ABSTRACT
Introduction: Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for leading causes of death in Argentina and early identification of their risk factors (RF) is key to prevention.Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of RF for NCDs among students from Universidad Nacional de la Matanza. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, using a self-reported survey adapted from the "National survey of risk factors", to describe risk factors and their association with sociodemographic characteristics. Results: A total of 130 students participated; 6.9% identified their health as "fair" and 48.5% referred some degree of anxiety or depression, 26.2% reported a low level of physical activity and almost all respondents ate less than 5 fruits or vegetables per day, 6.2% were smokers and 38.5% were exposed to tobacco smoke. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 23.2% and 6.4% respectively. Occasional high cholesterol and blood pressure were reported by 20.4% and 16.8% of respondents, respectively. Conclusion: The university is an ideal setting for activities aimed at the promotion and prevention of these RF.
INTRODUCCIÓN: Las Enfermedades Crónicas No Transmisibles (ECNT) representan las principales causas de muerte en Argentina y la identificación temprana de sus factores de riesgo (FR) es clave para su prevención. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir la frecuencia de FR y ECNT en estudiantes de la Universidad Nacional de La Matanza. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio de corte transversal, utilizando un cuestionario adaptado de la Encuesta Nacional de Factores de Riesgo por autorreporte, para describir los FR y su asociación con características sociodemográficas. RESULTADOS: Se encuestaron 130 estudiantes de ambos sexos. El 6,9% identificó su salud como "regular" y un 48,5% algún grado de ansiedad o depresión. El 26,2% reportó bajo nivel de actividad física y casi todos los encuestados consumieron menos de 5 porciones de frutas y verduras al día. Un 6,2% reportó ser fumador y un 38,5% estar expuesto al humo del tabaco. La prevalencia de sobrepeso fue de 23,2% y de obesidad de 6,4%. El 20,4% y el 16,8% de los estudiantes informaron respectivamente colesterol y presión arterial elevados "alguna vez". CONCLUSIÓN: El ámbito universitario es un espacio ideal para el abordaje de actividades de promoción y prevención de estos FR.
Subject(s)
Noncommunicable Diseases , Humans , Argentina/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Noncommunicable Diseases/epidemiology , Obesity , Risk Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , PrevalenceABSTRACT
There is growing evidence that the food environment can influence diets. The present study aimed to assess the relative availability and prominence of healthy foods (HF) versus unhealthy products (UP) in supermarkets in Buenos Aires, Argentina and to explore differences by retail characteristics and neighborhood income level. We conducted store audits in 32 randomly selected food retails. Food availability (presence/absence, ratio of cumulative linear shelf length for HF vs. UP) and prominence inside the store (location visibility) were measured based on the International Network for Food and Obesity/NCDs Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS) protocol. On average, for every 1 m of shelf length for UP, there was about 25 cm of shelf length for HF (HF/UP ratio: 0.255, SD 0.130). UP were more frequently available in high-prominence store areas (31/32 retails) than HF (9/32 retails). Shelf length ratio differed across commercial chains (p = 0.0268), but not by store size or type. Retails in the lower-income neighborhoods had a lower HF/UP ratio than those in the higher-income neighborhoods (p = 0.0329). Availability of the selected HF was overcome largely by the UP, particularly in high prominence areas, and in neighborhoods with lower income level, which may pose an opportunity for public health interventions.
