Which physical and social characteristics of Brazilian cities contribute to physical activity of adolescents?

This study aimed to analyze the association between adolescents' physical activity and the Brazilian capitals' built and social environment. The units of analysis of this ecological study were the 26 capitals and the Federal District, with data from the National Adolescent Health Survey (2012). The outcome variable was the reported regular physical activity (PA) of ninth graders in Brazilian schools. Exposure variables included characteristics of the natural environment, socioeconomic and educational indicators, urban infrastructure, urban violence, and sociocultural factors retrieved from several secondary sources of Brazilian databases. We adopted multiple linear regression to verify the association between PA and exposure variables. The percentage of active adolescents was 33.0% (95%CI: 32.1; 33.9). In the final model, higher PA was associated with lower temperature, higher Primary Education Development Index, the higher percentage of ramps for wheelchair users, and a higher percentage of leisure-time active adults. The data show that climatic and educational factors, the infrastructure, and the social environment of the capitals can contribute to Brazilian adolescents complying with the recommended weekly PA levels.

Which physical and social characteristics of Brazilian cities contribute to physical activity of adolescents? / Quais características físicas e sociais das cidades brasileiras contribuem para atividade física de adolescentes?

Abstract This study aimed to analyze the association between adolescents' physical activity and the Brazilian capitals' built and social environment. The units of analysis of this ecological study were the 26 capitals and the Federal District, with data from the National Adolescent Health Survey (2012). The outcome variable was the reported regular physical activity (PA) of ninth graders in Brazilian schools. Exposure variables included characteristics of the natural environment, socioeconomic and educational indicators, urban infrastructure, urban violence, and sociocultural factors retrieved from several secondary sources of Brazilian databases. We adopted multiple linear regression to verify the association between PA and exposure variables. The percentage of active adolescents was 33.0% (95%CI: 32.1; 33.9). In the final model, higher PA was associated with lower temperature, higher Primary Education Development Index, the higher percentage of ramps for wheelchair users, and a higher percentage of leisure-time active adults. The data show that climatic and educational factors, the infrastructure, and the social environment of the capitals can contribute to Brazilian adolescents complying with the recommended weekly PA levels.

Resumo Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a associação entre atividade física em adolescentes e ambientes construído e social das capitais brasileiras. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico cujas unidades de análise foram as 26 capitais e o Distrito Federal, com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Adolescentes (2012). A variável de desfecho foi a prática regular de atividade física (AF) relatada pelos escolares do 9º ano de escolas brasileiras. As variáveis de exposição incluíram características do ambiente natural, indicadores socioeconômicos e educacionais, de infraestrutura, violência urbana e fatores socioculturais, obtidas de diferentes bases de dados de fontes secundárias brasileiras. Adotou-se a regressão linear múltipla para verificar a associação entre AF e variáveis de exposição. O percentual de adolescentes ativos foi de 33,0% (IC95%: 32,1; 33,9). No modelo final, foram associados à maior prática de AF: menor temperatura, maior Índice de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica, maior percentual de rampa para cadeirante e maior percentual de adultos ativos no lazer. Os dados mostram que fatores climáticos e educacionais, a infraestrutura e o ambiente social das capitais podem contribuir para que os adolescentes brasileiros cumpram os níveis semanais recomendados de AF.

Impact of the program life in traffic and new zero-tolerance drinking and driving law on the prevalence of driving after alcohol abuse in Brazilian capitals: An interrupted time series analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Driving under the influence of alcohol is one of the main factors for morbidity and mortality from traffic accidents. In 2010 and 2013, the Program Life in Traffic was implemented in Brazil, including the international initiative "Road Safety in Ten Countries", which established actions to reduce one of the main risk factors for road traffic injuries, the driving under the influence of alcohol. In 2012, a new zero-tolerance drinking and driving law (new dry law) was implemented, establishing a zero-tolerance limit for the drivers' blood alcohol concentration, and increasing punitive measures. This study aimed at analyzing the impact of these measures on the prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol abuse in Brazilian capitals. METHODS: An interrupted time series study was conducted using the models of autoregressive integrated moving average or seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average. The main outcome was the prevalence of driving after alcohol abuse in the adult population (≥ 18 years). The model's predictors were the interventions "Program Life in Traffic" and "New Dry Law". The former was implemented in the first quarter of 2011, initially in five capitals: Belo Horizonte, Campo Grande, Palmas, Teresina, and Curitiba, being expanded to the other capitals in the first quarter of 2013. The latter was implemented in the country on the first quarter of 2013. Data source for the study was the records of the surveillance system for risk and protection factors of chronic diseases through telephone survey (Vigitel) from 2007 to 2016. RESULTS: The time intervals considered in the study were the quarters. Thirty-eight units were considered in the analysis, corresponding to time series points. It was found that after the implementation of the Program Life in Traffic, in the first quarter of 2011, there was a reduction in the prevalence in Belo Horizonte and Curitiba. Because the introduction of the New Dry Law and the Program Life in Traffic took place in similar periods in the other cities, there was a significant reduction in the outcome prevalence in the cities of Aracaju, Belo Horizonte, Boa Vista, Fortaleza, João Pessoa, Maceió, Manaus, Palmas, Porto Alegre, Recife, Teresina, Rio Branco, and Vitória following the law application. CONCLUSION: The present study identified an immediate impact of the Program Life in Traffic in two capitals (Belo Horizonte and Curitiba) and a joint impact of the New Dry Law in 13 capitals. The results of this study have implications for strengthening interventions aimed at reducing the burden of morbidity and mortality from traffic accidents in Brazil.

Social environment characteristics are related to self-rated health in four Latin America countries: Evidence from the SALURBAL Project.

We investigated the associations of social and built environment and demographic features of urban areas with self-rated health among adults living in four Latin American countries. We estimated multilevel models with harmonized data from 69,840 adults, nested in 262 sub-cities and 112 cities, obtained from the Salud Urbana en América Latina project. Poor self-rated health was inversely associated with services provision score at the sub-city-level and with social environment index at the city-level. We did not identify associations of built environment and demographic features with self-rated health. Approaches and policies to improve health in Latin American should be urban context-sensitive.

Physical and social neighborhood disorder in Latin American cities: a scoping review. / Desordem física e social da vizinhança em cidades da América Latina: revisão de escopo.

Neighborhood disorder is an important aspect that may influence the health of residents in urban areas. The aims of this study were to map and systematize methods for measuring physical and social neighborhood disorder in studies conducted in Latin American cities. By means of a scoping review, articles published from 2000 in English, Spanish, and Portuguese with the following descriptors were mapped: neighborhood, physical disorder, and social disorder. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS (Virtual Health Library), Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Information on authorship, year, study type, locality, data source, target population, outcome, dominion, indicator, method, geographic unit, and unit of analysis was extracted. Variables from the disorder-related studies were extracted and grouped by similarity of content and themes. A total of 22 articles were identified, all published between 2012 and 2022, the majority in Brazil (n = 16). The perception of the individual was the most used method. The most frequent theme addressed in the physical disorder dominion was public streets (n = 20) and security (n = 15), in the social disorder dominion. A lack of consensus in the literature regarding variables used to measure physical and social neighborhood disorder in Latin American cities was detected. In addition to the need for standardization of the theme, studies to verify the sustainability of proposed measurement methods relevant to dynamically classify and compare urban neighborhoods and health impacts based on levels of exposure to physical and social disorder, are recommended.

A desordem da vizinhança é um importante aspecto que pode impactar a saúde de residentes em áreas urbanas. Os objetivos desta pesquisa foram mapear e sistematizar os métodos de mensuração da desordem física e social na vizinhança em estudos realizados em cidades da América Latina. Por meio de revisão de escopo, foram mapeados artigos publicados a partir do ano 2000 em inglês, espanhol e português com os seguintes descritores: vizinhança, desordem física e desordem social. As buscas foram realizadas no MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS (Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde), Scopus, Web of Science e Biblioteca Cochrane. Foram extraídas informações sobre autoria, ano, tipo de estudo, local, fonte de dados, população-alvo, desfecho, domínio, indicador, método, unidade geográfica e unidade de análise. As variáveis dos estudos relacionadas à desordem foram extraídas e agrupadas pela similaridade dos conteúdos e temas. Foram identificados 22 artigos, publicados entre 2012 e 2022, sendo a maioria do Brasil (n = 16). A percepção do indivíduo foi o método mais utilizado. O tema mais frequentemente abordado no domínio da desordem física foi vias públicas (n = 20), enquanto no domínio social foi segurança (n = 15). Detectou-se ausência de consenso na literatura quanto às variáveis utilizadas para aferir a desordem física e social da vizinhança em cidades da América Latina. Além da necessidade de padronização do tema, recomendam-se estudos que verifiquem a sustentabilidade de métodos de mensuração propostos, relevantes para classificar e comparar, de forma dinâmica, vizinhanças urbanas e os impactos na saúde com base nos níveis de exposição à desordem física e social.

El desorden del vecindario es un aspecto importante que puede influir en la salud de los residentes en áreas urbanas. Los objetivos fueron mapear y sistematizar los métodos de medición del desorden físico y social en el vecindario en estudios realizados en ciudades de América Latina. Por medio de una revisión de alcance, fueron mapeados artículos publicados a partir del año 2000 en inglés, español y portugués, que poseían los siguientes descriptores: vecindario, desorden físico y desorden social. Las búsquedas se realizaron en MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS (Biblioteca Virtual en Salud), Scopus, Web of Science y Librería Cochrane. Se extrajeron informaciones sobre la autoría, el año, el tipo de estudio, la ubicación, la fuente de datos, la población objetivo, el resultado, el dominio, el indicador, el método, la unidad geográfica y la unidad de análisis. Las variables de los estudios relacionados con el desorden fueron extraídas y agrupadas por la similitud de los contenidos y temas. Fueron identificados 22 artículos, todos publicados entre 2012 y 2022, siendo la mayoría de Brasil (n = 16). La percepción del individuo fue el método más utilizado. El tema más frecuente abordado en el ámbito del desorden físico fue el de las vías públicas (n = 20) y seguridad (n = 15), en lo social. Se detectó una falta de consenso en la literatura en cuanto a las variables utilizadas para medir el desorden físico y social del vecindario en ciudades de América Latina. Además de la necesidad de estandarización del tema, se recomiendan estudios que verifiquen la sostenibilidad de los métodos de medición propuestos, relevantes para clasificar y comparar, de forma dinámica, los vecindarios urbanos y los impactos en la salud con base en niveles de exposición a desorden físico y social.

The influence of neighborhood safety and built environment on childhood obesity: isolated and combined effect of contextual factors.

This study aims to analyze the isolated and combined effect of objective measures concerning neighborhood safety, food, and physical activity environments on students' obesity. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 9- and 10-year-old children enrolled in the municipal education network of a Brazilian metropolis. Environment objective measures comprised neighborhood unsafety (annual criminality and road traffic accident rates), availability of public parks and spaces for physical activity practicing, and index of establishments that predominantly sell ultra-processed food. Euclidean buffers of 1,000m around the children's house were used as eligible geographic units. This study adopted the Principal Component Analysis and Generalized Estimation Equation models. Stratified analyses were conducted based on neighborhood unsafety and on child's family income. In total, 717 students were assessed, 12.2% of them were children with obesity. The latent variable of the obesogenic environment (deduced by environment unsafety rates and the index of establishments that predominantly sell ultra-processed food) was a risk factor for obesity in children with lower socioeconomic levels (OR = 2.37; 95%CI: 1.06-5.19). Public parks and spaces for physical activity practicing were protective factors against childhood obesity only in locations recording the lowest environment unsafety rates (OR = 0.30; 95%CI: 0.09-0.94). Based on our findings, social conditions change the effect of the environment on childhood obesity, reinforcing the relevance of inter-sectoral policies and strategies against this condition.

Determining the relationship between dengue and vulnerability in a Brazilian city: a spatial modeling analysis.

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This study aimed to assess the distribution of cases and deaths from dengue and severe dengue, and its relationship with social vulnerability in Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2010 to 2018. The incidence and lethality rates of dengue and their relationship with sex, age, education, skin color, and social vulnerability were studied using chi-square tests, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) analyses. The number of cases of dengue in Belo Horizonte during the study period was 324,044 dengue cases, with 1,334 cases of severe dengue and 88 deaths. During the past few decades, the incidence rate of both dengue and severe cases varied, with an average incidence rate of respectively 1515.5 and 6.2/100,000 inhabitants. The increase in dengue cases was directly related to areas with higher social vulnerability areas and more working-age people. Also, the disease is more severe in people self-declared as black, elderly, and male. The findings of this study might provide relevant information for health services in the organization of control and prevention policies for this problem, emphasizing the most vulnerable urban areas and categories.

Gender differences in the association of individual and contextual socioeconomic status with hypertension in 230 Latin American cities from the SALURBAL study: a multilevel analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite global interest in gender disparities and social determinants of hypertension, research in urban areas and regions with a high prevalence of hypertension, such as Latin America, is very limited. The objective of this study was to examine associations of individual- and area-level socioeconomic status with hypertension in adults living in 230 cities in eight Latin America countries. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we used harmonized data from 109,184 adults (aged 18-97 years) from the SALURBAL (Salud Urbana en America Latina/Urban Health in Latin America) project. Hypertension was assessed by self-report. Individual-, sub-city- and city-level education were used as proxies of socioeconomic status. All models were stratified by gender. RESULTS: Higher individual-level education was associated with lower odds of hypertension among women (university education or higher versus lower than primary: odds ratio [OR] = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61-0.74) but higher odds among men (OR = 1.65; 95%CI 1.47-1.86), although in men an inverse association emerged when measured blood pressure was used (OR = 0.86; 95%CI 0.76-0.97). For both genders, living in sub-city areas with higher educational achievement was associated with higher odds of hypertension (OR per standard deviation [SD] = 1.07, 95%CI = 1.02-1.12; OR = 1.11 per SD, 95%CI = 1.05-1.18, for women and men, respectively). The association of city-level education with hypertension varied across countries. In Peru, there was an inverse association (higher city level education was associated with lower odds of hypertension) in women and men, but in other countries no association was observed. In addition, the inverse association of individual-level education with hypertension became stronger (in women) or emerged (in men) as city or sub-city education increased. CONCLUSION: The social patterning of hypertension differs by gender and by the level of analysis highlighting the importance of context- and gender-sensitive approaches and policies to reduce the prevalence of hypertension in Latin America.

Temporal trends of dengue cases and deaths from 2007 to 2020 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Dengue, a disease with multifactorial determinants, is linked to population susceptibility to circulating viruses and the extent of vector infestation. This study aimed to analyze the temporal trends of dengue cases and deaths in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2007 to 2020. Data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan) were utilized for the investigation. To assess the disease's progression over the study period and predict its future incidence, time series analyses were conducted using a generalized additive model (GAM) and a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model. Over the study period, a total of 463,566 dengue cases and 125 deaths were reported. Notably, there was an increase in severe cases and deaths, marking hyperendemics characterized by simultaneous virus circulation (79.17% in 2016-50% in 2019). The generalized additive model revealed a non-linear pattern with epidemic peaks in 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019, indicating an explosive pattern of dengue incidence. The SARIMA (3,1,1) (0,0,0)12 model was validated for each year (2015 to 2019). Comparing the actual and predicted numbers of dengue cases, the model demonstrated its effectiveness for predicting cases in the municipality. The rising number of dengue cases emphasizes the importance of vector surveillance and control. Enhanced models and predictions by local health services will aid in anticipating necessary control measures to combat future epidemics.

Assessing cohesion and diversity in the collaboration network of the SALURBAL project.

The SALURBAL (Urban Health in Latin America) Project is an interdisciplinary multinational network aimed at generating and disseminating actionable evidence on the drivers of health in cities of Latin America. We conducted a temporal multilayer network analysis where we measured cohesion over time using network structural properties and assessed diversity within and between different project activities according to participant attributes. Between 2017 and 2020 the SALURBAL network comprised 395 participants across 26 countries, 23 disciplines, and 181 institutions. While the cohesion of the SALURBAL network fluctuated over time, overall, an increase was observed from the first to the last time point of our analysis (clustering coefficient increased [0.83-0.91] and shortest path decreased [1.70-1.68]). SALURBAL also exhibited balanced overall diversity within project activities (0.5-0.6) by designing activities for different purposes such as capacity building, team-building, research, and dissemination. The network's growth was facilitated by the creation of new diverse collaborations across a range of activities over time, while maintaining the diversity of existing collaborations (0.69-0.75 between activity diversity depending on the attribute). The SALURBAL experience can serve as an example for multinational research projects aiming to build cohesive networks while leveraging heterogeneity in countries, disciplines, career stage, and across sectors.

A decreased trajectory of loneliness among Brazilians aged 50 years and older during the COVID-19 pandemic: ELSI-Brazil.

This study aimed to estimate prevalence of loneliness among older Brazilian adults over the first seven months of the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the predictors of loneliness trajectories. Pre-pandemic data derived from face-to-face interviews of participants of the 2019-2020 Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil), which is a nationally representative study of community-dwelling individuals aged 50 years and over. Pandemic data were based on three rounds of telephone interviews among those participants, conducted from May to October 2020. Loneliness was measured by a single-item question, considering those who had at least two repeated measures. Explanatory variables included depression, living alone, leaving home in the last week, and virtual connectedness in the last month. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios with their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and to investigate loneliness trajectories and their predictors. In total, 5,108 participants were included. The overall prevalence of loneliness in the pre-pandemic period was 33.1% (95%CI: 29.4-36.8), higher than the pandemic period (round 1: 23.6%, 95%CI: 20.6-26.9; round 2: 20.5%, 95%CI: 17.8-23.5; round 3: 20.6%, 95%CI: 17.1-24.6). A significant interaction (p ≤ 0.05) was evidenced only between depression and time; participants with depression showed a greater reduction in loneliness levels. Although loneliness levels in Brazil have decreased during the pandemic, this pattern is not present for all older adults. Individuals with depression had a more significant reduction, probably due to feeling closer to their social network members during the stay-at-home recommendations.

Variation in youth and young adult homicide rates and their association with city characteristics in Latin America: the SALURBAL study.

Background: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is one of the most urbanized and violent regions worldwide. Homicides in youth (15-24 years old, yo) and young adults (25-39yo) are an especially pressing public health problem. Yet there is little research on how city characteristics relate to homicide rates in youth and young adults. We aimed to describe homicide rates among youth and young adults, as well as their association with socioeconomic and built environment factors across 315 cities in eight LAC countries. Methods: This is an ecological study. We estimated homicide rates in youth and young adults for the period 2010-2016. We investigated associations of homicide rates with sub-city education and GDP, Gini, density, landscape isolation, population and population growth using sex-stratified negative binomial models with city and sub-city level random intercepts, and country-level fixed effects. Findings: The mean sub-city homicide rate per 100,000 in persons aged 15-24 was 76.9 (SD = 95.9) in male and 6.7 (SD = 8.5) in female, and in persons aged 25-39 was 69.4 (SD = 68.9) in male and 6.0 (SD = 6.7) in female. Rates were higher in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and El Salvador than in Argentina, Chile, Panama and Peru. There was significant variation in rates across cities and sub-cities, even after accounting for the country. In fully adjusted models, higher sub-city education scores and higher city GDP were associated with a lower homicide rate among male and female (rate ratios (RR) per SD higher value in male and female, respectively, 0.87 (CI 0.84-0.90) and 0.90 (CI 0.86-0.93) for education and 0.87 (CI 0.81-0.92) and 0.92 (CI 0.87-0.97) for GDP). A higher city Gini index was associated with higher homicide rates (RR 1.28 (CI 1.10-1.48) and 1.21 (CI 1.07-1.36) in male and female, respectively). Greater isolation da was also associated with higher homicide rates (RR 1.13 (CI 1.07-1.21) and 1.07 (CI 1.02-1.12) in male and female, respectively). Interpretation: City and sub-city factors are associated with homicide rates. Improvements to education, social conditions and inequality and physical integration of cities may contribute to the reduction of homicides in the region. Funding: The Wellcome Trust [205177/Z/16/Z].

Distribuição e qualidade de espaços públicos para atividade física de lazer em uma capital do Brasil / Distribution and quality of public spaces for physical leisure activity in a brazilian capital

As características físicas do ambiente podem contribuir na promoção da saúde, principalmente a disponibilidade e qualidade dos espaços públicos de lazer. O presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar a distribuição e a qualidade dos equipamentos para atividade física de lazer em uma capital brasileira. Foram avaliados 27 espaços públicos, incluindo parques, praças e canteiros habitáveis disponíveis no raio de 1.000 metros de três polos do Programa Academia da Saúde (PAS) no município de Belo Horizonte. Em 2019, os equipamentos foram auditados por meio da aplicação da versão adaptada do Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA), que avalia a existência, qualidade, segurança, limpeza e estética dos equipamentos. Frequências absolutas e relativas foram calculadas. Dos 27 locais avaliados, 22,2% eram parques (n = 6), 70,4% praças (n = 19) e 7,4% canteiros habitáveis (n = 2). Quadras de vôlei e campos de futebol foram os equipamentos mais identificados nos parques, presentes em todos os locais analisados, enquanto academias e estações de exercício ao ar livre foram os mais comuns nas praças (89,5%; 52,9%, respectivamente). Quanto aos canteiros habitáveis, apresentaram apenas quadras de vôlei/campos de futebol. Com relação à limpeza e estética, as maiores proporções foram pichações (74,1%), lixo espalhado/sujeira (74,1%), grama alta (44,4%) e sinais de vandalismo e sujeira de animais (37,0%). A pequena diversidade e qualidade ruim dos equipamentos, e as características inadequadas de limpeza e estética dos espaços de lazer no qual se encontram, podem impedir ou dificultar o uso dos mesmos para a prática de atividade física, demonstrando assim, a necessidade de investimentos mais expressivos nesses locais

The physical characteristics of the environment can contribute to health promotion, especially the availa-bility and quality of public leisure spaces. The present study aims to analyze the distribution and quality of equipment for leisure physical activity in a Brazilian capital. Twenty-seven public spaces, including parks, squares and boulevards available within a radius of 1,000 meters of three centers of the Health Academy Program (PAS) in the city of Belo Horizonte were evaluated. In 2019, the equipment was audited through the application of the adapted version of the Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA), which evaluates the existence, quality, safety, cleanliness, and aesthetics of the equipment. Absolute and relative frequencies were calculated. Of the 27 sites evaluated, 22.2% were parks (n=6), 70.4% were squares (n = 19), and 7.4% were boulevards (n = 2). Volleyball courts and soccer fields were the most identified equipment in parks, present in all analyzed places, while outdoor gyms and exercise stations were the most common in squares (89.5%; 52.9%, respectively). As for boulevards, they only had volleyball courts/soccer fields. Regarding cleanliness and aesthetics, the highest proportions were graffiti (74.1%), scattered garbage/dirt (74.1%), tall grass (44.4%), and signs of vandalism and animal dirt (37.0%). The small diversity and poor quality of equipment, and the inadequate characteristics of cleanliness and aesthetics of the leisure spaces in which they are located, can prevent or hinder their use for the practice of physical activity, thus demonstrating the need for more expressive investments in these places

Women's empowerment and infant mortality in Latin America: evidence from 286 cities.

Levels of women's empowerment (WE) can contribute to differences in infant mortality rates (IMRs) across cities. We used a cross-sectional multilevel study to examine associations of WE with IMRs across 286 cities in seven Latin American countries. We estimated IMRs for 2014-2016 period and combined city socioeconomic indicators into factors reflecting living conditions and service provision. WE was operationalized: (1) in cities, by using scores for women's labor force participation (WLFP) and educational attainment among women derived from education and employment indicators disaggregated by sex; (2) in countries, by including a scale of enforcements of laws related to women's rights. We estimated adjusted percent differences in IMRs associated with higher WE scores across all cities and stratified by country GDP. We found substantial heterogeneity in IMRs and WE across cities. Higher WLFP was associated with lower IMRs. Higher women's educational attainment was associated with lower IMRs only in cities from countries with lower GDP. Poorer national enforcement of laws protecting women's rights was associated with higher IMRs in all countries. Women's empowerment could have positive implications for population health. Fostering women's socioeconomic development and girls' education should be part of strategies to reduce IMRs in cities of Global South.

Modification of temperature-related human mortality by area-level socioeconomic and demographic characteristics in Latin American cities.

BACKGROUND: In Latin America, where climate change and rapid urbanization converge, non-optimal ambient temperatures contribute to excess mortality. However, little is known about area-level characteristics that confer vulnerability to temperature-related mortality. OBJECTIVES: Explore city-level socioeconomic and demographic characteristics associated with temperature-related mortality in Latin American cities. METHODS: The dependent variables quantify city-specific associations between temperature and mortality: heat- and cold-related excess death fractions (EDF, or percentages of total deaths attributed to cold/hot temperatures), and the relative mortality risk (RR) associated with 1 °C difference in temperature in 325 cities during 2002-2015. Random effects meta-regressions were used to investigate whether EDFs and RRs associated with heat and cold varied by city-level characteristics, including population size, population density, built-up area, age-standardized mortality rate, poverty, living conditions, educational attainment, income inequality, and residential segregation by education level. RESULTS: We find limited effect modification of cold-related mortality by city-level demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and several unexpected associations for heat-related mortality. For example, cities in the highest compared to the lowest tertile of income inequality have all-age cold-related excess mortality that is, on average, 3.45 percentage points higher (95% CI: 0.33, 6.56). Higher poverty and higher segregation were also associated with higher cold EDF among those 65 and older. Large, densely populated cities, and cities with high levels of poverty and income inequality experience smaller heat EDFs compared to smaller and less densely populated cities, and cities with little poverty and income inequality. DISCUSSION: Evidence of effect modification of cold-related mortality in Latin American cities was limited, and unexpected patterns of modification of heat-related mortality were observed. Socioeconomic deprivation may impact cold-related mortality, particularly among the elderly. The findings of higher levels of poverty and income inequality associated with lower heat-related mortality deserve further investigation given the increasing importance of urban adaptation to climate change.

Desordem física e social da vizinhança em cidades da América Latina: revisão de escopo / Desorden físico y social del vecindario en las ciudades de América Latina: revisión de alcance / Physical and social neighborhood disorder in Latin American cities: a scoping review

Resumo: A desordem da vizinhança é um importante aspecto que pode impactar a saúde de residentes em áreas urbanas. Os objetivos desta pesquisa foram mapear e sistematizar os métodos de mensuração da desordem física e social na vizinhança em estudos realizados em cidades da América Latina. Por meio de revisão de escopo, foram mapeados artigos publicados a partir do ano 2000 em inglês, espanhol e português com os seguintes descritores: vizinhança, desordem física e desordem social. As buscas foram realizadas no MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS (Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde), Scopus, Web of Science e Biblioteca Cochrane. Foram extraídas informações sobre autoria, ano, tipo de estudo, local, fonte de dados, população-alvo, desfecho, domínio, indicador, método, unidade geográfica e unidade de análise. As variáveis dos estudos relacionadas à desordem foram extraídas e agrupadas pela similaridade dos conteúdos e temas. Foram identificados 22 artigos, publicados entre 2012 e 2022, sendo a maioria do Brasil (n = 16). A percepção do indivíduo foi o método mais utilizado. O tema mais frequentemente abordado no domínio da desordem física foi vias públicas (n = 20), enquanto no domínio social foi segurança (n = 15). Detectou-se ausência de consenso na literatura quanto às variáveis utilizadas para aferir a desordem física e social da vizinhança em cidades da América Latina. Além da necessidade de padronização do tema, recomendam-se estudos que verifiquem a sustentabilidade de métodos de mensuração propostos, relevantes para classificar e comparar, de forma dinâmica, vizinhanças urbanas e os impactos na saúde com base nos níveis de exposição à desordem física e social.

Resumen: El desorden del vecindario es un aspecto importante que puede influir en la salud de los residentes en áreas urbanas. Los objetivos fueron mapear y sistematizar los métodos de medición del desorden físico y social en el vecindario en estudios realizados en ciudades de América Latina. Por medio de una revisión de alcance, fueron mapeados artículos publicados a partir del año 2000 en inglés, español y portugués, que poseían los siguientes descriptores: vecindario, desorden físico y desorden social. Las búsquedas se realizaron en MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS (Biblioteca Virtual en Salud), Scopus, Web of Science y Librería Cochrane. Se extrajeron informaciones sobre la autoría, el año, el tipo de estudio, la ubicación, la fuente de datos, la población objetivo, el resultado, el dominio, el indicador, el método, la unidad geográfica y la unidad de análisis. Las variables de los estudios relacionados con el desorden fueron extraídas y agrupadas por la similitud de los contenidos y temas. Fueron identificados 22 artículos, todos publicados entre 2012 y 2022, siendo la mayoría de Brasil (n = 16). La percepción del individuo fue el método más utilizado. El tema más frecuente abordado en el ámbito del desorden físico fue el de las vías públicas (n = 20) y seguridad (n = 15), en lo social. Se detectó una falta de consenso en la literatura en cuanto a las variables utilizadas para medir el desorden físico y social del vecindario en ciudades de América Latina. Además de la necesidad de estandarización del tema, se recomiendan estudios que verifiquen la sostenibilidad de los métodos de medición propuestos, relevantes para clasificar y comparar, de forma dinámica, los vecindarios urbanos y los impactos en la salud con base en niveles de exposición a desorden físico y social.

Abstract: Neighborhood disorder is an important aspect that may influence the health of residents in urban areas. The aims of this study were to map and systematize methods for measuring physical and social neighborhood disorder in studies conducted in Latin American cities. By means of a scoping review, articles published from 2000 in English, Spanish, and Portuguese with the following descriptors were mapped: neighborhood, physical disorder, and social disorder. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS (Virtual Health Library), Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Information on authorship, year, study type, locality, data source, target population, outcome, dominion, indicator, method, geographic unit, and unit of analysis was extracted. Variables from the disorder-related studies were extracted and grouped by similarity of content and themes. A total of 22 articles were identified, all published between 2012 and 2022, the majority in Brazil (n = 16). The perception of the individual was the most used method. The most frequent theme addressed in the physical disorder dominion was public streets (n = 20) and security (n = 15), in the social disorder dominion. A lack of consensus in the literature regarding variables used to measure physical and social neighborhood disorder in Latin American cities was detected. In addition to the need for standardization of the theme, studies to verify the sustainability of proposed measurement methods relevant to dynamically classify and compare urban neighborhoods and health impacts based on levels of exposure to physical and social disorder, are recommended.

COVID-19: perfil de trabalhadores brasileiros em uma companhia de mineração e a dinâmica dos casos comunitários / COVID-19: profile of Brazilian workers of a mining company and the dynamic of community cases

Resumo Objetivo: descrever o perfil de desfechos de COVID-19 em trabalhadores da mineração e a dinâmica dos casos nas unidades de mineração e seus respectivos municípios. Métodos: estudo de coorte e ecológico, com dados secundários clínico-epidemiológicos, sociodemográficos e ocupacionais de trabalhadores de mineradora multinacional no Brasil e de casos de COVID-19 nos cinco municípios onde as unidades estavam localizadas, de março de 2020 a abril de 2021. A incidência acumulada e média móvel (MM) de 7 dias dos casos foram calculadas e comparadas na unidade e respectivo município. Resultados: foram incluídos 17.523 trabalhadores; 88,4% eram do sexo masculino; e 22,6% tiveram pelo menos um resultado positivo. Os trabalhadores mais testados, com casos positivos, colocados em quarentena e com sintomas foram do sexo feminino, de meia-idade, morando e trabalhando no Rio de Janeiro, diretamente contratados pela mineradora, em turnos e ocupações de alto risco. Todas as unidades apresentaram uma incidência acumulada superior aos seus respectivos municípios. Três municípios apresentaram picos de COVID-19 com MM coincidindo com o aumento de casos entre trabalhadores de mineração. Conclusão: aproximadamente um quinto dos trabalhadores foram diagnosticados com COVID-19, e a distribuição temporal dos casos nas unidades de mineração foi semelhante àquela dos municípios onde estavam localizadas.

Abstract Objective: to describe the COVID-19 clinical outcomes profile from mining workers and the cases dynamic within the mining units and their respective municipalities. Methods: a cohort and ecological study using workers clinical-epidemiological, sociodemographic, and occupational secondary data of a multinational mining company, and of COVID-19 cases from five municipalities where the mining units were located, in Brazil, between March 2020 to April 2021. We calculated the cases cumulative incidence and the 7-day moving average (MA), and compared at the mining unit and respective municipality. Results: the study included 17,523 workers, 88.4% male, and 22.6% had at least one positive result for COVID-19. The workers most tested, with positive results, placed in quarantine, and with symptoms were female, middle-aged, living and working in Rio de Janeiro state, directly hired by the mining company, in shift-work, and in high-risk occupations. All mining units presented a cumulative incidence higher than their respective municipalities. Three municipalities showed peaks of COVID-19 with MA cases coinciding with an increase in cases among mining workers. Conclusion: approximately one-fifth of workers were diagnosed with COVID-19. The mining units had a similar temporal distribution of COVID-19 cases to the municipalities where they were located.

O trabalho terceirizado e por turnos está associado ao aumento do risco de COVID-19? Descobertas de um estudo com trabalhadores da mineração / Is outsourced and shift work associated with an increased risk of COVID-19? Findings from a study about mining workers

Resumo Objetivos: investigar os fatores de risco sociodemográficos e ocupacionais associados à infeção por COVID-19 em trabalhadores da mineração. Métodos: estudo de coorte retrospectivo com dados secundários dos trabalhadores de uma empresa multinacional de mineração, de março de 2020 a abril de 2021. Casos de COVID-19 foram definidos por meio do resultado do teste reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) positivo para SARS-CoV-2. Riscos relativos (RR) para testes positivos foram obtidos por regressão de Poisson. Resultados: dos 10.484 trabalhadores testados, 2.578 (24,6%) tiveram pelo menos um resultado positivo. Foi realizada uma média de 4,0 (desvio-padrão: 3,6) testes para cada trabalhador, totalizando 41.962 testes. A maioria dos trabalhadores eram do sexo masculino (88,3%), com idade entre 30 e 39 anos (38,7%), terceirizados (74,1%) e que não trabalhavam em turnos (70,5%). No modelo múltiplo, os trabalhadores terceirizados (RR: 1,39; intervalo de confiança de 95% [IC95%]: 1,27;1,51) e trabalhadores por turnos (RR: 1,10; IC95%: 1,01;1,20) apresentavam maior risco de infecção quando comparados com seus homólogos. Conclusões: os trabalhadores terceirizados e por turnos exibiram maior risco de infecção pelo SARS-CoV-2 quando comparados com seus homólogos. Portanto, é necessário fornecer monitoramento contínuo com oferta regular e adequada de testes para mitigação e prevenção da COVID-19 nestes grupos ocupacionais.

Abstract Objectives: to investigate the sociodemographic and occupational risk factors associated with COVID-19 infection in mining workers. Methods: a retrospective cohort study, using secondary workers' health data from a multinational mining company, from March 2020 to April 2021. A COVID-19 case was defined based on a SARS-CoV-2 positive result in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Risk ratios (RRs) for positive testing were estimated using Poisson's regression model. Results: of 10,484 workers, 2,578 (24.6%) had at least one positive result for COVID-19. Each worker underwent an average of 4.0 (standard deviation: 3.6) tests, totaling 41,962 PCR tests. Most of the evaluated workers were male (88.3%), aged from 30 to 39 years (38.7%), outsourced (74.1%) and non-shift workers (70.5%). Our multivariate model showed that outsourced (RR: 1.39; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.27;1.51) and shift workers (RR: 1.10; 95%CI: 1.01;1.20) had a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection than their counterparts. Conclusions: outsourced and shift workers have a higher risk of COVID-19 infection than their counterparts. Therefore, it is necessary to provide continuous monitoring with regular and adequate testing for mitigation and prevention of COVID-19 in these occupational groups.

The influence of neighborhood safety and built environment on childhood obesity: isolated and combined effect of contextual factors / A influência da segurança da vizinhança e do ambiente construído sobre a obesidade infantil: efeitos isolado e combinado de fatores contextuais / La influencia de la seguridad del vecindario y el ambiente construido sobre la obesidad infantil: efectos aislados y combinados de los factores contextuales

Abstract: This study aims to analyze the isolated and combined effect of objective measures concerning neighborhood safety, food, and physical activity environments on students' obesity. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 9- and 10-year-old children enrolled in the municipal education network of a Brazilian metropolis. Environment objective measures comprised neighborhood unsafety (annual criminality and road traffic accident rates), availability of public parks and spaces for physical activity practicing, and index of establishments that predominantly sell ultra-processed food. Euclidean buffers of 1,000m around the children's house were used as eligible geographic units. This study adopted the Principal Component Analysis and Generalized Estimation Equation models. Stratified analyses were conducted based on neighborhood unsafety and on child's family income. In total, 717 students were assessed, 12.2% of them were children with obesity. The latent variable of the obesogenic environment (deduced by environment unsafety rates and the index of establishments that predominantly sell ultra-processed food) was a risk factor for obesity in children with lower socioeconomic levels (OR = 2.37; 95%CI: 1.06-5.19). Public parks and spaces for physical activity practicing were protective factors against childhood obesity only in locations recording the lowest environment unsafety rates (OR = 0.30; 95%CI: 0.09-0.94). Based on our findings, social conditions change the effect of the environment on childhood obesity, reinforcing the relevance of inter-sectoral policies and strategies against this condition.

Resumo: Este artigo busca analisar os efeitos isolado e combinado de medidas objetivas relativas à segurança da vizinhança, alimentação e ambientes de atividade física sobre a obesidade de crianças em idade escolar. Este estudo transversal foi realizado com crianças de 9 e 10 anos de idade que estavam matriculadas na rede municipal de ensino de uma metrópole brasileira. As medidas objetivas ambientais incluíram a insegurança nos bairros (índices anuais de criminalidade e acidentes de trânsito), disponibilidade de logradouros e espaços públicos para a prática de atividade física e o índice de estabelecimentos que comercializam majoritariamente alimentos ultraprocessados. Um buffer euclidiano de 1.000m em torno da casa das crianças foi tomado como unidade geográfica elegível. Nossa análise englobou os modelos de Análise de Componentes Principais e de Estimação de Equação Generalizada. Análises estratificadas foram realizadas com base na insegurança da vizinhança e na renda familiar da família da criança. Avaliamos 717 estudantes, 12,2% dos quais eram obesos. A variável latente ambiente obesogênico (deduzida das taxas de insegurança ambiental e do índice de estabelecimentos que comercializam majoritariamente alimentos ultraprocessados) constituiu o fator de risco para obesidade em crianças em famílias de baixa renda (OR = 2,37; IC95%: 1,06-5,19). Parques e espaços públicos para a prática de atividade física foram fatores de proteção contra a obesidade infantil apenas nos locais que registraram as menores taxas de insegurança ambiental (OR = 0,30; IC95%: 0,09-0,94). Com base em nossos achados, a condição social modifica o efeito do ambiente sobre a obesidade infantil e reforça a relevância de políticas e estratégias intersetoriais para prevenir a obesidade infantil.

Resumen: Este artículo busca analizar los efectos aislados y combinados de medidas objetivas relacionadas con la seguridad del vecindario, la alimentación y los ambientes de actividad física sobre la obesidad de los niños en edad escolar. Este estudio transversal fue realizado con niños de 9 y 10 años de edad que estaban matriculados en la red municipal de enseñanza de una metrópoli brasileña. Las medidas objetivas ambientales incluyeron la inseguridad en los barrios (índices anuales de criminalidad y accidentes de tránsito), disponibilidad de espacios públicos para la práctica de actividad física y el índice de establecimientos que comercializan mayoritariamente alimentos ultraprocesados. Se tomó como unidad geográfica elegible un buffer euclidiano de 1.000 metros en torno a la casa de los niños. Nuestro análisis abarcó los modelos de Análisis de Componentes Principales y Estimación de Ecuaciones Generalizadas. Se realizaron análisis estratificados basados en la inseguridad del vecindario y en los ingresos de la familia del niño. Evaluamos a 717 estudiantes, de los cuales el 12,2% eran obesos. La variable latente ambiente obesogénico (deducida de las tasas de inseguridad ambiental y del índice de establecimientos que comercializan mayoritariamente alimentos ultraprocesados) constituyó el factor de riesgo de obesidad en niños de familias con bajos ingresos (OR = 2,37; IC95%: 1,06-5,19). Los parques y espacios públicos para la práctica de actividad física fueron factores de protección contra la obesidad infantil solo en los lugares que registraron las menores tasas de inseguridad ambiental (OR = 0,30; IC95%: 0,09-0,94). Sobre la base de nuestros hallazgos, la condición social modifica el efecto del ambiente sobre la obesidad infantil y refuerza la relevancia de las políticas y estrategias intersectoriales para prevenir la obesidad infantil.