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Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients often experience accelerated bone turnover, leading to osteoporosis and osteopenia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis in Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) patients using bone mineral density (BMD) measurements obtained through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan and to explore any possible associations with clinical and biochemical factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 76 peritoneal dialysis patients from the dialysis center at An-Najah National University Hospital in Nablus, Palestine. We used the DEXA scan to measure BMD at the lumbar spine and hip, with values expressed as T-scores. We conducted a multivariate analysis to explore the relationship between BMD and clinical and biochemical parameters. Results: Over half (52.6%) of the PD patients had osteoporosis, with a higher prevalence observed among patients with lower BMI (p<0.001). Higher alkaline phosphatase levels were found among osteoporotic patients compared to non-osteoporotic patients (p = 0.045). Vitamin D deficiency was also prevalent in this population, affecting 86.6% of patients. No significant correlation was found between 25 vitamin D levels and BMD. No significant correlation was found between Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and BMD. Conclusion: A notable proportion of PD patients experience reduced BMD. Our study found no correlation between vitamin D levels and BMD, but it highlighted the significant vitamin D deficiency in this population. Furthermore, our analysis indicated a positive correlation between BMI and BMD, especially in the femoral neck area. This underscores the significance of addressing bone health in PD patients to mitigate the risk of fractures and improve their overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms among adolescent students in the West Bank region of Palestine, with a particular focus on the impact of electronic device usage on their mental well-being. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a representative sample of 1,140 adolescents enrolled in governmental secondary schools. We targeted schools located in Nablus, Ramallah, and Hebron districts, which, respectively, represent the northern, central, and southern regions of the West Bank. We collected data on their sociodemographic characteristics, patterns of electronic device usage, scores from the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, all gathered through a self-administered online questionnaire. To explore the independent relationship between anxiety, depression, and various factors, we calculated odds ratios and their corresponding 95% CI using a binary logistic regression model. Results: The study revealed a prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety at 35.4% [95% CI: 32.7–38.3%] and moderate to severe depression at 23.9% [95% CI: 21.4–26.4%]. Notably, anxiety scores were significantly higher among females [OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.5–5.9], individuals with lower academic performance [OR = 3.4, 95% CI: 2.1–5.4], and smokers [OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1-3.0]. Similarly, significantly elevated depressive scores were observed among females [OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.3–3.1], those with lower academic performance [OR = 3.4, 95% CI: 2.1–5.4], and smokers [OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3–2.8]. Conversely, students who used electronic devices for shorter durations were less likely to experience depression [OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.32–0.76] or anxiety [OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.32–0.69]. Conclusion: Considering the alarming rates of anxiety and depression in adolescents, along with their connection to the time spent using electronic devices, we strongly recommend the creation of initiatives and support networks to alleviate this issue's impact. Encouraging healthier lifestyles, such as reducing screen time and increasing physical activity, could potentially enhance the mental well-being of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is the ultimate result of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In Palestine, the prevalence of ESRD was 240.3 PMP which is comparable with the nearby countries. Accelerated bone loss among ESRD patients is attributed to abnormal bone turn over that leads to osteoporosis and osteopenia. The risk of fractures is increased four-fold in men and women on hemodialysis, which explains the importance of assessing the bone mineral density among these population. The goals of this study were to find the prevalence of osteoporosis in ESRD patients as determined by bone mineral density (BMD) at different sites and to determine whether BMD correlates with many other clinical parameters. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 194 ESRD patients were recruited from the dialysis unit in An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, Palestine. The patients were on regular hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. BMD was measured at the lumbar spine and the hip using the dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and the value is expressed as T-score. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 26. The relationship between BMD and the clinical and biochemical parameters among the ESRD patients was assessed. Results: We found that 42.8% of ESRD patient had osteoporosis and 40.2% had osteopenia. There were significantly higher proportions of osteoporosis and osteopenia among patients >60 years of age (p<0.005). Patients with osteoporosis and osteopenia had significantly higher serum levels of PTH (792.9 and 469.7) (p<0.05). BMD decreases as the duration of dialysis (39.0 months Vs. 56.8 months), (p<0.05). We found no significant difference between patients on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Conclusion: This study showed that Palestinian patients with ESRD have low BMD at the hip and spine. The observed high serum level of PTH was associated with low BMD. Those patients should be closely monitored especially those with more than one risk factor. Moreover, more attention should be paid for these category of patients to decrease the incidence of falling down and the resulting fractures that might lead to mortality and morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]