Dhakam Mohammed Abbas's research while affiliated with Middle Technical University and other places

Objectives: To determine the knowledge, attitude and practices related to food hygiene among those working inrestaurants.Method: The descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from January 5 to April 30, 2019, within restaurantslocated in Hay, Kut, Numania, Badra, Azizia and Suwera cities in the Wasit Governorate of Iraq. Those included usingsimple random sampling technique were food handlers of either gender. Data was collected using a predesignedquestionnaire.Results: Of the 330 subjects from 55 restaurants, 320(96.9%) were males and 10(3%) females. The overall mean agewas 31.6±9.5 years (range: 15-55 years). Overall, 193(58.4%) subjects were married, 279(84.5%) had work experience<10 years, 90(27.2%) had professional training, 212(64.2%) had studied up to secondary level, and 113(34.2%) wereworking as waiters. Of the total, 127(38.48%) subjects correctly described food hygiene, and 197(59.69%)acknowledged the necessity of obligatory periodical check-ups. Hygiene practice scores were poor in 223(67.57%)cases.Conclusion: The food hygiene knowledge, attitude and practice of food handlers in restaurants of Wasit governoratewere found to be poor.Keywords: Restaurants, Health, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Hygiene, Surveys.

The current study was designed to screen and observe dysgraphia in primary schools in Wassit governorate in Iraq. In addition, to identify the presence of any family environment characteristics associated with dysgraphia, a cross-sectional study has been applied during the period from 1st November 2018 to the end of March 2019, which was conducted on 421 students from public and private primary schools which were randomly selected. The lifetime prevalence of students with dysgraphia was 27% in the present study. Most students (53.2%) were equal to or less than 10 years old. In the population sample, dysgraphia prevailed more in boys than girls. Illiteracy was higher for the students who have fathers with dysgraphia (39.3%) as compared to the students who have non- dysgraphia fathers (29.4%). The difference was more significant for the age, gender, and level of education of parents (p<0.05). It was concluded that dysgraphia among primary school students aged 7-12 years occurs at a lifetime prevalence of nearly one-third of them. In our study, it was affirmed that dysgraphia is a problem that most commonly affects males more than females. It is important to note that the difference between the two groups was statistically significant in regard to age, gender, and level of education of parents.

The objective of the current study is to highlight the effects of acesulfame k and aspartame as sweetener materials in food products on a variety of rat parameters. In this study determined insulin hormone,T3, T4, and testosterone hormone levels, glucose, urea, creatinine, and the lipid profile and the uric acid concentration in blood serum was determined. The results revealed that there was no significant change in insulin level, testosterone hormone, T3 hormones and T4 hormones in the group of acesulfame k, but a significant increase in the aspartame group when compared to the placebo group. In comparison to control rats, urea and creatinine levels increased significantly in the acesulfame k group and also significantly in the aspartame group. The current study found a significant decrease in acesulfame k and aspartame group animals compared to control animals. There was no significant difference between the acesulfame k and aspartame groups. The experiment clearly demonstrated that acesulfame k has lower effects than aspartame and that it is necessary to avoid the use of artificial sweeteners due to the numerous obvious and dangerous effects on hormones, lipid profile, protein profile, and multiple physiological parameters of the body.

Background: Working conditions have a vital role to play in determining health and disability. So, the objective of this study was to assess the work conditions of small slaughterhouses in the Thi-Qar governorate in Iraq. Design and methods: This study is a cross-sectional field survey. A total of twenty-six (26) small slaughterhouses were included as a sample size from the Thi-Qar governorate. The data collection was done by observations of the authors using a questionnaire and specific questions were also directed to the slaughterhouse workers if needed. It was conducted between February and April 2018. The study was planned to demonstrate the current status of small slaughterhouses in terms of water supply facilities, quality of small slaughterhouses building, sanitation practices. Results: All of the small slaughterhouses had a water supply and all they had hot and cold water. Most of the small slaughterhouses had water tanks and put water pipes away from slaughter sites. The proportions ranged from 76.9 to 96.0 for the quality of small slaughterhouses building. With regard to fire safety measures, 96.2% of buildings are supplied with mobile fire extinguishing equipment according to safety and security requirements. Concerning rodent and insects’ control, sixteen (61.5%) of small slaughterhouses use insecticides and pesticides and only six (23.1%) of them use traps for rodents. Most of the small slaughterhouses’ windows (88.5%) were covered with a thin net to prevent the insects from entering. Conclusions: The finding of this study indicated that work conditions of small slaughterhouses were generally adequate in terms of water supply facilities, sanitation practices, ventilation, fire safety measures, and rodents and insects’ control.

Background: Working conditions have a vital role to play in determining health and disability. So, the objective of this study was to assess the work conditions of small slaughterhouses in the Thi-Qar governorate in Iraq. Design and methods: This study is a cross-sectional field survey. A total of twenty-six (26) small slaughterhouses were included as a sample size from the Thi-Qar governorate. The data collection was done by observations of the authors using a questionnaire and specific questions were also directed to the slaughterhouse workers if needed. It was conducted between February and April 2018. The study was planned to demonstrate the current status of small slaughterhouses in terms of water supply facilities, quality of small slaughterhouses building, sanitation practices. Results: All of the small slaughterhouses had a water supply and all they had hot and cold water. Most of the small slaughterhouses had water tanks and put water pipes away from slaughter sites. The proportions ranged from 76.9 to 96.0 for the quality of small slaughterhouses building. With regard to fire safety measures , 96.2% of buildings are supplied with mobile fire extinguishing equipment according to safety and security requirements. Concerning rodent and insects' control, sixteen (61.5%) of small slaughterhouses use insecticides and pesticides and only six (23.1%) of them use traps for rodents. Most of the small slaugh-terhouses' windows (88.5%) were covered with a thin net to prevent the insects from entering. Conclusions: The finding of this study indicated that work conditions of small slaughterhouses were generally adequate in terms of water supply facilities, sanitation practices, ventilation, fire safety measures, and rodents and insects' control.