title: Several food items and multiple sclerosis: A case-control study in Ahvaz (Iran).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Despite extensive research, its exact cause is unknown. One of the roles of nurses is discovery and prevention of factors related to the disease. This study aimed to investigate several food items concerning the etiology of MS in a population of Ahvaz (Iran).
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study was conducted on 113 MS patients and 113 healthy women. Food information was collected through interviews using a standard designed questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed by adopting descriptive tests (mean, frequency, standard deviation) and inferential tests (Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, logistic regression, and multivariate conditional logistic regression with a significance level of 0.05 and 95% confidence interval) through SPSS version 19.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Univariate regression analysis showed a significant association between MS and consumption of solid vegetable oil (P = 0.004), fruits (P = 0.002), vegetables (P = 0.016), dates (P = 0.02), and low-fat dairy (P = 0.009) more than five times a week. According to multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis, consumption of fruits (P = 0.03) and low-fat dairy (P = 0.04) more than five times a week had a protective role and solid vegetable oil consumption was significantly associated with a risk for MS (P = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests a protective role of consumption of fruits and low-fat dairy in MS and an increased risk of MS with solid vegetable oil consumption in Ahvaz (Iran).
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, Food Security Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Maghsoudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Sadigheh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fayazi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Elahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamed
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tabesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nastaran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Majdinasab
keywords: Case-control study; Iran; food items; multiple sclerosis; nursing