Juan O. Talavera

Association between sweetened beverage consumption and body mass index, proportion of body fat and body fat distribution in Mexican adolescents.

Background/Aims: It was the aim of this study to evaluate the relationships between sweetened beverage (SB) consumption and the following indicators of overweight/fatness among Mexican adolescents: body mass index, body composition and body fat distribution. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from adolescents participating in the baseline assessment of the Health Workers Cohort Study. Information on sociodemographic conditions, sexual maturation, dietary patterns and physical activity was collected via self-administered questionnaires. SB consumption was evaluated through a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric measures were assessed with standardized procedures. The associations of interest were evaluated by means of multivariate regression and logistic regression models. Results: A total of 1,055 adolescents, 10–19 years old (mean age 14.5 ± 2.5 years), were evaluated. The overweight/obesity prevalence was 31.6% among girls and 31.9% among boys. We found that for each additional SB serving consumed daily, the subject’s body mass index increased by on average 0.33 (p < 0.001). Subjects consuming 3 daily servings of SB face a 2.1 times greater risk of proportionally excess body fat than those who consume less than 1 SB a day. Conclusions: Our data support the hypothesis that the consumption of SB increases the risk of overweight and/or obesity and encourages excess body fat and central obesity in Mexican adolescents.

Scale for assessing the quality of Mexican adults' mealtime habits

OBJECTIVE To construct a scale for assessing the quality of mealtime habits in a sample of urban Mexican adults, computing the contribution of a set of advisable and unadvisable mealtime habits. MATERIAL AND METHODS We performed an exploratory factor analysis among 7 472 adults participating in the baseline assessment of the Health Workers Cohort Study, to assess the mealtime habits quality. Likelihood ratio test for difference of two probabilities and test for the difference of two means were used to identify differences between low and high categories of the Mealtime Habits Quality Scale (MHQS) across variables of interest. RESULTS Participants with the top quality of mealtime habits showed lower rates of overweight, obesity, abdominal obesity, and elevated body fat. They were also more adherent to a prudent dietary pattern than a western dietary pattern, and consumed more fruits and vegetables. CONCLUSIONS Anthropometric and dietary variables differed across MHQS categories. However, further validation of the scale, and assessment of their ability to predict weight gain or related diseases are needed, using prospective and intervention studies.

Risk factors for nosocomial infections in children who had open-heart surgery

Nosocomial infections at pediatric intensive care units ( PICUs) often lead to substantial morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospital stays in children who have open-heart surgery. Little is known about the risk factors in this populat ion. Our aim was to identify the incidence and clinical factors associated with infections at the PICU in children with congenital heart disease after surgery. Clinical records of patients 6 3-year-old with congenital heart disease, admitted for surgery, were evaluated for clinical, nutritional, and other risk factors. Infecti on was determined during the patients stay at the PICU. Two h undred eighty-nine patients were included in the study. Factors re lated to overall infection were: higher risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery, age > 1-year-old, cyanotic cardiac anomaly, parenteral or mixed nutrition support, more than 5 days of fasting, and mechanical ventilation > 48 h. Factors related to pneumonia were higher risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery, cyanotic cardiac anomaly more than three inotropics infused during surgery, parenteral or mixed nutritional support, more than 5 days of fasting, and mechanical ventilation > 48 h. Factors related to mediastinitis and sepsis were: age > 1-year-old, aortic clamp > 120 min, parenteral or mixed nutritional support, more than 5 days of fasting, and mechanical ventilation > 48 h. In the multivariate survival analysis, parenteral or mixed nutri tion and mechanical ventilation > 48 h increased the risk for overall infection (relative risk 1.949, 95% confidence interval 1.1 08-3.43, P = 0.021 and relative risk 25, 95% confidence interval 2.53-246.19, P = 0.006 respectively). Early enteral nutrition after surger y and early weaning from mechanical ventilation (less than 48 h) will reduce infection incidence.

Predictors of hyperlipidemia during the first half of pregnancy in Mexican women

OBJECTIVE To determine the predictors of hypercholesterolemia and of hypertriglyceridemia during the first half of pregnancy in Mexican women. METHODS Cross-sectional comparative study of pregnant women with less than 21 weeks of gestational age. MEASUREMENTS Demographic information, obstetric history, prepregnancy body mass index, cholesterol and triglycerides. Cross tabulations and multiple logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS 230 participants; 61 women with normal prepregnancy body mass index, 108 with overweight, and 61 with obesity. Dyslipidemia was defined as elevated cholesterol (>180 mg/dL) or triglycerides (>170 mg/dL). After adjusting by potential confounders, independent predictors of hypercholesterolemia included being overweight (OR=2.8, 95% CI 1.4-5.9), being obese (OR=3.7 95% CI 1.6-8.4) or being on the second trimester of pregnancy. The same predictors were found for hypertriglyceridemia, respectively OR=2.8, 95% CI 1.4-5.6, OR=2.9, 95% CI 1.3-6.5, OR=2.6, 95% CI 1.4-4.7. CONCLUSION Mexican women with prepregnancy overweight or obesity have greater risk of suffering hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia during pregnancy. Women in the second trimester had higher levels of both lipids as compared to the first one. This is the first Mexican study that confirms the increase of lipids as gestational age progresses.