Purpose: Impaired intestinal mucosal integrity may affect the gastrointestinal function, especially in relation to nutrition, absorption, and barrier function. The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of impaired intestinal mucosal integrity in presumed healthy children aged 1–3 years and assess the effects of zinc, glutamine, fiber, and prebiotic supplementation in them. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 200 children aged 1–3 years in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Indonesia. A randomized double-blind parallel group method clinical trial was then performed to assess the effects of zinc, glutamine, fiber, and prebiotic supplementation. Results: Elevated calprotectin was found in 91/200 subjects (45.5%) at the onset of the study. After 10 months, 144 subjects completed the study: 72 subjects received the trial formula, whereas the other 72 received the standard formula. A transitory decrease in fecal calprotectin (FC) was observed after 6 months in the subgroup with normal FC levels, who were fed the test formula (p=0.012). Conclusion The prevalence of impaired intestinal mucosal integrity in this group of Indonesian children aged 1–3 years was high. Supplementation with zinc, glutamine, fiber, and prebiotics during 6 months reduced FC only in those who had low levels at baseline but not in those with impaired integrity.

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is one of the fastest-growing diseases and most serious major health problems worldwide. Few studies have focused on the association of social support with diabetes-related dietary behaviour. Objective: To examine the relationship between social support and dietary behaviour among patients with diabetes in a rural area of Indonesia. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that included 120 physically healthy patients above 18 years old with T2DM for at least 6 months. Data analysis was done using a stepwise regression model. Results: The mean age was 61.97 years (SD = 7.85, range = 52-74); 86.7% of the participants were females. Social support (β = 0.272, p = <0.001), diabetes medications (β = 0.169, p = 0.003), duration of diabetes (β = 0.118, p = 0.0047), and presence of diabetes complications (β = 0.197, p = 0.008) were significant predictors of dietary behaviour and accounted for 34.2% of the variance. Conclusions Social support, diabetes medications, presence of diabetes complications, and duration of diabetes were associated with improved dietary behaviour. Therefore, social support should be considered when designing dietary interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Shock ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Hydrocortisone

Introduction: Previous studies have reported that low birth weight (LBW) correlates with neonatal death and 15 - 20% of all births worldwide are LBW. This research aimed to analyse the factors related to LBW in Indonesia. Methods: The authors collated secondary data from the 2017 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS). The sample consisted of 17,443 respondents. Besides LBW as the dependent variable, the independent variables consisted of maternal age, residence, wealth, education, employment, marital status, health insurance, antenatal care (ANC) visits, smoking behaviour, and gender of the baby. The final stage employed binary logistic regression. Results: Women aged 35-39 years were 0.688 times less likely than women aged 15-19 years to give birth to LBW babies. The wealthiest women were 0.712 times less likely than the poorest women to give birth to LBW babies. Women with higher education levels were 0.670 times less likely to have a LBW baby than women with no education level. Women who attended ≥4 ANC visits were 0.829 times less likely to have LBW babies than women who attended <4 ANC visits. Baby girls were 1.161 times more likely than baby boys to be born with LBW. Conclusion: The study concluded that the factors related to LBW in Indonesia were maternal age, wealth, education, ANC, and gender of the baby.

Varicocele adversely affects semen parameters. However, the effect of varicocele repair on the sperm retrieval rate and testicular histopathological patterns in men with nonobstructive azoospermia has not been widely reported. We retrospectively assessed the sperm retrieval rates and testicular histopathological patterns in men with nonobstructive azoospermia who were referred to the Urology Clinic in Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (Jakarta, Indonesia) and Bunda General Hospital (Jakarta, Indonesia) between January 2009 and December 2019. We compared patients who had undergone a surgical sperm retrieval procedure for assisted reproductive technology no earlier than three months after varicocele repair and those who had not undergone varicocele repair. The study included 104 patients (age range: 26-54 years), 42 of whom had undergone varicocele repair before the sperm retrieval procedure and 62 who had not. Motile spermatozoa were found in 29 (69.1%) and 17 (27.4%) patients who had undergone varicocele repair before the sperm retrieval procedure and those who had not undergone the repair, respectively (relative risk: 2.51; 95% confidence interval: 1.60-3.96; P < 0.001). A predicted probabilities graph showed consistently higher sperm retrieval rates for patients with varicocele repair, regardless of their follicle-stimulating hormone levels. Patients who underwent varicocele repair showed higher testicular histopathological patterns (P = 0.001). In conclusion, men with nonobstructive azoospermia and clinical varicocele who underwent varicocele repair before the sperm retrieval procedure had higher sperm retrieval rates compared to those who did not undergo varicocele repair.
Adult ; Azoospermia ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Sperm Retrieval ; Testis ; Varicocele/surgery*