Hugo Amigo C

Tabaquismo y enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica: determinación de fracciones atribuibles

Background: Smoking is the main risk factor for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Aim: To estimate smoking attributable risk and population attributable risk in COPD patients attended in Public Health Services of Santiago. Materials and methods: A case control study matched by sex and age was carried out. Crude and adjusted attributable risks as well as population attributable risk were estimated, controlled by potential confounders and by interaction variables. Results: Mean ages for cases and controls were 68 and 67 years respectively. When compared to the control group, COPD patients had a higher smoking prevalence (at least 100 cigarettes in their life span: 89.7% vs 60.3%; p <0.01). Among COPD patients, heavy smokers proportion was 4 times higher than in controls, they smoked for more years (43 vs 31; p <0.01) and more cigarettes per day (18 vs 5; p <0.01). Adjusted attributable risk was 87% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 63.7-94.8). If a patient smoked at least 100 cigarettes in his/her life span and this risk was 92.7% (CI: 82.4-96.9) for heavy smokers. Projecting this index to Santiago inhabitants, about 87,000 individuals older than 40 years would be suffering COPD due to smoking. Conclusions: This article confirms the strong association between smoking and COPD. Attributable risks are high and significant, even when they are adjusted by confounding variables. Women had a higher risk than men, at lower levels of tobacco consumption

EVOLUCION DE LA SITUACIÓN ALIMENTARIA EN CHILE

Resumen es: El objetivo fue evaluar la evolucion de la situacion alimentaria en Chile entre 1964 y 2003. Se analizo la informacion disponible en hojas de balance (FA...

Comparación del estado nutricional entre escolares indígenas y no indígenas

Background: The few studies in Chile assessing the nutritional status of indigenous children show a high prevalence of stunting, excess weight and feeding problems. Aim: to compare anthropometric indices in children from indigenous and non indigenous ancestry. Subjects and methods: school children aged 6 to 8 years old, living in locations with three clear cut levels of social vulnerability were studied. Children were considered indigenous if their last names, as well as those of their parents were of Mapuche origin. Non indigenous were those whose last names were of Spanish origin. Results: four hundred and fifty indigenous and 684 non indigenous children were studied. Indigenous children from high vulnerability communities were approximately 0.5 z score shorter than those of non indigenous origin. Heights of indigenous and non indigenous children were similar in communities with intermediate and low social vulnerability. The proportion of the lower segment followed the same trend. Weight/height ratios were higher among indigenous children in the three vulnerability levels. Among indigenous children coming from areas of low vulnerability arm circumference was 1 cm broader than that of their non indigenous counterparts. Conclusions: stunting is prevalent among school children from areas of high socioeconomic vulnerability, mainly rural, and independent from ethnicity. Among indigenous school children overweight and a broader arm circumference are frequent. These results urgently call for located and specific nutrition interventions

Etnia mapuche y condiciones socioeconómicas en la estatura del adulto

Background: Studies in Chilean adults of low socioeconomic level suggest that their low height is likely to be due to their indigenous background. However this group also has been marginalized from socioeconomic development. Aim: To determine the influence of Mapuche ethnic origin and socioeconomic factors on the height of adults. Subjects and methods: In a cross sectional design, the height of 1,293 adults (528 males and 765 females) of Mapuche and non Mapuche origin were studied in the Araucania Region (Southern Chile) and in the Metropolitan Region (Central Chile). Subjects with Mapuche surnames were considered as pertaining to this ethnic community and those with Spanish surnames were considered as non Mapuche. Linear regression models were done, stratifying by sex, considering ethnic origin, to live in counties of different social vulnerability, and the level of family poverty. Results: Among males, the mean height was 166.6±7.3 cm and among females, the figure was 153.6±5.9 cm. Mapuche subjects were significantly shorter: ‐3.2 cm (95% Confidence Interval (CI) ‐4.0 to ‐2.3) among females and ‐4.8 cm (CI ‐6.0 to ‐3.6) among males (non adjusted models). This deficit increased to ‐4.5 and ‐7.6 cm among females and males, respectively when they lived in poverty and in areas with highest social vulnerability. These differences decreased significantly if Mapuche subjects lived in communities with low social vulnerability and less poverty (‐0.59 and ‐1.14 cm among females and males respectively). Conclusions: The studied population had low height, being lower in Mapuche subjects. The differences decreased among subjects living in counties of less vulnerability and less family poverty (Rev Med Chile 2005; 133: 461-8).

Cambio secular de las variables antropométricas al nacer: una perspectiva local

Background: Anthropometrical measurements at birth are the result of the conditions during pregnancy, being an issue of current interest due to the reported relationship of birth weight with non communicable chronic diseases in adulthood. Aim: To study the change in anthropometrical measurements at birth, between the period 1974-1978 and the period 1995-1999, in two counties of Valparaiso, Chile. Material and methods: We collected information from the public health care system in a universe of 5,018 newborns of the two periods. Results: When compared to 1974-1978, the period 1995-1999, showed 38% decrease in the number of deliveries, 0.7% decrease in parity, 1.4% decrease in pre-term deliveries and one year increase of mothers age. Likewise birth weight increased by 246 g in males and 210 g in females (p <0.01). Birth length increased by 0.5 cm in males and 0.4 cm in females (p <0.01). Low birth weight was reduced from 9 to 4.2% and length under -2 standard deviations from normal, also decreased from 5.4 to 1.5% (p <0.001). Conclusions: In the last 20 years, an improvement in anthropometrical measurements at birth was observed. Better conditions during pregnancy probably explain these changes (Rev Med Chile 2002; 130: 1095-1100)

Tabaquismo activo y cancer pulmonar: Determinación de fracciones atribuibles por sexo

Mean age for cases was 63 years forwomen and 67 years for men. Lung cancer patients had a higher smoking prevalence thancontrols (64.5% and 39.7% respectively among women; 95.8 and 67.1 respectively among menp <0.01). Heavy smoker proportion was 4 times higher among patients that smoked 5 to 10years more (women and men respectively, p <0.01) and 3 times more cigarettes per day (p<0.01). Attributable risk for women was 64.4% and 90.4% for men. Population attributablefraction was 41.9% and 86.3% for women and men, respectively. Projecting these estimates tothe Chilean population, approximately 1975 new cases per year of lung cancer caused bysmoking will be diagnosed.