Martín Silberman

Dietary patterns, overweight and obesity from 1961 to 2011 in the socioeconomic and political context of Argentina

Abstract To analyse the changes in eating patterns in Argentina from 1961 to 2011, and to assess changes in overweight and obesity in their socioeconomic and political context, we performed a hierarchical cluster analysis. We used the information from Food Balance Sheets of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation to identify dietary patterns of apparent consumption. Years were grouped into five patterns. The food group with the highest apparent consumption was cereals (30% of total kcal/person/day) although this decreased slightly. Meats were second and their contribution decreased by 12%. The following foods contribution increased during the period: Sugar and milk by 2% and vegetable oils by 6%. The changes observed in the number of kcal/person/day were in line with changes in real wage, and coincided with economic and political crises that Argentina experienced during that period. Changes in eating patterns allow us to interpret that they relate to the increase in overweight and obesity.

Trends in frequency of type 2 diabetes in Mexico and its relationship to dietary patterns and contextual factors

OBJECTIVE To analyse the evolution of the frequency of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its relationship to eating patterns in Mexico from 1961 to 2013, and the Gini coefficient, Human Development Index (HDI) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Mexico ranked sixth in world prevalence of diabetes in 2015 with an estimated 11.4 million Mexicans affected. METHOD Using data from the Balance Sheets Food published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the means of apparent food consumption (kcal/person/day) were grouped by decades. Data for mortality rate for diabetes were obtained from 1990 until 2015. Spearmans correlation coefficient was calculated between the diabetes mellitus mortality rate and all food groups. Pearsons correlation explored the relationship between socio economic indicators and the prevalence of T2D diabetes. RESULTS The mortality rate for T2D has increased over the last decades. An increase of 647.9kcal/person/day in apparent food consumption was observed. Cereal and legume consumption decreased, while apparent sugar, animal food and animal fat and vegetable oil consumption increased substantially. HDI and GDP showed a directly proportional relationship to diabetes. Spearmans correlation coefficient was statistically significant only for sugar. The Gini coefficient suggests that in lower inequalities there is an increased frequency of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS The increase in the mortality rate of type 2 diabetes was constant during the study period, which coincides with the increase in energy density of Mexican eating patterns from 1961 to 2013. The higher the Gini coefficient, HDI and GDP, the higher the mortality observed for diabetes.

Evaluación de una propuesta pedagógica de enseñanza de la Medicina

In this article we discuss the role that medical schools play in the creation of a particular profile of health professionals. To this end, we analyze the impact of two field experiences carried out in 2006 and 2009 with students in the Epidemiology course of the Faculty of Medical Sciences in the Universidad Nacional de La Plata (in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). Using individual semistructured questionnaires applied to students as well as focus group strategies, the study sought to obtain information about the ideas and representations of the students before and after these educational experiences. The ability of students to reconsider the explicative models of the health-disease-care process and the weight of social problems in the phenomena of sickness and health is highlighted as one of the studys primary results.In this article we discuss the role that medical schools play in the creation of a particular profile of health professionals. To this end, we analyze the impact of two field experiences carried out in 2006 and 2009 with students in the Epidemiology course of the Faculty of Medical Sciences in the Universidad Nacional de La Plata (in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). Using individual semistructured questionnaires applied to students as well as focus group strategies, the study sought to obtain information about the ideas and representations of the students before and after these educational experiences. The ability of students to reconsider the explicative models of the health-disease-care process and the weight of social problems in the phenomena of sickness and health is highlighted as one of the studys primary results.