Association between contextual factors and coverage of the Acwy meningococcal vaccine, after three years of its overdue, in the vaccination calendar of adolescents in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil: global space regressions.

The objective of the study was to analyze the spatial distribution of vaccination coverage of bacterial meningitis vaccine: A, C, W and Y (menacwy) and identify the association between socioeconomic and social environment factors with menacwy vaccine coverage among adolescents in the state of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. This is an ecological, mixed study, conducted with secondary data from the 853 municipalities of the State of MG, Brazil, from 2020 to 2022, provided by the information system of the National Immunization Program. For spatial statistical analysis, spatial dependence and the presence of spatial clusters formed by municipalities with high and low vaccination coverage of Menacwy were evaluated. In the year 2021, MG presented the largest vaccination coverage (60.58%) since the introduction of the Menacwy vaccine by the PNI. Regarding the analysis of global regressions, it is observed that for the year 2020, as the MG Index of Social Responsibility-Health increased and MG Index of Social Responsibility-Public Security increased, increased the vaccination coverage of the municipalities of the Menacwy vaccine. Finally, compared to 2021, similar association was observed in relation to the proportion of the population served by the Family Health Strategy of the municipalities of the state of MG and per capita spending on education activities: as this indicator increased, with increased coverage of the Vaccine of the Menacwy vaccine of the state municipalities. They reinforce the importance of assessing the quality-of-care management and health surveillance system, professional training, and damage reduction to populations, especially adolescents.

Community food environment and childhood obesity in a medium-sized Brazilian city: An approach to school and neighborhood environments.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to analyze the relationship of community food environments with childhood obesity in a medium-sized Brazilian city. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study with 366 schoolchildren aged 8 and 9 years. Children's body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), high cholesterol density lipoprotein (HDL-c), low cholesterol density lipoprotein (LDL-c) and triglycerides (TG) were measured. The parent's nutritional status was assessed by calculating the BMI. All food stores within a 200- and 400-m radius buffers of schools and households were evaluated. The food stores were classified as healthy, unhealthy, and mixed according to the predominance of foods commercialized. Binary logistic regression models were proposed for each category. RESULTS: Over seventy percent (70.2%) of the food stores were categorized as "unhealthy". The prevalence of obesity was 15.6%. In the 200-m buffer around schools, there was an inverse and direct association between obesity and the presence of healthy food stores and unhealthy food stores, respectively. Around the households, there was an inverse association between the presence of healthy food stores and obesity in both buffers. CONCLUSION: The community food environment may be protective or potentiating childhood obesity, depending on the access and types of food sold.

Obesogenic environment around schools is associated with atherogenic risk in Brazilian children.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiometabolic risk factors often emerge in childhood, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. The school environments represent an important active space in a child's routine and may influence their health status. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to evaluate the clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors and its association with the obesogenic and leptogenic environment around schools. A total of 378 children (181 boys; 197 girls) aged 8 and 9 years, enrolled in all urban schools of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were evaluated. Concentrations of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) and triglycerides (TG), and the insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), waist circumference (WC), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured. The neighborhood income, walkability index, predominantly ultra-processed food stores, public spaces for leisure and/or physical activities, traffic accidents, crime and green spaces densities were assessed in 400 road network buffers around schools. To test association of the obesogenic and leptogenic environment around schools with cardiometabolic risk clustering, binary logistic regression models were performed with generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: "Obesogenic school environments" had greater densities of ultra-processed food stores, crime and traffic accidents, and higher walkability. The "↓ Atherogenic risk" cluster consisted of higher HDL-c values. There was an inverse association between the obesogenic environment around schools and a child's "↓ atherogenic risk" clustering (OR = 0.63; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We concluded that public policies aimed at modifying the environment around schools, by providing healthier food options and safe conditions for active mobility, are essential to prevent child's atherogenic risk.

Neighborhood obesogenic environment and cardiometabolic risk in Brazilian children: The mediation role of the mother's body mass index.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the association of neighborhood obesogenic and leptogenic environments with cardiometabolic risk clustering among Brazilian schoolchildren, mediated by child's ultra-processed food consumption and the mother's body mass index (BMI). METHODS: A total of 367 children aged 8-9 years, enrolled in urban schools of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were evaluated. Waist circumference, insulin resistance, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides concentrations were measured. The child's ultra-processed food consumption assessment was performed by applying three 24-hour dietary recall. The mother's weight and height values were used to calculate the BMI. The neighborhood income, walkability index, predominantly ultra-processed food stores, public spaces for leisure, and/or physical activities, traffic accidents, crime, and green spaces densities were assessed in four hundred road network buffers around households. From neighborhood and cardiometabolic risk variables, four latent variables were obtained from confirmatory factor analysis: neighborhood "obesogenic", and "leptogenic" environments; "high cardiometabolic risk," and "low atherogenic risk". A structural equation model was used to test the direct and indirect associations between neighborhood environment and cardiometabolic risk clusters. RESULTS: The neighborhood obesogenic environment had a significant total association (Standardized Coefficient = 0.172, p = .011) and was indirectly associated with the child's "high cardiometabolic risk" cluster, mediated by the mother's body mass index (Standardized Coefficient = 0.066, p = .049). CONCLUSIONS: Our results reinforce the role of the urban environment on maternal obesity and child's cardiometabolic risk and provide evidence for public health policies aimed to prevent such conditions.

Obesogenic neighborhood environment is associated with body fat and low-grade inflammation in Brazilian children: could the mother's BMI be a mediating factor?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the direct and indirect associations of obesogenic and leptogenic neighborhood environments with body fat, and pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines in Brazilian children. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. The body fat distribution was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Concentrations of leptin and adiponectin were measured. Four hundred meters (0·25 miles) road network buffer was the neighborhood unit used to assess the environmental characteristics around households. Obesogenic and leptogenic environments were the latent variables obtained from the observed characteristics. The mother's BMI, ultra-processed food consumption, and physical activity before and after school, were tested as mediating variables. A hybrid model of structural equations was used to test the direct and indirect associations of obesogenic and leptogenic environments with body fat, leptin and adiponectin concentrations. SETTING: Urban area of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: Children aged 8- and 9-years (n 367). RESULTS: Obesogenic environment was directly associated with the mother's BMI (ß: 0·24, P = 0·02) and the child's body fat (ß: 0·19, P = 0·02). The mother's BMI and body fat mediated the association of the obesogenic environment with leptin concentrations (ß: 0·05, P = 0·02). CONCLUSIONS: Obesogenic neighborhood environment was directly associated with body fat and mother's BMI, and indirectly associated with leptin concentrations in Brazilian children, mediated by the mother's BMI and body fat.

Characteristics of the obesogenic environment around schools are associated with body fat and low-grade inflammation in Brazilian children.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of obesogenic environmental characteristics around schools with body adiposity and adipokine concentrations in Brazilian children. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Body adiposity was assessed using the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Concentrations of leptin, adiponectin, retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and chemerin were measured. Predominantly ultra-processed food (UPF) stores, public physical activity (PA) facilities, green spaces, walkability, traffic accidents and crime were evaluated. The neighbourhood unit was the 400 m (0·25 miles) road network buffer around schools. The association of environmental characteristics with body adiposity and adipokine concentrations was assessed by linear regression models using generalised estimating equations. SETTING: Urban schools (n 24), Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: Children aged 8 and 9 years (n 378). RESULTS: A higher density of predominantly UPF stores and a lower percentage of green space were associated with higher total (ß: 0·12; 95 % CI 0·06, 0·18 and ß: -0·10; 95 % CI -0·16, -0·04, respectively) and android body fat (ß: 0·28; 95 % CI 0·13, 0·43 and ß: -0·18; 95 % CI -0·32, -0·04, respectively). In addition, the densities of PA facilities and crime were inversely associated with leptin concentrations. Traffic accidents density and percentage of green spaces around schools had, respectively, a positive and an inverse association with concentrations of adiponectin and RBP4. CONCLUSIONS: Obesogenic environmental characteristics around schools were associated with total and android body fat, as well as with pro-inflammatory adipokine concentrations in Brazilian children from a medium-sized city.

Scientific research on food environments in Brazil: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To map the scientific research on food environments in Brazil, based on the following questions: How many studies have addressed food environments?; What study designs and methodological approaches were applied?; What is the geographic scope of the studies?; What scenarios and dimensions of food environments were studied?; Which population groups were studied?; How were food environments conceptualised?; What are the main limitations of the studies? DESIGN: Scoping review conducted in four databases, from January 2005 to December 2022, using different food environment-related terms to cover the main types and dimensions proposed in the literature. The studies were independently selected by two authors. A narrative synthesis was used to summarise the findings. SETTING: Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 130 articles. RESULTS: Scientific research on Brazilian food environments has been increasing. The analytical quantitative approach and the cross-sectional design were the most frequently used. Most articles were published in English. The majority of studies evaluated the community food environment, addressed aspects of the physical dimension, sampled the adult population, had food consumption as an outcome, used primary data, and were carried out in capital cities in the Southeast region. Furthermore, in most articles, no conceptual model was explicitly adopted. CONCLUSIONS: Gaps in literature are related to the need for conducting studies in the Brazilian countryside, the support for the formulation of research questions based on conceptual models, the use of valid and reliable instruments to collect primary data, in addition to the need for a greater number of longitudinal, intervention and qualitative studies.

Retail food environment in a Brazilian metropolis over the course of a decade: evidence of restricted availability of healthy foods.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in the retail food environment profile in a Brazilian metropolis over a 10-year period. DESIGN: An ecological study was conducted in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The addresses of formal food establishments were geocoded and classified according to their sold-food profile. Density changes were analysed according to neighbourhood, population size, income level and geospatial distribution. SETTING: Totally, 468 neighbourhoods in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: Totally, 83 752 formal food establishments registered for operation in any one or more of those years: 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2018. RESULTS: There was an increase in unhealthy establishments (154 %), followed by mixed (51 %) and healthy establishments (32 %), during the period evaluated, in addition to an increase in density according to income categories. There was a higher proportion of unhealthy establishments in relation to healthy establishments, indicating worsening of the community food environment over time. CONCLUSIONS: Over the course of 10 years, changes in the neighbourhood's food environment were unfavourable for adequate access to healthy foods in lower-income neighbourhoods. The findings reinforce the need for interventions aimed at increasing the availability of businesses that offer healthy food in the city.

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.

Environmental and individual factors associated with gestational weight gain.

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors have an impact on inappropriate food choices and sedentary lifestyle, and both individually and in combination these factors favour improper gestational weight gain (GWG) and consequent maternal and neonatal health problems. The objective of this study was to analyze the environmental and individual factors associated with GWG. METHODS: Data were from "Born in Belo Horizonte: Survey on childbirth and birth", a hospital-based retrospective cohort of 506 pregnant women with deliveries in public and private maternity hospitals in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews from November 2011 to March 2013. The outcome variable of this study was the GWG categorized based on the Institute of Medicine Guidelines. Explanatory environmental variables included the availability and access to food environment and places available for physical activity in the neighborhood. Explanatory individual variables included socioeconomic and demographic, obstetric and childbirth variables. Generalized estimating equations examined the association of environmental and individual factors with insufficient or excessive GWG. RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 506 mothers. There was 36.4% pregnant women showing excessive GWG and 22.7% showing GWG below the recommended interval. Regarding excessive GWG, there was a positive association with the number of mixed food purchasing establishments close to the place of residence, pre-pregnancy body mass index in the categories of overweight and obesity, arterial hypertension and the private sector as the predominant place for prenatal consultations. CONCLUSION: GWG outside of the recommended interval was associated with individual and environmental factors, and most pregnant women had insufficient or excessive gestational weight gain. Such results can complement previously published evidence, important for creating more effective strategies for the prevention of excessive and inadequate GWG and the consequent problems related to it during pregnancy.

Living with parents, lifestyle pattern and common mental disorders in adolescents: a school-based study in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Mental health conditions represent 16% of the global burden of disease and injury in adolescents. Promotion, protection, and restoring the mental health must be considered indispensable, especially in adolescence. This study aims to verify the association of lifestyle pattern, living with parents and the presence of Common Mental Disorders (CMD) in Brazilian adolescents. METHODS: Cross-sectional study that analyzed data from 71,553 adolescents aged 12-17 years, from the Study on Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA), between 2013 and 2014. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to identify lifestyle pattern, and Logistic Regression Models were performed to identify the associations between lifestyle pattern, living with parents, and presence of CMD. RESULTS: To construct the Common Mental Disorders (CMD) variable, the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire was used. The Pattern of Healthy Lifestyle Practices found was characterized by higher water consumption, lower consumption of ultra-processed foods, the habit of eating breakfast, less exposure time to screens, habit of physical activity, and longer mean sleep time in hours. Adolescents belonging to the second (OR: 0.73; 95% CI 0.65-0.82) and third (OR: 0.44; 95% CI 0.39-0.50) terciles of the pattern, that is, those who had higher belonging to the pattern had lower chances of having CMD. Adolescents who lived with neither parent (OR: 1.44; 95% CI 1.16-1.78) were associated with a higher chance to present CMD. CONCLUSION: Living with parents can contribute to better mental health among adolescents. In addition, the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, encouraged by parents and the community, can reduce the chances of CMD in Brazilian adolescents.

Dietary patterns, breakfast consumption, meals with family and associations with common mental disorders in adolescents: a school-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a period of transition and vulnerabilities, in which mental illnesses can develop more easily. The objective of this work is to analyze the association of dietary patterns, breakfast consumption, and the practice of having meals accompanied by the family with the presence of Common Mental Disorders in Brazilian adolescents. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study which analyzed data from 71,553 Brazilian adolescents aged 12-17 years, from the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (Portuguese acronym, "ERICA"). Principal Component Analysis was performed to identify dietary patterns, and Logistic Regression Models were performed to identify the associations between Common Mental Disorders, dietary patterns, and eating practices that are breakfast consumption and practice of having meals accompanied by family. RESULTS: Two patterns were found, a Healthy Dietary Pattern and an Unhealthy Dietary Pattern. Adolescents classified in the second (OR: 0.79; 95% CI 0.70-0.89) or third (OR: 0.86; 95% CI 0.77-0.96) tercile of the Healthy Dietary Pattern had a lower chance of having Common Mental Disorders. Eating breakfast sometimes (OR: 0.71; 95% CI 0.61-0.83) or almost every day/every day (OR: 0.54; 95% CI 0.47-0.62), and the practice of having the main meals with the family sometimes (OR: 0.69; 95% CI 0.57-0.84) or almost every day/every day (OR: 0.50; 95% CI 0.44-0.58), decreased the chance for Common Mental Disorders. CONCLUSION: This study observed that healthy dietary patterns are associated with better mental health in adolescents, thus should be encouraged and promoted.

Neighborhood factors associated with leisure-time physical activity in a Brazilian city.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the association between environmental variables and leisure-time physical activity levels in an adult population of a medium-sized city in Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 965 adults (20-59 years). Individual, socioeconomic, demographic and behavioral data were obtained through a population-based survey. Environmental data were collected through direct observation and subsequently georeferenced. The outcome variable was leisure-time physical activity level, dichotomized as insufficiently active (<150 min/week) and active (≥150 min/week). Physical activity-related facilities were categorized as public or private, and food outlets as healthy, unhealthy or mixed. Monthly per capita income and crime rate by census tract were used to categorize the social environment. Statistical analysis was performed using binary logistic regression (generalized estimating equation models). A direct association was found between the availability of public (adjusted OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.44-3.25) and private (adjusted OR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.02-1.44) physical activity facilities in the census tract and leisure-time physical activity. A greater availability of mixed food establishments was associated with higher leisure-time physical activity levels (adjusted OR = 1.10; 95% CI = 1.004-1.22). Environmental characteristics can contribute together to leisure-time physical activity and could be the focus of policies aimed at promoting physical activity in middle-income countries.

This research estimated how leisure-time physical activity relates to environmental aspects in an adult population of a medium-sized city in Brazil. Nine hundred sixty-five adults (20­59 years) participated in a survey to give individual, socioeconomic, demographic and behavioral information. Researchers also directly observed the environment to collect data and subsequently georeferenced it, to further apply regression models (statistical analysis). Being active during leisure, (i.e. practicing 150 min/week or more), was related to having more public (city squares and outdoor gyms, walking areas and university campus) and private physical activity facilities (clubs, courts, sports halls, soccer fields and gyms), as well as having greater availability of mixed food establishments (restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets and hypermarkets). Therefore, environmental characteristics can contribute together to leisure-time physical activity and could be the focus of policies aimed at promoting physical activity in middle-income countries.

Socioeconomic Disparities in the Community Food Environment of a Medium-Sized City of Brazil.

Objective: The purpose of this ecological study was to characterize the community food environment according to the socioeconomic condition of census tracts (CTs) in the urban area of a medium-sized city of southeastern Brazil in 2016.Method: Food establishments were identified on the streets covered by raters and information about type was collected through objective assessment. Geocoding was carried out from address observed by raters. Food establishments were categorized into establishments with predominant sale of natural or minimally processed foods, mixed establishments, and establishments with predominant sale of ultra-processed foods. The distribution of the number of establishments, by category, was evaluated according to tertiles of per capita income of the CT. The kernel estimation was used to analyze the density of establishments by category. The spatial pattern of the categories of establishments was investigated using the univariate Ripley's K-function.Results: A total of 656 establishments were evaluated. In all, 11.1% had predominant sale of natural or minimally processed foods, 44.5% were mixed, and 44.4% had predominant sale of ultra-processed foods. The average of establishments with predominant sale of natural or minimally processed foods, of ultra-processed foods, and all categories increased according to the income of the CT. There was a clustering of all categories of establishments in high-income CTs downtown. However, peripheral and low-income CTs were composed of a higher number of mixed establishments or those with predominant sale of ultra-processed foods than establishments with predominant sale of natural or minimally processed foods.Conclusions: On average, the number of all categories of establishments increased according to the per capita income of the CT and were clustered in central and higher-income regions of the city. These findings may have practical implications for the development of public policies to increase the availability of healthy foods and to reduce the sale of unhealthy foods.

Social inequalities in the surrounding areas of food deserts and food swamps in a Brazilian metropolis.

BACKGROUND: Food deserts are neighborhoods with little or no access to healthy food, whereas food swamps are neighborhoods where unhealthy food options prevail over healthy ones. The main aims of the current study are to feature and compare the neighborhoods of food deserts and food swamps based on social inequality. METHODS: Ecological study carried out in Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Information about commercial food establishments derived from two different databases. It was measured by secondary governmental databases, which were virtually conferred in the present study. Census tracts were considered as analysis units and classified as food deserts and food swamps, based on the Brazilian methodology. Take into consideration the density of establishments classified as selling fresh or minimally-processed food, mixed establishments, and establishments selling ultra-processed food. The Brazilian methodology evaluates food deserts by the density of healthy establishments (establishments classified as mostly selling fresh or minimally-processed food and mixed establishments) per 10 thousand inhabitants. And the metric to evaluate food swamps considers the density of unhealthy establishments (establishments mostly selling ultra-processed food) per 10 thousand inhabitants. Information about social inequalities comprised aspects such as income, population count, number of households, number of literate individuals, race, water and energy supply, and garbage collection. The Health Vulnerability Index (HVI) was used as a synthetic social vulnerability indicator. RESULTS: Neighborhoods of food deserts presented worse essential service availability, lower income per capita, and smaller mean number of literate individuals. Census tracts classified as food swamps presented better socio-demographic conditions than those areas food deserts. Neighborhoods simultaneously classified as food deserts and food swamps presented lower income per capita and were more often observed in census sectors presenting medium and high HVI. CONCLUSION: The food environment in Belo Horizonte was featured by the strong presence of food deserts and food swamps. However, the potential influence of these areas on food intake has changed depending on social inequalities.

Web Data Mining: Validity of Data from Google Earth for Food Retail Evaluation.

To overcome the challenge of obtaining accurate data on community food retail, we developed an innovative tool to automatically capture food retail data from Google Earth (GE). The proposed method is relevant to non-commercial use or scholarly purposes. We aimed to test the validity of web sources data for the assessment of community food retail environment by comparison to ground-truth observations (gold standard). A secondary aim was to test whether validity differs by type of food outlet and socioeconomic status (SES). The study area included a sample of 300 census tracts stratified by SES in two of the largest cities in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. The GE web service was used to develop a tool for automatic acquisition of food retail data through the generation of a regular grid of points. To test its validity, this data was compared with the ground-truth data. Compared to the 856 outlets identified in 285 census tracts by the ground-truth method, the GE interface identified 731 outlets. In both cities, the GE interface scored moderate to excellent compared to the ground-truth data across all of the validity measures: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy (ranging from 66.3 to 100%). The validity did not differ by SES strata. Supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants yielded better results than other store types. To our knowledge, this research is the first to investigate using GE as a tool to capture community food retail data. Our results suggest that the GE interface could be used to measure the community food environment. Validity was satisfactory for different SES areas and types of outlets.

Pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines are associated with cardiometabolic risk markers in Brazilian schoolchildren.

Pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines have been regarded as potential markers of obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities. However, few studies have evaluated this association in children. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between adipokine concentrations and cardiometabolic risk markers in Brazilian schoolchildren. This was a cross-sectional study with 378 children aged 8-9 years from Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We measured adipokines (leptin, retinol-binding protein 4, adiponectin, and chemerin) and cardiometabolic risk markers (fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, lipid profile, and blood pressure). Cardiometabolic risk markers were compared by quintiles of adipokines with linear regression adjusted for potential confounders. Leptin was positively associated with diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.03) and HOMA-IR (P = 0.01), and retinol-binding protein 4 was positively associated with total cholesterol (P = 0.04). Each standard deviation of leptin and retinol-binding protein 4 was associated to, respectively, a 0.1 (95%CI: 0.1; 0.2), 0.3 (95%CI: 0.1; 0.6), and 2.5 (95%CI: 0.1; 4.9) units increase in diastolic blood pressure, HOMA-IR, and total cholesterol. Adiponectin was negatively associated with diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.01) and HOMA-IR (P = 0.01), and chemerin was negatively associated with glucose (P = 0.001). Each standard deviation of adiponectin and chemerin was associated to, respectively, a -0.1 (95%CI: -0.2; -0.1), -0.2 (95%CI: -0.3; -0.1), and -1.2 (95%CI: -1.9; -0.5) units decrease in diastolic blood pressure, HOMA-IR, and glucose.Conclusion: Pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines were positively and negatively associated with cardiometabolic risk markers, respectively, among schoolchildren, indicating this relationship may be identified at earlier ages. What is Known: • Although leptin, retinol-binding protein 4, and adiponectin are well-known adipokines, a consensus regarding their relationship with cardiometabolic risk markers, especially in schoolchildren, has not yet been reached. • Chemerin is an adipokine that has been studied recently. Yet, due to its dependence on the target cell type, its functions are still a controversial topic. What is New: • Leptin was positively associated with diastolic blood pressure and HOMA-IR, and retinol-binding protein 4 was positively associated with total cholesterol. • Adiponectin was negatively associated with diastolic blood pressure and HOMA-IR, and chemerin was negatively associated with glucose.

Family characteristics, perceived environment for physical activity, and childhood obesity: An approach with structural equation models.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the direct and indirect effects of family characteristics and the perceived neighborhood environment on obesity risks among schoolchildren. METHODS: Through phone contact with the child's mothers/guardians, the perceptions about the aspects of the neighborhood that could limit or promote health. Physical activity, socioeconomic data, self-reported weight and height, and ultra-processed consumption of the respondents were evaluated, in addition to the screen time of both mothers and children. A hybrid model of structural equations was used to test the direct and indirect effects of family and environmental variables on childhood obesity. SETTING: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. SUBJECTS: A total of 322 children from 9 to 10 years old from municipal schools and their respective mothers/guardians. RESULTS: Childhood obesity was positively associated with obesity among mothers/guardians and with the latent variable "socioeconomic status (SES)." It was observed that the child's guardians positively influenced childhood obesity through their own habits, such as screen time and consumption of ultra-processed products, with obesity of mothers/guardians as mediators of both associations. There were no direct and indirect effects of the latent variables of the perceived environment in childhood obesity. CONCLUSION: Family characteristics are important determinants of childhood obesity and should be considered when designing prevention strategies. Parental perceptions of neighborhood characteristics did not have an influence on childhood obesity.

Socioeconomic inequalities in children's health-related quality of life according to weight status.

OBJECTIVES: This study explores the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Portuguese children according to their weight status. METHODS: A total of 1215 primary school-aged children (mean age 8.78 years) from three Portuguese districts (Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra) were assessed during 2016/2017. Father and mother's education (low, medium, high) and work status (employed, unemployed/retired) were used as SEP indicators. Self-reported HRQoL was assessed with the KIDSCREEN-27. Height and weight were objectively measured and body mass index categorized in normal, overweight or obese. Age, sex, and district-adjusted linear regression models were fitted to estimate associations between SEP indicators and HRQoL dimensions, according to weight status. RESULTS: We found that 24.9% of children were categorized as having overweight/obesity. The mean scores of the Physical Well-Being, and School Environment dimensions of HRQoL were lower among children classified with overweight/obesity compared to children with normal weight (57.21 vs 54.11, P < .001 and 57.85 vs 56.04, P = .010, respectively). Father's education was significantly associated with all HRQoL dimensions in children with a normal weight, but the same was not observed among children presenting overweight/obesity. An increase in the level of maternal education was also significantly associated with all HRQoL dimensions among children classified with a normal weight, and only for the School Environment dimension among children classified with overweight/obesity. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest the presence of socioeconomic inequalities in self-reported HRQoL from early age, particularly among children with normal weight.

Fruit and vegetable consumption among older adults: influence of urban food environment in a medium-sized Brazilian city.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between urban food environment and regular consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) by older adults from a medium-sized Brazilian city. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study based on data related to (1) objective assessment of establishments with predominant sale of unprocessed/minimally processed foods, mixed establishments and establishments with predominant sale of ultra-processed foods; (2) regular consumption of FV (≥ 5 times/week), health and socio-demographic variables of community-dwelling older adults. Tertiles of proximity between food establishments and older adults' residence were calculated. Poisson generalised estimating equations with robust variance, adjusted for individual and contextual variables, were used to estimate the independent association between the proximity of establishments and regular consumption of FV. SETTING: Medium-sized Brazilian city. SUBJECTS: Representative sample of community-dwelling older adults (n 549). RESULTS: Older adults travelled the longest distances to establishments with predominant sale of unprocessed/minimally processed foods. The longer the distance to establishments with predominant sale of unprocessed/minimally processed foods, the lower the prevalence of regular consumption of FV (tertile 2: prevalence ratio (PR) = 0·86; 95 % CI = 0·74, 0·99; tertile 3: PR = 0·84; 95 % CI = 0·72, 0·97). Older adults living larger distance tertiles from establishments with predominant sale of ultra-processed foods, mixed establishments or all categories of establishments had 16 % (PR = 0·84; 95 % CI = 0·73, 0·96), 19 % (PR = 0·81; 95 % CI = 0·71, 0·93) and 19 % (PR = 0·81; 95 % CI = 0·70, 0·94) lower prevalence of regular consumption of FV, respectively. CONCLUSION: The food environment is associated with regular consumption of FV among older adults. Longer distances from the residence of older adults to food establishments are independently associated with lower prevalence of regular consumption of FV.