Exposure to smoking in soap operas and movies: smoking cessation and attempts to quit. / Exposição ao cigarro em telenovelas e filmes: tentativas de parar de fumar e abstinência.

The objectives of this research were to evaluate whether there was an association between seeing an actor smoke in telenovelas, Brazilian films, or international films, and trying to quit and quitting among adult Brazilian smokers. Data from 39,425 participants in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey were used. Quit ratio (former smoker/former smoker + ever smoker) and proportions of current, former, and never smokers were calculated. Multivariable weighted regression was used to determine significant associations between quitting smoking and exposure to telenovelas and films. For current smokers, the odds of trying to quit were significantly higher among those who saw an actor smoking in a Brazilian film. Those who believed smoking caused serious illness and had rules in the home prohibiting smoking were significantly more likely to have tried to quit or had quit smoking. Exposure to smoking in the media may be different in adults than adolescents. Influential factors for trying to quit and quitting are rules prohibiting smoking at home, belief that smoking causes serious illness, and hearing about dangers of smoking in media.

Exposição ao cigarro em telenovelas e filmes: tentativas de parar de fumar e abstinência / Exposición al tabaco en telenovelas y películas: dejar de fumar e intentos de abandono de este hábito / Exposure to smoking in soap operas and movies: smoking cessation and attempts to quit

Resumo O objetivo foi avaliar a existência de uma associação entre o fato de ver um ator fumando em telenovela brasileira, filme brasileiro ou filme internacional e as tentativas de parar de fumar e abstinência entre fumantes adultos brasileiros. Foram utilizados os dados de 39.425 participantes da versão brasileira do Global Adult Tobacco Survey. O estudo calculou a prevalência de ex-fumantes (ex-fumantes/ex-fumantes + fumantes atuais) e as proporções de fumantes atuais, ex-fumantes e indivíduos que nunca fumaram. Foi utilizada a regressão ponderada multivariada para testar associações significativas entre cessação e exposição ao tabagismo em telenovelas e filmes. Para fumantes atuais, as chances de tentar de parar foram significativamente mais altas entre aqueles que haviam visto ator fumando em filme brasileiro. Aqueles que acreditavam que o fumo causa doenças graves e tinham regras contra fumar em casa apresentavam chances significativamente maiores de terem tentativas de parar e de abstinência. A exposição ao tabagismo na mídia pode ser diferente em adultos e adolescentes. Fatores que influenciam as tentativas e o sucesso na cessação incluem as regras contra fumar em casa, a crença de que o fumo provoca doenças graves e receber informação sobre os perigos do tabagismo através da mídia.

Resumen: Este trabajo tiene el fin de evaluar si existe una asociación entre ver a un actor fumando en telenovelas brasileñas o películas internacionales y dejar de fumar o intentar dejarlo entre fumadores adultos brasileños. Se usaron datos de 39,425 participantes en la Global Adult Tobacco Survey. La ratio de abandono de este hábito (ex fumadores/ex fumadores + fumadores) y los porcentajes de fumadores habituales, ex fumadores y no fumadores también fueron calculados. Se usaron análisis de regresión multivariable para determinar asociaciones significativas entre dejar de fumar y la exposición a telenovelas y películas. Para los fumadores habituales, la probabilidad de intentar dejar de fumar fueron significativamente mayores entre quienes vieron a un actor fumando en una película brasileña. Aquellos que creyeron que fumar causaba enfermedades serias y tenían normas en casa prohibiendo fumar eran más significativamente propensos a haber intentado dejar de fumar o haberlo dejado. La exposición al tabaco en los medios audiovisuales puede diferir entre adultos y adolescentes. Existen factores que influencian intentar o dejar de fumar y son: normas prohibiendo fumar en casa, y la creencia de que el tabaco provoca enfermedades muy serias, así como informarse sobre los peligros del tabaco en los medios de comunicación.

Abstract: The objectives of this research were to evaluate whether there was an association between seeing an actor smoke in telenovelas, Brazilian films, or international films, and trying to quit and quitting among adult Brazilian smokers. Data from 39,425 participants in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey were used. Quit ratio (former smoker/former smoker + ever smoker) and proportions of current, former, and never smokers were calculated. Multivariable weighted regression was used to determine significant associations between quitting smoking and exposure to telenovelas and films. For current smokers, the odds of trying to quit were significantly higher among those who saw an actor smoking in a Brazilian film. Those who believed smoking caused serious illness and had rules in the home prohibiting smoking were significantly more likely to have tried to quit or had quit smoking. Exposure to smoking in the media may be different in adults than adolescents. Influential factors for trying to quit and quitting are rules prohibiting smoking at home, belief that smoking causes serious illness, and hearing about dangers of smoking in media.

Decreased Anemia Prevalence Among Women and Children in Rural Baja California, Mexico: A 6-Year Comparative Study.

Anemia is a public health problem in Mexico. This study sought to determine the prevalence and correlates of anemia among women and children residing in a rural farming region of Baja California, Mexico. An existing partnership between universities, non-governmental organizations, and an underserved Mexican community was utilized to perform cross-sectional data collection in 2004-2005 (Wave 1) and in 2011-2012 (Wave 2) among women (15-49 years) and their children (6-59 months). All participants completed a survey and underwent anemia testing. Blood smears were obtained to identify etiology. Nutrition education interventions and clinical health evaluations were offered between waves. Participants included 201 women and 99 children in Wave 1, and 146 women and 77 children in Wave 2. Prevalence of anemia significantly decreased from 42.3 to 23.3 % between Waves 1 and 2 in women (p < 0.001), from 46.5 to 30.2 % in children 24-59 months (p = 0.066), and from 71.4 to 45.8 % in children 6-23 months (p = 0.061). Among women in Wave 1, consumption of iron absorption enhancing foods (green vegetables and fruits high in vitamin C) was protective against anemia (p = 0.043). Women in Wave 2 who ate ≥4 servings of green, leafy vegetables per week were less likely to be anemic (p = 0.034). Microscopic examination of blood smears revealed microcytic, hypochromic red blood cells in 90 % of anemic children and 68.8 % of anemic women, consistent with iron deficiency anemia.

South-to-North, cross-disciplinary training in global health practice: ten years of lessons learned from an infectious disease field course in Jamaica.

Global commerce, travel, and emerging and resurging infectious diseases have increased awareness of global health threats and opportunities for collaborative and service learning. We review course materials, knowledge archives, data management archives, and student evaluations for the first 10 years of an intensive summer field course in infectious disease epidemiology and surveillance offered in Jamaica. We have trained 300 students from 28 countries through collaboration between the University of the West Indies and U.S. partner universities. Participants were primarily graduate students in public health, but also included health professionals with terminal degrees, and public health nurses and inspectors. Strong institutional synergies, committed faculty, an emphasis on scientific and cultural competencies, and use of team-based field research projects culminate in a unique training environment that provides participants with career-developing experiences. We share lessons learned over the past decade, and conclude that South-to-North leadership is critical in shaping transdisciplinary, cross-cultural, global health practice.