Sobrepeso y obesidad en Chile: Consideraciones para su abordaje en un contexto de inequidad social

Con 3 de cada 4 personas viviendo con sobrepeso u obesidad, la prevalencia de IMC elevado en Chile es de las más altas del continente, mostrando un patrón de distribución inequitativo mediado por determinantes estructurales que modelan el comportamiento en salud (seguridad social, nivel socioeconómico, educación, género, entre otros). Las características socioeconómicas del país, nación de ingresos altos con marcada inequidad, son poco comunes y representan un desafío adicional a la hora de diseñar intervenciones en salud. Una alta concentración de riqueza permite ser clasificado como país de ingresos altos aun cuando la mayor parte de la población pertenecería a una clase social vulnerable, cuyos ingresos se ven acompañados de recursos sociales y simbólicos que dificultan doblemente la adopción de un "estilo de vida" saludable. A pesar de las múltiples estrategias nutricionales implementadas, la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad continúa en aumento. Se postula como gran responsable al insistente uso de modelos basados en elección y responsabilidad individual, que buscan modificar factores de riesgo conductuales (sedentarismo y alta ingesta calórica) sin neutralizar los determinantes estructurales que predisponen esa conducta. Favorablemente, la última Política Nacional de Nutrición reconoce la "determinación social de la alimentación", representando un cambio de paradigma que confiere cierto optimismo y cuya eficacia deberá ser evaluada en los próximos años.

With 3 out of 4 people living with overweight or obesity, the national prevalence of high BMI is among the highest on the continent, thus showing an inequitable distribution pattern mediated by structural determinants that shape health behavior (social security, socioeconomic status, education, gender, among others). The socioeconomic features of the country, a high-income nation with marked inequity, are unusual and represent an additional challenge when designing health interventions. A high concentration of wealth allows it to be classified as a high-income country even though most of the population would belong to a vulnerable social class, whose income is accompanied by social and symbolic resources that make it doubly challenging to adopt a healthy "lifestyle". Despite the multiple nutritional strategies implemented, the prevalence of overweight and obesity continues to increase. The insistent use of models based on individual choice and responsibility, which seek to modify behavioral risk factors (sedentary lifestyle and high caloric intake) without neutralizing the structural determinants predisposing this behavior, is postulated as highly responsible. Favorably, the latest National Nutrition Policy recognizes the "social determination of food", representing a paradigm shift that confers some optimism and whose effectiveness has to be evaluated in the coming years.

On the Recent Worsening of Income Distribution among the Jewish Population in Brazil.

Brazilian income distribution is one of the most unequal in the world, yet the first 15 years of the twenty-first century showed some improvement in reducing inequality. However, data from Brazilian censuses show that the income distribution of the Jewish population in Brazil worsened from 2000 to 2010. The goal of this paper is to investigate whether this observed phenomenon should be attributed to the emergence of new Jewish identities among poorer segments of Brazilian society or a structural change in the more traditional Jewish community. We calculated Gini coefficients, Lorenz curves, and Kuznets ratios of the Jewish population (i) in Brazil, (ii) in the capital cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, considered as a unit, and (iii) among the general Brazilian population from microdata in the 1980 and 2010 censuses. The results show that the worsening of income distribution among the Jewish population in Brazil is more intense in areas outside of urban centers in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. This finding suggests that the observed phenomenon should be attributed to emerging new identities rather than structural change in the more traditional community. A conclusion section addresses issues for further research.

Impactos do Programa Bolsa Família no mercado de trabalho dos municípios brasileiros / Impactos del Programa Bolsa Familia en el mercado de trabajo de los municipios brasileños / Impacts of the Bolsa Família Program on the labor market of Brazilian municipalities

Resumo Beneficiando cerca de 14 milhões de famílias brasileiras, o Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) é um dos mais importantes programas brasileiros de transferência condicionada de renda dos últimos anos. A investigação dos impactos do PBF, no mercado de trabalho formal dos 5.570 municípios brasileiros, no período de 2004 a 2013, constitui o principal objetivo deste artigo. Usando dados totais de cada um dos municípios da União, obtidos no Cadastro Único do Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social (MDS) e no Cadastro Central de Empresas do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), métodos de estimação dos mínimos quadrados ordinários (MQO), modelos de dados em painel e modelos dinâmicos, testam-se as hipóteses da associação do benefício do PBF com a quantidade de pessoal ocupado assalariado formal e com o total dos salários e de outras remunerações. Nos três modelos utilizados, os resultados indicam associação positiva para as duas hipóteses testadas.

Resumen Al beneficiar a cerca de 14 millones de familias brasileñas, el Programa Bolsa Familia (PBF) es uno de los más importantes programas brasileños de transferencia monetaria condicionada de los últimos años. La investigación de los impactos del PBF, en el mercado de trabajo formal de los 5.570 municipios brasileños, en el período de 2004 a 2013, constituye el principal objetivo de este artículo. Con datos totales de cada uno de los municipios de la República, obtenidos del Registro Único del Ministerio de Desarrollo Social (MDS) y del Registro Central de Empresas del Instituto Brasileño de Geografía y Estadística (IBGE), métodos de estimación de los mínimos cuadrados ordinarios (MCO), modelos de datos en panel y modelos dinámicos de Arellano y Bond (1991), se prueban las hipótesis de la asociación del beneficio del PBF con la cantidad de personal ocupado asalariado formal y con el total de los salarios y de otras remuneraciones. En los tres modelos utilizados, los resultados indican una asociación positiva para las dos hipótesis probadas.

Abstract The Bolsa Família Program (PBF) benefits 14 million Brazilian families, and is one of the most important conditional cash transfer programs in Brazil in recent years. This articles investigates the impacts of the PBF in the formal labor market of the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities, from 2004 to 2013. The research used data from all Brazilian municipalities retrieved from the Cadastro Único (database of low-income families) of the Ministry of Social Development (MDS) and the Cadastro Central de Empresas (database of corporations) of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The study adopted methods to estimate the ordinary least squares (OLS), and used panel data models as well as the dynamic models of Arellano and Bond (1991) in order to test hypotheses related to the association among the benefits from PBF, formal employment, and the total of salaries and other remunerations payed. The results indicate a positive association for the two hypotheses tested, in all three models applied.

Association of nutritional support programs with zinc deficiency in Colombian children: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Zinc is an essential trace element that plays a key role in the immune, gastrointestinal, respiratory and nervous systems. In Colombia, a vast percentage of children live in low-income households with food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies, including zinc. In an effort to improve children's well-being, public health measures such as nutritional support programs that provide meals have targeted the poorest populations. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of nutritional support programs on zinc deficiency in Colombian children, while considering their wealth and food security. METHODS: Cross-sectional study using data from the 2010 Colombian National Nutrition Survey, a population-based study representative of Colombia. A total of 4275 children between 12 and 59 months of age were included in the study. Stepwise logistic regressions were modelled with SPSS, first for zinc deficiency on wealth and food security, then adding enrolment in a nutritional support program, and finally, adjusting for socio-demographic variables. RESULTS: A zinc deficiency prevalence of 49% was found. The adjusted models showed an association of wealth quintiles: very poor (OR = 1.48) and poor (OR = 1.39), food security (OR = 0.75) and enrolment in a nutritional support program (OR = 0.76) with zinc deficiency. Enrolment in nutritional programs did not modify the relationship of wealth and food security to zinc deficiency. CONCLUSION: Zinc deficiency is associated with wealth, food security and enrolment in nutritional support programs. Nutritional programs may be a good alternative against zinc deficiency, if they focus appropriately on the needs of children according to their wealth and food security.

The interplay of contextual layers: A multilevel analysis of income distribution, neighborhood infrastructure, socioeconomic position and self-rated health in Brazil.

Our hypothesis is that neighborhood infrastructure modifies the association between state-level income distribution and self-rated health. In our findings neighborhood infrastructure amplifies the association between income equality and self-rated health, yet with a differential impact on health according to sex, race and education level favoring individuals at higher socioeconomic positions. Most of the individual health variation attributed to context happens at neighborhood level, based on random effects analyses. Our findings contribute to a further understanding of health inequalities in Brazil. The demonstrated synergism between state, neighborhood and individual level determinants of health supports inter-sectoral policies and interventions in a clearly multileveled way.

The stability of income inequality in Brazil, 2006-2012: an estimate using income tax data and household surveys / A estabilidade da desigualdade de renda no Brasil, 2006 a 2012: estimativa com dados do imposto de renda e pesquisas domiciliares

Object: the level and evolution of income inequality among adults in Brazil between 2006 and 2012. Objectives: to calculate the level of inequality, its trend over the years and the share of income growth appropriated by different social groups. Methodology: We combined tax data from the Annual Personal Income Tax Returns (Declaração Anual de Ajuste do Imposto de Renda da Pessoa Física - DIRPF) and the Brazilian National Household Survey (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios - PNAD) to construct a complete distribution of total income among adults in Brazil. We applied Pareto interpolations to income tax tabulations to arrive at the distribution within income groups. We tested the results, comparing the PNAD to the Brazilian Consumption and Expenditure Survey (Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares - POF) and to data from the Census Subsample Survey (Census. Results: We found evidence that income inequality in Brazil is higher than previously thought and that it remained stable between 2006 and 2012; in making these findings, we thus diverged from most studies on the dynamics of inequality in Brazil.. There was income growth, but the top incomes have appropriated most of this growth. .

Objeto: o nível e a evolução da desigualdade de renda entre indivíduos adultos no Brasil entre 2006 e 2012. Objetivos: calcular o nível de desigualdade, seu comportamento ao longo dos anos e a parcela do crescimento da renda apropriada por diferentes grupos sociais. Metodologia: combinamos dados tributários provenientes da Declaração Anual de Ajuste do Imposto de Renda da Pessoa Física (DIRPF) e da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) para construir uma distribuição completa da renda total entre adultos. Partindo de dados tributários tabulados, aplicamos interpolações de Pareto para chegar à distribuição dentro dos estratos. Testamos os resultados comparando-os à PNAD, à Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares (POF) e aos dados do Questionário da Amostra do Censo (Censo). Resultados: encontramos evidência de que a desigualdade de renda no Brasil é mais alta do que se imaginava e permaneceu estável entre 2006 e 2012. Houve crescimento da renda, mas os ricos se apropriaram da maior parte desse crescimento. .

A distribuição de renda nas pesquisas domiciliares brasileiras: harmonização e comparação entre Censos, PNADs e POFs / /Income distribution according to Brazilian household surveys: harmonization and comparison of Census, PNAD and POF data / /La distribución del ingreso en las encuestas de hogares brasileñas: armonización y comparación entre los censos, las PNAD y las POF

O objetivo deste trabalho é documentar e explicar as diferenças nas distribuições de renda do Censo Demográfico, da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) e da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares (POF). A principal hipótese é a de que é possível promover grande convergência dos resultados entre as três pesquisas com procedimentos de harmonização ex post, que compatibilizam, na medida do possível, diferenças amostrais, conceituais e de coleta e tratamento dos dados. Os resultados confirmam, em boa medida, esta hipótese: de modo geral, a harmonização aproxima as três pesquisas e reduz significativamente as maiores discrepâncias entre as distribuições de renda, em especial na comparação entre Censo e PNAD. Embora persistam em alguns casos diferenças quanto aos níveis de renda, desigualdade e pobreza, sua evolução ao longo do tempo torna-se muito semelhante nas três pesquisas. Por fim, observa-se também que as discrepâncias remanescentes seguem um padrão, ou seja, mesmo após a harmonização, a distribuição de renda na PNAD tende a ser um pouco mais igualitária do que no Censo e na POF: os rendimentos dos mais pobres são mais altos e os dos mais ricos, mais baixos...

The aim of this paper is to document and explain the differences in income distribution in three Brazilian household surveys: the Demographic Census, the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD - Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios) and the Family Budgets Survey (POF - Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares). The main hypothesis is that it is possible to achieve great convergence of results in the aforementioned surveys with ex post harmonization procedures that minimize, as far as possible, discrepancies in sampling design, in concepts, and in data collection and treatment. The results confirm, to a large extent, this hypothesis: in general, harmonization approximates the three surveys and significantly reduces the major discrepancies between income distributions, in particular concerning Census vs. PNAD comparisons. Although, in some cases, differences persist in the levels of income, inequality and poverty, their tendencies over time become remarkably similar in the three surveys. Finally, it is observed that the remaining discrepancies follow a pattern: even after harmonization, income distribution in PNADs tends to be a little more egalitarian than in Censuses and in POFs, that is, the poorest families have higher incomes and the richest families have lower incomes...

El objetivo de este trabajo es documentar y explicar las diferencias en la distribución del ingreso que surgen del censo demográfico, la Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) y la Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares (POF). La hipótesis principal que se propone es que es posible promover una gran convergencia de los resultados entre las tres encuestas con los procedimientos de armonización ex post, que compatibilizan, en la medida de lo posible, las diferencias muestrales, conceptuales y de recogida y tratamiento de los datos. Los resultados confirman en buena medida esta hipótesis: de modo general, la armonización aproxima las tres encuestas y reduce significativamente las mayores discrepancias entre las distribuciones del ingreso, especialmente cuando se comparan el censo y la PNAD. Aunque en algunos casos persisten las diferencias en los niveles del ingreso, la desigualdad y la pobreza, su evolución en el tiempo llega a ser muy similar en las tres encuestas. Por último, también se observó que las discrepancias remanentes siguen un patrón, es decir, incluso después de la armonización, la distribución del ingreso en la PNAD tiende a ser un poco más igualitaria que en el censo y en la POF: en ese instrumento, los ingresos de los más pobres son más altos y los de los más ricos, más bajos...

Programa Renda Mínima na aldeia indígena Morro da Saudade em São Paulo, entre 2003 e 2004: análise de uma experiência / Minimum Income Program in the indian village Morro da Saudade in São Paulo, in the Period 2003-2004: analysis of an experience

Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a implantação do Programa de Garantia de Renda Familiar Mínima (PGRFM) na comunidade Guarani do Morro da Saudade (distrito de Parelheiros), no Município de São Paulo. O universo da pesquisa abrangeu 67 famílias indígenas da aldeia, inseridas no PGRFM, entre 2003 e 2004. A metodologia empregada foi a qualitativa, com a utilização de várias técnicas: observação participante, avaliação de documentos oficiais e correlatos, entrevista aberta realizada a partir de roteiro norteador, que possibilitou o recolhimento de depoimentos de famílias beneficiárias e de atores profissionais de instituições municipais e estaduais. Foi adotado o princípio da triangulação para análise dos resultados. Observou-se que, apesar de estarem inseridas na sociedade de consumo, as comunidades indígenas guardam valores coletivos e sociais que se revelaram incompatíveis com as características de um programa de distribuição de renda, típico da sociedade envolvente. Sugere-se que a política de distribuição de renda, apesar de diminuir o risco de desnutrição na aldeia, pode intensificar o quadro de tensão no qual se inserem as comunidades indígenas assentadas em meio urbano, ocasionando desequilíbrios na saúde de seus membros e alterando sua relação com o meio ambiente. Conclui-se que a Lei da Renda Básica de Cidadania seria mais adequada ao mundo indígena, se adaptada e regulamentada para eles e com a sua participação.

The study aimed to analyze the implementation process of the "Programa de Garantia de Renda Familiar Mínima" (PGRMF) Minimum family income program - among the Guarani, an Indian community living in Morro da Saudade, located in a district in the periphery of the city of São Paulo. The research focused on 67 Guarani-Mbya families living in Morro da Saudade and participating in the Program during 2003 and 2004. The qualitative methodology was adopted. The investigation was based mainly on the principles of action research, as well as on the analysis of different sources, official or not. Non-structured interviews enabled to trace back histories and projects of life of the Guarani-Mbya families. Interviews with different actors contributed to the understanding of the impacts. The study revealed that the implementation of PGRMF in the Guarani community living in Morro da Saudade, despite its beneficial aspect of minimizing malnutrition risks, can exacerbate tensions among the groups located at the fringe of the urban area, causing disruptions in their members' health and changing their relationships to the environment. Indian communities still preserve their values based on collectivity and solidarity, incompatible with the features of an Income Distribution Policy suited to the western society. Finally, the study sustains that the Law "Renda Básica de Cidadania"- Citizenship Basic Income - is better suited for Indian groups, if adapted and regulated for them and by them.

Migration, remittances, and inequality: estimating the net effects of migration on income distribution.

"This paper examines the net effects of migration and remittances on income distribution. Potential home earnings of migrants are imputed, as are the earnings of non-migrants in migrant households, in order to construct no-migration counterfactuals to compare with the observed income distribution including remittances. The earnings functions used to impute migrant home earnings are estimated from observations on non-migrants in a selection-corrected estimation framework which incorporates migration choice and labor-force participation decisions. For a sample of households in Bluefields, Nicaragua, migration and remittances increase income inequality when compared with the no-migration counterfactual."

Earnings differences among the Mexican-origin population in the United States: nativity and citizenship explanations.

The authors "use data from the June 1986 Current Population Survey to investigate nativity and citizenship differences in earnings within the Mexican-origin population in the United States. There is no evidence of any ¿costs' of nativity or citizenship status. Rather, the existing variation appears to be more than explained by the distribution of earnings-related endowments. In fact, there is evidence that immigrants are better rewarded for their lower endowments. A possible explanation is that the Mexican-origin population is seen as homogeneous by employers, who therefore compensate individuals similarly, regardless of their respective endowments."

[Population problems in Latin America]. / Problemas da populacao na America Latina.

PIP: Accelerated urban growth is one of the main impediments to rapid development in Latin America. Birth rates are closely tied to development, and improved living standards in urban areas induce migration to cities. The Brazilian urban population exceeded 70% of the total population in 1980, while rural population declined. During the period of 1950-70 high demographic growth occurred as a result of high fertility and the drop of mortality. From the 1970s fertility declined from the under 20 years of age, a fact that will sustain high fertility for sometime. Education exerted an impact on fertility: in 1980 illiterate women averaged 6 children vs. 2.6 children for women with 8 years of education and 2.2 children for those with 12 years. Migration was another major factor: in 1950 the urban population of Latin America amounted to 40 million, and it reached 142 million in 1974. Every year about 8.7 million people are added to the urban population. In 1950 those who resided in an urban area made up 9.2%, in 1975 they increased to 22%, but all urban residents amount to about 40% of the total population. This urbanization has also produced major income differentials. In Argentina 20% of the poorest people get 4.5% of total income, while 10% of the richest get 35%. In Brazil 20% of the poorest receive 2% of income, while 10% of the richest get 50.5% of total income. Unfortunately, the Brazilian model is more typical of Latin America. It is a fundamental premise that balanced population growth and economic development go hand in hand, and the improvement of living standards is essential for the reduction of exponential population growth.^ieng

[Demographic effects on development from 1970 to 1990]. / Efectos demograficos sobre el desarrollo, de 1970 a 1990.

PIP: Although significant advances were achieved in Mexican school enrollment and educational status between 1950 and 1970, nearly half of 1970 entrants in the labor market had fewer than 5 years of formal schooling. Fertility and population growth rates began to decline in the 1970s, and the gross national product (GNP) was still growing at the rapid rate of 6.2%, although employment in the formal sector was increasingly limited. Income distribution did not alter greatly for the poorest households; in 1970, 1977, and 1983 the poorest 40% of households received around 11% of total income. The fertility decline continued in the 1980s, but it was not homogeneous in all social groups. During 1970-86 the poorest and least educated sectors had an average of nearly 3 children more than the wealthier and better educated. The poor population grew at a rate of 3% annually, while those with higher incomes grew at 1.3%. During the 1980s the economic crisis significantly affected social spending. Government spending as a percentage of GNP declined from 8% in the 1980s to 3.8% in 1988. The GNP grew at negative rates in 1982, 1983, and 1986, and at rates below demographic growth rates in 1987 and 1988. The economically active population grew at almost 3.5% annually, while employment only increased by 0.9%. A significant proportion of the skilled labor force was obliged to seek employment in the informal sector, placing additional pressure on the poor and unskilled.^ieng

[Differences in income distribution data between the population census and household surveys (PNAD): conceptual and operational aspects]. / Diferenciais de rendimentos entre censos demograficos e PNADs--aspectos conceituais e operacionais.

"The [purpose] of this article is to explain the main differences between the concepts and the [collection procedures] of income distribution data used in [the] 1980 demographic census and in [the] 1979 and 1981 household surveys in Brazil. The article also comments [on] some differences about the data information on income distribution produced by census and household surveys." (SUMMARY IN ENG)

Netherlands Antilles: country profile.

PIP: The Netherlands Antilles is the former name for the 5 islands called "the Antilles of the Five" (Curacao, Bonaire, St Maarten, St Eustatius, and Saba) and the separatist (since 1986) island of Aruba, which has its own prime minister (Henny Eamon -- the prime minister of the other 5 islands is Don Martina). The total 1988 population is 264,000. They enjoy one of the highest standards of living among the developing countries, with a per capita gross national product of $1610 guilder ($15,390 (US). Health services, life expectancy, and political freedom are excellent, due mainly to Dutch standards and aid. The position of women is also generally progressive. Literacy is excellent despite the different languages used (Dutch and Papiamento in Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba; English in St Maarten, St Eustatius, and Saba). Since the 2 major industries (oil refining and offshore financial services) have collapsed, tourism is limited mainly to the Windward Islands (St Eustatius and Saba), and there is no agriculture or fishing, the country's high standard of living is due to $530 million of Dutch aid, on which the country relies. Aruba will become independent in 1996, a future opposed by nearly all the 67,000 islanders, who fear it will mean the loss of Dutch aid.^ieng

[Urban employment and internal migration in Peru]. / Empleo urbano y migraciones internas en el Peru

PIP: The relationship between internal migration and employment problems in Peru is examined. The author argues that regional differences in income distribution are the primary causes of migration, particularly to urban areas. A model of the migration process is developed and tested using data from official sources, surveys, and the published literature.^ieng

The labor market experience of female migrants: the case of temporary Mexican migration to the U.S.

PIP: This article, using a Mexican national survey, provides a profile of temporary Mexican female migrants in the US labor market. The usual association between occupational groups and wage rates does not hold up, with women in unskilled jobs averaging nearly the same wages as while collar women. The dramatic exception is private household workers, who earn less than 1/4 of the wage rates of other women. Although the distribution of wage rates across occupational groups for migrant women is not easily explained by schooling or potential work experience, wage rates seem to be positively correlated with marriage and childrearing. This is partly explained by the fact that married women are more likely to have the option of not working outside the home, and also that the labor market contacts provided by husbands may be helpful in securing more remunerative jobs. Migration networks make the region of origin in Mexico strongly correlate with wage rate variations across occupational groups for women. Although women are found to have more schooling, higher legal status, more US work experience and are more likely to come from regions with well developed migration networks than men, women average upto $7 less per day--a phenomenon largely explained by the labor market segmentation. A lack of legal status constrains women's job opportunities more than men's: over 90% of the women without entry permits are in the low paying private household sector, compared with less than 1/4 of those with some legal status. This connection between lack of proper legal status and low status jobs does not seem to prevent women from migrating illegally--more than 1/2 the women migrant studied had no legal status at all. This study concludes that women do not necessarily follow men in migration, and their labor market functions are quite distinct from those of men.^ieng

[The decline in population growth, income distribution, and economic recession]. / Disminucion del crecimiento de la poblacion, distribucion de ingresos y recesion economica

PIP: This work uses Keynesian principles and an analysis of the Colombian population in the 1970s to argue that the Colombian policy of slowing population growth, which was adopted with the aim of improving the general welfare of the population, has had shortterm negative effects on effective demand and thus on the level of employment and welfare. These negative effects were caused by the inflexibility of income distribution, which prevented expansion of the internal market, complicated by the stagnant condition of the external sector and the budget deficit. The results of the Colombian case study demonstrate how the deceleration of population growth beginning in the 1960s had a significant impact on the levels of consumption and savings and on the patterns of consumption, leading to low levels of investment and little dynamism. Although the current Colombian economic recession is aggravated by contextual factors such as the world economic recession, the high cost of capital, the industrial recession, and declining food production among others, at the core of the crisis are longer term structural determinants such as the decline in the rate of population growth and the highly unequal distribution of income and wealth, which have contributed to a shrinking of the internal market for some types of goods. Given the unlikelihood of renewed rapid population growth, the Keynesian model suggests that the only alternative for increasing aggregate demand is state intervention through public spending and investment and reorientation of the financial system to achieve a dynamic redistribution of income. Based on these findings and on proposals of other analysts, a stragegy for revitalization is proposed which would imply a gradual income redistribution to allow increased consumption of mass produced goods by the low income groups. Direct consumption subsidies would be avoided because of their inflationary and import-expanding tendencies; rather, incentives and support would be provided to 3 productive sectors: traditional agriculture, small factories producing mass consumption goods, and construction of low income housing. The strategy would promote economic growth and expansion without further deterioration of income distribution, employment, and price stability. A simulation study demonstrated the advantages of such a strategy in relation to alternative strategies.^ieng

[Socioeconomic characteristics of the labor force in Brazil (1976-1981)]. / Caracteristicas socio-economicas da forca de trabalho no Brasil (1976-1981).

"This paper studies the main changes in the Brazilian labor force from 1976 to 1981. Several aspects concerning... Brazilian labor market dynamics, such as activity levels, employment, income distribution and social security, are examined. The paper takes into account the short-run effects of...economic policy on the Brazilian labor force." (summary in ENG)

[The distribution of personal income in Brazil in the decade of the 1970s]. / Distribuicao da renda pessoal, no Brasil na decada de setenta

PIP: Changes in income distribution among the economically active population of Brazil during the 1970s are analyzed using data from the 1970 and 1980 censuses. A slight increase in the inequality of income distribution over the decade is noted. The methodology used includes various indicators of income inequality, including the Gini coefficient and the Theil indexes. (summary in ENG)^ieng