Association between Disability and Unmet Food Needs in the Venezuelan Migrant and Refugee Population: Analysis of a Population-Based Survey, 2022.

In Peru, Venezuelan migrants and refugees have been exposed to food shortages before their emigration. This problem could have worse outcomes in vulnerable populations (such as people with disabilities); however, the literature on the basic needs of this population is still scarce. The objective was to determine the association between the presence of disability and the unmet need for access to food in the household of the Venezuelan migrant and refugee population residing in Peru. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Second Survey of the Venezuelan Population Residing in Peru (ENPOVE 2022). The outcome variable was unmet need for food, while the independent variable was the presence of disability. Poisson log generalized linear regression models (crude and adjusted for potential confounding variables) were fitted to evaluate the association between the variables of interest, reporting prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 7739 migrants and refugees from Venezuela were included. The proportion of unmet need for access to food in the household was 45.2%, while the proportion of disability was 2.1%. People with disabilities were found to be more likely to have an unmet need for access to food at home (adjusted PR [aPR]: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.08-1.46; p = 0.003). According to our findings, almost half of Venezuelan households were found to have an unmet need for access to food. In addition, Venezuelan migrants and refugees with disabilities were more likely to have an unmet need for this basic need.

Changes in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Peruvian Children under Five Years before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a Nationwide Population-Based Study.

This study aimed to identify changes in the prevalence of childhood (children under five years of age) overweight and obesity in Peru as a whole and at the departmental level, before and during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We performed a secondary data analysis of two Demographic and Family Health Surveys (2019 and 2021) in Peru. The outcome was childhood overweight and obesity, defined as a weight-for-height score greater than 2 standard deviations. Poisson log generalized linear regression models adjusted for sex and/or age in months of the child were fitted to obtain the prevalence ratios of the changes in childhood overweight and obesity from 2019 to 2021. The analysis included 41,533 (2019: 20,414; 2021: 21,119) participants. The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity was 6.4% in 2019 and 7.8% in 2021. Female children, aged 2, 3 and 4 years, and mothers who self-identified as non-native, had secondary and higher education, belonged to the middle and richer wealth quintile and resided in an urban area, in a village, in a small city and in the coastal region showed the largest increases in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in 2021 compared to 2019. The departments of Pasco, Apurímac, Junín, Cusco, Lambayeque and La Libertad presented the largest increases in the prevalence of these nutritional disorders. During the pandemic, an increase in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity was observed, with demographic and socioeconomic factors accounting for the largest increases in the prevalence rates. A restructuring of overweight and obesity control strategies is required to curb this steady increase.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Gaming Disorder in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Systematic Review.

We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with gaming disorder (GD) in the population of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). A systematic review was performed (PROSPERO protocol registration: CRD42021230565). We included studies that identified participants with GD and/or factors associated with this condition, reported the prevalence of GD, or contained data that assisted in its estimation, were published after 2013 (the year of inclusion of GD in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and were carried out in a population residing in an LAC country. Evaluation of the quality of the studies was carried out using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical appraisal checklist tool. A qualitative synthesis of the data was performed. Of the total of 1567 records identified, 25 passed the full-text review phase, and 6 met the selection criteria. These studies were published between 2018 and 2021 and had a cross-sectional design (three in Brazil, one in Ecuador, Mexico, and the other was multi-country, including a LAC country [Peru]). The prevalence of GD ranged from 1.1% to 38.2%. The three studies in Brazil had the highest figures of GD prevalence (20.4-38.2%). Four studies evaluated factors associated with GD. Characteristics regarding the game (type), pattern of use (hours played), as well as gender (higher in men), tobacco and alcohol consumption, poor interpersonal relationships, and the presence of mental disorders were found to be associated with GD in LAC. Evidence on the prevalence and factors associated with GD in LAC is limited. Studies on GD in LAC evaluate different population subgroups, describing a wide prevalence of this condition (present in up to 38 out of 100 evaluated). Characteristics such as the type and hours of use of the games, sociodemographic data, lifestyles, interpersonal relationships, and the presence of mental disorders increase the probability of presenting GD.

Factors Associated with Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean Countries: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 13 Countries.

It is estimated that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the region with the second highest figures for food insecurity (FI) globally, with a prevalence of 40.9% in the entire region. This cross-sectional study analyzes the household factors associated with FI across 13 LAC countries. We used data from the first round of high-frequency phone surveys, conducted by the World Bank. Approximately 4 out of 10 people in LAC experienced FI during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. FI was positively associated with the number of individuals aged from 5 to 18 years, the number of men, the illness, accident, or death of an income-earning household member, and health expenditure due to COVID-19 or other illnesses, as well as the increase in food prices, reduced family income, and job loss by a member of the household. On the other hand, households located in capital cities and those with more bedrooms were less likely to have experienced FI. The design of social policies must focus on the economic deficiencies experienced by the LAC population, with unemployment, reduced income, and high food costs being the main factors that must be addressed to ensure adequate nutrition.

[Excess mortality in Metropolitan Lima during the COVID-19 pandemic: A district level comparison]. / Exceso de mortalidad en Lima Metropolitana durante la pandemia de COVID-19: comparación a nivel distrital.

OBJECTIVE: To compare excess mortality by district quintiles according to the Human Development Index (HDI) in Metropolitan Lima, the capital of Peru, and analyze the socioeconomic factors associated with excess mortality within the context of COVID-19. METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the mortality records from non-violent causes registered in the National Death Information System in the 50 districts of Metropolitan Lima of the first 24 weeks of the years 2019 and 2020. Descriptive analysis was performed using contingency tables and time series graphs by sex, age group, and quintile of the district of residence according to the HDI. Negative binomial regression analysis was performed to identify possible explanatory factors for excess mortality. RESULTS: An excess of 20 093 non-violent deaths and 2,979 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 were registered in Metropolitan Lima during the study period. The increase was observed primarily in men and adults aged 60 and over. Residents in the districts belonging to the fifth quintile, according to HDI, presented, in most cases, the lowest rates. Multivariate analysis revealed that a higher HDI level (p = 0.009) and a higher proportion of inhabitants living in extreme poverty (p = 0.014) decreased the excess mortality. CONCLUSION: Excess of non-violent deaths in Metropolitan Lima is higher in the quintiles with the lowest HDI, in men, and the age group from 60 to more years of age. The study of social and economic health determinants in Peru is crucial for the design of measures to be taken by the government against the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJETIVO: Comparar el exceso de muertes según quintiles distritales del Índice de Desarrollo Humano (IDH) en Lima Metropolitana, capital de Perú, y analizar los factores socioeconómicos asociados con el exceso de muertes en el contexto de la COVID-19. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal retrospectivo de los registros de mortalidad por causas no violentas registrados en el Sistema Informático Nacional de Defunciones de los 50 distritos de Lima Metropolitana durante las primeras 24 semanas de los años 2019 y 2020. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo mediante tablas de contingencia y gráficos de series de tiempo por sexo, grupo de edad y quintil del distrito de residencia según el IDH. Se realizó un análisis de regresión binomial negativa para identificar posibles factores asociados con el exceso de muertes. RESULTADOS: Un exceso de 20 093 muertes no violentas y 2.979 muertes confirmadas por COVID-19 se registraron en Lima Metropolitana durante el período de estudio. El exceso de mortalidad se observó especialmente en hombres y adultos de 60 años o más. Los distritos pertenecientes al quintil 5 según el IDH presentan, en la mayoría de los casos, las tasas más bajas de exceso de muertes. El análisis multivariado halló que el IDH (p = 0.009) y el porcentaje de habitantes en pobreza extrema (p = 0.014) disminuyen la tasa de exceso de muertes en Lima Metropolitana. CONCLUSIONES: El exceso de muertes no violentas en Lima Metropolitana es mayor en los quintiles con el IDH más bajo, en los hombres y en el grupo de edad de 60 a más años. El estudio de los determinantes sociales y económicos de la salud en Perú es fundamental para el diseño de las medidas que debe tomar el gobierno contra la pandemia de COVID-19.

Association of Comorbidities With Pneumonia and Death Among COVID-19 Patients in Mexico: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to identify chronic conditions and multimorbidity patterns in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to examine their associations with pneumonia and death. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed the official data of COVID-19 patients in Mexico through May 18, 2020 (released by the Secretaría de Salud de México). Adjusted logistic regression models were applied to assess the associations of comorbidities with pneumonia and death. The marginal effects were estimated, and the probability of pneumonia or death according to the number of comorbidities was graphed for each year of age. RESULTS: Of the 51 053 COVID-19 patients enrolled in the final analysis, 27 667 (54.2%) had no chronic conditions, while 13 652 (26.7%), 6518 (12.8%) and 3216 (6.3%) were reported to have 1, 2, and 3 or more simultaneous conditions, respectively. Overall, a significant incremental gradient was observed for the association between multimorbidity and pneumonia (p<0.001); for 2 chronic conditions, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was 2.07 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.95 to 2.20), and for ≥3 conditions, the aOR was 2.40 (95% CI, 2.22 to 2.60). A significant incremental gradient was also found for the relationship between multimorbidity and death (p<0.001); an aOR of 2.51 (95% CI, 2.30 to 2.73) was found for 2 chronic conditions and an aOR of 3.49 (95% CI, 3.15 to 3.86) for ≥3 conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Underlying chronic conditions and multimorbidity are associated with pneumonia and death in Mexican COVID-19 patients. Future investigation is necessary to clarify the pathophysiological processes behind this association, given the high burden of chronic diseases in various countries, including Mexico.