Correlating food and nutritional patterns with cancers in the pediatric oncology population at two specialized hospitals in Tanzania.

Background: This study of nutritional patterns in relation to cancers among pediatric oncology population in Tanzania was motivated by the lack of up-to-date information about the nutritional practices, the controversy around the importance of nutritional support and the lack of consistent nutritional criteria among pediatric oncology populations.

Methods: A survey study in two cancer referral hospitals of children diagnosed with any cancers, aged between 1 and 17 years inclusive and being eligible for enteral feeding included 131 children. Their demographic, nutritional, feeding and cancer profiles were analyzed descriptively through mapping and other approaches as well as inferentially using multinomial regression models to understand different aspects of nutrition for children suffering from cancers.

Simple method for identification of women at risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in Arusha urban, Tanzania.

Background: Screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in Tanzania is challenged by limited resources. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a simple method for identification of women at risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in Arusha urban, Tanzania.

Methods: This study used data from a cross sectional study, that was conducted between March and December 2018 in Arusha District involving 468 pregnant women who were not known to have diabetes before pregnancy.

Insulin Resistance Among Pregnant Women in Urban Areas of Arusha Region, Tanzania.

To establish the prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) and its determinants among selected pregnant women in urban Arusha for taking preventive measures. A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and December 2018 at Ngarenaro and Kaloleni health facilities in Arusha District involving 230 randomly selected pregnant women who were not known to have diabetes before pregnancy. Blood glucose at fasting and 2 hr after consuming 75 grams of glucose dissolved in 300 mL of water was measured using Gluco-Plus™, serum insulin concentrations using ELISA machine (Synergy/HTX™; BioTek), and IR was calculated using the Homeostasis Model of Assessment formula.

Prevalence of hyperglycemia in pregnancy and influence of body fat on development of hyperglycemia in pregnancy among pregnant women in urban areas of Arusha region, Tanzania.

Background: Hyperglycemia in pregnancy is a medical condition resulting from either pre-existing diabetes or insulin resistance developed during pregnancy. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hyperglycemia in pregnancy and influence of body fat percentage and other determinants on developing hyperglycemia in pregnancy among women in Arusha District, Tanzania.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and December 2018 at selected health facilities in Arusha District involving 468 pregnant women who were not known to have diabetes before pregnancy.