Caroline dos Santos Costa

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and body fat during childhood and adolescence: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE To review the available literature on the association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and body fat during childhood and adolescence. DESIGN A systematic review was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science and LILACS databases. Studies that evaluated the association between consumption of ultra-processed food (exposure) and body fat (outcome) during childhood and adolescence were eligible. SUBJECTS Healthy children and adolescents. RESULTS Twenty-six studies that evaluated groups of ultra-processed foods (such as snacks, fast foods, junk foods and convenience foods) or specific ultra-processed foods (soft drinks/sweetened beverages, sweets, chocolate and ready-to-eat cereals) were selected. Most of the studies (n 15) had a cohort design. Consumption was generally evaluated by means of FFQ or food records; and body composition, by means of double indirect methods (bioelectrical impedance analysis and skinfolds). Most of the studies that evaluated consumption of groups of ultra-processed foods and soft drinks/sweetened beverages found positive associations with body fat. CONCLUSIONS Our review showed that most studies have found positive associations between consumption of ultra-processed food and body fat during childhood and adolescence. There is a need to use a standardized classification that considers the level of food processing to promote comparability between studies.

Tendência da incidência de dengue no Brasil, 2002-2012

Resumo OBJETIVO: analisar a tendencia da incidencia de dengue no Brasil, no periodo de 2002 a 2012. METODOS: estudo ecologico com dados do Sistema de Informacao de Agravos e Notificacao (Sinan); a taxa de incidencia de dengue foi calculada segundo grupos etarios, unidades da federacao (UF) e grandes regioes do pais, utilizando-se a regressao de Prais-Winsten. RESULTADOS: as taxas de incidencia de dengue no Brasil, em 2002 e 2012, foram de 401,6 e 301,5 por 100 mil habitantes, respectivamente; as taxas de incremento anual revelaram-se estaveis (21,4%; IC95% -19,8;83,7) na maioria das UF, a excecao de Alagoas (38,9%; IC95% 5,1;83,5) e Tocantins (50,4%; IC95% 12,6;100,7); a regiao Norte foi a unica a apresentar tendencia de crescimento da incidencia de dengue. CONCLUSAO: embora as taxas tenham permanecido estaveis na maioria das UF, ainda sao altas no pais; politicas mais amplas com foco em novas estrategias de combate a dengue mostram-se necessarias.OBJECTIVE to analyze dengue incidence trend in Brazil from 2002 to 2012. METHODS this was an ecological study with data of the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (Sinan); the incidence rate was calculated by age groups, states and macroregions, through Prais-Winsten regression. RESULTS dengue incidence rates in Brazil, in 2002 and 2012, were of 401.6 and 301.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively; annual increment rates were stable (21.4%; 95%CI -19.8;83.7) in most of the states, except for Alagoas (38.9%; 95%CI 5.1;83.5) and Tocantins (50.4%; 95%CI 12.6;100.7); the North Region was the only region to present increase trend in the incidence of dengue. CONCLUSION although rates have remained stable in most of the states, they are still high in Brazil; broader public policies focusing on new dengue control strategies are necessary.

Social inequalities in care for the elderly with diabetes in Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective. To measure the prevalence of various care services offered to the elderly with diabetes mellitus in Brazil, and to assess the social inequalities in these services. Methods. This cross-sectional, population-based study was carried out in 2013. The care services offered were evaluated in terms of the following eight indicators: recommendations to lower carbohydrates, to measure blood glucose, and to examine the feet; requests made for blood tests, for glycated hemoglobin tests, and for glycemic curve tests; and whether service users had had their eyes or feet examined in the previous year. We used the slope index of inequality and the concentration index to assess the inequalities among wealth quintiles. Results. A total of 1 685 elderly persons with diabetes were evaluated. Overall, 41.7% of them had had their eyes examined in the preceding year, 35.4% had had their feet examined in the preceding year, and 10.9% had been offered all eight of the care services. The largest absolute differences (in percentage points) between the first (poorest) and fifth (richest) wealth quintiles in terms of the care services that were offered to the users were for: a recommendation to measure blood glucose (25.8), a glycated hemoglobin test request (27.4), a glycemic curve test request (31.9), having the eyes examined in the preceding year (29.3), and having the feet examined in the preceding year (27.0). Conclusion. There were notable inequalities in the prevalences of the care services. In the future, measurement of blood glucose and examination of the feet should be emphasized, especially for elderly persons in a lower socioeconomic level.

Early feeding practices and consumption of ultraprocessed foods at 6 y of age: Findings from the 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the association between early feeding practices and consumption of ultraprocessed foods in children at age 6 y. Methods This was a prospective cohort study using data from 3427 children who participated in the 2004 Pelotas Cohort Study and who had available food frequency questionnaire information at 6 y. Information about exclusive and total breastfeeding duration as well as age at introduction of semisolid and solid foods was used to define early feeding practices. Consumption of ultraprocessed foods was defined as proportion of total daily energy intake that came from ultraprocessed foods at age 6 y. Crude and adjusted linear regression models were employed to analyze the effect of early feeding practices on ultraprocessed foods consumption. Results It was determined that 40.3% of total daily energy intake at 6 y came from ultraprocessed foods. In crude linear regression models, early feeding practices (exclusive and total breastfeeding duration, and age at introduction of semisolid and solid foods) were negatively associated with ultraprocessed foods consumption. After adjustment, only exclusive breastfeeding duration and age at introduction of solid foods remained associated with consumption of ultraprocessed foods, although the observed effects size was small. Children exclusively breastfed for ≥3 mo and those who had solid foods introduced at ≥4 mo consumed a lower proportion of daily energy intake from ultraprocessed foods. Conclusion This study supports the need to promote healthy early feeding practices including the support of breastfeeding to promote healthier eating habits later in childhood.

Obesidade geral e abdominal em idosos do Sul do Brasil: resultados do estudo COMO VAI?

This is a cross-sectional population-based study aimed to measure the prevalence and to identify associated factors with the occurrence of general and abdominal obesity among the elderly living in the urban area of Pelotas, State of Rio Grande do Sul. The process of cluster sampling was conducted in two stages. Overall obesity was defined by Body Mass Index (BMI) from measurements of weight and height estimated by knee height. Obesity was considered when BMI was ≥ 30 kg/m2. Abdominal obesity was evaluated by waist circumference, being considered obese when it was > 102 cm for men and > 88 cm for women. The crude and adjusted analyses were performed using Poisson regression. The prevalence of obesity was 29.9% (CI95%: 27.5-32.4) and abdominal obesity, 50.4% (CI95%: 47.8-53.1). After adjustment, the prevalence of both outcomes were higher in women, non-smokers, hypertensives and diabetics and lower in the physically active in their leisure time. Age was inversely associated with general and abdominal obesity. Reducing obesity in this population depends on the planning of health policies actively encourage physical activity, keeping in mind the limitations and health conditions of the elderly.