Abstract:  Objectives: To identify underlying clusters of general and oral health behaviours and acertain possible factors influencing the existence of the behaviours.

Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 4,847 school adolescents aged 11 to 17 years. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire in Kiswahili inquiring about general and oral health related behaviours, socio-demographics and adolescents’ school relationship. Principal component analysis was employed to identify clusters of health behaviour. Frequency distribution for proportions, cross tabulations with chi-square and a two stage binary logistic regression were done.

Results: Principal component analysis identified four clusters from twelve health behaviours; hygiene practices, dietary behaviours, cigarette smoking & alcohol consumption and sedentary related behaviours. Girls, OR 0.8 (95% CI 0.7, 0.9); secondary school attendees, OR 0.5 (95% CI 0.4, 0.7) and adolescents with good school relationship OR 0.7 (95% CI 0.6, 0.8) were less likely to smoke or use alcohol. Urban residents were less likely OR 0.8, (95% CI 0.7, 0.9) to report acceptable dietary behaviours. Adolescents whose fathers had secondary education or higher, were in secondary schools and had good school relationship were most likely to have acceptable hygiene behaviours, OR 1.4 (95% CI 1.2, 1.6), 1.6 (95% CI 1.1, 2.2) and 1.4 (95% CI 1.3, 1.7), respectively.

Conclusion: Oral and general health behaviours of Tanzanian adolescents factored into four clusters with hygiene behaviours being most practiced and physical exercise the least. The clustered behaviours were influenced by socio-demographics and school environment.

Keywords:  Health behaviours, Clustering, Adolescents, School relationship, Sociodemographic factors.

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Abstract:  Background: Apgar score is an established index of neonatal well-being and development. Nutrition during pregnancy is an accepted risk factor for neonatal low Apgar score.

Objective: To investigate the association between dietary diversity score and low Apgar score.

Methods: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study. The study participants were 420 mothers who delivered and were attending the postnatal clinic at the Cape Coast Metropolitan Hospital. Mothers’ dietary information during pregnancy was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. In reference to the FAOs women’s Dietary Diversity Score (DDS), the subjects were categorized into low, medium or high DDS. The primary outcome was Apgar score. Apgar scores < 5 were classified as low.

Results: The mean age (± standard deviation, SD) of subjects was 26.7 ± 5.7 years with a range of 17 to 45 years. The prevalence of low Apgar score among the study population was 16.9%. Majority of the study participants had a low DDS in relation to low Apgar score whereas 7.5% had high DDS. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the odds of low Apgar score in the low DDS group was three times higher than those who had high DDS (Adjusted odds ratio, AOR= 3.10, 95% confidence interval, CI=1.23-4.48).

Conclusion: Dietary diversity score during pregnancy was associated with a low Apgar score in the study area. The results of this study reinforce the significance of adequate nutrition during pregnancy in the study area.

Keywords:  Dietary diversity score, Apgar score, Pregnancy, Cape Coast Metropolitan Hospital, Neonate.

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Abstract:  Aim: This study examined the impact of probiotics on children's colic in breast-fed infants.

Methods: This study was a randomized single-blind clinical trial. 100 infants were referred to pediatric gastroenterology clinic of Avicenna diagnosed by gastroenterologist of children who suffered from infantile colic and they were qualified after justifying parents and obtaining written consent. (IRCT registration number: IRCT2016082829573N1).

Results: Results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in terms of crying time (p = 0.000) and the arrival and departure of the group. (p = 0.000).

Conclusion: The outcomes indicated that using probiotics could reduce colic in infants and improve the quality of life in this group.

Keywords:  Probiotics, colic, infantile.

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Abstract:  Malnutrition is a major health problem in developing countries and it affects childhood growth. Data from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were used in this study to explore the rural-urban disparities of malnutrition in children aged 0-59 months. Findings revealed that the prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting were respectively as 39.6%, 35.7% and 16.7% for the rural children and 32.4%, 27.9% and 13.0% for the urban children. Both moderate and severe malnutrition were significantly higher in rural than urban community, and rural children ran about 1.3 times higher risk of becoming malnourished than their urban counterparts. The height and weight of children, mother’s BMI, parents’ education and family wealth index were found to be the significant factors associated with differentials at rural-urban malnutrition. Appropriate socioeconomic development, antenatal care in pregnancy and poverty reduction programs with a special emphasis on rural community would reduce the overall rural-urban inequality.

Keywords:  Rural-urban comparison, Bangladesh, severe and moderate malnutrition, stunting, underweight and wasting.