Journal of School of Public Health and

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To determine the prevalence of various intestinal parasitic infections, we examined 966randomly collected stool specimens from urban areas and 569 such samples from the ruralregions. These were examined using formalin-ether sedimentation and direct smearmethods. From the total of 1535 specimens, 143 that belonged to 1-6 years old childrenwere examined by scatch tape method.The results indicated that 53.2% of the subjects were infected with intestinal protozoa andhelminths with the following prevalence rates:Entamoeba histolytica 9.6%, E. coli 16%, E.hartmanni 7%, Endolimax nana 2.6%,Iodomoeba biitschlii 1.8%, Dientamoeba fragilis 1.5%, Chi/omastix mesnili 0.4%), Giardialamblia 18.8%, Blastocysts hominis 16.5%, Dicrocoelium dendriticum 0.1%, Taeniasaginata 0.2%, Hymenolopis nana 1.4%, Ascaris lambricodies 0.3%, Enterobiusvermincularis (using scatch tape method) 0.7%, E.vermicularis (using formalin - ethermethod) 28.7%,Trichostrongylusspp.0.1%,Strongyhidessiercorials 0.3% and Trichuristrichiura 0.1%.Rural people were significantly more likely to bear helminthic infections than urbanresidents (4.9% versus 2.1%).E.histofytica wasmore prevalent among men (11% versus 7.1%) and, interestingly,age-specific infection rates for giardiasis and amebiasis showed contrasting patterns in thisstudy

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Background and Aim: Weight status perception is an important factor in nutritional behavior. The aim of this study was to determine Islamshahr women's self-perception of their obesity status and perception of their husbands' opinions regarding women's obesity status, as compared with the actual central obesity status of the women.

Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study carried out in 2003 on a cluster sample of Islamshahr women aged 20-65 years (n = 704). Data were collected by interviews and weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences were measured. A waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) greater than 0.849 was considered as central obesity. Based on the body mass index [BMI=weight/height²(kg/m²)],  underweight,  normal, overweight, and obese were defined as a BMI <18.5,  18.5-24.9 ,  25-29.9, and  ≥30, respectively.

Results: About 35% of the women with central obesity considered themselves underweight or normal. Married women's perception of husbands' opinions regarding their  obesity status showed about 45% misclassification. Women with central obesity who thought their husbands would assess them as underweight or normal were more likely [OR=18.6, 95% CI: 9.1 to 38.2] to underestimate their obesity status as well.

Conclusion: Misperception of obesity status is common among Islamshahr women. Considering the role of central obesity in metabolic diseases, menstrual disorders and increasing serum androgens, conducting nutrition education programs is essential for prevention and control of central obesity in the region studied.