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This study investigated the association between screen time and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption across the lifespan, using data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey, a cross-sectional and population-based study. A score was used to evaluate UPF consumption, calculated by summing the positive answers to questions about the consumption of ten UPF subgroups on the previous day. Scores ≥5 represented high UPF consumption. Daily time spent engaging with television or other screens was self-reported. Crude and adjusted models were obtained through Poisson regression and results were expressed in prevalence ratios by age group. The sample included 2315 adolescents, 65 803 adults and 22 728 older adults. The prevalence of UPF scores ≥5 was higher according to increased screen time, with dose-response across all age groups and types of screen time. Adolescents, adults and older adults watching television for ≥6 h/d presented prevalence of UPF scores ≥5 1·8 (95 % CI 1·2, 2·9), 1·9 (95 % CI 1·6, 2·3) and 2·2 (95 % CI 1·4, 3·6) times higher, respectively, compared with those who did not watch television. For other screens, the prevalence of UPF scores ≥5 was 2·4 (95 % CI 1·3, 4·1) and 1·6 (95 % CI 1·4, 1·9) times higher for adolescents and adults using screens for ≥ 6 h/d, respectively, while for older adults, only screen times of 2 to < 3 and 3 to < 6 h were significantly associated with UPF scores ≥5. Screen time was associated with high consumption of UPF in all age groups. Considering these associations when planning and implementing interventions would be beneficial for public health across the lifespan.

Objective: This study aims to test the association of rest-activity rhythm (intradaily variability and interdaily stability) with all-cause mortality in an older adult cohort in Brazil. It also assesses whether the amount of time spent at each intensity level (i.e., physical activity and nocturnal sleep) interferes with this association., Methods: This cohort study started in 2014 with older adults (≥60 years). We investigated deaths from all causes that occurred until April 2017. Rest-activity rhythm variables were obtained using accelerometry at baseline. Intradaily variability indicates higher rhythm fragmentation, while interdaily stability indicates higher rhythm stability. Cox proportional-hazard models were used to test the associations controlling for confounders., Results: Among the 1451 older adults interviewed in 2014, 965 presented valid accelerometry data. During the follow-up period, 80 individuals died. After adjusting the analysis for sociodemographic, smoking, morbidity score, and number of medicines, an increase of one standard deviation in interdaily stability decreased 26% the risk of death. The adjustment for total sleep time and inactivity did not change this association. On the other hand, the association was no longer significant after adjusting for overall physical activity and moderate to vigorous physical activity., Conclusion: Rest-activity rhythm pattern was not associated with mortality when physical activity was considered, possibly because this pattern could be driven by regular exercise. Promoting physical activity remains a relevant strategy to improve population health., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Wendt et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background and Aims: This study aims to describe inequalities in health indicators according to gender, area of residence, and socioeconomic position among Brazilian adolescents., Methods: Cross-sectional study using data from a school-based survey carried out in Brazil in 2019. Twelve health outcomes were evaluated. Dimensions of inequality assessed were gender, area of residence, wealth and subnational region., Results: This study comprises a sample of 124,898 adolescents. The most prevalent outcome was physical inactivity (71.9%) followed by thinking life is worthless (52.6%) and bullying (51.8%). Gender inequalities were more marked for physical inactivity and thinking life is worthless with girls presenting a prevalence more than 20 p.p. higher than boys. In zero-dose HPV, however, the prevalence in girls was 17.7 p.p. lower than in boys. Area of residence and wealth inequalities were smaller than gender disparities. Context presented a relevant role in inequality with analysis stratified by states of the country, revealing high variability in estimates., Conclusions: We highlight the need for attention to disparities between subgroups of the adolescent population, especially for gender inequalities that were the most marked for this age group., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of behavioral health risk factors and investigate clusters of simultaneous occurrences of these factors among students at a public university in Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among university students in the second semester of 2017. Physical inactivity, excessive sedentary behavior, inadequate sleep duration and smoking were the factors studied. Simultaneity of risk factors was evaluated using cluster analysis, through the ratio between observed and expected prevalence, and those that did not include the unit were considered clusters., Results: Among 1,716 students, the prevalence of inadequate sleep duration, physical inactivity, excessive sedentary behavior and smoking were 45.2% (95%CI 42.9;47.6), 44.4% (95%CI 42.7;47.2), 39.8% (95%CI 37.7;42.2) and 10.6% (95%CI 9.6;12.5) respectively. More than 80% of the students presented at least one risk factor. The clusters identified were related to inadequate sleep duration (O/E=1.15) and physical inactivity associated with sedentary behavior (O/E=1.24)., Conclusion: High prevalence of the four risk factors studied and only two clusters were observed.

Monitoring trends of contraceptive use and identifying the groups with less coverage are needed to guide public policies and make them more efficient. But, in Brazil, recent data about these aspects are limited. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of contraceptive use and its inequalities during adolescence and early adulthood. Data from the 1993 Pelotas birth cohort, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, were used. At 15, 18 and 22 years, respectively, 335, 1,458 and 1,711 women reported having started their sexual lives and were included in analysis. Prevalence and 95% confidence intervals were obtained to describe the most used contraceptive methods. Inequalities in modern contraceptive use were evaluated according to wealth index, scholastic backwardness and ethnicity. In all follow-ups, more than 80% of women used at least one modern method. The use of barrier methods decreased with age; at 22 this prevalence was 36.3%. Such use concomitant with other modern methods was lower than 50% in all follow-ups. We observed inequalities in the use of modern contraceptive methods, mainly in barrier methods used with other modern methods. These findings may contribute and improve the public policies in family planning.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence of medication use, sources of access, and associated factors among rural residents in Pelotas, RS, Brazil., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2016 with adults ≥18 years old. Participants reported on medication use and sources of access to medication in the month prior to the interview. Poisson regression was used., Results: Among the 1,519 respondents, 54.7% (95%CI 48.7;60.5) used some form of medication and 3.3% (95%CI 2.4;4.5) stopped taking necessary medication. Higher prevalence of use occurred in: women (PR=1.23 - 95%CI 1.12;1.34), the elderly (PR=2.36 - 95%CI 2.05;2.73), people with poorer self-perceived health (PR=1.29 - 95%CI 1.14;1.46) and people with a higher number of diseases (PR=2.37 - 95%CI 2.03;2.77). A total of 14.0% (95%CI 11.2;17.4) obtained medication exclusively from the Brazilian National Health System, prevalence of which was higher among those who self-reported themselves to be non-white and from lower economic classification., Conclusion: A low number stopped taking medication they needed to take. Use of free-of-charge medication was greater in groups with lower income.

Objectives: To describe the occurrence of simultaneous risk factors for chronic noncommunicable diseases, and factors associated with these prevalences in rural adults of a Southern Brazilian city., Methods: The design of this study was cross-sectional with a sample of 1,445 adults from the rural area of Pelotas, RS. Four risk factors were considered: smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and inadequate consumption of vegetables. To verify the simultaneous occurrence of the outcomes, a cluster analysis was used. The association was tested by ordinal regression resulting in odds ratios., Results: Among the four risk factors evaluated, three were the most prevalent among men, and only physical inactivity was greater among women. In the cluster analysis, only the combination of alcohol consumption + smoking + inadequate vegetable consumption presented an observed prevalence that was significantly higher than the expected (O/E = 2.67, 95%CI 1.30, 5.48), and higher than another study in the south of the country. This can be justified because that study included an evaluation of urban dwellers and the consumption of fruits. After adjustment, men, single individuals, non-white people, those with less schooling, those with a worse socioeconomic status, those who reported poor perception of health, and those who do not work in specifically rural activities had a greater probability of having the simultaneity of risk factors., Conclusion: The results show the importance of developing priority actions regarding the health of rural populations with special attention to the subgroups with an identified higher risk.

This study aims to describe the prevalence of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue and their association with socio-demographic and behavioral factors. Data from the Brazilian National Health Survey conducted in 2013 with 60,202 adults (≥ 18 years old) were used. The outcomes evaluated were self-reported sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue in the last two weeks. Sleep disturbance was defined as the presence of difficulty to fall asleep, frequently waking up during the night or sleeping more than usual; daytime fatigue was defined as the presence of not feeling rested and motivated during the day, feeling tired and lacking energy. Sociodemographic, lifestyle and chronic health aspects were explored as exposures for both outcomes. Prevalence of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue were 14.9% (14.4-15.4) and 11.9% (11.4-12.3), respectively. Both outcomes were more common in women, older people, people with no formal education, smokers and among physically inactive individuals. The association with education was inverse (the highest the level of education the lower the prevalence ratio - PR - of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue; adjusted p-value for trend < 0.001). Prevalence of sleep disturbances combined with daytime fatigue was 6.7% (6.4-7.1) and was about 6 times higher among those with three or more chronic health disturbances (PR = 6.2; 95%CI: 5.3-7.2). Strategies to decrease the prevalence of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue should be encouraged and focused on chronically ill individuals that share other modifiable risk factors.

Objective: To describe the planning, sampling, operational aspects of the field, and the sample obtained during a research conducted in a rural area, specifying and discussing the main logistical difficulties unique to these places and the solutions adopted., Methods: We carried out a population-based, cross-sectional survey between January and June 2016, with a representative sample of the population aged 18 years or over living in the rural area of Pelotas (approximately 22,000 individuals), State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We collected demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related information, such as alcohol consumption, cigarette consumption, depressive symptoms, quality of diet, quality of life, physical activity, satisfaction with the health unit, overweight or obesity, and sleep problems., Results: In the 720 domiciles sampled, 1,697 individuals were identified and 1,519 were interviewed (89.5%). The study initially drew 24 census tracts and proposed the visit to 42 households per tract; however, we need to adjust the method, such as decreasing the number of households per census tract (from 42 to 30) and identifying housing centers in each tract. The main reasons for these changes were difficulty accessing the area, large distances between households, misconceptions in the satellite data available (which did not fit the reality), and high cost of the field work., Conclusions: The previous detailed recognition of the research environment was crucial for decision making as the maps and territory had geographical inconsistencies. The strategies and techniques used in studies for the urban area are not applicable to the rural area given the outcomes observed in Pelotas. The decisions taken, keeping the methodological rigor, were essential to ensure the timely execution of the study with the financial resources available.