Selenium-rich food potentially useful to control mercury levels among Afro-Colombians: Towards an intercultural intervention

Introduction. Diet-based interventions may be a culturally acceptable option to decrease mercury levels and thus prevent the adverse effects of this metal on population health. Selenium is an element present in Colombian geology that can act as a chelator, decreasing mercury concentrations in the human body. Objective. To identify potentially useful selenium-rich foods to control the effects of mercury exposure among Afro-Colombians. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 320 individuals from five municipalities of Chocó. They were asked about the frequency of consumption of selenium-rich foods, and their association with mercury concentrations in hair was estimated with multiple robust regression. Results. Guava, whole wheat flour, strawberries, cow liver, spinach and yeast extract were the foods with higher consumption. Walnuts, whole wheat flour, and yeast extract were identified in multiple robust regression as foods to consider in future interventions. Conclusion. It is proposed that the banana juice, the pineapple colada, the borojó (Borojoa patinoi) sorbet, the cucas, and the enyucado are basic elements for a culturally acceptable intervention.

Introducción. Las intervenciones basadas en la dieta pueden ser una opción culturalmente aceptable para disminuir los niveles de mercurio y prevenir los efectos adversos de este metal en la salud de la población. El selenio es un elemento presente en la geología colombiana que puede actuar como quelante, disminuyendo las concentraciones de mercurio en el cuerpo humano. Objetivo. Identificar los alimentos ricos en selenio potencialmente útiles para controlar los efectos de la exposición a mercurio entre afrocolombianos. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio transversal con 320 individuos de cinco municipios del departamento del Chocó. Se les preguntó sobre la frecuencia de consumo de alimentos ricos en selenio y su asociación con las concentraciones de mercurio en cabello fue estimada con regresión múltiple robusta. Resultados. La guayaba, la harina de trigo integral, las fresas, el hígado de vaca, la espinaca y el extracto de levadura fueron los alimentos de mayor consumo. Las nueces, la harina de trigo integral y el extracto de levadura fueron identificados en regresión múltiple robusta como alimentos por considerar en futuras intervenciones. Conclusiones. Se propone que el jugo de plátano, la piña colada, el sorbete de borojó (Borojoa patinoi), las cucas, el enyucado y la sábida de plátano primitivo maduro son elementos básicos para una intervención culturalmente aceptable.

Selenium-rich food potentially useful to control mercury levels among Afro-Colombians: Towards an intercultural intervention. / Alimentos ricos en selenio potencialmente útiles para controlar los niveles de mercurio entre afrocolombianos: hacia una intervención intercultural

INTRODUCTION: Diet-based interventions may be a culturally acceptable option to decrease mercury levels and thus prevent the adverse effects of this metal on population health. Selenium is an element present in Colombian geology that can act as a chelator, decreasing mercury concentrations in the human body. OBJECTIVE: To identify potentially useful selenium-rich foods to control the effects of mercury exposure among Afro-Colombians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 320 individuals from five municipalities of Chocó. They were asked about the frequency of consumption of selenium-rich foods, and their association with mercury concentrations in hair was estimated with multiple robust regression. RESULTS: Guava, whole wheat flour, strawberries, cow liver, spinach and yeast extract were the foods with higher consumption. Walnuts, whole wheat flour, and yeast extract were identified in multiple robust regression as foods to consider in future interventions. CONCLUSION: It is proposed that the banana juice, the pineapple colada, the borojó (Borojoa patinoi) sorbet, the cucas, and the enyucado are basic elements for a culturally acceptable intervention.

Introducción: Las intervenciones basadas en la dieta pueden ser una opción culturalmente aceptable para disminuir los niveles de mercurio y prevenir los efectos adversos de este metal en la salud de la población. El selenio es un elemento presente en la geología colombiana que puede actuar como quelante, disminuyendo las concentraciones de mercurio en el cuerpo humano. Objetivo: Identificar los alimentos ricos en selenio potencialmente útiles para controlar los efectos de la exposición a mercurio entre afrocolombianos. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal con 320 individuos de cinco municipios del departamento del Chocó. Se les preguntó sobre la frecuencia de consumo de alimentos ricos en selenio y su asociación con las concentraciones de mercurio en cabello fue estimada con regresión múltiple robusta. Resultados: La guayaba, la harina de trigo integral, las fresas, el hígado de vaca, la espinaca y el extracto de levadura fueron los alimentos de mayor consumo. Las nueces, la harina de trigo integral y el extracto de levadura fueron identificados en regresión múltiple robusta como alimentos por considerar en futuras intervenciones. Conclusiones: Se propone que el jugo de plátano, la piña colada, el sorbete de borojó (Borojoa patinoi), las cucas, el enyucado y la sábida de plátano primitivo maduro son elementos básicos para una intervención culturalmente aceptable.

Gene-diet interactions and cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review of observational and clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Both genetic background and diet are important determinants of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Understanding gene-diet interactions could help improve CVD prevention and prognosis. We aimed to summarise the evidence on gene-diet interactions and CVD outcomes systematically. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE® via Ovid, Embase, PubMed®, and The Cochrane Library for relevant studies published until June 6th 2022. We considered for inclusion cross-sectional, case-control, prospective cohort, nested case-control, and case-cohort studies as well as randomised controlled trials that evaluated the interaction between genetic variants and/or genetic risk scores and food or diet intake on the risk of related outcomes, including myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and CVD as a composite outcome. The PROSPERO protocol registration code is CRD42019147031. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: We included 59 articles based on data from 29 studies; six articles involved multiple studies, and seven did not report details of their source population. The median sample size of the articles was 2562 participants. Of the 59 articles, 21 (35.6%) were qualified as high quality, while the rest were intermediate or poor. Eleven (18.6%) articles adjusted for multiple comparisons, four (7.0%) attempted to replicate the findings, 18 (30.5%) were based on Han-Chinese ethnicity, and 29 (49.2%) did not present Minor Allele Frequency. Fifty different dietary exposures and 52 different genetic factors were investigated, with alcohol intake and ADH1C variants being the most examined. Of 266 investigated diet-gene interaction tests, 50 (18.8%) were statistically significant, including CETP-TaqIB and ADH1C variants, which interacted with alcohol intake on CHD risk. However, interactions effects were significant only in some articles and did not agree on the direction of effects. Moreover, most of the studies that reported significant interactions lacked replication. Overall, the evidence on gene-diet interactions on CVD is limited, and lack correction for multiple testing, replication and sample size consideration.

Artificial intelligence as an analytic approximation to evaluate associations between parental feeding behaviours and excess weight in Colombian preschoolers.

Parental practices can affect children's weight and BMI and may even be related to a high prevalence of obesity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parents' practices related to feeding their children and excess weight in preschoolers in Bucaramanga, Colombia, using artificial intelligence. A cross-sectional study was carried out between September and December 2017. The sample included preschoolers who attended child development institutions belonging to the Colombian Institute for Family Wellbeing in Bucaramanga and the metropolitan area (n 384). The outcome variable was excess weight and the main independent variable was parental feeding practices. Confounding variables analysed included sociodemographic characteristics, food consumption, and children's physical activity. All equipment for the anthropometric measurements was calibrated. Logistic regression was used to predict the effect of parental practices on the excess weight of the children, and the AUC was used to measure performance. The parental practices with the greatest association with excess weight in the children involved using food to control their behaviour and restricting the amount of food they offered (use of food to control emotions (OR 1·77; 95 % CI 1·45, 1·83; P = 0·034) and encouraging children to eat less (OR 1·22; 95 % CI 1·14, 1·89; P = 0·045)). Childrearing practices related to feeding were found to be an important predictor of excess weight in children. The results of this study represent implications for public health considering this as a baseline for the design of nutrition education interventions focused on parents of preschoolers.

Socioeconomic inequalities in the consumption of fruits and vegetables: Colombian National Nutrition Survey, 2010.

The objective of this study was to estimate inequalities in the consumption of fruits and vegetables. A multilevel study was performed based on cross-sectional data of adults from 18 to 64 years of age (n = 5,217) and in geodemographic units (n = 33). The consumption of fruits and vegetables was estimated with a food frequency questionnaire administered as part of the 2010 Colombian National Nutrition Survey (ENSIN). Inequality indices for the consumption of whole fruits and fruit juice and for raw and cooked vegetables were estimated using data on wealth, food security, geographical area and monetary poverty. The prevalence of the consumption of cooked vegetables was 64.8% (95%CI: 59.2-70.4) among men and the prevalence of the consumption of fruit juice was 86.1% (95%CI: 82.4-89.8) among women. The frequency of the consumption of fruit juice was 1.03 times/day (95%CI: 0.93-1.14) among women. The prevalence and frequency fruits and vegetables consumption per day for the three socioeconomic variables considered in this study are higher according to the higher socioeconomic level (p < 0.05), except for the consumption frequency of whole fruits/day (p = 0.24). At the individual level, the Gini coefficient for frequency/day ranged from 0.51 to 0.62. At the ecological level, the Gini index for prevalence ranged from 0.04 to 0.14; and for frequency/day ranged from 0.03 to 0.11. The Colombian population does not meet fruits and vegetables consumption recommendations. Men and women favor the consumption of fruit juice over whole fruits. The inequality in vegetable consumption is clear, with men at a disadvantage. The poor eat fewer fruits and vegetables.

Socioeconomic inequalities in the consumption of fruits and vegetables: Colombian National Nutrition Survey, 2010 / Inequidades socioeconómicas en el consumo de frutas y verduras: Encuesta Nacional de la Situación Nutricional, Colombia, 2010 / Desigualdades socioeconômicas no consumo de frutas e vegetais: Inquérito Nacional de Situação Nutricional, Colômbia, 2010

The objective of this study was to estimate inequalities in the consumption of fruits and vegetables. A multilevel study was performed based on cross-sectional data of adults from 18 to 64 years of age (n = 5,217) and in geodemographic units (n = 33). The consumption of fruits and vegetables was estimated with a food frequency questionnaire administered as part of the 2010 Colombian National Nutrition Survey (ENSIN). Inequality indices for the consumption of whole fruits and fruit juice and for raw and cooked vegetables were estimated using data on wealth, food security, geographical area and monetary poverty. The prevalence of the consumption of cooked vegetables was 64.8% (95%CI: 59.2-70.4) among men and the prevalence of the consumption of fruit juice was 86.1% (95%CI: 82.4-89.8) among women. The frequency of the consumption of fruit juice was 1.03 times/day (95%CI: 0.93-1.14) among women. The prevalence and frequency fruits and vegetables consumption per day for the three socioeconomic variables considered in this study are higher according to the higher socioeconomic level (p < 0.05), except for the consumption frequency of whole fruits/day (p = 0.24). At the individual level, the Gini coefficient for frequency/day ranged from 0.51 to 0.62. At the ecological level, the Gini index for prevalence ranged from 0.04 to 0.14; and for frequency/day ranged from 0.03 to 0.11. The Colombian population does not meet fruits and vegetables consumption recommendations. Men and women favor the consumption of fruit juice over whole fruits. The inequality in vegetable consumption is clear, with men at a disadvantage. The poor eat fewer fruits and vegetables.

Con el fin de estimar las inequidades en el consumo de frutas y verduras, se realizó un estudio multinivel, basado en datos transversales de adultos de 18 a 64 años de edad (n = 5.217) y en unidades geodemográficas (n = 33). El consumo de frutas y verduras se estimó con un cuestionario de frecuencia de comidas, administrado como parte de la Encuesta Nacional de la Situación Nutricional (ENSIN), en Colombia, 2010. Los índices de inequidad para el consumo de frutas enteras y zumo de frutas, así como para verduras crudas y cocinadas, se estimó usando datos sobre riqueza, seguridad alimentaria, área geográfica y pobreza monetaria. La prevalencia en el consumo de verduras cocidas fue de un 64,8% (IC95%: 59,2-70,4) entre hombres y la prevalencia del consumo de zumo de frutas fue 86,1% (IC95%: 82,4-89,8) entre mujeres. La frecuencia del consumo de zumo de fruta fue 1,03 veces/día (IC95%: 0,93-1,14) entre mujeres. La prevalencia y frecuencia de consumo de frutas y verduras al día, dentro de las tres variables socioeconómicas consideradas en este estudio, fue mayor según el nivel socioeconómico más alto (p < 0,05), salvo la frecuencia de consumo de frutas enteras/día (p = 0,24). En el nivel individual el coeficiente de Gini para la frecuencia/día estuvo entre 0,51 y 0,62. En el nivel ecológico, el índice de Gini para la prevalencia estuvo entre 0,04 y 0,14 y para la frecuencia/día entre 0,03 y 0,11. La población colombiana no cumple con las recomendaciones en el consumo de frutas y verduras. Hombres y mujeres prefieren el consumo de zumos en lugar de frutas enteras. La inequidad en el consumo de verduras es clara, con los hombres con más desventaja. Los pobres comen menos frutas y verduras.

Para estimar desigualdades no consumo de frutas e vegetais, um estudo multinível foi realizado baseado em dados seccionais de adultos entre 18 e 64 anos (n = 5.217) e em unidades geodemográficas (n = 33). O consumo de frutas e vegetais foi estimado por meio de um questionário de frequência alimentícia como parte do Inquérito Nacional de Situação Nutricional (ENSIN), Colômbia, 2010. Índices de desigualdade do consumo de frutas inteiras e suco de fruta e de vegetais crus e cozidos foram estumados usando dados sobre renda, segurança alimentar, área geográfica e pobreza monetária. A prevalência do consumo de vegetais cozidos foi de 64,8% (IC95%: 59,2-70,4) para os homens e a prevalência do consumo de suco de fruta foi de 86,1% (IC95%: 82,4-89,8) para as mulheres. A frequência do consumo de suco de fruta foi de 1,03 vezes/dia (IC95%: 0,93-1,14) para as mulheres. A prevalência e frequência do consumo de frutas e vegetais por dia para as três variáveis socioeconômicas consideradas foram mais altas para o nível socioeconômico mais alto (p < 0,05), exceto a frequência de consumo de frutas inteiras/dia (p = 0,24). No nível individual, o coeficiente de Gini para a frequência/dia esteve entre 0,51 e 0,62. No nível ecológico, o índice de Gini para a prevalência esteve entre 0,04 e 0,4, para a frequência/dia, entre 0,03 e 0,11. A população colombiana não atinge as recomendações de consumo de frutas e vegetais. Homens e mulheres preferem consumir suco de fruto a frutas inteiras. A desigualdade no consumo de vegetais é clara, com desvantagem para os homens. Os pobres comem menos frutas e vegetais.

Consumption of sweetened-beverages and poverty in Colombia: when access is not an advantage.

BACKGROUND: This study characterizes the intake of sweetened beverages and establishes whether economic inequalities in their consumption exists. METHODS: Ecological study. Mixed methods using food frequency questionnaire and inequality indices. Based on the National Nutrition Survey, Colombia, 2010. The sweetened beverage intake of 17,514 subjects in 33 geodemographic units was estimated with a food frequency questionnaire and summarized. The calculation of inequality was based on the monetary poverty. The prevalence (yes/no) and frequency (times/day) of sweetened beverage consumption were estimated. Indices of economic inequality were calculated for both prevalence and frequency. RESULTS: The prevalence of sweetened beverage consumption was between 79.2% (95% CI, 75.7 to 82.8) in adults and 88.5% (95% CI, 85.8 to 91.3) in minors. The frequency of consumption in terms of times/day, was between 0.20 (95% CI, 0.16 to 0.24) in adults and 0.40 (95% CI, 0.33 to 0.46) in minors. The Gini coefficient for the prevalence was close to zero, between 0.04 and 0.08; for the frequency, it was slightly higher, between 0.12 and 0.25. CONCLUSIONS: It was established that there is no economic inequality in the consumption of sweetened beverages. Consumption taxes could be regressive.

Bajo peso al nacer y mortalidad perinatal en un Hospital de Tercer Nivel en Bucaramanga / Low birth weight and perinatal mortality in a Tertiary Hospital In Bucaramanga

Introducción: El peso al nacer es un indicador útil para evaluar las perspectivas de supervivencia infantil y la salud del niño durante el primer año de vida. Objetivo: Estimar la proporción de BPN y la tasa de mortalidad perinatal en una institución pública de salud de tercer nivel de complejidad de Bucaramanga. Materiales y métodos: Estudio,retrospectivo, descriptivo. Se midieron las variables edad gestacional, sexo, peso, talla, perímetro cefálico y tipo de del 95% para variables cuantitativas y proporciones para variables cualitativas. Resultados: La proporción de asimétrico y el 22,1% retraso del crecimiento simétrico. Conclusión: La alta proporción de BPN y la elevada TMPN encontradas en este estudio fueron similares a las reportadas en un hospital universitario de referencia para gestantes.

Introduction: The birth weight is one of the most useful indicators to evaluate the perspectives of infantile survival and health during its first year of life.Objective: To estimate proportion of low birth weight (LBW) and the perinatal mortality rate (PMR) in a public institution of health of third level of complexity of Bucaramanga. Materials and methods: Retrospective and descriptive study. Data like gestational age, gender, weight, height, cephalic perimeter, childbirth type was taken. In the descriptive analysis, the quantitative variables were calculated the measures of central tendency and dispersion with intervals of trust of 95%; and for the qualitative variables the respective proportions were calculated. Results: Proportion of LBW was of 17.79% (IC 95%: 16.51%-19.13%). The perinatal mortality rate was 16.4 per 1000 live births and a high percentage (83%) of the passed away RN displayed BPN. The 77.8% of newborns with low birth weight, stunted presented asymmetrical and 22.1% growth retardation symmetrical. Conclusion: The high proportion of LBW found in this study is similar to that found in a university hospital in reference to high risk pregnancies (19.5%).