Anthropometric characteristics of hospitalised elderly women: a case-control study.

This study assessed the anthropometric status of 451 hospitalised female patients aged 70 or over, at their admission to hospital, in reference to 77 healthy women of the same age. The most frequent diseases were circulatory diseases (40.8%), mental disorders (29.

Determinants of glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes African patients monitored by physicians from 1991 to 2004 in Cote d'Ivoire.

The aim of this study was to propose determinants of glycaemic control which are useful to adequately manage the healthcare of type 2 diabetes patients attending an out-patient clinic. A retrospective, descriptive research design was implemented at the Centre AntiDiabétique d'Abidjan in 2399 African patients. Glycaemic control was calculated from the average of at least 12 fasting plasma glucose levels measured during at least three years.

Serum zinc and copper status in hospitalized vs. healthy elderly subjects.

Objective: To assess serum zinc and copper concentrations of elderly hospitalized patients with a broad range of diseases and compare their levels to those of healthy community dwelling controls of similar age.

Methods: This case-control study compared serum zinc and copper levels of 668 hospitalized subjects, aged 70 or over, with 104 healthy controls of the same age and from the same geographical area. The study protocol, conducted by one physician on the day after the admission to the hospital, included a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, a medical examination, and serum zinc and copper measured with flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

[Assessment of iodine content of dietary salt in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)].

Côte d'Ivoire is one of the countries engaged in the strategy of universal salt iodization set up to prevent and control iodine deficiency disorders. However, no systematic monitoring of iodine content of salt has been performed up to now. Therefore, a survey was conducted on a random sample of 400 households in the Marcory district of Abidjan in order to study consumers' behaviour regarding the purchase and storage of salt, and to determine the iodine content of dietary salt.