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Introduction: Alcohol consumption is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality globally. Consumption levels in Southern Latin America are among the highest in the world. Objectives: To describe consumption patterns and adherence to guidelines in the general adult population of Southern Latin America, as well as exploration of reasons for alcohol cessation and the advising role of the health worker in this decision. Methods: In 7,520 participants from the Centro de Excelencia en Salud Cardiovascular para el America del Sur (CESCAS) cohort, consumption patterns were described and the proportion excessive drinkers (i.e. >7 units/week for women and >14 for men or binge drinking: >4 (women) or >5 (men) units at a single occasion) was calculated. Former drinkers were asked if they had quit alcohol consumption on the advice of a health worker and/or because of health reasons. Furthermore, among former drinkers, multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess which participant characteristics were independently associated with the chance of quitting consumption on a health worker's advice. Results: Mean age was 54.8 years (SD = 10.8), 42% was male. Current drinking was reported by 44.6%, excessive drinking by 8.5% of the population. In former drinkers, 23% had quit alcohol consumption because of health reasons, half of them had additionally quit on the advice of a health worker. The majority of former drinkers however had other, unknown, reasons. When alcohol cessation was based on a health worker's advice, sex, country of residence, educational status and frequency of visiting a physician were independent predictors. Conclusion: In this Southern American population-based sample, most participants adhered to the alcohol consumption guidelines. The advising role of the health worker in quitting alcohol consumption was only modest and the motivation for the majority of former drinkers remains unknown. A more detailed assessment of actual advice rates and exploration of additional reasons for alcohol cessation might be valuable for alcohol policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Few data are available on population level regarding domain-specific correlates of physical activity (PA) in Latin America. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among PA patterns and their main sociodemographic determinants and cardiovascular risk factors in the Southern Cone of Latin America. Methods CESCAS I is a population-based prospective cohort study with a 4-stage stratified sampling of a general population of 7,524 adults aged 35 to 74 years from 4 midsized cities in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. PA was assessed using the transcultural adaptation of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire long form. The questionnaire asked about frequency (days per week) and duration (minutes per day) of moderate and vigorous intensity activities in 3 different domains: work, leisure time, and active transportation (walking and bicycling). PA levels of ≥600 metabolic equivalent tasks (MET) minutes per week was considered sufficiently active. Odds ratios for associations of sufficiently active status with sociodemographic determinants and cardiovascular risk factors were obtained using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. Conclusions Almost 65%) of the participants reported ≥600 MET minutes per week. The lowest prevalence of sufficiently active individuals was seen in Temuco, Chile (58.0%), among women (58.7%), older individuals (55.4%), those with higher educational level (61.6%), and homemakers (53.4%). Approximately 22.8% of the population reported no PA. In multivariable analysis, PA levels were lower among women, individuals who were older, obese, university educated, with clerical work, retired/unemployed or homemakers, and those with physical limitations. Future interventions to increase PA levels in the Southern Cone of Latin America must take into account disparities by gender and socioeconomic status. The promotion of PA during leisure time in women—unemployed and homemakers—and of active transportation for those performing office or clerical work should be a priority in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]