Comparison of international height and BMI-for-age growth references and their correlation with adiposity in Brazilian schoolchildren.

This study verified the diagnostic accuracy of the nutritional status classified by the international height and BMI references of the World Health Organization (WHO) (WHO/2007), International Obesity Task Force (IOTF/2012) and MULT (2023). The data pool was composed by 22 737 subjects aged five to 16 years from the Santos and Porto Alegre surveys. A correlation matrix between the z-scores of the BMI references and the skinfold measurements was calculated through the Pearson correlation coefficient (r), and the subject's nutritional status was classified according to the international growth references. The accuracy for diagnosing obesity was performed separately by sex and using the 95th percentile of the triceps and subscapular skinfold sum, while Lin's concordance coefficient, Bland-Altman method and the Cohen's Kappa coefficient (Kappa) were used to verify the concordance and reliability among the BMI references. The correlation matrix showed a high positive correlation among the BMI z-scores (r ≥ 0·99) and among the skinfold measurements (r ≥ 0·86). The prevalence of stunting was higher when applying the MULT reference (3·4 %) compared with the WHO reference (2·3 %). The Bland-Altman plots showed the lowest critical difference (CD) between the height references of WHO and MULT (CD = 0·22). Among the BMI references, the WHO obesity percentile presented lower performance than MULT for boys, presenting a lower +LR value (WHO = 6·99/MULT 18 years = 10·99; 19 years = 8·99; 20 years = 8·09) for the same -LR values (0·04). Therefore, MULT reference holds promise as a valuable tool for diagnosing childhood obesity, particularly when considering sex differences. This enhances its suitability for assessing the nutritional status of Brazilian schoolchildren.

Risk assessment of obesity-related noncommunicable diseases through body mass index trajectories in adulthood: NHANES 2007-2018.

AIM: To assess the impact of adult body mass index (BMI) trajectories on the risk of obesity-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the U.S. adults after adjustment for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. METHODS: Data were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 2007 to 2018, including male and female participants aged 29-59 years. Rao-Scott adjusted chi-square was employed to detect associations between categorical variables in descriptive analyses. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for NCDs and BMI trajectories, adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Kaplan-Meier curves illustrated the cumulative incidence over time. RESULTS: Analyses were carried out on 15 721 participants and revealing significant differences among BMI trajectories in terms of demographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics. The overall prevalence of NCDs was 28.0% (95%CI:26.6-28.9). The cumulative incidence over time was higher in the high increase, moderate increase, and mixed trajectory groups, with a correspondingly higher cumulative risk (p < 0.001). Non-overweight trajectory was considered reference category in Cox models. The BMI trajectories were independently associated with an increased risk of NCDs, even after adjusting for potential confounders (HR: 1.7; 95%CI: 1.4-1.9 for moderate increase; HR: 3.6; 95%CI: 3.2-4.1 for high increase; and HR: 2.4; 95%CI: 2.1-2.7, for mixed). Furthermore, differences between males and females were also observed. CONCLUSION: The transition to and persistence of obesity into adulthood increases the risk of NCDs. The implementation of targeted interventions with long-term monitoring of BMI may be beneficial in the prevention of future obesity-related NCDs.

Overweight and obesity in adulthood, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and the early burden of noncommunicable diseases among Americans: NHANES 2007-2018.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between nutritional status in early adulthood and the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs); To evaluate the influence of sociodemographic factors and lifestyle on the outcomes of BMI kg/m2 ≤24.9, ≥25.0, and ≥30.0; to estimate the population attributable fraction (PAF) to BMI elevated at 25 years old in the burden of NCDs in American adults. METHODS: We used data from 15 721 American adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2018. The Hazard Ratio (HR), Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated in the proportional risk regression models of Cox (entire population) and Poisson (restricted to non-patients), respectively. The proportionality of the risk between the burden of NCDs and BMI at 25 years old was drawn by the Kaplan-Meier curve, and the PAF was calculated. All analyses were adjusted taking into account the sample weights. RESULTS: Health disparities (sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, poverty index, and education level), and lifestyle (physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption) influenced the current nutritional status. Cumulative survival in overweight and obese groups decreased considerably over time (p < .0001). Being overweight and obese in adulthood may increase the risk of early NCDs (HR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.54-1.84 and HR: 2.87, 95% CI: 2.56-3.21, respectively). About 22.72% (95% CI: 19.99-25.36, p < .001) of the burden NCDs could have been avoided if overweight at age 25 had been prevented. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring weight change from young adulthood can provide a sensitive and useful clinical measure for early detection of adverse trends in NCDs risk.

MULT: New height references and their efficiency in multi-ethnic populations.

OBJECTIVES: To develop new height references (MULT) based on longitudinal data of multi-ethnic populations and to compare them to the height references from the Dutch Growth Study, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and from the World Health Organization (WHO). METHODS: The MUL height references were developed through the LMS method and the Generalized Additive Models for Location Scale and Shape. They were constructed based on 2611 subjects (15 292 measurements) from the advantaged quintile of the Young Lives (Younger Cohort), Millennium Cohort Study, Adolescent Nutritional Assessment Longitudinal Study, and Epidemiological Health Investigation of Teenagers in Porto studies. The M, S curves were described to compare the growth trajectory of the MULT, DUTCH, CDC and WHO height references. For the population comparative analysis, we used the total sample of the studies (91 063 observations, 17 641 subjects). The Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Cohen's kappa coefficient (K) were used to verify the agreement between MULT, WHO and CDC height references. RESULTS: The MULT height references showed taller boys for the periods of 61-174 months and 196-240 months and taller girls for 61-147 and 181-240 months, when compared to CDC and WHO height references. There was an almost perfect agreement between WHO and MULT height references (CCC >0.99) for the subjects aged 2 to 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: MULT height references presented a taller population and a high agreement with WHO growth charts, especially for children under 5 years, indicating that it could be useful to assess nutritional status of multi-ethnic populations.

MULT: A new BMI reference to assess nutritional status of multi-ethnic children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a new Body Mass Index (BMI) reference (MULT) based on longitudinal data of multi-ethnic populations and to compare it to international BMI references. METHODS: The MULT BMI reference was constructed through the LMS method and the Generalized Additive Models for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS), with 81 310 observations of 17 505 subjects aged 0-22 years old, from the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Peru, India, Vietnam, Brazil, and Portugal. Outlier values were removed based on weight z-scores (population level) and based on BMI z-scores using the linear mixed effects model (individual level). The MULT M, S and L curves were compared to the ones of the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), and Dutch Growth Study (DUTCH). The MULT BMI percentile cutoffs for overweight and obesity were calculated using the adult BMI values of 25 and 30 kg/m2 at 17, 18, 19, and 20 years old. RESULTS: MULT presented the lowest mean BMI values for the ages 102-240 months for boys and 114-220 months for girls. MULT S values were similar to the WHO and IOTF for children under 60 months of age and the highest during puberty, while the L curve showed to be more symmetric than the other BMI references. CONCLUSION: The MULT BMI reference was constructed based on recent data of populations from 10 countries, being a good option to assess the nutritional status of multi-ethnic populations.

Sociodemographic, health and pro-breast-feeding policies and programmes associated with breast-feeding duration in Latin American countries.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the duration of breast-feeding between 1990 and 2013 and to estimate the association between breast-feeding duration and sociodemographic, health and pro-breast-feeding policies and programmes in Latin American countries. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study with data from Demographic and Health Surveys programme conducted in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and the Dominican Republic between 1990 and 2013. The median duration of breast-feeding was estimated by survival analysis. Information on pro-breast-feeding policies and programmes was extracted from the World on Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) tool. The association between the duration of breast-feeding and WBTi tool score was analysed by multilevel survival regression. SETTING: Nationally representative cross-sectional survey from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Dominican Republic. PARTICIPANTS: We included children under 24 months of age, totalling 17 318 children. RESULTS: Breast-feeding duration showed a significant increase in all countries, except the Dominican Republic. Mothers with higher schooling level (HR = 1·66; 95 % CI 1·35, 2·04), higher income (HR = 1·58; 95 % CI 1·40, 1·77) and overweight (HR = 1·14; 95 % CI 1·05, 1·23) breastfed for a shorter time. Breast-feeding in the first hour of life (HR = 0·79; 95 % CI 0·74, 0·83) was associated with increase in the duration of breast-feeding. Regarding WBTi, Peru presented the lowest score and the Dominican Republic presented the highest score. WBTi score was inversely related to the duration of breast-feeding for this set of countries (HR = 1·07; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·12). CONCLUSIONS: Mothers with better socio-economic conditions and overweight breastfed for a shorter time. Breast-feeding in the first hour was associated with longer duration of breast-feeding. In this set of countries, higher scores from WBTi tool did not result in longer duration of breast-feeding.

Body phenotypes and sexual maturation in Brazilian and US adolescents: evidence for a change in BMI category.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to describe body phenotypes (BP) estimated by multivariate analysis and their association with body mass. DESIGN: BP were defined based on demographic variables, anthropometric data (body mass, height, skinfolds and circumferences), body composition (phase angle measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis), biochemical parameters (TAG, glucose, total cholesterol ratio/LDL, Hb and sexual maturation (pubic hair and breasts or gonads). ANOVA was performed to verify the differences between skin colour and the stages of pubertal development, BP, body composition, anthropometric and biochemical variables. SETTING: Cities of São Paulo-SP, Piracicaba-SP and Florianópolis-SC from Brazil and the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 9269 adolescents aged between 10 and 15 years old. RESULTS: The composition of BP was similar in all surveys, which are: BP1 was composed by skinfolds, body mass and circumferences variables; BP2 by pubic hair, breast in girls or gonad in boys, height and age; BP3 by cholesterol, TAG and glucose; and BP4 by phase angle, Hb and glucose (negative loading). There was a strong correlation (r = 0·9, P < 0·001) between BP1 and BMI. CONCLUSION: We highlighted independence observed between biochemical parameters, anthropometry, body composition and sexual maturation. BP may support the calculation of scores for diagnosis of obesity based on anthropometric variables and overcome ambiguity in the isolated use of BMI.

Agreement between current status and retrospective data for prevalence and duration of exclusive breast feeding from low- and middle-income countries surveys.

BACKGROUND: Indicators to assess exclusive breast feeding (EBF) status are based on current status data according to World Health Organization (WHO), specially to avoid recall bias or imprecise reporting. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the agreement between current status and retrospective data for prevalence and duration of EBF in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: Cross-sectional study using Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) datasets of infants under six months from 10 low- and middle-income countries. It was applied two kinds of data about EBF: (1) current status data: variables about breast milk and foods offered in the previous day (yes or no) and (2) retrospective data: variables about age at which foods were offered the first time. The prevalence of EBF was estimated the same way for current status and for retrospective data. The median duration for current status data was calculated according to WHO recommendation, and retrospective data were calculated using survival analysis. The Kappa coefficient was applied to assess the agreement of prevalence using both kinds of data. RESULTS: Prevalence of EBF was higher using current status data and differences between both data ranged from 0.5 to 6.4 percentage points. Kappa coefficient ranged from 0.74 (substantial) to 0.94 (almost perfect) in nine countries. Medians were higher using retrospective than current status data for two countries and lower for another two; however, differences were small (from 0.08 to 0.44 month). For six countries, breast-feeding practice was so low that it was not possible to calculate the median using either data. CONCLUSIONS: The difference between prevalence and median estimated using current status and retrospective data is little and the agreement ranged to substantial and almost perfect. We suggest the use of retrospective data to estimate duration of EBF in cross-sectional surveys.

The allometric scaling of body mass and height in children and adolescents in five countries.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose a methodology that excludes values outside of the expected spectrum for age (VOESA) of height and body mass in the definition of power (p) to construct an international allometric body mass index (AI) for children and adolescents. METHODS: Datasets of national surveys including individuals (aged 0-19 years) from five countries (Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, England, and the USA) were selected. The p was defined for each country, age range, and sex after exclusion of VOESA for height and weight by log-log linear regression, where ß represented p. The p was also defined for a pool of five countries, international p (ip) after exclusion of VOESA using a spline modeling technique (5 knots). The AI was calculated and Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was calculated to investigate the correlation between AI and height. RESULTS: Exclusion of VOESA decreased the difference of p among countries. Exponent p showed values close to 2 in the first years of life, increased to 3-3.5 between 7 and 11 years for girls and 8 to 12 years for boys, and decreased to close to 2 near the end of growth (16 years for girls and 19 years for boys). The use of ip for all countries decreased r values to near zero while BMI had values near 0.4. CONCLUSIONS: Exclusion of VOESA contributes to a decreased effect of epidemiological context among countries when calculating the AI. AI calculated using ip is independent of height in all countries and reflects physiological growth changes for children and adolescents.

Secular trends in dietary patterns of young children in Brazil from 1996 to 2006.

OBJECTIVE: To describe dietary patterns (DP) from 1996 to 2006 and in the first 5 years of life and to explore individual and contextual characteristics associated with each DP. DESIGN: DP were defined by principal component analysis. The association between DP and individual (sociodemographic, maternal and child) and contextual (geographic regional and year) characteristics was analysed by multilevel analysis. SETTING: Two complex probabilistic Brazilian Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHS 1996, 2006). SUBJECTS: Brazilian children under 5 years of age. RESULTS: DP1 included yoghurt, vegetables, fruits, tubers, red meat. DP2 included liquids, milk, fruits, egg/chicken/fish, red meat, breast milk (negative loading). DP3 included fruit juices, 'papilla', yoghurt, red meat (negative loading). DP4 included formulas, milk, enriched 'papilla', egg/chicken/fish (negative loading). DP prevalence within the age range from 1996 to 2006 remained constant for DP1; increased after 12 and 6 months, respectively, for DP2 and DP3; and decreased for DP4. DP1 was explained by higher maternal education, wealth, lower number of children at home; DP2 by living in rural area and younger mothers; and DP4 by lower maternal education and wealth. The total variance of the model attributable to geographic region was 30·2, 20·7 and 54·2 % for DP2, DP3 and DP4, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: DP trends observed from 1996 to 2006 show positive aspects, such as: maintenance of DP1 as the main DP after 12 months; an increase in the prevalence of DP2 and DP3 followed by a decrease of DP4 after 6 months. DP1 is explained mainly by socio-economic factors, regardless of contextual characteristics, and DP2, DP3, DP4 are partially explained by contextual effects.

Is the secular trend in height delaying overweight rise among adolescents? The Brazilian case.

OBJECTIVE: To explore if the secular trend in height is contributing to delay overweight rise among Brazilian adolescents. DESIGN: Changes in BMI mean over time were fitted using linear regression including as independent variables survey year, height, survey-specific income quintiles, age and an interaction term of height × survey year. Overweight was defined as BMI≥25·0 kg/m2. Changes in overweight prevalence over time were fitted using Poisson regression. SETTING: Four national household surveys: 1974/5, 1989, 2002/3 and 2008/9. SUBJECTS: Brazilian adolescents. RESULTS: Mean values of height and BMI increased over the period, for both sexes and in all age ranges, except for girls aged 14-19 years from 1989 to 2002/3. The highest average increment and mean rate of height were between 1989 and 2002/3 and in 10-15-year-olds. The annual increment of height decreased from 2002/3 to 2008/9 in parallel with the increment in BMI rate. After fitting the regression model, the height × survey year interaction and per capita income were strong vectors to increase BMI mean. Changes in increment rate of height played a protective role against overweight in the last two periods for both sexes, mainly for girls. The period from 1989 to 2002/3 was the strongest vector associated with overweight in boys and the association decreased to the next period, from 2002/3 to 2008/9. CONCLUSIONS: BMI and height of adolescents have increased in a wavering and alternate way throughout four decades in Brazil. The rate of height increment has played a protective role against overweight in adolescents.

[Quality of anthropometric data of children under 5 years in the Brazilian National Food and Nutrition Surveillance System, 2008-2020]. / Qualidade de dados antropométricos de crianças menores de 5 anos no Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional, 2008-2020.

The planning, monitoring, and evaluation of food and nutrition actions depend on reliable estimates based on adequate anthropometric data. The study aimed to analyze the quality of anthropometric data of children aged under 5 years in the Brazilian National Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN) from 2008 to 2020. The sample comprised 23,453,620 children aged under 5 years. Initially, we evaluated the distribution of missing values and values outside the spectrum of the instrument, and calculated the digit preference index for weight and height. The nutritional indexes height for age (HAZ), weight for age (WAZ), and body mass index for age (BAZ) were calculated according to the World Health Organization 2006 child growth standards. Then, we identified the biologically implausible values (BIV) and calculated the standard deviation (SD) of the nutritional indexes. For each municipality, we calculated the mean and SD of HAZ and WAZ; and plotted the SD values as a function of the mean. In all Federative Units, the digit preference index reached a minimum value of 80 for height and 20 for weight. For the three nutritional indexes, there was a reduction in the frequency of BIV in the 2008-2020 period. Even after the exclusion of BIV, we identified high variability for the three nutritional indexes. The indicators evaluated showed low quality of measurement, especially in the North and Northeast regions. Our results indicate insufficient quality of anthropometric data in children aged under 5 years, and reinforce the need to invest in actions to improve the collection and recording of anthropometric information.

O planejamento, o monitoramento e a avaliação das ações de alimentação e nutrição dependem de estimativas confiáveis realizadas a partir de dados antropométricos de qualidade adequada. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a qualidade de dados antropométricos de crianças menores de 5 anos no Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional (SISVAN) no período de 2008 a 2020. A amostra compreendeu 23.453.620 crianças menores de 5 anos. Inicialmente, avaliamos a distribuição de valores faltantes e de valores fora do espectro do equipamento e calculamos o índice de preferência de dígito para peso e altura. Os índices nutricionais altura para idade (A-I), peso para idade (P-I) e índice de massa corporal para idade (IMC-I) foram calculados com a utilização do padrão de crescimento da Organização Mundial da Saúde, de 2006. Em seguida, sinalizamos os valores biologicamente implausíveis (VBI) e calculamos o desvio padrão (DP) dos índices nutricionais. Para cada município, calculamos a média e o DP de A-I e P-I e plotamos os valores de DP em função da média. Em todas as Unidades Federativas, o índice de preferência de dígito alcançou valor mínimo de 80 para altura e 20 para peso. Para os três índices nutricionais, houve redução da frequência de VBI no período de 2008 a 2020. Mesmo após a exclusão dos VBI, identificamos elevada variabilidade para os três índices nutricionais. Os indicadores avaliados demonstraram baixa qualidade da mensuração principalmente nas regiões Norte e Nordeste. Nossos resultados indicam qualidade insuficiente dos dados antropométricos em crianças menores de 5 anos e reforçam a necessidade de investimento em ações para o aprimoramento da coleta e do registro das informações antropométricas.

La planificación, monitoreo y evaluación de acciones de alimentación y nutrición dependen de estimaciones confiables realizadas a partir de datos antropométricos de calidad adecuada. El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la calidad de datos antropométricos de niños menores de 5 años en el Sistema de Vigilancia Alimentaria y Nutricional (SISVAN) entre los años 2008 y 2020. La muestra se compuso de 23.453.620 niños menores de 5 años. Al principio, evaluamos la distribución de valores faltantes y de valores fueras del espectro del equipo, y calculamos el índice de preferencia de dígito para peso y altura. Los índices nutricionales altura para edad (A-E), peso para edad (P-E) e índice de masa corporal para edad (IMC-E) se calcularon utilizando el patrón de crecimiento de la Organización Mundial de la Salud de 2006. Luego, indicamos los valores biológicamente inverosímiles (VBI) y calculamos la desviación estándar (DE) de los índices nutricionales. Para cada municipio, calculamos la media y la DE de A-E y P-E; y representamos los valores de DE en función de la media. En todas las Unidades Federativas, el índice de preferencia de dígito alcanzó el valor mínimo de 80 para altura y 20 para peso. Para los tres índices nutricionales, hubo una disminución de la frecuencia de VBI entre los años de 2008 y 2020. Incluso tras excluir los VBI, identificamos una alta variabilidad para los tres índices nutricionales. Los indicadores evaluados demostraron una baja calidad de medición, sobre todo en las regiones Norte y Nordeste. Nuestros resultados indican una calidad insuficiente de datos antropométricos en niños menores de 5 años y fortalecen la necesidad de inversión en acciones para mejorar la recolección y registro de las informaciones antropométricas.

[Duration of remote work and a positive diagnosis of COVID-19: an analysis of PNAD COVID19 data]. / Duração do trabalho remoto e diagnóstico positivo de COVID-19: análises dos dados da PNAD COVID19.

The scope of this work was to assess the association between the duration of remote work and a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 among individuals employed in Brazil. Data from the PNAD COVID19 (2020) survey were consulted. The variables in the work situation described included: absence from work due to physical distancing, work segment (work sector and formality: formal or informal private, military, statutory civil servant, CLT public sector, informal public sector, employer, self-employed/unpaid worker) and duration of remote work (no remote work for 1-2 months, 3-4 months, 5-7 months, respectively). The association between duration of remote work (exposure) and positive diagnosis for COVID-19 (outcome) was estimated by Cox regression, with adjustment for sociodemographic variables and work segment. The positive diagnosis of COVID-19 increased from 2.1% to 4.8% between July and November, and the frequency of remote work decreased from 11.6% to 9.5% between May and November. The risk of a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 was lower for people working remotely for 3-4 months, (HR=0.79; CI95%=0.67;0.92) and 5-7 months (HR=0.57; CI95%=0.48;0.67) compared to those who did not work remotely. There was a slight decrease in the percentage of remote work employees, and a longer duration reduced the risk of a positive diagnosis for COVID-19.

Nosso objetivo foi analisar a associação entre a duração do trabalho remoto e o diagnóstico positivo da COVID-19 entre pessoas ocupadas no Brasil. Foram utilizados dados da PNAD COVID19 (2020). As variáveis sobre a situação do trabalho descritas foram: afastamento do trabalho em função do distanciamento físico, segmento de trabalho (setor de trabalho e formalidade: privado formal/informal, militar, servidor público estatutário, setor público CLT/informal, empregador, conta-própria/trabalhador não remunerado) e duração do trabalho remoto (sem trabalho remoto, 1-2 meses, 3-4 meses, 5-7 meses). Associação entre duração do trabalho remoto (exposição) e diagnóstico positivo para COVID-19 (desfecho) foi estimada por regressão de Cox, com ajuste para variáveis sociodemográficas e segmento de trabalho. O diagnóstico positivo da COVID-19 aumentou de 2,1% para 4,8% entre julho e novembro, e a frequência de trabalho remoto reduziu de 11,6% para 9,5% entre maio e novembro. O risco de diagnóstico positivo da COVID-19 foi menor para pessoas que trabalharam remotamente por 3-4 meses (RR=0,79; IC95%=0,67;0,92) e 5 meses (RR=0,57; IC95%=0,48;0,67) comparadas àquelas que não trabalharam remotamente. Houve discreta redução do percentual de trabalhadores em trabalho remoto e sua maior extensão reduziu o risco de diagnóstico positivo para COVID-19.

Infant feeding practices in three Latin American countries in three decades: what demographic, health, and economic factors are relevant?

Introduction: Studies in Latin America have focused either on analyzing factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) or infant formula (IF). Purpose: Analyze the association between economic, sociodemographic, and health factors with EBF, mixed milk feeding (MixMF), and exclusive use of IF in three Latin American and Caribbean countries in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Methods: Cross-sectional time-series study using data from Demographic and Health Surveys between the 1990s and 2010s in Colombia (1995-2010), Haiti (1994-2017), and Peru (1996-2012) accounting for a sample of 12,775 infants under 6 months. Hierarchical logistic multilevel regression models were used to estimate the adjusted association between infant feeding outcomes (EBF, MixMF, exclusive use of IF) and contextual level DHS survey decade (1990s, 2000s and 2010s) and economic factors (Gross Domestic Product by purchasing power parity, female wage and salaried workers, labor force participation rate female) as well as individual level sociodemographic (maternal age, maternal education, number of children in the household, wealth index, mother living with a partner, area of residence, mother working outside of home), and health factors (breastfed in the first hour, C-section). Results: Factors associated with EBF cessation were c-section (OR: 0.76; 95%CI: 0.64, 0.92), mothers working outside of the home (OR: 0.79; 95%CI: 0.69, 0.90), families in the highest income quintile (OR: 0.64; 95%CI: 0.49, 0.84), and female wage and salaried workers (OR: 0.92; 95%CI: 0.91, 0.94). MixMF was associated with women with higher education (OR: 1.54; 95%CI: 1.21, 1.97), mother working outside of the home (OR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.10, 1.43), c-section (OR: 1.37; 95%CI: 1.15, 1.62), families in the highest income quintiles (OR: 2.77; 2.10, 3.65). and female wage and salaried workers (OR: 1.08;95% CI: 1.05, 1.09). Exclusive use of IF was associated with a mother working outside of the home (OR: 2.09; 95%CI: 1.41, 3.08), c-section (OR: 1.65; 95%CI: 1.09, 2.51), families in the highest income quintiles (OR: 12.08; 95% CI: 4.26, 34.28), the 2010s (OR: 3.81; 95%CI: 1.86, 7.79), and female wage and salaried workers (OR: 1.12; 95%CI: 1.07, 1.16). Discussion/Conclusion: Factors related to women empowerment and gender equality jeopardized EBF and favored the exclusive use of IF in Latin America. Therefore, workplace interventions to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding practices are key to reducing exclusive use of IF.

Frequency of anthropometric implausible values estimated from different methodologies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: Poor anthropometric data quality affect the prevalence of malnutrition and could harm public policy planning. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to identify different methods to evaluate and clean anthropometric data, and to calculate the frequency of implausible values for weight and height obtained from these methodologies. DATA SOURCES: Studies about anthropometric data quality and/or anthropometric data cleaning were searched for in the MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases in October 2020 and updated in January 2023. In addition, references of included studies were searched for the identification of potentially eligible studies. DATA EXTRACTION: Paired researchers selected studies, extracted data, and critically appraised the selected publications. DATA ANALYSIS: Meta-analysis of the frequency of implausible values and 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated. Heterogeneity (I2) and publication bias were examined by meta-regression and funnel plot, respectively. RESULTS: In the qualitative synthesis, 123 reports from 104 studies were included, and in the quantitative synthesis, 23 studies of weight and 14 studies of height were included. The study reports were published between 1980 and 2022. The frequency of implausible values for weight was 0.55% (95%CI, 0.29-0.91) and for height was 1.20% (95%CI, 0.44-2.33). Heterogeneity was not affected by the methodological quality score of the studies and publication bias was discarded. CONCLUSIONS: Height had twice the frequency of implausible values compared with weight. Using a set of indicators of quality to evaluate anthropometric data is better than using indicators singly. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020208977.

Undernutrition and obesity trends in Brazilian adults from 1975 to 2019 and its associated factors.

Nutritional status has evolved in a dual trend worldwide: underweight has become a minor or local issue while overweight or obesity has risen to play a major role in the global burden of disease. In 2014, Brazil was ranked as the third country with the highest absolute number of obese men. Our aim was to estimate trends of underweight and obesity among Brazilian adults using a comprehensive set of surveys from 1974 to 2019. The data used in the study originate from subjects aged ≥ 18 in six Brazilian national surveys, presented in chronological order: Brazilian National Survey on Household Expenses (ENDEF 1974-1975); Brazilian National Survey on Health and Nutrition (PNSN 1989); Brazilian Household Budget Survey (POF 2002-2003, 2008-2009); and Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS 2013 and 2019). All six surveys were designed to sample household complexes that were representative of the Brazilian population. Body mass index was calculated (kg/m2). The nutritional status of individuals was classified following the standards. We have modeled obesity trend according to income and education strata. The trajectories of underweight and obesity over time in Brazil draw the classical "X" of nutrition transition. From 1975 to 2019 underweight has decreased from 9.1% to 2.5% among men and 12.2% to 3.4% among women. On the other hand, obesity trajectories have scaled up from 3% to 22% among men and from 9% to 30% among women. The increase in obesity rate is directly and negatively proportional to income quintiles. Sociodemographic (income and education) improvement is associated with an increase in obesity. All public policies intending to stop the obesity spread in Brazil have been ineffective or too small to be effective.

Overweight and Risk of Noncommunicable Diseases in Adulthood: An Analysis of NHANES IV 2015-2016.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, overweight is one of the main risk factors for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs). In this scenario, Body Mass Index (BMI) is the main tool to assess nutritional status of the adult population. AIM: To analyze the association between overweight and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and/or high blood pressure (HBP) during adulthood. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We used data of subjects aged between 30-64 years old from the United States National Survey of Health and Nutrition Examination (2015-2016). We calculated the risk of developing T2DM and/or HBP in adulthood using a Log-Binomial Regression model. We included sampling weights in our analysis and we adjusted it for confounding factors. RESULTS: We evaluated a total of 2,666 individuals. Overweight affected around 38% of the sample when they were 25 years old and around 70% during the interview. We found 4 factors (overweight, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and age) that were positively associated with the development of T2DM and/or HBP. Long-term overweight more than doubles the risk of developing these diseases [RR = 2.44; 95%CI: 1.92-3.09]. CONCLUSION: The incidence of T2DM and/or HBP were positively associated with the overweight in adulthood. These results suggest that the prevention of overweight could decrease NCDs prevalence into adulthood.

Evolution of breastfeeding indicators and early introduction of foods in Latin American and Caribbean countries in the decades of 1990, 2000 and 2010.

BACKGROUND: Early introduction of liquid/solid food before 6 months of age is one of the major barriers to exclusive breastfeeding. Our objective was to analyze the evolution of infant feeding practices for infants under 6 months of age in Latin American and Caribbean countries in the decades of 1990, 2000 and 2010. METHOD: Cross-sectional time series study with data from Demographic and Health Surveys carried out between 1990 and 2017 in six Latin America and Caribbean countries: Bolivia (1994 to 2008), Colombia (1995 to 2010), Dominican Republic (1996 to 2013), Guatemala (1995 to 2015), Haiti (1994/1995 to 2016/2017), Peru (1996 to 2018). Pooled sample comprised of 22,545 infants under the age of 6 months. Surveys were grouped in three decades: 1990s for surveys from 1990 to 1999, 2000s for surveys from 2000 to 2009, and 2010s for surveys from 2010 to 2017. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), predominant breastfeeding (PBF), mixed breastfeeding (mixed BF), supplemented breastfeeding (supplemented BF) and non-breastfeeding (non-BF), and individual foods (water, liquids, milk, infant formula, semi-solid/solid) were analyzed. Prevalence of breastfeeding and food indicators were calculated in pooled sample, according to the infant monthly age groups, decade of survey and residence area(rural/urban). RESULTS: Between 1990s and 2010s, there was an increase in the exclusive breastfeeding prevalence (1990s = 38.1%, 2010s = 46.6%) and a reduction in the PBF prevalence (1990s = 51.7%, 2010 s = 43.1%). There was a decrease in the liquids (1990s = 40.7%, 2010s = 15.8%) and milk prevalence (1990s = 20.4%, 2010s = 8.3%) and an increase in water (1990s = 32.3%, 2010s = 37.6%), and infant formula (1990s = 16.6%, 2010s = 25.5%) prevalence. All breastfeeding indicators, except exclusive breastfeeding, progressively increased according to the monthly age group in three decades, and EBF prevalence sharply decreased from 2 to 3 months of age in all decades. Exclusive breastfeeding prevalence was higher in rural area in the three decades (1990s rural = 43.8%, 1990s urban = 32.4%, 2010s rural = 51.1%, 2010s urban = 42.4%) and infant formula prevalence was higher in urban area (1990s rural = 8.6%, 1990s urban = 24.6%, 2010s rural = 15.9%, 2010s urban = 34.1%). CONCLUSIONS: In the last three decades, in all age groups, there was an increase in exclusive breastfeeding prevalence, as well as a significant reduction in liquids and milk. In the rural area, EBF prevalence remains higher than in urban. Increased water and infant formula feeding are the main barriers to achieving the Global Nutrition Target 2025 for exclusive breastfeeding.

Accuracy of international growth charts to assess nutritional status in children and adolescents: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To verify, through a systematic review, the accuracy of nutritional assessment in children and adolescents using the length/height-for-age and BMI-for-age growth charts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2000), the World Health Organization (WHO) (2006/2007) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) (2012). DATA SOURCE: We selected articles from the databases Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), through PubMed, National Library of Medicine and The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Virtual Health Library (VHL). The following descriptors were used for the search: "Child", "Adolescent", "Nutritional Assessment", "Growth Chart", "Ethnic Groups", "Stature by age", "Body Mass Index", "Comparison", "CDC", "WHO", and "IOTF". The selected articles were assessed for quality through the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies of the NIH. DATA SYNTHESIS: Thirty-three studies published between 2007 and 2020 were selected and, of these, 20 presented good quality, 12 presented fair quality and one presented poor quality. For children under five years old, the WHO length/height-for-age growth charts were shown appropriate for children from Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, Gabon, Qatar, Pakistan and the United States. For those five years old and older, the WHO BMI-for-age growth charts were accurate for the Brazilian and Canadian populations, while the IOTF growth charts were accurate for the European populations. CONCLUSIONS: There are difficulties in obtaining international growth charts for children from 5 years old and older that go along with a long period of growth, and which include genetic, cultural and socioeconomic differences of multiethnic populations who have already overcome the secular trend in height.