Stress symptoms and positive coping during coronavirus disease 2019: The need to look at health from a gender perspective.

BACKGROUND: The emergency derived from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has taught us important lessons in public and environmental health, particularly in the alarming numbers of existing noncommunicable diseases. However, one aspect to which little attention has been paid during the pandemic is mental health and its relationship with the gender perspective, in spite of gender being a determinant associated with health. In contrast, regarding health, few schemes and theories consider health from a positive and comprehensive perspective. METHODS: This study was designed to examine the symptoms of stress and positive coping from a gender perspective. For this, the Stress Symptomatology Inventory, the Positive Coping to Life Scale and a general data questionnaire were applied to 665 individuals underwent the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 test at the Center for Health Studies and Services of the Universidad Veracruzana from July 2020 to November 2021. FINDINGS: We found that women presented more stress symptoms and less positive coping in the factor of positive self-regulation of adverse situations and the factors of self-determination and positive self-regulation of important situations. Moreover, significant differences in the associations of these variables were observed between men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the needs of women must be considered in the approach to the emergency department due to COVID-19 and in general in the health-disease process; therefore, not considering a gender approach will continue to deepen inequalities between sexes.

La obesidad en México. Programas en marcha / Obesity in Mexico. Ongoing programs

La obesidad es un problema de salud pública a nivel mundial. Según datos arrojados en el año 2014 por la OCDE, México ocupa junto con Estados Unidos de América el primer lugar en obesidad. En el año 2000, la Encuesta Nacional de Salud encontró una prevalencia combinada de sobrepeso y obesidad del 61.8 % y para el año 2012 la prevalencia fue del 71.3 %. Son diversos los factores que influyen en el desarrollo de la obesidad, en México destacan: la inseguridad alimentaria, la falta de actividad física y el consumo de bebidas azucaradas. Ante este panorama, se implementó en el año 2013, la Estrategia Nacional para la Prevención y el Control del Sobrepeso, la Obesidad y la Diabetes que se acompaña de una reforma legal y en la que intervienen el sector público, la iniciativa privada y la sociedad civil. Por su parte, en el estado de Veracruz, la Universidad Veracruzana desde hace más de 25 años aplica un examen de salud integral a los alumnos de nuevo ingreso a la universidad. Entre los resultados más importantes se encuentra el aumento del sobrepeso y la obesidad. A partir de estos resultados se han implementado diversas acciones encaminadas no sólo a reducir la prevalencia de la obesidad, sino también a promover la salud integral del estudiante universitario. Sin embargo, aún falta mucho por hacer, una tarea fundamental será la medición del impacto de los programas regionales y nacionales para combatir el sobrepeso y la obesidad, mediano y largo plazo (AU)

Obesity is a worldwide public health issue. According to the OECD in 2014, Mexico and United States had the first place on obesity. In 2000, the Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey found a mixed prevalence of overweight and obesity representing 61.8 % and in 2012 the prevalence was of 71.3 %. There are many factors that interfere on obesity development, in Mexico: food insecurity, lack of physical activity and sweetened beverages consumption. With that as a reference in 2013 the National strategy of prevention and control of overweight, obesity and diabetes was established, it involves a legal reform, which is intervene by a public sector, private initiative and civil society, In another hand Veracruz state, Universidad Veracruzana have been applying an integral health survey for 25 years to the new comers students of university. The most important outcomes have been the increase of obesity and overweight. From these results there have been established several actions not just to reduce the prevalence of obesity but to promote integral health to the university student. However there’s a long way to go a fundamental task would be the measurement of the impact of regional and national programs to confront overweight and obesity, short and long term (AU)