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Background: Although vitamin D deficiency has been studied in various populations, there are few data on its prevalence and associated factors among Moroccan women. Aim: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and investigate its association with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and serum concentrations of parathyroid hormone, calcium, and phosphorus in a sample of Moroccan adult women. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at Mohammed V Military Hospital of Instruction, Rabat. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical analyses were performed using standard procedures Results: A total of 714 women aged 18–65 years participated in this study. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 74.4%. Approximately 24% and 51% of women had severe and moderate vitamin D deficiency, respectively. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations were inversely correlated with BMI in vitamin D-deficient subjects (P = 0.036) and with parathyroid hormone 1–84 (PTH1-84) levels in the study sample (P = 0.010). PTH1-84 concentrations were greater among overweight/obese individuals compared to their non-overweight peers (P = 0.001) and tended to be higher among vitamin D-deficient women than vitamin D-sufficient women (P = 0.053). Conclusion: This study showed a very high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in this sample of Moroccan women. Lower serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with increased BMI in vitamin D-deficient women and with elevated PTH1-84 levels among the study sample. Although these findings come from a convenience sample of women that attended a nutrition clinic, they underscore the urgent need to develop public health interventions to improve women's vitamin D status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to age, gender, body weight, hormonal status as well as certain physiological and pathological states, other factors exert considerable effects on calcium (Ca) retention and therefore on its urinary excretion. Among these other factors, many dietary nutrients have all been discussed as factors affecting urinary Ca through different studies. Thus, our study aims to evaluate the impact of various nutritional factors on urinary Ca excretion among a sample of Moroccan children and adolescents aged from 6 to 18 years old. A total of 133 Moroccan children and adolescents aged between 6 and 18 years were involved in this study. Participants were required from public and private schools in Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region. For each participant, anthropometry data, food record and 24-h urine samples were collected. Urinary Ca was estimated using ICP-mass spectrometry. The urinary Ca average was 73.58±37.13 mg/day. Urinary Ca excretion had no significant association (p>0.05) with different studied nutrients (r=-0.082, r=0.118, r=-0.025, r=0.142, r=0.084, r=0.119 for Ca, proteins, vitamin D, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium intakes respectively).The current impact evaluation of various nutritional factors on urinary Ca excretion suggests that Ca requirement may be not influenced by nutrients intake but it is highly recommended for researchers to carry out more studies and define all factors that cause Ca deficiency in Moroccan children and adolescents.

Good nutrition plays an essential role in our health. It decreases the risk of developing certain chronic diseases and thus increases life expectancy. This study is the first of its kind in Morocco, its objective is to determine the nutrient composition of the most consumed Moroccan culinary recipes. Thus, thanks to the calculation of the nutriscore, we can know which culinary recipe is the “healthiest”. Some of the most consumed Moroccan traditional dishes were collected in which carbohydrates, fats, and proteins were analyzed using the procedures of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, then followed by a calculation of the food exchange lists per serving using the Wheeler method. Variations in macronutrients, micronutrients (minerals and trace elements) and trans-fatty acid content, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated were found among the Moroccan dishes. The highest protein (17.37g/100g) in Chicken, French Fries, and Cumin Tajine while the lowest (0.06g/100g) in Orange and Carrot Salad. The highest carbohydrates (42.68g / 100g) in Tuna Pizza while lowest (2.37g / 100g) in tomato with pepper. And the highest lipids (19.2g/ 100 g) in meat with onion Tajine and the lowest (0.6g/ 100g) in Harira. Meanwhile, the energy ranged between 35.7 and 352.4 Kcal/100 g in the dishes. For each dish and according to the size of each serving, the exchanges of carbohydrates (starch), fats, and proteins (lean meat, medium fat, and high-fat meat) were calculated. This study offers an opportunity - for health professionals, dietitians as well as consumers - to orchestrate with knowledge traditional dishes and ensuring leading dietary and medical nutritional therapy practices and patient self-control.

This study is part of the national programme for the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and was technically supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency. It aimed to determine the factors leading to the cessation of EBF among mothers living in areas benefiting from an important breastfeeding promotion actions in southern Benin. The practice of EBF was measured using “deuterium oxide dose to the mother” technique in 105 mothers during 6 month’s post-partum. Factors influencing the duration of this practice were investigated through an individual interview with the mothers and their relatives. The prevalence of EBF practice in lactating mothers was 58.7%, 29.1%, and 2.4% at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum respectively. The main factor favoring this practice at 1 and 3 months was sufficient breastmilk supply. Continuation up to 6 months was due to the support of the family and belief in its benefits. On the other hand, the principal factors that led to its interruption at 1 and 3 months were insufficient breastmilk production and the giving of herbal teas and water to the babies. After 6 months, the drastic drop of EBF was due to the lack of the support from fathers. Integrating these factors into EBF promotion actions might increase practice.

The outbreak of COVID-19 still represents a real risk for the increased death rate for the whole of human kind. In this context, the present research work aims at describing evolutionary data in a population of hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients based on selected epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical data at admission. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the data obtained from 108 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the VINCI clinic, Casablanca (Morocco) between August and September 2020. General characteristic, clinical, radiological and biological data as well as therapeutic management were assessed. The patients’ median age was 45-50 years old. Among our studied patients, 4.6% were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU), 16.7% were cured after more than 15 days, while 78.7% were cured within 15 days. Those transferred to the ICU unit were either smokers, obese, or over 65 years of age. The majority of patients with normal radiological and cardiac parameters were cured within

Background: Excessive sodium intake is linked to high blood pressure. Estimating sodium intake is difficult. The 24-h urine collection is currently the recommended method for estimating intake but cumbersome for large population studies. Predictive model to estimate sodium intake based on single spot urine were developed, but showed inconsistency when used in extern populations. This study aims to develop a specific model for estimating sodium excretion over 24 hours for the Moroccan population. Methods: 371 participants in the urinary validation sub-study of the STEP-wise survey-Morocco 2017-2018 provided a valid 24-hour urine collection and spot urine specimens. Participant were randomly assigned to the training (n=183) and the validation data set (n=188). Results: A prediction model for 24-hour sodium excretion was developed. Adjusted R2 was 0.258. In the validation data set, correlation was 0.431 [95%CI; 0.258-0.580], and the adjusted R2 was 0.190. The Bland-Altman plot showed a nonsignificant small mean bias of -18 mg (95%CI, -213 to 177) in predicting 24-h urinary sodium excretion at the group level. At the individual level, limits of agreement were wide. Conclusion: This new model developed from a single spot urine could be used to predict the average 24-h sodium excretion of Moroccan adults.

Introduction: Morocco launched a national salt reduction strategy in 2019. The commitment of bakeries is key in the success of this strategy. However, the evaluation of such a commitment is not yet done. This study aims to examine knowledge of bakers about the national strategy of salt reduction and evaluate their commitment in implementing the specific recommendation related to salt reduction in bread. Methods: a quantitative exploratory study targeted bakeries (N=432) from all the administrative regions of Morocco. Data was collected using a questionnaire composed of three sections: knowledge of bakers related to national strategy of salt, current contribution of bakers in implementing the national strategy and future commitment towards implementing the national strategy. Results: about 73% (n=317) bakers lack of knowledge about the recommendations on the progressive reduction of the salt content in bread. Radio and TV were the most used sources to obtain information by bakers (45.2% (n=52) and 35.6% (n=41) respectively). None of the bakers was informed about the process of gradual reduction of salt content in bread, and none of them was committed to it. A total of 60.32% (n=252) of bakeries do not respect the national recommendations of 10g of salt/Kg of flour while 89.6% (n=387) of bakers express their interest in getting committed to the process in the next 2 years. Conclusion: increasing the knowledge of bakers is highly recommended to guarantee their commitment toward contributing to the strategy of reducing salt in bread. Dissemination of messages via TV and radio could be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food literacy is capturing the attention worldwide and gaining traction in the Arab countries. Strengthening food and nutrition literacy among Arab teenagers are important promising empowering tools which can protect them from malnutrition. This study aims to assess the nutrition literacy status of adolescents with the food literacy of their parents in 10 Arab countries., Methods: This cross-sectional study involving a convenient sample of 5,401 adolescent-parent dyads (adolescents: mean age ± SD: 15.9 ± 3.0, females: 46.8%; parents: mean age ± SD: 45.0 ± 9.1, mothers: 67.8%) was launched between 29 April and 6 June 2022 in 10 Arab nations. The Adolescent Nutrition Literacy Scale (ANLS) and the Short Food Literacy Questionnaire (SFLQ) were used to meet the study aims., Results: More than one-quarter (28%) of adolescents had poor nutrition literacy, with 60% of their parents being food illiterate. The top three countries with nutritionally" less literate" adolescents were Qatar (44%), Lebanon (37.4%), and Saudi Arabia (34.9%). Adolescents' age, gender, education level, primary caregivers, employment status, and the inclusion of nutrition education in the schools' curriculum predicted the nutrition literacy levels of Arab adolescents. Besides, parental weight status, health status, parent's food literacy level, and the number of children per household were significant determinants too. Adolescents studying at a university and having parents with adequate food literacy had the highest odds of being nutritionally literate (OR = 4.5, CI = 1.8-11.5, p  = 0.001, OR = 1.8, CI = 1.6-2.1, p  < 0.001, respectively)., Conclusion: Nutrition literacy inadequacy among Arab adolescents is a prioritized challenge to be tackled., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Hoteit, Mansour, Mohsen, Bookari, Hammouh, Allehdan, AlKazemi, Al Sabbah, Benkirane, Kamel, Qasrawi, Tayyem and the regional food literacy group.)

Hepatic hematoma is a condition of unrecognized origin which can become extremely serious and whose diagnosis is often made during perinatal autopsy. It is often characterised by nonspecific clinical manifestations and a long delay before biological presentation.The diagnosis is essentially based on ultrasound and treatment is often conservative.We here report a case of a full-term newborn with asymptomatic hepatic haematoma due to obstetrical trauma.