Trend in childhood obesity reflects socioeconomic status in Argentina.

Background: Surveillance of childhood obesity is essential to guide preventive policies and interventions.Aim: To analyse trends in overweight and obesity by socioeconomic status (SES) in Argentinian schoolchildren during the last decade.Subjects and methods: Two cross-sectional studies in schoolchildren aged 6-12 years were compared. The first study was conducted in 2005/07 (n = 1418) and the second one in 2015/16 (n = 1366). Overweight and obesity were estimated by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-offs. The type of school (public/private) and parental education level were used as measures of SES. Data were analysed by linear and logistic regression with survey year, type of school, parental education level, and sex as independent variables.Results: From 2005 to 2016 overweight and obesity increased by 7.3% and 5.0%, respectively. The change was significantly higher in boys (9.6% and 8.3%) and girls (9.6% and 5.4%) from public schools, and in children whose fathers had low (10% and 8.3%) and middle (9.0% and 5.5%) education levels. No significant changes were found in children attending private school or those whose fathers had a higher education level.Conclusions: Obesity is still increasing in this population. SES disparities are strongly associated with this trend, with stabilisation in children from high SES.

Weight and height centiles of Argentinian children and adolescents: a comparison with WHO and national growth references.

BACKGROUND: Studies in several countries comparing the performance of WHO references and their own national growth standards reported differences that could affect screening and growth monitoring. AIM: To estimate weight and height centiles on a sample of Argentinian children and adolescents and compare selected centiles with WHO and national growth references. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional school survey was conducted on 6239 boys and girls aged 5-18. Data were collected between 2005-2009 in Santa Rosa, Argentina. Smoothed weight and height centiles were estimated by the LMS method and compared with WHO 2007 and Argentinian (ARG) growth references. RESULTS: Weight centiles were higher than those of WHO and ARG. Height centiles were above the ARG and below the WHO ones. The greatest differences with ARG were seen before puberty and then declined up to age 18. In contrast, differences with WHO increased from puberty onwards. CONCLUSION: Compared with the ARG reference, linear growth of these schoolchildren shows a secular acceleration without substantial improvements in the adult height. In relation to WHO, the results suggest that around the adolescent growth spurt differences in linear growth between populations became larger, limiting the clinical usefulness of international growth references in adolescents.

Nutritional status in parasitized and nonparasitized children from two districts of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

UNLABELLED: The Program for the Control of Intestinal Parasites and Nutrition was designed to intervene in small communities to prevent and control the effects of parasitic infections on children's health. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the association between nutritional status and parasitic infection in suburban and rural children from Buenos Aires, Argentina. METHODS: Nutritional status was assessed by anthropometric (weight, height, BMI, skinfolds, upper arm circumference, muscle, and fat upper arm areas) and biochemical (Hb, Ca, Mg, Zn, and Cu) indicators. Parasitological analysis were made on both serial stool and perianal swab samples. A total of 708 children aged 3-11 were measured. The biochemical analysis included 217 blood samples and the parasitological study included 284 samples. RESULTS: Anthropometric status was similar in both settings with low rates of underweight and stunting (<6%), and high rates of overweight (~17%) and obesity (~12%). Ca deficiency was significantly higher in suburban children where 80% of them were hypocalcemic. Around 70% of fecal samples contained parasites. Among infected children, the most prevalent species were Blastocystis hominis and Enterobius vermicularis (~43%) followed by Giardia lamblia (~17%). Differences in parasitological status between districts were not significant. In the suburban district parasitized children were lighter, shorter, and had a lower upper arm circumference than their non-infected peers. No differences in anthropometric status were seen among infected and uninfected rural children. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest an association between intestinal parasites and physical growth in suburban children. Rural children seem to be protected against the effects of parasitic infection.

Anemia in Children Aged Four to Eight from a Semirural Community in Central East Area of Argentina.

We present the results of the first stage of the Program for the Control of Intestinal Parasitosis and Nutrition, analyzing the frequency of anemia and its relation with intestinal parasitic infections and socio-cultural and environmental factors present in school children from a semirural community of Argentina. A total of 123 children aged 4-8 years were interviewed; 93 (75.6%) of them showed up for blood extraction and a fecal sample was taken properly. The frequency of anemia was 33.3%; 45.0% in children aged 4-5 years and 24.5% in those aged 6-8 years (p=0.038). Intestinal parasites were found in 83.9% of the children; 75.0% in children aged 4-5 years and 90.6% in those aged 6-8 years (p=0.043). No statistical differences were found when relating parasitic infections, social/cultural variables and housing characteristic with anemia, probably of nutritional origin. This study reveals the coexistence of anemia and parasitic infections in apparently healthy children who were unnoticed by the conventional public health system.

[Quali-quantitative study of nutritional status and eating patterns in children aged 1-3 years from low-income families in two population groups with different productive activities (Buenos Aires, Argentina), 2007-2008]. / Estudio cuali-cuantitativo del estado nutricional y la alimentación en niños de 1 a 3 años de familias de bajos recursos en dos grupos poblacionales con diferentes actividades productivas (Buenos Aires, Argentina), 2007-2008.

The aim of this article is to describe the nutritional status and eating patterns of children aged 1-3 years from low-income families who reside in areas with different productive activities: primary production and production of goods and services. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed with a qualitative and quantitative methodology, evaluating anthropometric and biochemical nutritional status, food intake, economic and demographic characteristics, dietary practices and representations. The results show that children from areas of primary production had a lower prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency. They also had a higher consumption of energy, calcium, zinc, vitamin A and protein and a greater diversity and quality in food consumption. We can conclude that the geographical context of families closer to sources of primary production favors interaction with individuals outside of the family, expanding both the informal social network and access to better quality nutritional food.

Enterobius vermicularis infection among population of General Mansilla, Argentina.

AIM: To evaluate the relationships between the personal, sociocultural, and environmental characteristics, and the presence or absence of symptoms with the detection of Enterobius vermicularis (E. vermicularis) in a population sample in our region (General Mansilla, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina), by individual and familiar analyses. METHODS: E. vermicularis was diagnosed in 309 people from 70 family units residing in the urban area and the rural area of the city of General Mansilla. Each of them was surveyed so as to register personal, environmental and sociocultural data. Questions about the presence or absence of anal itch, abdominal pain and sleeping disorder were also asked. Significant associations were determined by square chi tests. Logistic regression models were adjusted by using a backward conditional stepwise method to determine the presence of this parasite in the individuals and in the families. RESULTS: The parasites were found in 29.12% (90/309) of the individuals, with a frequency of 14.28% (20/140) among the heads of the families and of 41.42% (70/169) among the children. The only variables showing a significant association were affiliation, where the risk category was "being the son/daughter of", and the symptoms were abdominal pain, sleeping disorder, and anal itch. Families with a member infected with parasite were considered Positive Families (PF) and they were 40/70 (57.14%), only 5% (2/40) of the PF had 100% of their members infected with the parasite. The logistic regression models applied showed that the risk categories were mainly affiliation (son/daughter) and housing (satisfactory) among others. CONCLUSION: The presence of E. vermicularis was proved in one third of the studied population. The frequency of families with all their members infected with the parasite was very low. Most of the studied personal, sociocultural, and environmental variables did not turn out to be significantly associated with the presence of the parasite. An association with the category of "son/daughter" and housing classified as "satisfactory" was determined. The latter may be due to the fact that the people living in that category of housing have hygienic practices at home that favour the distribution of the eggs in the environment. The presence of the analysed symptoms was associated with the presence of the parasite, thus strengthening the need of periodical control of the population showing at least one of these symptoms.

Age at menarche in urban Argentinian girls: association with biological and socioeconomic factors.

Age at menarche is regarded as a sensitive indicator of physical, biological, and psychosocial environment. The aim of this study was to determine the age at menarche and its association with biological and socioeconomic factors in girls from Santa Rosa (La Pampa, Argentina). An observational cross-sectional study was carried out on 1,221 schoolgirls aged 9-15 years. Menarche data were obtained by the status-quo method. Height, sitting height, weight, arm circumference, tricipital and subscapular skinfolds were measured. We also calculated body mass index, measures of body composition and proportions, and fat distribution. To assess socioeconomic factors, parents completed a self-administered questionnaire about their occupation and education, family size, household, and other family characteristics. The median age at menarche - estimated by the logit method--was 12.84 years (95% CI: 12.71, 12.97). Compared with their premenarcheal age peers, postmenarcheal girls had greater anthropometric dimensions through age 12. After this age, only height was higher in the latter group. Data were processed by fitting two logistic regressions, both including age. The first model included anthropometric variables and birth weight, while the second model included the socioeconomic variables. The significant variables derived from each model were incorporated into a new regression: height, sitting height ratio (first model), and maternal education (second model). These three variables remained significantly associated with menarche. The results suggest a relationship between linear growth and menarche and agree with those found in other populations where the advancement of menarche is associated with improved living conditions. In relatively uniform urban contexts, maternal education may be a good proxy for the standard of living.

Estudio cuali-cuantitativo del estado nutricional y la alimentación en niños de 1 a 3 años de familias de bajos recursos en dos grupos poblacionales con diferentes actividades productivas (Buenos Aires, Argentina), 2007-2008 / Quali-quantitative study of nutritional status and eating patterns in children aged 1-3 years from low-income families in two population groups with different productive activities (Buenos Aires, Argentina), 2007-2008

RESUMEN El objetivo de este artículo es describir el estado nutricional y los patrones de alimentación de niños de 1 a 3 años de familias de bajos recursos, que residen en dos áreas con diferentes actividades productivas: producción primaria y de bienes y servicios. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, con metodología cuali-cuantitativa; se evaluó el estado nutricional antropométrico y bioquímico, ingesta alimentaria, características económicas y sociodemográficas, prácticas alimentarias y representaciones. Los resultados muestran que los niños del área de producción primaria presentaron menor prevalencia de anemia y deficiencia de hierro. Asimismo tuvieron un consumo superior de energía, calcio, zinc, vitamina A y proteínas y una mayor diversidad y calidad en el consumo de alimentos. Podemos concluir que el contexto geográfico de las familias que residen cerca de fuentes de producción primaria favorecería la interacción con individuos ajenos a la familia, ampliando la red social informal y el acceso a alimentos de mejor calidad nutricional.

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to describe the nutritional status and eating patterns of children aged 1-3 years from low-income families who reside in areas with different productive activities: primary production and production of goods and services. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed with a qualitative and quantitative methodology, evaluating anthropometric and biochemical nutritional status, food intake, economic and demographic characteristics, dietary practices and representations. The results show that children from areas of primary production had a lower prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency. They also had a higher consumption of energy, calcium, zinc, vitamin A and protein and a greater diversity and quality in food consumption. We can conclude that the geographical context of families closer to sources of primary production favors interaction with individuals outside of the family, expanding both the informal social network and access to better quality nutritional food.

Universal versus selective screening for the detection, control and prognosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in Argentina.

In all, 1,702 unselected pregnant women from the city of La Plata were tested for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and evaluated to determine GDM prevalence and risk factors. In women with GDM, we evaluated compliance with guidelines for GDM management, and perinatal complications attributable to GDM. GDM prevalence was 5.8%, and its risk factors were pre-gestational obesity, previous hyperglycaemia, age > 30 years, previous GDM (and its surrogate markers). In primi-gravida (PG) subjects, GDM was equally prevalent in the presence (4.2%) or absence (4.0%) of risk factors. In multi-gravida (MG) women, although risk factors doubled the prevalence of GDM (8.6%), in the absence of risk factors GDM prevalence was similar to that of PG women (3.9%). Half of all women with GDM received inadequate post-diagnosis obstetric control, and this induced a fourfold increase in infant perinatal complications. In conclusion, all non-hyperglycaemic 24-28-week pregnant women should be tested for GDM, although particular attention must be paid to MG women with risk factors.

[Community participation in the control of intestinal parasitoses at a rural site in Argentina]. / Participación comunitaria en el control de las parasitosis intestinales en una localidad rural de Argentina.

OBJECTIVES: To design, implement, and evaluate a complex plan of actions aimed at reducing parasitoses in a rural town in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the involvement of the community. METHODS: The project took place in General Mansilla, Buenos Aires province, in three stages. First, the initial epidemiological situation of intestinal parasitoses in the community was assessed by analyzing for parasites a series of stool samples and anal swabs taken from a sample of 522 individuals. Second, interventions were implemented: the pharmacological treatment of the infected individuals, and health education for the public involving local promoters. Third, the pharmacological treatment was evaluated with followup stool testing for those treated; the health education effort was evaluated through a survey and stool testing for parasites of those who had participated solely in the education. RESULTS: The frequency of intestinal parasitoses was 58.2%; of the total, 43.9% were protozoa and 35.2%, helminths. The most common pathogens were Enterobius vermicularis, Blastocystis hominis, and Giardia lamblia. The deworming treatment reduced intestinal parasitoses to 15.1% (P < 0.001), and was more effective in helminths than in protozoa. Intestinal parasitoses declined following the health education intervention, in general (from 58.2% to 47.9%; P = 0.019), as well as for helminths (from 35.2% to 20.3%; P < 0.001), and hygiene habits improved significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of parasitosis and the educational intervention provided by local promoters made it possible to reduce parasitic diseases-particularly those caused by helminths-in the community under study. We recommend extending this experience to other rural communities and broadening the interventions to cutoff additional modes of transmission, such as water and food.

Intestinal parasitoses in suburban and rural school children in Argentina

Neste trabalho, são apresentados os resultados da primeira etapa do Programa de controle de doençasparasitárias intestinais e nutrição (PROCOPIN) e comparadas as condições de saúde pública e os hábitos associados a parasitos intestinais em crianças de zona suburbana (SC) e de zona rural (SR) na Argentina. Recolheu-se informação pessoal e sobre as condições de saúde pública. Foram realizados exames parasitológicos de fezes e de esfregaço perianal com gazes seriados. Foram examinadas 465 SC e 251 RC, entre as quais se encontraram os seguintes índices de infecção: em SC, 39,1por cento e em RC, 31,1por cento, sendo p igual 0,032. Os parasitos mais frequentes em ambas as localizações foram: Blastocystis hominis, Enterobius vermicularis e Giardia intestinalis. Más condições de saúde pública nas casas de SC não constituíram fator de risco de a criança ser parasitada, o que sugereque a transmissão desses parasitos não ocorre na casa, mas, provavelmente, em escolas, clubes ou outras áreas de recreação que congregam grande número de crianças. Entre as RC, condições de saúde pública dentro ou no entorno da casa apareceram como fator de risco, indicando que é principalmente ali onde ocorre a transmissão do parasito. Portanto, o comportamento social das crianças, as condições da saúde pública e os hábitos de higiene das populações devem ser vistoscomo fatores de risco para a parasitose.

Vanadyl(IV) complexes with saccharides. Bioactivity in osteoblast-like cells in culture.

Complexes of vanadyl(IV) with 4 monosaccharides and 5 disaccharides were tested in 2 osteoblast-like cell lines (MC3T3E1 and UMR106). Many complexes caused stimulation of UMR106 proliferation (120% basal) in the range of 2.5 to 25 micromol/L. In the nontransformed osteoblasts, some vanadyl-saccharide complexes stimulated the mitogenesis (115% basal) in the same range of concentration. The glucose and sucrose complexes were the most efficient inhibitory agents (65% and 88% of inhibition vs. basal, respectively) for tumoral cells at 100 micromol/L. The galactose and turanose complexes exerted a similar effect in the nontransformed osteoblasts. On the other hand, all the complexes promoted the phosphorylation of the extracellular regulated kinases (ERKs). All together, these results indicate that the stimulation of ERKs is not the only factor that plays a role in the proliferative effects of vanadium derivatives since some compounds were inhibitory proliferating agents. Cell differentiation was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase specific activity and collagen synthesis in UMR106 cells. All the complexes inhibited alkaline phosphatase activity, with galactose complex as the most effective compound (IC50 = 43 micromol/L). The complex with the trehalose TreVO was the most effective agent to stimulate collagen synthesis (142% basal) and glucose consumption (132% basal). A cytosolic tyrosine protein kinase and the kinase-3 of glycogen synthase seem to be involved in the stimulation of glucose consumption by vanadium derivatives. In this series, only TreVO gathered the characteristics of a good insulin mimetic and osteogenic drug. In addition, this complex was a good promoting agent of nontransformed osteoblast proliferation, whereas it inhibited tumoral osteoblasts. GluVO, the complex with glucose, was also more toxic for tumoral than for nontransformed cells. These 2 vanadium derivatives are good potential antitumoral drugs. All the results suggest that the biological effects of vanadium compounds are a complex phenomenon influenced by the complexation, the dose, and the nature of the ligands and the cells.

Influencia del ambiente familiar sobre el crecimiento en niños con privación social / Influence on growth of family environment in socially deprived children

Introducción: La existencia de una familia que provea las necesidades biológicas y afectivas es una condición básica para el crecimiento y desarrollos normales. Objetivo: Valorar la influencia del ambiente familiar sobre el crecimiento de nióos adoptados que previamente estuvieron internados en el hospital en el que recibieron alimentación y cuidados especiales. Población: Se estudiaron en forma retrospectiva y longitudinal 80 niños menores de 3 años, internados por alto riesgo social. Se estudiaron dos grupos: el de niños institucionalizados (I) (41 niños) que permanecieron 2 semestres en la institución y el de niños adoptados (A) (39 niños) que permanecieron 1 semestre en la institución y 2 en un ambiente familiar adoptivo. En el hospital recibieron alimentación acorde a sus necesidades y estimulación psicomotriz. Métodos: El crecimiento se evaluó por peso y talla, expresados como puntaje Z, utilizando estándares recomendados internacionalmente. Resultados: La edad decimal promedio al ingreso fue: 0,99 en los institucionalizados y 0,84 en los niños adoptados. Al ingreso, los dos grupos tenían similar déficit de talla I: -1,5 Z; A: -1,7 Z y emaciación leve Z peso/talla: -0,5. A los 6 meses de internación se superó la emaciación I: 0,04 Z; A: 0,13 Z y se agravó el acortamiento I: -1,85 Z; A: -2,55 Z. A los 12 meses de internación el grupo I no varió su acortamiento. El grupo A recuperó 1 DE a los 6 meses posadopción y al año 1,4 DE de su distancia a la media de talla/edad. En el segundo semestre la velocidad de talla del grupo I fue baja (-1,22 Z) y el grupo A aceleró su crecimiento (2,11 Z). La diferencia fue estadísticamente significativa (p = 0,000013). El grupo A, en el segundo semestre posadopción, mantuvo una velocidad de crecimiento en talla acelerada (2,47 Z). Conclusiones: La alimentación y cuidados especiales recibidos en el hospital permitieron la recuperación del peso para talla pero no facilitaron el normal crecimiento en talla de niños abandonados. El ambiente de la familia adoptiva permitió la aceleración del crecimiento en talla y la expresión del potencial genético

Influencia del ambiente familiar sobre el crecimiento en niños con privación social

La existencia de una familia que provea las necesidades biológicas y afectivas es una condición básica para el crecimiento y desarrollo normales. La alimentación y los cuidados especiales recibidos en el hospital permitieron la recuperación del peso para talla pero no facilitaron el normal crecimiento en talla de niños abandonados. El ambiente de la familia adoptiva permitió la aceleración del crecimiento en talla y la expresión del potencial genético

Influencia del ambiente familiar sobre el crecimiento en niños con privación social / Influence on grouwth of family environment in socially deprived children

Introducción: la existencia de una familia que provea las necesidades biológicas y afectivas es una condición básica para el crecimiento y desarrollo normales. Objetivos: Valorar la influencia del ambiente familiar sobre el crecimiento de niños adoptados que previamente estuvieron internados en un hospital en el que recibieron alimentación y cuidados especiales. Población: Se estudiaron en forma retrospectiva y longitudinal 80 niños menores de 3 años, internados por alto reisgo social. se estudiaron dos grupos: el de niños istitucionalizados (I) (41 niños) que permanecieron 2 semestres en la istitución y ek de niños adiptados (A) (39 niños) que permanecieron 1 semestre en la institución y 2 en un ambiente familiar adoptivo. En el hospital recibieron alimentación acorde a sus necesidades y estimulación psicomotriz. Métodos. El crecimineto se evaluó por peso y talla, expresados como puntaje Z, utilizando estándares recomendados internacionalmente. Resultados. La edad decimal promedio al ingreso fue: 0,99 en los institucionalizados y 0,84 en los niños adoptados. al ingreso, los dos grupos tenían similar déficit de talla I: 1,5 Z; A: -1,7 Z y enaciación leve Z peso/talla: 0,5. A los 6 meses de internación se superó la emaciación I: 0,04 Z; A: 0,13 Z y se agracó el acortamiento I:-1,85 Z; A:-2,55 Z. a los 12 meses de internación el grupo I no varió su acortamiento. El grupo A recuperó 1 DE a los 6 meses postadopción y al año 1,4 DE de su distancia a la media de tall/edad. En el segundo semestre la velocidad de talla del grupo I fue baja (-1,22 Z) y el grupo a aceleró su crecimiento (2,22 Z). La diferencia fue estadisticamente significativa (p=0,000013). El grupo a, en el segundo semestre postadopción, mantuvo una velocidad de crecimiento en talla acelerada (2,47 Z). Conclusiones. La alimentación y cuidados especiales recibidos en el hospital permitieron la recuperación del peso para talla pero no faciklitaron el normal crecimiento en talla de niños aabandonados. El ambiente de la familia adoptiva permitió la aceleración del crecimiento en talla y la expresión del potencial genético.

Influencia del ambiente familiar sobre el crecimiento en niños con privación social / Influence on growth of family environment in socially deprived children

Introducción: La existencia de una familia que provea las necesidades biológicas y afectivas es una condición básica para el crecimiento y desarrollos normales. Objetivo: Valorar la influencia del ambiente familiar sobre el crecimiento de nióos adoptados que previamente estuvieron internados en el hospital en el que recibieron alimentación y cuidados especiales. Población: Se estudiaron en forma retrospectiva y longitudinal 80 niños menores de 3 años, internados por alto riesgo social. Se estudiaron dos grupos: el de niños institucionalizados (I) (41 niños) que permanecieron 2 semestres en la institución y el de niños adoptados (A) (39 niños) que permanecieron 1 semestre en la institución y 2 en un ambiente familiar adoptivo. En el hospital recibieron alimentación acorde a sus necesidades y estimulación psicomotriz. Métodos: El crecimiento se evaluó por peso y talla, expresados como puntaje Z, utilizando estándares recomendados internacionalmente. Resultados: La edad decimal promedio al ingreso fue: 0,99 en los institucionalizados y 0,84 en los niños adoptados. Al ingreso, los dos grupos tenían similar déficit de talla I: -1,5 Z; A: -1,7 Z y emaciación leve Z peso/talla: -0,5. A los 6 meses de internación se superó la emaciación I: 0,04 Z; A: 0,13 Z y se agravó el acortamiento I: -1,85 Z; A: -2,55 Z. A los 12 meses de internación el grupo I no varió su acortamiento. El grupo A recuperó 1 DE a los 6 meses posadopción y al año 1,4 DE de su distancia a la media de talla/edad. En el segundo semestre la velocidad de talla del grupo I fue baja (-1,22 Z) y el grupo A aceleró su crecimiento (2,11 Z). La diferencia fue estadísticamente significativa (p = 0,000013). El grupo A, en el segundo semestre posadopción, mantuvo una velocidad de crecimiento en talla acelerada (2,47 Z). Conclusiones: La alimentación y cuidados especiales recibidos en el hospital permitieron la recuperación del peso para talla pero no facilitaron el normal crecimiento en talla de niños abandonados. El ambiente de la familia adoptiva permitió la aceleración del crecimiento en talla y la expresión del potencial genético (AU)