Vol 14, No 2 Special (2010)

Background: Breast-feeding is a very natural and normal way designed by God. Breastfeeding is feeding child human breast milk which is preferred for all infants. Although lactation is an automatic physiological process, breastfeeding is a learned behavior that is most successful in supportive environment. This study aimed to assess knowledge of mothers concerning infant and young child breastfeeding, and to use the results as baseline for nutritional intervention programs in the future.

Subjects and Methods: A study carried out by interviewing mother at Primary Health Centers   to assess mothers breastfeeding knowledge regarding breastfeeding initiation, colostrums use ,exclusivity, duration and extraction of breastmilk, and find the relationship between mothers knowledge and   educational levels, family type.

Results: (17.5 %) of mothers know that first breast feeding have to be initiated during the 1^st hour of child life. (40.4%) of mothers don’t know the importance of colostrums for newborn. (41.1%) of mothers don’t know that child needs 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. (46.8 %) of mothers don’t agree on breast milk extraction while (35.7%) of them don’t know that breast-milk can be expressed. There was   relation between mother knowledge age and education level.

Conclusion: mothers have weak knowledge regarding early breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding, so breastfeeding promotion, protection and support by health professions necessary for mothers in Erbil.

Background and objectives: Abdominal fat is associated with a greater risk of obesity-related morbidity than overall adiposity. Waist circumference has been shown to be the best simple measure of both intra-abdominal fat mass and total fat. The aim of this study was to measure the waist circumference of the medical college students as an indicator of the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to correlate it with the students’ ages and college grades.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried using sample of 500 students of Hawler Medical University in Erbil city during the period from 1^st of May through to 31^st of July 2008. The WHO stepwise approach had been followed for measuring the waist circumferences of the participants.

Results: Five hundred students were studied. The mean (± SD) age of the subjects was 21.39 ± 2.84 years ranging from 17 to 35 years. Regardless of gender, the prevalence of overweight was 16.1% and obesity was 5.1%. Prevalence of overweight (21.8%) and obesity (6.1%) among female students was higher than overweight (10.3%) and obesity (4.1%) among male students. Overweight (50%) and obesity (16.7%) were more common among female students in the age group of ≥ 26 than the other age groups and the other gender as well. There was significant correlation between prevalence of overweight and obesity with the students’ grades (P=0.027) and genders (P<0.001).

Conclusions: This study concluded that the prevalence of abdominal obesity is higher in female students than male students increasing with the age of the students. Healthy eating behaviors and adequate physical activity for prevention of obesity among college students had been recommended.

Background:

During delivery both mother and baby particularly vulnerable to infection, care must be taken to observe aseptic technique when preparing sterile equipment. So standard precautions are necessary to reduce the risk of blood borne and other pathogens.

Aim of this study is to assess health care providers' practices concerning infection control in the selected delivery rooms.

Subjects and Methods:

A descriptive study was conducted in three delivery rooms, which were located in Maternity Teaching Hospital in Hawler, Suleimania, and Maternity Department /Azadi Teaching Hospital in Duhok during the period 1^st of December / 2007 to 1^st of November / 2008. A convenience sample of 103 Health Care Providers was included in the study; Data were collected by using questionnaire interview forms and observational checklists.

Results:

Health Care Providers practices in Duhok Azadi Hospital Maternity Unit were better than those of other two cities: concerning hand washing and clothing.

Conclusion:

There was inconsistency in Health Care Providers practices regarding infection control in the selected delivery rooms. Therefore, these practices have to be improved.

Background and Objectives:  Families of those children were the primary caregivers who are suffering from the burden of care and who encountered many other problems that arise may from illiteracy or limited knowledge. aim of study is to assess caregiver’s knowledge and practice regarding the disease and to find out the association between knowledge and practices.

Subject & Methods: Descriptive study was conducted on 60 caregivers of the children with the disease from Sulaimani Governorate who were attending the center of diabetes for treatment and routine check up. Data were obtained through interviewing the caregivers via structured questionnaire developed the study.

Results : Caregivers were emphasizing on nutritional intake and necessity of insulin administration, and unable to recognize the importance of breast feeding. Caregivers read and write, majority were housewife, and almost urban resident. Patients were aged 6-10 yrs, gender were prevailed female. Negative family history was shown among patients, and two third were breast fed at the first six months of life.

Conclusions: For total knowledge of caregivers, the study showed good topics of knowledge, and high satisfactory practicing. Age of the sample shows no significant associations with knowledge regarding etiology and sign and symptoms, while significant association found between treatment, control measure and practices. Significant association found between educational level of caregivers and their knowledge regarding treatment, etiology, control measure and their practices. No significant association found between marital status of caregivers and practice. Families and patients need ongoing education and support, providing nutritional therapy, telephone contacts in some situations that needs, providing scientific booklet, publications about type I diabetes. Wear identification (ID) that identifies him or her as having diabetes.