Nutrition
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Overnutrition, a leading cause of global mortality, has seen a significant rise in low- and middle-income countries, including sub-Saharan Africa. Despite emerging evidence linking overnutrition to non-communicable diseases, limited action has been taken to address this issue. While undernutrition studies have received more attention, research on overnutrition and women's health remains scarce in sub-Saharan Africa. Our study aims to assess the prevalence and associated factors of overnutrition among reproductive women in this region METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of 2019-2023 Demographic and Health Survey datasets in sub-Saharan Africa. Our study included a weighted sample of 65,161 women aged 15-49 y. Using a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model, we identified factors associated with overnutrition. The adjusted odds ratio, along with a 95% confidence interval and a significance level of p < 0.05, determined the statistical significance of the explanatory variables. ⋯ The prevalence of overnutrition among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa is relatively high. Key factors associated with this issue include women's educational status, age, media utilization, household wealth, place of residence, community poverty level, and national income status. These multilevel determinants highlight the need for a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to address overnutrition in this population. Effective strategies should target individual behaviors while considering broader social, economic, and environmental contexts. Integrating overnutrition prevention into maternal and reproductive health services, as well as strengthening social protection measures, are recommended steps to tackle this growing challenge in sub-Saharan Africa.
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This study aimed to explore the effect of longitudinal body composition changes on mortality risk in patients undergoing hemodialysis and identify whether changes in body composition can more accurately predict mortality than baseline status. ⋯ LTI loss and FTI gain, particularly their combination, are important predictors of survival in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Our results emphasize that longitudinal changes in LTI and FTI are more strongly associated with all-cause mortality than single-point values. Therefore, it is important to dynamically assess the muscle and fat tissues and develop potential targeted treatment strategies for this population.
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Our study aimed to 1) investigate the differences of muscle parameters in relation to each SARC-F component/question; and 2) explore the relationship between SARC-F score with these muscle parameters using various landmarks derived from computed tomography (CT) scans of patients with cancer. ⋯ Our findings suggest that individuals with poor muscle composition may experience a higher risk of sarcopenia/poor muscle functionality.
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Adipose tissue radiodensity and metabolic activity may influence COVID-19 outcomes. This study evaluated the association between adipose tissue characteristics and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. ⋯ Elevated SATR at COVID-19 diagnosis predicts disease severity and worse outcomes. SATR is a potential prognostic biomarker for acute and chronic inflammatory conditions.
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This study aims to establish cut-off points for lipid accumulation product and tri-ponderal mass index to identify insulin resistance (IR) in Brazilian postpubertal adolescents. ⋯ This study establishes cut-off points for adiposity indices, demonstrating their effectiveness in screening for IR in postpubertal Brazilian adolescents.