203 research outputs found

    Intuitive Eating and Weight Restrictive Practices among Dietitians in Kuwait

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    Background Dietitians are healthcare team members responsible for counseling patients with weight concerns. Both traditional/restrictive and intuitive eating/nonrestrictive practices are used with clients seeking weight loss. However, little is known about the weight management practices used with clients by dietitians in Kuwait, which are often related to the dietitians’ knowledge, attitudes, and work experience. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding intuitive eating among dietitians dealing with clients for weight management in Kuwait and describe their use of restrictive versus nonrestrictive dietary practices.  Method This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. A self-administered survey was distributed among dietitians working with clients for weight management in public and private clinics. Results In total, 163 participants completed the survey. Most dietitians (81.6%) had not heard of intuitive eating as an independent approach to weight loss and scored low on knowledge of intuitive eating; however, many demonstrated positive attitudes towards intuitive eating (68%). Moreover, dietitians in Kuwait used both restrictive/traditional (69.31%) and nonrestrictive/intuitive eating (79.82%) weight management approaches to counsel clients. Total knowledge was positively correlated with use of nonrestrictive/intuitive eating (r=.259, p=.003) and traditional/restrictive practices (r=.227, p=.009). Years of experience was not related to either practice style. Conclusions Dietitians are combining both restrictive and nonrestrictive approaches for weight management with clients, and their practices are related to knowledge. These findings underscore the importance of continuous education for dietitians working in all sectors in Kuwait

    Perceived Body Image, Eating Behavior, and Sedentary Activities and Body Mass Index Categories in Kuwaiti Female Adolescents

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    Background. The State of Kuwait has a growing obesity epidemic in both genders and all age groups; however, obesity rates in the young seem to be rising. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 169 Kuwaiti female adolescents attending both private and public schools spanning the six governorates in the State of Kuwait in order to explore female adolescents’ self-image, body dissatisfaction, type of school (private versus public), TV viewing, and computer games and their relationship to body mass index. Results. Approximately half the students classified as obese perceived their body image to lie in the normal range. Females in the obese category were the most dissatisfied with their body image, followed by those in the overweight category. Eating behavior, level of physical activity, school type, television viewing, computer/video usage, and desired BMI were not significantly associated with level of obesity. Conclusion. This study was one of the few studies to assess adolescent females’ body image dissatisfaction in relation to obesity in the State of Kuwait. The results suggest that including body image dissatisfaction awareness into obesity prevention programs would be of value

    Anemia And It\u27s Associated Factors Among Adolescents in Kuwait

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    We estimated the prevalence of anemia among school children and investigated factors associated with this problem in Kuwait. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1415 adolescents randomly selected from middle schools in Kuwait. Hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, folate and vitamin B-12, in addition to many other laboratory indicators, were measured in a venous blood sample. Data on risk factors for anemia were collected from parents and adolescents. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with anemia. The prevalence of anemia was 8.06% (95% CI: 6.69-9.60%), which was significantly higher among females compared to males (10.96% vs. 5.04%; p \u3c 0.001). Mean (SD) Hb level was 133.7 (9.89) g/L and 130.00 (10.48) g/L among males and females, respectively (p \u3c 0.001). The prevalence of mild, moderate and severe anemia was 5.94%, 1.91% and 0.21%, respectively. Gender, age, iron concentration and ferritin were associated with anemia in multivariable analysis. These data indicate that anemia among school children in Kuwait is of mild public health significance. Further reduction in anemia in school girls should focus on correcting iron deficiency. Surveillance systems for anemia may consider using a cut-off point that is specific for the method of blood sampling and the method of Hb measurement

    Plasma 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D is not Associated with Acne Vulgaris

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    Few studies have investigated the association between Acne vulgaris (AV) and vitamin D level. In this study we aimed to investigate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-VitD) level and AV in a country with plenty of sunshine. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 714 adolescents who were randomly selected from public schools using multistage cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size. 25-OH-VitD levels were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) was used to assess the severity of AV. Data on potential confounders were collected from the parents through a self-administered questionnaire, and from the adolescents using a face-to-face interview. Of 714 participants, 351 (41.16%) were males. The mean (standard deviation (SD)) age was 12.28 (0.81) years. AV was observed in 479 (67.1%) adolescents. There was no significant association between 25-OH-VitD level and clinically assessed AV before or after adjusting for potential confounders. This was consistent whether 25-OH-VitD was fitted as a continuous variable or categorized using acceptable cutoff points or tertiles. In this study vitamin D status was not associated with AV, therefore our data do not support vitamin D supplementation either to treat or to prevent AV

    Do mothers Affect Daughter’s Behaviors? Diet, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behaviors in Kuwaiti Mother–Daughter Dyads

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    The objective of the study was to evaluate 169 Kuwaiti mother– daughter dyads and their associations with health behaviors for eating healthy, engaging in physical activity, daughters perceived body weight, time spent with computer/video, and time viewing television. Female students aged 10–14 years were selected from private and public schools in the State of Kuwait. Results demonstrated that daughters exhibited similar behaviors to their mothers in their perceived eating behavior, physical activity, computer/ video game use, and TV screen time. Future research is essential to determine the role of mothers in effective health behavior intervention strategies for female Kuwaiti adolescents

    Plasma 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Is Not Associated with Either Cognitive Function or Academic Performance in Adolescents

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    Several observational studies have reported an association between low levels of vitamin D (VD) and poor cognition in adults, but there is a paucity of data on such an association in adolescents. We investigated the association between VD and cognitive function or academic achievement among 1370 adolescents, who were selected from public middle schools in Kuwait, using stratified multistage cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size. Plasma 25-hydroxy VD (25-OH-D) was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). An age-adjusted standard score (ASC), calculated from Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices test, was used to evaluate cognitive function; academic achievements were extracted from the schools’ records. Data on various covariates were collected from the parents through a self-administered questionnaire and from the adolescents using face-to-face interviews. 25-OH-D was weakly correlated positively with ASC (ρ = 0.06; p = 0.04). Univariable linear regression analysis showed an association between 25-OH-D categories and ASC after adjusting for gender, but adjusting for parental education was sufficient to explain this association. Multivariable analysis showed no association between 25-OH-D and ASC after adjusting for potential confounders whether 25-OH-D was fitted as a continuous variable (p = 0.73), a variable that is categorized by acceptable cutoff points (p = 0.48), or categorized into quartiles (p = 0.88). Similarly, 25-OH-D was not associated with academic performance. We conclude that 25-OH-D is associated with neither cognitive function nor academic performance in adolescents
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