REKIA BELAHSEN | Chouaib Doukkali University (original) (raw)

Papers by REKIA BELAHSEN

Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 2014

Public Health Nutrition, Dec 1, 2006

Background and objectives: In recent decades, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs),... more Background and objectives: In recent decades, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders has increased worldwide; the objective here is to describe the situation in southern Mediterranean countries. Results: Data derived from surveys in the region countries showed that in 2002 more than 60% of all deaths in the southern Mediterranean region are attributed to NCDs. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) caused from about 34.3 to 52% of all deaths, making it the major killer among NCDs. In almost all of the southern Mediterranean countries, CVD risk factors increased with age, affected more women and urban area and were significantly associated with obesity. The Mediterranean dietary pattern, generally recognised, as a healthy diet is still the model for southern Mediterranean population; however, following the rapid process of urbanisation, southern Mediterranean populations have changed their lifestyle and food habits and tend to shift from traditional food habit. Indeed, intake trends illustrate the fall in whole-grain intake with a rise in animal sources and vegetable oils. Dietary energy has been steadily increasing by approximately 1000 kcal per capita per day between 1965 and 2000, exceeding per caput energy requirements. Protein and carbohydrate contribution to the energy intake show only small deviations and fat contribution to the energy intake is low, whereas fibre intake is generally low and that of SFA is high. Also, sedentarity appears to play a critical role in the development of body fat and may be a risk indicator for features of metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: The major goal to prevent CVD should begin by preventing obesity through physical exercise and healthy nutrition. The nutritional prevention policy required should encourage population to adhere to the Mediterranean model.

Journal of Hypertension, Jul 1, 2007

To examine the associated risk factors of hypertension and the relationship between blood pressur... more To examine the associated risk factors of hypertension and the relationship between blood pressure and three anthropometric measurements for obesity (body mass index, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio) in women of the Sahraoui ethnic group. Data were collected from a randomized sample (n = 239) of adult women aged 20 years and older, nonpregnant, who visited the public health centers during the immunization campaign of Laayoune city in South Morocco. Only individuals identified as of Sahraoui origin were eligible for this investigation. Body weight, height, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides and physical activity were measured. The results show that high blood pressure (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; 130/85 mmHg) was detected in 29.8%. All hypertensive women were at high risk of hyperglycemia (22.1% were hyperglycemic, among which 11.8% were diabetic), hypertriglyceridimia (27.8%), hypercholesterolemia (19.2%) and metabolic syndrome (44.1%). Bivariate correlation showed that age and obesity (body mass index, waist-hip ratio and waist circumference) were positively associated with blood pressure whereas education level and time spent in walking activity were negatively associated with blood pressure. Logistic regression analyses also show that education level and waist-hip ratio were independently associated with hypertension. These results indicate a high prevalence of hypertension among Sahraoui women, and that waist-hip ratio may be the best predictor for high blood pressure in the adult Moroccan Sahraoui ethnic group. A hypertension control program can detect nondiagnosed hypertensive individuals and thereby significantly reduce the cases of stroke, cardiac failure, renal failure and peripheral vascular disease.

In order to determine if an adequate nutrition would allow the Sardi ewe lambs to mate during the... more In order to determine if an adequate nutrition would allow the Sardi ewe lambs to mate during their first year of age, 32 ewe lambs (5-6 months of age) were divided into two groups of low (L) or high (H) nutrition plane. Each group received, in addition to a basal diet, 200 and 500 g head-1.day-1 respectively. Ewe lambs growth, onset of reproductive activity and postpuberty reproductive performances were recorded. During the trial, the H group showed a greater growth rate compared to the L group (74 vs 44 g per day). The H group attained normal cyclic ovarian activity earlier than the L group (322 vs 335 days) and a greater live weight (40 kg vs 35 kg). Furthermore, expression of first oestrus showed up 25 days sooner with ewe lambs 4 kg heavier in the H group as compared to the L group. While no ewe lambs in the L group lambed, following mating, 56% (9 out of 16) of the H group gave birth to a lamb at an average ranging from 16 to 17 months. The trial demonstrated that full reprodu...

The purpose of this article is to review the historical development of the healthy food model of ... more The purpose of this article is to review the historical development of the healthy food model of the Mediterranean Diet and related scientific knowledge from the early 1960s to the present time. The review presents the origins of the first pyramid of the traditional Mediterranean Diet in 1993 and how it has been revised to produce, in 2010, a new updated Mediterranean Diet pyramid. What emerges over the years is the evolution of the Mediter -ranean Diet from a range of specific foods to a comprehensive Mediterranean lifestyle in which food, health, culture, people, and sustainability all interact, even if its practice in the Mediterranean is diminishing. The food transition in Mediterranean countries and the emerging issues of overweight and obesity are also highlighted in the article. The present-day lifestyle is characterised by a wide availability of food and an ever-increasing rate of physical inactivity leading to a situation of apparent psycho-physical well-being, which, howev...

Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de santé de la Méditerranée orientale = al-Majallah al-ṣiḥḥīyah li-sharq al-mutawassiṭ, 2006

To study obesity in Moroccan Saharawi culture, 249 women were questioned about their desired body... more To study obesity in Moroccan Saharawi culture, 249 women were questioned about their desired body size and diet practices. The majority of women (90.4%) reported wanting to gain weight currently or at some time in the past. To gain weight, women used a fattening period (tablah) of at least 40 days of overeating with a reduction of physical activity and special traditional meals. Appetite enhancers (therapeutic drugs or fenugreek) and traditional suppositories were also used. Some women used corticosteroids to gain weight rapidly. The study highlights the need for health education about the dangers of obesity and steroid use in this culture.

Thérapie

The study was conducted on 216 dairy cows. Samples of feeds distributed to cows were collected mo... more The study was conducted on 216 dairy cows. Samples of feeds distributed to cows were collected monthly for the purpose of determining their content in dry matter, energy, crude proteins and mineral matter. Milk samples were collected weekly for every cow from newly calved cows until confirmation of pregnancy by rectal palpation at least 2 months after artificial insemination. These samples were used for progesterone assays in skimmed milk, in order to assess the interval between calving and return to ovarian activity [C-ROA], calving and first insemination [C-I1], calving and conception [C-C] and number of inseminations per conception (nI/C). Results have shown a significant negative correlation between the duration of [C-ROA] and [C-C] intervals and the dietary content in crude proteins (r = -0.720, p < 0.05 and r = -0.914, p < 0.01 respectively).

The American journal of physiology, 1993

The present studies evaluated the effect of prazosin, a selective alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist, ... more The present studies evaluated the effect of prazosin, a selective alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist, on some metabolic determinants of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins. Plasma triacylglycerols (TG), TG secretion rate, TG removal rate, plasma insulin, and glucose were evaluated postprandially in animals fed a high-sucrose meal. In the fasted state plasma TG, glucose, and insulin concentrations were minimally affected by prazosin. There was a significant postprandial elevation in plasma TG levels that was larger after ingestion of a meal containing corn oil than after intake of a fat-free meal. Prazosin totally blunted the postprandial elevation in plasma TG independently of the presence (P < 0.004) or absence of dietary fat (P < 0.01). In the postprandial phase after ingestion of a fat-free, high-sucrose meal, prazosin decreased the rate of secretion of TG into the circulation (-54%, P < 0.0003) and accelerated twofold the clearance of an injected fat emulsion (P < 0.02). Th...

The Journal of nutrition, 1993

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of prazosin, an alpha-1 adrenergic antagoni... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of prazosin, an alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist, on determinants of triacylglycerol metabolism in rats fed chronically diets high in starch or sucrose. Hepatic triacylglycerol secretion rate (HTGSR), lipoprotein lipase in white and brown adipose tissues, red vastus lateralis muscle and heart, as well as serum triacylglycerol concentration, were assessed in the post-prandial state, after injection of prazosin or saline. Post-prandial triacylglycerolemia was higher in the sucrose-fed than in the starch-fed rats. After the injection of prazosin, triacylglycerol concentrations were decreased in both dietary groups. This effect was more marked in sucrose-fed than in starch-fed rats (diet x blocker interaction: P < 0.0003). HTGSR was higher in rats fed sucrose than in starch-fed rats (+49%, P < 0.01). Prazosin decreased HTGSR (-45%) in the sucrose-fed rats but not in animals fed starch. Lipoprotein lipase activities in brown adipos...

Leptospirosis has been scarcely described in Morocco and is probably underestimated in the curren... more Leptospirosis has been scarcely described in Morocco and is probably underestimated in the current local medical practices. In October 2010, one patient, 22 years old, was admitted to Mohamed V hospital in El Jadida presenting clinical symptoms assimilable with leptospirosis and hospitalized for biological investigation of leptospirosis markers by serology techniques (Elisa-IgM test and the micro-agglutination reference test) and receiving adequate care and treatment. Seven serogroups of Leptospira have been identified: L. bataviae, L.canicola, L. cynopteri, L. hebdomadis, L.icterohaemorrhagiae, L. patoc (non pathogenic), L. pyrogenes, illustrating a probable wide range of animal reservoir hosts, with predominance of L. icterohaemorrhagiae and L. patoc.

Microbiology Journal, 2011

Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2010

The aim of this study is to examine the associated risk factors of hypertension and the relations... more The aim of this study is to examine the associated risk factors of hypertension and the relationship between blood pressure and obesity determined by different anthropometric measurements in a population of urban adult women of Morocco. The study was conducted in an agricultural community, El Jadida province of Morocco. Body weight, height, waist (WC) and hip circumferences, blood pressure, fasting capillary blood glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol were measured in a sample of 213 women volunteers (18-55 years old). Body mass index (BMI), and waist/hip ratio (WHR) were determined. High blood pressure was detected in 35.8% of women. All hypertensive women were at high risk of hyperglycemia (22.4% were hyperglycemic, among which 17.6% were diabetic), hypertriglyceridemia (10.7%), hypercholesterolemia (14.5%) and metabolic syndrome (18.4%). Only 6.6% of the women practice physical activity and 23.6% had no education level. Bivariate correlation showed a positive association between age and obesity. In the same way blood pressure was also positively associated with obesity, age, WC, WHR, fasting plasma glucose and triacylglycerols. The results show a high prevalence of obesity associated with increased prevalence of hypertension (HT). The study data reinforce the need to increase detection and treatment of hypertension and to approach patients' global risk profiles. It is also suggested that the simultaneous interpretation of anthropometric measurements could be used as screening tool for the identification of HT.

Asian Journal of Epidemiology, 2011

Current Research in Bacteriology, 2012

Bacteriology Journal, 2011

Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology, 2011

Leptospirosis, caused by the pathogenic leptospires, is one of the most widespread zoonotic disea... more Leptospirosis, caused by the pathogenic leptospires, is one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases known. Leptospirosis cases can occur either sporadically or in epidemics, Humans are susceptible to infection by a variety of serovars. These bacteria are antigenically diverse. Changes in the antigenic composition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are thought to account for this antigenic diversity. The presence of more than 200 recognized antigenic types (termed serovars) of pathogenic leptospires have complicated our understanding of this genus. Definitive diagnosis is suggested by isolation of the organism by culture or a positive result on the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Only specialized laboratories perform serologic tests; hence, the decision to treat should not be delayed while waiting for the test results.

Public Health Nutrition, 2006

Objective: The goal of the present work was to examine the prevalence and associated risk factors... more Objective: The goal of the present work was to examine the prevalence and associated risk factors of undiagnosed diabetes among urban Moroccan Sahraoui women. Design and setting: Randomised sample of adult women living in the city of Laayoune in south Morocco who visited public health centres during an immunisation campaign. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglycerides, dietary intake and physical activity were collected. Subjects: Data were obtained on 249 urban women aged 15 years and older, who were not pregnant. Only subjects identified as of Sahraoui origin were eligible for this investigation.

Public Health Nutrition, 2004

Objective: To determine the prevalence of obesity and body fat distribution of Moroccan women of ... more Objective: To determine the prevalence of obesity and body fat distribution of Moroccan women of childbearing age, using a panel of anthropometric measurements. Design and setting: A cross-sectional survey conducted in 1995 in an agricultural community, El Jadida province of Morocco. Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences and triceps, biceps, subscapular and supra-iliac skinfold thicknesses were measured. Body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio (WHR), sum of all and sum of trunk skinfold thicknesses were determined. Subjects: In total, 1269 women aged 15 -49 years from urban and rural areas were surveyed. Results: The means of all anthropometric measurements including body fat were higher in urban than in rural women and increased with age. Trunk fat contributed 50% of total fat. Globally, 4.7% of women were underweight (BMI , 18.5 kg m 22 ), 35.2% were overweight or obese (BMI $ 25 kg m 22 ), 10.1% were obese (BMI $ 30 kg m 22 ) and 16.8% had central obesity (WHR . 0.85). The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher in the urban than in the rural area. Underweight prevalence decreased with age, whereas that of overweight and obesity increased. All anthropometric parameters adjusted for age increased with the increase of BMI and WHR. Conclusions: Although undernutrition is still prevalent, there is an alarming prevalence of overweight and obesity in Moroccan women of childbearing age.