Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with a life long duration and generally of gradual progression. Beside the upward trend in the prevalence rate, diabetes and its complications also have a significant economic impact on countries and their health systems. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its association with socioeconomic status (SES) in the urban population of Kandahar city. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2019 to May 2019 in the urban area of Kandahar province. A total of 1308 subjects, 837 (64%) women and 471 (36%) men, were included in the study. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, dietary intake and physical activity were collected in a standardized questionnaire. Diagnosis of diabetes was established according to the WHO criteria. Mean age (SD) was significantly higher in men than in women (50.3 (14.4) vs. 44.9 (11.4) years). The difference in BMI was not significant between men and women (28.1 vs. 28.7 kg/m2). Majority of the study population was aged 40-54 years (46.3%), married (86.7%), illiterate (87.4%), and obese (39%). 6.6% were tobacco smokers, higher in men (13.6%) than in women (2.6%). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity and central obesity was 15.2%, 25.5%, 39%, and 67.1%, respectively. In this study population, it could be suggested that socioeconomic factors are associated with T2DM and socioeconomic status is worth further investigation nationwide to properly understand the role of SES.

Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) is a typical prebiotic agent. A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study was performed to evaluate the prebiotic effect of daily intake of an isotonic solution containing FOS on body weight gain and the reduction of diarrhea in children in an urban slum in Bangladesh over six consecutive months. We enrolled a total of 150 children, aged 25-59 months. Sixty-four children in the FOS group received 50 mL of isotonic solution with 2 g of FOS added, and 69 children in the placebo group were given an identical solution with 1 g of glucose added, once a day. The measurement of body weight was carried out every other day; height and arm circumference were measured once a month; and the children‘s mothers were interviewed to obtain data about diarrhea, the consistency and constitution of stool, other symptoms, and antibiotic treatment. As a result, the body weight gain during the six-month period was 0.86±0.55 kg in the FOS group and 0.89±0.48 kg in the placebo group, while the increase in height and arm circumference were not significantly different between the two groups. The number of diarrhea episodes during the six-month period was not significantly different. A significant reduction in the duration of diarrhea days and of duration per episode was observed in the FOS group (p=0.039 and p=0.008, respectively). In conclusion, daily intake of FOS was associated neither with the children‘s growth nor with the number of diarrhea episodes, but a significant reduction in the duration of diarrhea days was observed. Further studies are needed to confirm the effects of FOS by changing the doses and eliminating the influence of antibiotics.