Gender differences in the association of individual and contextual socioeconomic status with hypertension in 230 Latin American cities from the SALURBAL study: a multilevel analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite global interest in gender disparities and social determinants of hypertension, research in urban areas and regions with a high prevalence of hypertension, such as Latin America, is very limited. The objective of this study was to examine associations of individual- and area-level socioeconomic status with hypertension in adults living in 230 cities in eight Latin America countries. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we used harmonized data from 109,184 adults (aged 18-97 years) from the SALURBAL (Salud Urbana en America Latina/Urban Health in Latin America) project. Hypertension was assessed by self-report. Individual-, sub-city- and city-level education were used as proxies of socioeconomic status. All models were stratified by gender. RESULTS: Higher individual-level education was associated with lower odds of hypertension among women (university education or higher versus lower than primary: odds ratio [OR] = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61-0.74) but higher odds among men (OR = 1.65; 95%CI 1.47-1.86), although in men an inverse association emerged when measured blood pressure was used (OR = 0.86; 95%CI 0.76-0.97). For both genders, living in sub-city areas with higher educational achievement was associated with higher odds of hypertension (OR per standard deviation [SD] = 1.07, 95%CI = 1.02-1.12; OR = 1.11 per SD, 95%CI = 1.05-1.18, for women and men, respectively). The association of city-level education with hypertension varied across countries. In Peru, there was an inverse association (higher city level education was associated with lower odds of hypertension) in women and men, but in other countries no association was observed. In addition, the inverse association of individual-level education with hypertension became stronger (in women) or emerged (in men) as city or sub-city education increased. CONCLUSION: The social patterning of hypertension differs by gender and by the level of analysis highlighting the importance of context- and gender-sensitive approaches and policies to reduce the prevalence of hypertension in Latin America.

Spatial data collection and qualification methods for urban parks in Brazilian capitals: An innovative roadmap.

Urban parks have been studied for their effects on health and the environment. Accessing park data from reliable and comparable sources remains challenging, reinforcing the importance of standardized search tools, notably in Latin America. We designed a systematized methodology to identify processes of accessing, collecting, verifying, and harmonizing urban park spatial data in all Brazilian capitals included in the Urban Health in Latin America (SALURBAL) project. We developed a research protocol using official and non-official sources combining the results of Google Maps (GMaps) points and OpenStreetMap (OSM) polygons-GMaps-OSM. Descriptive analyses included the frequency of the distribution of parks before and after harmonization stratified by data source. We used the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to assess agreement in the area between official and GMaps-OSM data. Official data were obtained for 16 cities; for the remaining 11 capitals, we used GMaps-OSM. After verification and harmonization, 302 urban parks were obtained from official data and 128 from GMaps-OSM. In a sub-study of the 16 cities with official data (n = 302 parks), we simulated a collection of non-official data using GMaps-OSM and OSM only. From GMaps-OSM, we obtained 142 parks, and from OSM, 230 parks. Statistical analysis showed a better agreement between official data and OSM. After completing verification and harmonization, the complete dataset (official and GMaps-OSM) included 430 urban parks with a total area of 145.14 km2. The mean number of parks across cities was 16, with a mean size area of 0.33 km2. The median number of parks was nine, with a median area of 0.07 km2. This study highlights the importance of creating mechanisms to access, collect, harmonize, and verify urban park data, which is essential for examining the impact of parks on health. It also stresses the importance of providing reliable urban park spatial data for city officials.

Sedentary behavior is associated with poor sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic, and physical activity mitigates its adverse effects.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the association of sedentary behavior (SB) and moderate to vigorous leisure-time physical activity (MVPA) with sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Cross-sectional, population-based study in adults, conducted from October to December 2020 in the Iron Quadrangle region, Brazil. The outcome was sleep quality, evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. SB was assessed by self-report of total sitting time, before and during the pandemic. Individuals with ≥ 9 h of total sitting time were classified as SB. In addition, the ratio of time spent in MVPA to time in SB was analyzed. A contrasted directed acyclic graph (DAG) model was constructed to adjust logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 1629 individuals were evaluated, the prevalence of SB before the pandemic was 11.3% (95%CI: 8.6-14.8), and during the pandemic 15.2% (95%CI: 12.1-18.9). In multivariate analysis, the chance of poor sleep quality was 77% higher in subjects with SB ≥ 9 h per day (OR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.02-2.97). Furthermore, a one-hour increase in SB during the pandemic, increased the chance of poor sleep quality by 8% (OR: 1.08; 95%CI 1.01-1.15). In the analysis of the ratio of MVPA per SB in individuals with SB ≥ 9 h, practicing 1 min of MVPA per hour of SB reduces the chance of poor sleep quality by 19% (OR: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.73-0.98). CONCLUSION: SB during the pandemic was a factor associated with poor sleep quality, and the practice of MVPA can reduce the effects of SB.

Multimorbidity of chronic noncommunicable diseases: Data from the Brazilian National Health Survey

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of simultaneity of obesity, hypertension and/or diabetes and the association with sociodemographic and lifestyle-related behavior variables. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with data from the 2013 National Health Survey. The presence of two/three diseases (obesity, hypertension, and diabetes) was considered multimorbidity of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Proportional odds logistic regression model, stratified by sex, was used to assess the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with multimorbidity of NCDs, considering the sample complexity and sample weights. Results: The prevalence of multimorbidity of NCDs was 9.6%. The odds of multimorbidity are higher with increasing age, among blacks, but lower in the north region when compared with other regions of the country for both sexes. The odds of multimorbidity of NDCs increased among women who had lower levels of education and spent more time TV watching, and among men who lived with a partner and did not practice the recommended leisure-time physical activity. Conclusion: Sociodemographic factors and lifestyle-related behaviors were associated with the presence of obesity, hypertension, and/or diabetes.

Objetivo: Estimar la prevalencia de simultaneidad de obesidad, hipertensión y/o diabetes y la asociación con variables sociodemográficas y relacionadas con el estilo de vida. Métodos: Los datos fueron obtenido en la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Brasileña, una encuesta a nivel nacional, realizada en los hogares brasileños y llevada a cabo en 2013. La presencia de dos /tres enfermedades (obesidad, hipertensión y diabetes) se consideró multimorbilidad de las enfermedades no transmisibles (ENT). El modelo de regresión logística de probabilidades proporcionales, estratificado por sexo, se utilizó para evaluar los factores sociodemográficos y de estilo de vida asociados con la multimorbilidad de las ENT, considerando la complejidad de la muestra y los pesos de la muestra. Resultados: La prevalencia de multimorbilidad de las ENT fue del 9,6%. Las probabilidades de multimorbilidad son más altas con el aumento de la edad, entre los negros, pero más bajas en la región norte en comparación con otras regiones del país para los dos sexos. Las probabilidades de multimorbilidad de las ENT aumentaron entre las mujeres que tenían niveles más bajos de educación y pasaban más tiempo viendo la televisión, y entre los hombres que vivían con una pareja y no practicaban la actividad física recomendada para el tiempo libre. Conclusión: Los factores sociodemográficos y los comportamientos relacionados con el estilo de vida se asociaron con la presencia de obesidad, hipertensión y/o diabetes.

Nationwide handgrip strength values and factors associated with muscle weakness in older adults: findings from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil).

BACKGROUND: Handgrip strength (HGS) is a simple, quick, inexpensive, and highly reliable method for the assessment of muscle strength in clinical practice and epidemiological studies. This study aimed at describing the HGS values by age group and sex in Brazilians aged 50 years and over, determining age group- and sex-specific cutoff points for muscle weakness, and investigating sociodemographic and anthropometric variables associated with muscle weakness for each sex. METHODS: Data from the second wave of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil) were analyzed. HGS was measured in the dominant hand using a hydraulic hand dynamometer. Fractional polynomial regression models were fitted to estimate the percentiles (P5, P10, P20, P25, P50, P75, P90, and P95) of HGS by age group and sex. The P20 of the maximum HGS by age group and sex was used to define muscle weakness. Associations between sociodemographic (racial self-classification, place of residence, schooling, and monthly household income per capita in tertiles) and anthropometric variables (body mass index and waist circumference) and muscle weakness, by sex, were evaluated using logistic regression. RESULTS: The analytical sample included 7905 participants (63.1 ± 9.1 years; 60% women). HGS reduced with increasing age in both sexes. Men presented higher HGS than women in all age groups. The cutoff points for muscle weakness ranged from 28 to 15 kg for men and from 17 to 9 kg for women. In the adjusted analyses, low schooling (0-4 years) was positively associated with muscle weakness in both sexes (in men, odds ratio (OR) 2.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46-4.12; in women, OR 1.90, 95%CI 1.18-3.06). Low and middle monthly household income per capita also had a positive association with muscle weakness among women (OR 1.78, 95%CI 1.37-2.32; OR 1.32, 95%CI 1.01-1.73, respectively). Overweight had a negative association with muscle weakness among men (OR 0.66, 95%CI 0.52-0.83), and obesity was inversely associated with muscle weakness in both sexes (in men, OR 0.49, 95%CI 0.31-0.78; in women, OR 0.69, 95%CI 0.52-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides HGS values and cutoff points for muscle weakness by age group and sex from a nationally representative sample of older Brazilian adults. The variables associated with muscle weakness slightly differed between men and women. HGS values and cutoff points generated can be used as benchmarks in clinical settings and foster future epidemiological research.

Tendência e diferenças regionais de homicídios masculinos por arma de fogo em um estado da Amazônia Legal, Brasil / Regional trends and differences in male homicides by firearms in a state in the Legal Amazon, Brazil Tendencias y diferencias regionales en los homicidios masculinos por armas de fuego en un estado de la Amazonia Legal, Brasil

Resumo: Objetivos: Analisar a tendência e projetar a taxa de homicídios por arma de fogo em homens jovens, segundo macrorregião de saúde, no estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil. Metodologia: Estudo ecológico, exploratório, de tendência temporal que utilizou dados do Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade. Taxas de mortalidade padronizada pela população mundial foram calculadas. Para modelagem da série e predição da taxa de homicídio por arma de fogo para o período de 2018 a 2022 utilizou-se o modelo auto regressivo de ordem um - AR (1). Resultados: A macrorregião Centro Norte apresentou as maiores taxas de mortalidade por arma de fogo na maior parte dos anos. A menor taxa do período ocorreu em 2013, na macrorregião Leste. Assim como todo o estado de Mato Grosso, as macrorregiões Norte, Oeste, Sul apresentaram tendência crescente e significativa, enquanto nas macrorregiões Leste, Centro Norte e Centro Noroeste as taxas se mantiveram estáveis. Conclusão: A mortalidade de jovens do sexo masculino por armas de fogo foi elevada especialmente nas macrorregiões mais urbanizadas, com conflitos agrários e região de fronteira. Se as estratégias não forem mudadas, as taxas de homicídios de homens jovens por armas de fogo no Mato Grosso continuarão altas e/ou crescentes.

Abstract: Objectives: To analyze the trend and project the firearm homicide rate in young men, according to the health macro-region, in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Methodology: Ecological, exploratory, time trend study that used data from the Mortality Information System. Mortality rates standardized by the world population were calculated. To model the series and predict the firearm homicide rate for the period from 2018 to 2022, the order one autoregressive model - AR (1) was used. Results: The Centro Norte macro-region had the highest firearm mortality rates in most years. The lowest rate in the period occurred in 2013, in the East macro-region. As with the entire state of Mato Grosso, the North, West, South macroregions showed an increasing and significant trend, while in the East, Central North and Central Northwest macroregions the rates remained stable. Conclusion:The mortality of young males by firearms was high especially in the most urbanized macro-regions, with agrarian conflicts and the border region. If the strategies are not changed, homicide rates of young men by firearms in Mato Grosso will continue to be high and/or increasing.

Resumen: Objetivos: Analizar la tendencia y proyectar la tasa de homicidios por arma de fuego en hombres jóvenes, según la macrorregión de salud, en el estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil. Metodología: Estudio ecológico, exploratorio, de tendencia temporal que utilizó datos del Sistema de Información de Mortalidad. Se calcularon las tasas de mortalidad estandarizadas por la población mundial. Para modelar la serie y predecir la tasa de homicidios por arma de fuego para el período de 2018 a 2022, se utilizó el modelo autoregresivo de orden uno: AR (1). Resultados: La macrorregión Centro Norte tuvo las tasas de mortalidad por armas de fuego más altas en la mayoría de los años. La tasa más baja del período se produjo en 2013, en la macrorregión Este. Al igual que en todo el estado de Mato Grosso, las macrorregiones Norte, Oeste y Sur mostraron una tendencia creciente y significativa, mientras que en las macrorregiones Este, Centro Norte y Centro Noroeste las tasas se mantuvieron estables. Conclusión: La mortalidad de varones jóvenes por armas de fuego fue alta especialmente en las macrorregiones más urbanizadas, con conflictos agrarios y la región fronteriza. Si no se cambian las estrategias, las tasas de homicidio de hombres jóvenes por armas de fuego en Mato Grosso seguirán siendo altas y/o en aumento.

Built and Social Environment by Systematic Social Observation and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Report among Brazilian Adults: a Population-Based Study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between built and social environment and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among adults living in an urban center. The individual data was from the household survey and the environmental data was assessed through systematic social observation by trained observers on street segments of respondents' residences. The relationship between environmental factors and LTPA was examined using multilevel logistic regression. The prevalence of LTPA was 30.2% (95% CI 27.4-32.9%). Individuals living in census tracts with higher walking environment indicators (OR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.40) and safety (OR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.38) were more likely to be active during leisure time, even after adjusting for individual variables. Improving the built and social environment is an important step for achieving higher levels of LTPA in the population in a middle-income country.

A multilevel model of life satisfaction among old people: individual characteristics and neighborhood physical disorder.

BACKGROUND: Considering the lack of studies that examine built environmental factors associated with life satisfaction among old people in developing countries, particularly those focused on Brazil, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of life satisfaction among old adults residents in a Brazilian urban center and to investigate its association with individual characteristics and objective measures of the built environment. METHODS: A household survey (N = 832) in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil (2008-2009) and a Systematic Social Observation (SSO) was used in this study. Life satisfaction was assessed through Self-Anchoring Ladder Scale, developed by Cantril, in 1965. Participants' answers were categorized as satisfied (rungs 6-10) and dissatisfied (rungs 0-5). A Multilevel Poisson regression analysis with robust variance was performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of satisfaction with life was approximately 82%. Higher prevalence of life satisfaction was significantly associated with old people who reported higher incomes, higher religious participation, who practice physical activity and who perceive their health as good and very good. In contextual level, results showed that when the contextual features were adjusted separately by the individual characteristics they were no longer significant. The results also showed a lower prevalence of life satisfaction among those living in neighborhoods with higher physical disorder, even after adjusting for individual and other contextual characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that life satisfaction should be assessed whenever evaluating urban redevelopment programs designed to improve neighborhood characteristics, reducing physical disorder, especially among old adults.

Mortality from Homicides in Slums in the City of Belo Horizonte, Brazil: An Evaluation of the Impact of a Re-Urbanization Project.

Background: Homicide rates in Brazil are among the highest worldwide. Although not exclusive to large Brazilian cities, homicides find their most important determinants in cities' slums. In the last decade, an urban renewal process has been initiated in the city of Belo Horizonte, in Brazil. Named Vila Viva project, it includes structuring urban interventions such as urban renewal, social development actions and land regularization in the slums of the city. This study evaluates the project's effect on homicide rates according to time and interventions. Methods: Homicide rates were analyzed comparing five slums with interventions (S1⁻S5) to five grouped non-intervened slums (S0), with similar socioeconomic characteristics from 2002 to 2012. Poisson regression model estimates the effect of time of observation and the effect of time of exposure (in years) to a completed intervention, besides the overall risk ratio (RR). Results: Using the time of observation in years, homicide rates decreased in the studied period and even more if considered cumulative time of exposure to a completed intervention for S1, S2, S3 and S4, but not for S5. Conclusions: Although the results of the effect of the interventions are not repeated in all slums, a downward trend in homicide rates has been found, which is connected to the interventions. New approaches could be necessary in order to verify the nexus between slum renewal projects and the reduction of homicide rates.

Self-Rated Health among Urban Adolescents: The Roles of Age, Gender, and Their Associated Factors.

Health status is often analyzed in population surveys. Self-rated health (SRH) is a single-item summary measure of the perception of one's health. In Brazil, studies on the SRH of adolescents remain scarce, especially those aiming to understand the domains that compose this construct. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of poor SRH and its associated factors among 11- to 13-year-olds and 14- to 17-year-olds living in a large urban center in Brazil. This cross-sectional study was conducted using a household survey across Belo Horizonte that included 1,042 adolescents. Stratified logistic regression models were used for each age group to assess the associations between worse SRH and the following variables: socio-demographic, social and family support, lifestyles, psychological health, and anthropometry. Approximately 11% (95% CIs = 8.7-13.6) of the studied adolescents rated their health as poor, and SHR decreased with age among males and females. This trend was more pronounced among girls (from 6.9% among 11- to 13-year-old girls to 16.9% among 14- to 17-year-old girls) than boys (from 8.3% among 11- to 13-year-old boys to 11% among 14- to 17-year-old boys). Worse SRH was associated with family support (as assessed by the absence of parent-adolescent conversations; odds ratio [OR] = 3.5 among 11- to 13-year-olds), family structure (OR = 2.8 among 14- to 17-year-olds), and argument reporting (OR = 8.2 among 14- to 17-year-olds). Among older adolescents, the consumption of fruit fewer than five times per week (OR = 2.4), life dissatisfaction (OR = 2.8), underweight status (OR = 6.7), and overweight status (OR = 2.7) were associated with poor SRH. As adolescents age, their universe expands from their relationship with their parents to include more complex issues, such as their lifestyles and life satisfaction. Therefore, these results suggest the importance of evaluating SRH across adolescent age groups and demonstrate the influence of the family environment (in addition to other factors) on negative health assessments, particularly among 14- to 17-year-olds.

Health behaviors and occupational stress of Brazilian civil servants living in an urban center.

BACKGROUND: Occupational stress and unhealthy lifestyles are common characteristics of urban workers. The association between health behaviors and job stress of urban Brazilian civil servants was studied. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 893 workers. Health markers, the dependent variables, were: Fruit/vegetable (FV) and alcohol (A) intake, physical activity (PA), including at work (PAW), smoking (S), BMI ≥ 25 Kg/m(2). Occupational stress, assessed by Job Stress Scale-Brazilian version, classified employees into: High-strain, Low-strain, Active, and Passive. Prevalence rates and multivariate Poisson models were adopted. RESULTS: On average, employees (mean age = 40.2 years; 69.1% female) reported healthy lifestyle factors: FV (56%); PA (59.7%); S (13.3%); however, 49.4% were overweight. Compared to low-strain, high-strain workers reported higher PAW; passive workers lesser PA and higher PAW. After adjusting for socio-demographics and work characteristics, the occupational stress dimensions were no longer associated to health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support the hypothesis of an effect for occupational stress on urban employees' health behaviors.