RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Excessive consumption of sugar has a well-established link with obesity. Preliminary results show that a tax levied on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) by the Portuguese government in 2017 led to a drop in sales and reformulation of these products. This study models the impact the market changes triggered by the tax levied on SSBs had on obesity incidence across various age groups in Portugal. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We performed a national market analysis and population-wide modelling study using market data for the years 2014-2018 from the Portuguese Association of Non-Alcoholic Drinks (GlobalData and Nielsen Consumer Panel), dietary data from a national survey (IAN-AF 2015-2016), and obesity incidence data from several cohort studies. Dietary energy density from SSBs was calculated by dividing the energy content (kcal/gram) of all SSBs by the total food consumption (in grams). We used the potential impact fraction (PIF) equation to model the projected impact of the tax-triggered change in sugar consumption on obesity incidence, through both volume reduction and reformulation. Results showed a reduction of 6.6 million litres of SSBs sold per year. Product reformulation led to a decrease in the average energy density of SSBs by 3.1 kcal/100 ml. This is estimated to have prevented around 40-78 cases of obesity per year between 2016 and 2018, with the biggest projected impact observed in adolescents 10 to <18 years old. The model shows that the implementation of this tax allowed for a 4 to 8 times larger projected impact against obesity than would be achieved though reformulation alone. The main limitation of this study is that the model we used includes data from various sources, which can result in biases-despite our efforts to mitigate them-related to the methodological differences between these sources. CONCLUSIONS: The tax triggered both a reduction in demand and product reformulation. These, together, can reduce obesity levels among frequent consumers of SSBs. Such taxation is an effective population-wide intervention. Reformulation alone, without the decrease in sales, would have had a far smaller effect on obesity incidence in the Portuguese population.
Assuntos
Comércio , Comportamento do Consumidor , Obesidade Infantil/prevenção & controle , Bebidas Adoçadas com Açúcar/efeitos adversos , Bebidas Adoçadas com Açúcar/economia , Impostos , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribuição por Idade , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Ingestão de Energia , Humanos , Incidência , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos Teóricos , Valor Nutritivo , Obesidade Infantil/diagnóstico , Obesidade Infantil/epidemiologia , Portugal/epidemiologia , Fatores de Proteção , Fatores de Risco , Fatores de Tempo , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To model the reduction in premature deaths attributed to noncommunicable diseases if targets for reformulation of processed food agreed between the Portuguese health ministry and the food industry were met. METHODS: The 2015 co-regulation agreement sets voluntary targets for reducing sugar, salt and trans-fatty acids in a range of products by 2021. We obtained government data on dietary intake in 2015-2016 and on population structure and deaths from four major noncommunicable diseases over 1990-2016. We used the Preventable Risk Integrated ModEl tool to estimate the deaths averted if reformulation targets were met in full. We projected future trends in noncommunicable disease deaths using regression modelling and assessed whether Portugal was on track to reduce baseline premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases in the year 2010 by 25% by 2025, and by 30% before 2030. FINDINGS: If reformulation targets were met, we projected reductions in intake in 2015-2016 for salt from 7.6 g/day to 7.1 g/day; in total energy from 1911 kcal/day to 1897 kcal/day due to reduced sugar intake; and in total fat (% total energy) from 30.4% to 30.3% due to reduced trans-fat intake. This consumption profile would result in 248 fewer premature noncommunicable disease deaths (95% CI: 178 to 318) in 2016. We projected that full implementation of the industry agreement would reduce the risk of premature death from 11.0% in 2016 to 10.7% by 2021. CONCLUSION: The co-regulation agreement could save lives and reduce the risk of premature death in Portugal. Nevertheless, the projected impact on mortality was insufficient to meet international targets.
Assuntos
Dieta , Indústria Alimentícia/legislação & jurisprudência , Mortalidade Prematura/tendências , Doenças não Transmissíveis/mortalidade , Humanos , Portugal/epidemiologia , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To describe the implementation, main intervention areas and initial results of the Integrated Strategy for the Promotion of Healthy Eating (EIPAS) in Portugal. METHODS: EIPAS was published as a Law, in December of 2017, as a result of a collaboration between several ministries, including the Finance, Internal Affairs, Education, Health, Economy, Agriculture, and Sea Ministries, aiming at improving the dietary habits of the Portuguese population. The working group, led by the Ministry of Health, developed this strategy for over a year. The framework produced was based on WHO and European Commission recommendations as well as on relevant data from the last Portuguese dietary intake survey (2015/2016). EIPAS also reflects the results of a public hearing, including the food industry, among others, and the experience gathered, since 2012, through the National Programme for the Promotion of Healthy Eating. It considers the 'health in all policies' challenge set by WHO and has four different strategic areas, namely (1) creation of healthier food environments, (2) improvement of the quality and accessibility of healthy food choices for consumers, (3) promotion and development of literacy, in order to encourage healthy food choices, and (4) promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship. In order to achieve these goals, a set of 51 actions was established and assigned to the seven ministries involved. RESULTS: Under the scope of this strategy, Portugal has already implemented several actions, including (1) definition of standards for food availability at all public healthcare institutions; (2) implementation of a sugar tax on sweetened beverages; (3) implementation of a voluntary agreement with the food industry sector for food reformulation (work in progress); (4) design of a proposal for an interpretative model of front-of-pack food labelling; (5) improvement of the nutritional quality of food aid programmes for low-income groups; and (6) regulation of marketing of unhealthy foods to children. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, Portugal has a nutrition policy based on the WHO concept of 'health in all policies' and on the national data on food intake. The implementing process of all 51 actions and the inherent complexities and difficulties found so far have made this process be an authentic political and social laboratory that deserves to be followed.
Assuntos
Dieta Saudável , Comportamento Alimentar , Órgãos Governamentais , Promoção da Saúde/métodos , Política Nutricional , Adulto , Bebidas , Criança , Açúcares da Dieta , Assistência Alimentar , Indústria Alimentícia , Rotulagem de Alimentos , Regulamentação Governamental , Humanos , Marketing , Valor Nutritivo , Saúde Pública , ImpostosRESUMO
Vertical integration models aim for the integration of services from different levels of care (e.g., primary, and secondary care) with the objective of increasing coordination and continuity of care as well as improving efficiency, quality, and access outcomes. This paper provides a view of the Portuguese National Health Service (NHS) healthcare providers' vertical integration, operationalized by the Portuguese NHS Executive Board during 2023 and 2024. This paper also aims to contribute to the discussion regarding the opportunities and constraints posed by public healthcare organizations vertical integration reforms. The Portuguese NHS operationalized the development and generalization of Local Health Units management model throughout the country. The same institutions are now responsible for both the primary care and the hospital care provided by public services in each geographic area, in an integrated manner. This 2024 reform also changed the NHS organic and organizational structures, opening paths to streamline the continuum of care. However, it will be important to ensure adequate monitoring and support, with the participation of healthcare services as well as community structures and other stakeholders, to promote an effective integration of care.
Assuntos
Prestação Integrada de Cuidados de Saúde , Reforma dos Serviços de Saúde , Programas Nacionais de Saúde , Portugal , Humanos , Programas Nacionais de Saúde/organização & administração , Prestação Integrada de Cuidados de Saúde/organização & administração , Medicina Estatal/organização & administração , Atenção Primária à Saúde/organização & administração , Continuidade da Assistência ao PacienteRESUMO
Health misinformation, most visibly following the COVID-19 infodemic, is an urgent threat that hinders the success of public health policies. It likely contributed, and will continue to contribute, to avoidable deaths. Policymakers around the world are being pushed to tackle this problem. Legislative acts have been rolled out or announced in many countries and at the European Union level. The goal of this paper is not to review particular legislative initiatives, or to assess the impact and efficacy of measures implemented by digital intermediaries, but to reflect on the high constitutional and ethical stakes involved in tackling health misinformation through speech regulation. Our findings suggest that solutions focused on regulating speech are likely to encounter significant constraints, as policymakers grasp with the limitations imposed by freedom of expression and ethical considerations. Solutions focused on empowering individuals - such as media literacy initiatives, fact-checking or credibility labels - are one way to avoid such hurdles.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Humanos , União Europeia , Política Pública , Comunicação , LiberdadeRESUMO
Background: Excessive salt consumption-associated with a range of adverse health outcomes-is very high in Portugal, and bread is the second largest source. Current Portuguese legislation sets a maximum limit of 1.4 g salt per 100 g bread, but imported and traditional breads are exempted. In 2017 the Ministry of Health proposed reducing the salt threshold to 1.0/100 g by 2022, however the legislation was vetoed by the European Commission on free-trade grounds. Aims: To estimate the health impact of subjecting imported and traditional breads to the current 1.4 g threshold, and to model the potential health impact of implementing the proposed 1.0 g threshold. Methods: We gathered bread sales, salt consumption, and epidemiological data from robust publicly available data sources. We used the open source WHO PRIME modeling tool to estimate the number of salt-related deaths that would have been averted in 2016 (the latest year for which all data were available) from; (1) Extending the 1.4 g threshold to all types of bread, and (2) Applying the 1.0 g threshold to all bread sold in Portugal. We used Monte Carlo simulations to generate confidence intervals. Results: Applying the current 1.4 g threshold to imported and traditional bread would have averted 107 deaths in 2016 (95% CI: 43-172). Lowering the current threshold from 1.4 to 1.0 g and applying it to all bread products would reduce daily salt consumption by 3.6 tons per day, saving an estimated 286 lives a year (95% CI: 123-454). Conclusions: Salt is an important risk factor in Portugal and bread is a major source. Lowering maximum permissible levels and removing exemptions would save lives. The European Commission should revisit its decision on the basis of this new evidence.
Assuntos
Pão , Cloreto de Sódio na Dieta , Portugal/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Several studies have identified Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels (FoPLs) as a promising strategy to improve the nutritional quality of consumers' food choices and encourage manufacturers to offer healthier products. This study aims to fill the evidence gap regarding the most effective FoPL among the Portuguese population. In total, 1059 Portuguese participants were recruited through a web panel provider and asked to declare their intended food choices and to rank three sets of products (pizza, cakes and breakfast cereals) according to their nutritional quality, first in the absence of any labelling, and then with a FoPL displayed on-pack (five FoPLs tested). Finally, participants were asked to answer nine statements related to perceptions of FoPLs. Results showed that participants improved their food choices, depending on the FoPL and the food category. All FoPLs led to a higher percentage of correct responses on the ranking task compared to the no label condition. The Nutri-Score was among the FoPLs producing the greatest improvement across all food categories compared to the reference intakes (OR = 6.45 [4.43-9.39], p-value < 0.0001) and facilitating the highest percentage to correctly rank products according to nutritional quality. This study suggests that, among the available options, Nutri-Score is the most efficient FoPL to inform Portuguese consumers of the nutritional quality of foods and help them identify healthier options in mock purchasing situations.
Assuntos
Comportamento do Consumidor/estatística & dados numéricos , Dieta Saudável/psicologia , Rotulagem de Alimentos/métodos , Preferências Alimentares/psicologia , Valor Nutritivo , Adolescente , Adulto , Comportamento de Escolha , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Portugal , Recomendações Nutricionais , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Most countries have endorsed WHO non-communicable disease (NCD) best buy policies, but we know very little about global implementation patterns and about the geopolitical factors affecting implementation. We aimed to assess global implementation based on analysis of multiple geopolitical datasets. METHODS: We used the 2015 and 2017 WHO NCD progress monitor reports to calculate aggregate implementation scores for 151 countries, based on their implementation of 18 WHO-recommended NCD policies. We ranked all countries and used descriptive statistics to analyse global trends. We used linear regression to assess the associations between policy implementation and World Bank geographic region, risk of premature NCD mortality, percentage of all deaths caused by NCDs, World Bank income group, human capital index, democracy index, and tax burden. FINDINGS: In 2017, the mean NCD policy implementation score was 49·3% (SD 18·4%). Costa Rica and Iran had the joint-highest implementation scores (86·1% of all WHO-recommended policies). Scores were lowest in Haiti and South Sudan (5·5%). Between 2015 and 2017, aggregate implementation scores rose in 109 countries and regressed in 32 countries. Mean implementation rose for all of the 18 policies except for those targeting alcohol and physical activity. The most commonly implemented policies were clinical guidelines, graphic warnings on tobacco packaging, and NCD risk factor surveys. Our multiple linear regression model explained 61·1% of the variance in 2017 aggregate scores (p<0·0001), but we found evidence of a high degree of collinearity between the explanatory variables. INTERPRETATION: Implementation of WHO-recommended NCD policies is increasing over time. On average, countries implemented just under half of the NCD policies recommended by WHO in 2017. Nutrition-related policies saw gains, while those related to alcohol and physical activity were the most likely to have been dropped. Aggregate implementation scores tended to be highest in high-income countries that invest in health care and education. FUNDING: National Institute for Health Research, Imperial College London, University of Oxford.
Assuntos
Saúde Global/normas , Guias como Assunto , Política de Saúde , Doenças não Transmissíveis/prevenção & controle , Formulação de Políticas , Humanos , Organização Mundial da SaúdeRESUMO
The World Health Organization highlights fiscal policies as priority interventions for the promotion of healthy eating in its Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. The taxation of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) in particular is noted to be an effective measure, and SSBs taxes have already been implemented in several countries worldwide. However, although the evidence base suggests that this will be effective in helping to combat rising obesity rates, opponents of SSBs taxation argue that it is illiberal and paternalistic, and therefore should be avoided. Bioethical analysis may play an essential role in clarifying whether policymakers should adopt SSBs taxes as part of wider obesity strategy. In this article we argue that no single ethical theory can account for the complexities inherent in obesity prevention strategy, especially the liberal theories relied upon by opponents of SSBs taxation. We contend that a pluralist approach to the ethics of SSBs taxation must be adopted as the only suitable way of accounting for the multiple overlapping, and sometimes, conflicting factors that are relevant to determining the moral acceptability of such an intervention.
Assuntos
Bebidas Adoçadas com Açúcar , Bebidas/efeitos adversos , Humanos , Obesidade/prevenção & controle , Saúde Pública , ImpostosRESUMO
High sodium (salt) consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases. However, in most European countries, Portugal included, sodium intake is still high. This study aimed to assess the sodium content of school meals before and after the Eat Mediterranean (EM) intervention-a community-based program to identify and correct nutritional deviations through the implementation of new school menus and through schools' food handlers training. EM (2015-2017) was developed in 25 schools (pre to secondary education) of two Portuguese Municipalities, reaching students aged 3-21 years old. Samples of the complete meals (soup + main course + bread) from all schools were collected, and nutritional quality and laboratory analysis were performed to determine their nutritional composition, including sodium content. Overall, there was a significant decrease (-23%) in the mean sodium content of the complete school meals, which was mainly achieved by the significant reduction of 34% of sodium content per serving portion of soup. In conclusion, EM had a positive effect on the improvement of the school meals' sodium content, among the participant schools. Furthermore, school setting might be ideal for nutrition literacy interventions among children, for flavors shaping, and for educating towards less salty food acceptance.
Assuntos
Dieta Mediterrânea , Dieta Hipossódica/métodos , Serviços de Alimentação , Serviços de Saúde Escolar , Sódio na Dieta/análise , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Implementação de Plano de Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Refeições , Planejamento de Cardápio , Política Nutricional , Necessidades Nutricionais , Valor Nutritivo , Portugal , Avaliação de Programas e Projetos de Saúde , Instituições Acadêmicas , Adulto JovemRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: There is a high heterogeneity in the structure of postgraduate medical training evaluation worldwide. However, in contrast to other countries, there have been no scientific studies of the final medical board examination, in Portugal. The present study aimed to evaluate the adequacy of the medical board examination including its validity as measured by its association with medical school grade average and national seriation examination. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional, observational study. We analyzed the final results on the medical board examination of 2439 physicians, across 47 specialties, who completed their training in 2016 and 2017, using measures of central tendency and variability. We assessed the association between these grades and the national exam to initiate residency, and the grade average in Medical School. RESULTS: Measures of central tendency and variability, and consequent shape measures, revealed that the distribution of the scores of the final medical board exam is extremely negatively asymmetric and leptokurtic. A positive association was also found between the results in this exam and the score on national exam to initiate residency, and the grade average in Medical School. CONCLUSION: Although the medical board examination was, in general, positively associated with scores on the national exam to initiate residency, and the mean final Medical School grades, thus indicating its potential validity, our results demonstrate that this exam presents no satisfactory discriminative capacity. Therefore, there is room to improve the actual postgraduate medical examination model, including changes in its classification system and potentially consider other assessment models.
Introdução: Existe uma elevada heterogeneidade na estrutura da avaliação da formação médica pós-graduada a nível mundial. No entanto, contrastando com outros países, não existem estudos científicos em Portugal que tenham avaliado o modelo da avaliação final da especialidade. O presente estudo pretendeu avaliar a adequação do exame do final da especialidade aos seus propósitos; aí incluída a sua validade enquanto consubstanciada na relação com a prova nacional de seriação e média final de curso de medicina. Material e Métodos: Estudo transversal, observacional. Foram analisadas com recurso a medidas de tendência central e variabilidade, as notas na avaliação final da especialidade de 2439 médicos, de 47 especialidades, que terminaram a sua formação em 2016 e 2017. Tendo em vista a sua validação cruzada, foram também avaliadas as correlações com a média final de curso e a nota na prova nacional de seriação. Resultados: Das medidas de tendência central e variabilidade, e consequentes medidas de formato, resulta que a distribuição das pontuações do exame final de especialidade se apresenta com uma forma manifestamente assimétrica negativa e leptocúrtica. No geral, verificou-se a existência de uma associação positiva entre a avaliação final da especialidade e a média de curso e a prova nacional de seriação. Conclusão: Apesar de positivamente associado, no geral, com a média de curso e a prova nacional de seriação, o que indica a sua potencial validade, os resultados demonstram que a avaliação final de especialidade não apresenta uma capacidade discriminativa satisfatória. Deste modo, existe oportunidade para melhoria do modelo atual, nomeadamente através da alteração ao seu sistema de classificação e considerando outros modelos de exame.