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Biomedical subjects

C Albala

Publications and source records attributed to C Albala.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

[Television publicity and food preferences of school age children of the metropolitan region].

BACKGROUND: There is an alarming increase in the prevalence of child obesity in Chile. Lack of exercise and bad feeding habits strongly strongly contribute to the problem. AIM: To investigate the influence of television publicity on school age children food preferences. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A semi structured interview was applied to a representative sample of 786 school age children aged 6 to 11 years old, living in Metropolitan Santiago. Time watching television during week days and the attitude towards food and beverage commercials was analyzed and related to food preferences. RESULTS: Ninety nine percent of school age children watch television during week days and 20% watches more the three hours daily. Snack commercials such as those about potato chips, chocolates, cookies and ice cream, are preferred by 35% of children. Soda commercials are preferred by 33% and yoghurt commercials by 12%. Eighty five percent of children had money to buy food. Of these, 66% bought snacks, 15% bought sodas and 7% yoghurt. The same tendency was observed in school collations. CONCLUSIONS: The high percentage of children, watching television and the influence of commercials in their food preferences, requires an urgent educational strategy to promote healthy feeding habits.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Prevalence of obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia in rural aboriginal groups in Chile].

BACKGROUND: Chilean aboriginal ethnic groups (mapuche and aymaras) have a very low prevalence rate of type 2 diabetes. The investigation of a possible relationship between this low prevalence of diabetes and obesity, hypertension and serum lipid profiles in both groups is worthwhile. AIM: To study the prevalence of obesity, hypertension and lipid profile in two Chilean aboriginal communities. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The prevalence of obesity, hypertension, fasting serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, leptin and oral glucose tolerance test were measured in 345 mapuche (106 male) and 247 aymara (100 male) individuals. RESULTS: Sixty three percent of mapuche women, 37.9% of mapuche men, 39.7% of the aymara women and 27.0% of aymara men had a body mass index over 27 kg/m2. Twenty percent of mapuche men, 18.0% of mapuche women, 9.0% of aymara men and 4.8% of the aymara women had high blood pressure values. Serum HDL cholesterol was below 35 mg/dl in 16% of mapuche women, 14% of mapuche men, 25% of the aymara women and 27% of aymara men. No differences in total cholesterol levels were observed between mapuches and aymaras. CONCLUSION: Mapuche women have higher prevalence of obesity and high blood pressure than aymara women. Low serum HDL cholesterol has a higher prevalence among aymara individuals.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1998

Leptin levels distribution and ethnic background in two populations from Chile: Caucasian and Mapuche groups.

OBJECTIVE: Leptin, the product of the human ob gene is increased in obese individuals, suggesting resistance to its effect. We examined the relationship of serum leptin levels with respect to obesity, gender and insulin levels in two populations with different ethnic compositions in Chile. METHODS: Leptin and insulin levels were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and correlated with body mass index (BMI), gender and ethnic background. 79 Caucasian subjects from Santiago and 65 Mapuche natives from the Araucania region, Chile, were included in this study. RESULTS: Leptin concentrations in obese subjects were significantly increased in both ethnic groups in relation to lean status: Caucasian and Mapuche obese 19.3 +/- 11.6 and 10.1 +/- 5.8 (P < 0.001), respectively vs Caucasian and Mapuche lean 10.4 +/- 5.8 and 4.7 +/- 2.9 (P < 0.001, respectively). When we compared Mapuche and Caucasian groups, similar leptin levels were observed among the males of the two populations in both metabolic states (lean and obese). In contrast, the leptin level distributions between women showed a marked difference, having a minor value in the Mapuche women with a comparable value with the male group in this ethnic population. CONCLUSIONS: The leptin concentrations are associated with obesity in both ethnic groups in Chile. However, the leptin levels between the Mapuche natives were significantly decreased compared to the Caucasian group. The gender distribution does not seem to be important in the Mapuche natives. The ethnic composition seems to be important in the leptin distribution in the analysed populations.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Obesity in Chilean preschool children: anthropometric evolution and socioeconomic determinants].

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity among low-income preschool children has increased in Chile. AIM: To compare the anthropometric evolution of obese and non obese children from birth and to determine the influence of maternal body composition and socioeconomic variables with childhood obesity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Using a case control design, 237 obese, 449 normal and 54 overweight 4 year old low income children, attending 8 public outpatient clinics in Santiago, were studied. Anthropometric data since birth to the moment of the study was gathered from the clinical charts at the clinics. RESULTS: Z scores for height/age and weight/height were significantly higher at all ages, excepting height/age in boys at the moment of birth. At the moment of the study, obese and overweight children were four and one cm taller than the normal weight controls. Maternal body mass index (odds ratio 3.07), being a first child, having a working mother, to have a telephone at home and birth weight were the variables significantly associated with obesity, according to an adjusted effects analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The strong association of maternal and offspring obesity implies that the prevention of childhood obesity must consider health actions directed towards mothers as well.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1998

[Lipid composition of eggs from hens fed with marine protein and fat products].

This study describes the composition of shell eggs produced by hens fed marine sources of feeds and eggs from hens fed only vegetable ingredients, as a control group. The nutritional characteristics of eggs, yolk fatty acids profile and their cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid contents, were determined. Hens fed marine feeds produced eggs with significantly less cholesterol and more triglycerides and phospholipids, than those produced by hens fed only vegetable feeds. Even though there were no significant differences between saturated, mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, marine products significantly increased n-3 fatty acids (7.13 +/- 0.83 in marine fed hen's eggs vs. 1.77 +/- 0.55 g/100 g in vegetable fed hen's eggs) and n-6 fatty acids (15.71 +/- 2 in marine fed hen's eggs vs. 20.88 +/- 2.32 g/100 in all vegetable fed hen's eggs). The eggs produced from hens fed marine products compares favorably with eggs known as "enriched" can have an important place in the diet especially for high risk population groups.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1998

[Obesity, an unresolved challenge in Chile].

Socioeconomic and demographic changes in Chile, have modified its epidemiological profile. At the present time, the most important public health problems are non communicable chronic diseases, specially cardiovascular ailments. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors has also increased and obesity stands out. This review analyzes the present situation of obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors of nutritional origin, in Chile, and proposes intervention alternatives. At the present time 7% preschool children, 12% of school children, 24% of pregnant women, 10% of male adults and 24% of female adults are obese. This higher prevalence is even more pronounced in women of low socioeconomic level. Risk factors associated to obesity are an inadequate diet, with a higher consumption of fats and refined foods, sedentariness and hyperlipidemia. Primary and secondary care strategies must be devised to face this growing problem.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Different statistical models used in the calculation of the prevalence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus according to the polymorphism of the HLA-DQ region.

The use of three statistical models yielded different estimates of the odds ratio relative to the association between the polymorphism in the HLA-DQ region and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The models used were: (1) the allele-dosage model which assumes that the number of susceptibility alleles has a linear effect on the logarithm of the odds; (2) the reference cell coding method used with alleles of susceptibility as a risk factor; or (3) a model that uses a classification of alpha/beta heterodimers as a susceptibility factor. We suggest that models which imply a log-linear relationship between a susceptibility marker and disease such as the first model are not appropriate in the assessment of the HLA-IDDM association. In contrast, although both latter models are valid, the third model is more compatible with current hypotheses of the pathological process of the disease. Once an estimation of the odds ratio is chosen, we use such an estimation to calculate an approximation of the prevalence of IDDM according to the polymorphism in HLA-DQ region using the iterative procedure of Newton-Raphson. These approaches are illustrated with data from a case-control study previously conducted in the city of Santiago, Chile.

Alleles↗
PubMed1997

[Copper intake and blood levels as risk factors for atheromatous disease].

BACKGROUND: Copper is part of antioxidant enzymes and could have a cardiovascular protective effect. A higher cardiovascular risk has been associated with high as well as low plasma copper levels. AIM: To search for differences in copper intake and plasma levels between patients with coronary artery or cerebrovascular diseases and normal subjects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Zinc and copper intake, plasma levels and serum lipid levels were measured in 20 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 20 patients with an acute myocardial infarction and 40 subjects hospitalized for elective surgery, that served as controls. RESULTS: Copper and zinc intake was below recommended allowances in all subjects. Serum zinc and copper levels did not differ in the three study groups. In patients with myocardial infarction a weak correlation was found between serum copper and total cholesterol (r = 0.24; p < 0.05) and LDL cholesterol (r = 0.31; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No differences in copper levels were found in subjects with atherosclerosis and controls. The correlation between serum copper and cholesterol deserves further investigation.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Epidemiological transition in Latin America: a comparison of four countries].

BACKGROUND: In the last decade, Latin America has experienced important transformations in its health conditions, due to demographic changes and a rapid urbanization process. AIM: To analyze socioeconomic, demographic and epidemiological changes in Chile, Guatemala, Mexico and Uruguay and relate them to the different stages in the demographic and epidemiological transition of these countries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data was obtained from official information of local and international organizations such as Pan-American Health Organization, United Nations, Latin American Center for Demography (CELADE) and World Bank. RESULTS: Guatemala is in a pre-transition stage with a high proportion of communicable diseases as causes of death (61%) as compared with Mexico (22%), Chile (13%) and Uruguay (7%). Mexico is in a prolonged transition situation and Chile is close to Uruguay in a post-transitional stage. Despite decreasing rates of mortality, the proportion of deaths represented by chronic diseases and injuries has increased to over 30% in all countries, except Uruguay. Adjusted mortality rates for cardiovascular diseases are lower in Latin American countries, as compared to Canada. However, excepting Guatemala, there are differences in the pattern of cardiovascular disease, with a higher mortality due to cerebrovascular and a lower mortality due to coronary artery diseases. CONCLUSIONS: An increment in non communicable diseases is expected for the next decades in Latin America. Analysis of demographic and epidemiological transition is crucial to define health policies and to adequate health systems to the new situations.

Chile↗
PubMed1996

Obesity as a protective factor for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is considered a protective factor for osteoporosis improving bone mass and maintaining higher levels of estrogen during menopause. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of obesity with bone mineral density (BMD), and its relationship with sex hormone levels. DESIGN: A case-control study in Caucasian obese and non obese postmenopausal women. SUBJECTS: 113 obese and 50 non-obese postmenopausal women. MEASUREMENTS: BMD (dual-photon X-ray absorptiometry) at cervical femur. Ward's triangle, proximal radius and lumbar spine. Plasma levels of glucose, insulin, total estrogen, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHA-S) and testosterone. RESULTS: Mean BMD at femoral sites were significantly higher in obese women (femoral neck: 0.849 +/- 0.124 g/cm2 vs 0.753 +/- 0.095 g/cm2, P < 0.001; Ward's triangle: 0.634 +/- 0.134 g/cm2 vs. 0.553 +/- 0.100 g/cm2, P < 0.001). Mean BMD at lumbar spine was 0.906 +/- 0.138 g/cm2 in obese women and 0.849 +/- 0.137 g/cm2 in non obese, P < 0.017. A decreased risk of osteopenia in femoral neck (Age adjusted OR = 0.36, 95%CI 0.17-0.75) and in lumbar spine (Age adjusted OR = 0.43, 95%CI 0.20-0.91) in obese women was observed. Although total estrogen were similar in both groups, in obese women, SHBG was lower (68.6 +/- 26.84 nmol/l vs. 85.1 +/- 31.18 nmol/l, P < 0.001), and postglucose load insulin levels were higher, than in non obese (77.2 +/- 50.4 Ul/ml vs. 49.4 +/- 24.1 Ul/ml, P < 0.0005). CONCLUSION: The findings confirm a higher BMD in obese women and suggest that obesity exerts protection due to a decreased SHBG thus increasing free sex steroids. Besides, hyperinsulinemia may produce a decline in the production of IGFBG-1, leading to an increase of IGF-1, that may stimulate the proliferation of osteoblasts.

Bone Density↗
PubMed1996

[Methods to estimate body composition in the elderly: a critical analysis].

The objective of this study was to compare the values obtained for total body fat obtained with deuterium dilution, anthropometry and bioimpedance in 41 institutionalized elderly individuals (65-90 years old). The values obtained with each technique were compared using the graphic analysis proposed by Bland and Altman, that plots the difference between measurements with both methods against their average. In men (n = 20) and women (n = 21), the best degree of agreement was obtained between the values measured by deuterium dilution and those calculated from skinfolds (mean difference = 1.4% and 6.9%, respectively). The limits of agreement (+/-2SD), for skinfolds reached a maximum of 14.8% in men, and 16.8% in women. These values tend to underestimate fat in the obese and overestimate it in thinner subjects. For bioimpedance and deuterium dilution, the inter-method difference is significantly greater: 9.3% in men and 14.7% in women. This lack of agreement is attributed to the fact that the bioimpedance equipment utilizes equations validated for younger adults. In conclusion, estimation of body composition using skinfoids has the smallest difference compared to deuterium dilution, even though individual measurements are not clinically acceptable. Caution is recommended when using measurements of body composition in the elderly, due to large errors in the determinations.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Epidemiological transition in Latin America: the case of Chile.

To describe Chile's stage of epidemiological transition, a descriptive study of the changes to the demographic and economic profile of this country during the last 20 years is presented. The decline in the total fertility rate from 3.4 in 1970 to 2.6 in 1992 and the important decrease in general and infant mortality rate has led to an increase of life expectancy of 8 years for men and 9 years for women. This has resulted in changes to the age structure and causes of mortality and morbidity of the population. A reduction of 82% in the proportion of deaths among children < 1 year and a 73% increase of mortality amongst those 65 years and older can be observed. In line with these changes non-communicable diseases have increased from 53.7% of all deaths in 1970 to 74.9% in 1991. In the same period mortality rates from cardiovascular causes have decreased from 189.6 to 161.1 per 100,000 population, whilst their relative proportion of all causes has increased from 22.3% to 29%. High prevalence of risk factors should lead to a significant increase of chronic diseases in future years. Regarding morbidity, a high incidence rate for tuberculosis persists together with an increase of infections of the digestive system and of sexually transmitted diseases. A decrease in the rates of diseases preventable by immunisation has been noted. It is concluded that, as defined by population mortality statistics, Chile is in a post-transition stage but with a persistence of some infectious diseases corresponding to a transitional stage of development.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Smoking and its effects on maternal body composition in late pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the possible impact of smoking on body composition at the 34-39 weeks of pregnancy, and its consequences on birth weight. SUBJECTS: 31 smokers and 31 non-smokers matched by age, gestational age and percentage of standard weight (PSW). Smoking mothers had 5 cigarettes or more per day during the whole period of pregnancy and non-smoking mothers never smoked. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban Public Health Center. Anthropometry and the deuterium dilution technique were used to determine body composition. The statistical analysis used a t-test for matched pairs to assess significance of the means difference for each variable. RESULTS: Suprailiac and subscapular skinfolds were found to be larger in non-smokers; this difference was significant for the suprailiac skinfold (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in total body fat, total body water and fat-free mass obtained with the deuterium dilution technique, or FFM determined by anthropometry. Infants' birth weight was similar in the two groups of mothers. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that pregnancy does not modify the pattern of body fat distribution already present in smokers before conception. Infants' birth weight was similar in both groups, probably due to no difference in fat-free mass and body fat. The physiological effect of nicotine (e.g. on prolactin, micronutrients), seems to be clearer during lactation and infant growth.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Body fat distribution: anthropometric indicators].

There are two types of fat distribution in obese subjects. The abdominal, superior, android or apple shaped and the gluteo-femoral, gynecoid, inferior or pear shaped. In the former, fat is accumulated in the abdomen and in the latter, in the gluteal region. The superior distribution is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. Among anthropometric measurements of fat distribution, the ratio between waist circumference measured at the level of the navel and hip circumference, measured at the level of greater trochanters, is the best indicator. Using the cutoff points of 0.8 for women and 1 for men, it has a good correlation with visceral fat.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1994

[Adult mortality from chronic diseases in Chile, 1968-1990].

"The paper starts with a brief analysis of the sources and the quality of the data and the mortality indices [for trends in adult mortality from chronic diseases in Chile]....A comparison is made of mortality among the 13 regions of the country and an attempt is made to relate the observed differences to some environmental and life-style factors. Rural-urban and educational differences of mortality by cause of death are also analyzed. The paper ends by comparing mortality by chronic disease in Chile with that of other countries of the Latin American region, noting some difficulties [in] such a comparison and proposing hypotheses for future studies." (SUMMARY IN ENG)

Adult↗