The Department of Nutrition Sciences at Qatar University's College of Health Sciences recently hosted the final thesis defense presentations for its MSc in Nutrition students. This event celebrated a significant academic achievement for the graduating class and highlighted essential research addressing public health and nutrition priorities on both national and international scales.
Read More
The thesis topics showcased a diverse array of research areas within the MSc in Nutrition program, focusing on chronic disease epidemiology, maternal and infant nutrition, and dietary assessment. The studies reflected a high standard of scientific rigor and underscored the importance of evidence-based approaches relevant to Qatar and the global health community.
Shalima Latheif presented her thesis, ‘Association Between Circadian Syndrome and Asthma Among Adults: Evidence from China, USA, and UK.’ Supervised by Dr. Zumin Shi, with committee members Dr. Shufa Du, Dr. Giridhara Rathnaiah Babu, and Dr. Ala Rajabi, her research explored the connection between circadian syndrome and asthma using data from the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. The findings indicated a positive association between circadian syndrome and both current and incident asthma, with a stronger predictive capability for asthma than metabolic syndrome. Additionally, a dose-response relationship was identified between meal skipping and asthma risk, suggesting an influence of circadian health and lifestyle behaviors on respiratory disease management.
Yasmine Attia presented her research titled ‘Maternal Determinants of Minerals and Pesticide Residues in Preterm Human Milk in Qatar,’ guided by Dr. Maya Bassil and committee members Dr. Tareq M. Osaili, Dr. Mohammad Ahmad Al-Ghouti, and Dr. Layal Karam. This study analyzed the maternal factors affecting mineral composition and pesticide residues in preterm human milk in Qatar. Results indicated a relationship between dietary patterns and certain mineral concentrations, with vegetarian diets linked to higher magnesium levels and Western diets correlated with lower concentrations. Notably, no pesticide residues were detected in the analyzed samples, providing valuable local insights into maternal and infant nutrition and environmental exposure.
Yasmen Khial presented her thesis, ‘Development and Validation of a Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess Dietary Intake in a Representative Sample of Children and Adolescents Aged 6-14 Years Old Living in Qatar.’ Under the supervision of Dr. Reema Tayyem, with committee members Dr. Simone Perna, Dr. Nivein Hashem Abu Rmilah, and Dr. Maya Bassil, her study created and validated a culturally adapted food frequency questionnaire aimed at evaluating dietary intake among school-aged children and adolescents in Qatar. The developed questionnaire showed acceptable validity and good-to-excellent reproducibility in ranking nutrient intake.