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Objective: To analyse the Na content of bread by comparing the amount of salt and Na among the label, laboratory analysis and international guidelines.Design: Ten selected bakeries provided 3239 randomly selected samples of bread, which were weighed on-site. Triplicate samples were retrieved from each bakery (thirty samples) for analysis. Bread production was observed, and ingredient labels were queried to determine salt weights, which were used for comparison with the laboratory analysis. Flame photometry and the method for chlorides were utilised for analysing Na. Laboratory findings were compared to nine different international nutritional guidelines for Na consumption.Setting: Florianopolis, south of Brazil.Participants: Ninety independent bakeries locally producing Portuguese rolls were queried; rolls from ten conveniently selected bakeries were retrieved for further analysis.Results: The average weight of the rolls was 50·2 ± 5·3 g. The average amount of salt (g) per roll, by laboratory and label analyses, was 0·69 ± 0·0 and 0·62 ± 0·1 g, respectively. The mean level of Na (mg) reported on nutrient labels (478·2 ± 93·4/100 g) was significantly lower than by laboratory analysis (618·2 ± 73·8/100 g), P < 0·001. There was a difference for Na in rolls produced in the bakeries considering the unit weight of rolls (P ≤ 0·001) per 100 g (P = 0·026) and the mode of production. The consumption of two averaged units of rolls was equivalent to 51·7 % of the Brazilian guideline daily amount for Na for children and 31 % for adults.Conclusions: The nutrient labels underreported Na values. This study strengthens the importance of monitoring Na of breads in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim was to identify trajectory patterns of weight and length in children from birth until two years of life and establish associations with maternal and child characteristics., Methods: A mixed-cohort study was conducted in public health services in Colombo-PR, Brazil, between 2018 and 2022. Pregnancy information was gathered through anthropometric data collection and questionnaires. Birth data were extracted from birth record forms, while weight and length data in the first two years of life were obtained from physical and electronic health service records. Weight and length trajectory patterns were identified using a group-based trajectory model. The definition of the number of trajectory patterns to be selected considered the model fit to the type of variable, its practical utility, as well as the probabilities of group membership., Results: Two trajectory patterns of weight and length were identified among the children. The majority exhibited a pattern of weight (67.8%, n  = 382) and length (90.9%, n  = 472) considered high and stable, with a tendency to decelerate from one and a half years of age. The probability of belonging to the lower weight gain group was associated with female sex (41.5%, p  < 0.001), smoking during pregnancy (48.7%, p  = 0.008), prematurity (65.0%, p  = 0.001), cesarean delivery (36.4%, p  = 0.009), small for gestational age (69.0%, p  < 0.001), and twinning (69.2%, p  = 0.002). Similarly, the probability of belonging to the lower length gain group was associated with female sex (11.7%, p  < 0.001), smoking during pregnancy (20.6%, p  = 0.003), cesarean delivery (10.1%, p  = 0.048), born small for gestational age (46.4%, p  < 0.001), and twinning (46.1%, p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: Conditions during pregnancy and childbirth can impact growth patterns in the first two years of life.

Background: This study investigates the association of family meals with diet quality and obesity of adolescents in public schools in Curitiba, Brazil., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 30 schools. Having family meals was analyzed as a continuous variable (weekly frequency of lunch and dinner). The association among having family meals and diet quality and obesity was investigated using the binomial negative regression, which resulted in Prevalence Ratios (PR) with Confidence Intervals of 95% (95% CI)., Results: The study included 1623 students were invited to participate, 1232 accepted and 1036 answered all information required. A percentage of 58.3% and 62.0% of the adolescents reported having daily lunch and dinner as a family, respectively; 47.8% of them had both meals. Family meals were less frequent among 17-years-old or older (PR 0.83 95% CI: 0.74-0.94), among those who had a job (PR 0.85 95% CI: 0.77-0.93), among those that had consumed alcohol (PR 0.86 95% CI: 0.80-0.92). In contrast, family meals were more frequent among students who have breakfast every day (PR 1.06 95% CI: 1.01-1.11). Moreover, family meals were a protective factor against overweight (PR 0.81 95% CI: 0.70-0.93) and obesity (PR 0.81 95% CI: 0.70-0.93) and were associated with higher scores on the diet quality index (PR 1.01 95% CI: 1.00-1.02)., Conclusions: The study highlights that family meals were an important factor in the prevention of becoming overweight and in the improvement of diet quality, and should be encouraged among adolescents, especially the older ones.

The researchers aimed through this cross-sectional study to explore the co-occurrence of health-related behaviors and their association with food insecurity in pregnant women. The investigated behaviors include smoking, alcohol consumption, non-regular consumption of fruit, and physical inactivity among 605 participants. Our findings reveal that women experiencing food insecurity exhibit a higher prevalence of simultaneous engagement in specific health behaviors. Specifically, the co-occurrence of alcohol consumption and non-regular fruit consumption is elevated, as is the co-occurrence of smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption, regular fruit consumption, and physical inactivity. The implications of these findings underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing both food insecurity and clustered health behaviors during pregnancy.

Adolescents from 30 state schools in Curitiba, State of Paraná, reported total screen time, namely television, video games and laptops. Diet quality was assessed by the frequency of food consumption. The income of the school environment was taken from the Census. The built environment for physical activity was investigated by systematic observation of the school surroundings. Multilevel Poisson Regression was used to estimate associations with the exposure variables. Among 1,200 adolescents, 50.9% being male, and 74.4% were found to be exposed to excessive screen time. Excessive TV screen time (56.5%) was associated with poor diet quality. Excessive video game time (22.0%) was lower among females (PR 0.25; 95%CI 0.18;0.36), associated with poor diet quality, lower school environment income, and the worst classification of the built environment for physical activity. Excessive use of portable screens (53.2%) tended to increase with the income of the school environment. Excessive use of TV and laptops was widespread among adolescents, with different demographic and contextual variables associated according to the type of device used.

Background and Objectives: Morbidities associated with increased blood pressure levels during pregnancy represent one of the main causes of maternal mortality. The objective was to identify patterns of systolic blood pressure (SPB) trajectory in pregnant women undergoing prenatal care at the Unified Health System, and associations with weight gain trajectory, demographic, obstetric, anthropometric data, and health related behaviors., Methods and Results: Cohort study with pregnant women using the public health services in Brazil. Data were collected through questionnaires and medical records. Trajectory patterns of SBP and weight gain were identified by a group-based trajectory model. For trajectory analysis, 460 women had SBP information available, totaling 2839 measurements, with an average of 6.2 measurements during pregnancy. Three SBP trajectory patterns were identified and classified as "Group 1" (48.0%), with a mean of 103 mmHg (95% CI 102.5-103.7 mmHg), "Group 2" (42.7%) with a mean of 114 mmHg (95% CI 113.7-114.9 mmHg), and "Group 3" (9.1%) with the highest mean SBP value of 130 mmHg (95% CI 128.8-131.5 mmHg). It was observed that regardless of the weight gain trajectory group, women classified in the group with the highest SBP had the highest SBP levels. The probability of being classified in Group 3 was higher among women with higher education, who started pregnancy presenting obesity, and who were using antihypertensive drugs., Conclusion: The probability of belonging to groups with a greater trajectory of SBP during pregnancy was associated with obesity, education, and hypertension under treatment., (Copyright © 2023 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify gestational weight gain trajectories and their association with demographic, obstetric, and anthropometric characteristics., Method: Information of 599 pregnant women undergoing prenatal care in public health units was collected through questionnaires and medical records, resulting in 4,272 measures of body weight. Group-based trajectory models were applied to identify patterns of gestational weight gain., Results: The average gestational weight gain at 40 weeks was 14.1 kg (95%CI: 13.2, 15.0). Three different trajectory groups were identified: low (9.9%), intermediate (66.4%), and high (23.7%). Pregnant women who smoked and those classified above IOM's weight gain recommendations were more likely to be classified in the group with a high weight gain trajectory; while those with pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity, and with greater parity were more likely to be categorized in the low weight gain trajectory. After adjusting for other variables in the model, parity remained significantly associated with gestational weight gain (β: 0.88; 95%CI: 0.27, 0.73). In the multilevel model, weight gain remained different among the categories of group-based trajectory, even after adjustment for other investigated variables for intermediate (β: 2.94; 95%CI: 2.32, 3.58) and high (β: 5.88; 95%CI: 5.09, 6.66) gestational weight gain trajectory groups., Conclusions: Behavioral, obstetric, and anthropometric characteristics determined the belonging to groups with a high or low trajectory of gestational weight gain. The findings contribute to a better understanding of patterns of gestational weight gain in middle-income women groups.

Background: The identification and understanding of dietary factors and other characteristics that influence gestational weight gain can contribute to the formulation of strategies to promote healthy eating habits before and during pregnancy., Objective: To investigate the association between dietary patterns, sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, and health-related behaviors in pregnant women., Design and Setting: A cross-sectional study was conducted on women undergoing prenatal care in the Unified Health System of Colombo, Paraná, Brazil, from February 2018 to September 2019., Method: A weekly food frequency questionnaire was administered, and dietary patterns were identified through factor analysis. Median regression models were constructed to identify the associations between dietary pattern scores and variables., Results: Complete data were obtained from 495 pregnant women. Three dietary patterns were identified: 1) "healthy," with higher factor loadings for the weekly consumption of raw vegetables, cooked vegetables, and fresh fruits; 2) "Western," including soft drinks or artificial juice, candies, milk, and dairy products, and processed cold meat; and 3) "traditional," beans and meat. Pregnant women aged 30 years or older (coefficient [Coef.] 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38-1.33) with moderate/intense physical activity (Coef. 0.32, 95% CI 0.02-0.62) had higher adherence to the "healthy" pattern. Adolescents and smokers adhered more to the "traditional" pattern (Coef. 0.17, 95% CI 0.01-0.33)., Conclusion: Age, smoking status, and physical activity were associated with dietary patterns in pregnant women.

Objective: To evaluate prenatal and puerperium care levels received and identify their association with sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May to December 2020 and included women who gave birth at the Municipal Hospital of Fazenda Rio Grande, Paraná, Brazil. Data were collected through interviews and review of portfolios and medical records. The variables extracted from the prenatal protocols of Paraná and the Ministry of Health were grouped into five compliance indices: CI1 - clinical examination; CI2 - health education; CI3 - queries; CI4 - examinations and vaccines; and CI5 - postpartum appointments. Prenatal care was considered adequate when 80% or more adequacy was obtained., Results: A total of 307 women participated in this study. Prenatal compliance was 16.6% considering the entire set of variables. The best performance was for CI4 (54.7%) and the worst for CI5 (13.3%). The lowest adequacy occurred among single women (10.9%) compared to those who lived with a partner (19.9%) (p=0.043) and among women with black/brown skin color (9.5%) compared to those with white/yellow skin color (20.3%) (p=0.016)., Conclusion: Most women did not receive adequate care, with those in situations of greater social vulnerability received worse quality care.

Background: Diet quality is associated with psychobiological, psychological, biological, and physiological factors of individuals, and in the context of prolonged stress, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it can lead to a worsening of the quality of food for undergraduates. This study aimed to analyze diet quality and associated factors in Brazilian undergraduates., Methods: Data were collected from 4,799 undergraduate students from all Brazilian regions, from August 2020 to February 2021. The online questionnaire contained socioeconomic variables, the ESQUADA scale to assess diet quality, self-referred changes in weight, the Brazilian food insecurity scale (EBIA), sleep assessment and the perceived stress scale. Unconditional multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to study variables associated with poor and very poor diet quality., Results: Most of participants presented a good diet quality (51.7%), while 9.8% had a poor or very poor diet quality and only 1.1% had an excellent diet quality. 58.2% of undergraduates reported to have an increase in weight during the pandemic and 74.3% of the students presented elevated stress during the pandemic. Logistic regressions showed students who gained weight during the pandemic presented the highest AOR = 1.56 (95% CI = 1.12-2.20) for poor or very poor diet quality. The elevated perceived stress was also associated with a higher AOR = 2.85 (95% CI = 1.71-4.74) for poor or very poor diet quality., Conclusion: Most of the studied undergraduates presented a good diet quality. Nevertheless, poor/very poor diet quality was associated with higher perceived stress and weight gain. Our study indicated that policies should beaimed at the socioeconomically most vulnerable undergraduates, those in a situation of food and nutritional insecurity, high perceived stress, and who gained weight during the pandemic., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Galvão, Santos, Slater, Lyra, Rolim, Ramalho, Dalamaria, Martins,Höfelmann, Crispim, Gorgulho, Rodrigues, Marchioni and Maciel.)

The behaviors related to caloric balance during pregnancy can lead to short- and long-term repercussion over the life course. This study aimed to identify patterns of energy balance-related behavior (EBRB) and its association with food insecurity (FI) in pregnant women. Cross-sectional, with pregnant women undergoing prenatal care in public health units in Colombo, Brazil, in 2018/2019. EBRB patterns were identified by factor analysis, and the scores were compared according to FI levels (mild and moderate/severe (M/S) through quantile regression. Four EBRB patterns were identified among 535 pregnant women: Factor 1- household/caregiving activities, exercise/sport, and physical inactivity; Factor 2 - fruits and vegetables; Factor 3 - paid work and commuting; Factor 4 - soda and sweetened beverage, sweets, and goodies. After adjusted analyses, women with mild FI presented higher scores for Factor 1 and lower scores for Factor 3. Higher scores for Factor 4 (p25) were observed among women with mild FI in simultaneous quantile regression. M/S FI was associated with lower scores for Factor 3 (p75). Mixed patterns with factors negatively and positively associated with energy balance were identified among pregnant women with FI.

Objective: To evaluate the completeness, consistency and duplicity of records of child sexual abuse on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System (SINAN) in Santa Catarina, Brazil, between 2009 and 2019., Methods: This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study aimed to assess the quality of SINAN data regarding completeness, consistency and non-duplicity., Results: 3,489 cases of violence were reported, with a 662.5% increase in the number of notifications in the period studied, with the increase in the number of referral centers for the care of people in situations of sexual violence in the state, explaining 46.7% of the variation in the number of cases, between the years studied. Consistency was excellent in 90.0% of the records; and completeness ranged between excellent and good in 92.3% of them. There was an increased trend in completeness for 14 variables in the period. There were no duplicate records., Conclusion: Data from the sexual violence against children surveillance system were considered adequate regarding the questions that were assessed in the study.

Objective: To assess the association between the presence of public outlets selling fruits and vegetables and the regular intake of these foods by adolescents from public schools in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil., Methods: Data collection was carried out by a questionnaire answered by the adolescents. Regular intake was defined as eating fruits and vegetables five or more times a week. Environmental data were obtained by assessing the availability and prices of fruits and vegetables traded in public outlets within a 1.6-km radius from 30 randomly selected public schools., Results: A total of 1,232 students from 30 public schools participated in the study. 43.4% of the adolescents reported a regular intake of fruits; 67.0% of them reported a regular intake of vegetables. In the schools, fruit intake ranged from 26.8 to 68.0%, and the vegetables intake ranged from 54.8 to 82.2%. A total of 22 schools had fruit and vegetables being traded in their surroundings. Regular intake of vegetables was positively correlated with their variety (r=0.82; p=0.007). The Moran's local index indicated low fruit intake in a high-supply region; in other three regions with low supply, there was a high intake of fruits; and there was a high consumption of vegetables in a high-supply region., Conclusions: There are differences in the supply of fruits and vegetables of public outlets in the school's surroundings as well as in the distribution of regular intake among regions. The density of public outlets and the variety were both associated with greater intake of fruits and vegetables among adolescents of public school.

Food insecurity is a source of daily stress, especially in women. The aim was to investigate the association between mental distress and food insecurity in pregnant women. Cross-sectional study with pregnant women from the public health service, regardless risk stratification, or gestational trimester in Colombo-PR, Brazil. Poisson regression models were progressively adjusted for exposure variables. Results: Among the participating pregnant women (N=513) the prevalence of mental distress was 50.1%; associated with mild food insecurity (PR 1.34, 95%CI 1.12; 1.61) and moderate/severe food insecurity (PR 1.70, 95%CI 1.33; 2.19). The variable that most changed the association between the outcome and mild food insecurity was income (-4.48%) and, for moderate/severe food insecurity, education (-7.60%). For mild and moderate/severe food insecurity, the greatest reduction occurred with socioeconomic variables 4.5% (PR 1.27, 95%CI 1.05; 1.53) and 8.0% (PR 1.50, 95% CI 1.17; 1.93), respectively. The association between food insecurity and mental distress was consistent, and increased with the degree of food insecurity, with a greater reduction for socioeconomic variables.

Undergraduates may face challenges to assure food security, related to economic and mental distress, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess food insecurity and its associated factors in undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2020 to February 2021 with 4775 undergraduates from all Brazilian regions. The questionnaire contained socio-economic variables, the validated Brazilian food insecurity scale, and the ESQUADA scale to assess diet quality. The median age of the students was 22.0 years, and 48.0% reported income decreasing with the pandemic. Food insecurity was present in 38.6% of the students, 4.5% with severe food insecurity and 7.7% moderate. Logistic regressions showed students with brown and black skin color/race presented the highest OR for food insecurity; both income and weight increase or reduction during the pandemic was also associated with a higher OR for food insecurity, and better diet quality was associated with decreased OR for food insecurity. Our study showed a considerable presence of food insecurity in undergraduates. Policy for this population must be directed to the most vulnerable: those with brown and black skin color/race, who changed income during the pandemic, and those presented with difficulties maintaining weight and with poor diet quality.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the association between parental eating behavior and untreated early childhood caries (ECC). A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of 432 parent-child dyads with children aged 18 to 36 months, at Municipal Child Education Centers in São José dos Pinhais, Brazil. The parents answered a questionnaire addressing demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and the children were examined for dental caries (modified dmft index) by a single examiner (kappa = 0.80). A six-item questionnaire was administered addressing parental food consumption, parental control of the child's food consumption, and parental offering of foods to the child. Three items were considered indicative of positive behavior, and three, of negative behavior. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses with robust variance were used for the data analysis (α = 0.05). The prevalence of untreated ECC was 20.3% (95%CI: 16.7-24.4). In the multiple regression model adjusted for the child's age and the parent's schooling, negative parental behavior was associated with a greater frequency of untreated ECC (PRa = 1.213; 95%CI:1.032-1.427, p = 0.019), but lost its significance when adjusted by positive parental behavior (PRa = 1.156; 95%CI: 0.983-1.358, p = 0.079). Based on the present findings, positive parental eating behaviors are capable of minimizing the impact of negative parental behaviors on the prevalence of untreated early childhood caries.

Objective: To characterize the sociodemographic profile of the population undergoing antiretroviral treatment in the state of Paraná, Brazil, to investigate the proportion of people undergoing treatment among all those diagnosed, and to analyze the proportion of patients with suppressed viral load in different regions of the state., Methods: Observational descriptive and analytical study carried out with information referring to the period from January 2018 to January 2019. Data were obtained from the Sistema Informatizado de Monitoramento Clínico das Pessoas Vivendo com HIV/AIDS [Computerized System for Clinical Monitoring of People Living with HIV/AIDS] and Sistema de Controle Logístico de Medicamentos[Drug Supply Control System]. The proportion of people on antiretroviral treatment in the state and the proportion of patients with viral load ≤1,000 copies/mL and ≤50 copies/mL were calculated. The results were compared with the corresponding parameters of the World Health Organization goal 90-90-90., Results: The state of Paraná managed to reach the second and third parameters of the 90-90-90 goal of the World Health Organization. Among those diagnosed, 93.12% were on antiretroviral treatment, and 90.0% of them had a viral load below 50 copies of viral RNA/mL of blood, indicating virologic success., Conclusion: The health policy aimed at the population living with HIV/AIDS, and the health services available in Paraná have been successful in parameters relevant to the control of the epidemic. However, it is necessary to ensure the diagnosis of people infected with HIV in the population.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of childhood obesity in Brazil by means of a systematic review of representative studies., Sources: We searched for population-based studies that assessed obesity in Brazilian children aged < 10 years in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and other sources up to September, 2019. Paired researchers selected studies, extracted data and assessed the quality of these studies. Meta-analysis of prevalence and confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated, weighted by the population sizes using Freeman-Tukey double-arccosine transformation. Heterogeneity (I 2 ) and publication bias were investigated by meta-regression and Egger's test, respectively., Summary of the Findings: 53 studies were included (n = 122,395), which were held from 1986 to 2015 and limited mainly due to inadequate response rates. Prevalence of obesity in the three-decade period was of 8.2% ([95% CI]: 8.1-8.4%, I 2  = 98.5%). Higher prevalence was observed in boys (9.7% [9.4-9.9%], I 2  = 97.4%) than girls (7.3% [7.1-7.5%], I 2  = 96.1%). Prevalence increased according to the decade (1990: 6.5% [6.0-7.0 %], I 2  = 96.8%; 2000: 7.9% [7.7-8.0 %], I 2  = 98.8%; 2010: 12.0% [11.5-12.6 %], I 2  = 95.8%), and Brazilian region (Northeast: 6.4% [6.2-6.7%], I 2  = 98.1%; North: 6.7% [6.3-7.2%], I 2  = 98.8%; Southeast:10.6% [10.2-11.0%], I 2  = 98.2%; South: 10.1 [9.7-10.4%], I 2  = 97.7%). Heterogeneity was affected by age and region (p < 0.05) and publication bias was discarded (p = 0.746)., Conclusion: For every 100 Brazilian children, over eight had obesity in the three-decade period and 12 in each 100 had childhood obesity in more recent estimates. Higher prevalence occurred in boys, recent decades and more developed Brazilian regions., (Copyright © 2021 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of regular breakfast consumption (five or more times a week) among adolescents, and to investigate the association with demographic variables, school and job shift, health-related behaviors, eating habits and food consumption. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 30 state schools in Curitiba, State of Paraná, with the participation of 1,232 adolescents. The prevalence of regular breakfast consumption was 58,6% (95% CI 53,9, 63.2). After adjusted analysis, higher regular breakfast consumption was observed among adolescents who: attended the evening and intermediate/full shifts; performed supervised physical activity; reported sleeping more than eight hours/night; reported having lunch and dinner with the family every day; and took 4 or more meals per day. The weekly frequency of breakfast was associated with higher consumption of milk and dairy products and the lower consumption of instant noodles and soft drinks. It is noteworthy that the habit of eating breakfast was associated with healthy eating practices and habits, reinforcing its values as a marker of other health-related behaviors. Partaking of breakfast should be encouraged among adolescents.

Identifying dietary patterns in different environments attended by children is relevant to guide public politics. The aim of this study was to analyse the factors associated with dietary patterns of children under 2 years of age in childcare centres and at homes. This transversal study was enrolled in municipal childcare centres of Guaratuba, Paraná, Brazil. Food consumption data from 256 children were obtained by the food record method. From the consumption data, four dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis using the principal component method in each environment. 'Traditional' patterns were observed in both environments; the 'less healthy' pattern was found only at homes. Other patterns identified in childcare centres include 'snacks', 'nutritive' and 'pasta and meats'; at homes, it was possible to identify patterns such as 'milk and cereals' and 'mixed'. Children over 12 months presented higher scores for all the patterns in both environments. Obese children had lower scores for all the patterns in childcare centres. There was an association between maternal age below 21 years and higher adherence to a 'less healthy' pattern, maternal level of education less than 8 years and lower adherence to the 'mixed' pattern and lower familiar income per capita and higher adherence to the 'snacks' and 'traditional' patterns in childcare centres. In conclusion, adherence to dietary patterns was associated with socio-economic, demographic variables and nutritional status and further studies are needed, especially those with a longitudinal design, enabling the monitoring of dietary patterns., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Few studies have investigated the simultaneous effect of individual and contextual factors on the occurrences of anemia. This study aims to evaluate the variability of children's hemoglobin levels from municipalities in social vulnerability and its association with factors of individual and municipal nature. This is a cross-sectional, multi-center study, with children data (12-59 months) collected from 48 municipalities of the Southern region of Brazil, that were included in the Brazil Without Poverty Plan. Individuals' data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and secondary and ecological data of children's municipalities were collected via national surveys and institutional websites. The outcome was defined as the hemoglobin level obtained by HemoCue. A multilevel analysis was performed using Generalized Linear Models for Location Scale and Shape using R, with a 5% significance level. A total of 1,501 children were evaluated. The mean hemoglobin level was 12.8g/dL (95%CI: 12.7-12.8), with significant variability between municipalities. Lower values of hemoglobin were observed in children who lived in municipalities with a higher urbanization rate and a lower number of Community Health Agents, in relation to the reference categories. At the individual level, lower hemoglobin values were identified for children under 24 months, not enrolled at daycares, who were beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer program and diagnosed with underweight. The results shed light on important factors at the municipal and the individual levels that were associated to the hemoglobin levels of children living in municipalities in social vulnerability.

This cross-sectional study investigated the association between alcohol use by adolescents and the availability of alcohol outlets in the neighborhood of public schools. We collected primary data including variables at individual and school neighborhood level. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for alcohol use with the exposure variables. A total of 18.4% (95%CI: 13.2; 24.1) of adolescents reported using alcohol, which was associated with variables on the individual level such as being 18 years or older, working, and having previously smoked. Lower alcohol use was observed among adolescents from schools that were located 250m or more from alcohol outlets (OR = 0.29; 95%CI: 0.17; 0.48). Actions to reduce the use of alcohol among adolescents should take student's and school neighborhood's characteristics into account.

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of intention to breastfeed (IB) for an insufficient (under 6 months) or prolonged (24 months and longer) amount of time and to investigate its association with demographic and socioeconomic status, health behaviors, obstetric history, and previous breastfeeding experience among pregnant women. This is a cross-sectional study made with pregnant women under prenatal care in 17 units of the Family Health Strategy, in Colombo (PR). Crude and adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations between IB and exposure variables. Among pregnant women participating in the survey (n = 316), 99.1% reported IB. The average IB time was 13.5 months. The IB for insufficient and prolonged time was referred to by 9.8% and 22.0% of participants respectively. Those who presented the greatest changes of IB for insufficient time were women who: did not have a partner (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.31; 7.94), who performed paid work (OR 5.56, 95% CI 2.10; 14.71), and smokers (OR 7.79, 95% CI 2.35; 25.81). Prolonged IB was more frequent among pregnant women with previous experience in prolonged breastfeeding (OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.02; 9.03). Factors associated to IA were found to support actions directed to vulnerable groups aiming the promotion of breastfeeding practices.

The scope of this study was to determine the food on offer in state public school canteens of Curitiba, Paraná, and to investigate the association between the permitted/prohibited food supplied under the Canteen Law, with school and canteen variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted with interviews with canteen administrators in 27 state schools. The Mann Whitney test was used to investigate associations. There was a higher frequency of administration of the canteens under the self-management regime (n = 25, 92.6%); appropriate location in the school for serving meals (n = 20, 74.1%); length of time in administration of over 10 years (n = 13, 48.2%) and administrators who reported knowing the Canteen Law (n = 22, 81.5%). More than 2/3 of canteens sold prohibited food, such as sweetened beverages (n = 22, 81.5%) and candies, industrialized popcorn and salty snacks (n = 13, 48.2%). Only one school provided fried snacks (n = 1, 3.7%). The offer of technical education alone was associated with greater availability of food allowed by the legislation (p = 0.033). The school canteens evaluated can be described as places of commercialization of food not permitted by the Healthy Canteen Law. It is important to highlight the regulation and inspection of food sales in canteens for the promotion of health in schools.

Breast cancer is a public health problem due to its high incidence, morbidity and mortality. The analysis of survival for this disease contributes to the description of behavior and prognostic factors. The scope of this article is to investigate survival for 10 years after diagnosis and the prognostic factors of women with breast cancer admitted to the Unified Health System Mastology Service in Joinville, State of Santa Catarina, between 2000 and 2014. A historical cohort study with data from the medical records and death certificates of 1,321 women, of whom 471 were considered eligible under the minimum follow-up criteria of 10 years (n = 288), and/or death before this period (n = 183). Survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier model, the Log-Rank test and the Cox regression model was conducted. Overall survival at 10 years was 41% (CI 95%, 36.1%-45.0%). The risk of 10-year mortality stratified by tumor staging was higher among women with lymphatic invasion and staging II, and staging III, at 60 years or older. The findings suggest that the presence of lymphatic invasion, advanced age and intermediate/advanced staging of the disease can be considered indicators of a worse prognosis for breast cancer.

The aim of this study was to verify whether the perception of neighborhood physical and social disorder is associated with increased systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), as well as to examine the influence of the residential census tract's socioeconomic status on this association. This was a cross-sectional study that included a representative sample of 1,720 adults 20 to 59 years of age living in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Two blood pressure measurements were taken, and information was collected on the perception of neighborhood disorder. The contextual variable was the mean head-of-household's years of schooling in the selected census tracts. Statistical analysis included multilevel models with the first level represented by individuals and the second by census tracts. Interaction terms were examined between schooling tertiles in the census tract and tertiles of perception of neighborhood disorder on blood pressure. No statistically significant overall associations were identified between neighborhood disorder and SBP or DBP. However, the study showed a mean increase in SBP of 7.88mmHg (95%CI: 1.38; 14.40) in subjects that perceived more neighborhood disorder and lived in census tracts with less schooling, when compared to the reference category. Public policies aimed at lowering or that have an impact on SBP and DBP in the population should also address the characteristics of the context where the population lives, specifically in contexts marked by lower levels of schooling.

This study aimed to investigate the association between the characteristics of the environment related to physical activity and income in areas around schools in Curitiba, Paraná State, Brazil. A total of 888 street segments were audited with a systematic observation instrument in three sections (Routes, Segments, and Crossings) in a radius of 500 meters around 30 public schools. The total score was the sum of the sections. Data on income in the school neighborhood were obtained from the 2010 Population Census, and the linear distance from each school to the city center was calculated. Multilevel models (level one = segment; level two = school) were applied to the analysis, with estimates of weighted means and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). In the crude analysis, the highest variability between schools was observed in the Segments section (ICC = 0.41) and the lowest in the Routes section (ICC = 0.19). The street segments located around schools in the lowest income tertile reach an adjusted mean total score of 15.6 (95%CI: 13.0-18.3), nearly half of that in those with the highest income, which reached 30.7 points (95%CI; 28.0-33.5), with a significant difference between the tertiles (p < 0.001). The score for the more central areas of the city was 30.1 (95%CI: 26.9-33.4), significantly higher (p < 0.001) than for the more peripheral areas, where the score was 16.3 (95%CI: 12.8-19.8). The characteristics of the environment assessed by the Routes and Segments sections, in addition to the total score, were associated with the lowest income. An environment with worse quality in lower income areas is one of the iniquities that needs to be faced in Brazil's metropolises in order to help improve the people's health.

Background: To evaluate the association between sociodemographic conditions and the quality of life (QoL) in adults and investigate whether these inequalities are greater among individuals with long-lasting chronic health conditions., Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of the second wave (2012) of the EpiFloripa Study, a population-based cohort of 1720 adults living in Southern Brazil. QoL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environmental) were evaluated using the WHOQoL-BREF. Unadjusted and adjusted means of QoL according to socioeconomic and demographic variables were estimated and stratified by the presence of long-lasting chronic conditions (heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, cirrhosis, tendinitis, arthritis, rheumatism and/or fibromyalgia) were peformed in 2016., Results: Among 1222 interviewed adults (56.6% females, mean age 41.7 ± 11.4 years; follow-up rate 71.1%), the prevalence of 1+ long-lasting chronic disease was 37.3% (95%CI: 34.4-40.3). Their effect on the QoL was four times higher on the physical component (-9.6; 95%CI -12.1; -7.1) than on the other domains. Adults aged 40+ years with black skin colour or lower educational level had a lower physical QoL score only when any chronic disease was present. Among those with some chronic illness, the psychological domain was also lower among those aged 40+ years and with a lower family income. No interaction between sociodemographic variables and chronic diseases was observed for the other QoL domains., Conclusions: The occurrence of long-lasting chronic diseases is associated with inequalities in QoL (physical and psychological domains), with stronger adverse effects among older adults, blacks and individuals with lower income or educational levels.

Objective: To test if the neighborhood socioeconomic status is associated with systolic blood pressure and hypertension in older adults., Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study with a sample of 1,705 older adults from Florianópolis, SC, Southern Brazil. The contextual variable used was the average years of schooling of the head of the household in census tracts. Participants were considered hypertensive when the systolic blood pressure was ≥ 140 mmHg, diastolic ≥ 90 mmHg, or both. Additionally, the use of antihypertensive medication was also considered. Data were analyzed by using multilevel models of logistic and linear regression., Results: The average age of the sample was 70.7 years and the average of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 133.5 mmHg (SD = 20.5 mmHg) and 81.9 mmHg (SD = 12.5 mmHg), respectively. The systolic blood pressure was 4.46 mmHg (95%CI 1.00-7.92) higher and the chance of hypertension was 1.80 (95%CI 1.26-2.57) among those who lived in census tracts with lower level of schooling. When the use of antihypertensive medication was combined with blood pressure levels, none association was found between the outcome and the level of schooling of the census tract., Conclusions: Analytical models more robust (such as multilevel analysis) in Brazil are still little used, with a small number of articles published. Neighborhood socioeconomic status is associated with systolic blood pressure and the chance of hypertension, regardless of individual characteristics., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Systematic reviews have found no evidence to support a benefit of water fluoridation (WF) to prevent dental caries in adult populations. The aim of this natural experiment was to investigate whether lifetime access to fluoridated water is associated with dental caries experience among adults from Florianópolis, Brazil. The data originated from a population-based cohort study (EpiFloripa Adult) initiated in 2009 (n = 1,720) when participants were aged 20 to 59 years. The second wave was carried out in 2012 (n = 1,140) and included a dental examination and a face-to-face questionnaire. Participants residing at the same address since the age of 7 y or before were included in the primary analyses. Sensitivity analyses were also performed. WF was implemented in the city in 2 different periods of time: 1982 (60% of the population) and 1996. Dental caries was assessed by the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. A combination of residential status, participant's age, and year of implementation of WF permitted the creation of participants' lifetime access to fluoridated water: >75%, 50% to 75%, and <50% of a participant's lifetime. Covariates included sex, age, socioeconomic mobility, educational attainment, income, pattern of dental attendance, and smoking. Participants who accessed fluoridate water <50% of their lifetime presented a higher mean rate ratio of DMFT (1.39; 95% CI, 1.05-1.84) compared with those living >75% of their lifetime with residential access to fluoridated water. Participants living between 50% and 75% and <50% of their lives in fluoridated areas presented a decayed and filled teeth mean ratio of 1.34 (95% CI, 1.02-1.75) and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.05-2.04) higher than those with residential access to fluoridated water >75% of their lifetime, respectively. Longer residential lifetime access to fluoridated water was associated with less dental caries even in a context of multiple exposures to fluoride., (© International & American Associations for Dental Research 2016.)

Neighborhood problems constitute sources of chronic stress that may increase the risk of poor self-rated health. The associations of census tract level income and perceived neighborhood problems with self-rated health were examined in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil (1,720 adults). Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of poor self-rated health were estimated through multilevel models. Residents in census tracts in the lower and intermediate tertiles of income reported poorer health than those in the highest tertile. OR of reporting poorer health was 2.44 (95%CI: 2.35- 2.54) in the higher tertile of social disorder (adjusting for mental health). The chances of reporting the poorer health with neighborhood problems ranged from 1.07 (95%CI: 1.03-1.11) to 2.02 (95%CI: 1.95-2.10) for the higher tertile of social disorder (physical health) and physical problem (health-related variables). Perceived neighborhood problems were independently associated with poor health. The perception of a neighborhood among its residents should be considered by health policymakers.

The research objective was to evaluate the association between socioeconomic and demographic variables of health-related behaviors and characteristics of the home environment and the prevalence of overweight among students from 1st to 5th grade in the city of Itajaí in the State of Santa Catarina, brazil. Socioeconomic and demographic variables were identified through a questionnaire administered to parents/guardians. Nutritional status was determined by body mass index and waist circumference. The association between excess weight and other variables was investigated using Pearson's Chi-Square and the Linear Trend test. The population consisted of 417 children, which represented 95.2% of the sample. The data suggest that 44% of children were overweight, which was associated with: a better quality diet (49.4%, p = 0.051), lower frequency of consumption of snack foods, habit of eating meals while watching the television, overweight parents (51%, p = 0,002), the score of family nutrition (51.9%, p = 0.029**) and physical activity in children. It is suggested that health actions must consider the family environment and the social context of children to promote healthier lifestyles.

Objective: To estimate the corrected femicide rates and to describe the characteristics of these deaths in Brazil during the 2009-2011 triennium., Methods: A descriptive study was performed with data from the Brazilian Mortality Information System. Femicides were defined as all female deaths classified in the Assault chapter of ICD-10 (X85-Y09). These data underwent two correction procedures: proportional redistribution of events of undetermined intent (Y10-Y34) and application of correction factors for mortality rates previously described in the literature., Results: During the period analyzed, 13 071 femicides were recorded in the Mortality Information System. After the first correction procedure, 17 167 femicides were estimated, corresponding to a death rate of 5.86 per 100 000 women. Higher femicide rates were recorded in the Northeast, Midwest and North regions of Brazil (6.93, 6.88 and 6.43 deaths per 100 000 women respectively) vs. 5.07 and 5.09 per 100 000 women in the South and Southeast respectively. Of the victims, 29.7% were between 20 and 29 years of age and 60.9% were black. Among women aged 15 years or older, 48% had schooling of not more than 8 years. Fire guns were used in 50.2% of deaths; 27.6% of deaths took place in the household; and 35.1% took place on weekends., Conclusions: Femicide death rates were high and support the need for correction to reduce underestimation. The victims were women of all age groups, ethnicities, and schooling levels. However, most victims were young, black, with low schooling, living in the Northeast, Midwest, and North of Brazil.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to analyze whether socioeconomic conditions and the period of availability of fluoridated water are associated with the number of teeth present. METHODS This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 1,720 adults between 20 and 59 years of age who resided in Florianópolis, SC, Southern Brazil, in 2009. The outcome investigated was the self-reported number of teeth present. The individual independent variables included gender, age range, skin color, number of years of schooling, and per capita household income. The duration of residence was used as a control variable. The contextual exposures included the period of availability of fluoridated water to the households and the socioeconomic variable for the census tracts, which was created from factor analysis of the tract's mean income, education level, and percentage of households with treated water. Multilevel logistic regression was performed and inter-level interactions were tested. RESULTS Residents in intermediate and poorer areas and those with fluoridated water available for less time exhibited the presence of fewer teeth compared with those in better socioeconomic conditions and who had fluoridated water available for a longer period (OR = 1.02; 95%CI 1.01;1.02). There was an association between the period of availability of fluoridated water, per capita household income and number of years of education. The proportion of individuals in the poorer and less-educated stratum, which had fewer teeth present, was higher in regions where fluoridated water had been available for less time. CONCLUSIONS Poor socioeconomic conditions and a shorter period of availability of fluoridated water were associated with the probability of having fewer teeth in adulthood. Public policies aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities and increasing access to health services such as fluoridation of the water supply may help to reduce tooth loss in the future.

Objective: To investigate prevalence of poor self-rated health and its association with individual and household-level characteristics among adults and elderly in Brazil., Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study with Brazilian National Household Sample Survey 2008 (n=257 816). Crude and multilevel-adjusted Poisson regression models were fitted., Results: After adjusted analysis, poor self-rated health was significantly associated with higher household income, living alone, not having piped water nor garbage collection, lower education, not having health insurance, female sex, higher age, being a current or previous smoker, physical inactivity, having chronic diseases, having physical impairment. Subjects living in rural areas also had higher prevalence of poor self-rated health. The factors most strongly associated with the outcome were physical impairment and reporting three or more chronic diseases., Conclusions: Socioeconomic, health related behaviors, and physical health were associated with poor self-rated health.

Breast cancer has the highest incidence among women, and reduces survival among female sufferers. This article aims to evaluate the survival and its prognostic factors in women with breast cancer, treated by public sector, in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Retrospective cohort study nested in a case-control. The data has been obtained by a questionnaire, by the review of records and death certifications. In the analysis of survival it has been applied the Kaplan-Meier's statistical method and the Cox's method. 170 women have been evaluated. The survival in ten years was 83.1% (95% CI 74.1 to 89.3%), and 21 (12.4%) deaths were identified at the time period. The probability of being alive was smaller for those in advanced stages of cancer; the risk of death was higher among those who had another kinds of cancer associated, and among those unsatisfied with life. The death's ratio was 17.1 times bigger among women diagnosed in advanced stages. The variable staging presented higher association with the survival in evaluated women. Detecting the disease early minimizes the mortality by breast cancer.

Background: Physical attributes of the places in which people live, as well as their perceptions of them, may be important health determinants. The perception of place in which people dwell may impact on individual health and may be a more telling indicator for individual health than objective neighborhood characteristics. This paper aims to evaluate psychometric and ecometric properties of a scale on the perceptions of neighborhood problems in adults from Florianopolis, Southern Brazil., Methods: Individual, census tract level (per capita monthly familiar income) and neighborhood problems perception (physical and social disorders) variables were investigated. Multilevel models (items nested within persons, persons nested within neighborhoods) were run to assess ecometric properties of variables assessing neighborhood problems., Results: The response rate was 85.3%, (1,720 adults). Participants were distributed in 63 census tracts. Two scales were identified using 16 items: Physical Problems and Social Disorder. The ecometric properties of the scales satisfactory: 0.24 to 0.28 for the intra-class correlation and 0.94 to 0.96 for reliability. Higher values on the scales of problems in the physical and social domains were associated with younger age, more length of time residing in the same neighborhood and lower census tract income level., Conclusions: The findings support the usefulness of these scales to measure physical and social disorder problems in neighborhoods.

This population-based health survey was carried out in Florianopolis, Brazil, to assess the association between adult systolic blood pressure (SBP) and contextual income level, after controlling for potential individual-level confounders. A statistically significant negative association between SBP levels and contextual income was identified after adjusting for individual-level characteristics. SBP levels in the highest and in the intermediate tertiles of contextual income were 5.78 and 2.82 mm Hg lower, respectively, than that observed in the bottom tertile. The findings suggest an association between income area level and blood pressure, regardless of well-known individual-level hypertension risk factors., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This cross-sectional study with 1,249 workers from all 49 municipal primary health care centers was conducted in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil, with the objective of investigating the prevalence of poor self-rated health and its association with working conditions and other factors. Multivariate statistical analyses were conducted using Poisson regression. The prevalence of poor self-rated health was 21.86% (95%CI: 19.56%-24.15%). The largest prevalence was found among dental assistants (35.71%), and the lowest among physicians (10.66%). In the adjusted analysis, the outcome was associated with female gender (PR = 1.48; 95%CI: 1.03-2.14), older age (PR = 1.29; 95%CI: 1.05-1.59), higher education (PR = 0.69; 95%CI: 0.55-0.87), more time working at the primary care center (PR = 1.57; 95%CI: 1.29-1.98), higher workload score (PR = 1.67; 95%CI: 1.35-2.05), obesity (PR = 1.74; 95%CI: 1.37-2.21), and often or always experiencing musculoskeletal symptoms (PR = 2.69; 95%CI: 1.90-3.83). A higher workload score remained associated with the outcome, suggesting an association between working conditions and self-rated health.

Self-related health is an important predictor of morbidity and mortality, and much of its effect is influenced by the presence of chronic diseases and/or symptoms. The current study aimed to identify confounders in the association between reported chronic diseases and/or symptoms and self-rated health among workers at a metallurgical factory in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The study design was cross-sectional, with a probabilistic sample of 482 workers. The information was obtained through a self-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression models were adjusted. The response rate was 98.6% (n = 475), with 84.8% men, mostly employed on the factory floor (79.4%). Back pain was the most common complaint. The association between chronic diseases and self-rated health showed an odds ratio (OR) of 7.3 (95%CI: 3.7;14.5). After statistical modeling, psychosocial (-25.59%), socioeconomic (-9.29%), and occupational variables (10.54%) were identified as confounders between the outcome and chronic diseases and/or symptoms. The way diseases and/or symptoms act on self-rated health among workers transcends physical aspects.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence of negative self-rated health and its factors associates among industrial workers., Methods: Cross-sectional study with a probabilistic sample of 482 metal mechanic industrial workers of a city in Southern Brazil. Data was collected by means of self-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measures. The magnitude of the association between self-rated health and the study variables was estimated by odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Multivariate logistic regression models were obtained using a theoretical hierarchical model., Results: Response rate was 98.6%. Negative self-rated health was seen in 16.6% of the employees and most (84.8%) were males engaged in predominantly production activities (79.4%). The most common complaint was back pain (30.9%). After statistical modeling the following variables remained associated with negative self-rated health: females (OR=3.0 95% CI 1.5;6.2), physical inactivity (OR=1.8 95% CI 1.0;3.4), psychological stress (OR=3.0 95% CI 1.6;5.6), lack of control over life (OR=3.0 95% CI 1.5;6.1), reporting of one (OR=3.2 95% CI 1.4;7.2) or two or more chronic conditions (OR=7.7 95% CI 3.4;17.8), short-term medical leave (OR=2.9 95% CI 1.5;5.5), and incapacitating illness (OR=2.8 95% CI 1.2;6.6)., Conclusions: The prevalence of negative self-rated health was associated with socioeconomic/demographic, lifestyle, psychosocial and health-related dimensions. The variable causing the greatest impact on the outcome was reporting of more than two chronic conditions.