Lifestyle Interventions for Prevention and Management of Diet-Linked Non-Communicable Diseases among Adults in Arab Countries

Self-Care Behaviors of Patients With Heart Failure in Thailand: A qualitative descriptive study

INTRODUCTION

This study explored people's experiences of living with heart failure and their understanding of self-management and difficulties faced when making lifestyle changes in the context of high-salt food preferences and a subtropical climate.

METHODS

This qualitative descriptive study was conducted with 20 Thai individuals with heart failure. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis.

RESULTS

Two overarching themes were: (a) adapting long-established dietary and lifestyle behaviors is challenging in the context of limited knowledge of heart failure, cultural food preparation practices and a subtropical climate and (b) personal values, attitudes, and preferences have primacy over dietary and fluid restrictions.

DISCUSSION

In Thailand, strong cultural preferences for high salt, preprepared street foods contribute to repeated admissions for decompensated heart failure. Community-based models of care are urgently needed that support effective chronic heart failure management, with solutions that consider local needs, climate and cultural factors.

Public Awareness and Knowledge Gaps in Osteoarthritis Prevention in the UAE: A Cross-Sectional Study on Risk Factors and Lifestyle Influences

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disorder affecting people globally, including in the UAE, where urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, and dietary habits have increased its occurrence. This study examines public awareness of OA and preventive measures in the UAE, aiming to identify knowledge gaps and emphasize the need for educational interventions to promote healthier choices and OA prevention. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with a self-administered online questionnaire distributed widely across internet platforms. The survey collected demographic information, factors influencing OA prevention knowledge, and participants' awareness of OA prevention and associated risk factors. A total of 394 UAE residents participated. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 29 (Released 2023; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results Among the 394 participants, 45.4% were aged 18-29, with nearly equal gender representation (51.3% male, 48.7% female). Most held undergraduate degrees (57.6%), and most (57.4%) were Arab non-Emiratis. Regarding OA awareness, 44.2% had low knowledge levels, while 21.8% showed high awareness. Nearly all respondents (95.7%) identified OA as joint-related, and 73.6% recognized weight management as preventive, though only 67% knew OA could affect multiple joints. Common misconceptions included beliefs that OA equally affects genders (27.9%) and that it's caused by cold, damp weather (22.8%). Awareness of treatments like physiotherapy was moderate (66.8%), yet knowledge of advanced options like injections was low (38.8%). Significant correlations were found between OA awareness and factors like age, ethnicity, education, employment, and income. Conclusion Limited public awareness of OA and preventive measures exists in the UAE, underscoring the need for targeted public health education to address misconceptions and improve understanding.

A bibliometric analysis of inflammatory bowel disease research in the Arab world

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) continues to increase worldwide, including in the Arab world. This study investigates IBD research output in Arab countries from 2009 to 2023, alongside prevalence and incidence trends.

METHODS

We utilized bibliometric analysis with data from Clarivate Analytics, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and the World Bank. We compared the research output, citation impact, and funding across 22 Arab countries with global averages. Spearman's correlation examined relationships between IBD publications and prevalence, incidence rates, gross domestic product (GDP), and population size.

RESULTS

Between 2009 and 2023, Arab countries produced 1004 IBD-related publications (2.9% of global output), with Saudi Arabia (37.7%) and Egypt (27.5%) being the leading countries. The median IBD incidence rose from 2.42 to 3.06 per 100,000, with the prevalence increasing from 28.93 to 33.95 per 100,000 from 2009 to 2019. Arab IBD research had a citation impact of 14.49 compared to the global average of 23.98. Funded research constituted 18.7% of Arab publications, lower than the global rate of 32.4%. We found positive correlations between IBD publication counts and prevalence (r s = 0.753), incidence rates (r s = 0.734), and GDP (r s = 0.782), all with P < 0.001. Population size showed a nonsignificant correlation (r s = 0.371, P = 0.090) with IBD publication counts.

CONCLUSIONS

Arab nations contribute 2.9% of global IBD research, with lower citation impact and funding than the global average. Enhanced local support is crucial to improving research impact and addressing the rising prevalence of IBD in the Arab world.

Dietary Patterns and Fertility

Diet has a key role in the reproductive axis both in males and females. This review aims to analyze the impacts of different dietary patterns on fertility. It appears that the Mediterranean diet has a predominantly protective role against infertility, while the Western diet seems to be a risk factor for infertility. Moreover, we focus attention also on dietary patterns in different countries of the World (Middle Eastern diet, Asian diet). In particular, when analyzing single nutrients, a diet rich in saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, animal proteins, and carbohydrates with high glycemic index is highly associated with male and female infertility. Finally, we evaluate the effects of vegetarian, vegan, and ketogenic diets on fertility, which seem to be still unclear. We believe that comprehension of the molecular mechanisms involved in infertility will lead to more effective and targeted treatments for infertile couples.

Association between Diet and Adiposity in Adults: Influence of Sedentary Behavior Patterns

This study analyzed the influence of sedentary behavior (SB) on the association between dietary patterns and adiposity in community-dwelling adults. Eight hundred and forty-three adults (age: 56.5 ± 18.3 years) participated in this cross-sectional epidemiological study. Dietary patterns were evaluated using self-report questions regarding the weekly frequency of consumption of certain foods. Adiposity was determined using anthropometric measurements of weight, waist circumference, and height. SB was evaluated according to the time spent on screen devices. The usual physical activity level and socioeconomic status were considered confounding factors. Associations were determined using multivariate linear models with simultaneous adjustments for confounding variables. A statistical analysis indicated that fruit consumption was negatively related to the body mass index, regardless of the adjustment for SB domains. Red meat consumption was positively related to the body mass index, and fried food consumption was positively related to the waist-to-height ratio, regardless of the adjustment for SB domains. The consumption of fried food was positively associated with global and central adiposity after the adjustments for confounding factors and time spent on screen devices. We concluded that dietary habits are related to adiposity in adults. However, SB domains seem to influence the relationship between body adiposity and dietary habits, mainly regarding the consumption of fried foods.