Less underestimaton of excess weight by the categorical than the visual method. Its determinants and feeding practices in Mexican mothers of children aged 2 to 12 years / Menor subestimación del exceso de peso por el método categórico que por el visual. Determinantes y prácticas de alimentación en madres mexicanas de niños de 2 a 12 años

Introduction: perceived body weight refers to the subjectively assessed weight, which may not correspond to the objectively measured weight.Statistics show that 14 % to 83 % of parents misperceive their children’s weight status, with a propensity for underestimation.Objective: we compared the accuracy of the visual versus the categorical method. We also identified factors and feeding practices associatedwith excess weight underestimation.Material and methods: we carried out a cross-sectional study in five states of Mexico with 1,845 mother-child dyads of children aged 2-12years. The mothers were interviewed about weight perception with two methods, visual and categorical. The Child Feeding Questionnaire identifiedmaternal feeding practices. Actual weight and height were categorized according to WHO criteria. Analysis consisted of Cohen’s kappa estimation,multivariate logistic regression, and Mann-Whitney tests.Results: more mothers correctly identified the weight of their children with the categorical than with the visual method (68 % vs 42 %, p <0.0001). The excess weight underestimation was lower (49 % vs 82 %, p < 0.0001) and the degree of agreement was higher with the cate-gorical method (kappa, 0.39 and 0.08). The better results remained regardless of age. Age 2-5 years increased the odds of overweight/obesityunderestimation. Feeding practices differed by weight perception category, child’s age, and method of assessment.Conclusions: the categorical method was more accurate. Recognition of correct weight perception is one of the first actions required forcontrolling childhood overweight/obesity.(AU)

Introducción: la percepción del peso corporal se refiere al peso evaluado subjetivamente, que puede no corresponder al peso medido objeti-vamente. Las estadísticas muestran que entre el 14 % y el 83 % de los padres tienen una percepción inadecuada del estado del peso de sushijos, predominando la subestimación.Objetivo: comparar la precisión del método categórico y la del visual e identificar los factores y prácticas de alimentación asociados a la sub-estimación del exceso de peso.Material y métodos: se realizó un estudio transversal en cinco estados de México con 1,845 díadas madre-hijo de niños de 2-11 años. Lasmadres fueron entrevistadas sobre su percepción del peso con un método visual y uno categórico. El Cuestionario de Alimentación Infantil iden-tificó las prácticas de alimentación. El peso y la altura se clasificaron con los criterios de la OMS. Se estimó la kappa de Cohen y se utilizaron laregresión logística multivariada y las pruebas de Mann-Whitney.Resultados: más madres identificaron correctamente el peso de sus hijos con el método categórico que con el visual (68 % vs. 42 %, p <0,0001). La subestimación del exceso de peso fue menor (49 % vs 82 %, p <0,0001) y el grado de concordancia mayor con el método categórico(kappa: 0,39 y 0,08). Los resultados se mantuvieron independientemente de la edad. La edad de 2-5 años aumentó la probabilidad de subestimarel sobrepeso/obesidad. Las prácticas de alimentación difirieron por categoría de percepción del peso, edad del niño y método de evaluación.Conclusiones: el método categórico fue más preciso. El reconocimiento de la correcta percepción del peso constituye una de las primerasacciones para el control del sobrepeso/obesidad infantil.(AU)

Less underestimaton of excess weight by the categorical than the visual method. Its determinants and feeding practices in Mexican mothers of children aged 2 to 12 years.

Introduction: Introduction: perceived body weight refers to the subjectively assessed weight, which may not correspond to the objectively measured weight. Statistics show that 14 % to 83 % of parents misperceive their children's weight status, with a propensity for underestimation. Objective: we compared the accuracy of the visual versus the categorical method. We also identified factors and feeding practices associated with excess weight underestimation. Material and methods: we carried out a cross-sectional study in five states of Mexico with 1,845 mother-child dyads of children aged 2-12 years. The mothers were interviewed about weight perception with two methods, visual and categorical. The Child Feeding Questionnaire identified maternal feeding practices. Actual weight and height were categorized according to WHO criteria. Analysis consisted of Cohen's kappa estimation, multivariate logistic regression, and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: more mothers correctly identified the weight of their children with the categorical than with the visual method (68 % vs 42 %, p < 0.0001). The excess weight underestimation was lower (49 % vs 82 %, p < 0.0001) and the degree of agreement was higher with the categorical method (kappa, 0.39 and 0.08). The better results remained regardless of age. Age 2-5 years increased the odds of overweight/obesity underestimation. Feeding practices differed by weight perception category, child's age, and method of assessment. Conclusions: the categorical method was more accurate. Recognition of correct weight perception is one of the first actions required for controlling childhood overweight/obesity.

Introducción: Introducción: la percepción del peso corporal se refiere al peso evaluado subjetivamente, que puede no corresponder al peso medido objetivamente. Las estadísticas muestran que entre el 14 % y el 83 % de los padres tienen una percepción inadecuada del estado del peso de sus hijos, predominando la subestimación. Objetivo: comparar la precisión del método categórico y la del visual e identificar los factores y prácticas de alimentación asociados a la subestimación del exceso de peso. Material y métodos: se realizó un estudio transversal en cinco estados de México con 1,845 díadas madre-hijo de niños de 2-11 años. Las madres fueron entrevistadas sobre su percepción del peso con un método visual y uno categórico. El Cuestionario de Alimentación Infantil identificó las prácticas de alimentación. El peso y la altura se clasificaron con los criterios de la OMS. Se estimó la kappa de Cohen y se utilizaron la regresión logística multivariada y las pruebas de Mann-Whitney. Resultados: más madres identificaron correctamente el peso de sus hijos con el método categórico que con el visual (68 % vs. 42 %, p < 0,0001). La subestimación del exceso de peso fue menor (49 % vs 82 %, p <0,0001) y el grado de concordancia mayor con el método categórico (kappa: 0,39 y 0,08). Los resultados se mantuvieron independientemente de la edad. La edad de 2-5 años aumentó la probabilidad de subestimar el sobrepeso/obesidad. Las prácticas de alimentación difirieron por categoría de percepción del peso, edad del niño y método de evaluación. Conclusiones: el método categórico fue más preciso. El reconocimiento de la correcta percepción del peso constituye una de las primeras acciones para el control del sobrepeso/obesidad infantil.

Evaluation of the Potential Risk of Mortality from SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Hospitalized Patients According to the Charlson Comorbidity Index.

Background: The pandemic of COVID-19 has represented a major threat to global public health in the last century and therefore to identify predictors of mortality among COVID-19 hospitalized patients is widely justified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible usefulness of Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) as mortality predictor in patients hospitalized because COVID-19. Methods: This study was carried out in Zacatecas, Mexico, and it included 705 hospitalized patients with suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clinical data were collected, and the CCI score was calculated online using the calculator from the Sociedad Andaluza de Medicina Intensiva y Unidades Coronarias; the result was evaluated as mortality predictor among the patients with COVID-19. Results: 377 patients were positive for SARS-COV-2. Obesity increased the risk of intubation among the study population (odds ratio (OR) = 2.59; 95 CI: 1.36-4.92; p = 0.003). The CCI values were higher in patients who died because of COVID-19 complications than those observed in patients who survived (p < 0.001). Considering a CCI cutoff > 31.69, the area under the ROC curve was 0.75, with a sensitivity and a specificity of 63.6% and 87.7%, respectively. Having a CCI value > 31.69 increased the odds of death by 12.5 times among the study population (95% CI: 7.3-21.4; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The CCI is a suitable tool for the prediction of mortality in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The presence of comorbidities in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 reflected as CCI > 31.69 increased the risk of death among the study population, so it is important to take precautionary measures in patients due to their condition and their increased vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Population-Based COVID-19 Screening in Mexico: Assessment of Symptoms and Their Weighting in Predicting SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Background and Objectives: Sentinel surveillance in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico represented a significant cost reduction and was useful in estimating the population infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, it also implied that many patients were not screened and therefore had no accurate diagnosis. In this study, we carried out a population-based SARS-CoV-2 screening in Mexico to evaluate the COVID-19-related symptoms and their weighting in predicting SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also discuss this data in the context of the operational definition of suspected cases of COVID-19 established by the Mexican Health Authority's consensus. Materials and Methods: One thousand two hundred seventy-nine subjects were included. They were screened for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR. The weighting of COVID-19 symptoms in predicting SARS-CoV-2 infection was evaluated statistically. Results: Three hundred and twenty-five patients were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 954 were negative. Fever, asthenia, dysgeusia, and oxygen saturation predicted SARS-CoV-2 infection (odds ratios ranged from 1.74 to 4.98; p < 0.05). The percentage of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients was 36% and only 38.15% met the Mexican operational definition. Cq-values for the gene N of SARS-CoV-2 were significantly higher in asymptomatic subjects than in the groups of COVID-19 patients with neurological, respiratory, and/or musculoskeletal manifestations (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Dysgeusia, fever, and asthenia increased the odds of a positive result for COVID-19 1.74-4.98-fold among the study population. Patients with neurological, respiratory, and/or musculoskeletal manifestations had higher viral loads at COVID-19 diagnosis than those observed in asymptomatic patients. A high percentage of the participants in the study (61.85%) did not meet the operational definition for a suspected case of COVID-19 established by the Mexican Health Authority's consensus, representing a high percentage of the population that could have remained without a COVID-19 diagnosis, so becoming a potential source of virus spread.

The Influence of Obesity on Puberty and Insulin Resistance in Mexican Children.

Obesity is considered the main risk factor associated with the development of insulin resistance (IR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of obesity on puberty onset and IR in Mexican children. A total of 378 children (189 boys and 189 girls) aged 8-14 years participated in the study. IR was estimated using the homeostasis model assessment for IR (HOMA-IR). The mean fasting glucose (FG) and basal insulin levels were 82 mg/dl and 11.0 µIU/ml in boys and 77.3 mg/dl and 12.3 µIU/ml in girls (P < 0.05). Subjects with obesity at Tanner stages II-V showed increased FG levels (P < 0.05). In boys with obesity, there was a decrease in HOMA-IR in Tanner stage IV and differences in age between boys with normal weight and those with obesity in Tanner V, being older the boys with obesity. Obesity in children and adolescents was associated with higher HOMA-IR values. In boys with obesity, IR increased at the end of pubertal maturation, with a delay in puberty. These findings should be considered on the establishment of IR cutoff values for pubertal population in Mexico and in the establishment of strategies to prevent the health problems related to obesity.

Study protocol: intervention in maternal perception of preschoolers' weight among Mexican and Mexican-American mothers.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a public health issue negatively affecting children's physical and psychosocial health. Mothers are children's primary caregivers, thus key players in childhood obesity prevention. Studies have indicated that mothers underestimate their children's weight. If mothers are unaware of their children's weight problem, they are less likely to participate in activities preventing and treating excess weight. The "Healthy Change" intervention is designed to change maternal perception of child's weight (MPCW) through peer-led group health education in childcare settings. METHODS/DESIGN: The "Healthy Change" is a multicenter two-arm randomized trial in four centers. Three centers are in Mexican States (Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas). The fourth center is in San Antonio, Texas, USA. A total of 360 mother-child pairs (90 pairs per center) are to be randomly and evenly allocated to either the intervention or the control group. Intervention group will receive four-session group obesity prevention education. Control group will receive a four-session personal and food hygiene education. The education is delivered by trained peer-mother promotoras. Data will be collected using questionnaires and focus groups. The primary outcome is a change in proportion of mothers with accurate MPCW. Secondary outcomes include change in maternal feeding styles and practices, maternal self-efficacy and actions for managing child excessive weight gain. McNemar's Test will be used to test the primary outcome. The GLM Univariate procedure will be used to determine intervention effects on secondary outcomes. The models will include the secondary outcome measures as the dependent variables, treatment condition (intervention/control) as the fixed factor, and confounding factors (e.g., mother's education, children's gender and age) as covariates. Sub-analyses will be performed to compare intervention effects on primary and secondary outcomes between the samples from Mexico and Texas, USA. Qualitative data will be analyzed through analysis of inductive content. A combined coding model will be developed and used to code transcripts using the NVivo software. DISCUSSION: Healthy Change intervention could help change MPCW, an initial step for obesity prevention among preschoolers. This study presents a first of its kind intervention available in Spanish and English targeting Mexican and Mexican-American mothers in Mexico and USA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN12281648.

Maternal distress and the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Despite the implementation of programmes to improve maternal health, maternal and foetal mortality rates still remain high. The presence of maternal distress and its association with the development of pregnancy hypertensive disorders is not well established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between maternal distress and the development of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in a prospective cohort of 321 Mexican women. Symptoms of maternal distressing were evaluated at week 20th of gestation using the General Health Questionnaire. The presence of acute somatic symptoms, social dysfunction, anxiety and insomnia increased the odds of developing a pregnancy hypertensive disorder by 5.1-26.4 times in study population (p values < .05). Our results support the participation of maternal distress in the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The implementation of effective programmes prioritising risk factors during pregnancy including the presence of maternal distressing factors is recommended. Impact statement What is already known on this subject: Changes in the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems have been observed in pregnant women with distress conditions leading to gestational disorders. What do the results of this study add: The presence of acute somatic symptoms, social dysfunction, anxiety and insomnia increased the developing of hypertensive disorders in Mexican population. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the role of the maternal stress in the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and in the implementation of effective programmes for clinical practice prioritising risk factors during pregnancy, including the presence of maternal distressing factors.

[Maternal actions and problems in managing the child's weight and their association with the maternal perception of the weight and age of her child]. / Acciones y problemas maternos para manejar el peso del hijo de acuerdo a la percepción materna del peso y edad del hijo.

INTRODUCTION: To properly perceive the child's weight may influence the mother to start up changes to prevent and manage overweight problems. OBJECTIVES: 1) To assess whether the actions and problems to manage the child's weight are different according to the nutritional status and the perception on the child's weight; and 2) to assess whether the actions and problems are different according to the child's age. METHODS: 2840 mothers and sons/daughters (age 2-17 years) from North-eastern Mexico participated. The mothers answered: a) I feel my child is overweighted? b) What have you done to manage your son's / daughter's weight? and c) What are the problems? The children's weight and height were measured. Contingency tables were constructed and the Chi squared test was applied. RESULTS: When the mothers of children with overweight/ obesity properly perceive this situation, dietrelated actions are taken (62.0% and 65.6%) (X(2) = 307.02, gl = 9, p < .001) and the problems are recognized (26.2% and 43.7%) (X(2) = 131.46, gl = 6, p < .001). The mothers of children in 1st to 6th grade are more prone to take actions (51.2%) (X(2) = 44.78, gl = 9, p < .001) and recognize more problems (21.8%) (X(2) = 61.74, gl = 6, p < .001) CONCLUSIONS: When the problems related with the child's weigh are recognized, actions are undertaken and the problems are recognized. Interventions are recommended for properly recognizing overweight/obesity and providing information on diet-related actions.

Introducción: Percibir de forma adecuada el peso del hijo puede influir para que la madre inicie cambios para prevenir y tratar los problemas de peso. Objetivos: 1) Evaluar si las acciones y problemas para manejar el peso del hijo son diferentes de acuerdo al estado nutricional y percepción del peso del hijo y 2) Evaluar si las acciones y problemas son diferentes de acuerdo a edad del hijo. Métodos: Participaron 2840 madres e hijos (2 a 17 años) del Noreste de México. Las madres contestaron: a) ¿Creo que mi hijo esta?, b) ¿Qué ha hecho para manejar el peso de su hijo? y c) ¿Cuáles son los problemas? Se midió peso y talla del hijo. Se construyeron tablas de contingencia y se aplicó la prueba de Chi-cuadrada. Resultados: Cuando las madres de hijos con sobrepesoobesidad perciben de forma adecuada esta situación realizan acciones relacionadas con la dieta (62,0% y 65,6%) (2 = 307,02, gl = 9, p < ,001) y reconocen problemas (26,2% y 43,7%) (2 = 131,46, gl = 6, p < ,001). Las madres de hijos de 1º a 6º grado realizan acciones en mayor proporción 51,2% (2 = 44,78, gl = 9, p < ,001) y señalan más problemas 21,8% (2 = 61,74, gl = 6, p < ,001) Conclusiones: Cuando se perciben los problemas de peso del hijo, se realizan acciones y se reconocen problemas. Se recomiendan intervenciones para percibir de forma adecuada el sobrepeso-obesidad y porporcionar información de acciones relacionadas a la dieta.

Acciones y problemas maternos para manejar el peso del hijo de acuerdo a la percepción materna del peso y edad del hijo / Maternal actions and problems in managing the child’s weight and their association with the maternal percepcion of the weight and age of her child

Introducción: Percibir de forma adecuada el peso del hijo puede influir para que la madre inicie cambios para prevenir y tratar los problemas de peso. Objetivos: 1) Evaluar si las acciones y problemas para manejar el peso del hijo son diferentes de acuerdo al estado nutricional y percepción del peso del hijo y 2) Evaluar si las acciones y problemas son diferentes de acuerdo a edad del hijo. Métodos: Participaron 2840 madres e hijos (2 a 17 años) del Noreste de México. Las madres contestaron: a) ¿Creo que mi hijo esta?, b) ¿Qué ha hecho para manejar el peso de su hijo? y c) ¿Cuáles son los problemas? Se midió peso y talla del hijo. Se construyeron tablas de contingencia y se aplicó la prueba de Chi-cuadrada. Resultados: Cuando las madres de hijos con sobrepeso-obesidad perciben de forma adecuada esta situación realizan acciones relacionadas con la dieta (62,0% y 65,6%) (X2 = 307,02, gl = 9, p < ,001) y reconocen problemas (26,2% y 43,7%) (X2 = 131,46, gl = 6, p < ,001). Las madres de hijos de 1º a 6º grado realizan acciones en mayor proporción 51,2% (X2 = 44,78, gl = 9, p < ,001) y señalan más problemas 21,8% (X2 = 61,74, gl = 6, p < ,001) Conclusiones: Cuando se perciben los problemas de peso del hijo, se realizan acciones y se reconocen problemas. Se recomiendan intervenciones para percibir de forma adecuada el sobrepeso-obesidad y porporcionar información de acciones relacionadas a la dieta (AU)

Introduction: To properly perceive the child's weight may influence the mother to start up changes to prevent and manage overweight problems. Objectives: 1) To assess whether the actions and problems to manage the child's weight are different according to the nutritional status and the perception on the child's weight; and 2) to assess whether the actions and problems are different according to the child's age. Methods: 2840 mothers and sons/daughters (age 2-17 years) from North-eastern Mexico participated. The mothers answered: a) I feel my child is overweighted? b) What have you done to manage your son's / daughter's weight? and c) What are the problems? The children's weight and height were measured. Contingency tables were constructed and the Chi squared test was applied. Results: When the mothers of children with overweight/obesity properly perceive this situation, dietrelated actions are taken (62.0% and 65.6%) (X2 = 307.02, gl = 9, p < .001) and the problems are recognized (26.2% and 43.7%) (X2 = 131.46, gl = 6, p < .001). The mothers of children in 1st to 6th grade are more prone to take actions (51.2%) (X2 = 44.78, gl = 9, p < .001) and recognize more problems (21.8%) (X2 = 61.74, gl = 6, p < .001) Conclusions: When the problems related with the child's weigh are recognized, actions are undertaken and the problems are recognized. Interventions are recommended for properly recognizing overweight/obesity and providing information on diet-related actions (AU)

Validez de dos pruebas para evaluar la percepción materna del peso del hijo / Validity of two tests to evaluate maternal perception of child's weight

OBJETIVOS: Evaluar la percepción materna del peso del hijo por medio de dos pruebas, percepción por palabras (PP) y percepción por imágenes (PI), así como evaluar la validez de las dos pruebas mediante la determinación de la sensibilidad y especificidad. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se seleccionó un total de 418 diadas madre-hijo del área urbana de Monterrey Nuevo León; a las madres se les aplicó un cuestionario de percepciones sobre la apariencia física y la salud. Se calculó sensibilidad y especificidad. El índice de masa corporal medido del hijo fue el estándar de oro. RESULTADOS: El 20.34 por ciento de madres de niños con sobrepeso (SP) y 7.41 por ciento de madres de niños con obesidad (OB) percibieron el sobrepeso por la prueba PP; y 62.71 por ciento de madres de niños con SP y 81.48 por ciento de niños con OB por la prueba PI. Las madres subestimaron el SP-OB; la sensibilidad y especificidad de la PP fueron de 12 y 21 por ciento y las de PI de 75 y 15 por ciento, respectivamente. CONCLUSIONES: Las madres de niños con SP-OB subestiman el peso del hijo. Las imágenes son útiles para que las madres reconozcan esta situación.

OBJETIVE: To assess maternal perception of their children weight using words (PP) and using images (PI) and evaluate the validity of the two tests by determining their sensitivity and specificity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 418 mother-child diads were selected from urban areas in the Monterrey, Nuevo León area. A questionnaire was administered to the mothers about perceptions regarding physical appearance and health. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated and the body mass index measurement of the child was the gold standard. RESULTS: Mothers underestimated overweight (SP) and obesity (OB), with 20.34 percent of mothers of children with SP and 7.41 percent of children with OB perceiving their child's condition with the PP test, and 62.71 percent of mothers of children with SP and 81.48 percent of those of children with OB perceiving it with the PI test. The tests had 12 percent sensitivity and 21 percent specificity for PP and 75 percent sensitivity and 15 percent specificity for PI. CONCLUSIONS: The mothers of children with SP-OB underestimate the weight of their children. Images are useful for mothers to recognize their child's condition.