Food consumption frequency and excess body weight in adolescents in the context of financial crisis in Barcelona (Spain)

AbstractObjectivesTo describe food consumption frequency in adolescents in the context of the financial crisis in 2012, and to analyse potential fluctuations in excess body weight between 2008 and 2012.MethodA cross-sectional study of eating habits and excess body weight was conducted in adolescents aged 13 to 19 years old from public, subsidised and private secondary schools in Barcelona, Spain. The FRESC lifestyle risk factors survey was used, and food frequency consumption, food recommendations and body mass index were analysed according to gender, year of education and socioeconomic status.ResultsGirls ate vegetables and fruits more frequently than boys, while the prevalence of junk food consumption was higher in boys. The prevalence of compliance with food recommendations was lower than 50% for all foods, and gender and socioeconomic differences were found for eggs, red meat and soft drinks. Regarding excess body weight, boys had a higher prevalence than girls in the 2 years analysed. Furthermore, a reduction in excess body weight was observed among girls in secondary education in the highest socioeconomic groups (28.7% [95% CI: 24.8-32.6%] in 2008 to 20.5% [95% CI: 17.1-23.8%] in 2012).ConclusionsThe prevalence of adolescents following food recommendations is low, and gender differences were found in terms of food consumption frequency, even in the context of financial crisis. There is a need to promote programmes and policies to reduce inequalities related to eating habits and excess body weight in adolescents

Perceptions of the Uses of Cell Phones and Their Impact on the Health of Early Adolescents in Barcelona : a Qualitative Study

The use of cell phones and video games has transformed rapidly in adolescents, posing a challenge for the scientific community. Using qualitative methodology and a socioconstructivist perspective, we identified perceptions and beliefs about the different uses of cell phones and video games and their relationship with the health and wellbeing of the adolescent population of Barcelona. From an analysis of discussion groups among early adolescents (n = 66 students aged 13-14 years, segmented by gender and socioeconomic level of the school neighborhood), information was obtained on (i) digital devices and their uses, (ii) the determinants of the uses of cell phones and video games, and (iii) the relationship between possible problematic uses and health and wellbeing. Responsible and problematic uses were identified. Problematic use was associated with compensation for social deficits and sometimes with dependency on the device. Differences were identified by gender (boys preferred video games and girls' social networks). The adolescents were aware of the possible negative impacts on their health associated with problematic use of cell phones and video games and highlighted a lack of critical education in digital skills

Effectiveness of a community intervention to reduce social isolation among older people in low-income neighbourhoods

Background: Social and demographic trends show a global increase of proportion of older people at risk of social isolation. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention conducted in low-income neighbourhoods to reduce social isolation and its negative effects on health in older persons. Methods: A quasi-experimental study with a comparison group was performed. The 'School of Health for Older People' is a weekly community intervention that promotes resources among individuals and communities to enhance their ability to identify problems and activate solutions, encouraging community participation. Data were collected at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Social support, psychological morbidity and health-related quality of life were measured through questionnaires information on visits to the primary care centre was obtained from the electronic medical records of primary care centres. Multivariate regression models were conducted to assess changes after the intervention. Results: A total of 135 participants were included in the study. The intervention helped to improve participants' mental health (aPR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.23-0.90) comparing with the comparison group. Also, the intervention helped to maintain quality of life and social support, which were worsened or maintained respectively in the case of comparison group. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence on how a community intervention can improve quality of life, mental health and social support in older people. The evidence can help to fill the knowledge gap in this area and might be especially useful for the design of social and public health policies and programmes for older people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in urban areas. Trial registration: NCT0314204

Secondhand smoke presence in outdoor areas in 12 European countries

Introduction: Secondhand smoke (SHS) causes morbidity and mortality among non-smokers. Objectives: To investigate SHS presence in outdoor areas from 12 European countries and its association with country-level characteristics. Methods: Cross-sectional study performed in 2017-2018 within the TackSHS project. We conducted a face-to-face survey on a representative sample of the population aged 15 years and older from 12 European countries: Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. Out of 11,902 participants, 8,562 were non-smokers. SHS presence was assessed in selected outdoor areas and defined as respondents viewing someone smoking the last time they visited each setting within the last 6 months. A ranking score for outdoor SHS presence was assigned to each country based on the SHS presence in each setting. We used Spearman's correlation (r) and the Chi-squared tests to assess the relationship between SHS presence and country-level characteristics. Results: Except for children's playgrounds (39.5%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 37.6%-41.3%), more than half of non-smokers reported SHS presence in outdoor areas: schools (52.0%; 95%CI: 50.2%-53.7%), stadia (57.4%; 95%CI: 55.4%-59.4%), parks (67.3%; 95%CI: 66.0%-68.5%), hospitals (67.3%; 95%CI: 65.8%-68.7%), public transport stops (69.9%; 95%CI: 68.6%-71.2%), bar/restaurant terraces (71.4%; 95%CI: 70.2%-72.6%), and beaches (72.8%; 95%CI: 71.4%-74.1%). Residents in Latvia showed the highest overall outdoor SHS presence rank, followed by Greece, and Portugal. Outdoor SHS presence was directly correlated to the country's smoking prevalence (r = 0.64), and inversely correlated to the Tobacco Control Scale 2016 overall score (r = -0.62), the socio-demographic index 2017 (r = -0.56), and Gross Domestic Product per capita 2018 (r = -0.47) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: SHS presence is high in most outdoor areas in Europe, especially in countries with higher smoking prevalence and lower tobacco control performance. To address outdoor SHS exposure, our findings require considering smoking bans along with other strategies to reduce smoking prevalence

Factors related to caregivers’ risk perception of secondhand smoke exposure on children’s health

Introduction: Home is one of the main places for children's secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. The implementation of smoke-free rules at home might be influenced by caregivers' risk perception of SHS exposure. This study aimed to analyze factors related to caregivers' risk perception of SHS exposure in children. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey among a representative sample of 2411 parents or legal guardians of children aged <12 years in Spain in 2016. The main study variable was caregivers' healthrisk perception of SHS exposure on children. We investigated correlates of risk perception using multivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance. Results: Overall, 59.6% reported SHS exposure negatively affects children's health a lot, while 34.1% that it affects quite a bit, and 5.5% and 0.8% a little bit or not at all, respectively. The factors associated with a higher caregivers' risk perception were high education level (adjusted prevalence ratio, APR=1.11; 95% CI: 1.01-1.24), living in a non-smoking family unit (APR=1.17; 95% CI: 1.07-1.27), in a home with smoke-free rules (APR=1.34; 95% CI: 1.19-1.51), and with girls only (APR=1.14; 95% CI: 1.06-1.22). Conclusions: Caregivers' risk perception of SHS exposure is influenced by social determinants and smoking habits in family units. These findings support the need for interventions with a social equity perspective to reduce children's SHS exposure

Secondhand smoke presence in outdoor areas in 12 European countries

Altres ajuts: Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)Altres ajuts: Italian League Against Cancer (LILT)Introduction: Secondhand smoke (SHS) causes morbidity and mortality among non-smokers. Objectives: To investigate SHS presence in outdoor areas from 12 European countries and its association with country-level characteristics. Methods: Cross-sectional study performed in 2017-2018 within the TackSHS project. We conducted a face-to-face survey on a representative sample of the population aged 15 years and older from 12 European countries: Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. Out of 11,902 participants, 8,562 were non-smokers. SHS presence was assessed in selected outdoor areas and defined as respondents viewing someone smoking the last time they visited each setting within the last 6 months. A ranking score for outdoor SHS presence was assigned to each country based on the SHS presence in each setting. We used Spearman's correlation (r) and the Chi-squared tests to assess the relationship between SHS presence and country-level characteristics. Results: Except for children's playgrounds (39.5%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 37.6%-41.3%), more than half of non-smokers reported SHS presence in outdoor areas: schools (52.0%; 95%CI: 50.2%-53.7%), stadia (57.4%; 95%CI: 55.4%-59.4%), parks (67.3%; 95%CI: 66.0%-68.5%), hospitals (67.3%; 95%CI: 65.8%-68.7%), public transport stops (69.9%; 95%CI: 68.6%-71.2%), bar/restaurant terraces (71.4%; 95%CI: 70.2%-72.6%), and beaches (72.8%; 95%CI: 71.4%-74.1%). Residents in Latvia showed the highest overall outdoor SHS presence rank, followed by Greece, and Portugal. Outdoor SHS presence was directly correlated to the country's smoking prevalence (r = 0.64), and inversely correlated to the Tobacco Control Scale 2016 overall score (r = −0.62), the socio-demographic index 2017 (r = −0.56), and Gross Domestic Product per capita 2018 (r = −0.47) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: SHS presence is high in most outdoor areas in Europe, especially in countries with higher smoking prevalence and lower tobacco control performance. To address outdoor SHS exposure, our findings require considering smoking bans along with other strategies to reduce smoking prevalence

Cambios en la prevalencia del tabaquismo en los adolescentes en España

ResumenObjetivoAnalizar la información sobre consumo de tabaco en adolescentes a partir de diversas encuestas escolares.DiseñoSe extraen de diversos estudios los datos relativos a prevalencia de fumadores diarios al final de la escuela secundaria obligatoria por sexo, analizando tendencias.EmplazamientoSe revisan los 5 estudios representativos de adolescentes en España: Encuesta Estatal sobre Uso de Drogas en Estudiantes de Secundaria (ESTUDES); Estudio de Comportamientos de los Escolares Relacionados con la Salud (ECERS-HBSC); Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo asociados a Enfermedades No Transmisibles dirigido a población Juvenil (SIVFRENT-J); estudio de Factores de Riesgo en Estudiantes de Secundaria (FRESC); Estudio de Monitorización de las Conductas de Salud de los Adolescentes (EMCSAT).ResultadosLa prevalencia de fumadores diarios varía entre estudios, en varones entre 8,5 y 13,3% y en chicas entre 12,7 y 16,4%. Aunque se aprecian oscilaciones en algunos estudios, la tendencia entre 1993 y 2008 es de descenso. Con los datos más recientes se puede estimar un declive anual ponderado de la prevalencia de tabaquismo en la adolescencia del 6,47% anual para los varones y 6,96% para las chicas.ConclusionesHay un patrón de descenso de la prevalencia de fumadores diarios adolescentes en España a partir de los diversos estudios existentes, que ofrecen datos consistentes, aunque hay que mantener la vigilancia debido a la existencia de oscilaciones. Esto concuerda con la información derivada de las ventas y de encuestas en población adulta. En cualquier caso, sería deseable que el ritmo de cambio fuera más acentuado y constante.AbstractObjectiveTo analyse information on adolescent use of tobacco in Spain from different school surveys.DesignData on daily smoking prevalence by sex at the end of compulsory education is extracted and figures are compared, analysing trends.SettingThe five representative studies on adolescents in Spain are reviewed: The National Survey on Drug Use in Secondary School Children (Encuesta estatal sobre uso de drogas en estudiantes de secundaria (ESTUDES); Survey of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC-ECERS); Surveillance System of Risk Factors Associated With Non-Transmittable diseases in the Young Population (Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo Asociados a Enfermedades No Transmisibles dirigido a población Juvenil)(SIVFRENT-J); Study of Risk Factors in Secondary School Children (Estudio de factores de riesgo en estudiantes de secundaria) (FRESC); Surveillance Study of Health Behaviour in Adolescents (Estudio de Monitorización de las Conductas de Salud de los Adolescentes) (EMCSAT).ResultsThe prevalence of daily smokers varies among studies, in boys from 8.5 to 13.3% and in girls from 12.7 to 16.4%. Although some series show variations, the trend from 1993 to 2008 is downwards. With data from recent years, weighted annual declines in smoking prevalence in adolescence can be estimated to be 6.47% for boys and 6.96% for girls.ConclusionsThere is a decreasing pattern in adolescent daily smoking prevalence in Spain from the different existing studies, which provide consistent data, although surveillance must be kept due to fluctuations. This is in agreement with tobacco sales statistics and health surveys in the adult population. However, the pace of change should be more rapid and constant

Changes in prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities in secondhand smoke exposure in Spanish children 2016-2019

Introduction: Children are vulnerable to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, especially those with lower socioeconomic status. This study assesses the changes in prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities in SHS exposure in children younger than 12 years old in Spain between 2016 and 2019. Methods: We conducted two cross-sectional studies among representative samples of households with children aged 0.05), while decreased in smoke-free rules in cars (p=0.039). Conclusions: Reported SHS exposure among children in Spain remained high between 2016 and 2019. Inequalities persisted at home, highlighting the need for measures to reduce such exposure with an equity perspective

Burden of respiratory disease attributable to secondhand smoke exposure at home in children in Spain (2015)

This study aimed to estimate the number of incident cases and hospital admissions attributable to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home for asthma, otitis media (OM), and lower respiratory infections (LRI) in children in Spain. The burden of respiratory disease caused by SHS exposure was estimated in terms of incident cases and hospitalized cases for asthma, OM, and LRI. Estimates were calculated using the population attributable fraction. The age-specific (0-1 year, 0-4 years, 5-11 years, and 0-11 years) prevalence of SHS exposure in children was estimated through a telephone survey performed in a representative sample of Spanish households with children in 2016. The risk estimates for all diseases were selected from international meta-analyses. The number of hospitalized cases was obtained for each disease from the Hospital Minimum Data Set provided by the Ministry of Health of Spain. Incident cases were obtained from the Global Health Data Exchange. In 2015, SHS exposure caused an estimated total of 136,403 incident cases of the following respiratory diseases: 9058 (8.5%) cases of asthma, 120,248 (8.5%) of OM, and 7097 (13.5%) of LRI in children aged 0-14 years old in Spain. Likewise, SHS exposure caused a total of 3028 hospitalized cases, with 379 (8.5%) for asthma and 167 (8.5%) for OM in children 0-11 years old, and 2482 (11.6%) for LRI in children <2 years old. The high burden of respiratory disease attributed to SHS exposure supports the need to improve protection of children against SHS exposure by extending smoke-free regulations to homes and cars

Social inequalities in secondhand smoke exposure in children in Spain

Introduction: Children are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of secondhand smoke (SHS). The objectives of this study are to describe SHS exposure of children younger than 12 years in Spain and to identify potential social inequalities associated with SHS exposure. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a representative sample of the population younger than 12 years in Spain. A computerassisted telephone interview was conducted with parents or legal guardians in 2016, to assess the children's SHS exposure at home, in the car, at school and at the nursery gates, in public transport, and during leisure time. The socio-demographic variables included were the child's age and sex, the highest educational attainment at home, and occupational social class. Prevalence and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for SHS exposure in each setting and for overall exposure. Results: In all, 71.8% of the children were exposed to SHS: 25.8% were exposed at home, 4.6% in the car, 8.2% in public transport, 31.9% at outdoor nursery or school gates, and 48% during leisure time. The higher the educational attainment at home, the lower the exposure (38.8% for primary school or lower, 28.7% for secondary school and 20.8% university level). The more deprived the social class, the higher the exposure (21.7% class I-II, 23.4% class III-IV and 31.1% class V-VII). SHS exposure in cars and overall exposure also decreased with higher educational achievement. Conclusions: In Spain, a large proportion of children are still exposed to SHS. Furthermore, there are clear social inequalities. To reduce SHS exposure, there is an urgent need for evidence-based interventions with an equity perspective