Trends in the contribution of greenhouse gas emissions from food and beverage purchases in Mexico: 1989-2020.

BACKGROUND: Assessing the trends in dietary GHGE considering the social patterning is critical for understanding the role that food systems have played and will play in global emissions in countries of the global south. Our aim is to describe dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) trends (overall and by food group) using data from household food purchase surveys from 1989 to 2020 in Mexico, overall and by education levels and urbanicity. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from 16 rounds of Mexico's National Income and Expenditure Survey, a nationally representative survey. The sample size ranged from 11,051 in 1989 to 88,398 in 2020. We estimated the mean total GHGE per adult-equivalent per day (kg CO2-eq/ad-eq/d) for every survey year. Then, we estimated the relative GHGE contribution by food group for each household. These same analyses were conducted stratifying by education and urbanicity. RESULTS: The mean total GHGE increased from 3.70 (95%CI: 3.57, 3.82) to 4.90 (95% CI 4.62, 5.18) kg CO2-eq/ad-eq/d between 1989 and 2014 and stayed stable between 4.63 (95% CI: 4.53, 4.72) and 4.89 (95% CI: 4.81, 4.96) kg CO2-eq/ad-eq/d from 2016 onwards. In 1989, beef (19.89%, 95% CI: 19.18, 20.59), dairy (16.87%, 95% CI: 16.30, 17.42)), corn (9.61%, 95% CI: 9.00, 10.22), legumes (7.03%, 95% CI: 6.59, 7.46), and beverages (6.99%, 95% CI: 6.66, 7.32) had the highest relative contribution to food GHGE; by 2020, beef was the top contributor (17.68%, 95%CI: 17.46, 17.89) followed by fast food (14.17%, 95% CI: 13.90, 14.43), dairy (11.21%, 95%CI: 11.06, 11.36), beverages (10.09%, 95%CI: 9.94, 10.23), and chicken (10.04%, 95%CI: 9.90, 10.17). Households with higher education levels and those in more urbanized areas contributed more to dietary GHGE across the full period. However, households with lower education levels and those in rural areas had the highest increase in these emissions from 1989 to 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide insights into the food groups in which the 2023 Mexican Dietary Guidelines may require to focus on improving human and planetary health.

Digital marketing of commercial breastmilk substitutes and baby foods: strategies, and recommendations for its regulation in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Parents are exposed to breastmilk substitutes and baby foods marketing on the internet and social media, which hinders adequate breastfeeding and complementary feeding. This study identifies digital marketing strategies for breastmilk substitutes, specifically commercial milk formula and baby foods used by the industry to influence infant and young children's feeding practices in Mexico and proposes regulatory recommendations that can be useful for similar countries. METHODS: Qualitative study based on the CLICK monitoring framework developed by the World Health Organization, adapted for digital marketing of commercial milk formula and baby foods. Semi-structured interviews (n = 53) with key actors were conducted between November 2020 and March 2021, and used grounded theory for the analysis and interpretation with the MAXQDA 20 software. RESULTS: Commercial milk formula and baby food companies use digital media to contact and persuade parents to use their products by sending electronic newsletters with advertising. Companies hire influencers to market their products because there is no regulation prohibiting the advertisement of breastmilk substitutes on social media, and promote formula among health professionals inviting them to participate in sponsored webinars on infant nutrition, ignoring conflict of interest and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Parents trust formula and baby food advertisements, which use emotional messages and health and nutrition claims to encourage their consumption. Health professionals consider that claims contribute to the indiscriminate use of formula, and some actors propose the use of plain packaging for these products. CONCLUSIONS: Breastmilk substitutes companies promote their products in digital media using unethical strategies that fail to comply with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. They generate strong conflicts of interest with health professionals, taking advantage of legal framework gaps and the lack of monitoring and effective sanctions for non-compliers. Updating the legal framework and monitoring compliance, including digital media, is urgently needed to protect children's right to breastfeeding, healthy nutrition and life, and the rights of women to health and informed decision-making.

Acceso a servicios de salud prenatal y para primera infancia.

OBJETIVO: Conocer las prevalencias de acceso a servicios de salud maternoinfantil. Material y métodos. Se estimaron prevalencias e intervalos de confianza al 95% de acceso a servicios de salud prenatal de madres de niñas/os menores de dos años y de servicios de salud para niñas/os menores de cinco años. RESULTADOS: El 62.6, 82.8 y 95.8% de las madres de niñas/os menores de dos años reportaron control prenatal oportuno, adecuado y atención del parto por personal médico, respectivamente. El 90.2% de las madres recibieron suplementación con ácido fólico y 79.5% con hierro y otros micronutrientes durante el embarazo. El 18.4% de las niñas/os asistieron a ocho consultas del niño sano en el primer año de vida y 27.1% de las niñas/os menores de cinco años tiene evaluación de desarrollo infantil temprano. Conclusión. Los indicadores de atención de salud maternoinfantil son particularmente bajos. Debe fortalecerse el acceso a los servicios a nivel nacional.

Prácticas de alimentación infantil antes y después de la pandemia por Covid-19, Ensanut 2012 a 2022.

OBJETIVO: Describir la tendencia en las prácticas de alimentación infantil en México antes y después de la pandemia por Covid-19, usando datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (Ensanut) 2012, 2018-19, 2021 y 2022. Material y métodos. Población: mujeres 12-59 años y sus hijos/as < 24 meses. Se calcularon los indicadores de alimentación infantil según la Organización Mundial de la Salud 2021. Se realizaron modelos de regresión logística para analizar tendencias entre encuestas ajustando por variables sociodemográficas, considerando el diseño muestral. Se muestran las tendencias de lactancia materna (LM) y fórmula comercial infantil (FCI) por área urbano/rural y ocupación de la madre. RESULTADOS: La prevalencia ajustada de LM exclusiva en niñas/os menores de seis meses aumentó (14.8% en 2012; 28.6% en 2018-19 y 33.6% en 2021-22; p<0.001). El consumo de FCI en niñas/os < 12 meses se redujo de 62.8 a 42.8% entre 2012 y 2018-19 y permaneció en 43.3% en 2021-22 (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONES: Las prácticas de alimentación infantil mejoraron principalmente entre 2012 y 2018-19, y la tendencia positiva se desaceleró en 2021-22.

Prácticas de lactancia materna y alimentación complementaria en menores de dos años de edad en México.

OBJETIVO: Estimar prevalencias de indicadores de prácticas de alimentación infantil en menores de 24 meses en México. Material y métodos. Análisis de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición Continua 2021 y 2022 (Ensanut Continua 2021 y 2022) en mujeres de 14-59 años y sus hijos/as menores de 24 meses (<24 meses). Se calcularon los indicadores ajustando por diseño muestral de las encuestas. RESULTADOS: El 33.6% de niñas/os <6 meses recibió lactancia materna exclusiva (LME). El 27.2% de niñas/os <24 meses no recibió LME durante los primeros tres días de vida y fue alimentado con fórmula comercial infantil (FCI) u otro líquido. El 42% de niñas/os de entre 6 y 23 meses consumió alimentos no saludables. CONCLUSIONES: Las prácticas de alimentación infantil en México deben ser protegidas mediante políticas que regulen la comercialización de FCI y promuevan un entorno laboral, social y político propicio para la lactancia materna y el cuidado infantil, para que madres, padres y cuidadores puedan adoptar prácticas de lactancia y alimentación complementaria adecuadas.

Perceptions, knowledge, and practices of breastfeeding in indigenous regions of Mexico during Covid-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the perceptions, knowledge, and practices of breastfeeding in the context of Covid-19 of pregnant and postpartum women, midwives, and health providers in an indigenous region of Chiapas, Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Qualitative thematic analysis study involving semi-structured interviews (n = 46) with pregnant women (n = 19), postpartum women (n = 6), health providers (n = 10, i.e., doctors/nurses), and midwives (n = 11). RESULTS: Among mothers, 47% (n = 11) did not know if Covid-19 is transmitted through breastfeeding. They mentioned that they would stay away from their newborns if infected. Health providers and midwives have not received education or any supporting material on the value of breastfeeding during Covid-19 infection. CONCLUSION: Breastfeeding mothers' promotion and counseling remain poor in indigenous communities and have worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic. Breastfeeding training among health providers and midwives should be provided or strengthened even more in emergency situations.

Breastfeeding is associated with the intelligence of school-age children in Mexico.

Breastfeeding has been consistently associated with higher intelligence since childhood. However, this relation could be confounded due to maternal selection bias. We estimated the association between predominant breastfeeding and intelligence in school-age children considering potential selection bias and we simulated the intelligence gap reduction between low versus higher socioeconomic status children by increasing breastfeeding. We analysed predominant breastfeeding practices (breastmilk and water-based liquids) of children 0-3 years included in the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS-1). Intelligence was estimated as the z-score of the abbreviated Raven score, measured at 6-12 years in the MxFLS-2 or MxFLS-3. We predicted breastfeeding duration among children with censored data with a Poisson model. We used the Heckman selection model to assess the association between breastfeeding and intelligence, correcting for selection bias and stratified by socioeconomic status. Results show after controlling for selection bias, a 1-month increase in predominant breastfeeding duration was associated with a 0.02 SD increase in the Raven z-score (p < 0.05). The children who were predominantly breastfed for 4-6 months versus <1 month had 0.16 SD higher Raven z-score (p < 0.05). No associations were found using multiple linear regression models. Among low socioeconomic status children, increasing predominantly breastfeeding duration to 6 months would increase their mean Raven z-score from -0.14 to -0.07 SD and reduce by 12.5% the intelligence gap with high socioeconomic status children. In conclusion, predominant breastfeeding duration was significantly associated with childhood intelligence after controlling for maternal selection bias. Increased breastfeeding duration may reduce poverty-driven intelligence inequities.

Effect of a conditional cash transference program on food insecurity in Mexican households: 2012-2016.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effects of the social inclusion programme PROSPERA on food insecurity (FI) in Mexican households during 2012 and 2016. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental study using cross-sectional data from 2012 to 2016 National Household Income and Expenditure Survey - Socioeconomic Conditions Module (in Spanish, ENIGH-MCS). SETTING: Data were used from a 2012 sample of 56 888 Mexican households (representative of 31 206 819 households) and a 2016 sample of 70 263 Mexican households (representative of 33 445 353 households). Severity of FI was estimated with the Mexican Food Security Scale (in Spanish, EMSA). The statistical analysis estimated a differences in differences (DD) model weighted by propensity score to compare program beneficiary and non-beneficiary households in 2012 than in 2016. We estimated the effect on households with and without children (< 18 years of age). We also compared this model to a DD model without propensity score weighting. PARTICIPANTS: Mexican households. RESULTS: FI among all beneficiary households decreased 8·0pp as compared to non-beneficiary households over the study period. In beneficiary households with children, this decrease was 6·0pp and for beneficiary households without children, this decrease was 12·9pp (for all, P-value < 0·001). CONCLUSIONS: The PROSPERA program had a positive effect on FI reduction at the household level through increasing food access, which usually improves nutritional outcomes in vulnerable Mexican populations.

Diet cost and quality using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 in adults from urban and rural areas of Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between diet cost and quality by place of residence. DESIGN: We analysed cross-sectional data of the National Health and Nutrition Survey-2012. Diet cost was estimated by linking dietary data, obtained from a 7-d SFFQ, with municipality food prices, which were derived from a national expenditure survey. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015). Association between quintiles of diet cost and HEI-2015 was assessed using linear regression analysis. SETTINGS: Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: 2438 adults (18-59 years). RESULTS: Diet cost was positively associated with diet quality (HEI-2015) in urban but not in rural areas. Compared with quintile (Q1) of cost, the increment in diet quality score was 1·17 (95 % CI -0·06, 4·33) for Q2, 2·14 (95 % CI -0·06, 4·33) for Q3, 4·70 (95 % CI 2·62, 6·79) for Q4 and 6·34 (95 % CI 4·20, 8·49) for Q5 (P-trend < 0·001). Individuals in rural v. urban areas on average have higher quality diets at lower cost with higher intakes of whole grains and beans and lower intakes of Na, added sugars and saturated fats. Living in the South, being indigenous and having low socio-economic status were also associated with higher quality diets. CONCLUSIONS: Diet cost was positively associated with diet quality, but only in urban areas. Further studies are needed to understand the relation between diet cost and quality in rural areas. To improve overall diet quality in Mexico, strategies that aim to reduce the cost of high-quality diets should consider the heterogeneity by place of residence.

Evaluating the effect of the initiative 'Caring for the Newborn and the Mother at Home' in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: The WHO and UNICEF recommend home visits to improve health outcomes for mothers and newborns. We evaluated the effect of home visits by community volunteers during pregnancy and postpartum on breast-feeding practices, women's knowledge about benefits, beliefs and myths of breast-feeding, obstetric and neonatal warning signs, preparation for childbirth and initial care for newborns, and diarrhoea and respiratory diseases in children. DESIGN: Community quasi-experimental design. We estimated difference-in-difference models with fixed effects at the community level weighted by propensity score and investigated implementation barriers through focus groups and semi-structured interviews. SETTING: Poor rural communities in Mexico; 48 intervention and 29 control. PARTICIPANTS: Baseline and follow-up information were reported from two independent cross-sectional samples of women with babies aged between 6 and 18 months (baseline: 292 control, 320 intervention; follow-up: 292 control, 294 intervention). RESULTS: The intervention increased reports of exclusive breast-feeding in the first 6 months by 24·4 percentage points (pp) (95 % CI: 13·4, 35·4), mothers' knowledge of obstetric warning signs by 23·4 pp (95 % CI: 9·2, 37·5) and neonatal warning signs by 26·2 pp (95 % CI: 15·2, 37·2) compared to the control group. A non-linear dose-response relation with the number of home visits was found. Diarrhoea and respiratory diseases among children decreased in the intervention v. control group but were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Home visits should be implemented as a complementary strategy to the provision of prenatal and postnatal care in rural communities due to their potential positive effects on the health of mothers and their children.

Breastfeeding practices in Mexico: Results from the National Demographic Dynamic Survey 2006-2018.

Although actions have been taken to improve breastfeeding in Mexico, trends over the last decade and their associated factors have not been analysed. We estimated trends in breastfeeding practices at the national, rural/urban, and regional level indigenous ethnicity and socio-economic level, and their associated factors using the National Demographic Dynamics Survey (2006, 2009, 2014 and 2018). We assessed breastfeeding indicators of women with children <24 months according to The World Health Organization recommendations. Logistic regressions models of pooled data were used to estimate trends and associations with biological and sociodemographic characteristics. Between 2006 and 2018, the prevalence of ever breastfed increased from 91.8% to 94.2% (p < 0.001), whereas early initiation of breastfeeding increased from 40.8% to 59.7% (p < 0.001), with similar increments by urban/rural level. Between 2009 and 2018, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in children <6 months increased from 13.0% to 20.7% (p < 0.001). The largest increase was seen in Mexico City, in nonindigenous women and those with a high socio-economic status, whereas indigenous women and those from the South had the lowest or no improvements. Breastfeeding education during pregnancy [odds ratio (OR) 1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-1.5] was positively associated with exclusive breastfeeding, whereas being employed (OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.6-0.9) was negatively associated. Breastfeeding practices improved but are still far from recommendations. Implementing strategies like breastfeeding counselling and programmes and policies that promote and support breastfeeding for poor, indigenous, single and working mothers should be a priority for the government to ensure that all children have the best start in life.

Trends in the dietary patterns of Mexican adults by sociodemographic characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Sociodemographic characteristics are associated with the dietary patterns of populations. However, the direction of the association is not consistent among countries: it is contingent on the nutritional transition phase, level of economic development, cultural contexts and both the social and health policies prevailing in each country. The objective of this study was to identify the trends in dietary patterns observed in 2006, 2012 and 2016 among Mexican adults by sociodemographic characteristic. METHODS: To determine and compare dietary patterns, we performed a secondary analysis of dietary and sociodemographic data for adults 20-59 years old. Data were drawn from the 2006 and 2012 National Health and Nutrition Surveys (ENSANUTs) together with the 2016 Half-Way National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUTMC). To estimate the dietary patterns, we used an adapted version of the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and a quantile-based regression model to compare the HEI medians by sociodemographic characteristic. RESULTS: From 2006 to 2016, the quality of the diet of Mexican adults scored under 50 points on a scale of 0 to 100, markedly below the maximum scores for the majority of HEI-2015 components. Diet quality varied according to age, sex, socioeconomic status (SES), area (urban/rural) and region of residence, with the highest quality observed among older individuals (within the 40-59 age group), women, people of lower SES and residents of rural areas, particularly in southern Mexico. Although this trend remained constant overall throughout 2006, 2012 and 2016, specific HEI-2015 components showed an opposite trend by sociodemographic strata. CONCLUSION: The diet quality of Mexican adults was suboptimal from 2006 to 2016, with notorious disparities persisting over time among sociodemographic strata. Our results can serve as a basis for formulating recommendations on ways to improve the population diet, where those components diverging the most from adequate scores could be highlighted in public-health messages.

[Breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in Mexico: results from Ensanut 2018-19]. / Situación de las prácticas de lactancia materna y alimentación complementaria en México: resultados de la Ensanut 2018-19.

OBJECTIVE: To update the prevalence of infant and young child feeding indicators (IYCFI) in children under 24 months in Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ensanut 2018-19 national representative survey with probabilistic design. Popu-lation: Women 12-59 years and their children <24 months. The indicators proposed by the World Health Organization were assessed by sociodemographic variables of the mothers using the sample design. Wald's test was used to compare between categories. RESULTS: The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in children under six months was 28.3%, 42.9% of children under 12 months consumed infant formula and 29% continued breastfeeding at two years. Around 30% of children between 6 and 11 months did not meet the recom-mended minimum dietary diversity and only 49.4% consumed iron-rich foods. CONCLUSIONS: There are improvements in breastfeeding practices in Mexico, although the figures are low. The coordinated contribution from all sectors of society is required to improve infant feeding practices.

OBJETIVO: Actualizar prevalencias de indicadores de prác-ticas de lactancia materna y alimentación complementaria (PLMAC) en menores de 24 meses en México. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Análisis de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (Ensanut 2018-19) con diseño probabilístico. Po-blación: Mujeres 12-59 años y sus hijos <24 meses. Cálculo de indicadores propuestos por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) por variables sociodemográficas utilizando el diseño muestral. Se usó la prueba de Wald para comparar entre categorías. RESULTADOS: El 28.3% de los niños <6 meses recibió lactancia materna exclusiva (LME), 42.9% de los niños <12 meses consumió fórmula infantil y 29% continuó lactando a los dos años. Sólo 49.4% de los niños de 6-11 meses consumió alimentos ricos en hierro. CONCLUSIONES: Existen mejoras en las prácticas de lactancia materna, aunque las cifras siguen siendo bajas. Se requiere de la contribución de todos los sectores de la sociedad para mejorar las prácticas de alimentación infantil.

[Food security in Mexican households in poverty, and its association with access, availability and consumption]. / La seguridad alimentaria en los hogares en pobreza de México: una mirada desde el acceso, la disponibilidad y el consumo.

OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in the magnitude of food insecurity (FI) in Mexican households in poverty from 2012 to 2018 and to analyze the association of FI with the access, availability and consumption of food. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on 4 464 households were drawn from the Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición in Mexican localities under 100 000 inhabitants (Ensanut 100k). We measured FI according to the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale and analyzed food access and availability on the basis of food expenditures while consumption through dietary diversity among women. Using multiple logistic regression models, we estimated: the association between FI and expenditures for food groups, and the association between FI and dietary diversity. RESULTS: Moderate and severe FI remained stable at 43% from 2012 to 2018. Larger expenditures on sugar, oil and on eating out as well as meat and dairy products consumption were associated with a lower possibility of FI. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to integrate different dimensions of FI in order to reinforce its measurement and monitoring.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar cambios en la magnitud de la inseguridad alimentaria (IA) en hogares mexicanos en pobreza, en el periodo entre 2012 y 2018 y analizar la asociación entre IA y acceso, disponibilidad y consumo de alimentos. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se incluyó información de 4 464 hogares de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición en localidades de México con menos de 100 000 habitantes (Ensanut 100k). La IA se midió con la Escala Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Seguridad Alimentaria. El acceso y la disponibilidad se analizaron con gasto en alimentos, mientras que el consumo se analizó con la diversidad de la dieta en mujeres. Se estimó la asociación entre IA y gasto en alimentos y la asociación entre IA y diversidad de la dieta con modelos de regresión logística múltiple. RESULTADOS: La IA moderada y severa se mantuvo en 43% entre 2012 y 2018. Mayor gasto en azúcar, aceite y comida fuera de casa, así como el consumo de carnes y lácteos, se asociaron con menor posibilidad de IA. CONCLUSIONES: Es importante integrar distintas dimensiones de la IA para fortalecer su medición y monitoreo.

The burden of suboptimal breastfeeding in Mexico: Maternal health outcomes and costs.

Longer duration of breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, breast and ovarian cancer, myocardial infarction, and hypertension diseases in women. Mexico has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates worldwide; therefore, estimating the disease and economic burden of such rates is needed to influence public policy. We considered suboptimal breastfeeding when fewer than 95% of parous women breastfeed for less than 24 months per child, according to the World Health Organization recommendations. We quantified the lifetime excess cases of maternal health outcomes, premature death, disability-adjusted life years, direct costs, and indirect costs attributable to suboptimal breastfeeding practices from Mexico in 2012. We used a static microsimulation model for a hypothetical cohort of 100,000 Mexican women to estimate the lifetime economic cost and disease burden of type 2 diabetes, breast and ovarian cancer, myocardial infarction, and hypertension in mothers, due to suboptimal breastfeeding, compared with an optimal scenario of 95% of parous women breastfeeding for 24 months. We expressed cost in 2016 USD. We used a 3% discount rate and tested in sensitivity analysis 0% and 5% discount rates. We found that the 2012 suboptimal scenario was associated with 5,344 more cases of all analysed diseases, 1,681 additional premature deaths, 66,873 disability-adjusted life years, and 561.94 million USD for direct and indirect costs over the lifetime of a cohort of 1,116 million Mexican women. Findings suggest that investments in strategies to enable more women to optimally breastfeed could result in important health and cost savings.

Economic and disease burden of breast cancer associated with suboptimal breastfeeding practices in Mexico.

PURPOSE: Exclusive breastfeeding and longer breastfeeding reduce women's breast cancer risk but Mexico has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates worldwide. We estimated the lifetime economic and disease burden of breast cancer in Mexico if 95% of parous women breastfeed each child exclusively for 6 months and continue breastfeeding for over a year. METHODS: We used a static microsimulation model with a cost-of-illness approach to simulate a cohort of Mexican women. We estimated breast cancer incidence, premature mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), medical costs, and income losses due to breast cancer and extrapolated the results to 1.116 million Mexican women of age 15 in 2012. Costs were expressed in 2015 US dollars and discounted at a 3% annual rate. RESULTS: We estimated that 2,186 premature deaths (95% CI 2,123-2,248), 9,936 breast cancer cases (95% CI 9,651-10,220), 45,109 DALYs (95% CI 43,000-47,217), and $245 million USD (95% CI 234-256) in medical costs and income losses owing to breast cancer could be saved over a cohort's lifetime. Medical costs account for 80% of the economic burden; income losses and opportunity costs for caregivers account for 15 and 5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In Mexico, the burden of breast cancer due to suboptimal breastfeeding in women is high in terms of morbidity, premature mortality, and the economic costs for the health sector and society.

Price elasticity of the demand for soft drinks, other sugar-sweetened beverages and energy dense food in Chile.

BACKGROUND: Chile is the second world's largest per capita consumer of caloric beverages. Caloric beverages are associated with overweight, obesity and other chronic diseases. The objective of this study is to estimate the price elasticity of demand for soft drinks, other sugar-sweetened beverages and high-energy dense foods in urban areas in Chile in order to evaluate the potential response of households' consumption to changes in prices. METHODS: We used microdata from the VII Family Budget Survey 2012-2013, which collects information on expenditures made by Chilean urban households on items such as beverages and foods. We estimated a Linear Approximation of an Almost Ideal Demand System Model to derive own and cross price elasticities of milk, coffee, tea and other infusions, plain water, soft drinks, other flavored beverages, sweet snacks, sugar and honey, and desserts. We considered the censored nature of the data and included the Inverse Mills Ratio in each equation of the demand system. We estimated a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System and a two-part model as sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: We found an own price-elasticity of -1.37 for soft drinks. This implies that a price increase of 10% is associated with a reduction in consumption of 13.7%. We found that the rest of food and beverages included in the demand system behave as substitutes for soft drinks. For instance, plain water showed a cross-price elasticity of 0.63: a 10% increase in price of soft drinks could lead to an increase of 6.3% of plain water. Own and cross price elasticities were similar between models. CONCLUSIONS: The demand of soft drinks is price sensitive among Chilean households. An incentive system such as subsidies to non-sweetened beverages and tax to soft drinks could lead to increases in the substitutions for other healthier beverages.

A Food Transfer Program without a Formal Education Component Modifies Complementary Feeding Practices in Poor Rural Mexican Communities.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate complementary feeding partially explains micronutrient deficiencies in the first 2 y of life. To prevent malnutrition, the Mexican government implemented the Programa de Apoyo Alimentario (PAL), which transferred either food baskets containing micronutrient-fortified milk and animal food products or cash to beneficiary families along with educational sessions. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the impact of PAL on 2 indicators of complementary feeding: minimum dietary diversity and consumption of iron-rich or iron-fortified foods in children aged 6-23 mo. METHODS: A secondary analysis of the original PAL evaluation design was conducted through a randomized community trial implemented with 3 intervention groups (food basket with education, food basket without education, and cash transfer with education) and a control. The impact of PAL after 14 mo of exposure was estimated in 2 cross-sectional groups of children aged 6-23 mo at baseline and at follow-up in a panel of 145 communities by using difference-in-difference models. Only children who lived in households and communities that were similar between treatment groups at baseline were included in the analysis. These children were identified by using a propensity score. RESULTS: Of the 3 intervention groups, when compared with the control, only the food basket without education group component increased the consumption of iron-rich or iron-fortified foods by 31.2 percentage points (PP) (P < 0.01) and the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity by 21.6 PP (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that in order to improve dietary quality in children, food baskets that include fortified complementary foods may be more effective than cash transfers. The fact that the 2 food basket groups differed in the observed impact does not allow for more convincing conclusions to be made about the education component of the program. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01304888.

Association of diet quality and body mass index in Mexican adults: a pseudo-panel analysis.

Introduction: Introduction: most studies that analyze the relationship between diet quality and obesity have a cross-sectional design; an alternative with repeated cross-sectional data is a pseudo-panel design. Objective: to estimate the association between trends in dietary patterns, defined by a diet quality index, and body mass index (BMI) of Mexican adults between 2006 and 2016. Methodology: a pseudo-panel analysis was performed using data from cross-sectional surveys: National Health and Nutrition Surveys of Mexico (ENSANUTs) 2006 and 2012 and the Midway National Health and Nutrition Survey 2016 (ENSANUTMC). Cohorts (n = 108) were constructed by grouping adults 20-59 years old by sex (men n = 6,081 and women n = 11,404), education level, and year of birth. The association between diet quality (defined with the Healthy Eating Index-2015) and BMI was estimated using a fixed effects model, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: a one-point increase in the proportion of women with high diet quality was associated with 4.1 points lower BMI (p = 0.014) compared with women with low diet quality when excluding sub-reporters of energy, the same association is observed when physical activity is included in the model. No association was found between diet quality and BMI in men, possibly because of the existence of latent classes within sociodemographic strata, therefore diet qualiy is inversely associated with BMI only in some categories of sociodemographic strata. Conclusions: these results contribute to the evidence in the longitudinal analysis between diet and BMI, highlighting the importance of differentiating the population by sex and sociodemographic characteristics. These results are input for public policy creation that promotes improving the quality of the population's diet as part of multisectoral strategies to reduce overweight and obesity in Mexican adults.

Introducción: Introducción: muchos estudios que analizan la relación entre calidad de la dieta y obesidad son transversales; una alternativa con datos transversales repetidos es el diseño de pseudopanel. Objetivo: estimar la asociación entre patrones alimentarios definidos mediante un índice de calidad de la dieta y el índice de masa corporal (IMC) en adultos mexicanos entre 2006 y 2016. Metodología: se realizó un análisis de pseudopanel utilizando datos de las Encuestas Nacionales de Salud y Nutrición de México (ENSANUTs) de 2006 y 2012 y la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición de medio camino de 2016 (ENSANUTMC). Se construyeron cohortes (n = 108) agrupando datos de adultos entre 20 y 59 años, por sexo (hombres n = 6,081, mujeres n = 11,404), nivel de escolaridad y año de nacimiento. La asociación entre calidad de la dieta (definida mediante el Índice de Calidad de la Dieta 2015) y el IMC se estimó con un modelo de efectos fijos, ajustado por características sociodemográficas. Resultados: un aumento de 1 punto en la proporción de mujeres con calidad de dieta alta se asoció con 4,1 puntos menos de IMC (p = 0,014) comparado con las mujeres con calidad de dieta baja; al excluir a las subreportadoras de energía, la misma asociación se observó incluyendo la actividad física al modelo. No se encontró asociación entre calidad de dieta e IMC en los hombres, posiblemente debido a la existencia de subgrupos dentro de los estratos sociodemográficos, lo cual hace que la calidad de la dieta esté inversamente asociada al IMC solo en algunas categorías de los estratos. Conclusiones: estos resultados contribuyen a la evidencia longitudinal entre dieta e IMC, destacando la importancia de estratificar por sexo y características sociodemográficas. Los resultados son un ínsumo para crear políticas públicas que promuevan mejorar la calidad de la dieta como parte de estrategias multisectoriales para disminuir el sobrepeso y la obesidad en los adultos mexicanos.

Factors Affecting Anemia among Women of Reproductive Age in Mexico: A Mixed-Methods Country Case Study.

BACKGROUND: In Mexico, anemia prevalence among women of reproductive age (WRA) decreased from 16.4% in 2006 to 11.6% in 2012, only to increase to 18.3% in 2016. The factors associated with this fluctuation are uncertain. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic in-depth assessment of the quantitative and qualitative determinants of anemia among WRA in Mexico between 2006 and 2018. METHODS: Using multivariate stepwise linear regression, we analyzed Mexico's Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (ENSANUT) surveys from 2006, 2012, and 2018 to identify determinants of WRA anemia. We also conducted a review of anemia-relevant programs and policies, including financing documents, and conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders in Mexico. RESULTS: Among non-pregnant women (NPW) 15-49 years, mean hemoglobin (Hb) increased from 13.8 g/dL in 2006 to 14.0 g/dL in 2012, decreasing to 13.2 g/dL in 2018 (p<0.001). Inequities by geographical region and household wealth persisted throughout this period, with household wealth, urban residence and gravidity emerging as significant predictors of Hb among NPW. Qualitative analyses generally supported these findings. The most discussed program was Progresa-Oportunidades-Prospera (POP), where most resources for health were invested and most participants acknowledged that its cancellation in 2019 would lead to worsening in health and nutrition among the poor. Financing analyses showed a drop of funding for nutrition-related programs between 2014 and 2018. Cultural norms around gender roles were still prevalent, along with increasing rates of teenage pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Anemia prevention efforts need to refocus on poverty alleviation, continuity of adequate coverage and financing of nutrition programs, especially with safety nets, and increase in uptake of family planning, especially among adolescent girls.