Prema National Adoption Attitudes Survey (2002) polovina Amerikanaca za posvojenu djecu smatra da će vjerojatnije imati probleme u ponašanju i školovanju, a trećina da će vjerojatnije imati ...medicinske probleme i probleme s drogom/alkoholom te manje vjerojatno biti sretna, samopouzdana i dobro prilagođena. Slični rezultati dobiveni su i na stručnjacima – školskim savjetnicima, socijalnim radnicima i obiteljskim terapeutima, što upozorava na mogućnost stigmatizacije posvojene djece, čak i kod profesionalaca koji (im) pružaju podršku i pomoć. S ciljem istraživanja te teme u Hrvatskoj ispitivali smo implicitne stavove prema posvojenoj djeci kod budućih stručnjakinja (psihologinja, socijalnih radnica i učiteljica) te ispitali njihovu informiranost i potrebu za edukacijom o posvojenju. Studentice (N = 255) su po slučaju pridijeljene jednoj od četiri skupine. Nakon čitanja jedne od četiri vinjete (biološko/posvojeno dijete × 1/2 roditelja) trebale su procijeniti osobine, potrebu za stručnom pomoći te potencijalne buduće probleme opisanog djeteta. Studentice su osobine i buduće probleme djeteta procjenjivale neovisno o načinu formiranja obitelji, ali su ipak potrebu za stručnom pomoći u slučaju posvojenog djeteta procijenile većom. Vlastitu informiranost buduće stručnjakinje procjenjuju slabijom – pri čemu kao glavne izvore informacija o posvojenju uglavnom navode televiziju/dnevne novine, internet te obitelj i prijatelje, dok istovremeno takve sadržaje smatraju dosta korisnima za buduću profesiju. Rezultati sugeriraju potrebu za dodatnom edukacijom na temu posvojenja u sklopu fakultetskog obrazovanja – u svrhu osiguravanja većeg znanja i osviještenosti budućih stručnjaka te prevencije stigmatizacije posvojene djece. Ključne riječi: implicitni stavovi, informiranost o posvojenju, posvojena djeca, posvojiteljske obitelji, studenti pomagačkih struka
The aim of this study was to evaluate body composition, handgrip strength, quality of life, disease duration and activity and lifestyle habits in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to ...evaluate possible associations between all of the abovementioned factors. Seventy-five stable RA patients were included. Data on sociodemographic data, disease activity, quality of life, nutritional risk, body mass composition, anthropometric parameters, and clinical and laboratory parameters were collected for each study participant. The results showed that the mean score of the disease activity score (DAS28) was 5.4, the mean score of the health assessment questionnaire-disability index (HAQ-DI) was 1.19, and the mean disease duration in our population was 13.9 years. Our studied population had a long disease duration and high disease activity. Positive predictors of muscle mass in RA patients were daily caloric intake, fat-free mass, bone mass, basal metabolic rate, total body water, weight, body mass index (BMI), height, and muscle strength. There were no significant negative predictors. Positive predictors of muscle strength in RA patients were daily caloric intake, basal metabolic rate, predicted muscle mass, fat-free mass, bone mass, weight, total body water, metabolic age, hemoglobin, BMI, and number of exercises per week. In contrast, negative predictors of muscle strength were number of comorbidities, number of swollen joints, DAS, number of tender joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and duration of RA. An association was also found between bone mineral density and both muscle mass and muscle strength. A structured nutritional approach in terms of multidisciplinary collaboration between rheumatologist, dietitian and physical medicine specialist is needed in the Dalmatian RA population.
We aimed to explore long COVID symptoms, serum calprotectin levels, and the parameters of arterial stiffness in Dalmatian kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and their possible associations. A ...cross-sectional, single-center case-control study on 98 KTRs who had recovered from COVID-19 was performed. Long COVID symptoms were explored via standardized questionnaires assessing quality of life, and serum calprotectin was also measured. Out of 98 KTRs with a mean age of 62 years, 63 (64.3%) were men. Medical history, clinical and laboratory parameters, and arterial stiffness measurements were obtained for each study participant. Difficulties with mobility were present in 44.3% of the KTRs, while difficulties with self-care were present in 6.2%, difficulties with usual activities were demonstrated by 35.1%, pain in the extremities was present in 52.5%, and anxiety and depression were present in 26.8%. Our results showed significant differences regarding serum calprotectin levels in clinical manifestations of acute COVID-19 and follow-up laboratory parameters. The most significant positive predictors of the serum calprotectin value in the KTRs were respiratory insufficiency, acute kidney failure, the prescription of antihypertensives, leukocyte and neutrophil counts, the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Negative predictors were the time since COVID-19, high-density lipoprotein levels, kidney function parameters, and the lymphocyte count. To conclude, serum calprotectin has emerged as a possible promising biomarker for subclinical allograft rejection; however, further studies are needed to better understand this subject.
Depression has been addressed as a predictor of worse outcomes in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Nutritional status plays a great role in treatment of this population. The Mediterranean diet ...(MeDi) has been associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the rate of depression and its correlations to nutritional status and dietary habits according to the MeDi in Dalmatian KTRs. We included 115 KTRs, and data about body composition and anthropometric, laboratory and clinical parameters were obtained for each study participant. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) questionnaire was used to assess depressive symptoms and the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS) was used to assess adherence to the MeDi. We found the presence of depressive symptoms in 21.73% of the Dalmatian KTRs. BDI-II score was reciprocally associated with fat mass, trunk visceral fat, anthropometric parameters of obesity, triglyceride levels and olive oil consumption. Inverse associations were found between BDI-II score and skeletal muscle mass, handgrip strength, MCV, hemoglobin levels and consumption of fish and white meat, as suggested by the MeDi. Our results showed the interconnections between nutritional status, dietary habits and depression in Dalmatian KTRs.
Abstract
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the associations between the Mediterranean diet (MeDi), nutritional status parameters, muscle strength, and periodontal status in ...Dalmatian kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). 89 KTRs were included in this analysis, 40 (45%) women, with a mean age of 61 years (IQR = 13) and a mean time since kidney transplantation of 5 years (IQR = 6.6). An OHIP-14 questionnaire and questionnaire-based periodontal history were obtained from all participants, a comprehensive periodontal examination was performed. Body composition data, anthropometric and clinical parameters were collected for each study participant. The Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS) was used to assess MeDi adherence, and handgrip strength was measured with a hand dynamometer. Our results showed low adherence to MeDi in KTRs (28%) and almost 50% of KTRs suffer from severe forms of periodontitis. We also found a low OHIP-14 score and poor oral hygiene habits. KTRs with a less severe form of periodontitis had higher muscle mass and handgrip strength. MDSS score was associated with a higher number of teeth, and everyday cereal intake was inversely associated with the periodontitis stage. Our results demonstrate the associations between nutritional status, muscle strength, dietary habits, and periodontal health in Dalmatian KTRs.
The aim of this study was to determine the association between muscle strength, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly. General data, data of ...body composition and anthropometric parameters, clinical and laboratory findings, cognitive test questionnaires (Mini-Mental State Examination-MMSE, Trail Making Test-TMT, Symbol Digit Modalities Test-SDMT), and nutritional assessments (Mini Nutritional Assessment-MNA, Mediterranean Diet Serving Score-MDSS) were obtained for each study participant. Handgrip strength (HS) was used as one of the key parameters for defining probable sarcopenia, among the Short Physical Performance Battery test (SPPB) (for defining physical activity) and the strength, assistance with walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls questionnaire (SARC-F). Our cross-sectional study involved 114 participants aged ≥ 60 years, and two-thirds of the participants were female (76.3% vs. 23.7%). Probable sarcopenia was found in 34.7% of them. Using bivariate regression analysis, cognitive deficit among the sarcopenic population was associated with the following groups of collected data: (a) sociodemographic-associated factors-advanced age (OR: 1.07;
= 0.004), single marital status (OR: 3.25;
= 0.03), and low level of education (OR: 0.22;
< 0.003); (b) behavioral-associated factors-duration of institutionalization (OR: 1.05;
= 0.007), performance of heavy physical work (OR: 6.26;
= 0.001), low physical activity (OR: 0.08;
= 0.002), and risk of malnutrition (OR: 3.87;
= 0.005); (c) disease-related factors-loss of appetite (OR: 2.24;
= 0.04), information processing speed (OR: 0.88;
< 0.001), blood pressure systolic/diastolic variables (OR: 0.96/0.96;
= 0.002/0.02), medications (OR: 1.19;
= 0.005), predictive sarcopenia score ≥ 4 (OR: 3.1;
= 0.003), and low muscle strength (OR: 0.92;
= 0.002). Cognitive preservation among the sarcopenic population was associated with married status (OR: 0.23;
= 0.20), a high level of education (OR: 0.18;
= 0.002), smoking (OR: 0.33;
= 0.02), high physical activity (OR: 0.07;
< 0.001), and dietary habits using poultry (OR: 0.12;
= 0.004). The results suggest a significant association between sarcopenia and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly, highlighting the need for regular nutritional interventions in this special population.
Phase angle (PhA) levels are often lower than normal because both disease-specific parameters and disease-related inflammatory status, metabolic syndrome (MetS) included, can affect PhA. Therefore, ...the aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare body composition, metabolic profile and dietary patterns of participants with arterial hypertension (AH), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and MetS with regard to PhA values. A total of 208 participants were included, of whom 53.6% were males. For each participant, data about body composition and anthropometric parameters, clinical and laboratory parameters, as well as food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS) were obtained. MC-780 Multi Frequency Segmental Body Mass Analyzer (Tanita) was used to assess body composition. Furthermore, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. The results showed that 75 (36.06%) participants had low PhA values and 133 (63.94%) had high PhA values. Participants with higher PhA values had significantly higher body fat percentage (p = 0.04), fat-free mass (kg; p < 0.001), muscle mass (kg; p < 0.001), skeletal muscle mass (% and kg; p < 0.001), sarcopenic index (SMI; p < 0.001) and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC; p = 0.04), as well as lower fat mass percentage (p = 0.04). Regarding food frequency consumption, significantly higher intakes of red meat (p = 0.003), poultry (p = 0.02) and fast food (p = 0.003) were noticed in participants with higher PhA values. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MeDi) was exceptionally low in both groups of participants, with significantly higher fish intake noticed in participants with high PhA (p = 0.03). In conclusion, our results showed that body composition could be the indicator of PhA in MetS as well as overall low adherence to the MeDi principles. These findings highlight the importance of adequate nutritional strategies and novel approaches to maintaining optimal body composition and adopting proper eating habits within the framework of one’s disease.
The aim of the present review was to summarize the current evidence about the impact of vitamin D deficiency on pathology and clinical manifestations of Sjögren's disease (SD).
Databases PubMed, Web ...of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane library were searched for studies assessing the levels of vitamin D in SD patients using the following keywords: (vitamin D OR calciferol OR cholecalciferol OR 25-hydroxyvitamin D OR 25-hydroxycholecalciferol OR calcidiol OR calcitriol OR 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) AND (Sjögren's Syndrome OR Sjögren's disease) accessed on 20 September 2022. Out of 248 retrieved studies, following the systematic review methodology and defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 9 clinical studies were eligible to be included in the present review: 4 of them case-control, 4 cross-sectional, and 1 cohort study.
Nine studies totaling 670 SD patients and 857 healthy controls were eligible for meta-analysis with moderate to high methodological quality as determined by the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Scale (NOS). According to the obtained results, a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was observed in SD patients when compared to healthy controls (95% CI -10.43, -2.39;
< 0.01).
Available evidence points to lower levels of vitamin D in patients with SD in comparison to healthy controls. However, further studies are necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms associated with the role of vitamin D in the development and disease severity of SD.
Obesity is a rapidly growing problem in European countries, Croatia being among them. According to the latest CroCOSI data, every third child in Croatia aged 8.0-8.9 years is overweight or obese. The ...Mediterranean diet (MeDi) and its impact on nutritional status and health has been the focus of recent research. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional, observational study was to determine the nutritional status and adherence to the MeDi of preschool children in Split, Croatia. We included 598 preschool children aged 3 to 7 years and, for each child, parents completed a lifestyle questionnaire and the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) in order to assess adherence to the MeDi. The anthropometric assessment included the measurement of weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), waist circumference (WC) and the z-score was calculated. According to the z-score, 420 (70.2%) children had a healthy body weight with 54 (9%) underweight and 124 (20.8%) overweight or obese children. Almost half (49%) of the study participants had a low KIDMED index score, indicating a low MeDi adherence, 37% had an average score, while only 14% had high MeDi compliance. Statistically significant negative correlations between MUAC and WC and the consumption of a second daily serving of fruit (
= 0.04) as well as a daily serving of vegetables (
= 0.03) were found. In conclusion, low compliance to the MeDi principles in preschool children is concerning. Considering the beneficial effects of the MeDi on overall health, further education, and the adoption of healthy eating habits in preschool children in this Mediterranean region are required.
The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize current evidence regarding body composition (BC) in SSc in order to gain new insights and improve clinical care in the context of ...the nutritional status of SSc patients.
The databases Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library were searched on 4 January 2023. Studies were included if they provided data regarding BC obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in patients with SSc and healthy controls (HC). The study design criteria for inclusion were cohort and observational studies. The risk of bias assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. For meta-analysis, mean difference with a 95% confidence interval was obtained and all results were depicted as forest plots.
The number of retrieved publications was 593, of which nine were included in a random-effects meta-analysis totalling 489 SSc patients and 404 HC. Overall, significantly lower body mass index, lean mass (LM), fat mass (FM) and phase angle values were found in SSc patients when compared with HC. Furthermore, FM and LM were significantly lower in SSc patients when the DXA method was applied, whereas the same parameters were comparable between two groups of participants when BIA was applied.
Altered BC is characteristic of SSc patients indicating the need for regular nutritional status assessment in order to improve the quality of life and clinical care of patients with SSc.
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