Sobrepeso y obesidad en infancias de Bariloche, Argentina: más allá de la alimentación y la actividad física / Childhood overweight and obesity in Bariloche, Argentina: Beyond eating habits and physical activity

La incidencia de sobrepeso y obesidad es alarmante en el mundo. En Argentina son escasos los estudios multifactoriales a pesar de los altos índices de sobrepeso y obesidad en la población infantil (SOI). En este estudio evaluamos la prevalencia de SOI y sus factores de riesgo asociados desde una perspectiva multicausal: analizamos hábitos de sueño, uso de pantallas, estrés crónico en niños y sus cuidadores, problemas de relación social, alimentación y actividad física. De los 397 niños de primer y séptimo grado que completaron los cuestionarios, el 41 % presentó SOI. Los niños con obesidad mostraron realizar menos actividad física, tener un menor consumo de alimentos protectores, más riesgos de trastornos del sueño, mayores niveles de estrés crónico (tanto en los niños como en sus cuidadores) y mayor índice de rechazo entre pares. En la mayoría de los niños se encontró un uso generalizado de pantallas antes de acostarse. El presente estudio evidencia la diversidad de factores asociados a esta problemática y destaca la conveniencia de utilizar un enfoque multidimensional para abordar la obesidad en la infancia. Asimismo, los resultados de este trabajo sugieren la necesidad de considerar los hábitos de vida como estrategia preventiva y terapéutica para el tratamiento de esta enfermedad desde etapas tempranas.

The incidence of overweight and obesity is alarming worldwide. In Argentina, multifactorial studies are scarce despite the high rates of childhood overweight and obesity (OW/OB). In this study we assessed the prevalence of childhood OW/OB and the associated risk factors from a multicausal perspective: we analyzed sleep habits, screen use, chronic stress in children and their caregivers, social relationship problems, eating habits, and physical activity. Of the 397 first and seventh graders who completed the questionnaires, 41% had childhood OW/OB. In children with obesity, a lower level of physical activity, a lower consumption of protective foods, a higher risk for sleep disorders, higher levels of chronic stress (in both children and their caregivers), and higher rates of peer rejection were observed. Widespread use of screens before bedtime was noted in most children. This study evidences the diversity of factors associated with childhood OW/OB and highlights the convenience of a multidimensional approach to address it. In addition, the results of this study suggest the need to consider lifestyle habits as a preventive and therapeutic strategy for the management of OW/OB from early stages.

Childhood overweight and obesity in Bariloche, Argentina: Beyond eating habits and physical activity. / Sobrepeso y obesidad en infancias de Bariloche, Argentina: más allá de la alimentación y la actividad física.

The incidence of overweight and obesity is alarming worldwide. In Argentina, multifactorial studies are scarce despite the high rates of childhood overweight and obesity (OW/OB). In this study we assessed the prevalence of childhood OW/OB and the associated risk factors from a multicausal perspective: we analyzed sleep habits, screen use, chronic stress in children and their caregivers, social relationship problems, eating habits, and physical activity. Of the 397 first and seventh graders who completed the questionnaires, 41% had childhood OW/OB. In children with obesity, a lower level of physical activity, a lower consumption of protective foods, a higher risk for sleep disorders, higher levels of chronic stress (in both children and their caregivers), and higher rates of peer rejection were observed. Widespread use of screens before bedtime was noted in most children. This study evidences the diversity of factors associated with childhood OW/OB and highlights the convenience of a multidimensional approach to address it. In addition, the results of this study suggest the need to consider lifestyle habits as a preventive and therapeutic strategy for the management of OW/OB from early stages.

La incidencia de sobrepeso y obesidad es alarmante en el mundo. En Argentina son escasos los estudios multifactoriales a pesar de los altos índices de sobrepeso y obesidad en la población infantil (SOI). En este estudio evaluamos la prevalencia de SOI y sus factores de riesgo asociados desde una perspectiva multicausal: analizamos hábitos de sueño, uso de pantallas, estrés crónico en niños y sus cuidadores, problemas de relación social, alimentación y actividad física. De los 397 niños de primer y séptimo grado que completaron los cuestionarios, el 41 % presentó SOI. Los niños con obesidad mostraron realizar menos actividad física, tener un menor consumo de alimentos protectores, más riesgos de trastornos del sueño, mayores niveles de estrés crónico (tanto en los niños como en sus cuidadores) y mayor índice de rechazo entre pares. En la mayoría de los niños se encontró un uso generalizado de pantallas antes de acostarse. El presente estudio evidencia la diversidad de factores asociados a esta problemática y destaca la conveniencia de utilizar un enfoque multidimensional para abordar la obesidad en la infancia. Asimismo, los resultados de este trabajo sugieren la necesidad de considerar los hábitos de vida como estrategia preventiva y terapéutica para el tratamiento de esta enfermedad desde etapas tempranas.

Hair cortisol reduction and social integration enhancement after a mindfulness-based intervention in children.

BACKGROUND: Over recent decades, chronic stress at an early age has become a worrying health problem in children. We seek to evaluate an intervention involving mindfulness-based practices and prosocial activities in 7- to 8-year-old children. METHODS: Stress levels were determined using hair cortisol concentration (HCC), and social integration was measured by means of a sociogram. The program had previously proven to be effective in decreasing salivary cortisol levels and in favouring social integration in children. A total of 35 children participated in the study: 18 constituted the intervention group and 17 the wait-list group. In both groups, HCC and social integration were evaluated before and after the intervention conducted throughout an entire school year. RESULTS: The experimental group showed a significant reduction in HCC, as well as significant enhancement of social integration levels, whereas no changes were observed in the wait-list group. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first research to show that HCC, a reliable neuroendocrine indicator, decreased as a result of a mindfulness-based program. This successful outcome adds new evidence to previous findings regarding the reduction of chronic stress in children following participation in this program.

Las prácticas de integración cuerpo-mente como promotoras de estados emocionales saludables / Mind­Body Integration Practices as Promoters of Healthy Emotional States / Práticas de integração corpo-mente como promotoras de estados emocionais saudáveis

Recientes investigaciones provenientes de diversos campos emergentes como la psiconeu-roinmunología, la medicina integrativa o la pigenética han dado cuenta de la estrecha vinculación entre los estados emocionales y la salud. El objetivo fue evaluar la eficacia de una intervención basada en la realización de prácticas de integración cuerpo-mente sobre la regulación emocional. Materiales y métodos: en 102 participantes, de entre 34 y 65 años de edad, se analizaron cambios en la Escala de Afectividad Positiva y Negativa (panas), antes y después de participar en la intervención propuesta, que se realizó durante ocho encuentros de seis horas de duración cada uno, a lo largo de cuatro meses. Resultados: se encontró un aumento en la afectividad positiva y una disminución en la afectividad negativa luego de la intervención. El índice de afectividad (i. e. afectividad positiva/afectividad negativa) se incrementó de una relación 2:1 a una relación 3:1. Esta última proporción ha sido asociada con estados saludables. Conclusiones: el estudio contribuye a demostrar el beneficio que brindan las prácticas de integración cuerpo-mente en la regulación emocional y la afectividad positiva. Esto podría propiciar un mayor bienestar psicofísico individual y colectivo.

Recent research from various emerging fields, such as psychoneuroimmunology, integra-tive medicine, and epigenetics, showed a close link between emotional states and health. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention based on mind­body integration practices in emotional regulation. Materials and Methods: We evaluated changes in the positive and negative affectivity scale in 102 participants before and after the intervention, which was performed during eight meetings lasting 6 h each, for 4 months. Results: An increase in positive affectivity and a decrease in negative affectivity were found after the intervention. The affectivity index (i.e., positive affectivity/negative affectivity) increased from a 2:1 ratio to a 3:1 ratio. This latter ratio has been associated with healthy states. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that mind­body integration practices can confer to emotional regulation and positive affectivity. These beneficial effects could improve psychophysical well-being at both the individual and collective levels.

pesquisas recentes provenientes de vários campos emergentes, como a psiconeuroimuno-logia, medicina integrativa e epigenética, mostram a estreita ligação entre os estados emocionais e a saúde. O objetivo do presente trabalho é avaliar a eficácia de uma intervenção baseada na realização de práticas de integração corpo-mente, na regulação emocional. Materiais e métodos: em 102 participantes, entre 34 e 65 anos, foram analisadas as mudanças na escala de afetividade positiva e negativa (panas) antes e após a participação na intervenção proposta, que foi realizada durante 8 encontros de 6 horas de duração cada, durante 4 meses. Resultados: houve um aumento da afetividade positiva e diminuição da afetividade negativa após a intervenção. O índice de afetividade (ou seja, afetividade positiva/afetivi-dade negativa) aumentou, passando de uma relação de 2:1 para uma relação de 3:1, esta última propor-ção tem sido associada a estados saudáveis. Conclusões: o presente estudo contribui para demonstrar o benefício proporcionado pelas práticas de integração corpo-mente na regulação emocional e na afetivi-dade positiva. Isso poderia propiciar um maior bem-estar psicofísico a nível individual e coletivo.

Evidence of associative blocking during foraging in the social wasp Vespula germanica.

While foraging, Vespula germanica usually return to abundant food sites. During this relocation behavior, these wasps learn to identify contextual cues associated with food position. We analyzed associative blocking in this species, that is, how an association with a conditioned stimulus (CS1) blocks subsequent learning when a novel stimulus (CS2) is added on a second foraging visit. Three groups of wasps (A, B, and C; total 74 individual wasps) were observed while collecting meat during one or two consecutive visits. In group A, an environmental cue (CS1) was paired with food placed at a specific site, and on the second visit, a second cue (CS2) was added while food remained in the same position. In a subsequent testing phase, CS1 was removed and the food source displaced nearby. We then recorded the number of hovers performed over the empty dish (previously baited). Group A wasps appeared to ignore the addition of CS2 on their second visit because they performed fewer hovers over the learned site. For group A, the duration of the decision-making process to finally fly toward the baited dish was shorter than when CS1 and CS2 were presented together on their first visit (group B). This is the first study to demonstrate the occurrence of associative blocking in vespids, confirming that a prior foraging experience influences subsequent food relocation in V. germanica. Our findings reveal that first learning episodes block further associations with novel contextual cues, contributing to understanding of complex cognitive processes involved in V. germanica´s foraging behavior.

Una intervención centrada en prácticas de atención plena (mindfulness) promueve la regulación emocional y la reducción del estrés en profesores / An intervention based in mindfulness practices promotes emotion regulation and stress reduction in teachers

INTRODUCCIÓN: Diversas investigaciones dan cuenta de altos niveles de estrés y burnout en profesores, pero pocos estudios analizan intervenciones que busquen aliviar esta problemática. OBJETIVO: Se realizó una intervención centrada en prácticas de atención plena (mindfulness) con el objetivo de promover la autorregulación emocional y disminuir el estrés en profesores de diversos niveles educativos. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se llevaron a cabo encuentros semanales en los cuales se realizaron diversas prácticas de atención plena y en los que también se abordaron estas temáticas de forma teórica. Se registraron estados iniciales y finales de estrés percibido y afecto positivo y negativo utilizando la Escala de Estrés Percibido y la Escala de Afectividad Positiva y Negativa. Asimismo, cada profesor realizó autorregistros detallando su proceso de cambio. RESULTADOS: Al evaluar los cambios pre-postintervención se encontraron diferencias significativas en ambas escalas. Luego de la intervención, disminuyó el estrés, aumentó el afecto positivo y disminuyó el afecto negativo. Los profesores expresaron haber adquirido mayor conciencia del impacto de su estado psicoemocional sobre la relación con sus alumnos. CONCLUSIONES: Este tipo de intervención basada en la realización de prácticas de atención plena podría favorecer no solo la salud de los profesores, sino también la calidad de los intercambios intersubjetivos

INTRODUCTION: Several studies report high levels of stress and burnout in teachers, but few studies analyze interventions that seek to alleviate this problem. OBJECTIVE: A mindfulness-based intervention was carried out with the objective to promote awareness, emotion self-regulation, and stress reduction in teachers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Weekly meetings were held addressing these issues in a theoretical and practical way. Initial and final states of perceived stress, and positive and negative affect were assessed, using the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Furthermore, teachers carried out written records of the performed practices, detailing their processes. RESULTS: When evaluating pre-postintervention changes, significant differences were found in both scales. After the intervention, stress decreased and there was an increase in positive emotions and a decrease in negative ones. Likewise, teachers became more aware of the impact that their psycho-emotional state has on the relationship with their students. CONCLUSIONS: This mindfulness based intervention could favor not only teachers' health but also improve intersubjective interactions with their students

Long-term spatial memory in Vespula germanica social wasps: the influence of past experience on foraging behavior.

Social insects exhibit complex learning and memory mechanisms while foraging. Vespula germanica (Fab.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is an invasive social wasp that frequently forages on undepleted food sources, making several flights between the resource and the nest. Previous studies have shown that during this relocating behavior, wasps learn to associate food with a certain site, and can recall this association 1 h later. In this work, we evaluated whether this wasp species is capable of retrieving an established association after 24 h. For this purpose, we trained free flying individuals to collect proteinaceous food from an experimental plate (feeder) located in an experimental array. A total of 150 individuals were allowed 2, 4, or 8 visits. After the training phase, the array was removed and set up again 24 h later, but this time a second baited plate was placed opposite to the first. After 24 h we recorded the rate of wasps that returned to the experimental area and those which collected food from the previously learned feeding station or the nonlearned one. During the testing phase, we observed that a low rate of wasps trained with 2 collecting visits returned to the experimental area (22%), whereas the rate of returning wasps trained with 4 or 8 collecting visits was higher (51% and 41%, respectively). Moreover, wasps trained with 8 feeding visits collected food from the previously learned feeding station at a higher rate than those that did from the nonlearned one. In contrast, wasps trained 2 or 4 times chose both feeding stations at a similar rate. Thus, significantly more wasps returned to the previously learned feeding station after 8 repeated foraging flights but not after only 2 or 4 visits. This is the first report that demonstrates the existence of long-term spatial memory in V. germanica wasps.

Social Learning in Vespula Germanica Wasps: Do They Use Collective Foraging Strategies?

Vespula germanica is a social wasp that has become established outside its native range in many regions of the world, becoming a major pest in the invaded areas. In the present work we analyze social communication processes used by V. germanica when exploiting un-depleted food sources. For this purpose, we investigated the arrival pattern of wasps at a protein bait and evaluated whether a forager recruited conspecifics in three different situations: foragers were able to return to the nest (full communication), foragers were removed on arrival (communication impeded), or only one forager was allowed to return to the nest (local enhancement restricted). Results demonstrated the existence of recruitment in V. germanica, given that very different patterns of wasp arrivals and a higher frequency of wasp visits to the resource were observed when communication flow between experienced and naive foragers was allowed. Our findings showed that recruitment takes place at a distance from the food source, in addition to local enhancement. When both local enhancement and distant recruitment were occurring simultaneously, the pattern of wasp arrival was exponential. When recruitment occurred only distant from the feeder, the arrival pattern was linear, but the number of wasps arriving was twice as many as when neither communication nor local enhancement was allowed. Moreover, when return to the nest was impeded, wasp arrival at the bait was regular and constant, indicating that naive wasps forage individually and are not spatially aggregated. In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate recruitment in V. germanica at a distance from the food source by modelling wasps' arrival to a protein-based resource. In addition, the existence of correlations when communication was allowed and reflected in tandem arrivals indicates that we were not in the presence of random processes.

Learning in an exotic social wasp while relocating a food source.

In this paper we review several studies on Vespulagermanica behavioral plasticity while relocating a food source in natural environments. This exotic social wasp, which has become established in many parts of the world, displays diverse cognitive abilities when foraging. Given its successful invasiveness worldwide, our initial hypothesis was that this species has great behavioral plasticity, which enables it to face environmental uncertainty. In our work we have analyzed foraging behavior associated with undepleted resources. Throughout several experiments, rapid learning was observed in this species; after few learning experiences they associate diverse contextual cues with a food source. However, by exploring wasp behavior when food suddenly disappeared, either because it had been removed or displaced, we found that they continued searching over a no longer rewarding site for a considerable period of time, suggesting that past experience can hinder new learning. Particularly surprising is the fact that when food was displaced nearby, wasps persisted in searching over the empty dish, ignoring the presence of food close by. We propose that this species could be a suitable model for studying cognitive plasticity in relation to environmental uncertainty.

The influence of past experience on wasp choice related to foraging behavior.

Memory has been little studied in social wasps. Vespula germanica (Fab.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) frequently revisits nondepleted food sources, making several trips between the resource and the nest. In this study, we analyzed this relocating behavior in order to evaluate whether this species is capable of remembering an established association after 1 h. To this end, we trained wasps to feed from a certain array. Then it was removed, setting it up again 1 h later, but this time 2 baited feeders were put in place, one at the original feeding site and the other opposite the first. We recorded the proportion of returning foragers, and their choice of feeder, after either 1 or 4 feeding trials. After 1 h, 78% of wasps trained with 4 feeding trials and 65% trained with 1, returned to the experimental area. Furthermore, during the testing phase, wasps trained with 4 feeding trials collected food from the previously learned feeder significantly more frequently than from the nonlearned one (P < 0.05). In contrast, wasps that had been trained only once chose both feeders equally. Thus, memory retrieval could be observed 1 h after wasps had collected food on 4 consecutive occasions, but not after only 1. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that V. germanica is capable of remembering an association 1 h after the last associative event, demonstrating that 1 h does not impair memory retention if 4 feeding experiences have occurred.

Beneficial effects of human altruism.

In this work we review converging evidence from several lines of research which suggests that altruism in humans can be intrinsically rewarding. Various investigations illustrate how human altruism can have beneficial effects on health and wellbeing. In this contribution we propose a model that includes positive effects of altruism. These beneficial effects lead to significant changes in the dynamics of the system, favouring higher levels of altruism and facilitating abrupt changes towards cooperation. In the present model, social modulation occurs at both individual and collective levels. The potential beneficial role of altruism proposed here may account for its occurrence among non-kin and beyond reciprocity.

Cognitive plasticity in foraging Vespula germanica wasps.

Vespula germanica (F.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is a highly invasive social wasp that exhibits a rich behavioral repertoire in which learning and memory play a fundamental role in foraging. The learning abilities of these wasps were analyzed while relocating a food source and whether V. germanica foragers are capable of discriminating between different orientation patterns and generalizing their choice to a new pattern. Foraging wasps were trained to associate two different stripe orientation patterns with their respective food locations. Their response to a novel configuration that maintained the orientation of one of the learned patterns but differed in other aspects (e.g. width of stripes) was then evaluated. The results support the hypothesis that V. germanica wasps are able to associate a particular oriented pattern with the location of a feeder and to generalize their choice to a new pattern, which differed in quality, but presented the same orientation.