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Background: Despite global efforts to promote universal salt iodization, iodine deficiency remains a public health issue in developing countries. Objectives: This study assessed the proportion and sociodemographic characteristics of households consuming adequately iodized salt in 49 low- and middle-income countries. Methods: Data from DHS surveys of 49 low- and middle-income countries (2005–2021) were used to analyze household iodized salt prevalence. R version 4.0 was employed for statistical analyses. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate overall and regional prevalence. Results: We found that 83.4% of households consume adequately iodized salt, although with high heterogeneity (I2 = 100.0%). The East Asia and Pacific and the Europe and Central Asia regions showed high consumption rates of 87.6% and 87.7%, respectively, while Latin America and the Caribbean presented a significantly lower proportion of 30.8%. Conclusions: The study highlights the need for enhanced public health strategies to increase iodized salt consumption, especially in low-income and rural households. Addressing disparities in access, education, and affordability is crucial for improving iodine intake and preventing deficiency disorders, particularly among vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent a global health challenge, accounting for 74% of deaths worldwide. One of the recommended interventions to reduce the risk of NCDs is the implementation of warning labels (WLs) on food products to alert consumers about high levels of undesirable nutrients, such as sugar or saturated fats. We aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of scientific literature related to WL policies in food and beverages to evaluate global trends and collaborations. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was performed using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Articles published between 1998 and 2023 were retrieved using the search terms "warning labels" AND "food" OR "beverage". Bibliometric indicators, including publication counts, citations, collaborations, and thematic trends, were analyzed using the Bibliometrix package in R and VOSviewer. Results: We included 255 articles on WLs. Scientific production increased markedly from 2018 onwards, with over 30 articles published annually from 2018 to 2023. The most cited article, by Taillie et al., focused on the impact of Chile's WL policies. The United States had the largest scientific production, followed by Brazil and Chile. Nutrients was the journal with the most publications on this topic. Conclusions: The growth in WL-related research, particularly in Latin America, reflects the increasing implementation of these policies. These results underscore key collaborations and evolving research themes, from food labeling to broader public health impacts, emphasizing the need for continued evaluation of WL effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with disabilities experience significant health inequalities and inequities compared to people without disabilities. However, there is little evidence on the frequency of health conditions and their association with disability in the prison context. The aim of this study was to compare the proportions and associations between various health conditions and different disability indicators. A secondary analysis of existing data from the Ecuador Prison Census 2022 was conducted. The variable of interest was based on three disability indicators from the six-item Washington Group Short Set on Functioning. A cross-tabulation was carried out to estimate the proportion of prisoners with different disability indicators by gender. These proportions were also calculated for different health conditions. Moreover, we analyzed the association between each of the three disability indicators and the different health conditions using multivariable logistic regression. A total of 30,612 incarcerated persons were included in the analysis, revealing that 8% had disabilities. According to gender, a higher proportion of women had disabilities (10.7% vs. 8.5%), some difficulty functioning (33.8% vs. 28.0%), and multiple disabilities (2.4% vs. 2.0%) compared to men. Furthermore, people with disabilities had a higher proportion of health conditions compared to those without a disability. Strong and very strong evidence of associations were found between different disability indicators and several health conditions, while a lower odds of drug use was observed in people with disabilities and multiple disabilities compared to their counterparts, and no evidence of association was found with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Our results reflect the health inequalities and inequities experienced by prisoners with disabilities. This highlights the need to implement targeted policies within prisons and to include prisoners with disabilities in the country's agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to identify factors associated with excessive screen time among preschoolers in Lima, Peru. Methods: Cross‐sectional analysis from a 2019 panel study in Lima, Peru, was conducted focusing on women, aged 18 and above, who are mothers of 3‐ to 5‐year‐olds in mid‐high and mid‐low districts. There were two outcome variables: excessive TV and excessive electronic devices screen time, defined as ≥ 1 h of screen exposure for each one. Explored factors included the mother's age, education and wealth index and the children's age, sex, physical activity, day care attendance and ultra‐processed food consumption. Crude (cPR) and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were estimated for the association between associated factors and excessive screen time using the GLM Poisson of with a logarithmic link. Results: Excessive TV screen time and electronic devices prevalence was 74% and 36.9%, respectively. For TV screen time, a high wealth index (aPR 1.13; 95%CI: 1.03–1.23) and children's age (aPR 1.18; 95%CI: 1.08–1.29 for 4 years, PR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.07–1.28 for 5 years) were significant. For electronic devices, significant associations included mothers with more than 3 children (aPR 0.77; 95%CI: 0.62–0.96), being single (aPR 1.27; 95%CI: 1.01–1.58) and a high wealth index (aPR 1.38; 95%CI: 1.13–1.68). Furthermore, significant associations were found between excessive electronic device screen time and consumption of candies and chocolates (aPR 1.38; 95%CI: 1.08–1.77). Conclusions: Seven out of 10 preschool children exceeded the recommended television screen time. Certain characteristics of the children, their mothers and the family's socio‐economic situation are related to excessive television screen time and excessive electronic device screen time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]