Articles

The Potential Presence of Microplastics in Daily Food and Beverage Consumption May Lead to Alzheimer’s disease in The Thai Population

Environmental issues have become a global crisis. The amount of plastic used has relentlessly increased due to its advantages such as low cost production, lightweight, strength and durability. However, high usage of plastic contributes to microplastics, which are small particles that are difficult to detect and may be found in daily food and beverage consumption. Consequently, it is prone to accumulate in our body and affect our organs, including the brain. From recent studies, there are some possibilities that microplastics exposure can promote human brain damage, including Alzheimer’s. Due to microplastic concerns, this study aims to find out the relation between microplastics in daily food and beverage consumption and Alzheimer’s disease in the Thai population by collecting the responses (509 participants) through a questionnaire. The questionnaire uses Likert scales to evaluate the quantities of daily microplastics consumption, packaging, and Alzheimer assessment. As a result, the data revealed that microplastics consumption has a link to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. We show that microplastics consumption and plastic containers are positively correlated for the Thai population. Consequently, in the course of time, it can lead to other causes of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed when microplastics are accumulated in the human body. Moreover, it can raise social awareness through campaigns or policies on plastics used which have to be immediately reduced.

Parity and Eating Habits Trigger Chronic Energy Deficiency in Pregnant Women

Nutrition of pregnant women is related to the welfare of the fetus they contain. Chronic energy deficiency (CED) during pregnancy is a trigger for cases of hypertension in pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, bleeding and premature rupture of membranes. Therefore, nutritional adequacy is something that needs to be considered, both before, during and after pregnancy ends. This research is an observational study using a case control design. This study aims to explore the factors that cause chronic energy deficiency in pregnant women. The sample used was 120 respondents who were divided into case and control groups with a ratio of 1:2. The results showed that the proportion of CED incidence was 33.3%, low education was 97.5%, risk parity was 43.3%, family income was below the district minimum wage (DMW) 60%, LILA was less than 23.5 cm 33.3%. , BMI <18.5 22.5%, anemia 31.67%, and unhealthy food consumption habits 69.16%. There is a relationship between parity, family income, anemia, and unhealthy eating habits with the incidence of CED, and there is no relationship between education and the incidence of CED. It is necessary to use appropriate technology as much as possible, such as social media in providing assistance in overcoming CED and the existence of cross-sectoral cooperation in increasing the use of home gardens for families to fulfill family nutrition.