Jamel Damak

The Reliability and Concurrent Validity of a Modified Version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (IPAQ-A) in Tunisian Overweight and Obese Youths

Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess the reliability and validity of an Arabic version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (IPAQ-A) modified for use in Tunisia among overweight and obese adolescents. Subjects and Methods: Fifty-one voluntary healthy, overweight or obese adolescents (15-18 years old) participated in the study. Physical activity (PA) indicators derived from the modified self-administered IPAQ-A were compared with pedometer-recorded data of step counts. The test-retest reliability of the IPAQ-A was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Kappa tests between the response of participants in the two interviews. Validity was assessed using Spearmans rank correlation coefficient between the scores of the IPAQ-A and the step count pedometer. Results: ICC revealed that the reliability of IPAQ-A values was high and ranged from 0.73 to 0.95. IPAQ-A scores were also significantly related to pedometer step counts (r = 0.66, p < 0.001). Strong relationships were observed between pedometer step count data and the IPAQ-A data for vigorous PA (r = 0.57, p < 0.001) and walking (r = 0.61, p < 0.001). However, a weaker relationship for moderate PA was observed (r = 0.24, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The modified version of the IPAQ-A questionnaire demonstrated an acceptable reliability and validity when used to assess the levels and patterns of PA in overweight or obese Tunisian adolescents.

Pediatric respiratory tract diseases: Chronological trends and perspectives

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological profile of childhood respiratory tract diseases (RTD) in the region of Sfax, Tunisia, and to evaluate their trends over a 13 year period.

Factors Affecting the Management of Somatic Comorbidity in Tunisian Patients with Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is often accompanied by somatic comorbidities, which make the management challenge of such patients more difficult. In this study, we proposed to identify the sociodemographic and clinical factors correlating with somatic comorbidities in patients with schizophrenia to facilitate screening and prevention. It was a retrospective descriptive study of 78 schizophrenia patients in clinical remission and followed in outpatient psychiatry. In addition to the acquired records, other data were provided by the clinical and biological examinations performed for each patient. The evaluation of the therapeutic adherence was carried out using the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI).Seventy-six patients (97.4%) had somatic comorbidities with a mean of 3.83 (± 1.81). This number increased significantly in males, older patients, couples, urban patients, and those receiving a combination therapy. According to a multivariate study, the four predictors of an increased risk of comorbidities were age, use of psychoactive substances, waist size and therapeutic adherence.Our findings focus on somatic comorbidities risk in schizophrenia patients, requiring particular vigilance in their follow-up, and suggest some modifiable clinical factors that might be a preferred target for reducing or preventing the occurrence of such disorders.

Safety and Disease Evolution of Fixed-Dose Combination of Antitubercular Treatment Compared to Separate-Drugs Preparation in Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Purpose of ReviewExtra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) treatment was previously based on separate-drugs preparation (SDP). In the hope of reducing the rates of treatment default and resistance, the WHO have recommended the use of fixed-dose combination (FDC) for first-line in EPTB. We aimed to compare the tolerance and the disease evolution between FDC and SDP regimens in EPTB patients.Recent FindingsWe conducted a retrospective study including 388 cases of EPTB hospitalized between 1996 and 2016. We compared anti-tuberculosis treatment outcomes and the disease evolution between patients receiving FDC and those receiving SDP. The main EPTB site was lymph node (39.2%). There were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of musculoskeletal, hematological disorders, cutaneous events, and hepatotoxicity. We noted that neurological disorder (OR = 12; p < 0.001), notably paresthesia (OR = 16; p < 0.001), and retrobulbar neuritis (OR = 10; p = 0.006), as well as gastro-intestinal intolerance (OR = 4; p = 0.015) including nausea (OR = 8.9; p = 0.011) and vomiting (OR = 1.1; p = 0.005) were significantly more frequent in the SDP group. The disease evolution comparison showed that complicated forms were statistically more frequent in the SDP group than those in the FDC group (OR = 2.4; p = 0.003), while there was no significant difference in relapse, sequelae, and death frequencies between the two groups.SummarySDP tolerance was characterized by higher frequency of paresthesia, retrobulbar neuritis, nausea, and vomiting than FDC. Evolutionary profiles were similar, except a higher risk of complicated forms in SDP.