2024-06

Child health (Issue : 18) (Volume : 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 (Issue : 18) (Volume : 9)

Background: Family planning is a crucial strategy for improving the health of mothers and children. This research aimed to determine the sociodemographic factors that affect contraceptive choices by women in Zakho City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a maternity hospital in Zakho City, Kurdistan, Iraq, from January to June 2023. The study involved 218 women aged 18–51, collecting data on sociodemographic characteristics, contraceptive methods available, and reasons for contraception practice. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science version 26. Results: The majority of participants (67.4%) ranged in age from 24 to 36 years. Most women (38.5%) finished intermediate school, lived in cities (67.4%), and were from the middle social class (69.7%). The intrauterine contraceptive device was the most commonly utilized method (49.5%). Residency, women's educational achievement, the number of alive children for each mother, the age of the last child in the family, marriage duration, and reasons for practicing contraception were significantly related to the contraceptive technique utilized. The primary reason for practicing family planning was to provide spacing between pregnancies. Conclusion: The availability, accessibility, and affordability of family planning services, women's knowledge, and male partners' attitudes toward family planning were the major influences on women's contraceptive choices. The majority of participants chose intrauterine contraceptive devices over other methods because it is an effective, long-lasting technique with fewer adverse effects. There is a demand for available, effective and accessible family planning services in Zakho City and rural regions.

2024-01

Infection in developing countries (Issue : 18) (Volume : 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 (Issue : 2) (Volume : 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.