The Neglected Problem of Obesity during Pregnancy in Mexico: Secondary Data Analysis of the 2018 National Survey of Health and Nutrition.

OBJECTIVES: To compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics among obese and non-obese women in Mexico and analyze the association between obesity and pregnancy complications. METHODS: We conducted a secondary data analysis of the 2018-2019 Mexican National Survey of Health and Nutrition. We included women aged 20-49 years who had at least one live birth in the five years preceding the survey (n = 1573). We performed a double-weighted (by IP-weights and survey-weights) multilevel multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Obesity was prevalent in 32% of pregnant women. Obese and non-obese women received similar antenatal care. 42.6% of obese women, compared to 33.6% of non-obese had one or more pregnancy or labor complications. Compared with non-obese women, obese women were older and had more chronic diseases. Obesity was associated with a 48% increase in the probability of complications. CONCLUSION: Due to the high prevalence of obesity among Mexican women of reproductive age and given the independent association between obesity and complications during pregnancy and labor, the development and implementation of specific clinical guidelines on weight management before conception, during pregnancy, and post-partum for women who are obese is an unmet need in Mexico.

Tracking health system performance in times of crisis using routine health data: lessons learned from a multicountry consortium.

COVID-19 has prompted the use of readily available administrative data to track health system performance in times of crisis and to monitor disruptions in essential healthcare services. In this commentary we describe our experience working with these data and lessons learned across countries. Since April 2020, the Quality Evidence for Health System Transformation (QuEST) network has used administrative data and routine health information systems (RHIS) to assess health system performance during COVID-19 in Chile, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, Republic of Korea and Thailand. We compiled a large set of indicators related to common health conditions for the purpose of multicountry comparisons. The study compiled 73 indicators. A total of 43% of the indicators compiled pertained to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH). Only 12% of the indicators were related to hypertension, diabetes or cancer care. We also found few indicators related to mental health services and outcomes within these data systems. Moreover, 72% of the indicators compiled were related to volume of services delivered, 18% to health outcomes and only 10% to the quality of processes of care. While several datasets were complete or near-complete censuses of all health facilities in the country, others excluded some facility types or population groups. In some countries, RHIS did not capture services delivered through non-visit or nonconventional care during COVID-19, such as telemedicine. We propose the following recommendations to improve the analysis of administrative and RHIS data to track health system performance in times of crisis: ensure the scope of health conditions covered is aligned with the burden of disease, increase the number of indicators related to quality of care and health outcomes; incorporate data on nonconventional care such as telehealth; continue improving data quality and expand reporting from private sector facilities; move towards collecting patient-level data through electronic health records to facilitate quality-of-care assessment and equity analyses; implement more resilient and standardized health information technologies; reduce delays and loosen restrictions for researchers to access the data; complement routine data with patient-reported data; and employ mixed methods to better understand the underlying causes of service disruptions.

Association of supportive care needs and quality of patient-centered cancer care with depression in women with breast and cervical cancer in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of depression, supportive care needs (SC-needs), and quality of patient-centered cancer care (PCC-quality) between women with breast cancer and women with cervical cancer and to assess the association of SC-needs and PCC-quality with depression. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in a public oncology hospital in Mexico City with 247 breast cancer and 165 cervical cancer ambulatory patients aged ≥18 years with at least one hospitalization and ≤5 years since diagnosis. Participants completed the short-form Supportive Care Needs Survey, the Patient-Centered Quality of Cancer Care Questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We performed multiple logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association between SC-needs, PCC-quality, and probable presence of depression. RESULTS: Nearly all women reported SC-needs-mainly health system and information needs, followed by physical and psychological needs. PCC-quality was substandard in both groups. PCC-quality was lowest when addressing biopsychosocial needs, followed by information for treatment decision-making needs. Cervical cancer patients had probable depression more often (41.2%) than those with breast cancer (29.5%). Having unmet psychological and care needs was associated with increased odds of probable depression, while high-quality timely care was associated with reduced odds of probable depression. CONCLUSION: In Mexico, women with cervical and breast cancer face unmet SC-needs, probable depression, and substandard PCC-quality, pointing to priority areas for improvements in cancer care.

Social inequalities in supportive care needs and quality of patient-centered care of cancer patients in Mexico.

PURPOSE: To evaluate educational and health insurance-related inequalities in supportive care (SC) needs and quality of patient-centered care (PCC) for cancer patients in Mexico. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in one Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) and one Ministry of Health (MoH) oncology hospital in Mexico City. Formal labor market workers and their families have access to social health insurance that IMSS provides, while unemployed and informal workers receive care at the MoH. The study population comprised breast, colorectal, prostate, and hematologic cancer patients, aged ≥ 18 years, who attended outpatient consultations. Patients responded a short-form SC-needs questionnaire and a quality of PCC questionnaire. We used multiple logistic regression models to determine the independent association between educational attainment and high SC-needs and quality of PCC after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical covariates. RESULTS: We included 1058 IMSS and 606 MoH cancer patients. MoH patients perceived higher SC-needs and lower quality of PCC than IMSS patients. MoH patients with low education had a greater probability of high psychological and health system SC needs and lower likelihood of being informed for treatment decision-making and care for their biopsychosocial needs. IMSS patients with low educational levels had lower probability of receiving timely care and clarity of information than those with high education. Receiving high-quality PCC was associated with decreased SC needs. CONCLUSION: Uninsured cancer patients with low educational attainment have higher SC-needs and receive lower quality of PCC than their counterparts. Health services should face these challenges to reduce inequalities in Mexico.

Health care provider time in public primary care facilities in Lima, Peru: a cross-sectional time motion study.

BACKGROUND: In Peru, a majority of individuals bypass primary care facilities even for routine services. Efforts to strengthen primary care must be informed by understanding of current practice. We conducted a time motion assessment in primary care facilities in Lima with the goals of assessing the feasibility of this method in an urban health care setting in Latin America and of providing policy makers with empirical evidence on the use of health care provider time in primary care. METHODS: This cross-sectional continuous observation time motion study took place from July - September 2019. We used two-stage sampling to draw a sample of shifts for doctors, nurses, and midwives in primary health facilities and applied the Work Observation Method by Activity Timing tool to capture type and duration of provider activities over a 6-h shift. We summarized time spent on patient care, paper and electronic record-keeping, and non-work (personal and inactive) activities across provider cadres. Observations are weighted by inverse probability of selection. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-five providers were sampled from 60 facilities; 20% could not be observed due to provider absence (2% schedule error, 8% schedule change, 10% failure to appear). One hundred seventy-four of the 220 identified providers consented (79.1%) and were observed for a total of 898 h of provider time comprising 30,312 unique tasks. Outpatient shifts included substantial time on patient interaction (110, 82, and 130 min for doctors, nurses, and midwives respectively) and on paper records (132, 97, and 141 min) on average. Across all shifts, 1 in 6 h was spent inactive or on personal activities. Two thirds of midwives used computers compared to half of nurses and one third of doctors. CONCLUSIONS: The time motion study is a feasible method to capture primary care operations in Latin American countries and inform health system strengthening. In the case of Lima, absenteeism undermines health worker availability in primary care facilities, and inactive time further erodes health workforce availability. Productive time is divided between patient-facing activities and a substantial burden of paper-based record keeping for clinical and administrative purposes. Electronic health records remain incompletely integrated within routine care, particularly beyond midwifery.

Patient and health service factors associated with delays in cancer treatment for children without social security in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: The objective was to investigate factors associated with patient-related timing (PRT) to seek healthcare and health service-related timing (HSRT) to diagnose cancer and provide treatment to children without social security in Mexico. PROCEDURE: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 13 Ministry of Health hospitals in the states of Chihuahua, Jalisco, Mexico City, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, State of Mexico, and Tlaxcala. Study participants were parents of recently diagnosed pediatric cancer patients (≤ 17 years of age). Three groups of factors were investigated: (1) patients (child and parent characteristics); (2) healthcare providers (HCPs) (first-contact HCP, institution, perceptions of barriers to healthcare, etc.); and (3) disease factors (cancer type/site, stage/risk at diagnosis). PRT and HSRT-associated factors were identified using multiple negative binomial regressions. RESULTS: The study included 265 children; 49% sought care when symptoms first appeared. The median PRT was seven days, and the median HSRT was 40 days. Parents' perceptions of long wait times for appointments were associated with longer PRT and HSRT. Residing in the lowest or highest socioeconomic regions and persistent or worsening symptoms increased the probability of longer PRT. Older patient age, HCP requests for imaging tests or prescription for steroids, a higher number of doctors consulted, having a urinary tract cancer, and having an advanced stage or high-risk cancer increased the probability of longer HSRT. CONCLUSION: Strategies to shorten lag time from symptom onset to diagnosis and treatment are urgently needed for childhood cancers in Mexico.

Experiences with health care and health-related quality of life of patients with hematologic malignancies in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: In Mexico, patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) are characterized by being at high risk and advanced stages at diagnosis and by having a low cure rate; yet information on their experiences with health care and health-related quality of life (HRQL) is scarce. We aimed to evaluate experiences with health care and HRQL of patients with HMs and the association between these patient-reported measures. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in two public oncology hospitals in Mexico City. The study included outpatient cancer patients aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma. We used a patient-centered quality of cancer care questionnaire to assess patient experiences with receiving 1) timely care; 2) clear information; 3) information for treatment decision-making; 4) care to address biopsychosocial needs; and 5) respectful and coordinated care. We applied the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) to measure HRQL. We performed a multiple linear regression to evaluate the association between patient-reported experiences (independent variables) and the QLQ-C30 summary score (dependent variable). RESULTS: Of the 515 participating HM patients, 46.6% had lymphoma, 34% leukemia, and 19.4% multiple myeloma; 70.9% were at advanced stages or at high risk. Additionally, 15.1% had anxiety and 12.8% had depression. Over one third (35.9%) reported receiving clear information, 28.5% timely care, 20.6% information for treatment decision-making, 23.7% care that addressed their biopsychosocial needs, and 31% respectful and coordinated care. The mean QLQ-C30 summary score was 71.9 points. Timely care, clear information, and care that addresses biopsychosocial needs were associated with higher HRQL. CONCLUSIONS: Health care services for HM patients at public oncology hospitals in Mexico need improvement. Notably, providing timely care, clear information, and care that addresses patients' biopsychosocial needs can increase the likelihood of better HRQL. Health care providers should measure and improve the experiences of HM patients with health care.

Gaps between supply and demand of acute myocardial infarction treatment in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze acute myocardial infarction (AMI) admissions and in-hospital mortality rates and evaluate the competence of the Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals to provide AMI treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a mixed-methods approach: 1) Joinpoint analysis of hos-pitalizations and in-hospital mortality trends between 2005 and 2017; 2) a nation-wide cross-sectional MOH hospital survey. RESULTS: AMI hospitalizations are increasing among men and patients aged >60 years; women have higher mortal-ity rates. The survey included 527 hospitals (2nd level =471; 3rdlevel =56). We identified insufficient competence to diagnose AMI (2nd level 37%, 3rd level 51%), perform pharmacological perfusion (2nd level 8.7%, 3rd level 26.8%), and mechanical reperfusion (2nd level 2.8%, 3rd level 17.9%). CONCLUSIONS: There are wide disparities in demand, supply, and health outcomes of AMI in Mexico. It is advisable to build up the competence with gender and age perspectives in order to di-agnose and manage AMI and reduce AMI mortality effectively.

OBJETIVO: Analizar las tendencias de admisiones y mortali-dad hospitalaria por infarto agudo al miocardio (IAM) y eva-luar la competencia hospitalaria de la Secretaría de Salud (SS) para tratarlo. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Enfoque de métodos mixtos: Jointpoint análisis de tendencias de hospitalizaciones y mortalidad hospitalaria entre 2005 y 2017, y encuesta en hospitales de la SS. RESULTADOS: Las hospitalizaciones por IAM están aumentando entre hombres y pacientes >60 años. Las mujeres tienen mayor mortalidad. La encuesta incluyó 527 hospitales (2º nivel =471, 3er nivel =56). Los hospitales tienen competencias insuficientes para diagnosticar IAM (2º nivel 37%, 3er nivel 51%), realizar perfusión farmacológica (2º nivel 8.7%, 3er nivel 26.8%) y reperfusión mecánica (2º nivel 2.8%, 3er nivel 17.9%). CONCLUSIONES: Existen disparidades en demanda, oferta y resultados en salud del IAM. Es aconsejable fortalecer las competencias, con perspectivas de género y edad, para diagnosticar y tratar IAM, y reducir su mortalidad efectivamente.

Cost-effectiveness of the use of the continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion pump versus daily multiple injections in type 1 diabetes adult patients at the Mexican Institute of Social Security.

BACKGROUND: To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy versus multiple daily injections (MDI) therapy in adult patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). METHODS: An analysis was developed using the internationally validated Core Diabetes Model (CDM) with which the incidence and progression of acute and chronic complications and the mortality of T1D was simulated throughout life. The baseline characteristics of the simulated cohorts were obtained from Mexican T1D adult patients aged ≥ 18 years that received care at two national IMSS medical centres in 2016. In the base case, the costs of the complications and treatment of the disease with both therapies were estimated in Mexican currency from the perspective of the institution, using Diagnosis Related Groups for outpatient and inpatient care. Utilities were taken from the international bibliography. In a secondary analysis, indirect costs were included using a human capital approach. The model used a lifetime time horizon, and a discount rate of 5% was applied for health outcomes and costs. A one-way sensitivity analysis was conducted on key variables and patient sub-groups; uncertainty was evaluated using a Cost-Effectiveness Acceptability Curve. RESULTS: The average age of the cohort was 32 years, with diabetes duration of 19 years, an average HbA1c of 9.2%; 29% were men. A gain of 0.614 Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) was estimated with the use of CSII therapy. The estimated ICER was MXN$478,020 per QALY in the base case, and MXN$369,593 when indirect costs were considered. The sensitivity analysis showed that, in adult patients with HbA1c > 9.0%, the ICER was MXN$262,237. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first economic evaluation study that compares CSII therapy versus MDI therapy for T1D adult patients in Mexico. The insulin pump therapy can be considered cost-effective in the context of the IMSS when considering a threshold of three GDPs per capita with 43.9% probability. Results improve substantially when patients have an HbA1c above 9%.

User experience and satisfaction with specialty consultations and surgical care in secondary and tertiary level hospitals in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the association between user experience and satisfaction with specialty consultations and surgical care at the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) secondary and tertiary level hospitals. METHODS: We conducted secondary data analysis of the cross-sectional 2017 IMSS National Satisfaction Survey. The dependent variables were user satisfaction with outpatient consultation and with surgery. The study's independent variables were user experience with these services. The Lancet Global Health Commission on High Quality Health Systems in the Sustainable Development Era framework was used to guide the analysis. For each dependent variable a double-weighted Poisson regression model with robust variance was performed and considered clustering of the observations within 111 secondary level and 25 tertiary level hospitals. RESULTS: The study included 6713 outpatient consultation users and 528 surgery users. 83% of users attending outpatient consultations and 86.6% of users who underwent inpatient surgery at IMSS hospitals were satisfied with the service received. The common patient negative experiences with specialty consultations and surgical care were long waiting time (40%) and lack of hospital cleanliness (20%). An additional concern was the lack of clinical examination during the consultation (25%). Shorter waiting times, health provider courtesy, good communication, clinical examination, and hospital cleanliness were associated with patient satisfaction with specialty consultations. Having the surgery without prior postponement(s) and without complications increased the probability of patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Patient satisfaction with hospital outpatient consultations and surgical care may be raised by focusing on improvement strategies to enhance positive patient experiences with care.

Application of machine learning methodology to assess the performance of DIABETIMSS program for patients with type 2 diabetes in family medicine clinics in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to assess the performance of a multidisciplinary-team diabetes care program called DIABETIMSS on glycemic control of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, by using available observational patient data and machine-learning-based targeted learning methods. METHODS: We analyzed electronic health records and laboratory databases from the year 2012 to 2016 of T2D patients from six family medicine clinics (FMCs) delivering the DIABETIMSS program, and five FMCs providing routine care. All FMCs belong to the Mexican Institute of Social Security and are in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. The primary outcome was glycemic control. The study covariates included: patient sex, age, anthropometric data, history of glycemic control, diabetic complications and comorbidity. We measured the effects of DIABETIMSS program through 1) simple unadjusted mean differences; 2) adjusted via standard logistic regression and 3) adjusted via targeted machine learning. We treated the data as a serial cross-sectional study, conducted a standard principal components analysis to explore the distribution of covariates among clinics, and performed regression tree on data transformed to use the prediction model to identify patient sub-groups in whom the program was most successful. To explore the robustness of the machine learning approaches, we conducted a set of simulations and the sensitivity analysis with process-of-care indicators as possible confounders. RESULTS: The study included 78,894 T2D patients, from which 37,767patients received care through DIABETIMSS. The impact of DIABETIMSS ranged, among clinics, from 2 to 8% improvement in glycemic control, with an overall (pooled) estimate of 5% improvement. T2D patients with fewer complications have more significant benefit from DIABETIMSS than those with more complications. At the FMC's delivering the conventional model the predicted impacts were like what was observed empirically in the DIABETIMSS clinics. The sensitivity analysis did not change the overall estimate average across clinics. CONCLUSIONS: DIABETIMSS program had a small, but significant increase in glycemic control. The use of machine learning methods yields both population-level effects and pinpoints the sub-groups of patients the program benefits the most. These methods exploit the potential of routine observational patient data within complex healthcare systems to inform decision-makers.

[Needs in coverage and care for lung cancer in Mexico]. / Necesidades de cobertura y atención del cáncer pulmonar en México.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the coverage of lung cancer in Mexico and offer recommendations in this regard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By means of the conformation of a multidisciplinary group, we analyze the burden of the disease relative to the lung cancer and the access to the medical treatment offered by the different public health subsystems in Mexico. RESULTS: Important inequalities in lung cancer care are documented among the different public health subsystems. Our data suggest differential access and coverage to both traditional treatments and existing therapeutic innovations and differences in the capacity of health service providers to guarantee the right to health protection without distinction. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations are made on the need to improve actions for tobacco control, early diagnosis for lung cancer and inclusion of innovative therapies and homologation among different public health service providers through financing via tobacco taxes.

OBJETIVO: Analizar la cobertura en salud de cáncer pulmonar en México y ofrecer recomendaciones al respecto. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Mediante la conformación de un grupo multidisciplinario se analizó la carga de la enfermedad relativa al cáncer de pulmón y el acceso al tratamiento médico que ofrecen los diferentes subsistemas de salud en México. RESULTADOS: Se documentan desigualdades importantes en la atención del cáncer de pulmón entre los distintos subsistemas de salud que sugieren acceso y cobertura en salud variable, tanto a los tratamientos tradicionales como a las innovaciones terapéuticas existentes, y diferencias en la capacidad de los prestadores de servicios de salud para garantizar el derecho a la protección de la salud sin distinciones. CONCLUSIONES: Se hacen recomendaciones sobre la necesidad de mejorar las acciones para el control del tabaco, el diagnóstico temprano y la inclusión de terapias innovadoras y la homologación entre los diferentes prestadores públicos de servicios de salud a través del financiamiento con la recaudación de impuestos al tabaco.

Adequate health literacy is associated with better health outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes in Mexico.

This study evaluates the health literacy of people with type 2 diabetes and its association with health outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in two family medicine clinics of the Mexican Institute of Social Security that included 778 diabetic patients >19 years of age. The Spanish version of the European Health Literacy questionnaire served to measure health literacy. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to determine the association between the independent variable (health literacy) and dependent variables (good self-rated health, glycemic control, and diabetes-related hospitalizations) after controlling for conceptually relevant patient's characteristics. Only 17.6% of patients had adequate health literacy; while, the remaining percentage showed inadequate (23%), or problematic (59.4%) health literacy. After adjusting for the patients' characteristics, those with adequate health literacy had 4.66 (95%CI: 2.26-9.61) times the odds of good self-rated health compared to those with inadequate literacy. Patients with adequate health literacy had 0.65 (95%CI: 0.49-0.86) times the odds of hospitalization due to diabetes compared to those with inadequate literacy. Compared to inadequate health literacy, problematic literacy was associated with increased odds of glycemic control. In conclusion, healthcare providers should actively address the health literacy needs of patients to increase good self-rated health, glucose control and reduce hospitalizations.

QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE AND VIRAL SUPPRESSION AMONG HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS PATIENTS.

BACKGROUND: In Mexico, the quality of health care for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients is unknown. The study objectives were to develop quality of care (QoC) indicators for outpatient care of HIV patients, evaluate the quality of the processes of care (QPC) and outcomes, and analyze the association between the QPC and viral suppression among HIV patients. METHODS: The study used a mixed-methods approach: (1) Development of QoC indicators through RAND/UCLA method; (2) cross-sectional study of QoC evaluation; and (3) multiple Poisson regressions to measure the association between the QPC and viral suppression. The study included 439 HIV patients, ≥ 19 years of age, with at least one outpatient consultation during 2017 at a public hospital in the State of Mexico. RESULTS: We developed 21 QoC indicators to evaluate HIV care. Based on these indicators, the QoC gaps that emerged were related to clinical history (24% of patient records included sexual history information), routine adherence assessment (no records demonstrated regular recording of antiretroviral treatment adherence), and screening and referral (50% were screened for depression, and 42% for tuberculosis; 1.2% of patients with abnormal body mass index were referred to a dietitian). On average, HIV patients received 63% of recommended QPC; 77.7% achieved viral suppression. Receiving over 75% of recommended QPC was associated with a higher probability of viral suppression (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.24). CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of the QoC for HIV patients is essential to identify and address gaps in health-care quality to increase the probability of viral suppression.

Patient-centered primary care and self-rated health in 6 Latin American and Caribbean countries: Analysis of a public opinion cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Despite the substantial attention to primary care (PC), few studies have addressed the relationship between patients' experience with PC and their health status in low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to (1) test the association between overall patient-centered PC experience (OPCE) and self-rated health (SRH) and (2) identify specific features of patient-centered PC associated with better SRH (i.e., excellent or very good SRH) in 6 Latin American and Caribbean countries. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a 2013 public opinion cross-sectional survey on perceptions and experiences with healthcare systems in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, and Panama; the data were nationally representative for urban populations. We analyzed 9 features of patient-centered PC. We calculated OPCE score as the arithmetic mean of the PC features. OPCE score ranged from 0 to 1, where 0 meant that the participant did not have any of the 9 patient-centered PC experiences, while 1 meant that he/she reported having all these experiences. After testing for interaction on the additive scale, we analyzed countries pooled for aim 1, with an interaction term for Mexico, and each country separately for aim 2. We used multiple Poisson regression models double-weighted by survey and inverse probability weights to deal with the survey design and missing data. The study included 6,100 participants. The percentage of participants with excellent or very good SRH ranged from 29.5% in Mexico to 52.4% in Jamaica. OPCE was associated with reporting excellent or very good SRH in all countries: adjusting for socio-demographic and health covariates, patients with an OPCE score of 1 in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Jamaica, and Panama were more likely to report excellent or very good SRH than those with a score of 0 (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.61, 95% CI 1.37-1.90, p < 0.001); in Mexico, this association was even stronger (aPR 4.27, 95% CI 2.34-7.81, p < 0.001). The specific features of patient-centered PC associated with better SRH differed by country. The perception that PC providers solve most health problems was associated with excellent or very good SRH in Colombia (aPR 1.38, 95% CI 1.01-1.91, p = 0.046) and Jamaica (aPR 1.21, 95% CI 1.02-1.43, p = 0.030). Having a provider who knows relevant medical history was positively associated with better SRH in Mexico (aPR 1.47, 95% CI 1.03-2.12, p = 0.036) but was negatively associated with better SRH in Brazil (aPR 0.71, 95% CI 0.56-0.89, p = 0.003). Finally, easy contact with PC facility (Mexico: aPR 1.35, 95% CI 1.04-1.74, p = 0.023), coordination of care (Mexico: aPR 1.53, 95% CI 1.19-1.98, p = 0.001), and opportunity to ask questions (Brazil: aPR 1.42, 95% CI 1.11-1.83, p = 0.006) were each associated with better SRH. The main study limitation consists in the analysis being of cross-sectional data, which does not allow making causal inferences or identifying the direction of the association between the variables. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, a higher OPCE score was associated with better SRH in these 6 Latin American and Caribbean countries; associations between specific characteristics of patient-centered PC and SRH differed by country. The findings underscore the importance of high-quality, patient-centered PC as a path to improved population health.

Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of type 1 diabetes patients associated with emergency room visits and hospitalizations in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients affiliated with the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) and ascertain the socio-demographic and clinical risk factors associated with emergency room (ER) visits and diabetes-related hospitalizations. METHODS: We conducted secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional study. The study included T1D patients 18 years of age and older who in 2016 attended follow-up visits at the endocrinology department of two IMSS tertiary care hospitals in Mexico City. The study variables included demographics, acute and chronic complications, and healthcare services utilization. Multiple Poisson and negative binomial regressions served to determine the association between the study covariates and the dependent variables: ER visits and diabetes-related hospitalizations. RESULTS: The study included 192 patients, of which 29.2% were men; average age was 32.3 years, with only 13.6% controlled (glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) < 7%); the mean HbA1C was 9.2, and 64.6% presented chronic complications. During 2016, 39.0% visited ER services, and 33.9% were hospitalized. The common risk factors for ER visits and hospitalization were older age at the beginning of diabetes, severe acute complications, chronic microvascular and macrovascular complications, and other comorbidities. Female sex, high school education, depression, and repeated visits to the endocrinologist were associated with ER visits, whereas active smoking and the interaction between diabetes duration > 10 years and HbA1c > 9.0% were additional risk factors for hospitalization. CONCLUSION: The poor clinical conditions of T1D patients contribute to explain the escalating demand for health services for diabetes patients at the IMSS. The identification of risk factors enables focalizing interventions to improve the health outcomes of T1D patients and reduce the proportion of ER visits and hospital admissions.

Evaluating the quality of the processes of care and clinical outcomes of premature newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: To develop quality of care (QoC) indicators, evaluate the quality of the processes of care (QPC) and clinical outcomes, and analyze the association between the QPC and severe clinical outcomes of preterm newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). DESIGN: Mixed methods approach: (1) development of QoC indicators via modified RAND/UCLA method; (2) cross-sectional study of QoC evaluation and (3) multiple logistic regression analysis to ascertain the association between the QPC and severe clinical outcomes. SETTING: Two NICUs belonged to the Mexican Institute of Social Security in Mexico City. PARTICIPANTS: About 489 preterm neonates (<37 weeks of gestation) without severe congenital anomalies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The QoC indicators; ≥60% of recommended QPC and severe clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The QoC included 10 QPC indicators across four domains: respiratory, nutrition and metabolism, infectious diseases, and screening, and five outcome indicators. The lower QPC indicators were for the nutrition and metabolism domain (17.8% started enteral feeding with human milk, and 20.7% received sodium bicarbonate appropriately). The higher QPC indicator was for the screening domain (97.6% of neonates <30 weeks gestation underwent early (≤14 days) transfontanelar ultrasound). The mean recommended QPC that neonates received was 47.5%. Only 26.6% of neonates received ≥60% of recommended QPC. About 60.7% of neonates developed severe clinical outcomes including mortality and healthcare-related major morbidity. Receiving ≥60% of recommended QPC was associated with a decrease of nearly half of odds of severe clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: The evaluation of the QoC in NICUs is essential to address modifiable gaps in quality.

Effects of an internet-based educational intervention to prevent high-risk sexual behavior in Mexican adolescents.

To evaluate the effect of an internet-based educational intervention to increase knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), attitudes and self-efficacy toward consistent condom use in Mexican adolescents. A field trial with an intervention and control group was conducted in 14- to 15-year-old students in two secondary schools. The intervention was delivered via a website that included four educational sessions during a 4-week period and six 30-min class discussions during a 3-month period. In the control group, the investigators observed the general sex education provided by the school. Outcome variables were 1) knowledge about STIs, 2) attitudes regarding condom use, and 3) self-efficacy toward consistent condom use. Differences-in-differences (Diff-in-Diff) treatment effect was estimated for each outcome variable. There were 246 adolescents in the intervention group and 210 in the control group. The intervention had a positive effect on improving knowledge of STIs, attitudes and self-efficacy toward consistent condom use. The major effect was observed on adolescents' knowledge on STIs (Diff-in-Diff 30.34 points, P < 0.0001). A youth-friendly, culturally-contextualized, internet-based educational intervention complemented by class discussions may be a significant addition to the regular secondary school sex education program to improve knowledge of STIs, attitudes and self-efficacy toward consistent condom use among adolescents. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02686736.

Association of hypertension-related distress with lack of self-care among hypertensive patients.

Research on factors associated with poor adherence to self-care focuses primarily on psychiatric emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety, whereas non-psychiatric chronic-disease-related emotional distress has received little attention in hypertensive patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of hypertension-related distress with the lack of self-care including low adherence to pharmacological treatment, lack of regular physical activity, low intake of fruits and vegetables and frequent intake of high-salt foods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2014 in two family medical units affiliated with the Mexican Institute of Social Security. The study included 487 hypertensive patients >19 years of age. The conceptual framework for the study was based on the Health Promotion Model. The analysis included multiple Poisson regression models. We found that 21.1% of participants had hypertension-related distress. Low adherence to pharmacological treatment was identified in 45.8% of patients, whereas 46.8% lacked regular physical activity, 30.8% reported a low consumption of fruits and vegetables, and 54.6% frequently consumed foods high in salt content. Hypertension-related distress was associated with lack of regular physical activity and low intake of fruits and vegetables. These findings highlight the importance of addressing distress in order to improve self-care of hypertensive patients.

Improvement of quality of life and menopausal symptoms in climacteric women treated with low-dose monthly parenteral formulations of non-polymeric microspheres of 17ß-estradiol/progesterone.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the short term effect over menopausal symptoms and quality of life (QoL) of monthly parenteral formulations of 17ß-estradiol (E)/progesterone (P) non-polymeric microspheres. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter, randomized, single-blinded study that included peri- and post-menopausal symptomatic women assigned to receive a monthly intramuscular injection of 0.5 mg E + 15 mg P (Group A, n = 34), 1 mg E + 20 mg P (Group B, n = 24), or 1 mg E + 30 mg P (Group C, n = 26) for 6 months. Intensity of menopausal symptoms was assessed before and after treatment with the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS) and QoL with the Utian Quality of Life Scale (UQoLS). RESULTS: Menopausal symptoms improved for all groups at six months evidenced by lower cluster/sub-cluster GCS scores. Equally, there was an overall trend for QoL improvement for all groups evidenced by higher domain UQoLS scores at six months; but only significant for the emotional (Groups A and B) and occupational domains (Groups A and C). CONCLUSION: The three low-dose continuous sequential intramuscular monthly formulations of E/P microspheres exerted a positive effect over menopausal symptoms and QoL. Long-term research is warranted with these formulations. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifiers NCT 00775242.