Associations of adolescent obesity with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and polycystic ovaries in Arabs and Jews in Israel-a nationwide study.

Previous studies on the association of adolescent obesity with comorbid diseases in Israel were conducted predominantly in the Israeli Jewish population. To compare associations of adolescent obesity with Hypertension (HTN), Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (DM2), and Polycystic ovaries (PCO), singly or in combination, between Arabs and Jews in Israel. A cross-sectional study of 313,936 Arab adolescents aged 14-19 years between the years 2007-2022, and 289,616 adolescents in a matched Jewish comparison group. The crude prevalence of comorbidities increased consistently from the 'underweight' to the 'class 3 obesity' category (from 0.24 to 6.41%, from 0.32 to 4.59%, and from 0.49 to 5.35% for HTN, DM2 and PCO, respectively). Compared to the reference 'normal weight' category, an incremental increase of aOR was observed by increasing weight category. The aORs for the 'class 3 obesity' category (95% CIs) were 26.00 (21.62-31.10), 10.82 (8.83-13.14), and 6.06 (95% CI 4.57-7.87) for HTN, DM2, and PCO, respectively. In the Jewish comparison group, lower aORs for HTN and DM2 were observed in the 'class 3 obesity' category. The increase in aORs with the increase in weight categories was more striking in cases of multiple comorbidities. The finding of a strong association of obesity severity with major cardiometabolic consequences in adolescence, as well as the unique ethnic features of these associations, can help focus national health initiatives on vulnerable adolescent groups.

Treister-Goltzman Y ，Nemet D ，Menashe I 《Frontiers in Public Health》

Association of adolescent obesity with Anxiety, Depression and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder in the Arab population in Israel - a nationwide study.

The health ramifications of adolescent obesity are understudied in the Israeli Arab population, and the impact of ethnicity on the association of obesity with mental health problems is unclear. To examine the association of weight categories with Anxiety, Depression and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among Arab adolescents in Israel and to compare this association to a Jewish comparison group. A cross-sectional nationwide study of 313,936 Arab adolescents aged 14-19 years between the years 2007-2022, and 289,616 Jewish adolescents in a comparison group. The aORs for Anxiety, Depression and ADHD in Arab adolescents increased from a reference 'normal weight' category to 'class 3 obesity', reaching aORs (95 % CI) of 1.31 (1.16-1.47), 1.64 (1.31-2.02) and 1.51 (1.40-1.63) in 'class 2 obesity', and 1.51 (1.20-1.87), 2.81(2.00-3.84) and 1.69 (1.45-1.96) in 'class 3 obesity', respectively. The dose-dependent association between weight categories and psychiatric comorbidity was confirmed in sensitivity analyses with comorbidity with the purchase of medications serving as the dependent variable. The Jewish comparison group demonstrated a comparable increment in aORs with increase in weight category. The association between excessive weight categories and psychiatric comorbidities was stronger in Arab females, than in males. Relying on the recorded weight and height measurements and the diagnoses of psychiatric comorbidity could lead to bias. The study findings emphasize the need to relate to the mental health of adolescents with excessive weight, which can improve their overall quality of life and the success of adolescent weight loss intervention programs.

Treister-Goltzman Y ，Menashe I ，Nemet D 《-》

Celiac in the twenty-first century-the change in BMI of children at diagnosis over the last two decades.

This study examined the prevalence of different BMI categories among newly diagnosed pediatric celiac disease (CD) patients in Israel from 2002 to 2018. A retrospective cross-sectional study using the database of Clalit Health Services in Israel included 5520 newly diagnosed CD children aged 2-18 between 2002 and 2018. Data on BMI, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) were collected and analyzed Of the 5520 CD patients, 57.5% were female, 39.7% had low SES, and 77.1% were Jewish. At diagnosis, 13.1% were underweight, 73% had normal BMI, 9.1% overweight, and 4.8% were obese. Underweight and obese patients tended to be older at diagnosis (9 years) compared with normal and overweight patients (8 years) (P < 0.001). A higher proportion of Arab patients were underweight, while more Jewish patients were obese. Lower SES was significantly associated with increased underweight risk (P < 0.001). Over time, diagnosed patients had improved SES and were less underweight (P < 0.001). Male gender increased obesity risk (OR 1.36 [95% CI 1.06-1.74], P = 0.017), while Arab ethnicity was protective for obesity (OR 0.67 [95% CI, (0.45-0.99)], P = 0.047)Conclusion: Underweight prevalence significantly decreased in the second decade, but no significant change in overweight and obesity was noted. Underweight was associated with older age at diagnosis, poverty, and Arab ethnicity. Obesity was associated with older age and was more frequent in Jewish and male patients. Physicians should have a low threshold for CD screening regardless of BMI status to enable timely diagnosis and treatment to prevent long-term health consequences. What Is Known: • Celiac disease is traditionally associated with underweight due to malabsorption, but recent reports suggest an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in pediatric patients at diagnosis What Is New: • This study found that underweight prevalence decreased significantly over time, while overweight and obesity prevalence remained unchanged. Underweight was associated with older age, poverty, and Arab ethnicity, while obesity was more common in Jewish and male patients.

Kasem Ali Sliman R ，Stein N ，Elenberg Alter Y 《-》

Ethnic Disparities in Chronic Diseases: Comparison Between Arabs and Jews in Israel.

Abu-Freha N ，Alamour O ，Weissmann S ，Esbit S ，Cohen B ，Gordon M ，Abu-Freha O ，El-Saied S ，Afawi Z ... -  《ISRAEL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL》

Ethnic disparities in complete and partial molar pregnancy incidence: a retrospective analysis of arab and jewish women in single medical center.

Molar pregnancies, encompassing complete and partial moles, represent a rare and enigmatic gestational disorder with potential ethnic variations in incidence. This study aimed to investigate relations of ethnicity with risks of complete and partial molar pregnancies within an Israeli population while accounting for age differences. A retrospective study was conducted of data recorded during 2007-2021 in an academic medical center in Israel. The study population comprised 167 women diagnosed with complete or partial moles, for whom data were obtained through histological examination and P57 immunostaining. Maternal age and ethnicity were extracted from electronic medical records. Incidence rates were calculated per 10,000 live births, and a nested case-control study compared demographic characteristics and molar pregnancy incidences between Arab and Jewish women. Statistical analyses included age-adjusted comparisons, relative risk calculations and multivariate logistic regression. The overall risk of molar pregnancy was 22 per 10,000 live births (95% confidence interval [CI] 18-25). Among Arab women, the overall risk was 21 (95% CI 17-25), and for PM and CM: 14 (95% CI 11-17) and 7 (95% CI 5-10), respectively. Among Jewish women, the overall risk was 23 (95% CI 18-29), and for PM and CM: 12 (95% CI 8-17) and 11 (95% CI 7-16), respectively. Among Arab women compared to Jewish women, the proportion of all the partial moles was higher: (65.3% vs. 51.6%, p = 0.05). The incidence of partial mole was higher among Arab than Jewish women, aged 35-39 years (26 vs. 8 per 10,000, p = 0.041), and did not differ in other age groups. After adjusting for age, the relative risk of partial moles was lower among Jews than Arabs (0.7, 95% CI 0.4-1.0, p = 0.053). For Arab compared to Jewish women, the mean age at molar pregnancies was younger: 31.0 vs. 35.1 years. However, other factors did not differ significantly between Arab and Jewish women with molar pregnancies. In multivariate analysis, Jewish ethnicity was significantly associated with a higher risk of complete molar pregnancies (OR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.09-4.41, p = 0.028). This study highlights ethnic differences in molar pregnancy risk within the Israeli population. Jewish ethnicity was associated with a higher risk of complete molar pregnancies, while Arab women had a significantly higher risk of partial moles. These findings underscore the need to consider ethnicity when studying gestational disorders. Further research should seek to elucidate the underlying factors contributing to these differences.

Aiob A ，Gumin D ，Zilberfarb I ，Naskovica K ，Sgayer I ，Mikhail SM ，Sharon A ，Lowenstein L ... -  《BMC PUBLIC HEALTH》