Increased Prevalence of Psychosocial, Behavioral, and Socio-Environmental Risk Factors among Overweight and Obese Youths in Mexico and the United States.

The aim of this study was to examine various psychosocial, behavioral, and socio-environmental factors in a multiethnic sample of healthy-weight, overweight, and obese youths in the United States (US) and Mexico and determine differences by sex. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 633 youths aged 11-18 years who completed a self-reported questionnaire. Height and weight were measured to determine body mass index (BMI). Overweight and obese youth in both countries were significantly more likely to report a higher body image dissatisfaction (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.67 and OR= 2.95, respectively), depressive symptoms (OR = 1.08 and OR = 1.12, respectively), perceive themselves as overweight (OR = 2.57) or obese (OR = 5.30), and a lower weight-specific quality of life (OR = 0.97 and OR = 0.95, respectively) than healthy-weight youth. Obese youth have lower healthy lifestyle priorities (OR = 0.75) and are less likely to be physically active (OR = 0.79) and eat breakfast (OR = 0.47) than healthy-weight youth. Additionally, overweight and obese youth are more likely to engage in weight control behaviors (OR = 5.19 and OR = 8.88, respectively) and restrained eating than healthy-weight youth. All the aforementioned results had a p-value of <0.05, which was considered statistically significant. The association between these factors and overweight or obesity remained significant after controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and country. In conclusion, obesity was associated with a range of psychosocial, behavioral, and socio-environmental risk factors in both countries. Our findings support the need for multifactorial approaches when developing interventions to address the growing problem of obesity among youth in the US and Mexico.

In Vitro, In Silico, and In Vivo Analyses of Novel Aromatic Amidines against Trypanosoma cruzi.

Five bis-arylimidamides were assayed as anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents by in vitro, in silico, and in vivo approaches. None were considered to be pan-assay interference compounds. They had a favorable pharmacokinetic landscape and were active against trypomastigotes and intracellular forms, and in combination with benznidazole, they gave no interaction. The most selective agent (28SMB032) tested in vivo led to a 40% reduction in parasitemia (0.1 mg/kg of body weight/5 days intraperitoneally) but without mortality protection. In silico target fishing suggested DNA as the main target, but ultrastructural data did not match.

Perceived health status and cardiometabolic risk among a sample of youth in Mexico.

PURPOSE: To examine differences in self-reported perceived mental and physical health status, as well as known cardiometabolic risk factors in a sample of normal weight, overweight, and obese Mexican youths. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 164 youths aged 11-18 years recruited in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that included measures of generic and weight-specific quality of life, perceived health, physical function, depressive symptoms, and body shape satisfaction. Height, weight, and waist circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was determined. Fasting blood samples from participants yielded levels of glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol (total, HDL, and LDL). RESULTS: Nearly 50 % of participants were female, 21 % had a normal BMI, 39 % were overweight, and 40 % were obese. Obese youths reported significantly lower measures of perceived health status (PHS) and showed an increase in cardiometabolic risk, compared with normal weight youths. Physical functioning, generic and weight-specific QoL were inversely associated with BMI, waist circumference, and glucose. Depressive symptoms were positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, glucose levels, and HDL cholesterol. No correlation was found between PHS and cardiometabolic risk measures after controlling for BMI. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of Mexican youths, obesity was associated with a significantly lower PHS and increased cardiometabolic risk.

In vitro and in vivo biological effects of novel arylimidamide derivatives against Trypanosoma cruzi.

Chagas disease (CD), a neglected tropical disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a serious public health problem in several Latin American countries. The available chemotherapies for CD have limited efficacy and exhibit undesirable side effects. Aromatic diamidines and arylimidamides (AIAs) have shown broad-spectrum activity against intracellular parasites, including T. cruzi. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the biological activity of eight novel AIAs (16DAP002, 16SAB079, 18SAB075, 23SMB022, 23SMB026, 23SMB054, 26SMB070, and 27SMB009) against experimental models of T. cruzi infection in vitro and in vivo. Our data show that none of the compounds induced a loss of cellular viability up to 32 µM. Two AIAs, 18SAB075 and 16DAP002, exhibited good in vitro activity against different parasite strains (Y and Tulahuen) and against the two relevant forms of the parasite for mammalian hosts. Due to the excellent selective indexes of 18SAB075, this AIA was moved to in vivo tests for acute toxicity and parasite efficacy; nontoxic doses (no-observed-adverse-effect level [NOAEL], 50 mg/kg) were employed in the tests for parasite efficacy. In experimental models of acute T. cruzi infection, 18SAB075 reduced parasitemia levels only up to 50% and led to 40% protection against mortality (at 5 mg/kg of body weight), being less effective than the reference drug, benznidazole.

Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research version (YQOL-R): propriedades psicométricas em uma amostra comunitária / Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research version (YQOL-R): psychometric properties in a community sample

OBJETIVO: Testar algumas propriedades psicométricas da versão brasileira do Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research (YQOL-R) em uma amostra comunitária de adolescentes brasileiros. MÉTODOS: Este é um estudo transversal comunitário realizado em seis escolas localizadas na área de abrangência de uma unidade de saúde da família. De uma população original de 2.754 estudantes com idade entre 10 e 17 anos, selecionamos aleatoriamente 419 para responder à versão brasileira do YQOL-R. Testamos a confiabilidade, as diferenças já conhecidas entre os grupos (utilizando sintomas de ansiedade e envolvimento em episódios de bullying) e a estrutura fatorial. RESULTADOS: O YQOL-R apresentou boa consistência interna, e as diferenças já conhecidas entre os grupos mostraram-se adequadas e estiveram dentro do esperado tanto com relação ao bullying quanto à ansiedade. A estrutura fatorial do modelo conceitual foi em parte fundamentada por nossa análise. CONCLUSÕES: A versão brasileira do YQOL-R apresentou propriedades psicométricas suficientemente boas. São necessários mais estudos a fim de melhor investigar configurações alternativas da estrutura fatorial.

OBJECTIVE: To test some psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research (YQOL-R) in a community sample of Brazilian adolescents. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional community study conducted in six schools of the catchment area of a family health unit. From an original population of 2,754 students from 10 to 17 years old, we randomly selected 419 to answer the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the YQOL-R. We tested reliability, known group differences (using anxiety symptoms and bullying involvement), and factor structure. RESULTS: The YQOL-R showed a good internal consistency and had an adequate and expected known group differences with both bullying and anxiety. The factor structure of the conceptual model was partially supported by our analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the YQOL-R showed sufficiently good psychometric properties. Further studies are needed in order to better investigate alternative configurations of the factor structure.

Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research version (YQOL-R): psychometric properties in a community sample.

OBJECTIVE: To test some psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research (YQOL-R) in a community sample of Brazilian adolescents. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional community study conducted in six schools of the catchment area of a family health unit. From an original population of 2,754 students from 10 to 17 years old, we randomly selected 419 to answer the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the YQOL-R. We tested reliability, known group differences (using anxiety symptoms and bullying involvement), and factor structure. RESULTS: The YQOL-R showed a good internal consistency and had an adequate and expected known group differences with both bullying and anxiety. The factor structure of the conceptual model was partially supported by our analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the YQOL-R showed sufficiently good psychometric properties. Further studies are needed in order to better investigate alternative configurations of the factor structure.

Perceived body shape, standardized body-mass index, and weight-specific quality of life of African-American, Caucasian, and Mexican-American adolescents.

PURPOSE: To examine associations among perceived body shape, standardized body-mass index (zBMI), and weight-specific quality of life in African-American, Caucasian, and Mexican-American adolescents, aged 11-18 years. METHODS: Self-report questionnaires were administered to 454 adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age, of whom 53% were females, 33% were Caucasians, 30% were African-Americans, and 37% were Mexican-Americans. Thirty-four percent had a healthy zBMI, 20% were overweight, and 46% were obese. RESULTS: In examining the adjusted R-square and R-square changes among stepwise regression models, the model with depressive symptoms (adjusted R-square = 0.34), perceived body shape (adjusted R-square = 0.49), and female sex (adjusted R-square = 0.53) appears to be the most parsimonious and explanatory model for these data. Race/ethnicity and age did not enter the equations, due to their significance levels being greater than the probability of removal (0.1). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the importance of including the perceptual measures of weight-specific quality of life and perceived body shape in studies of and interventions with overweight and obese adolescents. Including these perceptual measures may provide increased insight into the motivations and values of overweight and obese youth and thus be useful for designing more effective weight interventions.

Major depression and its correlates in primary care settings in six countries. 9-month follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Few published studies address depression outcomes in primary care from a cross-cultural perspective. AIMS: To define baseline factors associated with 9-month clinical outcomes across six countries. METHOD: Adults meeting criteria for current major depression were recruited from primary care clinics in Australia, Brazil, Israel, Spain, Russia and the USA; 968 patients were assessed at the 9-month follow-up. Predictors of complete remission were examined using logistic regression with a hierarchical model. RESULTS: Rates of complete remission in the six sites ranged from 25% to 48%. Logistic regression using pooled data showed that education, key life events and the Quality of Life Depression Scale score at baseline were the final predictors of complete remission, adjusting for centres, socio-demographic data, severity of depression, comorbidity and general quality of life. Variationin predictors across sites was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The two major findings of this study were the low proportion of people achieving complete remission at follow-up across the six sites, and that some baseline characteristics (education, Quality of Life Depression Scale score and key life events) are modest predictors of outcome in depression.