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Background: The present study aims to estimate leisure-time physical activity and television (TV) viewing curves according to age stratified by sex, area of residence, and socioeconomic position. Methods: Using data from the Brazilian National Health Survey, we estimated the prevalence of leisure-time physical activity and TV viewing according to continuous age. The estimates were calculated using fractional polynomials and stratified by sex, wealth, skin color, and area of residence. Results: The sample included 87,376 adults (aged 18 y or over). In general, leisure-time physical activity decreased according to age while TV viewing increased. Regarding behavior of curves according to stratifiers, for leisure-time physical activity the disadvantaged groups maintained a pattern of low physical activity across all age groups or presented the decrease earlier when compared to groups in social advantage. On the other hand, for TV viewing, women presented an increase in prevalence before men, and individuals living in the urban area and the wealthiest group were those with a higher increase according to age. Conclusions: Our findings may help researchers and policymakers further explore inequalities in physical activity across life in different settings, as well as develop sensitive cultural actions to support more vulnerable people to adopt public health recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate assessment of body composition during infancy is an important marker of early growth. This study aimed to develop anthropometric models to predict body composition in 3–24-month-old infants from diverse socioeconomic settings and ethnic groups. Methods: An observational, longitudinal, prospective, multi-country study of infants from 3 to 24 months with body composition assessed at three monthly intervals using deuterium dilution (DD) and anthropometry. Linear mixed modelling was utilized to generate sex-specific fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) prediction equations, using length(m), weight-for-length (kg/m), triceps and subscapular skinfolds and South Asian ethnicity as variables. The study sample consisted of 1896 (942 measurements from 310 girls) training data sets, 941 (441 measurements from 154 girls) validation data sets of 3–24 months from Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. The external validation group (test) comprised 349 measurements from 250 (185 from 124 girls) infants 3–6 months of age from South Africa, Australia and India. Results: Sex-specific equations for three age categories (3–9 months; 10–18 months; 19–24 months) were developed, validated on same population and externally validated. Root mean squared error (RMSE) was similar between training, validation and test data for assessment of FM and FFM in boys and in girls. RMSPE and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were higher in validation compared to test data for predicting FM, however, in the assessment of FFM, both measures were lower in validation data. RMSE for test data from South Africa (M/F−0.46/0.45 kg) showed good agreement with validation data for assessment of FFM compared to Australia (M/F−0.51/0.33 kg) and India(M/F−0.77/0.80 kg). Conclusions: Anthropometry-based FFM prediction equations provide acceptable results. Assessments based on equations developed on similar populations are more applicable than those developed from a different population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Two compartment (2 C) models of body composition, including Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP) and Deuterium Dilution (DD), assume constant composition of fat-free mass (FFM), while 3-compartment (3 C) model overcomes some of these assumptions; studies are limited in infants. The objective of the present study is to compare 3 C estimates of body composition in 6-mo. old infants from Australia, India, and South Africa, including FFM density and hydration, compare with published literature and to evaluate agreement of body composition estimates from ADP and DD. Methods: Body volume and water were measured in 176 healthy infants using ADP and DD. 3C-model estimates of fat mass (FM), FFM and its composition were calculated, compared between countries (age and sex adjusted) and with published literature. Agreement between estimates from ADP and DD were compared by Bland–Altman and correlation analyses. Results: South African infants had significantly higher % FM (11.5%) and density of FFM compared to Australian infants. Australian infants had significantly higher % FFM (74.7 ± 4.4%) compared to South African infants (71.4 ± 5.0) and higher FFMI (12.7 ± 0.8 kg/m2) compared to South African (12.3 ± 1.2 kg/m2) and Indian infants (11.9 ± 1.0 kg/m2). FFM composition of present study differed significantly from literature. Pooled three country estimates of FM and FFM were comparable between ADP and DD; mean difference of −0.05 (95% CI: −0.64, +0.55) kg and +0.05 (95% CI: −0.55, +0.64) kg. Conclusions: 3C-model estimates of body composition in infants differed between countries; future studies are needed to confirm these findings and investigate causes for the differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: The association of ultra‐processed food (UPF) consumption with obesity and adipose tissue in children/adolescents remains poorly understood. Objective: To assess the association of UPF consumption with excessive weight (EW—defined as BMI‐for‐age ≥+1 z‐score) and body composition at 15 years. Methods: In a birth cohort, daily UPF consumption was estimated by Food Frequency Questionnaires at 6 and 15 years. Those in the higher tercile of UPF consumption at both follow‐ups were the 'always‐high consumers'. Air‐displacement plethysmography provided fat mass (FM‐kg), fat‐free mass (FFM‐kg), %FM, %FFM, FM index (FMI‐kg/m2) and FFM index (FFMI‐kg/m2). Logistic regression and linear regression were used to estimate, respectively, odds ratios and beta coefficients. Results: Amongst 1584 participants, almost one in every seven were always‐high consumers. In crude analyses, there was no association between variation in UPF consumption and EW, and body fat parameters were lower in the always‐high consumer group than amongst the always‐low consumers, in both sexes. With adjustment for confounders, the odds ratio for EW was higher in the always‐high consumer than amongst the always‐low consumer group, and the direction of the associations with FM parameters was reversed: males from the always‐high consumer group presented almost twice as high FM (10.5 vs. 18.6 kg; p < 0.001) and twice as high FMI (3.4 vs. 6.3 kg/m2; p < 0.001) than the always‐low consumer group, and females from the always‐high consumer group presented on average 32% more FM and FMI than the always‐low consumer group. Conclusions: In crude and adjusted analyses there was a strong association between high UPF consumption from childhood to adolescence, EW and higher body fat parameters at 15 years, but its deleterious association with body adiposity was only uncovered after adjusting for confounders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to describe changes in gender and wealth inequalities in leisure-time physical activity (PA) of Brazilians during a 6-year interval. It also aims to evaluate inequalities regarding PA public programs awareness, participation, and access to public spaces for PA. Methods: Data from 2 population-based surveys conducted in 2013 and 2019 were used. Leisure-time PA prevalence was assessed considering those reporting ≥150 minutes per week. The authors evaluated gender inequalities calculating differences and ratios, and wealth inequalities using the slope index of inequality and the concentration index— assessing changes over time. Results: National levels of leisure-time PA increased from 2013 to 2019, and an increase in inequalities was observed; women and the poorest groups still presented lower prevalence. A decline in socioeconomic inequalities was observed from 2013 to 2019 regarding the availability of public spaces and awareness about public programs. However, outcomes remained more common among the richest group. Inequalities did not vary for participation in public programs. Conclusion: Although leisure-time PA increased from 2013 to 2019 at a national level, there were no improvements in gender inequalities, and wealth inequalities worsened over time. Indicators of public strategies for PA increased for the population, but inequalities remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the central nervous system characterised by strong inflammatory response. The brain is highly dependent on ATP, and the cell energy is obtained through oxidative phosphorylation, a process which requires the action of various respiratory enzyme complexes and creatine kinase (CK) as an effective buffering system of cellular ATP levels in tissues that consume high energy. Objectives: Evaluate the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, II, III, IV and CK activity in hippocampus and cortex of the Wistar rat submitted to meningitis by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Methods: Adult Wistar rats received either 10 µl of sterile saline as a placebo or an equivalent volume of K. pneumoniae suspension. The animals were killed in different times at 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after meningitis induction. Another group was treated with antibiotic, starting at 16 h and continuing daily until their decapitation at 24 and 48 h after induction. Results: In the hippocampus, the meningitis group without antibiotic treatment, the complex I was increased at 24 and 48 h, complex II was increased at 48 h, complex III was inhibited at 6, 12, 24 and 48 h and in complex IV all groups with or without antibiotic treatment were inhibited after meningitis induction, in the cortex there was no alteration. Discussion: Although descriptive, our results show that antibiotic prevented in part the changes of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The meningitis model could be a good research tool to study the biological mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of the K. pneumoniae meningitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This was a time trend study aimed at assessing inequalities in smoking and abusive alcohol consumption, considering schooling as a proxy for socioeconomic status, according to sex and region of Brazil. The study used data from the Risk and Protective Factors Surveillance System for Chronic Non-Comunicable Diseases Through Telephone Interview (Vigitel) survey collected from 2006 to 2017. The outcomes were abusive alcohol consumption and smoking. The inequalities were assessed based on schooling, with double stratification by sex and major geographic region. Weighted linear least squares regression was used to assess the trend in prevalence of outcomes and their inequalities. Prevalence of abusive alcohol consumption increased in women, from 7.8% in 2006 to 12.2% in 2017 and was consistently higher among individuals with more schooling. Prevalence of smoking decreased in both men and women and was consistently higher among those with less schooling. Inequality in alcohol consumption between schooling groups appears to have increased over time, higher in women, but inequality in smoking appears to have decreased. In some regions of Brazil, the measures of inequality suggest stability and in others an increase in inequality in alcohol consumption (Southeast, South, and Central regions in women) and a decrease in smoking (all regions except the Southeast in men; Northeast and Central in women). Despite the strides in smoking reduction, inequalities persist in schooling and are also present in alcohol consumption. The outcomes show opposite trends, so strategies should focus on each of the problems in order to reduce existing inequalities.