Intersectional insights into racism and health: not just a question of identity.

Intersectionality is a useful tool to address health inequalities, by helping us understand and respond to the individual and group effects of converging systems of power. Intersectionality rejects the notion of inequalities being the result of single, distinct factors, and instead focuses on the relationships between overlapping processes that create inequities. In this Series paper, we use an intersectional approach to highlight the intersections of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination with other systems of oppression, how this affects health, and what can be done about it. We present five case studies from different global locations that outline different dimensions of discrimination based on caste, ethnicity and migration status, Indigeneity, religion, and skin colour. Although experiences are diverse, the case studies show commonalities in how discrimination operates to affect health and wellbeing: how historical factors and coloniality shape contemporary experiences of race and racism; how racism leads to separation and hierarchies across shifting lines of identity and privilege; how racism and discrimination are institutionalised at a systems level and are embedded in laws, regulations, practices, and health systems; how discrimination, minoritisation, and exclusion are racialised processes, influenced by visible factors and tacit knowledge; and how racism is a form of structural violence. These insights allow us to begin to articulate starting points for justice-based action that addresses root causes, engages beyond the health sector, and encourages transnational solidarity.

Relationship between polyvictimization and overweight among adolescents from São Paulo city, Brazil.

This study is to identify victimization patterns and analyze the association between the experience of polyvictimization and overweight or obesity among adolescent girls and boys. The sample consisted of 2680 Brazilian ninth-graders enrolled in public and private schools, taken from the São Paulo Project for the social development of children and adolescents (SP-PROSO). Victimization was explored in two ways: (i) as per Finkelhor and (ii) by latent class analysis (LCA). The interest outcomes were overweight and obesity. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to study the relationship between victimization and overweight or obesity, controlling for confounders. LCA grouped boys and girls adolescents into three classes. These classes received the same labels, but the patterns differed between sexes. Class 1 was characterized by fewer types of victimization suffered and lower endorsement values in the analyzed items and was named bullying and indirect victimization (♀: 42.7%, n = 546; ♂: 21.6%, n = 293). Class 2 included more victimization types than Class 1 and less than Class 3. This class was labeled family violence and peer victimization (♀: 29.1%, n = 356; ♂: 47.9%, n = 652). Class 3 was named high polyvictimization (♀: 28.2%, n = 345; ♂: 30.5%, n = 418). According to Finkelhor, polyvictimization was not associated with overweight or obesity in both sexes. Only the class of high polyvictimization was associated with being overweight (ORadj: 1.60, 95%CI: 1.01-2.54) in girls. In this study, polyvictimization was associated with being overweight only among adolescent girls. Longitudinal studies in different contexts and populations are needed to understand this relationship.

Local understandings of PTSD and complex PTSD among health professionals working with adolescents in violent neighbourhoods of São Paulo city, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents in low-resource urban settings in Brazil are often exposed to high levels of trauma that can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, preliminary evidence indicates that PTSD tends to be under-reported in Brazilian health services, despite the high prevalence of trauma. Additionally, little is known about the perceived applicability among clinicians of the new ICD-11 diagnosis of complex PTSD (CPTSD), despite its potential relevance for contexts of chronic trauma. The current study investigated local understandings of PTSD and CPTSD among health professionals working with adolescents in violent neighbourhoods of São Paulo city. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 58 health professionals working at both the primary care and specialized mental health levels in two areas of São Paulo city with high levels of community violence. RESULTS: Most participants knew about PTSD, but most did not know about CPTSD. There were mixed views concerning the commonality of PTSD among adolescents exposed to community violence. Many participants reported having no experience working with patients with the PTSD diagnosis. According to some, community violence was normalized by adolescents and health professionals, and did not result in PTSD. Others highlighted how they did not use psychiatric diagnoses in their practice, had critical perspectives towards psychiatric diagnoses and/or PTSD, or simply knew little about PTSD. Furthermore, many highlighted how the chronic nature of multiple traumas experienced by adolescents often resulted in complex clinical presentations characterised by many symptoms beyond PTSD. The diagnosis of CPTSD was considered appropriate to the context by many participants as it captured the complex traumatic histories and symptom presentations of adolescents exposed to community violence in Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have important implications for the assessment and treatment of mental health among adolescents exposed to community violence in Brazil.

The relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and internalising symptoms among adolescents from São Paulo city, Southeast Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and internalising symptoms (IS) among adolescents. DESIGN: It is a cross-sectional study. Paper-pencil survey was completed in classroom with information on UPF consumption, IS and selected covariates. IS were assessed with the Internalizing Symptoms sub-scale from the Social Behaviour Questionnaire (IS-SBQ). UPF was evaluated with a FFQ extracted from the Brazilian National School Health Survey. Crude and adjusted association between UPF and IS was investigated with structural equation models. SETTING: São Paulo, SP, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2680 students, Mage = 14·85; (95 % CI 14·81, 14·88). RESULTS: UPF consumption was associated with higher scores in IS in the crude (ß = 0·14; P < 0·001) and adjusted (ß = 0·12; P < 0·001) models. The higher the consumption of UPF, the higher is the IS score. The following variables were associated with a lower risk of UPF consumption: male sex, public school and having more meals with parents. The change in the magnitude of the standardised score was almost negligible, but the model was significantly improved with the inclusion of covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence about the positive association between UPF consumption and IS among adolescents. The association, despite its low magnitude, remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders. These results are relevant considering the increase in UPF consumption worldwide and in low- and middle-income countries. Also, our study emphasises the importance of a healthy diet with a reduction in UPF consumption among adolescents.

Association between self-control and health risk behaviors: a cross-sectional study with 9th grade adolescents in São Paulo.

BACKGROUND: Self-control (SC) has been consistently found associated with diverse health risk behaviors (HRBs), but little research refers to low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, there is evidence that some HRBs tend to aggregate, however studies with the specific purpose of addressing the relation between SC and multiple health risk behaviors (MHRBs) are rare. The objective of this study is to analyze these associations and provide evidence to help filling these gaps. METHODS: A sample of 2106 9th grade students from the city of São Paulo responded a self-administered questionnaire in 2017. We tested the association of SC measured as an ordinal variable with four levels (higher, high, medium and low) with six HRBs (binge drinking, marijuana use, smoking, high consumption of ultra-processed food, sedentary behavior and bullying perpetration), in both separated and aggregated forms (MHRBs), controlling for potential confounders. Binary logistic regression was used to test the association between exposure (SC) and single outcomes. In order to analyze the association of SC with MHRBs, multinomial logistic regression was employed. RESULTS: SC was associated with five of six HRBs investigated and with MHRBs. The effect size of the association of SC and MHRBs increased in a steep pattern with accumulation of more HRBs. CONCLUSION: Low self-control is associated with most HRBs investigated and the magnitude of the association increases when more than two or three HRBs are accumulated. There seems to be a group of adolescents in a position of pronounced vulnerability for MHRBs. This should be considered when designing public policy and prevention programs. In contexts of limited or scarce resources and public funds, interventions focusing the most vulnerable groups, instead of universal interventions, should be considered.

Food environments in schools and in the immediate vicinity are associated with unhealthy food consumption among Brazilian adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of the influence of the school food environment on adolescent diet is still little explored in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to evaluate the association between food environment in schools and the immediate vicinity and the regular consumption of unhealthy food among adolescents. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data collected by the Brazilian National Survey of School Health (PeNSE) from a representative sample of adolescents attending 9th grade public and private schools in Brazil, in 2012. We estimated students' regular consumption (>5days/week) of unhealthy food (soft drinks, bagged salty snacks, deep fried salty snacks and sweets) and school availability, in the cafeteria or an alternative outlet, of the same food plus some healthy options (fruit and natural fruit juice). We performed multilevel logistic regression models. RESULTS: Having a cafeteria inside school selling soft drinks (private schools OR=1.23; 95% CI=1.14-1.33; public schools OR=1.13; 95% CI=1.06-1.20) and deep fried salty snacks (private schools OR=1.41 95% CI=1.26-1.57; public schools OR=1.16 95% CI=1.08-1.24) was associated with a higher consumption of these unhealthy foods of among students. In private schools, cafeteria selling fruit and natural fruit juice was associated with lower student consumption of bagged salty snacks (OR=0.86; 95% CI 0.77-0.96) and soft drinks (OR=0.85; 95% CI=0.76-0.94). In addition, eating meals from the Brazilian School Food Program in public schools was associated with a lower consumption of unhealthy foods. CONCLUSIONS: Foods available in the school food environment are associated with the consumption of unhealthy food among adolescents in Brazil.

Violence at work and depressive symptoms in primary health care teams: a cross-sectional study in Brazil.

PURPOSE: Implementation of primary care has long been a priority in low- and middle-income countries. Violence at work may hamper progress in this field. Hence, we examined the associations between violence at work and depressive symptoms/major depression in primary care teams (physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, and community health workers). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. We assessed a random sample of Family Health Program teams. We investigated depressive symptoms and major depression using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and exposure to violence at work in the previous 12 months using a standardized questionnaire. Associations between exposure to violence and depressive symptoms/major depression were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 3141 eligible workers, 2940 (93 %) completed the interview. Of these, 36.3 % (95 % CI 34.6-38.1) presented intermediate depressive symptoms, and 16 % (95 % CI 14.6-17.2), probable major depression. The frequencies of exposure to the different types of violence at work were: insults (44.9 %), threats (24.8 %), physical aggression (2.3 %), and witnessing violence (29.5 %). These exposures were strongly and progressively associated with depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio 1.67 for exposure to one type of violence; and 5.10 for all four types), and probable major depression (adjusted odds ratio 1.84 for one type; and 14.34 for all four types). CONCLUSION: Primary care workers presenting depressive symptoms and those who have experienced violence at work should be assisted. Policy makers should prioritize strategies to prevent these problems, since they can threaten primary care sustainability.

Association between ultra-processed dietary pattern and bullying: the role of deviant behaviors.

Background: Ultra-processed foods have been associated with several negative outcomes, but it is not clear whether they are related to bullying perpetration. Moreover, no previous study has investigated the potential role of deviant behaviors as a mediator of this association. Our objective was to evaluate the association between ultra-processed dietary pattern and bullying, and the mediating effect of deviant behaviors in this association, among school adolescents. Methods: We used data from a representative sample of 9th grade Brazilian adolescents (N = 2,212) from the São Paulo Project for the social development of children and adolescents (SP-PROSO). Exploratory factor analysis was used to obtain the dietary patterns, through questions of frequency of consumption in the last week of several foods. The ultra-processed dietary pattern was considered as exposure. The outcomes were the types of bullying (any type, social exclusion, psychological/verbal aggression, physical aggression, property destruction, and sexual harassment). Deviant behaviors (mediator) were assessed through a score. Mediation analyses were carried out using logistic regression based on the KHB method. Results: After adjusting for covariates, the mediating effect of deviant behaviors was found in the association between ultra-processed dietary pattern and all the types of bullying perpetration, especially for psychological/verbal aggression (39.4%). A small mediating effect of deviant behaviors in the association of ultra-processed dietary pattern with physical aggression (17.7%) and property destruction (18.5%) was observed, but this effect explained only a small portion of the total effect of such association (significant direct effect). Conclusion: The ultra-processed dietary pattern was associated with bullying, and the association was mediated through deviant behaviors. Policies and actions for improving the adolescent's diet and managing the adoption of deviant and bullying behaviors by this public are required.

Association between Community Violence, Disorder and School Environment with Bullying among School Adolescents in Sao Paulo - Brazil.

The role of contextual-level factors in bullying is still not clear, and evidence is mostly from high-income countries. Our objective was to investigate the association between community violence, disorder, school environment and bullying among school adolescents. We used data from a representative sample of 9th grade Brazilian adolescents (n = 2108) from the Sao Paulo Project for the social development of children and adolescents (SP - PROSO). Multilevel logistic regression models stratified by sex were used to assess the association between variables at student and school/neighbourhood level and bullying victimization or perpetration. For both sexes, we found that adolescents who perceived high violence between students and high school disorder were more likely to be bullies and victims. Boys who perceived high community violence and disorder in their neighbourhood were more likely to be bullies (OR3tertile = 2.73 CI95%: 1.57-4.74). Girls attending schools where the principal reported high community violence and disorder in the neighbourhood (ORhigh = 10.24 CI95%: 2.11-49.59) and inside the school (ORhigh = 6.83 CI95%: 1.48-31.56) were more likely to be bullies. Boys from schools whose principal perceived violence between students were less likely to be victims (ORhigh = 0.35 CI95%: 0.16-0.78) and bullies (ORhigh = 0.21 CI95%: 0.07-0.64). Girls attending schools with signs or posters about tolerance/gender equality and about violence were less (OR = 0.12 CI95%: 0.03-0.50) and more likely (OR = 25.88 CI95%: 4.28-156.63) to report being bullies, respectively. Community violence, disorder and school environment were associated with bullying victimization and perpetration among adolescents. Sex-specific associations should be further investigated. Prevention and management of school violence in adolescence should consider contextual-level characteristics.

Violence, discrimination, and sexual health practices among adolescent men who have sex with men, transgender women and travestis in three cities in Brazil.

The HIV epidemic has a disproportionate impact on adolescent and young men who have sex with men (AMSM) and transgender women and travestis (ATGW), with an increased HIV prevalence over the last 10 years. Violence affects the lives of these populations, undermining their ability to self-care and making them more vulnerable to HIV infection. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between different types of victimization by violence and discrimination and sexual health practices of these adolescent populations in steady and casual relationships. We conducted a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the cohort of PrEP1519 project. We used the mean score of sexual health practices as our outcome and the cumulative score of discrimination (within family, community, education, religious, online and public spaces) and violence (physical, sexual and intimate partner) as our exposure variable. We performed linear regression analyses to estimate the association between exposure and outcome. We found that 90% of AMSM and 95% of ATGW experienced at least one form of violence in the three months prior to this study and about 45% of ATGW suffered sexual violence during the same period. Experiencing discrimination within healthcare settings (from facilities or providers) was negatively associated with sexual health practices. Discrimination and violence negatively affect sexual health practices. HIV prevention and care of AMSM and ATGW people should involve listening to their experiences and addressing discrimination and violence in this population.

Telehealth effectiveness for pre-exposure prophylaxis delivery in Brazilian public services: the Combine! Study.

INTRODUCTION: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery based on user needs can enhance PrEP access and impact. We examined whether telehealth for daily oral PrEP delivery could change the indicators of care related to prophylactic use in five Brazilian public HIV clinics (testing centres, outpatient clinics and infectious disease hospitals). METHODS: Between July 2019 and December 2020, clients on PrEP for at least 6 months could transition to telehealth or stay with in-person follow-up. Clients were clinically monitored until June 2021. A desktop or mobile application was developed, comprising three asynchronous consultations and one annual in-person consultation visit. Predictors influencing telehealth preference and care outcomes were examined. The analysis encompassed intent-to-treat (first choice) and adjustments for sexual practices, schooling, age, duration of PrEP use and PrEP status during the choice period. RESULTS: Of 470 users, 52% chose telehealth, with the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) increasing over time for PrEP use (aOR for 25-months of use: 4.90; 95% CI: 1.32-18.25), having discontinued PrEP at the time of the choice (aOR: 2.91; 95% CI: 1.40-6.06) and having health insurance (aOR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.24-2.94) and decreasing for those who reported higher-risk behaviour (aOR for unprotected anal sex: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.29-0.88). After an average follow-up period of 1.6 years (95% CI: 1.5-1.7), the risk of discontinuing PrEP (not having the medication for more than 90 days) was 34% lower with telehealth (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.45-0.97). When adjusted by mixed linear regression, no differences in adherence (measured by mean medication possession rate) were found between in-person and telehealth (p = 0.486) or at pre- and post-telehealth follow-ups (p = 0.245). Sexually transmitted infections increased between the pre-follow-up and post-follow-up choices and were not associated with in-person or telehealth (p = 0.528). No HIV infections were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that telehealth for PrEP delivery can enhance service rationalization and reinforce the prevention cascade. This approach reduces prophylaxis interruptions and is mainly preferred by individuals with lower demands for healthcare services.

[Spatial regimes: dynamics of intentional homicides in the city of São Paulo between 2000 and 2008]. / Regimes espaciais: dinâmica dos homicídios dolosos na cidade de São Paulo entre 2000 e 2008.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the existence of spatial and temporal patterns in the occurrence of intentional homicides in the municipality of São Paulo (MSP), Brazil, and to discuss the analytical value of taking such patterns into account when designing studies that address the dynamics and factors associated with the incidence of homicides. METHODS: A longitudinal ecological study was conducted, having as units of analysis 13 205 census tracts and the 96 census districts that congregate these sectors in São Paulo. All intentional homicides reported in the city between 2000 and 2008 were analyzed. The gross homicide rates per 100 000 population was calculated as well as the global and local Bayesian estimates for each census tract during the study period. To verify the possibility of identifying different patterns of the spatial distribution of homicides, we used BoxMap and Moran's I index. RESULTS: The homicide trends in the city of São Paulo in the last decade were not homogeneous and systematic. Instead, seven patterns of spatial distribution were identified; that is, seven spatial regimes for the occurrence of intentional homicides, considering the homicide rates within each census tract as well as the rates in adjacent tracts. These spatial distribution regimes were not contained within the limits of the census tracts and districts. CONCLUSIONS: The results show the importance of analyzing the spatial distribution of social phenomena without restriction of political and administrative boundaries.

[Research on the school climate and health in Brazil - a scope review]. / As pesquisas sobre o clima escolar e saúde no Brasil - uma revisão de escopo.

The role of the school in promoting health and preventing diseases among children and adolescents has long been recognized. Among the characteristics of schools with effects on health, child development, learning and school performance, the international literature has highlighted the school climate. However, in Brazil, relatively little research has been done in this field to date. In view of this scenario, this study aimed to describe the characteristics of Brazilian research into the school climate, paying special attention to the methods of measurement, to themes related to it and to research on the relationship between school climate and health in Brazil. To this end, we conducted a scope review with Brazilian theses and dissertations since 1987. The results showed the predominance of qualitative studies, with data from few schools, a wide variety of strategies and instruments used to measure the climate, with emphasis on the use of questionnaires, scales and interviews. There was also a relatively small participation of the health field, especially with regard to student health.

Há muito se reconhece o papel da escola para a promoção da saúde e a prevenção de agravos entre crianças e adolescentes. Uma característica que pode afetar a saúde dos alunos, além do desenvolvimento, a aprendizagem e o rendimento escolar, e que vem sendo destacada na literatura internacional é o clima escolar. Entretanto, no Brasil, esse campo ainda conta relativamente com pouca pesquisa. Diante desse cenário, este estudo se propôs a descrever as características das pesquisas brasileiras sobre o clima escolar dando especial atenção aos métodos de medição do clima, aos temas relacionados e às pesquisas sobre as relações entre clima escolar e saúde no Brasil. Para tanto, realizamos uma revisão de escopo com teses e dissertações brasileiras desde 1987. Os resultados apontaram a predominância de estudos qualitativos, com dados de poucas escolas, grande variedade de estratégias e instrumentos utilizados para medição do clima, com destaque para o uso de questionários, escalas e entrevistas. Constatou-se também uma participação relativamente pequena do campo da saúde, sobretudo no que diz respeito à saúde do aluno.

Association Between Dietary Patterns and Bullying Among Adolescents in Sao Paulo-Brazil.

Previous studies have assessed the association between food consumption and bullying perpetration, but most of them have not broadly assessed food consumption, neither the distinction between forms of bullying. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between dietary patterns with bullying roles and its different types of bullying perpetration among adolescents. Data on a representative sample of ninth-grade students (N = 2,163; mean age = 14.8 years) taken from Sao Paulo Project for the social development of children and adolescents (SP-PROSO) were used. The independent variables were healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns obtained by exploratory factor analysis. The dependent variables were bullying role (victim-only, bully-only, bully-victim) and bullying perpetration (any type, social exclusion, psychological/verbal aggression, physical aggression, property destruction, sexual harassment). Multinomial and logistic regression models were performed for the total sample and stratified by sex (only for association with sexual harassment), adjusting for covariates. Adolescents who engaged in a healthy dietary pattern were less likely to be bullies (RR 0.67 [0.49, 0.92]), while adolescents with an unhealthy dietary pattern were more likely to be bully-victims (RR 1.29 [1.12, 1.48]). Unhealthy dietary pattern was associated with any type of bullying perpetration (OR 1.24 [1.12, 1.38]), mainly with sexual harassment and physical aggression. Boys who had an unhealthy dietary pattern were more likely to sexually harass another adolescent (OR 2.10 [1.20, 3.66]). In conclusion, adolescents who had a healthy dietary pattern were less likely to perpetrate bullying. Unhealthy dietary pattern was associated with bullying perpetration, especially with sexual harassment by boys.

[Intersectorality and health in state public security and violence prevention policies in Brazil]. / Intersetorialidade e saúde nas políticas estaduais de segurança pública e de prevenção à violência no Brasil.

The scope of this study is to understand how State Public Security Plans (PSP) incorporate the perspective of violence prevention and intersectorality, with special attention to the role of the health sector. It is a qualitative study that used the techniques of document and content analysis, having the PSP either implemented or in the formulation stage as empirical material. A total of 14 PSP were identified. All plans incorporate the concepts of violence prevention, intersectorality and participation of the health sector. The concept of violence prevention stems from the concept of citizen security, but specific prevention actions are mentioned in a generic way. The incorporation of intersectorality is heterogeneous and insufficient, to the extent that the participation of sectors in the planning phase is not the rule. The participation of the health sector is not always active, that is, from the planning phase of the actions, which, most of the time, are timely and care-based. The health sector also assumes a secondary role, without its experience and potential being recognized. Conceptions of violence prevention, intersectorality and participation of the health sector are present in the plans in an incipient way. The importance of new studies is emphasized.

O presente estudo tem como objetivo compreender de que forma os Planos Estaduais de Segurança Pública (PSP) incorporam a perspectiva da prevenção da violência e da intersetorialidade, com especial atenção para o papel do setor Saúde. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo que utilizou as técnicas de análise documental e de conteúdo, tendo como material empírico os PSP implementados ou em fase de formulação. Foram identificados 14 PSP. Todos os planos incorporam as concepções de prevenção da violência, intersetorialidade e participação do setor saúde. A concepção de prevenção da violência decorre do conceito de segurança cidadã, mas ações específicas de prevenção são mencionadas de forma genérica. A incorporação da intersetorialidade é heterogênea e insuficiente, na medida em que a participação dos setores na fase de planejamento não é a regra. A participação do setor saúde nem sempre é ativa, ou seja, desde a fase de planejamento das ações, as quais, na maioria das vezes, são pontuais e assistenciais. O setor saúde assume, ainda, um papel secundário, sem que suas experiências e potencialidades sejam reconhecidas. Concepções de prevenção da violência, intersetorialidade e participação do setor saúde, estão presentes nos planos de forma incipiente. Ressalta-se a importância de novos estudos.

Availability and consumption of ultra-processed foods in schools in the municipality of São Paulo, Brazil: results of the SP-Proso. / Disponibilidade e consumo de ultraprocessados em escolas do Município de São Paulo, Brasil: resultados do SP-Proso.

Ultra-processed foods are markers of unhealthy eating patterns, and their consumption is high among adolescents. Characteristics of the school eating environment associate with student eating practices. This study aims to investigate the association between the presence of school canteens and the availability of ultra-processed foods in school canteens with the consumption of these foods, inside the school, among adolescents of the 9th grade (14 years) of the public and private schools of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. We conducted a cross-sectional study with SP-Proso data, in a sample of 2,680 adolescents. We elaborated multilevel linear regression models to evaluate associations between the exposures: presence of school canteens and availability of ultra-processed foods with outcomes of consumption frequency of ultra-processed foods in the school. We found an association between the presence of school canteens and the higher frequency of consumption of sausages (0.46; 95%CI: 0.24; 0.68), package snacks (0.50; 95%CI: 0.19; 0.80), goodies (0.82; 95%CI: 0.55; 1.09), and sugary drinks (0.34; 95%CI: 0.06; 0.62), as well as a score of consumption frequency of ultra-processed foods (2.37; 95%CI: 1.25; 3.48). The availability of package snacks, goodies, and sugary drinks in school canteens increased the frequency of consumption of these foods. We observed a dose-response effect between the diversity of ultra-processed foods in canteens and the frequency of consumption of these foods. A school food environment with greater availability of ultra-processed products is associated with their higher consumption in school, indicating the need to regulate the sale of food within these institutions.

Alimentos ultraprocessados são marcadores de padrões alimentares não saudáveis e seu consumo é elevado entre os adolescentes. Características do ambiente alimentar escolar se associam a práticas alimentares de estudantes. O objetivo do estudo foi investigar a associação entre a presença de cantinas e a disponibilidade de alimentos ultraprocessados nas cantinas com o consumo destes alimentos, dentro da escola, entre adolescentes do 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental das redes pública e particular do Município de São Paulo, Brasil. Foi realizado um estudo transversal com dados do SP-Proso, em amostra de 2.680 adolescentes. Foram feitos modelos de regressão linear multinível para avaliar as associações entre as exposições presença de cantinas nas escolas e disponibilidade de alimentos ultraprocessados com desfechos de frequência de consumo de ultraprocessados na escola. A presença de cantinas esteve associada à maior frequência de consumo de embutidos (0,46; IC95%: 0,24; 0,68), salgadinhos de pacote (0,50; IC95%: 0,19; 0,80), guloseimas (0,82; IC95%: 0,55; 1,09) e bebidas açucaradas (0,34; IC95%: 0,06; 0,62), bem como um escore de frequência de consumo de ultraprocessados (2,37; IC95%: 1,25; 3,48). A disponibilidade de salgadinhos de pacote, guloseimas e bebidas açucaradas nas cantinas aumentou a frequência de consumo desses alimentos. Foi observado um efeito dose/resposta entre a diversidade de ultraprocessados nas cantinas e a frequência de consumo destes alimentos. Um ambiente alimentar escolar com maior disponibilidade de ultraprocessados está associado ao maior consumo dos mesmos na escola, o que aponta para a necessidade de regulamentar o comércio de alimentos dentro destas instituições.

Los alimentos ultraprocesados son marcadores de patrones alimentarios no saludables y su consumo es elevado entre los adolescentes. Características del entorno alimentario escolar se asocian a prácticas alimentarias de estudiantes. El objetivo del estudio fue investigar la asociación entre la presencia de cantinas, y la disponibilidad de alimentos ultraprocesados en las mismas, con el consumo de estos alimentos dentro de la escuela, entre adolescentes del 9º año de la enseñanza fundamental de las redes pública y privada del Municipio de São Paulo, Brasil. Se realizó un estudio transversal con datos del SP-Proso, en una muestra de 2.680 adolescentes. Se realizaron modelos de regresión lineal multinivel para evaluar las asociaciones entre las exposiciones presencia de cantinas en las escuelas y disponibilidad de alimentos ultraprocesados con resultados de frecuencia de consumo de ultraprocesados en la escuela. La presencia de cantinas estuvo asociada a una mayor frecuencia de consumo de embutidos (0,46; IC95%: 0,24; 0,68), aperitivos de bolsa (0,50; IC95%: 0,19; 0,80), golosinas (0,82; IC95%: 0,55; 1,09) y bebidas azucaradas (0,34; IC95%: 0,06; 0,62), así como un marcador de frecuencia de consumo de ultraprocesados (2,37; IC95%: 1,25; 3,48). La disponibilidad de aperitivos de bolsa, golosinas y bebidas azucaradas en las cantinas aumentó la frecuencia de consumo de esos alimentos. Se observó un efecto dosis/respuesta entre la diversidad de ultraprocesados en las cantinas y la frecuencia de consumo de estos alimentos. Un ambiente alimentario escolar con mayor disponibilidad de ultraprocesados está asociado a un mayor consumo de los mismos en la escuela, lo que apunta a la necesidad de regular el comercio de alimentos dentro de estas instituciones.

Effects of age, period, and birth cohort on homicide mortality in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, from 1996 to 2015.

Although São Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil - one of the world's most violent countries - a significant reduction in its homicide mortality rate (HMR) has been detected. This study aims to estimate the effects of age, period, and birth cohort on the trend of homicide mortality according to sex in the city of São Paulo, from 1996 to 2015. An ecological study was undertaken with data on deaths by homicide for both sexes, in all age brackets, in the city of São Paulo. Poisson models were adjusted for each sex to estimate the age-period-cohort effects. In total, 61,833 deaths by homicide were recorded among males and 5,109 among females. Regardless of the period, the highest HMR occurred in the 20-24 age bracket. Higher HMRs were found in those born in the 1970s and 1980s. The complete model, with age-period-cohort effects, were the best fit to the data. The risk of death by homicide declined over the periods, with lower intensity in the final five years (2011-2015), for both males (RR = 0.48; 95%CI: 0.46; 0.49) and females (RR = 0.52; 95%CI: 0.47; 0.57). A reduction was found in the risk of homicide, regardless of the sex or age bracket, and also in recent cohorts. However, the intensity of such reductions has been decreasing over time, which suggests that the public policies adopted have limited potential to maintain these achievements.

[Decline in homicide rates in São Paulo, Brasil: a descriptive analysis]. / Queda dos homicídios em São Paulo, Brasil: uma análise descritiva.

OBJECTIVE: To describe homicide mortality in the municipality of São Paulo according to type of weapon, sex, race or skin color, age, and areas of socioeconomic inequalities, between 1996 and 2008. METHOD: For this ecological time-series study, data about deaths in the municipality of São Paulo were collected from the municipal program for improvement of mortality information, using International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes. Homicide mortality rates (HMR) were calculated for the overall population and specifically for each sex, race or skin color, age range, type of weapon, and occurrence in social deprivation/affluence areas. HMR were adjusted for age using the direct method. The percentage age of variation in HMR was calculated for the study period. For areas of socioeconomic inequalities, the relative risk of death from homicide was calculated. RESULTS: HMR fell 73.7% between 2001 and 2008. A reduction in HMR was observed in all groups, especially males (-74.5%), young men between 15 and 24 years of age (-78.0%), and residents in areas of extreme socioeconomic deprivation (-79.3%). The reduction occurred mostly in firearm homicide rates (-74.1%). The relative risk of death from homicide in areas of extreme socioeconomic deprivation, as compared to areas with some degree of socioeconomic deprivation, was 2.77 in 1996, 3.9 in 2001, and 2.13 in 2008. In areas of high socioeconomic deprivation, the relative risk was 2.07 in 1996 and 1.96 in 2008. CONCLUSIONS: To understand the reduction in homicide rates in the municipality of São Paulo, it is important to take into consideration macrodeterminants that affect the entire municipality and all population subgroups, as well as micro/local determinants that have special impact on homicides committed with firearms and on subgroups such as the young, males, and residents of areas of high socioeconomic deprivation.

Social segregation and lethal police violence in the city of São Paulo, Brazil (2014-2015).

We aimed to investigate how lethal police violence (LPV) in the City of São Paulo (CSP), Brazil, is associated with socioeconomic development when we consider the victims' place of residence and the locations of the fatal injuries. The spatial distribution of lethal police violence rate (LPVR) and its association with the human development index (HDI) was investigated using the Moran's I (Global and Bivariate Local). Between 2014 and 2015 we found 403 police victims in the Health database and 794 victims in the Security Department. We found a non-random spatial distribution of the LPV considering the victim's place of residence (I=+0.12; p<0.001) and the locations where the fatal injuries were inflicted (I=+0.07; p<0.001). We found a negative association between LPVR and the HDI of the place of residence (I=-0.10; p<0.001) and a positive association between LPVR and the HDI of the locations of the fatal injuries (I=+0.02; p<0.001). The results point to different dynamics of LPV in CSP. High mortality clusters are found in areas with lower HDI, when considering the victim's address, and in areas with higher HDI, when considering the address of the violent events. LPV impacts young blacks, poorly educated residents of outskirts informing us about patterns of social segregation.

[Data quality analysis of deaths committed by the police in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, 2014-2015]. / Análise da qualidade dos dados das mortes cometidas por policiais no Município de São Paulo, Brasil, 2014-2015.

Deadly police force is a public health problem. Although the Mortality Information System (SIM) is the most reliable record of deaths from violence, the same is not true for cases of deadly police force, which displays a high degree of underreporting when compared to data from the São Paulo Department of Law Enforcement (SSP-SP). The current study aimed to estimate underreporting in the two official data sources (SIM and SSP-SP), identifying the ICD-10 categories used in cases of incorrectly classified deadly police force and mortality rates in the years 2014 and 2015 in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Using linkage of data from the SIM and SSP-SP databases, we describe the use of underlying causes of death in cases of deadly police force, estimating underreporting in the SIM and the SSP-SP with the capture-recapture methodology and mortality rates in the city. Based on the database linkage, most of the deaths from deadly police force were classified incorrectly (53%) as other underlying causes of death in the SIM. Both the SIM and SSP-SP underreported the deaths committed by police officers, with different magnitudes (53.2% in the SIM and 7.9% in the SSP-SP). Reclassification of the deaths via linkage added a gain in the SIM, which now had the same mean mortality rate as the SSP-SP (3.44/100,000), thereby decreasing the underreporting in comparison to the initial scenario. Correct recording of death is the first step to the ensuring the right to justice and truth. Recording with quality means to guarantee the right to information, which is not an end per se, but the start in the task of prevention. Data-sharing and inter-sector work are urgently needed.

A violência policial letal é um problema de saúde pública. Embora o Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM) seja o registro mais confiável sobre mortes por agressão, o mesmo não acontece nos casos de violência policial letal, que apresenta um alto grau de subnotificação quando comparado aos dados da Secretaria de Segurança Pública de São Paulo (SSP-SP). O presente estudo tem como objetivo estimar a subnotificação nas duas fontes oficiais de informação (SIM e SSP-SP), identificando as categorias da CID-10 utilizadas nos casos de violência policial letal incorretamente classificadas e calcular as taxas de mortalidade nos anos de 2014 e 2015 no Município de São Paulo, Brasil. Por meio da vinculação dos dados do SIM e da SSP-SP, descrevemos o uso das causas básicas de morte nos casos de violência policial letal, estimamos a subnotificação no SIM e na SSP-SP com a metodologia captura-recaptura e as taxas de mortalidade no município. A partir da vinculação das duas bases de dados, nota-se que a maior parte dos óbitos por violência policial letal foi classificada incorretamente (53%) em outras causas básicas de morte no SIM. Observa-se que tanto o SIM como a SSP-SP subnotificam as mortes cometidas por policiais em magnitudes distintas (53,2% no SIM e 7,9% na SSP-SP). A reclassificação dos óbitos a partir da vinculação adicionou ganho por parte do SIM, que passou a ter a mesma taxa média de mortalidade do que a SSP-SP (3,44/100 mil), diminuindo a subnotificação em comparação com o cenário inicial. O registro correto da morte é o primeiro passo para o direito à justiça e à verdade. Registrar com qualidade é garantir o direito à informação, sendo este não um fim, mas apenas o começo na tarefa da prevenção. O compartilhamento de dados e o trabalho intersetorial se faz urgente.

La violencia policial letal es un problema de salud pública. A pesar de que el Sistema de Información de la Mortalidad (SIM) sea el registro más fiable sobre muertes por agresión, este no se produce en los casos de violencia policial letal, que presenta un alto grado de subnotificación, cuando se compara con los datos de la Secretaria de Seguridad Pública de São Paulo (SSP-SP). Este estudio tiene como objetivo estimar la subnotificación en las dos fuentes oficiales de información (SIM y SSP-SP), identificando las categorías de la CID-10 utilizadas en los casos de violencia policial letal incorrectamente clasificados, así como calcular las tasas de mortalidad durante los años de 2014 y 2015 en el municipio de São Paulo, Brasil. Mediante la vinculación de los datos del SIM y de la SSP-SP, describimos el uso de las causas básicas de muerte en los casos de violencia policial letal, estimamos la subnotificación en el SIM y en la SSP-SP, con la metodología capture-recapture y las tasas de mortalidad en el municipio. A partir de la vinculación de las dos bases de datos, se nota que la mayor parte de los óbitos de violencia policial letal se clasificaron incorrectamente (53%) en otras causas básicas de muerte en el SIM. Se observa que tanto el SIM, como la SSP-SP, subnotifican las muertes cometidas por policías, en magnitudes distintas (53,2% en el SIM y 7,9% en la SSP-SP). La reclasificación de los óbitos a partir de la vinculación benefició al SIM, que pasó a tener la misma tasa media de mortalidad que la SSP-SP (3,44/100 mil), disminuyendo la subnotificación, en comparación con el escenario inicial. El registro correcto de la muerte es el primer paso para el derecho a la justicia y a la verdad. Registrar con calidad es garantizar el derecho a la información, siendo este no un fin, sino solo el comienzo de la tarea de prevención. El intercambio de datos y el trabajo intersectorial es algo urgente.