Patient dissatisfaction associated with physician-patient linguistic discordance in California clinics: an analytical cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction is considered as a product of two psychological processes, a cognitive one, including expectations and perceptions, and an emotional one resulting from the congruence between expectation and subjective perception of the user. The objective was to identify the factors associated with the level of perceived satisfaction in patients treated in 36 nonprofit health clinics that offer comprehensive health care services in four counties in the state of California, United States. METHODS: Cross-sectional analytical study in 14 clinics in four California counties. It consisted of the application of a 30-item questionnaire to determine the degree of patient satisfaction with the clinic. The factorial composition of the quality of care and clinic quality components was analyzed and two factors with an Eigen value greater than 1 were obtained. RESULTS: A total of 846 responses were registered. Factor analysis identified two underlying dimensions: Physician Attitude and Empathy. It was found that the discordance in language between the physician and the patient generates a difference in the perception of satisfaction. Patients who prefer to speak English have better satisfaction than those who speak Spanish. Spanish speakers who do not have interpreter have lower satisfaction than those who do (p < 0,01). CONCLUSIONS: The most important sociodemographic cofactor was language. Satisfaction decreased in Spanish-speaking patients who were not proficient in the use of English since they expressed fewer comments and doubts.

The burden of cardiovascular disease in Mexico 1990-2021. Summary of the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of mortality, with economic implications for the health system. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the burden of CVD in Mexico from 1990 to 2021 based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, to address the burden of health and disease, its implications for public health and for the development of the health care system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: CVD mortality in Mexico is described, and the extent to which population growth and aging explain the observed trends, sex differences, and geographic patterns is examined. RESULTS: CVD is the leading cause of mortality, mainly due to hypertensive heart disease, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke. A change of trend was observed in men and women, with higher mortality in people older than 80 years and in the northern states of the country. CONCLUSIONS: Mexico must invest in public health programs to address modifiable risks, promote healthy aging, and reduce premature death due to CVD.

ANTECEDENTES: La enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV) es una causa importante de mortalidad, con implicaciones económicas para el sistema de salud. OBJETIVO: Caracterizar la carga de ECV en México de 1990 a 2021 con base en el estudio Global Burden of Disease (GBD), para abordar la carga de salud y enfermedad, sus implicaciones en la salud pública y el desarrollo del sistema de atención médica. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se describe la mortalidad de las ECV en México y se examina en qué medida el crecimiento y el envejecimiento de la población explican las tendencias, las diferencias por sexo y los patrones geográficos. RESULTADOS: Las ECV representan la primera causa de mortalidad, principalmente por cardiopatía hipertensiva, hemorragia intracerebral, hemorragia subaracnoidea, cardiopatía isquémica y accidente cerebrovascular isquémico. Se observó un cambio de tendencia en hombres y mujeres, mayor mortalidad en mayores de 80 años y en estados del norte del país. CONCLUSIONES: México debe invertir en programas de salud pública para abordar los riesgos modificables, promover el envejecimiento saludable y reducir la muerte prematura por ECV.

[Historical overview of acute infectious diarrhea in Mexico and future preventive strategies]. / Panorama histórico de la enfermedad diarreica aguda en México y el futuro de su prevención.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological aspects of AID through Mexican history and the potential strategies to pre- vent AID in Mexican population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review was performed exploring the key words, diarrhea, morbidity, mortality, Mexico, health promotion for the last 20 years (1978-2018). RESULTS: Over 8 600 articles were obtained; all of them were evaluated to consider those follow the aim of the present work. CONCLUSIONS: The result of the performed systematic review denoted the influence of AID in Mexican public health policy; the adopted actions diminished the AID's associated risks and allowed future strategies to prevent it; those actions must include hygienic and dietetic measures, pharmaceutical innovations and technological tools applied to health policies.

OBJETIVO: Revisar los aspectos epidemiológicos de la enfermedad diarreica aguda (EDA) a través de la historia de México y analizar las estrategias que potencialmente podrán prevenir su aparición en la población mexicana. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó una búsqueda sistematizada utilizando los siguientes descriptores de las ciencias de la salud: diarrea, morbilidad, mortalidad, México y promoción de la salud de los últimos 20 años (1878-2018). RESULTADOS: Se obtuvieron más de 8 600 artículos que fueron evaluados en función de los objetivos de la presente publicación. CONCLUSIONES: Como resultado de una revisión sistemática se observó que, gracias a las estrategias implementadas a lo largo del tiempo, se ha logrado graduar los matices de riesgo de la EDA; ello permite ahora plantear estrategias que guiarán a la prevención de ese padecimiento, de la mano de políticas que incluyan aspectos higiénico-dietéticos, innovaciones farmacéuticas y aplicaciones tecnológicas en medidas sanitarias.

[Assessing illicit drugs in wastewater: a pilot study in Mexico]. / Medición de drogas ilícitas en aguas residuales: estudio piloto en México.

OBJECTIVE: Monitor drug use through wastewater metabolite measurement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wastewater samples were obtained from 31 wastewater treatment plants and 95 sites with specific populations (38 schools, 42 units of addiction treatment and 15 penitentiaries). Using ultra high liquid chromatography, we measured nine metabolites from six drugs. RESULTS: Eight out of nine drug metabolites were identified in the samples. Marijuana (THC-COOH), cocaine (benzoylecgonine) and methamphetamine were identified in schools, centers of addiction treatment and penitentiaries. Nuevo Laredo, Culiacan and Torreon had the highest consumption of cocaine, marijuana, amphetamine and methamphetamine. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring drug use through wastewater is feasible in Mexico and could constitute a surveillance system to identify changes in the time.

OBJECTIVE: Monitorear el consumo de drogas a través de la medición de sus metabolitos en aguas residuales. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Se obtuvieron muestras de 31 plantas de tratamiento de agua residual y de 95 sitios con poblaciones específicas (38 escuelas, 42 unidades de tratamiento de adicciones y 15 centros de readaptación social). Usando cromatografía líquida de ultra-alta resolución, se midieron nueve metabolitos de seis drogas. RESULTS: Ocho de nueve metabolitos de drogas fueron identificados en aguas residuales. Los metabolitos de marihuana (THC-COOH), cocaína (benzoilecgonina) y metanfetamina fueron identificados en escuelas, centros de readaptación social y de tratamiento de adicciones. En Nuevo Laredo, Culiacán y Torreón se encontraron los consumos per cápita más elevados de cocaína, marihuana, anfetamina y metanfetamina. CONCLUSIONS: El monitoreo del uso de drogas a través de aguas residuales es factible en México y podría constituir un sistema de vigilancia para identificar cambios de su consumo en el tiempo.

Effect of Omicron on the prevalence of COVID-19 in international travelers at the Mexico city international airport. December 16th, 2021 to January 31st, 2022.

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2 continues to have a high rate of contagion worldwide. The new variant of concern, Omicron, has mutations that decrease the effectiveness of vaccines and evade antibodies from previous infections resulting in a fourth wave of the pandemic. It was identified in Mexico in December 2021. METHODS: The Traveler's Preventive Care Clinic from the Faculty of Medicine UNAM at Mexico City International Airport has performed rapid antigen and PCR SARS CoV2 tests since January 2021 to comply with the new travel requirements. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected from each passenger and the fourth wave of the pandemic in Mexico mainly caused by Omicron was analyzed in the travelers. RESULTS: A total of 5176 travelers attended the clinic between the second half of December 2021 and January 2022. Ten percent of all the tests performed were positive (13% of PCR and 9.3% of antigens, p = 0.001). Most of the SARS CoV2 positive cases were asymptomatic (78%), with a ratio of 3.5:1 over the symptomatic. By age groups, this ratio was higher for those under 20 years old (8.7:1). DISCUSSION: This study shows the rapid escalation of positivity that occurred in Mexico, detected in travelers, from the second half of December 2020 and throughout the month of January 2021. The incidence of COVID-19 was extremely high in travelers who were mostly asymptomatic for the period under study.

The relationship between remittances and health care provision in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: We examined whether remittances sent from the United States to Mexico were used to access health care in Mexico. METHODS: Data were from a 2006 survey of 2 localities in the municipal city of Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. We used logistic regression to determine whether household remittance expenditure on health care was associated with type of health insurance coverage. RESULTS: Individuals who lacked insurance coverage or who were covered by the Seguro Popular program were significantly more likely to reside in households that spend remittances on health care than were individuals covered by an employer-based insurance program. CONCLUSIONS: Improving the coverage and quality of care within Mexico's health care system will help ensure that remittances serve as a complement, and not a substitute, to formal access to care.

La carga de enfermedades cardiovasculares en México, 1990-2021. Un resumen del estudio Global Burden of Disease 2021 / The burden of cardiovascular disease in Mexico 1990-2021. Summary of the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study

Resumen Antecedentes: La enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV) es una causa importante de mortalidad, con implicaciones económicas para el sistema de salud. Objetivo: Caracterizar la carga de ECV en México de 1990 a 2021 con base en el estudio Global Burden of Disease (GBD), para abordar la carga de salud y enfermedad, sus implicaciones en la salud pública y el desarrollo del sistema de atención médica. Material y métodos: Se describe la mortalidad de las ECV en México y se examina en qué medida el crecimiento y el envejecimiento de la población explican las tendencias, las diferencias por sexo y los patrones geográficos. Resultados: Las ECV representan la primera causa de mortalidad, principalmente por cardiopatía hipertensiva, hemorragia intracerebral, hemorragia subaracnoidea, cardiopatía isquémica y accidente cerebrovascular isquémico. Se observó un cambio de tendencia en hombres y mujeres, mayor mortalidad en mayores de 80 años y en estados del norte del país. Conclusiones: México debe invertir en programas de salud pública para abordar los riesgos modificables, promover el envejecimiento saludable y reducir la muerte prematura por ECV.

Abstract Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of mortality, with economic implications for the health system. Objective: To characterize the burden of CVD in Mexico from 1990 to 2021 based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, to address the burden of health and disease, its implications for public health and for the development of the health care system. Material and methods: CVD mortality in Mexico is described, and the extent to which population growth and aging explain the observed trends, sex differences, and geographic patterns is examined. Results: CVD is the leading cause of mortality, mainly due to hypertensive heart disease, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke. A change of trend was observed in men and women, with higher mortality in people older than 80 years and in the northern states of the country. Conclusions: Mexico must invest in public health programs to address modifiable risks, promote healthy aging, and reduce premature death due to CVD.

Seroprevalence of dengue in school children in Mexico ages 6-17 years, 2016.

Background: Dengue is the most important arboviral disease in the world. Seroprevalence has been proposed as a marker of endemicity, however, studies are scarce. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, stratified cluster, random sample study to measure the seroprevalence of antibodies to dengue virus (DENV) in Mexico. The target population was school children ages 6-17 y from 22 endemic states in Mexico, clustered in four regions: Pacific, South-Central, Southeast and Low. Results: A total of 2134 subjects provided blood samples for immunoglobulin G antibody detection in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Overall, the seroprevalence of antibodies against DENV was 33.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 27.5 to 40.1). The Southeast had the highest regional seroprevalence, reaching 70.9% (95% CI 60.3 to 79.7). Seroprevalence was higher in older children in the Southeast region: 62.1% (95% CI 46.9 to 75.2) in children 6-8 y and 82.6% (95% CI 73.8 to 88.9) in 13-17 years old (y). However, this was not consistent in all regions. Seroprevalence was associated with dengue incidence. Conclusions: DENV seroprevalence in Mexico was found to be heterogeneous at the country, regional and state levels. Seroprevalence was linked to long-term exposure and did not adequately reflect recent patterns of transmission, suggesting that utilization of a single epidemiological indicator to define endemic regions should be avoided.

[Succesful collaborations between three Mexican institutions for research on dislipidemias, obesity and diabetes]. / Colaboraciones exitosas entre tres instituciones mexicanas en el estudio de las dislipidemias, la obesidad y la diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the contributions ofthree Mexican institutions (Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán", Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and the Centro de Encuestas Nacionales de Salud of the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública) in the study, of chronic degenerative disorders. RESULTS: The most relevant group contributions include: the identification of a risk allele for metabolic syndrome and diabetes, specific for the Mexican population (the R230C variant of the ABC-A1 transporter); the design and validation of a population-based definition of metabolic syndrome which is useful to predict the risk of incident diabetes; the description of the molecular epidemiology of familial hypercholesterolemia in Mexico and the identification of several loci associated with familial combined hyperlipidemia. In addition, members of these institutions have participated in the description of the epidemiology of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and lipid abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: The complementary approach of these research groups has facilitated successful collaborations. Our results will be useful for the future development of diagnostic tests and preventive programs.

Tuberculosis and diabetes in southern Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of diabetes on the rates of tuberculosis in a region where both diseases are prevalent. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data from a population-based cohort of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis undergoing clinical and mycobacteriologic evaluation (isolation, identification, drug-susceptibility testing, and IS6110-based genotyping and spoligotyping) were linked to the 2000 National Health Survey (ENSA2000), a national probabilistic, polystage, stratified, cluster household survey of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of Mexico. RESULTS: From March 1995 to March 2003, 581 patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and fingerprint were diagnosed, 29.6% of whom had been diagnosed previously with diabetes by a physician. According to the ENSA2000, the estimated prevalence of diabetes in the study area was 5.3% (95% CI 4.1-6.5). The estimated rates of tuberculosis for the study area were greater for patients with diabetes than for nondiabetic individuals (209.5 vs. 30.7 per 100000 person-years, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In this setting, the rate of tuberculosis was increased 6.8-fold (95% CI 5.7-8.2, P < 0.0001) in patients with diabetes due to increases in both reactivated and recently transmitted infection. Comorbidity with diabetes may increase tuberculosis rates as much as coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with important implications for the allocation of health care resources.

Panorama histórico de la enfermedad diarreica aguda en México y el futuro de su prevención / Historical overview of acute infectious diarrhea in Mexico and future preventive strategies

Resumen: Objetivo: Revisar los aspectos epidemiológicos de la enfermedad diarreica aguda (EDA) a través de la historia de México y analizar las estrategias que potencialmente podrán prevenir su aparición en la población mexicana. Material y métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda sistematizada utilizando los siguientes descriptores de las ciencias de la salud: diarrea, morbilidad, mortalidad, México y promoción de la salud de los últimos 20 años (1878-2018). Resultados: Se obtuvieron más de 8 600 artículos que fueron evaluados en función de los objetivos de la presente publicación. Conclusión: Como resultado de una revisión sistemática se observó que, gracias a las estrategias implementadas a lo largo del tiempo, se ha logrado graduar los matices de riesgo de la EDA; ello permite ahora plantear estrategias que guiarán a la prevención de ese padecimiento, de la mano de políticas que incluyan aspectos higiénico-dietéticos, innovaciones farmacéuticas y aplicaciones tecnológicas en medidas sanitarias.

Abstract: Objective: To analyze the epidemiological aspects of AID through Mexican history and the potential strategies to prevent AID in Mexican population. Materials and methods: A systematic review was performed exploring the key words, diarrhea, morbidity, mortality, Mexico, health promotion for the last 20 years (1978-2018). Results: Over 8 600 articles were obtained; all of them were evaluated to consider those follow the aim of the present work. Conclusion: The result of the performed systematic review denoted the influence of AID in Mexican public health policy the adopted actions diminished the AID's associated risks and allowed future strategies to prevent it; those actions must include hygienic and dietetic measures, pharmaceutical innovations and technological tools applied to health policies.

Factors associated with lead exposure in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Lead intoxication risks were studied in a community of ceramic folk art workers in Oaxaca, a southern state of Mexico, where the manufacture of low-temperature lead ceramic ware is a family tradition and often the only source of income. Variables such as household characteristics, occupation, and lead exposure risk factors were explored. Study participants' mean blood lead concentration was 43.8 microg/dl (range=8.4-99.6 microg/dl), which is over the WHO guideline of 40 microg/dl for removing workers from exposure and is the concentration over which renal damage is accelerated. Best predictors for high blood lead concentrations by multivariable regression analysis were: occupation (P<0.0001), gender (P=0.0002), and the use of glazed stoneware (P<0.0001). This model explained 18% of blood lead variation among the study group. Exposure appears to be primarily associated with antiquated pottery manufacturing techniques and the high degree of contamination prevailing at the production sites, which in most cases are their living quarters. This consequently affects the lead levels of the entire community.

Vanadium in ambient air: concentrations in lung tissue from autopsies of Mexico City residents in the 1960s and 1990s.

Vanadium concentrations in lung tissue were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry from autopsy specimens taken from residents of Mexico City during the 1960s and 1990s (20 males and 19 females, and 30 males and 18 females, respectively). Samples from the 1990s had significantly increased mean vanadium concentrations (mean +/- standard deviation: 1.36 +/- 0.08), compared with those from the 1960s (1.04 +/- 0.05). Concentrations were not correlated with gender, smoking habit, age, cause of death, or occupation. These findings suggest that vanadium in ambient air is increasing and it represents a potential health hazard for Mexico City residents. Air pollution monitoring efforts should include vanadium concentrations in suspended particles to follow-up the findings reported herein. Researchers need to acquire a better knowledge of the levels of airborne vanadium exposure at which risk to human health occurs.

Medición de drogas ilícitas en aguas residuales: estudio piloto en México / Assessing illicit drugs in wastewater: a pilot study in Mexico

Resumen: Objetivo: Monitorear el consumo de drogas a través de la medición de sus metabolitos en aguas residuales. Material y métodos: Se obtuvieron muestras de 31 plantas de tratamiento de agua residual y de 95 sitios con poblaciones específicas (38 escuelas, 42 unidades de tratamiento de adicciones y 15 centros de readaptación social). Usando cromatografía líquida de ultra-alta resolución, se midieron nueve metabolitos de seis drogas. Resultados: Ocho de nueve metabolitos de drogas fueron identificados en aguas residuales. Los metabolitos de marihuana (THC-COOH), cocaína (benzoilecgonina) y metanfetamina fueron identificados en escuelas, centros de readaptación social y de tratamiento de adicciones. En Nuevo Laredo, Culiacán y Torreón se encontraron los consumos per cápita más elevados de cocaína, marihuana, anfetamina y metanfetamina. Conclusiones: El monitoreo del uso de drogas a través de aguas residuales es factible en México y podría constituir un sistema de vigilancia para identificar cambios de su consumo en el tiempo.

Abstract: Objective: Monitor drug use through wastewater metabolite measurement. Materials and methods: Wastewater samples were obtained from 31 wastewater treatment plants and 95 sites with specific populations (38 schools, 42 units of addiction treatment and 15 penitentiaries). Using ultra high liquid chromatography, we measured nine metabolites from six drugs. Results: Eight out of nine drug metabolites were identified in the samples. Marijuana (THC-COOH), cocaine (benzoylecgonine) and methamphetamine were identified in schools, centers of addiction treatment and penitentiaries. Nuevo Laredo, Culiacan and Torreon had the highest consumption of cocaine, marijuana, amphetamine and methamphetamine. Conclusions: Monitoring drug use through wastewater is feasible in Mexico and could constitute a surveillance system to identify changes in the time.

Terremotos y salud: la organización de los servicios de atención médica / Earthquakes and healthcare: the organization of the services of medical attention

Resumen Los sistemas de salud están expuestos a diversos desastres que pueden impactar en la eficacia y calidad de servicio que ofrecen. Por ello, es importante contar con elementos que les permitan tener una adecuada infraestructura y organización. Este texto delinea algunos de estos elementos y acciones, cuya incorporación en los hospitales permitirá brindar una respuesta oportuna en caso de desastre. Se expone el uso del triage como un instrumento que regula el ingreso de los pacientes a los hospitales y se analiza cómo el inadecuado uso de éste durante una situación de desastre puede cobrar la vida de las personas lesionadas. Por último, se propone la preparación de un hospital ante posibles desastres y se retoma la experiencia de otro en el marco de los sismos ocurridos en México en 2017.

Abstract Health care systems are exposed to several natural disasters that could affect the effectiveness and quality of the services they offer. For this reason it is important to bring out the necessary elements that allow them a suitable organization and infrastructure. In this context some of these elements are drafted as well as a specific set of actions whose inclusion in the hospitals will allow for an optimal answer in case of natural disaster. The use of the triage is analyzed as an instrument that regulates the patient admission to the hospitals. Also, it is shown how the inadequate use of this tool during an emergency situation can follow with casualties from injured patients. For this reason, an appropriate set up for these cases is formulated. Last, the staging of a hospital before feasible contingences is proposed and the experience of the events of the 9/19 earthquake disaster retaken for this purpose.

Association of socioeconomic status, problem behaviors, and disordered eating in Mexican adolescents: results of the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2006.

PURPOSE: To explore the association of socioeconomic status (SES) with disordered eating behaviors (DEB) in Mexican adolescents, and the coexistence of DEB and other problem behaviors. METHODS: Information about adolescents (10-19 years) was retrieved from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2006 database. Associations were evaluated through ordinal regression. RESULTS: Higher SES was associated with DEB (odds ratio [OR]: 2.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-2.75). Use of tobacco (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.58-2.81), alcohol (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.51-2.56), and suicide intent (OR: 5.13, 95% CI: 3.46-7.60) were associated with DEB. CONCLUSION: DEB were more frequent among adolescents from higher SES households. The lack of association between SES and DEB reported by other studies might be because of the lack of variability in samples. The association of DEB and other problem behaviors highlights the importance of an integral approach to teenagers' mental health.

Lung function growth in children with long-term exposure to air pollutants in Mexico City.

RATIONALE: Although short-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with acute, reversible lung function decrements, the impact of long-term exposure has not been well established. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between long-term exposure to ozone (O(3)), particulate matter less than 10 mum in diameter (PM(10)), and nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) and lung function growth in Mexico City schoolchildren. METHODS: A dynamic cohort of 3,170 children aged 8 years at baseline was followed from April 23, 1996, through May 19, 1999. The children attended 39 randomly selected elementary schools located near 10 air quality monitoring stations and were visited every 6 months. Statistical analyses were performed using general linear mixed models. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: After adjusting for acute exposure and other potential confounding factors, deficits in FVC and FEV(1) growth over the 3-year follow-up period were significantly associated with exposure to O(3), PM(10), and NO(2). In multipollutant models, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in mean O(3) concentration (IQR, 11.3 ppb) was associated with an annual deficit in FEV(1) of 12 ml in girls and 4 ml in boys, an IQR range (IQR, 36.4 microg/m(3)) increase in PM(10) with an annual deficit in FEV(1) of 11 ml in girls and 15 ml in boys, and an IQR range (IQR, 12.0 ppb) increase in NO(2) with an annual deficit in FEV(1) of 30 ml in girls and 25 ml in boys. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that long-term exposure to O(3), PM(10), and NO(2) is associated with a deficit in FVC and FEV(1) growth among schoolchildren living in Mexico City.

Lead blood concentrations and renal function evaluation: study in an exposed Mexican population.

The relation of blood Pb concentrations and renal dysfunction has been reported in association with interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and decreased glomerular filtration. In this report information about blood Pb concentrations and renal function tests in a population from Oaxaca, Mexico is analyzed. The main changes found were that males had higher blood Pb concentrations than females (P<0.0012); the leading variables associated with this were occupation (glazed pottery workers, P=0.0001) and the use of glazed pottery for preparing meals (P=0.0000). Variables that better explain uric acid variability were blood Pb concentrations, sex, weight, and height (r2=0.23). Hyperuricemia was associated with blood Pb concentrations above 40 microg/dL (OR=1.74, 95% CI, 1.12-2.61). SCr was associated with sex, age, and blood Pb, with coefficient r2=0.12. Our findings might be related to inadequate control of oven emissions, a situation that will require further analysis and the implementation of preventive measurements for the nonoccupational exposed population.

[Application of gender perspective in papers published between 2000 and 2003 from four National Institutes of Health journals]. / Aplicación de la perspectiva de género en artículos publicados en cuatro revistas nacionales de salud, México, 2000-2003.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the application of gender perspective in public health papers in four journals published by the Mexican National Health Institutes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 999 papers published in the four journals between 2000 and 2003 was reviewed. Two levels of analysis were considered: (a) data presented by sex, providing description of differences between women and men, and (b) the analysis of these differences from gender perspective. RESULTS: One quarter (25.4%) of the articles described results by sex. The largest percentage was published in Salud Pública de México (48.8%) and the smallest in Revista de Investigación Clínica (16.1%). Gender perspective was used in only 4.2% of papers; of these, drug addictions, health behaviour and violence were the topics that occurred most frequently. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to assess the application of gender perspective in Mexican health articles. Similarly to other countries, a very small percentage of authors analyzed sex differences, and a smaller proportion applied gender perspective. Results demonstrate the importance of promoting interdisciplinary research that may promote the elucidation of health inequalities between men and women.

[Methods of the Mexican National Performance Assessment Survey]. / Metodología de la Encuesta Nacional de Evaluación del Desempeño.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the sampling design, operative strategy, and data management used in the Encuesta Nacional de Evaluaci6n del Desempeño (Mexican National Performance Assessment Survey). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A probabilistic, multistage, stratified sample was used to make inferences for each state of the country with representativeness of the urban and rural localities of Mexico. The survey was conducted between November 2002 and April 2003. The study population consisted of individuals in their households. RESULTS: Forty-thousand households were visited all over the country, and 38,746 interviews were obtained,with a non-response rate considerably lower than expected. CONCLUSIONS: The methods used to carry out the National Performance Assessment Survey allowed calculation of estimates with measurable accuracy in terms of error and confidence, making the results inferable to the national population.