Diminished insulin sensitivity is associated with altered brain activation to food cues and with risk for obesity - Implications for individuals born small for gestational age.

While classically linked to memory, the hippocampus is also a feeding behavior modulator due to its multiple interconnected pathways with other brain regions and expression of receptors for metabolic hormones. Here we tested whether variations in insulin sensitivity would be correlated with differential brain activation following exposure to palatable food cues, as well as with variations in implicit food memory in a cohort of healthy adolescents, some of whom were born small for gestational age (SGA). Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was positively correlated with activation in the cuneus, and negatively correlated with activation in the middle frontal lobe, superior frontal gyrus and precuneus when presented with palatable food images versus non-food images in healthy adolescents. Additionally, HOMA-IR and insulinemia were higher in participants with impaired food memory. SGA individuals had higher snack caloric density and greater chance for impaired food memory. There was also an interaction between the HOMA-IR and birth weight ratio influencing external eating behavior. We suggest that diminished insulin sensitivity correlates with activation in visual attention areas and inactivation in inhibitory control areas in healthy adolescents. Insulin resistance also associated with less consistency in implicit memory for a consumed meal, which may suggest lower ability to establish a dietary pattern, and can contribute to obesity. Differences in feeding behavior in SGA individuals were associated with insulin sensitivity and hippocampal alterations, suggesting that cognition and hormonal regulation are important components involved in their food intake modifications throughout life.

Decreased comfort food intake and allostatic load in adolescents carrying the A3669G variant of the glucocorticoid receptor gene.

BACKGROUND: The A3669G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene NR3C1 is associated with altered tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids (GCs). GCs modulate the food reward circuitry and are implicated in increased intake of palatable foods, which can lead to the metabolic syndrome and obesity. We hypothesized that presence of the G variant of the A3669G SNP would affect preferences for palatable foods and alter metabolic, behavioural, and neural outcomes. METHODS: One hundred thirty-one adolescents were genotyped for the A3669G polymorphism, underwent anthropometric assessment and nutritional evaluations, and completed behavioural measures. A subsample of 74 subjects was followed for 5 years and performed a brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm to verify brain activity in response to food cues. RESULTS: Sugar and total energy consumption were lower in A3669G G allele variant carriers. On follow-up, this group also had reduced serum insulin concentrations, increased insulin sensitivity, and lower anxiety scores. Because of our unbalanced sample sizes (31/37 participants non-G allele carriers/total), our imaging data analysis failed to find whole brain-corrected significant results in between-group t-tests. CONCLUSION: These results highlight that a genetic variation in the GR gene is associated, at the cellular level, with significant reduction in GC sensitivity, which, at cognitive and behavioural levels, translates to altered food intake and emotional stress response. This genetic variant might play a major role in decreasing risk for metabolic and psychiatric diseases.

The World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument for people with intellectual and physical disabilities (WHOQOL-Dis): evidence of validity of the Brazilian version.

BACKGROUND: The number of people with disabilities in Brazil and worldwide has grown substantially in recent decades. Cross-cultural quality of life instruments can be helpful in the development of interventions designed to meet the needs of this population and contribute to rational allocation of resources. This study sought to provide evidence of validity and reliability the Brazilian Portuguese version of WHOQOL-Dis-D (a cross-cultural, multicentre instrument developed by the WHOQOL-Group for the assessment of quality of life in persons with physical disability - PD) and WHOQOL-Dis-ID (for persons with intellectual disability - ID). METHODS: Classical psychometric methods were used to conduct independent analyses of the PD and ID samples. Criterion groups were established for analysis of construct validity. Concurrent validity was assessed in relation to SWLS and BDI-II scores; discriminant validity, in relation to WHODAS-II. Cronbach alpha was used to test the instrument scales and subscales for reliability. The ID subgroup was retested, and test-retest reliability assessed by means of intraclass correlation coefficients and paired Student's t-test. RESULTS: A total of 162 (98 females) people with PD and 156 (55 females) people with ID participated in the study. Cronbach alpha was satisfactory across practically all domains and factors in the PD subsample. In IDs, most factors or domains had coefficients higher than 0.70, but four subscales exhibited less satisfactory performance. Evidence of construct and concurrent validity and reliability were obtained. CONCLUSIONS: The analyses presented herein provide satisfactory evidence of the validity and reliability of the instrument and corroborated the factor structure revealed during cross-cultural research. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to obtain additional evidence of validity and reliability.

Assessment of incompleteness of Mortality Information System records on deaths from external causes in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2000-2019.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the incompleteness of Mortality Information System (Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade - SIM) data on deaths from external causes (ECs) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2000-2019. METHODS: This was an ecological study, using SIM data on all deaths from external causes and, specifically, from transport accident, homicides, suicides and falls; the analysis of the trend of incompleteness was performed by means of Prais-Winsten regression, with a 5% significance level. RESULTS: A total of 146,882 deaths were evaluated; sex (0.1%), place of death (0.1%) and age (0.4%) showed the lowest incompleteness in 2019; the proportion of incompleteness showed a decreasing trend for the place of death and schooling, an increasing trend for marital status and a stable trend for age and race/skin color, among all types of death evaluated. CONCLUSION: the variables analyzed reached a high degree of completion; with the exception of marital status and schooling, for which unsatisfactory scores persisted for deaths from ECs, both total and by subgroups.

Preliminary evidence for an impulsivity-based thrifty eating phenotype.

INTRODUCTION: Low birth weight is associated with obesity and an increased risk for metabolic/cardiovascular diseases in later life. RESULTS: The results of the snack delay test, which encompassed four distinct trials, indicated that the gender × intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) × trial interaction was a predictor of the ability to delay the food reward (P = 0.002). Among children with normal birth weights, girls showed a greater ability to delay food rewards than did boys (P = 0.014).In contrast, among children with IUGR, there was no such differential ability between girls and boys. Furthermore, in girls, impulsive responding predicted both increased consumption of palatable fat (P = 0.007) and higher BMIs (P = 0.020) at 48 mo of age, although there was no such association with BMI at 36 mo. DISCUSSION: In girls, the quality of fetal growth may contribute to impulsive eating, which may promote an increased intake of fats and consequently higher BMIs. As with the original thrifty phenotype, such a mechanism would be adaptive when food supplies are sparse, but would be problematic in societies with ample access to calorically rich foods. METHODS: We examined whether the quality of intrauterine growth programs obesogenic eating behaviors, by investigating (i) the relationship between birth weight and impulsive eating in 3-year-old children (using the snack delay test), and (ii) whether impulsive eating predicts fat intake and/or BMI at 4 years of age (using a laboratory-based test meal).

Secular trend of very low birth weight rate in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil.

The strong association of very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) with infant mortality is well known. There are no data related to VLBW trends in Brazil although findings from some large surveys carried out in small- and medium-sized cities have demonstrated an increase in low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g) rates over the last 30 years. The aim of this study was to evaluate the secular trend of VLBW in the city of Porto Alegre, a large city in a developed area in southern Brazil, and the potential determinants of this trend during the 1990s and early 2000s. This is a registry-based study. Data were obtained from birth certificates of all live births in the city from 1994 to 2005. The variables analysed were: VLBW as the dependent variable and maternal age and schooling, type of delivery, type of hospital, number of live births, gestational age, newborn gender and unemployment rate. The incidence ratio rate (IRR) using Poisson regression was calculated to identify possible trends in VLBW rates. Poisson regressions were performed in order to assess the influence of some independent variables on VLBW. A total of 257,740 singleton newborns were delivered in the city during the period, with a steady reduction in the total number of live births per year from 23,296 in 1994 to 18,325 in 2005. The results showed a small but significant increase in VLBW (p for trend=0.049). There was a significant trend towards adequacy for gestational age per birth weight, suggesting a reduction in rates of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (p<0.001). The findings showed a significant increase of 1% per year in the probability of VLBW. The main risk factors were related to VLBW mothers with low levels of schooling, public hospitals and multiparity and nulliparity. After adjustment, nulliparity remained as a significant risk factor. The interaction between type of hospital and type of delivery indicated that the probability for VLBW was 3.6 times higher (p<0.001) among those born in public hospitals by Caesarean section than those born in private hospitals by vaginal delivery. The results show that southern Brazil is going through a demographic transition characterized by a significant decrease in number of live births associated with a small increase in VLBW rates, a decrease in IUGR rates and stabilization of LBW.

Severe intrauterine growth restriction is associated with higher spontaneous carbohydrate intake in young women.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with metabolic disorders in adulthood. In rats, an early adverse environment alters food preferences in adult life. We investigated whether IUGR is associated with spontaneous macronutrient preferences in humans. Two thousand sixty-three participants from a Brazilian birth cohort were evaluated at 24 y of age using a food frequency questionnaire, physical examination, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical assays (glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides). IUGR was defined by the birth weight ratio (BWR = birth weight/mean weight for gestational age). Individuals were classified as non growth restricted (BWR > or =0.85), moderately growth restricted (0.85 > BWR > or = 0.75), and severely growth restricted (BWR <0.75). Severe IUGR women consumed a greater carbohydrate to protein ratio, even after controlling for social variables. There was a continuous association between growth restriction and later carbohydrate to protein ratio consumption in women. Women from both IUGR groups had a larger waist to hip ratio (WHR). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was comparable between the groups. IUGR women preferred carbohydrates to protein in their regular diet, suggesting that spontaneous food choices may precede the appearance and contribute to the risk for metabolic diseases in this group.

[Quality of information systems on live births and mortality in Rio Grande do Sul, 2000 to 2014]. / Qualidade dos sistemas de informações sobre nascidos vivos e sobre mortalidade no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 2000 a 2014.

This study assesses the quality of the SIM and SINASC information systems in coverage, incompleteness and consistency aspects, as well as the contribution of the linkage for data retrieval. It includes all live births and infant deaths in Rio Grande do Sul from 2000 to 2014. The records were paired by deterministic linkage through the DNV number and, in its absence, by probabilistic linkage. SINASC's coverage rose from 72.2% in 2000 to 98.9%, namely a 37% increase in the number of matched records. All variables in SINASC presented excellent incompleteness throughout the period, except for the number of dead children and maternal occupation. SIM presented poor or very poor incompleteness for most of the variables until 2003. Although it improved, in 2014, six variables still presented regular or poor incompleteness. The linkage procedure greatly reduced the incompleteness for most variables. There was a great variability in terms of consistency: while for gender this percentage was over 97% throughout the period, for another five variables it was still less than 75% in 2014. SINASC presented high coverage level and excellent incompleteness. Problems related to consistency persist. This study shows the linkage technic efficiency to retrieve missing information.

O estudo avalia a qualidade do SIM e do SINASC nos aspectos cobertura, incompletitude e consistência, bem como a contribuição do "linkage" para a recuperação de dados. Foram analisados nascimentos e óbitos de menores de um ano ocorridos no Rio Grande do Sul entre 2000 e 2014. Os registros foram pareados por "linkage" determinístico através do número da DNV e, na ausência deste, por "linkage" probabilístico. A cobertura do SINASC aumentou 37%, passando de 72,2% em 2000 para 98,9%. O grau de incompletitude do SINASC foi excelente para todas as variáveis, exceto quantidade de filhos mortos e ocupação materna. No SIM, até 2003 a maioria das variáveis apresentou preenchimento ruim ou muito ruim. Apesar da melhoria, seis delas ainda possuíam preenchimento regular ou ruim em 2014. Após o "linkage", a incompletitude reduziu-se para grande parte das variáveis. Houve alta variabilidade quanto à consistência: sexo apresentou percentual superior a 97% em todo período, enquanto para outras cinco variáveis essa fração segue inferior a 75% em 2014. Destaca-se a alta cobertura e a excelente incompletitude do SINASC. Persistem problemas relacionados à consistência de informações. Evidencia-se a relevância do "linkage" como método para recuperar informações.

Avaliação da incompletude dos registros de óbitos por causas externas do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade no Rio Grande do Sul, 2000-2019 / Assessment of incompleteness of Mortality Information System records on deaths from external causes in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2000-2019 / Evaluación de la incompletitud de los registros de defunción por causas externas del Sistema de Información de Mortalidad en Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 2000-2019

Objetivo: avaliar a incompletude dos dados do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM) para óbitos por causas externas (CEs) no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 2000-2019. Métodos: estudo ecológico, com dados do SIM para a totalidade das CEs e, especificamente, por acidentes de transporte, homicídios, suicídios e quedas; analisou-se a tendência da incompletude via regressão de Prais-Winsten, com nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: 146.882 óbitos foram avaliados; sexo (0,1%), local de ocorrência do óbito (0,1%) e idade (0,4%) mostraram as menores incompletudes, em 2019; a proporção de incompletude apresentou tendência decrescente para local de ocorrência do óbito e escolaridade, crescente para estado civil e estável para idade e raça/cor da pele, entre todos os tipos de óbito avaliados. Conclusão: as variáveis analisadas alcançaram alto grau de preenchimento; à exceção do estado civil e da escolaridade, para as quais persistiram escores insatisfatórios para óbitos por CEs, totais e por subgrupos.

Objective: to evaluate the incompleteness of Mortality Information System (Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade - SIM) data on deaths from external causes (ECs) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2000-2019. Methods: This was an ecological study, using SIM data on all deaths from external causes and, specifically, from transport accident, homicides, suicides and falls; the analysis of the trend of incompleteness was performed by means of Prais-Winsten regression, with a 5% significance level. Results: A total of 146,882 deaths were evaluated; sex (0.1%), place of death (0.1%) and age (0.4%) showed the lowest incompleteness in 2019; the proportion of incompleteness showed a decreasing trend for the place of death and schooling, an increasing trend for marital status and a stable trend for age and race/skin color, among all types of death evaluated. Conclusion: the variables analyzed reached a high degree of completion; with the exception of marital status and schooling, for which unsatisfactory scores persisted for deaths from ECs, both total and by subgroups.

Objetivo: evaluar la incompletitud de los datos del Sistema de Información de Mortalidad (SIM) para las defunciones por causas externas (CEs) en Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 2000-2019. Métodos: estudio ecológico con datos del SIM por causas externas, totales y por accidentes de tránsito, homicidios, suicidios y caídas; se utilizó la regresión de Prais-Winsten para evaluar la tendencia de incompletitud, con un nivel de significancia del 5%. Resultados: se evaluaron 146.882 muertes; sexo (0,1%), lugar de muerte (0,1%) y edad (0,4%) mostraron menos incompletitud en 2019; la tendencia de la proporción de incompletitud disminuyó para el lugar de ocurrencia y la educación, aumentó para el estado civil y se mantuvo estable para edad y raza/color del piel para todo tipo de muertes evaluadas. Conclusión: las variables analizadas lograron alta calidad de información, con excepción del estado civil y educación, que persistieron con incompletitud insatisfactoria para las muertes por CE (total y subgrupos).

Attention, memory, visuoconstructive, and executive task performance in adolescents with anxiety disorders: a case-control community study.

OBJECTIVE:: The aim of the present study was to assess children and adolescents with mild and severe anxiety disorders for their performance in attention, verbal episodic memory, working memory, visuoconstructive skills, executive functions, and cognitive global functioning and conduct comparative analyses with the performance of children free from anxiety disorders. METHODS:: Our sample comprised 68 children and adolescents aged 10 to 17 years (41 with current diagnoses of anxiety disorders and 27 controls) selected from a larger cross-sectional community sample of adolescents. Children and adolescents with anxiety disorders were categorized into two groups on the basis of anxiety severity (mild or severe). All participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment battery to evaluate attention, verbal episodic memory, working memory, visuoconstructive skills, and executive and cognitive functions. RESULTS:: No differences were found in any neuropsychological tests, with the single exception that the group with mild anxiety had better performance on the Digit Span backward test compared to subjects with severe anxiety and to controls (p = 0.041; η2 = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS:: Not only might anxiety disorders spare main cognitive functions during adolescence, they may even enhance certain working memory processes.

Barriers for HIV testing during pregnancy in Southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To assess HIV testing rate and determine risk factors for not have been tested during pregnancy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, from December 2000 to February 2001. Socioeconomic, maternal and healthcare variables were obtained by means of a standardized questionnaire. Crude and adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were obtained in logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 1,642 mothers were interviewed. Of them, 94.3% reported being offered HIV testing before or during pregnancy or during labor; 89 mothers (5.4%) were not tested or did not know if they were tested. Attending fewer than six prenatal visits, being single and younger than 18 years old were relevant barriers preventing HIV testing. There was found a relationship between maternal schooling and the category of prenatal care provider. Having low 22.20 (12.43-39.67) or high 3.38 (1.86-7.68). schooling and being cared in the private sector strongly reduced the likelihood of being HIV tested. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian Health Ministry's recommendation for universal counseling and HIV testing has been successfully implemented in the public sector. In order to improve HIV testing coverage, new strategies need to target women cared in the private sector especially those of low schooling.

Musical intervention and food preferences in girls born with lower birth weight.

BACKGROUND: Children born after intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), especially girls, show an increased intake of palatable foods in several developmental stages, which likely contributes to their increased risk for obesity later. Recently, neuroimaging studies suggested that musical exposure activates the mesolimbic region, which is also involved in the processing of food rewards. AIMS: We evaluated the impact of musical intervention in mother/infant pairs on feeding behavior during childhood with regard to birth weight. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study. SUBJECTS: A total of 28 children exposed to a structured musical intervention in early life were invited for an anthropometric and nutritional evaluation, and were compared to a communitarian age-matched sample. OUTCOME MEASURES: A series of general linear models adjusted for socioeconomic status and maternal education were constructed to evaluate the interaction between music exposure, birth weight, and sex on the consumption of different types of foods, measured using a food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: There was an interaction between birth weight, sex, and musical intervention on the consumption of sugar during childhood (Wald=7.87, df=2, p=0.02); control participants consumed more sugar as birth weight decreased (B=-8.673, p<0.0001). No such effect was found for the girls exposed to musical intervention (B=3.352, p=0.15) or for boys (exposed B=2.870, p=0.44; non-exposed B=3.706, p=0.236). The absence of other effects suggests that this finding is specific for sweet foods. CONCLUSION: Early music intervention in mother/infant pairs may moderate the effects of IUGR on palatable food preference in girls.

Fatores de risco aos desfechos obstétricos e neonatais de mães adolescentes / Factores de riesgo para los resultados obstétricos y neonatales de las madres adolescentes / Risk factors for obstetric and neonatal outcomes of adolescent mothers

Objetivo: comparar os desfechos obstétricos e neonatais entre mães adolescentes e adultas. Método: estudo transversal desenvolvido com base nos dados do Sistema de Informações de Nascidos Vivos, comparando variáveis sociodemográficas, obstétricas e neonatais de mães adolescentes e adultas do Rio Grande do Sul, no período de 2010-2016. O teste Qui-quadrado avaliou associação estatística e foi estimada a razão de prevalência. Resultados: houve diferenças significativas entre mães de 10-14 anos e as dos demais estratos: prevalência de raça/cor preta ou parda (RP=1,53; IC95% 1,46-1,60), pré-natal inadequado (RP=1,89; IC95% 1,84-1,94), prematuridade (RP=1,35; IC95% 1,27-1,43), baixo peso ao nascer (RP=1,34; IC95% 1,25-1,43) e desempenho inferior no Apgar do 1º minuto (RP=5,68; IC95% 5,49-5,88). Conclusão: a prevalência de fatores de risco aos desfechos obstétricos e neonatais de adolescentes de 10-14 anos demanda avaliação criteriosa da saúde. A gravidez precoce na adolescência requer o acionamento de equipes interdisciplinares, redes familiares, socioassistenciais e de proteção sociojurídica.

Objective: to compare obstetric and neonatal outcomes among adolescent and adult mothers. Method: cross-sectional study based on data from the Sistema de Informações de Nascidos Vivos (Live Birth Information System) comparing socio-demographic, obstetric, and neonatal variables of adolescent and adult mothers from Rio Grande do Sul in the period 2010-2016. The Chi-square test evaluated statistical association and the prevalence ratio was estimated. Results: there were significant differences between mothers aged 10-14 and those from other strata: prevalence of black or brown-skinned race/color (PR=1.53; CI95% 1.46-1.60), inadequate prenatal care (PR=1.89; IC95% 1.84-1.94), prematurity (PR=1.35; CI95% 1.27-1.43), low birth weight (PR=1.34; IC95% 1.25-1.43) and lower performance in the 1st minute Apgar score (PR=5.68; IC95% 5.49-5.88). Conclusion: prevalence of risk factors for obstetric and neonatal outcomes of adolescents aged 10-14 requires careful health evaluation. Early pregnancy in adolescence requires the activation of interdisciplinary teams, and family, social assistance and socio-legal protection networks.

Objetivo: comparar los resultados obstétricos y neonatales entre las madres adolescentes y adultas. Método: estudio transversal basado en datos del Sistema de Información de Nacimientos Vivos comparando las variables sociodemográficas, obstétricas y neonatales de madres adolescentes y adultas de Rio Grande do Sul en el período 2010-2016. Se estimó la prueba de Chi-cuadrado la asociación estadística y la relación de prevalencia. Resultados: hubo diferencias significativas entre las madres de 10 a 14 años y las de los otros estratos: prevalencia de raza/color negro o marrón (RP-1,53; IC95% 1,46-1,60), atención prenatal inadecuada (RP-1,89; IC95% 1,84-1,94), prematuridad (RP-1.35; IC95% 1,27-1,43), bajo peso al nacer (RP-1,34; IC95% 1,25-1,43) y menor rendimiento en el primer minuto de Apgar (RP-5.68; IC95% 5,49-5,88). Conclusión: la prevalencia de factores de riesgo para los resultados obstétricos y neonatales de adolescentes de 10 a 14 años requiere una evaluación cuidadosa de la salud. El embarazo precoz en la adolescencia requiere la activación de equipos interdisciplinarios y redes de familiares, de asistencia social y de protección socio-jurídica.

Qualidade dos sistemas de informações sobre nascidos vivos e sobre mortalidade no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 2000 a 2014 / Quality of information systems on live births and mortality in Rio Grande do Sul, 2000 to 2014

Resumo O estudo avalia a qualidade do SIM e do SINASC nos aspectos cobertura, incompletitude e consistência, bem como a contribuição do "linkage" para a recuperação de dados. Foram analisados nascimentos e óbitos de menores de um ano ocorridos no Rio Grande do Sul entre 2000 e 2014. Os registros foram pareados por "linkage" determinístico através do número da DNV e, na ausência deste, por "linkage" probabilístico. A cobertura do SINASC aumentou 37%, passando de 72,2% em 2000 para 98,9%. O grau de incompletitude do SINASC foi excelente para todas as variáveis, exceto quantidade de filhos mortos e ocupação materna. No SIM, até 2003 a maioria das variáveis apresentou preenchimento ruim ou muito ruim. Apesar da melhoria, seis delas ainda possuíam preenchimento regular ou ruim em 2014. Após o "linkage", a incompletitude reduziu-se para grande parte das variáveis. Houve alta variabilidade quanto à consistência: sexo apresentou percentual superior a 97% em todo período, enquanto para outras cinco variáveis essa fração segue inferior a 75% em 2014. Destaca-se a alta cobertura e a excelente incompletitude do SINASC. Persistem problemas relacionados à consistência de informações. Evidencia-se a relevância do "linkage" como método para recuperar informações.

Abstract This study assesses the quality of the SIM and SINASC information systems in coverage, incompleteness and consistency aspects, as well as the contribution of the linkage for data retrieval. It includes all live births and infant deaths in Rio Grande do Sul from 2000 to 2014. The records were paired by deterministic linkage through the DNV number and, in its absence, by probabilistic linkage. SINASC's coverage rose from 72.2% in 2000 to 98.9%, namely a 37% increase in the number of matched records. All variables in SINASC presented excellent incompleteness throughout the period, except for the number of dead children and maternal occupation. SIM presented poor or very poor incompleteness for most of the variables until 2003. Although it improved, in 2014, six variables still presented regular or poor incompleteness. The linkage procedure greatly reduced the incompleteness for most variables. There was a great variability in terms of consistency: while for gender this percentage was over 97% throughout the period, for another five variables it was still less than 75% in 2014. SINASC presented high coverage level and excellent incompleteness. Problems related to consistency persist. This study shows the linkage technic efficiency to retrieve missing information.

Brazilian version of the Quality of Care Scale: the perspective of people with disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze evidence of the validity and reliability of a Brazilian Portuguese version of the Quality of Care Scale from the perspective of people with physical and intellectual disabilities. METHODS: There were 162 people with physical disabilities and 156 with intellectual disabilities from Porto Alegre and metropolitan region, who participated in the study in 2008. Classical psychometrics was used to independently analyze the two samples. Hypotheses for evidence of criterion validity (concurrent type) were tested with the Mann-Whitney test for non-normal distributions. Principal components analysis was used to explore factorial models. Evidence of reliability was calculated with Cronbach alpha for the scales and subscales. Test-retest reliability was analyzed for individuals with intellectual disabilities through intra-class correlation coefficient and the Willcoxon test. RESULTS: The principal components in the group with physical disabilities replicated the original model presented as a solution to the international project data. Evidence of discriminant validity and test-retest reliability was found. CONCLUSIONS: The transcultural factor model found within the international sample project seems appropriate for the samples investigated in this study, especially the physical disabilities group. Depression, pain, satisfaction with life and disability may play a mediating role in the evaluation of quality of care. Additional research is needed to add to evidence of the validity of the instruments.

Transgenerational effects of maternal care interact with fetal growth and influence attention skills at 18 months of age.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that there is an association between being born small for gestational age (SGA) and an increased risk of internalizing and externalizing problems, such as ADHD. Additionally, individuals who report having received a lower quality of maternal care show an increased prevalence of depression and anxiety, and they are generally worse caregivers of their offspring. Therefore, an interaction between the birth weight status and the quality of maternal care perceived by the mother could affect behavioral outcomes of the children. AIMS: Evaluate the influence of being born SGA and parental bonding, as perceived by the mother during her infancy, on the children's behavior at 18 months of age. STUDY DESIGN: Nested cross-sectional study within a Canadian prenatal cohort (MAVAN, Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment) recruited from 2003 to 2010. SUBJECTS: Data from 305 children who were evaluated at 18 months of age. OUTCOME MEASURES: Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire--ECBQ and Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment--ITSEA) were included. RESULTS: Children born SGA whose mothers reported low maternal care during her infancy (using the Parental Bonding Instrument--PBI) showed lower scores in the attentional set shifting trait (ECBQ, p=0.002) and attention construct (ITSEA, p=0.05) at 18 months of age. We also found that SGA increases decreases cuddliness (p=0.011) and poor perceived maternal care decreases low intensity pleasure (p=0.016) on the ECBQ. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a complex transgenerational transmission whereby mother's own care interacts with the fetal growth of her offspring to predict its attentional skills at 18 months of age.

Intrauterine growth restriction and the fetal programming of the hedonic response to sweet taste in newborn infants.

Intrauterine growth restriction is associated with increased risk for adult metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, which seems to be related to altered food preferences in these individuals later in life. In this study, we sought to understand whether intrauterine growth leads to fetal programming of the hedonic responses to sweet. Sixteen 1-day-old preterm infants received 24% sucrose solution or water and the taste reactivity was filmed and analyzed. Spearman correlation demonstrated a positive correlation between fetal growth and the hedonic response to the sweet solution in the first 15 seconds after the offer (r = 0.864, P = 0.001), without correlation when the solution given is water (r = 0.314, P = 0.455). In fact, the more intense the intrauterine growth restriction, the lower the frequency of the hedonic response observed. IUGR is strongly correlated with the hedonic response to a sweet solution in the first day of life in preterm infants. This is the first evidence in humans to demonstrate that the hedonic response to sweet taste is programmed very early during the fetal life by the degree of intrauterine growth. The altered hedonic response at birth and subsequent differential food preference may contribute to the increased risk of obesity and related disorders in adulthood in intrauterine growth-restricted individuals.

Attention, memory, visuoconstructive, and executive task performance in adolescents with anxiety disorders: a case-control community study / Desempenho em tarefas de atenção, memória, habilidades visuoconstrutivas e funções executivas em adolescentes com transtornos de ansiedade: um estudo comunitário caso-controle

Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess children and adolescents with mild and severe anxiety disorders for their performance in attention, verbal episodic memory, working memory, visuoconstructive skills, executive functions, and cognitive global functioning and conduct comparative analyses with the performance of children free from anxiety disorders. Methods: Our sample comprised 68 children and adolescents aged 10 to 17 years (41 with current diagnoses of anxiety disorders and 27 controls) selected from a larger cross-sectional community sample of adolescents. Children and adolescents with anxiety disorders were categorized into two groups on the basis of anxiety severity (mild or severe). All participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment battery to evaluate attention, verbal episodic memory, working memory, visuoconstructive skills, and executive and cognitive functions. Results: No differences were found in any neuropsychological tests, with the single exception that the group with mild anxiety had better performance on the Digit Span backward test compared to subjects with severe anxiety and to controls (p = 0.041; η2 = 0.11). Conclusions: Not only might anxiety disorders spare main cognitive functions during adolescence, they may even enhance certain working memory processes.

Resumo Objetivo: Este estudo objetivou avaliar crianças e adolescentes com transtornos de ansiedade leve e moderada nas funções neuropsicológicas de atenção, memória episódica verbal, memória de trabalho, habilidades visuoconstrutivas, funções executivas e cognição global, comparando o seu desempenho ao de crianças com desenvolvimento típico. Métodos: Participaram do estudo 68 crianças e adolescentes com idade de 10 a 17 anos (41 com diagnósticos clínicos atuais de transtornos de ansiedade e 27 controles), selecionados de uma amostra transversal mais ampla de adolescentes da comunidade. Os adolescentes com diagnóstico foram divididos ainda em dois grupos com base na gravidade dos transtornos (leve ou moderado). Todos os participantes realizaram uma avaliação neuropsicológica individual das funções de atenção, memória episódica verbal, memória de trabalho, habilidades visuoconstrutivas, funções executivas e cognição global. Resultados: Nenhum dos testes neuropsicológicas demonstrou diferenças significativas, sendo a única exceção a tarefa de span de dígitos ordem inversa, na qual o grupo com ansiedade leve apresentou desempenho superior ao do grupo com ansiedade moderada e também ao dos controles (p = 0.041; η2 = 0.11). Conclusão: Os resultados sugerem que não só os transtornos de ansiedade podem preservar as principais funções cognitivas durante a adolescência, mas que podem até melhorar certos processos de memória de trabalho.

Cesarean delivery is associated with an increased risk of obesity in adulthood in a Brazilian birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is epidemic worldwide, and increases in cesarean delivery rates have occurred in parallel. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether cesarean delivery is a risk factor for obesity in adulthood in a birth cohort of Brazilian subjects. DESIGN: We initiated a birth cohort study in Ribeirão Preto, southeastern Brazil, in 1978. A randomly selected sample of 2057 subjects from the original cohort was reassessed in 2002-2004. Type of delivery, birth weight, maternal smoking, and schooling were obtained after birth. The following data from subjects were collected at 23-25 y of age: body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)), physical activity, smoking, and income. Obesity was defined as a BMI ≥30. A Poisson multivariable model was performed to determine the association between cesarean delivery and BMI. RESULTS: The obesity rate in adults born by cesarean delivery was 15.2% and in those born by vaginal delivery was 10.4% (P = 0.002). Adults born by cesarean delivery had an increased risk (prevalence ratio: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.23, 2.02) of obesity at adulthood after adjustments. CONCLUSION: We hypothesize that increasing rates of cesarean delivery may play a role in the obesity epidemic worldwide.