Are Neighborhood Greenspaces Associated with Leisure-time Physical Activity? Results from ELSA-Brasil Eight-year Follow-up.

We investigated whether neighborhood greenspaces were associated with physical activity in adulthood over 3 cohort visits after considering perceived safety and neighborhood contextual factors. We also evaluated whether the association with greenspace varied by neighborhood socioeconomic status. Participants (N = 4,800) from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) residing in two Brazilian state capitals were evaluated in Visits 1 (2008-2010), 2 (2012-2014) and 3 (2017-2019). Greenspaces were categorized by quintiles of positive Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) scores. Physical activity frequency was given by the number of visits at which participants reported moderate/vigorous physical activity (none, 1 or 2, and 3 visits). We used multinomial logistic regression. After adjustment for age, sex, education, research center, residence in slums, individuals in the 4th and 5th NDVI quintiles showed 73% higher odds of physical activity over 3 visits than those in the 1st quintile (4th quintile: 95%CI = 1.24-2.43; 5th quintile: 95%CI = 1.24-2.41). The strength of the association was attenuated after adjustment for perceived safety. After adjustment for contextual factors quantity of sidewalks and streetlights, the OR for the 4th and 5th NDVI quintiles decreased to 1.66 (95%CI = 1.18-2.33) and 1.62 (95%CI = 1.16-2.28), respectively. Finally, after including average household income per capita, the OR for physical activity in 3 visits for the 4th and 5th NDVI quintiles decreased to 1.48 (95%CI = 1.04-2.12) and 1.43 (95%CI = 1.00-2.04; p = 0.053), respectively. Greater greenspace contributed to sustained physical activity during the eight years of follow-up, indicating the potential contribution of public greenspaces to reducing health-related inequalities.

Anthropometric trajectory in the course of life and occurrence of sarcopenia in men and women: results from the ELSA-Brasil cohort.

This study aimed to identify patterns of anthropometric trajectories throughout life and to analyse their association with the occurrence of sarcopenia in people from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). It is a cross-sectional study involving 9670 public servants, aged 38-79 years, who answered the call for new data collection and exams, conducted approximately 4 years after the study baseline (2012-2014). Data sequence analysis was used to identify patterns of anthropometric trajectory. A theoretical model was elaborated based on the directed acyclic graph (DAG) to select the variables of minimum adjustment in the analysis of the causal effect between trajectory and sarcopenia. Poisson regression with robust variance was adopted for data analysis. The patterns of change in the anthropometric trajectory were classified in stable weight (T1); change to normal weight (T2); change to excess weight (T3); weight fluctuation (T4) and change to low weight (T5). The prevalence of sarcopenia in men and women who changed the anthropometric path for the low weight was twice as large when compared to participants with a stable weight trajectory. A protective effect of the excess weight trajectory was observed for the occurrence of sarcopenia in them. The results pointed to the need for health policies that encourage the proper management of body components in order to prevent and control obesity, as well as to preserve the quantity and quality of skeletal muscle mass throughout life, especially in older adults.

Adherence to the EAT-Lancet sustainable reference diet and cardiometabolic risk profile: cross-sectional results from the ELSA-Brasil cohort study.

PURPOSE: The EAT-Lancet Commission released a reference sustainable diet to improve human health and respect the planetary boundaries. The Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) was developed with the purpose of evaluate the adherence to this reference diet. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet with cardiometabolic risk profile. METHODS: We used the cross-sectional baseline data from 14,155 participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), a multicenter ongoing cohort study. Dietary data were collected using a 114-item validated food frequency questionnaire. The PHDI was used to assess the adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet. It consists of 16 components and the total score can range from 0 to 150 points. Linear, logistic and quasi-Poisson regression models were built to evaluate the associations between PHDI and the outcomes. RESULTS: Individuals with higher adherence to EAT-Lancet diet (PHDI, 5th quintile) had lower values for systolic blood pressure (ß - 0.84; 95% CI - 1.66: - 0.01), diastolic blood pressure (ß - 0.70; 95% CI - 1.24: - 0.15), total cholesterol (ß - 3.15; 95% CI - 5.30: - 1.01), LDL-c (ß - 4.10; 95% CI - 5.97: -  2.23), and non-HDL-cholesterol (ß - 2.57; 95% CI - 4.62: - 0.52). No association was observed for HDL-c, triglycerides and HOMA-IR. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that higher adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet is associated with lower levels of blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL-c, and non-HDL-c.

Digital marketing of online food delivery services in a social media platform before and during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the promotion of food and beverage and marketing strategies used by online food delivery services (OFDS) in a social media platform before and during the pandemic in Brazil. DESIGN: Publicly available data were extracted from OFDS Instagram accounts. Posts published 6 months immediately before and after the first case of COVID-19 in Brazil were randomly sampled. Two independent authors coded the posts' content. Food and beverage items featured in posts were classified according to the NOVA food system classification. Marketing strategies were coded according to protocols from previous studies. SETTING: Top three OFDS Instagram accounts in Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: Posts published in the period studied (n 304). RESULTS: During the pandemic, the proportion of posts featuring at least one food item decreased from 71·6 % to 40·2 %, and the proportion of ultra-processed foods decreased from 57·6 % to 27·9 %. Before the pandemic, the most widely used marketing strategies were branding elements (80·7 %), product imagery (unbranded) (48·9 %) and partnerships/sponsorship (35·2 %). While during the pandemic, branding elements (62·2 %) continued to be the most applied, but were followed by the use of videos/graphics interchange format/boomerangs (34·1 %) and corporate social responsibility (31·7 %). The most frequent COVID-19 marketing strategies were 'social responsibility in the pandemic' (30·5 %), 'combatting the pandemic' (28·0 %) and 'accelerating digitalisation' (20·7 %). CONCLUSIONS: OFDS advertisements on a social media platform placed less emphasis on food items, but improved the nutritional quality of foods and beverages featured in posts. A COVID-washing approach was highlighted, especially through the use of social responsibility marketing during the pandemic.

Racial Inequities in Self-Rated Health Across Brazilian Cities: Does Residential Segregation Play a Role?

Racial health inequities may be partially explained by area-level factors such as residential segregation. In this cross-sectional study, using a large, multiracial, representative sample of Brazilian adults (n = 37,009 individuals in the 27 state capitals; National Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde), 2013), we investigated 1) whether individual-level self-rated health (SRH) (fair or poor vs. good or better) varies by race (self-declared White, Brown, or Black) and 2) whether city-level economic or racial residential segregation (using dissimilarity index values in tertiles: low, medium, and high) interacts with race, increasing racial inequities in SRH. Prevalence of fair or poor SRH was 31.5% (Black, Brown, and White people: 36.4%, 34.0%, and 27.3%, respectively). Marginal standardization based on multilevel logistic regression models, adjusted for age, gender, and education, showed that Black and Brown people had, respectively, 20% and 10% higher prevalence of fair or poor SRH than did White people. Furthermore, residential segregation interacted with race such that the more segregated a city, the greater the racial gap among Black, Brown, and White people in fair or poor SRH for both income and race segregation. Policies to reduce racial inequities may need to address residential segregation and its consequences for health.

Food environments and the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: analysis of changes observed in 2020.

Evidence of changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in food security and nutrition conditions, as well as in different food environments, has called researchers' attention to substantial changes taking place in individuals' dietary habits. The aim of this study is to present and address changes that have already happened in food environments, during the first COVID-19 pandemic year, in a middle-income country. Multiple changes were observed and had direct impact on the population, among them, worsened health and nutrition indicators and advanced dietary inequalities, as well as on its food profile in different life cycles, if one takes into consideration aspects such as food availability, financial access and dietary quality.

Potential impacts of policies to reduce purchasing of ultra-processed foods in Mexico at different stages of the social transition: an agent-based modelling approach.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a simulation framework for assessing how combinations of taxes, nutrition warning labels and advertising levels could affect purchasing of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in Latin American countries and to understand whether policies reinforce or reduce pre-existing social disparities in UPF consumption. DESIGN: We developed an agent-based simulation model using international evidence regarding the effect of price, nutrition warning labels and advertising on UPF purchasing. SETTING: We estimated policy effects in scenarios representing two stages of the 'social transition' in UPF purchasing: (1) a pre-transition scenario, where UPF purchasing is higher among high-income households, similar to patterns in Mexico; and (2) a post-transition scenario where UPF purchasing is highest among low-income households, similar to patterns in Chile. PARTICIPANTS: A population of 1000 individual agents with levels of age, income, educational attainment and UPF purchasing similar to adult women in Mexico. RESULTS: A 20 % tax would decrease purchasing by 24 % relative to baseline in both the pre- and post-transition scenarios, an effect that is similar in magnitude to that of a nutrition warning label policy. A 50 % advertising increase or decrease had a comparatively small effect. Nutrition warning labels were most effective among those with higher levels of educational attainment. Labelling reduced inequities in the pre-transition scenario (i.e. highest UPF purchasing among the highest socio-economic group) but widened inequities in the post-transition scenario. CONCLUSIONS: Effective policy levers are available to reduce UPF purchasing, but policymakers should anticipate that equity impacts will differ depending on existing social patterns in UPF purchasing.

Ultra-processed foods, changes in blood pressure and incidence of hypertension: the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

OBJECTIVE: To estimate changes in blood pressure and the incidence of hypertension associated with consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) by Brazilian civil servants at a 4-year follow-up. DESIGN: Longitudinal analysis of the ELSA-Brasil with non-hypertensive individuals at baseline. We applied the FFQ at the baseline and categorised energy intake by degree of processing, using the NOVA classification. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured at baseline (2008-2010) and again at first follow-up (2012-2014). Incidence of arterial hypertension was defined as SBP ≥ 140 mmHg or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg or antihypertensive medication during the previous 2 weeks. A mixed-effect linear regression model and mixed-effect logistic regression model were used to estimate associations between UPF consumption and, respectively, changes in blood pressure and incidence of hypertension. SETTING: Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: Civil servants of Brazilian public academic institutions in six cities (n 8754), aged 35-74 years at baseline (2008-2010). RESULTS: UPF consumption contributed 25·2 % (sd = 9·6) of total energies consumed. After adjustment, participants with high UPF consumption presented a 23 % greater risk of developing hypertension (OR = 1·23, 95 % CI 1·06, 1·44) than those with low UPF consumption. We did not find association between UPF consumption and changes in blood pressure over time. CONCLUSIONS: The higher the UPF consumption, the higher the risk of hypertension in adults. Reducing UPF consumption is thus important to promote health and prevent hypertension.

The food environment in Latin America: a systematic review with a focus on environments relevant to obesity and related chronic diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Food environments may be contributing to the rapid increase in obesity occurring in most Latin American (LA) countries. The present study reviews literature from LA that (i) describes the food environment and policies targeting the food environment (FEP); and (ii) analytic studies that investigate associations between the FEP and dietary behaviours, overweight/obesity and obesity related chronic diseases. We focus on six dimensions of the FEP: food retail, provision, labelling, marketing, price and composition. DESIGN: Systematic literature review. Three databases (Web of Science, SciELO, LILACS) were searched, from 1 January 1999 up to July 2017. Two authors independently selected the studies. A narrative synthesis was used to summarize, integrate and interpret findings. SETTING: Studies conducted in LA countries. PARTICIPANTS: The search yielded 2695 articles of which eighty-four met inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Most studies were descriptive and came from Brazil (61 %), followed by Mexico (18 %) and Guatemala (6 %). Studies were focused primarily on retail/provision (n 27), marketing (n 16) and labelling (n 15). Consistent associations between availability of fruit and vegetable markets and higher consumption of fruits and vegetables were found in cross-sectional studies. Health claims in food packaging were prevalent and mostly misleading. There was widespread use of marketing strategies for unhealthy foods aimed at children. Food prices were lower for processed relative to fresh foods. Some studies documented high sodium in industrially processed foods. CONCLUSIONS: Gaps in knowledge remain regarding policy evaluations, longitudinal food retail studies, impacts of food price on diet and effects of digital marketing on diet/health.

Is neighbourhood social deprivation in a Brazilian city associated with the availability, variety, quality and price of food in supermarkets?

OBJECTIVE: To verify differences in the availability, variety, quality and price of unprocessed and ultra-processed foods in supermarkets and similar establishments in neighbourhoods with different social deprivation levels at Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The Obesogenic Environment Study in São Paulo's Food Store Observation Tool (ESAO-S) was applied in thirty-three supermarket chains, wholesale and retail supermarkets. RESULTS: Fruits, vegetables and ultra-processed foods were available in almost all establishments, without differences according to Health Vulnerability Index (HVI; which varies from 0 to 1 point and the higher the worse; P > 0·05). Most establishments were concentrated in low vulnerability areas and offered healthy foods with greater variety and quality, despite higher prices. The Healthy Food Store Index (HFSI; which varies from 0 to 16 points and the higher the best) was calculated from the ESAO-S and the mean score was 8·91 (sd 1·51). The presence and variety of unprocessed foods count as positive points, as do the absence of ultra-processed products. When HFSI was stratified by HVI, low HVI neighbourhoods presented higher HFSI scores, compared with medium, high and very high HVI neighbourhoods (P = 0·001). CONCLUSIONS: Supermarkets and similar establishments are less dense in areas of greater social deprivation and have lower prices of healthy foods, but the variety and quality of those foods are worse, compared with areas of low vulnerability. We found worse HFSI for supermarkets located in areas with greater vulnerability. Those findings can guide specific public policies improving the urban food environment.

Predicting cardiometabolic disturbances from waist-to-height ratio: findings from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) baseline.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in predicting cardiometabolic outcomes and compare cut-off points for Brazilian adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. WHtR areas under the curve (AUC) were compared with those for BMI, waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The outcomes of interest were hypertension, diabetes, hypertriacylglycerolaemia and presence of at least two components of metabolic syndrome (≥2 MetS). Cut-offs for WHtR were compared and validity measures were estimated for each point. SETTING: Teaching and research institutions in six Brazilian state capitals, 2008-2010. SUBJECTS: Women (n 5026) and men (n 4238) aged 35-54 years who participated in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) at baseline. RESULTS: WHtR age-adjusted AUC ranged from 0·68 to 0·72 in men and 0·69 to 0·75 in women, with smaller AUC for hypertriacylglycerolaemia and the largest for ≥2 MetS. WHtR performed better than BMI for practically all outcomes; better than WHR for hypertension in both sexes; and displayed larger AUC than WC in predicting diabetes mellitus. It also offered better discriminatory power for ≥2 MetS in men; and was better than WC, but not WHR, in women. Optimal cut-off points of WHtR were 0·55 (women) and 0·54 (men), but they presented high false-negative rate compared with 0·50. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend using WHtR (which performed similarly to, or better than, other available indices of adiposity) as an anthropometric index with good discriminatory power for cardiometabolic outcomes in Brazilian adults, indicating the already referenced limit of WHtR≥0·50.

Early-life nutritional status and metabolic syndrome: gender-specific associations from a cross-sectional analysis of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

OBJECTIVE: In the present study we investigated gender-specific associations of low birth weight (LBW) and shorter relative leg length with metabolic syndrome (MetS) after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and health-related behaviours. We also investigated whether these associations are independent of age at menarche and BMI at 20 years old. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SUBJECTS: Baseline data from 12 602 participants (35-74 years) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), 2008-2010. SETTING: MetS was defined according to the revised National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. LBW (<2·5 kg) and age- and sex-standardized relative leg length (high, medium and low) were the explanatory variables studied. The strength of the associations between the explanatory variables and MetS was estimated by Poisson regression with robust variance. RESULTS: MetS prevalence was 34·2 %; it was more prevalent in men (36·8 %) than in women (32·2 %). In multivariate analysis, LBW was associated (prevalence ratio; 95 % CI) with MetS only in women (1·28; 1·24, 1·45). Shorter leg length was associated with MetS in both men (1·21; 1·09, 1·35 and 1·46; 1·29, 1·65 for low and medium lengths, respectively) and women (1·12; 1·00, 1·25 and 1·40; 1·22, 1·59 for low and medium lengths, respectively). Additional adjustments for age at menarche and BMI at 20 years old did not change the associations. CONCLUSIONS: Poor nutritional status as estimated by LBW and lower leg length in childhood was associated with a higher prevalence of MetS, although LBW was a significant factor only among women.

Job strain and unhealthy lifestyle: results from the baseline cohort study, Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

BACKGROUND: Unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking and sedentary behavior, are among the main modifiable risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases. The workplace is regarded as an important site of potential health risks where preventive strategies can be effective. We investigated independent associations among psychosocial job strain, leisure-time physical inactivity, and smoking in public servants in the largest Brazilian adult cohort. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)-a multicenter prospective cohort study of civil servants. Our analytical samples comprised 11,779 and 11,963 current workers for, respectively, analyses of job strain and leisure-time physical activity and analyses of job strain and smoking. Job strain was assessed using the Brazilian version of the Swedish Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire; physical activity was evaluated using a short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. We also examined smoking status and number of cigarettes smoked per day. The association reported in this paper was assessed by means of multinomial and logistic regression, stratified by sex. RESULTS: Among men, compared with low-strain activities (low demand and high control), job strain showed an association with physical inactivity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-1.64) or with the practice of physical activities of less than recommended duration (OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.15-1.82). Among women, greater likelihood of physical inactivity was identified among job-strain and passive-job groups (OR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.22-1.77 and OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.20-1.67, respectively). Greater control at work was a protective factor for physical inactivity among both men and women. Social support at work was a protective factor for physical inactivity among women, as was smoking for both genders. We observed no association between demand or control dimensions and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Job strain, job control, and social support were associated with physical activity. Social support at work was protective of smoking. Our results are comparable to those found in more developed countries; they provide additional evidence of an association between an adverse psychosocial work environment and health-related behaviors.

[Is socioeconomic residential segregation associated with sleep problems? Insights from ELSA-Brasil]. / A segregação residencial socioeconômica está associada aos problemas do sono? Insights do ELSA-Brasil.

Several factors influence sleep, which is essential for health. While the role of neighborhood socioeconomic context on sleep health has been studied in recent years, results are inconsistent. The study aimed to investigate the association between socioeconomic residential segregation and sleep problems, using data from the second evaluation (2012-2014) of 9,918 public servants participating in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Socioeconomic residential segregation was assessed using the Getis-Ord Local Gi* statistic. Sleep duration and deprivation, complaints of insomnia, and daytime sleepiness were obtained through interviews. Binomial and multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR). Regarding sleep, 49% had short duration and 3% long duration, 23% reported complaints of insomnia, 45% sleep deprivation, 42% daytime sleepiness, and 48% reported ≥ 2 sleep problems. In the model adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic variables, there was an association between high socioeconomic residential segregation and short sleep duration (OR = 1.22; 95%CI: 1.07; 1.40), sleep deprivation (OR = 1.20; 95%CI: 1.05; 1.37), daytime sleepiness (OR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.03; 1.34) and ≥ 2 associated sleep problems (OR = 1.24; 95%CI: 1.08; 1.41). Individuals living in neighborhoods with high socioeconomic residential segregation are more likely to have short sleep duration, sleep deprivation, daytime sleepiness, and ≥ 2 associated sleep problems. This information reinforces that public policy measures to reduce socioeconomic inequalities can improve the population's sleep health.

O sono é influenciado por diversos fatores e é essencial para a saúde. O papel do contexto socioeconômico da vizinhança na saúde do sono foi estudado nos últimos anos, mas os resultados são inconsistentes. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a associação entre a segregação residencial socioeconômica e os problemas do sono. Utilizou-se dados da 2ª avaliação (2012-2014) de 9.918 servidores públicos participantes do Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil). A segregação residencial socioeconômica foi avaliada por meio da estatística Getis-Ord Local Gi*, e a duração e privação do sono, as queixas de insônia e a sonolência diurna foram obtidas por meio de entrevistas. Para as estimativas da odds ratio (OR), foram utilizados modelos de regressão logística binomial e multinomial. Em relação ao sono, 49% tinham curta duração e 3% longa duração, 23% relataram queixas de insônia, 45% relataram privação do sono, 42% relataram sonolência diurna e 48% relataram ≥ 2 problemas do sono. No modelo ajustado por variáveis demográficas e socioeconômicas, houve associação entre alta segregação residencial socioeconômica e duração curta do sono (OR = 1,22; IC95%: 1,07; 1,40), privação do sono (OR = 1,20; IC95%: 1,05; 1,37), sonolência diurna (OR = 1,17; IC95%: 1,03; 1,34) e ≥ 2 problemas associados do sono (OR = 1,24; IC95%: 1,08; 1,41). Indivíduos que vivem em vizinhanças com alta segregação residencial socioeconômica apresentam maior chance de terem curta duração, privação do sono, sonolência diurna e ≥ 2 problemas associados ao sono. Essas informações reforçam que políticas públicas para reduzir as desigualdades socioeconômicas podem contribuir para melhorar a saúde do sono da população.

El sueño se influye por varios factores y es esencial para la salud. Se estudió el papel del contexto socioeconómico del barrio en la salud del sueño en los últimos años, pero los resultados son inconsistentes. El objetivo del estudio fue investigar la asociación entre la segregación residencial socioeconómica y los problemas de sueño. Se utilizó datos de la 2ª evaluación (2012-2014) de 9918 servidores públicos participantes del Estudio Longitudinal de Salud del Adulto (ELSA-Brasil). Se evaluó la segregación residencial socioeconómica a través de la estadística Getis-Ord Local Gi*. La duración y privación del sueño, las quejas de insomnio y somnolencia diurna se obtuvieron a través de entrevista. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión logística binomial y multinominal para estimar el odds ratio (OR). Con respecto al sueño, el 49% tenía una duración corta y el 3% tenía una duración larga, el 23% relató quejas de insomnio, el 45% relató privación de sueño, el 42% relató somnolencia diurna y el 48% relató ≥ 2 problemas de sueño. En el modelo ajustado por variables demográficas y socioeconómicas, hubo una asociación entre la alta segregación residencial socioeconómica y la duración corta de sueño (OR = 1,22; IC95%: 1,07; 1,40), la privación de sueño (OR = 1,20; IC95%: 1,05; 1,37), la somnolencia diurna (OR = 1,17; IC95%: 1,03; 1,34) y ≥ 2 problemas asociados con el sueño (OR = 1,24; IC95%: 1,08; 1,41). Personas que viven en barrios con una alta segregación residencial socioeconómica presentan una mayor probabilidad de tener duración corta del sueño, privación de sueño, somnolencia diurna y ≥ 2 problemas asociados con el sueño. Estas informaciones resaltan que medidas de políticas públicas para reducir las desigualdades socioeconómicas pueden contribuir a mejorar la salud del sueño en la población.

Stress and the Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods during COVID-19's Social Distancing: Are Mental Disorders Mediators in This Association? ELSA-Brasil Results.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated various determinants of mental disorders. Several behavioral changes were observed given this increase, including harmful health consequences, such as excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). To assess this relationship, we investigated the meditational role of symptoms of mental disorders (anxiety and depression) in the association between stress resulting from social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic and the consumption of UPFs in 3884 Brazilian public employees in a supplementary study of the ELSA-Brasil study. Structural equation models (SEMs) were estimated to assess the direct and indirect effects mediated by symptoms of mental disorders. The results suggested a significant and positive mediational effect of the symptoms of mental disorders on the association between the stress resulting from social distancing and the consumption of UPFs. These findings contribute to informing the need for policies and early interventions in potentially stressful situations, with a focus on the promotion of mental health, and may thus help prevent or reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods.

[Perception of the food environment by Brazilian slum residents: a qualitative study]. / Percepção dos residentes de favelas brasileiras sobre o ambiente alimentar: um estudo qualitativo.

Food availability in the territory can influence food consumption by the population. However, it is important to understand how people perceive their food environment to see how food availability affects consumption in different contexts. This study aimed to assess the perception of the food environment by Brazilian slum residents in their neighborhoods. This is a qualitative study, with online focus groups guided by a script in order to gather collective discourses about access to food in Brazilian slums. The invitation to participate in this study was made through social media, and community leaders and nongovernmental organizations with actions in slums were contacted using the snowball sampling technique. Grounded theory analysis was applied with the technique of thematic networks. Access to food for slum residents involves lack of resources and essential elements for an adequate and healthy diet, such as lack of information about food, low income, and low availability of stores that sell healthy food at affordable prices. Public programs and policies are required to encourage the expansion of food and nutritional security resources, such as vegetable gardens and markets, to increase the supply and sell healthy food at affordable prices in slums. Actions are also required to address the complexity of obstacles faced by slum residents in the access to healthy foods.

A disponibilidade de venda de alimentos no território pode influenciar no consumo alimentar da população. Entretanto, é importante compreender como as pessoas percebem o seu ambiente alimentar para se entender como essa disponibilidade afeta seu consumo em contextos distintos. O objetivo foi avaliar a percepção dos moradores de favelas brasileiras sobre o ambiente alimentar em suas vizinhanças. Estudo qualitativo, em que foram realizados grupos focais online guiados por um roteiro para reunir discursos coletivos sobre o acesso aos alimentos em favelas brasileiras. O convite ocorreu por meio das redes sociais e do contato com líderes comunitários e organizações não governamentais que atuam em favelas, por meio da técnica de amostragem "bola de neve". Para a análise, foi utilizada a abordagem grounded theory (teoria fundamentada) e, como técnica, foi empregada a análise de redes temáticas. O acesso aos alimentos por moradores de favelas é permeado pela falta de recursos e elementos fundamentais para uma alimentação adequada e saudável, como: a falta de informação sobre alimentação; a renda insuficiente; e a baixa disponibilidade de estabelecimentos que comercializam alimentos saudáveis a preços acessíveis. São necessários programas e políticas públicas que incentivem a ampliação de equipamentos de segurança alimentar e nutricional, como hortas e feiras, e que aumentem a oferta de alimentos saudáveis com valores baixos nas favelas. Também são necessárias ações que abordem a complexidade das barreiras enfrentadas por moradores de favelas para ter acesso aos alimentos saudáveis.

La disponibilidad de venta de alimentos en el territorio puede influir en el consumo alimentario de la población. Sin embargo, es importante comprender la manera en que las personas perciben su entorno alimentario para comprender cómo esta disponibilidad afecta su consumo en diferentes contextos. El objetivo fue evaluar la percepción de los residentes de favelas brasileñas sobre el entorno alimentario en sus vecindarios. Estudio cualitativo, en el que se formaron grupos focales en línea orientados por un guion con el objetivo de reunir discursos colectivos sobre el acceso a los alimentos en favelas brasileñas. La invitación se dio por medio de las redes sociales y mediante el contacto con líderes comunitarios y organizaciones no gubernamentales que trabajan en favelas, utilizando la técnica de muestreo "bola de nieve". Para el análisis, se utilizó el enfoque de la grounded theory (teoría fundamentada) y, como técnica, se empleó el análisis de redes temáticas. El acceso a los alimentos de los habitantes de las favelas está permeado por la falta de recursos y elementos fundamentales para una alimentación adecuada y sana, tales como: la falta de información sobre la alimentación, los bajos ingresos y la poca disponibilidad de establecimientos que vendan alimentos sanos a precios asequibles. Se necesitan programas y políticas públicas para fomentar la ampliación de equipos de seguridad alimentaria y nutricional, como huertas y mercadillos, que aumenten la oferta y vendan alimentos sanos a precios asequibles en las favelas. También se necesitan acciones para abordar la complejidad de las barreras que enfrentan los residentes de las favelas para acceder a alimentos sanos.

Food environment of bus terminals in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region.

PURPOSE: To describe and analyze the healthiness of formal and informal food establishments in bus terminals of the metropolitan region of the state of Rio de Janeiro. METHOD: An audit was conducted in 156 formal and 127 informal food establishments located in 14 bus terminals of the five most populous cities of the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. Proportions of types of establishments and means (95%CI) of food availability indicators in formal and informal settings were calculated. For the formal setting, prices, proportions of accepted payment methods, days and hours of operation, and food categories with displayed advertising were described. RESULTS: The healthiness of food establishments in bus terminals was low (less than 36%). On average, ultra-processed food subgroups were 250% more available for purchase than fresh or minimally processed food. Purchasing food at these places was convenient because several forms of payment were available, and the opening hours of the establishments followed the peaks of movement. In addition, 73.3% of the advertising referred to ultra-processed drinks, and the cost-benefit of buying ultra-processed food was better than fresh or minimally processed food. CONCLUSION: The food environment of bus terminals in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro promotes unhealthy eating. Regulatory public policies should focus on initiatives to limit the wide availability and advertising of ultra-processed food in spaces of great circulation of people.

Relative validity and reproducibility of WHO indicators for assessment of feeding practices in children under two years of age.

The study aimed to evaluate relative validity and reproducibility of seven WHO indicators of dietary practices in children aged 6-23.9 months. Data from probabilistic sample of children who used primary healthcare services in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were collected using a 24h dietary recall (24HR) and a closed questionnaire (Q1) on feeding in the day before the study. The last one was reapplied (Q2) around 16 days later. Validity was assessed by comparing the prevalence rates estimated by 24HR and Q1 and calculating the positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values, sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), and accuracy index (AI) for the resulting indicators. For reproducibility, estimated prevalence rates based on Q1 and Q2 were compared and the kappa index and prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa were estimated. Of the seven estimated indicators, the prevalence of two was overestimated (Continued breastfeeding: 50.0% vs 40.0%; Sweet beverage consumption: 65.1% vs 52.7%) and the prevalence of one was underestimated (Zero vegetable or fruit consumption: 6.5% vs 18.1%). For most indicators, Se and PPV were higher than Sp and NPV. The prevalence rates determined with Q1 and Q2 were similar for 6 indicators. More than half showed good, very good or excellent agreement.

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.

Health economic impacts associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in Brazil.

Introduction: The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is among the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aimed to estimate the financial costs of hospitalizations and procedures of high and medium complexity for NCDs attributable to the consumption of SSBs in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) in 2019. Methods: This ecological study used data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 and the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). The attributable costs were estimated from the population-attributable fraction (PAF) and the costs in the treatment of chronic diseases [type 2 diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease (IHD)], stratified by sex, age group, level of complexity of treatment, and federative units. Results: In 2019, in Brazil, US$ 14,116,240.55 were the costs of hospitalizations and procedures of high and medium complexity in the treatment of NCDs attributable to the consumption of SSBs. These values were higher in males (US$ 8,469,265.14) and the southeast and southern regions, mainly in the state of São Paulo. However, when evaluating these results at a rate per 10,000 inhabitants, it was observed that the states of Paraná, Tocantins, and Roraima had higher costs per 10,000 inhabitants. Regarding the age groups, higher costs were observed in the older age groups. Conclusion: This study revealed the high financial impact of the NCDs treatment attributed to the consumption of SSBs in Brazil and the variability among Brazilian macro-regions. The results demonstrate the urgency and need for the expansion of policies to reduce the consumption of SSBs in Brazil with strategies that consider regional particularities.