitted to Zakho General Hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2022 to February 2023 among children under 5 years in Zakho city. 1404 children were recruited in this study and the ages ranged from six months to five years. A spectrophotometric method is typically used to assess anaemia by measuring the haemoglobin (Hb) concentration. Results: The children that participated in this study were 1404, ages 6 months to 60 months (23.01± 14.77). Age and anaemia were significantly correlated (p-value <0.01), with a higher prevalence of anaemia in younger age groups. In children aged 6 months to less than 24 months, the history of breastfeeding was significantly correlated with anaemia; 164 (59%) of the 278 children with a history of breastfeeding had anaemia (p-value <0.0001). Anaemia and meats consumption were significantly correlated (p-value= 0.007). The frequency of eggs consumption, the size of the family, and the maternal education level did not significantly affect anaemia. Conclusion: Among children under the age of five, particularly those under two, anaemia is disturbingly widespread, according to our study. As a result, enhanced nutritional therapy and a strong public health education campaign may assist in reducing the prevalence of this hematologic health concern.