Search

Objective. To estimate vaccine uptake and assess sociodemographic conditions associated with vaccination barriers and refusal and to explore the effect of a monetary incentive to overcome them. Materials and methods. We used data from adults from the 2021 National Continuous Health and Nutrition Survey conducted during August-October 2021. We evaluated if an hypothetical monetary incentive between 50-650 MXN (~2.5-31 USD) would overcome barriers or refusal. Results. 73.9% were vaccinated with at least one dose, 7.5% refused, 4.8% reported barriers and 13.8% were ineligible at the time of the survey. Refusal and barriers were more frequent in men, older age, lower education and socioeconomic status, unemployed and informal workers. In people with barriers and refusal, the hypothetical incentive increased the acceptance in 57.6% (95%CI 50.7,64.4%) and 17.4% (95%CI 13.2,21.7%) in people with barriers and refusal, respectively. Conclusion. Understanding the reasons for barriers and refusal is crucial for future Covid-19 vaccination campaigns or epidemics. A monetary incentive might increase vaccination uptake, although, cost-effectiveness analyses are needed.

Introduction Modeling studies have estimated the potential impact and cost effectiveness of interventions to reduce obesity; few have focused on their equity across socioeconomic groups. This study aims to compare the equitability of individual- and population-level interventions to reduce obesity in Mexico. Methods Mathematical models were implemented to estimate the expected effect of 2 sugar-sweetened beverage tax scenarios (10% and 20%) and bariatric surgery, pharmacotherapy, and dietary advice as individual interventions to reduce body weight. Individual interventions were modeled using meta-analytical weight change, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the probability of access to healthcare services. For the tax, investigators obtained the baseline consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages from the National Health Survey 2012 and applied the reduction in sales observed in 2016 to estimate the caloric change and weight reduction. Implementation costs and cost per person, per kilogram, and equity were calculated for all interventions over a 1-year timeframe. Results The 20% tax produced the largest estimated increase (4.50%) in normal BMI prevalence, was the most cost effective, and had the largest and most equitable decrease in obesity across socioeconomic categories. Pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery produced sizable decreases in obesity prevalence (3.68% and 1.18%), particularly among the middle and high socioeconomic groups, whereas dietary advice had the lowest impact on normal and obese categories. Conclusions Individual interventions were effective in reducing obesity; yet, they were more expensive and less equitable than population interventions. Obesity in Mexico affects all socioeconomic groups; available interventions need to be carefully analyzed to tailor a national strategy that is both effective and equitable.

Objective. The objective of the study is to describe trends in selected services offered at public health facilities and utilization patterns during the Covid-19 epidemic in Mexico. Materials and methods. We used administrative data and the National Health and Nutrition Survey Covid-19, 2020. Results. We found a reduction in the rates of diabetes and detection screening during 2020 compared to 2014-2019. From the demand side, we found that 18.6% of the population reported health needs, and only 34% of them received care in public health facilities. The use of private health services was extensive even among the population with social security. The uninsured and the population with high and medium socioeconomic status had a lower probability of receiving care in public health facilities. Conclusion. We document trends in selected services, as well as the cascade of care during the Covid-19 epidemic in Mexico and its potential impact on displaced health care. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Objetivo. Describir tendencias en servicios selectos ofrecidos en unidades de salud publica y patrones de uso de servicios durante la epidemia de Covid-19 en Mexico. Material y metodos. Se utilizaron datos administrativos y la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutricion Covid-19, 2020. Resultados. Se encontro una reduccion en las tasas de deteccion y diagnostico de diabetes en 2020 comparado con 2014-2019. Se mostro que 18.6% de la poblacion reporto una necesidad de salud y solo 34% utilizo servicios de salud publicos. El uso de servicios privados fue extensivo aun en la poblacion que tiene seguridad social. La poblacion sin seguridad social y de nivel socioeconomico alto y medio tuvo una menor probabilidad de recibir atencion en servicios publicos. Conclusiones. Se documentaron tendencias en servicios relevantes y la cascada de atencion durante la epidemia de Covid-19 en Mexico y su potencial impacto en el desplazamiento de la demanda. (Spanish) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Salud Publica de Mexico is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective. The study describes health care services utilization contextualized by the needs of the Mexican population during the Covid-19 pandemic. Materials and methods. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey, Covid-19. Among the population with symptoms compatible with Covid-19, we describe the proportion who sought care, received care, were tested, were diagnosed positive, and survived, and whether they received care in public or private services. We estimated factors associated with the probability of seeking and receiving care. Results. Out of 7.1% of the population with symptoms compatible with Covid-19, 64.4% received care, and 15.4% tested positive;74.5% received care in the private sector, even among the population with social security. Those with social security, in contact with a suspected or confirmed Covid-19 case, and with at least one comorbidity had a higher probability of seeking and receiving care. Conclusions. The most relevant finding of our study is the large proportion of the population with Covid-19 symptoms who sought and received care in private facilities an essential aspect for decision-makers to consider as the current health reform moves forward in Mexico. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Objetivo. Describir el uso de servicios de salud en el contexto de las necesidades de la poblacion mexicana durante la epidemia de Covid-19. Material y metodos. Se utilizo la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutricion, Covid-19. De la poblacion con sintomas compatibles con Covid-19, se describio la proporcion que busco atencion, la que la recibio, a la que le hicieron prueba, a la que fue diagnosticada como positiva y sobrevivio;y si recibieron atencion en servicios publicos o privados. Se estimaron factores asociados con la probabilidad de buscar y recibir atencion. Resultados. De 7.1% de la poblacion con sintomas compatibles con Covid-19, 64.4% recibio atencion y 15.4% fue positivo;74.5% recibio atencion en servicios privados, aun en la poblacion con seguridad social. La poblacion con seguridad social, en contacto con un caso sospechoso o confirmado de Covid-19 y con al menos una comorbilidad, tuvo una probabilidad mayor de buscar o recibir atencion. Conclusiones. El resultado mas relevante del estudio es la proporcion tan elevada de la poblacion con sintomas compatibles con Covid-19 que recibio atencion en servicios privados, un aspecto a considerar en el contexto de la reforma en salud en Mexico. (Spanish) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Salud Publica de Mexico is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective:To examine food and beverage purchasing patterns across formal and informal outlets among Mexican households’ and explore differences by urbanicity and income.Design:Cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of households. We calculated the proportion of total food and beverage expenditure in each household by food outlet type overall and by urbanicity and income. We defined informal outlets as those which are not registered or regulated by tax and fiscal laws. Since some of the outlets within community food environments do not fall in clear categories, we defined a continuum from formal to informal outlets, adding mixed outlets as a category.Setting:Mexico.Participants:Mexican households (n 74 203) from the 2018 National Income and Expenditure Survey.Results:Of the total food and beverage purchases, outlets within the formal food sector (i.e. supermarkets and convenience stores) accounted for 15 % of the purchases, 13 % of purchases occurred in outlets within the informal food sector (i.e. street markets, street vendors and acquaintances) and 70 % in fiscally mixed outlets (i.e. small neighbourhood stores, specialty stores and public markets). Across levels of urbanicity and income, most food and beverage purchases occurred in mixed outlets. Also, purchases in informal and mixed outlets decreased as levels of urbanicity and income increased. In contrast to informal outlets, purchases in formal outlets were most likely from richer households and living in larger sized cities.Conclusions:Understanding where Mexican households shop for food is relevant to create tailored interventions according to food outlet type, accounting for regulatory and governance structures.

Background Up to a third of global road traffic deaths, and one in five in Mexico, are attributable to alcohol. In 2013, Mexico launched a national sobriety checkpoints program designed to reduce drink-driving in municipalities with high rates of alcohol-related collisions. Our study measured the association between the sobriety checkpoints program and road traffic mortality rates in 106 urban municipalities. Methods We leveraged data from the Salud Urbana en America Latina (SALURBAL), which compiles health and environmental data from cities with over 100,000 residents. Death data from 2005 to 2019 (i.e., outcome) were from official vital statistics. Among 106 Mexican municipalities defined as priority areas for intervention, 54 adopted the program (i.e., treatment) in 2013, 16 municipalities did so in 2014, 16 in 2015, 10 in 2016, 7 in 2017, and 2 in 2019. We used a difference-in-difference approach with inverse probability weighting adapted to a context where program adoption is staggered over time. Results There was a 12.3% reduction in road traffic fatalities per 10,000 passenger vehicles in the post-treatment period compared to the pre-treatment period (95% Confidence Interval, − 17.8; − 6,5). There was a clear trend of decline in mortality in municipalities that adopted the program (vs. comparison) particularly after year 2 of the program. Conclusions In this study of 106 municipalities in Mexico, we found a 12.3% reduction in traffic fatalities associated with the adoption of sobriety checkpoints. There was a clear trend indicating that this association increased over time, which is consistent with sustained changes in drink-driving behavior. These findings provide support and insight for efforts to implement and evaluate the impact of sobriety checkpoint policies across Latin America.

In January 2014, taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and nonessential energy-dense food were implemented in Mexico to discourage the consumption of these products. Published evaluations have shown reductions in purchases of taxed food and beverages associated with the implementation of this fiscal policy. Although there are some studies on the impact on health based on simulation studies, no evaluations with empirical data on changes in oral health have been published. We used administrative records and data from an epidemiological surveillance system to estimate changes in (1) outpatient visits related to dental caries; (2) having experienced dental caries: Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) >0 for permanent dentition or dmft >0 for primary dentition (dmft); (3) number of teeth with caries experience (DMFT and dmft), (4) cases with DMFT >0 or dmft >0, and (5) the series of mean DMFT or dmft, associated with the taxes. We estimated probit and negative binomial models for outcomes at individual level, and interrupted time series analysis for population-level outcomes. The implementation of the taxes was associated with negative changes in the trends of outpatient visits, as well as for cases with DMFT >0, dmft >0 and mean DMFT. Taxes were also associated with a lower probability of having experienced dental caries and with a lower number of teeth with caries experience in the samples studied. Our results suggest positive impacts of the implementation of taxes on unhealthy food and beverages in the oral health of Mexicans, which are the first health benefits observed, and add to the health benefits predicted by modeling studies.

Este artículo propone intervenciones estructurales dirigidas a la reorganización del trabajo para evitar un repunte de casos de Covid-19, permitiendo la continuidad de la actividad económica. Se resume la evidencia disponible acerca de los ciclos de trabajo-confinamiento y la posible aplicación de ciclos de cuatro días de trabajo por tres de confinamiento (4x3) en el contexto mexicano. También se discuten otras intervenciones como la continuación del teletrabajo en algunos sectores y el escalonamiento de las jornadas de trabajo como medidas complementarias a los ciclos de trabajo-confinamiento. Esta discusión se da en el contexto de alta informalidad y escasos recursos para absorber una pérdida importante de la productividad por las empresas medianas y pequeñas en México. Se considera la necesidad de implementar apoyos para que personas y empresas puedan mitigar pérdidas en salarios y ganancias tanto del sector formal como informal.

espanolObjetivo. Estudiar los cambios en la utilizacion de servicios de salud publicos y privados en Mexico entre 2012 y 2018. Material y metodos. Usamos la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutricion de los anos 2012 y 2018 (Ensanut 2012 y Ensanut 2018-19), y datos agregados de la oferta de servicios de salud. Resultados. Los consultorios adyacentes a farma-cias (CAF) crecieron aceleradamente y esto se relaciono con un menor uso de servicios publicos, aun en la poblacion con seguridad social. Individuos que viven en municipios con alta densidad de CAF tienen menor probabilidad de usar servicios publicos. El aumento en la afiliacion al Seguro Popular (SP) no se acompano de un incremento de la oferta de servicios publicos y no se relaciona con mayor utilizacion de servicios publicos. Conclusiones. Derechohabiencia y afiliacion no garantizan el acceso a la atencion medica en servicios publicos. Dada la creciente importancia de los CAF, es urgente disenar y evaluar estrategias para regular su desempeno. EnglishObjective. To study changes in health care utilization in the public and private sector in Mexico in 2012 and 2018. Material and methods. We used the 2012 and 2018-19 National Health and Nutrition Surveys and aggregated data on the supply of health services. Results. There was an acceler-ated increase in medical offices in pharmacies (MOP) that was related to a lower use of public health services, even among the population with social security. We found that individu-als living in municipalities with a high density of MOP had a lower probability of using public services. The increase in the affiliation to the Seguro Popular (SP) was not followed by an increase in public health services and was not associated with a higher utilization of public health services. Conclusions. Affiliation or health insurance does not guarantee access to public services. Given the high increase in MOP, it is urgent to design and evaluate strategies to regulate their performance.

Background In June 2016, Chile implemented the Law of Food Labelling and Advertising, which included a mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on food and beverages high in added sugar, saturated fat, sodium or energy density, restrictions on child-directed marketing and on the promotion and sales of these products in schools. The regulation does not include taxes although Chile had implemented a tiered tax on SSBs two years before this law was implemented. Therefore, the objective of the study was to simulate the impact of taxing food and beverages based on the cutoff’s points for warning labels on purchases and revenues. Methods We derived price elasticities using the linear approximation of the almost ideal demand system for six groups of labeled food and beverages (with a warning label based on the regulation) and unlabeled (with no warning label): 1) unlabeled beverages, 2) labeled beverages, 3) unlabeled cereal based products, 4) labeled cereal based products, 5) labeled meat and fish and 6) labeled sweet snacks and desserts. The study used data on household food beverage purchases from the Kantar WorldPanel Chile and Euromonitor sales to adjust the Kantar elasticity results to the national average. We estimated revenues under three tax scenarios for all labeled food and beverages: 10%, 20%, 30% of the final price excluding taxes. Results Except for labeled fish and meat, all food and beverage groups were price elastic. After accounting for a reduction in consumption after the taxes, economic and population growth, revenues for all groups could reach between 457 million USD to 1.3 billion USD. These results based on the much larger tax base of these labeled “high in added sugar, salt or saturated fat or energy density” foods and beverages is much larger. Conclusion This fiscal package could be implemented in countries with warning labels to enhance health and welfare. The Chilean warning label front-of-the-package system provides an important guide for countries considering policies to reduce diet-related non communicable diseases, including obesity. The fiscal policy impact alone, as shown here for Chile, will be highly impactful in reducing ultra-processed food intake and generating revenues.

Overweight and obesity are a severe public health problem in Mexico. National policies to fight unhealthy eating have been implemented but they don't target social and family environment determinants. Our study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the determinants of unhealthy eating by exploring the perspectives and experiences of low-income Mexican women with a young child at home. We conducted a purposeful sampling to include participating kindergartens in Morelos, México. Women with a child enrolled in the kindergarten were invited to focus group discussions. Afterward, women with specific profiles were invited to in-depth interviews. During analysis we applied Dahlgren and Whitehead's model of social determinants of health (SDH). Overall, we found that participants have unhealthy habits, for example: low variability in consumption patterns, regular sugar-sweetened beverages intake and insufficient fruit and vegetable intake. By low variability we mean frequently consumed products (on most days of the week) limited to a restricted food set. As for the determinants of unhealthy habits, we found at the community level that families encourage unhealthy eating. At the household and work level, tight schedules for food preparation determine unhealthy eating. And, at a socio-economic level, lack of access and money constraints shape unhealthy habits. Unhealthy habits are determined by factors on multiple levels and using an SDH approach can be an effective way to inform comprehensive strategies targeting the overweight and obesity epidemic in Mexico and other low- and middle-income countries.

An excise tax of 1 peso per liter on sugar-sweetened beverages was implemented in Mexico in 2014. We estimated the cost-effectiveness of this tax and an alternative tax scenario of 2 pesos per liter. We developed a cohort simulation model calibrated for Mexico to project the impact of the tax over ten years. The current tax is projected to prevent 239,900 cases of obesity, 39 percent of which would be among children. It could also prevent 61,340 cases of diabetes, lead to gains of 55,300 quality-adjusted life-years, and avert 5,840 disability-adjusted life-years. The tax is estimated to save $3.98 per dollar spent on its implementation. Doubling the tax to 2 pesos per liter would nearly double the cost savings and health impact. Countries with comparable conditions could benefit from implementing a similar tax.

Estimate the price and income elasticities of the demand for beer in Mexico.Monthly series on beer sales and prices from 2007 to 2019 were used. Long-term elasticity was estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS). Short-term elasticity was estimated using a dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) model.The price elasticity was in the long term of -1.40 (95%CI: -2.53 to -0.27) and -1.31 (95%CI: -2.46 to -0.15) in the short term. The income elasticity of demand in the long and short term was estimated at 0.86 (95%CI: 0.44-1.29 and 0.93 (95%CI: 0.51-1.34), respectively.The findings of this study suggest that fiscal policies may have a positive impact on the health of the population by reducing beer consumption.

Despite the increase in the prevalence of binge drinking in Mexico studies focus on sociodemographic factors and little attention is paid on contextual factors. We estimated the association between density of alcohol outlets, price of alcoholic beverages, and binge drinking in Mexico among the population aged 12 to 65 years old who consumed alcohol during the last 12 months. Data come from different sources for alcohol consumption; availability of bar, nightclubs, saloons and stores that sell alcohol and prices of alcoholic beverages. We estimated generalized linear models for binary outcomes for the relationship between density of alcohol outlets and prices of alcoholic beverages with binge drinking at least once per year, at least once per month, and at least once per week controlling for sex, age, religion, household income and municipality size. Living in areas with a high density of alcohol-selling outlets was associated with a higher risk of binge drinking, at least once a year (RR 1.0, 95% CI: 1.0,1.1) at least once a month (RR 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.4) and weekly (RR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.6, 2.2). Living in States with lower alcohol prices was marginally associated to binge drinking at least once a year (RR 1.0, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.1) but more strongly associated to monthly (RR 1.2, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.4) and weekly binge drinking (RR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.6). Along with strong fiscal policies, the implementation of spatial restrictions to the number of alcohol-selling outlets could help decrease binge drinking.

Background Assisted partner notification services (APNS) may increase HIV testing, early diagnosis, and treatment, but they are not formally implemented in Mexico, where the HIV epidemic is concentrated in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transwomen (TW). This study aimed to explore the awareness of and need for HIV partner notification, as well as to outline potential strategies for APNS based on identified barriers and facilitators. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore partner notification with MSM, TW, and counselors. Afterwards, brainstorm sessions were carried out to produce strategies for implementing APNS. Results Most participants reported experiences with informal partner notification and serostatus disclosure, but not with APNS. Only one counselor indicated assisting notification systematically. The main barriers for notifying or disclosing mentioned by both MSM and TW included fear of (violent) reactions, discrimination and lacking contact information of casual partners. Participants thought it was easier to inform a formal partner, conditional of being well informed about HIV. Given current stigma and lack of awareness, it was suggested that APNS should be preceded by HIV awareness efforts, and be provided by counselors or peers to mitigate potential rejection or violent reactions. Conclusions While APNS are not formally implemented in Mexico, all participants supported the service, indicating that APNS could potentially enhance early HIV diagnosis in Mexico. Strategies to implement such services need to be flexible addressing the individual needs of participants, guaranteeing the safety of more vulnerable participants.

Over 45 jurisdictions globally have implemented sweetened beverage taxes. Researchers and policymakers need to assess whether and how these taxes change beverage demand and supply, their intended and unanticipated health, economic and equity impacts. Lessons from such evaluations can maximise the policies’ success and impact on non-communicable disease prevention globally. We discuss key theoretical, design and methodological considerations to help policymakers, funders and researchers commission and conduct rigorous evaluations of these policies and related disease prevention efforts. We encourage involving the perspectives of various stakeholders on what evaluations are needed given the specific context, what data and methods are appropriate, readily available or can be collected within time and budget constraints. A logic model /conceptual system map of anticipated implications across sectors and scales should help identify optimal study design, analytical techniques and measures. These models should be updated when synthesising findings across diverse methods and integrating findings across subpopulations using similar methods. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11984-2.

Additional file 2. The document contains the interview guides for the interview with the MSM and TW, as well as the guides for the counselors. Also an overview of the most important quotes is provided.

Additional file 1. The interview guides developed for this study can be found as an additional file.

Background. Despite the high health and financial burden imposed by diabetes in Mexico, few studies have estimated the cost per patient treated. The objective of this study was to estimate the average annual cost per patient (unit cost) with diabetes among 60 primary health facilities in Mexico comparing comprehensive diabetes management medical offices (MIDE) and those from general practice (Non-MIDE). Methods. We described the variation in unit costs across these two types of medical offices and explored factors associated. Unit costs were the sum of staff, medications, laboratory tests, and equipment. We show descriptive statistics to analyze the heterogeneity of unit costs, and the distribution of total costs by input and the distribution of staff costs by personnel all by medical office. We estimated a multivariate linear regression model to explore factors associated with the unit costs. Results. Unit costs vary from $267.2 USD in Non-MIDE offices to $410.6 for MIDE. Unit costs were negatively associated with scale, Non-MIDE offices, medical competence, patient knowledge of diabetes and positively associated with comorbidities. Conclusions. Results from this study might help design more efficient programs for diabetes care in primary health facilities to reduce the burden of diabetes in the system. Investing in staff training and educational interventions to increase patient knowledge of diabetes could be promising interventions to reduce diabetes care costs in primary care settings.

In 2016, Chile implemented a unique law mandating front-of-package warning labels, restricting marketing, and banning school sales for products high in calories, sodium, sugar, or saturated fat. We aimed to examine changes in the calorie, sugar, sodium, and saturated fat content of food and beverage purchases after the first phase of implementation of this law.This before and after study used longitudinal data on food and beverage purchases from 2381 Chilean households from Jan 1, 2015, to Dec 31, 2017. Nutrition facts panel data from food and beverage packages were linked to household purchases at the product level using barcode, brand name, and product description. Nutritionists reviewed each product for nutritional accuracy and categorised it as high-in if it contained added sugar, sodium, or saturated fat and exceeded phase 1 nutrient or calorie thresholds, and thus was subject to the labelling, marketing, and school regulations. Using fixed-effects models, we examined the mean nutrient content (overall calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium) of purchases in the post-policy period compared to a counterfactual scenario based on pre-policy trends.Compared with the counterfactual scenario, overall calories purchased declined by 16·4 kcal/capita/day (95% CI -27·3 to -5·6; p=0·0031) or 3·5%. Overall sugar declined by 11·5 kcal/capita/day (-14·6 to -8·4; p0·0001) or 10·2%, and saturated fat declined by 2·2 kcal/capita/day (-3·8 to -0·5; p=0·0097) or 3·9%. The sodium content of overall purchases declined by 27·7 mg/capita/day (-46·3 to -9·1; p=0·0035) or 4·7%. Declines from high-in purchases drove these results with some offset by increases in not-high-in purchases. Among high-in purchases, relative to the counterfactual scenario, there were notable declines of 23·8% in calories purchased (-49·4 kcal/capita/day, 95% CI -55·1 to -43·7; p0·0001), 36·7% in sodium purchased (-96·6 mg/capita/day,-105·3 to -87·8; p0·0001), and 26·7% in sugar purchased (-20·7 kcal/capita/day, -23·4 to -18·1; p0·0001).The Chilean phase 1 law of food labelling and advertising policies were associated with reduced high-in purchases, leading to declines in purchased nutrients of concern. Greater changes might reasonably be anticipated after the implementation of phases 2 and 3.Bloomberg Philanthropies, International Development Research Center, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.

To study changes in health care utilization in the public and private sector in Mexico in 2012 and 2018.We used the 2012 and 2018-19 National Health and Nutrition Surveys and aggregated data on the supply of health services.There was an acceler-ated increase in medical offices in pharmacies (MOP) that was related to a lower use of public health services, even among the population with social security. We found that individu-als living in municipalities with a high density of MOP had a lower probability of using public services. The increase in the affiliation to the Seguro Popular (SP) was not followed by an increase in public health services and was not associated with a higher utilization of public health services.Affiliation or health insurance does not guarantee access to public services. Given the high increase in MOP, it is urgent to design and evaluate strategies to regulate their performance.Estudiar los cambios en la utilización de servicios de salud públicos y privados en México entre 2012 y 2018.Usamos la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición de los años 2012 y 2018 (Ensanut 2012 y Ensanut 2018-19), y datos agregados de la oferta de servicios de salud.Los consultorios adyacentes a farma-cias (CAF) crecieron aceleradamente y esto se relacionó con un menor uso de servicios públicos, aun en la población con seguridad social. Individuos que viven en municipios con alta densidad de CAF tienen menor probabilidad de usar servicios públicos. El aumento en la afiliación al Seguro Popular (SP) no se acompañó de un incremento de la oferta de servicios públicos y no se relaciona con mayor utilización de servicios públicos.Derechohabiencia y afiliación no garantizan el acceso a la atención médica en servicios públicos. Dada la creciente importancia de los CAF, es urgente diseñar y evaluar estrategias para regular su desempeño.

In Mexico, purchases of ultra-processed food and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and the number of large supermarkets, discount and convenience stores are growing. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between the density of different types of food stores and ultra-processed food and SSB (taxed beverages) purchases in a representative sample of Mexican households. Results show that the density of convenience stores (national and in urban areas) was significantly associated with higher purchases of ultra-processed food and that supermarkets were marginally associated. Our findings are stronger for beverages where we found that convenience stores, discount stores, small grocery stores and stores speciliazed in selling candies, popsicles, soft drinks and other food were associated with higher purchases of taxed beverages. Mexico should implement or strengthen current policies to reduce purchases of ultra-processed food and sugar-sweetened beverages and to regulate the location and density of stores.

Background Chile’s Law of Food Labeling and Advertising, implemented in 2016, was the first national regulation to jointly mandate front-of-package warning labels, restrict child-directed marketing, and ban sales in schools of all foods and beverages containing added sugars, sodium, or saturated fats that exceed set nutrient or calorie thresholds. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of this package of policies on household beverage purchases. Method and findings In this observational study, monthly longitudinal data on packaged beverage purchases were collected from urban-dwelling households (n = 2,383) participating in the Kantar WordPanel Chile Survey from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017. Beverage purchases were linked to nutritional information at the product level, reviewed by a team of nutritionists, and categorized as “high-in” or “not high-in” according to whether they contained high levels of nutrients of concern (i.e., sugars, sodium, saturated fat, or energy) according to Chilean nutrient thresholds and were thus subject to the law’s warning label, marketing restriction, and school sales ban policies. The majority of high-in beverages were categorized as such because of high sugar content. We used fixed-effects models to compare the observed volume as well as calorie and sugar content of postregulation beverage purchases to a counterfactual based on preregulation trends, overall and by household-head educational attainment. Of households included in the study, 37% of household heads had low education (less than high school), 40% had medium education (graduated high school), and 23% had high education (graduated college), with the sample becoming more educated over the study period. Compared to the counterfactual, the volume of high-in beverage purchases decreased 22.8 mL/capita/day, postregulation (95% confidence interval [CI] −22.9 to −22.7; p < 0.001), or 23.7% (95% CI −23.8% to −23.7%). High-educated and low-educated households showed similar absolute reductions in high-in beverage purchases (approximately 27 mL/capita/day; p < 0.001), but for high-educated households this amounted to a larger relative decline (−28.7%, 95% CI −28.8% to −28.6%) compared to low-educated households (−21.5%, 95% CI −21.6% to −21.4%), likely because of the high-educated households’ lower level of high-in beverage purchases in the preregulation period. Calories from high-in beverage purchases decreased 11.9 kcal/capita/day (95% CI −12.0 to −11.9; p < 0.001) or 27.5% (95% CI −27.6% to −27.5%). Calories purchased from beverages classified as “not high-in” increased 5.7 kcal/capita/day (95% CI 5.7–5.7; p < 0.001), or 10.8% (10.8%–10.8%). Calories from total beverage purchases decreased 7.4 kcal/capita/day (95% CI −7.4 to −7.3; p < 0.001), or 7.5% (95% CI −7.6% to −7.5%). A key limitation of this study is the inability to assess causality because of its observational nature. We also cannot determine whether observed changes in purchases are due to reformulation or consumer behavioral change, nor can we parse out the effects of the labeling, marketing, and school sales ban policies. Conclusions Purchases of high-in beverages significantly declined following implementation of Chile’s Law of Food Labeling and Advertising; these reductions were larger than those observed from single, standalone policies, including sugar-sweetened-beverage taxes previously implemented in Latin America. Future research should evaluate the effects of Chile’s policies on purchases of high-in foods, dietary intake, and long-term purchasing changes., Lindsey Smith Taillie et al. describe the changes in purchases of sugary beverages after implementation of Chile's law on food labeling and advertising, implemented to combat childhood obesity., Author summary Why was this study done? In 2016, Chile implemented the Law of Food Labeling and Advertising, a set of policies designed to prevent further increases in obesity prevalence by subjecting foods and beverages high in energy, sugar, sodium, and saturated fat content to marketing restrictions, banned sales in schools, and the first national mandatory front-of-package (FOP) warning-label system. Many countries are actively considering implementing similar policies, particularly the FOP warning-label policy. Understanding how beverage purchases changed following implementation of this policy package can inform development of future obesity prevention policies. What did researchers do and find? Using national data on household food purchases from before and after policy implementation, we examined changes in purchases of beverages high in sugar, saturated fat, sodium, or calories (i.e., “high-in” beverages). We compared observed beverage purchases after policy implementation to expected purchases had the policy not been implemented, based on preregulation trends. We found that the purchase volume of high-in beverages decreased by 22.8 mL per capita per day or 23.7% after the regulation was implemented. We also found that although high-educated households and low-educated households had similar absolute reductions in high-in beverage purchases, high-educated households had larger relative reductions in high-in beverage purchases. What do these findings mean? After Chile’s labeling, marketing, and school food sales policies were implemented, purchases of high-in beverages decreased. This observed decrease is greater than purchase changes that have been observed following implementation of single, standalone policies in Latin America, such as a sugar-sweetened-beverage tax. Future research will be needed to understand to what degree these changes are attributable to product reformulation of products and/or to changes in consumer behavior, as well as the impact of these regulations on dietary intake and health-related outcomes.

Background Cost is one of the main drivers of food selection; thus it is important to monitor food prices. Evidence from low- and middle-income countries such as Mexico is limited. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the prices and price trends of healthy and less healthy food/beverage groups in Mexico from 2011 to 2018. Design This study used a time series of the prices of foods and beverages classified by 1) healthiness, 2) processing level, and 3) pairs of healthy/less healthy substitutes. Setting Food and beverage prices used to estimate the Consumer Price Index were obtained. Prices were collected weekly from 46 cities (>20,000 habitants) distributed across the country. Main outcome measures Price trend (% change/year) from 2011 to 2018 for all food/beverage groups and price/100 g in 2018 for pairs of healthy/less healthy substitutes were obtained. Statistical analyses Linear regression models were used for each food/beverage group, with the logarithm of deflated price as the dependent variable and time (years) as the independent variable. Results On average, prices for less healthy foods and beverages increased more than prices of healthy foods and beverages (foods: 1.72% vs 0.70% change/year; beverages: 1.61% vs −0.19% change/year). The price change was similar for unprocessed/minimally processed foods and ultraprocessed foods (1.95% vs 1.85% change/year); however, within each processing category, the price of less healthy foods increased more. By pairs of substitutes (within food/beverage groups), the healthier option for bread, sodas, and poultry was more expensive (price/100 g) in 2018, whereas for red meat, cheese, mayonnaise, and milk, the healthier option was cheaper. Conclusions Overall, the food prices of less healthy foods and beverages increased more than the food prices of healthy foods and beverages. However, by processing level there was no difference, and for pairs of healthy/less healthy substitutes results were mixed. Continued monitoring of food prices is warranted, and future research is needed to understand how these price changes affect dietary quality.

Exclusive breastfeeding and longer breastfeeding reduce women’s breast cancer risk but Mexico has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates worldwide. We estimated the lifetime economic and disease burden of breast cancer in Mexico if 95% of parous women breastfeed each child exclusively for 6 months and continue breastfeeding for over a year. We used a static microsimulation model with a cost-of-illness approach to simulate a cohort of Mexican women. We estimated breast cancer incidence, premature mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), medical costs, and income losses due to breast cancer and extrapolated the results to 1.116 million Mexican women of age 15 in 2012. Costs were expressed in 2015 US dollars and discounted at a 3% annual rate. We estimated that 2,186 premature deaths (95% CI 2,123–2,248), 9,936 breast cancer cases (95% CI 9,651–10,220), 45,109 DALYs (95% CI 43,000–47,217), and $245 million USD (95% CI 234–256) in medical costs and income losses owing to breast cancer could be saved over a cohort’s lifetime. Medical costs account for 80% of the economic burden; income losses and opportunity costs for caregivers account for 15 and 5%, respectively. In Mexico, the burden of breast cancer due to suboptimal breastfeeding in women is high in terms of morbidity, premature mortality, and the economic costs for the health sector and society.

ObjectiveTo study the association between density of stores (food and beverage stores, stores selling only fruits and vegetables, and supermarkets) and the BMI of adults aged ≥20 years in Mexico.DesignA cross-sectional study was performed. Individual data came from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, while information on stores was taken from the National Institute of Geography and Statistics’ National Statistics Directory of Economic Units. A weighted least-squares model was estimated to test the association between density of stores and BMI of adults adjusting for sex, age, education, presence of hypertension, diabetes or both, household assets index and marginality index at the municipality level.SettingMexico.ResultsAn additional 1 sd in the density of fruit and vegetable stores was associated with a reduction of 0·24 (95 % CI −0·37, −0·12) kg/m2 in BMI when the densities of the other stores were at their mean values. For food and beverage store density, a difference of 1 sd was associated with an increase of 0·50 (95 % CI 0·33, 0·67) kg/m2 in BMI, while for supermarkets the corresponding association was a reduction of 0·48 (95 % CI −1·52, 0·56) kg/m2 in BMI.ConclusionsIn places with a higher density of stores that offer unhealthy foods, the BMI of adults tends to be higher.