This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the determinants of underweight among preschool c... more This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the determinants of underweight among preschool children. A total of 218 preschool children were enrolled. Their sociodemographic data were collected using self-reported questionnaires whilst body weight and height were measured, recorded and the BMI forage z-score was calculated using WHO AnthroPlus software. Of all preschool children participants, 47.7% were male and 53.3% were female. Most of them were Malays (99.5%), aged 4 to <5 years (40.8%) and came from low-income household (92.7%). Overall, the prevalence of underweight, normal, overweight and obese was 17.9%, 73.8%, 4.6% and 3.7% respectively. The underweight prevalence was higher than the national prevalence (13.7%). Of all parent participants, 12.4% were male and 87.6% were female. Most of them aged 30−39 years (55.5%) and did not hold a degree (89.4%). Multivariate logistic regression showed that parental age and their level of education were the determinants of childhood underweight. The risk of being underweight increased with the age of parents (p=0.033) and lower level of education of parents (p=0.042). In conclusion, this study found that underweight among preschool children was mainly associated with parental factors. Hence, designing a special nutritional intervention program involving older parents and lower education levels could overcome this problem.
Food safety is a persistent global health challenge. Improper handling of foods increases the cha... more Food safety is a persistent global health challenge. Improper handling of foods increases the chances of food contamination, which may endanger the consumers’ health. The knowledge gap and improper hygienic practices of food handlers are the key factors for the transmission of foodborne diseases. This study aimed to investigate the level of food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among street food vendors in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. In this cross-sectional study, a randomly selected 350 street vendors from seven locations in Dhaka City were enrolled. Data were collected by trained interviewers using a questionnaire. Only 36.5% of the respondents had primary, and 48% had secondary education. The majority of the vendors who handled food in front of observers showed good handwashing practice. However, very few vendors showed positive attitudes for washing hands before handling raw or cooked food (3.7%), practicing good personal hygiene (1.2%), and other food safety attitudes (less than 1%). This study showed a significant correlation between the education level of the participants, work experience, and qualification of the head chef with knowledge about hand washing, wearing gloves, and food-borne illnesses. The study demonstrated that formal education played a significant role in vendors’ knowledge and practice of health safety measures of food handlers in preventing foodborne illness.
The purpose of this study was to find out the actual circumstances which lead to dysentery-relate... more The purpose of this study was to find out the actual circumstances which lead to dysentery-related deaths in the rural Bangladesh. The Community Health Workers of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh have been collecting records of all deaths at the rural area of Matlab through a surveillance system since 1963. A review of existing data on dysentery-related deaths from this area during 1976-1981 suggests that deaths in children followed a recurring seasonal pattern with an increase during the post-monsoon season of August-November of each year. This seasonal pattern of death was not evident among adults. The overall dysenteric death rate during 1978-1981 was 13.3 per 10,000 population per year. The highest rates were in patients of the two extreme age groups. Deaths reported recently by the health workers were re-investigated. Although the causal agents producing fatal dysentery in most patients in the community remained unidentified, it was likely to be species of Shigella in childhood deaths. To identify clinical determinants of a fatal outcome, a case-control analysis was done with patients hospitalised with dysentery in 1980. The risk factors shown to be significantly associated with deaths were: longer median duration of illness (p = less than 0.001), female sex (p = 0.039), signs of respiratory infection (p = less than 0.001) and severe malnutrition (p = 0.002).
Objective To assess factors associated with patients' satisfaction with the treatment by dentists... more Objective To assess factors associated with patients' satisfaction with the treatment by dentists in primary health care (PHC) in Brazil. Materials and methods The dataset was part of a nationwide cross-sectional survey for evaluating PHC teams conducted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Patients from each of 16,202 oral health teams were interviewed. In addition to sociodemographic information, the questionnaire included information about patient experience domains: access and booking of dental appointments, bonding and accountability, welcoming of the patient, and their perception of dental facilities. Statistical analysis The dependent variable was the answer to the question 'From 0 to 10, how would you grade your satisfaction with treatment received from the dentist?' Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted rate ratios and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Results The mean patient satisfaction was 9.4 (±2.3). Higher patient satisfaction with PHC was associated with lower education and the patient's perception of the clinic conditions. Moreover, higher satisfaction was associated with positive reception and hospitality, enough time for treatment, and instructions that met patients' needs. Lower satisfaction with PHC was associated with patients who have jobs compared to those who do not work.
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Feb 1, 1997
Addition of a small amount of amylase rich flour (ARF) to a thick porridge instantly liquefy the ... more Addition of a small amount of amylase rich flour (ARF) to a thick porridge instantly liquefy the porridge and increase the energy intake even by sick children. The present study examined the absorption of macronutrients and calorie from an energy dense diet liquefied with ARF in children aged 6-11 months with acute watery diarrhea. After adequately hydrated with oral rehydration fluid over a period of 24 hours, children were randomly assigned to receive either an ARF treated liquefied porridge (test diet) or a porridge diluted with water (control diet). A 72-hour metabolic balance was performed to determine the absorption of carbohydrate, fat, protein, and calorie. Thirteen infants received the test diet, and 15 infants received the control diet. The intake of protein (g/kg/d), carbohydrate (g/kg.d), fat (g/kg.d) and calorie (kJ/kg.d) were 1.97, 20.6, 4.3 and 548 respectively in the test group and those in the control group were 1.12, 13.3, 2.8 and 356. The stool loss of protein, carbohydrate and fat were comparable in the two groups. The absorption coefficient (%) of carbohydrate, fat and energy were 69.6, 61.3 and 65.4 in the test group and were 73.2, 58.6 and 66.7 in the control group. The coefficient of absorption of protein was significantly higher in the test group (37.7% vs. 21.7%). The mean (95% CI) nitrogen balance (g/kg.d) in the test and control groups were 0.064 (0.026, 0.102) and -0.029 (-0.055, 0.003) respectively. The results suggest that energy dense diet liquefied with ARF was well absorbed in children with acute diarrhea and there was a positive nitrogen balance that may have a positive impact in preventing weight loss during acute illness.
In May 1983, a surveillance system was set up at a rural diarrhoea treatment centre of the Intern... more In May 1983, a surveillance system was set up at a rural diarrhoea treatment centre of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) to study a 20% systematic sample of all admissions. Between May 1983 and April 1984, 2,635 patients were studied. A recognized enteric pathogen was detected in 69% of the patients screened, 15% of whom had a mixed infection. Vibrio cholerae 0: 1 was the most common enteropathogen detected (39%), followed by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) (14%), Shigella spp. (11%), and Campylobacter jejuni (11%). Detection of C. jejuni was highest in infants, Shigella spp. in children between 1-4 years and V. cholerae 0:1 in children between 3-9 years of age. 75% of patients presented with watery diarrhoea, a presentation that was significantly more common in patients infected with V. cholerae 0:1 (94%) and ETEC (88%). Bloody diarrhoea was the presenting complaint in 18% of all patients, but in 65% of patients in whom Shigella ...
Background: Breastfeeding is recognized as the single most cost-effective intervention to reduce ... more Background: Breastfeeding is recognized as the single most cost-effective intervention to reduce child morbidity and mortality. However, few studies have explored perceived barriers to breastfeeding and factors associated with breastfeeding intent among mothers of newborn babies in Viet Nam. We conducted a study to assess breastfeeding initiation rates, intent to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months or more and perceived barriers to breastfeed among mothers of newborn babies in Da Nang, Viet Nam. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of mothers in the postnatal wards of Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children in central Viet Nam from 10 February 2017 to 24 February 2017, following implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Essential Newborn Care (ENC) package. Results: Of 286 mothers surveyed, 259 (90.6%) initiated breastfeeding; 203/258 (78.7%) within 1 hour (h) of birth. Most (207, 72.4%) mothers indicated intent to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months or more, but this was lower among mothers of preterm babies (82.2% versus 20.0%, p < 0.001) and those without post-secondary school education (74.8% versus 55.6%, p = 0.02). Amongst mothers struggling to establish breastfeeding, 18/27 (66.7%) had a Cesarean section. Planned non-exclusive breastfeeding was mostly (39, 60.9%) motivated by mothers' concern that their milk supply would be insufficient for their baby's growth requirements. Most mothers had good knowledge about the benefits of breastfeeding and indicated strong decision autonomy. Conclusions: We documented high rates of early breastfeeding establishment and intent to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months or more. This probably reflects high levels of maternal education and successful implementation of the WHO ENC package. Mothers of premature babies may benefit from additional support.
Probiotics have been widely used in gastroenteritis due to acute and chronic illnesses. However, ... more Probiotics have been widely used in gastroenteritis due to acute and chronic illnesses. However, evidence supporting the effectiveness of probiotics in different health conditions are inconclusive and conflicting. The aim of the study was to review existing literature on the effects of probiotics in gastroenteritis among adults. Only original articles on clinical trials that demonstrated the effects of probiotics in adults with gastroenteritis were used for this analysis. Multiple databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE and Scopus databases were searched for the data. The study followed standard procedures for data extraction using PRISMA flow chart. A quality appraisal of the selected studies was conducted using CADIMA. Finally, a meta-analysis was conducted. Thirty-five articles met the selection criteria; of them, probiotics were found effective in the treatment and/or prevention of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s diseas...
Background and objectives: Gastroenteritis is the second leading cause of death among children wo... more Background and objectives: Gastroenteritis is the second leading cause of death among children worldwide. It is a preventable and treatable disease, yet it affects 3 to 5 million children and is the cause of approximately 10% of hospitalizations globally. This systematic review aims to identify the effectiveness of probiotics in treating acute gastroenteritis in children globally and also to provide results of quality research to healthcare-related communities about possible therapies of the condition. Methods: This study follows the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews of 29 quantitative studies conducted between 2014-2023. A quality appraisal of the selected studies was conducted using CADIMA and a rating scale of 0 to 3 based on a few predetermined criteria. Results: Sample sizes varied from 29 to 1811, with a median of 200. Globally, there are mixed findings about the roles and benefits of probiotics to treat acute gastroenteritis in children. This is possibly due to the typ...
Background and objectives: Despite the decline in new HIV infection across the United States, Mis... more Background and objectives: Despite the decline in new HIV infection across the United States, Mississippi is still experiencing high rates of new HIV infections. Reports highlighted significant variations by geographical locations and socio-demographic factors. This study examined trends of HIV/AIDS incidence rates in Mississippi from 2008 to 2019. Materials and methods: Data on HIV/AIDS diagnosis were extracted from Mississippi Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System database. Data were cleaned and de-identified using Microsoft Excel and SAS 9.4. Overall and annual age-adjusted HIV and AIDS incidence rates were calculated by sex, race, and age using 2000 US population. Annual Percentage Change (APC) and Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) were analyzed using Joinpoint regression models. Results: Overall, HIV incidence rate declined from 25.0 in 2008 to 18.79 per 100,000 population in 2019 (24.8% decrease) while AIDS incidence increased from 6.4 in 2008 to 8.2 per 100,000 population ...
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
According to the World Health Organization, 83,339 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 72 death... more According to the World Health Organization, 83,339 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 72 deaths, of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), have been reported from 110 locations globally as of 20 December 2022, making the disease a public health concern. Most of the cases (56,171, 67.4%) were reported from countries in North America. Limited data on vaccine effectiveness in the current mpox outbreak are available. However, the modified vaccinia virus (smallpox vaccine) has been predicted to prevent or reduce the severity of the mpox infection. The present study of systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the modified vaccinia vaccine’s safety and efficacy on mpox by using reported randomized clinical trials. Following guidelines from the Cochrane Collaboration and PRISMA, multiple databases including PubMed, PLOS ONE, Google Scholar, British Medical Journal, and the U. S. National Library of Medicine were searched. Out of 13,294 research articles initially identified, 18...
Background and objectives: Obesity among adolescents is a significant public health concern in th... more Background and objectives: Obesity among adolescents is a significant public health concern in the United States. The prevalence of obesity has increased from 13.0% in 2011 to 15.5% in 2019. The association between breakfast skipping and obesity is still controversial, and a mediator role of depression in this association is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the independent association between breakfast skipping and obesity and to investigate the mediator role of depressive symptomology between breakfast skipping and obesity prevalence. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were extracted from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) for 9th to 12th graders from 2011 through 2020. SAS version 9.4 was used to analyze the data using proc survey frequency and proc survey logistic regression models. The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. The Sobel test also was performed to test the...
Abstract: To assess the risk of lead poisoning among preschool and school-aged children in Bangla... more Abstract: To assess the risk of lead poisoning among preschool and school-aged children in Bangladesh, 345 children were screened for blood lead levels (BLLs) from one rural and two urban areas in Bangladesh from September 2007 through January 2008. An urban industrial area at Tongi was identified as a disaster area, where 99 % (104/105) of those tested had BLLs ≥10 µg/dL. Industrial emissions and use of leaded gasoline by two-stroke engine vehicles were identified as possible sources of lead in that area. A rural nonindustrial area at Chirirbandar, Dinajpur was identified as another high-risk area, where 14 % of the children screened had BLLs ≥10 µg/dL. BLLs at the urban industrial area were significantly higher than those at the rural and urban nonindustrial areas (24.58 ± 10.32, 7.24 ± 6.31, and 2.47 ± 3.32 µg/dL, respectively; p <0.001). Weight-for-age z-scores of the urban children were significantly lower than that of the rural children (-1.41 ± 1.88 vs. 0.20 ± 1.16, p <...
This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the determinants of underweight among preschool c... more This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the determinants of underweight among preschool children. A total of 218 preschool children were enrolled. Their sociodemographic data were collected using self-reported questionnaires whilst body weight and height were measured, recorded and the BMI forage z-score was calculated using WHO AnthroPlus software. Of all preschool children participants, 47.7% were male and 53.3% were female. Most of them were Malays (99.5%), aged 4 to <5 years (40.8%) and came from low-income household (92.7%). Overall, the prevalence of underweight, normal, overweight and obese was 17.9%, 73.8%, 4.6% and 3.7% respectively. The underweight prevalence was higher than the national prevalence (13.7%). Of all parent participants, 12.4% were male and 87.6% were female. Most of them aged 30−39 years (55.5%) and did not hold a degree (89.4%). Multivariate logistic regression showed that parental age and their level of education were the determinants of childhood underweight. The risk of being underweight increased with the age of parents (p=0.033) and lower level of education of parents (p=0.042). In conclusion, this study found that underweight among preschool children was mainly associated with parental factors. Hence, designing a special nutritional intervention program involving older parents and lower education levels could overcome this problem.
Food safety is a persistent global health challenge. Improper handling of foods increases the cha... more Food safety is a persistent global health challenge. Improper handling of foods increases the chances of food contamination, which may endanger the consumers’ health. The knowledge gap and improper hygienic practices of food handlers are the key factors for the transmission of foodborne diseases. This study aimed to investigate the level of food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among street food vendors in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. In this cross-sectional study, a randomly selected 350 street vendors from seven locations in Dhaka City were enrolled. Data were collected by trained interviewers using a questionnaire. Only 36.5% of the respondents had primary, and 48% had secondary education. The majority of the vendors who handled food in front of observers showed good handwashing practice. However, very few vendors showed positive attitudes for washing hands before handling raw or cooked food (3.7%), practicing good personal hygiene (1.2%), and other food safety attitudes (less than 1%). This study showed a significant correlation between the education level of the participants, work experience, and qualification of the head chef with knowledge about hand washing, wearing gloves, and food-borne illnesses. The study demonstrated that formal education played a significant role in vendors’ knowledge and practice of health safety measures of food handlers in preventing foodborne illness.
The purpose of this study was to find out the actual circumstances which lead to dysentery-relate... more The purpose of this study was to find out the actual circumstances which lead to dysentery-related deaths in the rural Bangladesh. The Community Health Workers of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh have been collecting records of all deaths at the rural area of Matlab through a surveillance system since 1963. A review of existing data on dysentery-related deaths from this area during 1976-1981 suggests that deaths in children followed a recurring seasonal pattern with an increase during the post-monsoon season of August-November of each year. This seasonal pattern of death was not evident among adults. The overall dysenteric death rate during 1978-1981 was 13.3 per 10,000 population per year. The highest rates were in patients of the two extreme age groups. Deaths reported recently by the health workers were re-investigated. Although the causal agents producing fatal dysentery in most patients in the community remained unidentified, it was likely to be species of Shigella in childhood deaths. To identify clinical determinants of a fatal outcome, a case-control analysis was done with patients hospitalised with dysentery in 1980. The risk factors shown to be significantly associated with deaths were: longer median duration of illness (p = less than 0.001), female sex (p = 0.039), signs of respiratory infection (p = less than 0.001) and severe malnutrition (p = 0.002).
Objective To assess factors associated with patients' satisfaction with the treatment by dentists... more Objective To assess factors associated with patients' satisfaction with the treatment by dentists in primary health care (PHC) in Brazil. Materials and methods The dataset was part of a nationwide cross-sectional survey for evaluating PHC teams conducted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Patients from each of 16,202 oral health teams were interviewed. In addition to sociodemographic information, the questionnaire included information about patient experience domains: access and booking of dental appointments, bonding and accountability, welcoming of the patient, and their perception of dental facilities. Statistical analysis The dependent variable was the answer to the question 'From 0 to 10, how would you grade your satisfaction with treatment received from the dentist?' Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted rate ratios and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Results The mean patient satisfaction was 9.4 (±2.3). Higher patient satisfaction with PHC was associated with lower education and the patient's perception of the clinic conditions. Moreover, higher satisfaction was associated with positive reception and hospitality, enough time for treatment, and instructions that met patients' needs. Lower satisfaction with PHC was associated with patients who have jobs compared to those who do not work.
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Feb 1, 1997
Addition of a small amount of amylase rich flour (ARF) to a thick porridge instantly liquefy the ... more Addition of a small amount of amylase rich flour (ARF) to a thick porridge instantly liquefy the porridge and increase the energy intake even by sick children. The present study examined the absorption of macronutrients and calorie from an energy dense diet liquefied with ARF in children aged 6-11 months with acute watery diarrhea. After adequately hydrated with oral rehydration fluid over a period of 24 hours, children were randomly assigned to receive either an ARF treated liquefied porridge (test diet) or a porridge diluted with water (control diet). A 72-hour metabolic balance was performed to determine the absorption of carbohydrate, fat, protein, and calorie. Thirteen infants received the test diet, and 15 infants received the control diet. The intake of protein (g/kg/d), carbohydrate (g/kg.d), fat (g/kg.d) and calorie (kJ/kg.d) were 1.97, 20.6, 4.3 and 548 respectively in the test group and those in the control group were 1.12, 13.3, 2.8 and 356. The stool loss of protein, carbohydrate and fat were comparable in the two groups. The absorption coefficient (%) of carbohydrate, fat and energy were 69.6, 61.3 and 65.4 in the test group and were 73.2, 58.6 and 66.7 in the control group. The coefficient of absorption of protein was significantly higher in the test group (37.7% vs. 21.7%). The mean (95% CI) nitrogen balance (g/kg.d) in the test and control groups were 0.064 (0.026, 0.102) and -0.029 (-0.055, 0.003) respectively. The results suggest that energy dense diet liquefied with ARF was well absorbed in children with acute diarrhea and there was a positive nitrogen balance that may have a positive impact in preventing weight loss during acute illness.
In May 1983, a surveillance system was set up at a rural diarrhoea treatment centre of the Intern... more In May 1983, a surveillance system was set up at a rural diarrhoea treatment centre of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) to study a 20% systematic sample of all admissions. Between May 1983 and April 1984, 2,635 patients were studied. A recognized enteric pathogen was detected in 69% of the patients screened, 15% of whom had a mixed infection. Vibrio cholerae 0: 1 was the most common enteropathogen detected (39%), followed by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) (14%), Shigella spp. (11%), and Campylobacter jejuni (11%). Detection of C. jejuni was highest in infants, Shigella spp. in children between 1-4 years and V. cholerae 0:1 in children between 3-9 years of age. 75% of patients presented with watery diarrhoea, a presentation that was significantly more common in patients infected with V. cholerae 0:1 (94%) and ETEC (88%). Bloody diarrhoea was the presenting complaint in 18% of all patients, but in 65% of patients in whom Shigella ...
Background: Breastfeeding is recognized as the single most cost-effective intervention to reduce ... more Background: Breastfeeding is recognized as the single most cost-effective intervention to reduce child morbidity and mortality. However, few studies have explored perceived barriers to breastfeeding and factors associated with breastfeeding intent among mothers of newborn babies in Viet Nam. We conducted a study to assess breastfeeding initiation rates, intent to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months or more and perceived barriers to breastfeed among mothers of newborn babies in Da Nang, Viet Nam. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of mothers in the postnatal wards of Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children in central Viet Nam from 10 February 2017 to 24 February 2017, following implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Essential Newborn Care (ENC) package. Results: Of 286 mothers surveyed, 259 (90.6%) initiated breastfeeding; 203/258 (78.7%) within 1 hour (h) of birth. Most (207, 72.4%) mothers indicated intent to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months or more, but this was lower among mothers of preterm babies (82.2% versus 20.0%, p < 0.001) and those without post-secondary school education (74.8% versus 55.6%, p = 0.02). Amongst mothers struggling to establish breastfeeding, 18/27 (66.7%) had a Cesarean section. Planned non-exclusive breastfeeding was mostly (39, 60.9%) motivated by mothers' concern that their milk supply would be insufficient for their baby's growth requirements. Most mothers had good knowledge about the benefits of breastfeeding and indicated strong decision autonomy. Conclusions: We documented high rates of early breastfeeding establishment and intent to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months or more. This probably reflects high levels of maternal education and successful implementation of the WHO ENC package. Mothers of premature babies may benefit from additional support.
Probiotics have been widely used in gastroenteritis due to acute and chronic illnesses. However, ... more Probiotics have been widely used in gastroenteritis due to acute and chronic illnesses. However, evidence supporting the effectiveness of probiotics in different health conditions are inconclusive and conflicting. The aim of the study was to review existing literature on the effects of probiotics in gastroenteritis among adults. Only original articles on clinical trials that demonstrated the effects of probiotics in adults with gastroenteritis were used for this analysis. Multiple databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE and Scopus databases were searched for the data. The study followed standard procedures for data extraction using PRISMA flow chart. A quality appraisal of the selected studies was conducted using CADIMA. Finally, a meta-analysis was conducted. Thirty-five articles met the selection criteria; of them, probiotics were found effective in the treatment and/or prevention of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s diseas...
Background and objectives: Gastroenteritis is the second leading cause of death among children wo... more Background and objectives: Gastroenteritis is the second leading cause of death among children worldwide. It is a preventable and treatable disease, yet it affects 3 to 5 million children and is the cause of approximately 10% of hospitalizations globally. This systematic review aims to identify the effectiveness of probiotics in treating acute gastroenteritis in children globally and also to provide results of quality research to healthcare-related communities about possible therapies of the condition. Methods: This study follows the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews of 29 quantitative studies conducted between 2014-2023. A quality appraisal of the selected studies was conducted using CADIMA and a rating scale of 0 to 3 based on a few predetermined criteria. Results: Sample sizes varied from 29 to 1811, with a median of 200. Globally, there are mixed findings about the roles and benefits of probiotics to treat acute gastroenteritis in children. This is possibly due to the typ...
Background and objectives: Despite the decline in new HIV infection across the United States, Mis... more Background and objectives: Despite the decline in new HIV infection across the United States, Mississippi is still experiencing high rates of new HIV infections. Reports highlighted significant variations by geographical locations and socio-demographic factors. This study examined trends of HIV/AIDS incidence rates in Mississippi from 2008 to 2019. Materials and methods: Data on HIV/AIDS diagnosis were extracted from Mississippi Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System database. Data were cleaned and de-identified using Microsoft Excel and SAS 9.4. Overall and annual age-adjusted HIV and AIDS incidence rates were calculated by sex, race, and age using 2000 US population. Annual Percentage Change (APC) and Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) were analyzed using Joinpoint regression models. Results: Overall, HIV incidence rate declined from 25.0 in 2008 to 18.79 per 100,000 population in 2019 (24.8% decrease) while AIDS incidence increased from 6.4 in 2008 to 8.2 per 100,000 population ...
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
According to the World Health Organization, 83,339 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 72 death... more According to the World Health Organization, 83,339 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 72 deaths, of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), have been reported from 110 locations globally as of 20 December 2022, making the disease a public health concern. Most of the cases (56,171, 67.4%) were reported from countries in North America. Limited data on vaccine effectiveness in the current mpox outbreak are available. However, the modified vaccinia virus (smallpox vaccine) has been predicted to prevent or reduce the severity of the mpox infection. The present study of systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the modified vaccinia vaccine’s safety and efficacy on mpox by using reported randomized clinical trials. Following guidelines from the Cochrane Collaboration and PRISMA, multiple databases including PubMed, PLOS ONE, Google Scholar, British Medical Journal, and the U. S. National Library of Medicine were searched. Out of 13,294 research articles initially identified, 18...
Background and objectives: Obesity among adolescents is a significant public health concern in th... more Background and objectives: Obesity among adolescents is a significant public health concern in the United States. The prevalence of obesity has increased from 13.0% in 2011 to 15.5% in 2019. The association between breakfast skipping and obesity is still controversial, and a mediator role of depression in this association is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the independent association between breakfast skipping and obesity and to investigate the mediator role of depressive symptomology between breakfast skipping and obesity prevalence. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were extracted from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) for 9th to 12th graders from 2011 through 2020. SAS version 9.4 was used to analyze the data using proc survey frequency and proc survey logistic regression models. The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. The Sobel test also was performed to test the...
Abstract: To assess the risk of lead poisoning among preschool and school-aged children in Bangla... more Abstract: To assess the risk of lead poisoning among preschool and school-aged children in Bangladesh, 345 children were screened for blood lead levels (BLLs) from one rural and two urban areas in Bangladesh from September 2007 through January 2008. An urban industrial area at Tongi was identified as a disaster area, where 99 % (104/105) of those tested had BLLs ≥10 µg/dL. Industrial emissions and use of leaded gasoline by two-stroke engine vehicles were identified as possible sources of lead in that area. A rural nonindustrial area at Chirirbandar, Dinajpur was identified as another high-risk area, where 14 % of the children screened had BLLs ≥10 µg/dL. BLLs at the urban industrial area were significantly higher than those at the rural and urban nonindustrial areas (24.58 ± 10.32, 7.24 ± 6.31, and 2.47 ± 3.32 µg/dL, respectively; p <0.001). Weight-for-age z-scores of the urban children were significantly lower than that of the rural children (-1.41 ± 1.88 vs. 0.20 ± 1.16, p <...
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