Journal of School of Public Health and

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  Background and Aim: There is some evidence that nutrition probably plays a role in the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). The present case-control study was conducted in the City of Tehran, Iran with the purpose of finding any possible relations between food groups and MS.

  Materials and Methods: In this case-control hospital-based study conducted in 2011 in the City of Tehran, data were collected on several variables including socio-economic status, life style, and food intakes of 70 MS patients and 140 controls matched for age and gender, through interviews and questionnaires. All the statistical tests were done using the SPSS software version 16. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR).

  Results: After adjusting for confounding variables, it was seen that subjects in the upper tertile of intakes of the fruit group, tomatoes, other vegetables, and liquid oils, were significantly less likely to be suffering from MS disease, the odds ratio being 68% (OR: 0.32 95% CI: 0.13-0.79), 82% (OR: 0.18 95% CI: 0.05-0.65), 61% (OR: 0.39 95% CI: 0.93-0.16), and 94% (OR: 0.06 95% CI: 0.08-0.58), respectively. On the other hand, subjects shown to be significantly less at risk of the disease were those in the upper tertile of the intakes of non-liquid oil [ 1.58 times (OR: 2.58 95% CI: 1.05-6.33) ] and soft drinks [1.87 times (OR: 2.87 95% CI: 1.17-7.02)] (p for trend < 0.05).

  Conclusion: The findings of this study support the probable role of nutrition in preventing multiple sclerosis.

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Background and Aim: MS is a chronic and destructive inflammatory disease with a not contradiction continuing of life but can influenced the quality of life of patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the quality of life in MS and its related factors. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 172 patients admitted to the MS Society of Iran (Tehran) and convenience samplings were obtained for 10 months. Tools for data collection were MSQOL-54 and MS patients were also interviewed. Data using descriptive and Analytical tests such as multiple regression were analyzed. Results: The mean age of patients was 34/8 ± 9/6 years. Analysis of 14 sub-domains of quality of life questionnaire showed that the highest average score in the domain of quality of life was social functioning (71/7 ± 21) and the least was role limitations due to physical problems (44/2 ± 39/4). Results of multivariate regression models shown that between age has an significant inverse relationship to domain of physical combined and only variable significant on the combined domain of psychological – psychiatric, Area residential Variable was (p.value 0/001). Conclusions: The study shows that demographic variables medical and economic factors influence the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis. Identify the factors related to the quality of life of these patients can be helpful in predicting quality of life. The variables influence on the quality of life for MS patients must be targeted in designing effective intervention programs to improve their quality of life.

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  Background and Aim: The role of nutritional quality of the diet in the development and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) is not yet well understood. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between index of nutritional quality (INQ) and MS.

  Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 70 patients with a definitive diagnosis of MS in the preceding year and 140 frequency-matched hospital controls were selected from among 20-50 year-old patients referred to Sina and Lolagar hospitals in Tehran. The subjects’ dietary intakes were assessed using a valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. INQs for all the nutrients were then calculated for every participant, and logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratios for having MS in relation to every nutrient’s INQ.

  Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, it was seen that subjects who had higher INQs for alpha-linolenic acid, vitamins A, D, K, B₁, B₂, B₅, B₆, folate, B₁₂, and C, and minerals calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium were less likely (p<0.05) to have MS as compared to subjects with lower INQs for these nutrients.

  Conclusion: The findings of the present study show inverse associations between the INQ of many nutrients and risk of having MS. Therefore, it seems that overall improvement of the nutritional quality of the diet might be an appropriate approach for prevention of this disease.