Assesement Of The Effects Of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians Fasting On Biochemical Risk Factors And Anthropometric Measurements

Background: As in many developing countries, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseasesrn(CVDs) in Ethiopia has been increasing dramatically. Unhealthy changes in the dietary patter arernamong the responsible factors for the rise. Religious beliefs play a significant part in shapingrnthose behaviors; however, there is no study conducted on the role Ethiopian OrthodoxrnChristians’ fasting practice in relation to biochemical indicators for CVD risk factors andrnanthropometric indices.rnObjective: To assess the effects of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians’ Easter fasting on thernanthropometric indices and biochemical risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.rnMethodology: Before and after study design having controls was used among 88 voluntarilyrnselected participants from eligible population and followed over Easter fasting period in tworngroups; those who fast (fasting group) and do not fast (control group). Participants werernmeasured for serum lipid profiles and anthropometric indices before the beginning and at the endrnof Easter fasting. Paired t-test was used for comparison of baseline and endline measurements inrneach group. Besides, independent sample t-test was used for comparison of differences betweenrngroups.rnResults: In comparison to controls, fasters showed significant mean reduction at the end ofrnfasting; 11% in total cholesterol, 20% in LDL-C, 11% in TG, 21% in LDL/HDL ratio, 12% inrnTC/HDL ratio, and 7% in blood glucose concentrations. Similarly, significant reductions in thernanthropometric measurements were observed (p < 0.001); 2% in body weight, BMI and waist tornhip ratio whereas, waist circumference was reduced by 3%. However, there was no statisticallyrnsignificant change observed in lipid profiles among control group.rnConclusion: Periodic abstinence from animal source foods during the Ethiopian OrthodoxrnChristians’ Easter fasting period and shifts to calorie restricted vegetarians’ diet style by fastersrnin this study attributed to the observed biochemical and body measurement changes highlightingrnthat religious fasting has a substantial impact on health-related dietary behaviors.

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