Association between sweetened beverage consumption and body mass index, proportion of body fat and body fat distribution in Mexican adolescents.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It was the aim of this study to evaluate the relationships between sweetened beverage (SB) consumption and the following indicators of overweight/fatness among Mexican adolescents: body mass index, body composition and body fat distribution. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from adolescents participating in the baseline assessment of the Health Workers Cohort Study. Information on sociodemographic conditions, sexual maturation, dietary patterns and physical activity was collected via self-administered questionnaires. SB consumption was evaluated through a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric measures were assessed with standardized procedures. The associations of interest were evaluated by means of multivariate regression and logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 1,055 adolescents, 10-19 years old (mean age 14.5+/-2.5 years), were evaluated. The overweight/obesity prevalence was 31.6% among girls and 31.9% among boys. We found that for each additional SB serving consumed daily, the subject's body mass index increased by on average 0.33 (p<0.001). Subjects consuming 3 daily servings of SB face a 2.1 times greater risk of proportionally excess body fat than those who consume less than 1 SB a day. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the hypothesis that the consumption of SB increases the risk of overweight and/or obesity and encourages excess body fat and central obesity in Mexican adolescents.

[Frequency and risk factors associated with malnutrition in children with congenital cardiopathy]. / Frecuencia y factores de riesgo asociados a desnutrición de niños con cardiopatía congénita.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the frequency and risk factors of malnutrition among children with congenital heart disease (CHD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between August 1997 and May 1998, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 244 children, at the congenital heart disease ward of the Cardiology Hospital, National Medical Center "Siglo XXI", Mexican Institute of Social Security, in Mexico City. Study subjects were male and female children younger than 17 years, diagnosed with CHD and without any other congenital malformation. Weight/Age (W/A), Height/Age (H/A) and Weight/Height (W/H) were used to measure nutritional status; Z scores greater than -2 was the case definition of malnutrition. Risk factors investigated were age, sex, perinatal history, dietary factors and nutritional supplementation, socioeconomic status, and family composition and functionality. Four CHD groups were studied: acyanotic with and without pulmonary hypertension (APH, AWPH) and, cyanotic with and without pulmonary hypertension (CPH, CWPH). Statistical analysis consisted of the chi-squared, Mann Whitney's U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Confounding variables were controlled for with a logistic regression model; odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. RESULTS: APH was the most frequent CHD (62.7%), followed by CWPH (15.6%), AWPH (11.5%), and CPH (10.2%). Malnutrition was identified in 40.9% children with the W/A index, in 24.6% with the H/A index; and in 31.1% with the W/H index. Infants and the CPH group had the worst nutritional status. Risk factors associated with malnutrition were: having a cyanotic CHD (OR 2.54; 95%CI, 0.98-6.58), lack of nutritional supplementation (OR 2.38; 95%CI, 1.06-5.34), and a greater number of family members (OR, 1.42; 95%CI, 0.99-2.05). Older children were more likely to be well-nourished (OR 0.92; 95%CI, 0.89-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition is frequent among children with CHD; it is more common in younger children and in those with cyanotic CHD. Educational programs directed to the families of these children are needed to prevent and decrease the frequency of malnutrition. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html