Race (black-white) and sex inequalities in tooth loss: A population-based study.

The effect of health inequalities is determined by different socioeconomic, sex, and race conditions. This study aimed to analyze the association of tooth loss with race (defined by self-reported skin color) and sex. Based on the hypothesis that the association between tooth loss and race may be modified by sex, we also aimed to evaluate possible interactions between race and sex in association with this event, in a population-based study in the city of Campinas, Brazil. A directed acyclic graph was used to select covariates. The prevalence, of tooth loss was 19% higher in black women compared to white men (Prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.19; 95%CI: 1.05-1.34). Moreover, the prevalence of tooth loss in black women was 26% higher than in white women (PR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.13-1.42); and, within the strata of black people, black women had 14% higher dental loss (PR: 1.14; 95%CI: 1.02-1.27) compared to black men. This study found a significant interaction between race and sex in tooth loss, with a disadvantage for black women. In addition, this work contributes to the discussion of health inequities and can support policies for the provision of universal dental care.

The COVID-19 pandemic and changes in eating habits of Brazilian adolescents.

Introduction: The social distancing imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic influenced lifestyle and modified dietary patterns. Our objective was to evaluate the consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV), and ultra-processed foods (UPF), before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to identify the sociodemographic factors associated. Methods: This study used data from the "Convid Adolescents", a survey on health behaviors that were collected through an online questionnaire self-completed by 9.470 adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age during the pandemic in Brazil in 2020. Individuals were invited to participate through a chain-sampling procedure called "virtual snowballing". Information about FV, and UPF consumption before and during the pandemic period were reported. The independent variables used were sex, age group, race/color of skin, kind of school, education level of the mother, region of Brazil, financial difficulties during the pandemic, food insecurity, and social restrictions. Logistic regression models were used. Results: There was a reduction in the low consumption of FV (83.5% to 80.3%) and there was no significant difference in the high consumption of UPF (38.9% to 38.1%) before and during the pandemic. The incidence of low consumption of FV and high consumption of UPF during the pandemic was 20% and 13.8%, respectively. Girls, private school adolescents, who reported having food insecurity and financial difficulties during the pandemic were the most affected subgroups. Conclusions: Despite little change in the prevalence of FV and UPF consumption before and during the pandemic, the incidence of high consumption of UPF and low FV consumption was high, and it identified in specific population subgroups.

Is napping related with health-related behaviors and sleep habits among adolescents? A population-based study.

INTRODUCTION: Changes in sleep quality and quantity occur in adolescence and can lead to the compensatory behavior of daytime napping. OBJECTIVE: Analyze factors related to napping in adolescents. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 1022 adolescents who participated in the 2014-2015 Health Survey of the city of Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Napping was the dependent variable. Sociodemographic characteristics, living habits, health-related behaviors, feelings of loneliness, satisfaction with life and nocturnal sleep habits were the independent variables. Data analysis was performed using Rao-Scott chi-square test, unpaired Student's t-test and Poisson regression analysis; p < 0.05 was considered significant. The software STATA was used for analysis. RESULTS: Mean participant age was 14.6 years (SD: 2.7; range: 10 to 19 years). Males accounted for 50.9% of the sample and 55.7% had white skin color. A total of 40.5% reported napping. Napping was more common in females (p = 0.006), the 14-to-17-year-old age group (p = 0.002), those who took medications in the previous 15 days (p = 0.001), those who were insufficiently active (p = 0.036), those who reported little or no satisfaction with life (p = 0.008) and those who woke up in bad mood (p = 0.004). Adolescents who napped also reported shorter sleep during the week (p < 0.001) and a perceived greater need for sleep (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of napping among the adolescents was independently associated with shorter average sleep, a perceived greater need for sleep than that obtained and waking up in a bad mood.

Level of active aging: Influence of environmental, social and health-related factors.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze social, environmental and health-related inequalities in the level of active aging among older adults who participated in the Health Survey conducted in the city of Campinas, Brazil. METHODS: The level of active aging was estimated based on a ranking of engagement in activities using factor analysis. More active older adults (situated in the highest tertile of the ranking) were compared with the others through the prevalence ratios (PR) and respective 95 % confidence intervals (CI) estimated by Poisson regression. RESULTS: The study population thus consisted of 986 older adults. The majority of the respondents were female (57.6 %), in the 60-69 years age group (56.7 %), had less than 8 years of schooling (65.3 %) and had a per capita family income of 1-3 minimum salaries (55.3 %). Access to public spaces for the practice of physical activity near the home (PR = 1.44; 95 % CI, 1.07-1.94) and higher level of education (PR = 2.14; 95 % CI, 1.60-2.86), income (PR = 1.73; 95 % CI, 1.25-2.40), physical health (PR = 1.44; 95 % CI, 1.13-1.82) and mental health (PR = 1.62; 95 % CI, 1.05-2.49) were more prevalent among older adults with a high level of active aging. DISCUSSION: The findings demonstrate that the level of involvement in activities does not solely depend on personal choices. Social, economic, environmental, physical and mental contexts all exert a strong influence.

Correction: Leisure-time physical activity and sports in the Brazilian population: A social disparity analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225940.].

Leisure-time physical activity and sports in the Brazilian population: A social disparity analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) or sports in the Brazilian population according to demographic and income variables. METHODS: Data from 60,202 Brazilian individuals (18 years and over) were analyzed, belonging to the National Health Survey 2013 sample. The prevalence of different modalities of LTPA and sports was estimated according to age, sex, skin color and income. The adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated by Poisson regression. RESULTS: Of every thousand Brazilians, 695 do not practice LTPA or sports. Walking is the most practiced LTPA (98/1000), followed by soccer (68/1000) and weight training (45/1000). For poor and black men, the most frequent LTPA was soccer, and, for women, gymnastics and walking. The prevalence of weight training and gymnastics was higher for white people compared with black people. All LTPA practices were more prevalent in individuals with higher income, except for soccer. Running on a treadmill and weight training had, respectively, 24.7 and 6.4 times higher prevalence in the richer quartile. CONCLUSIONS: The study allowed identifying the type of LTPA and sport reported as the most frequent by the Brazilian population according to age, sex, skin color, and income, detecting strong social disparities in these practices.

Socioeconomic inequalities in dental health services in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2003-2008.

BACKGROUND: Access to, and use of, dental health services in Brazil have improved since 2003. The increase of private health care plans and the implementation of the "Smiling Brazil" Program, the largest public oral health care program in the world, could have influenced this increase in access. However, we do not yet know if inequalities in the use of dental health services persist after the improvement in access. The aims of this study are to analyze socioeconomic differences for dental health service use between 2003 and 2008 in São Paulo and to examine changes in these associations since the implementation of the Smiling Brazil program in 2003. METHOD: Data was obtained via two household health surveys (ISA-Capital 2003 and ISA-Capital 2008) which investigated living conditions, lifestyle, health status and use of health care services. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations between socioeconomic factors and dental services use. Additionally, trends from 2003 to 2008 regarding socioeconomic characteristics and dental health service use were explored. RESULTS: Overall, dental health service use increased between 2003 and 2008 and was at both time points more common among those who had higher income, better education, better housing conditions, private health care plans and were Caucasian. Inequalities in use of dental health care did not decrease over time. Among the reasons for not seeking dental care, not having teeth and financial difficulty were more common in lower socioeconomic groups, while thinking it was unnecessary was more common in higher socioeconomic groups. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian oral health policy is still in a period of expansion and seems to have contributed slightly to increased dental health service use, but has not influenced socioeconomic inequalities in the use of these services. Acquiring deeper knowledge about inequalities in dental health service use will contribute to better understanding of potential barriers to reducing them.

Social inequalities in health behaviors among Brazilian adults: National Health Survey, 2013.

BACKGROUND: Considering the high socioeconomic inequalities prevailing in Brazil and lifestyle as a strong determinant of morbidity and premature mortality, our purpose was to evaluate the degree of socioeconomic disparities in the prevalence of health behaviors among Brazilian adult population using data from the 2013 Brazilian National Health Survey. METHOD: Based on a sample of 49,025 individuals aged 20 to 59 years, we estimated the prevalence of several health behaviors and a score of unhealthy behaviors according to gender, education, race/color and possession of private health insurance. The prevalence ratios adjusted by age and gender were estimated by means of multiple Poisson regression and the analyses took into account the sampling design. RESULTS: Significant social inequalities were identified in the Brazilian adults. Higher prevalence of current smoking, leisure-time physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle, whole milk consumption and low ingestion of greens, vegetables, and fruits were observed among the less educated, in the non-white population, and among those without private health insurance. Higher prevalence of heavy episodic drinking was found in the non-white population, but no difference in the consumption of fatty meat was found according to skin color. Score of unhealthy behavior higher than 6 was more frequent in lower educational strata (PR = 3.74) in the non-white population (PR = 1.39) and among those without private health insurance (PR = 1.78). Compared to women, men had higher prevalence rates of smoking, hazardous alcohol consumption, and fatty meat consumption and lower consumption of greens, vegetables and fruits. CONCLUSION: The results of the study emphasize the importance of monitoring social inequalities in health as part of national health policies and the urgent need to prioritize actions to promote healthy behaviors, especially among the most socially vulnerable segments of society.

Calcium intake by adolescents: a population-based health survey.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze calcium intake in adolescents according to sociodemographic variables, health-related behaviors, morbidities, and body mass index. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional population-based study, with a two-stage cluster sampling that used data from a survey conducted in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, between 2008 and 2009. Food intake was assessed using a 24-hour dietary recall. The study included 913 adolescents aged 10-19 years. RESULTS: Average nutrient intake was significantly lower in the segment with lower education of the head of the family and lower per capita family income, in individuals from other cities or states, those who consumed fruit less than four times a week, those who did not drink milk daily, those who were smokers, and those who reported the occurrence of headaches and dizziness. Higher mean calcium intake was found in individuals that slept less than seven hours a day. The prevalence of calcium intake below the recommendation was 88.6% (95% CI: 85.4-91.2). CONCLUSION: The results alert to an insufficient calcium intake and suggest that certain subgroups of adolescents need specific strategies to increase the intake of this nutrient.

Sleep duration pattern and chronic diseases in Brazilian adults (ISACAMP, 2008/09).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to assess sleep patterns in the adult population of the city of Campinas (Brazil) according to socioeconomic/demographic variables, chronic diseases, and symptoms. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Campinas Health Survey (ISACAMP) carried out in 2008 and 2009. A total of 2637 individuals aged 18 years or older (obtained from a probabilistic sample) were analyzed. Associations between sleep pattern and the independent variables were determined using the chi-square test. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to adjust for confounders. RESULTS: The prevalence of six or fewer hours of sleep was greater among individuals aged 40 years or older and among divorced or single individuals. The sleep pattern of nine or more hours was more prevalent among those with less than 40 years of age, among those who were divorced, or single, among those with a lower level of schooling, those who did not work and housewives. Both short and long sleep patterns were more prevalent among individuals with heart disease, vascular problems, rheumatism/arthritis/arthrosis, osteoporosis, or emotional problems. The prevalence of the short sleep duration was greater among individuals with back problems and those with three or more health conditions. A strong association was found between sleep duration and sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-demographic factors and health diseases were associated to sleep duration. This issue should be considered in health promotion strategies.

Dietary quality index and associated factors among adolescents of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To assess dietary quality and associated factors in adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in a sample of 1584 adolescents living in areas of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Dietary intake was measured with the 24-hour recall method, and dietary quality was assessed by means of the Health Eating Index (HEI), adapted to fit to the local requirements. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between the HEI and demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle variables. RESULTS: A total of 97.1% of the adolescents studied had an inadequate diet or a diet that needed improvement. The mean overall HEI score was 59.7. Lower mean HEI scores were found for fruits, dairy products, and vegetables. Male adolescents who were physically active and lived in a house or apartment had higher HEI scores. The multiple regression analyses showed that the quality of the diet improved as age decreased. Adolescents who lived in houses or apartments had higher HEI scores than adolescents living in shacks or slums, regardless of age and energy intake. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary quality is associated with income and age. A better understanding of the factors associated can provide input to the formulation of policies and development of nutritional actions.

[Factors associated with pulmonary disease among the elderly]. / Fatores associados à doença pulmonar em idosos.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of reported pulmonary disease among elderly subjects, according to sociodemographic and economic characteristics, lifestyle, physical mobility, and health status. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional population-based study that included 1,957 elderly subjects (aged 60 and over). Information was collected by means of interviews. Subjects were selected using a two-stage probabilistic, stratified, cluster sampling strategy in six municipalities in the State of São Paulo between 2001 and 2002. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared association tests, prevalence ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were utilized. Adjusted analysis was carried out by Poisson regression. RESULTS: Among the interviewees, around 7% reported pulmonary disease. There was no association between pulmonary disease and influenza vaccination. Adjusted analysis identified the following factors that were independently associated with reported disease: smoking (PR: 2.03; 95% CI: 1.39-2.97); medication use (PR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.11-3.79); health status self-assessed as poor or very poor (PR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.20-2.96); and depression, anxiety, or emotional problems (PR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.11-3.10). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from the present study reinforce the importance of respiratory diseases among the elderly, particularly in more vulnerable groups. Preventive measures and specific care for such groups are therefore justified.