Epidemiological Profile of Clonorchis Sinensis Infection in One Community, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China.
Epidemiological profile of Clonorchis sinensis infection in one community, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China.
Parasit Vectors. 2013 Jul 1; 6(1): 194
Qian MB, Chen YD, Fang YY, Tan T, Zhu TJ, Zhou CH, Wang GF, Xu LQ, Zhou XN
Clonorchiasis caused by ingesting improperly prepared fish ranks among the most important but still neglected food-borne parasitic diseases, especially in the People’s Republic of China (P.R. China). To promote the implementation of interventions efficiently, the demonstration of an epidemiological profile of Clonorchis sinensis infection is essential in hyper-epidemic areas.In one community with higher levels of economic development in Guangdong province, P.R. China, villagers were motivated to provide stool samples for examining helminth eggs. Then, those infected with C. sinensis completed the structured questionnaire including demographical characteristics, knowledge and behavior.A total of 293 villagers infected with C. sinensis participated in questionnaire investigation. Among them, 94.54% were adult and 93.17% were indigenous. The geometric mean of C. sinensis eggs per gram of feces in the children, adult females and adult males was 58, 291 and 443, respectively. The divergence between knowledge and behavior in the adults, especially the adult males, was shown. Out of 228 persons eating raw fish, 160 did it more frequently at restaurants, the proportion of which varied in different populations, showing 25.00%, 54.88% and 80.28% in the children, adult females and adult males, respectively.Different intervention measurements need to be adopted in different populations. Chemotherapy should be prioritized in the adults, especially the adult males. Otherwise, health education targeting the children, is essential and may play a crucial role in controlling clonorchiasis in the long term. In order to successfully control clonorchiasis, restaurants should not be overlooked in some endemic areas. HubMed – eating
Consumption habits of pregnant women and implications for developmental biology: a survey of predominantly Hispanic women in California.
Nutr J. 2013 Jul 1; 12(1): 91
Santiago SE, Park GH, Huffman KJ
Healthy post-pregnancy outcomes are contingent upon an informed regimen of prenatal care encouraging healthy maternal consumption habits. In this article, we describe aspects of maternal intake of food, drink, and medication in a population of predominantly Hispanic women in Southern California. Potential implications for unhealthy prenatal dietary choices are discussed.The Food, Beverage, and Medication Intake Questionnaire (FBMIQ) measures common practices of maternal consumption during pregnancy. The FBMIQ was administered to English and Spanish speaking pregnant and recently pregnant (36 weeks pregnant – 8 weeks post-partum) women over the age of 18 who were receiving care from a private medical group in Downey CA.A total of 200 women completed the FBMIQ. Consumption habits of healthy foods and beverages, unhealthy foods, unhealthy beverages, and medication are characterized in this article. Data indicate widespread consumption of fresh fruit, meats, milk and juice and indicate most women used prenatal vitamin supplements. Studies in developmental neuroscience have shown that certain substances may cause teratogenic effects on the fetus when ingested by the mother during pregnancy. Those potentially harmful substances included in our study were Bisphenol-A (BPA), mercury, caffeine, alcohol and certain medications. Our results show that a proportion of the women surveyed in our study consumed BPA, methyl-mercury, caffeine, alcohol, and certain medications at varied levels during pregnancy. This represents an interesting finding and suggests a disconnect between scientific data and general recommendations provided to pregnant mothers by obstetricians.The results of our study demonstrate that a proportion of pregnant women consume substances that are potentially teratogenic and may impact the health and well being of the offspring. It is important to appraise healthy and unhealthy consumption habits in order to encourage healthy practices and alleviate future effects of preventable, toxin-induced developmental issues. Prenatal advising should discourage the consumption of dangerous foods, beverages, and medications that women commonly report eating during pregnancy. HubMed – eating
History of Weight Control Attempts Among Adolescent Girls With Loss of Control Eating.
Health Psychol. 2013 Jul 1;
Vannucci A, Shomaker LB, Field SE, Sbrocco T, Stephens M, Kozlosky M, Reynolds JC, Yanovski JA, Tanofsky-Kraff M
Objective: Loss of control (LOC) eating and a weight control attempt (WCA) history during adolescence are important behavioral risk factors for eating disorders and obesity. The current study investigated the significance of the presence of a WCA history among adolescent girls with LOC eating. Method: Participants were 114 obesity-prevention-seeking 12-17-year-old (M = 14.5, SD = 1.7 years) girls who were between the 75th and 97th body mass index (BMI) percentile (BMI-z: M = 1.5, SD = 0.3) and reported LOC eating episodes during the previous month (M = 4.0, SD = 4.9 episodes; Median = 2.0). Measures included the Eating Disorder Examination to assess LOC eating, eating pathology, and WCA history, and self-report questionnaires for symptoms of general psychopathology. Eating behavior was observed during a laboratory meal designed to capture a LOC eating episode. Results: 67.5% reported a WCA history. As compared to girls without a WCA history (no-WCA), those with a WCA history (WCA) had greater disordered eating attitudes and depressive symptoms (ps < .04). There were no significant group differences in BMI-z or LOC eating frequency (ps > .10). During the laboratory meal, WCA consumed less energy from snack-type foods than no-WCA (M = 245.0, SD = 156.1 vs. M = 341.6, SD = 192.3 kcal; p = .01). Conclusions: Reported WCAs are highly prevalent and are associated with greater psychopathology symptoms among adolescent girls with LOC eating. Prospective data are needed to determine whether these overlapping risk behaviors confer differential vulnerability for developing eating disorders and obesity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved). HubMed – eating