Nutrition
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Malnutrition among the elderly is an important health concern in Myanmar. The country is challenged by both an aging population and poor nutritional status. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition and elucidate its associated factors among the elderly in Loikaw, Myanmar. ⋯ One in five elderly study participants were malnourished and 50% were at risk for malnutrition. Malnutrition was associated with being ≥70 y of age, having a low educational level, chewing betel, having a history of heart disease, and having dental problems. These findings may alert policymakers to develop and implement effective interventions for improving nutritional status of the elderly population.
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Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have lower serum vitamin D and higher serotonin and interleukin (IL)-6 levels compared with healthy children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D on core symptoms and serum levels of serotonin and IL-6 in these children. ⋯ These findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation may improve ASD symptoms; however, more studies with longer duration are indispensable to confirm our results.
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Cancer cachexia (CC) is a multifactorial syndrome that is associated with worse outcomes. Several criteria for its diagnosis have been suggested, but notable disparities exist. This study compared different diagnostic criteria for CC in patients with incurable cancer who are in palliative care. ⋯ Our results demonstrate the disparities in existing CC diagnostic criteria and their inability to discriminate intermediate stages. Vigano et al.'s criteria is/was the most effective in predicting the prognosis. The development of new diagnostic criteria to improve CC classification requires future exploration.
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The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of underweight, stunting, and overweight among adolescents in rural West Bengal, India, and identify factors contributing to these forms of malnutrition. ⋯ The present results suggested that adolescents in Birbhum, India are substantially affected by the double burden of malnutrition. Nutritional interventions should incorporate efforts to reduce socioeconomic inequality.
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The aim of this study was to verify the accuracy of the SARC-F and the SARC-CalF as screening tools for sarcopenia in community-dwelling older women ≥60 y of age. ⋯ The present study findings suggested that SARC-CalF may be able to outperform SARC-F as a sarcopenia screening tool in women ≥60 y of age even under the new EWGSOP2 criteria, the main determinant of which is strength as observed in studies based on the previous definition.