Reliability and validity of body weight and body image perception in children and adolescents from the South American Youth/Child Cardiovascular and Environmental (SAYCARE) Study

Objective: To assess the reliability and validity of body weight (BW) and body image (BI) perception reported by parents (in children) and by adolescents in a South American population. Design: Cross-sectional study. BW perception was evaluated by the question, "Do you think you/your child are/is: severely wasted, wasted, normal weight, overweight, obese?" BI perception was evaluated using the Gardner scale. To evaluate reliability, BW and BI perceptions were reported twice, two weeks apart. To evaluate validity, the BW and BI perceptions were compared with WHO BMI Z-scores. Kappa and Kendall's tau-c coefficients were obtained. Setting: Public and private schools and high schools from six countries of South America (Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil). Participants: Children aged 3-10 years (n 635) and adolescents aged 11-17 years (n 400). Results: Reliability of BW perception was fair in children's parents (k=0·337) and substantial in adolescents (k=0·709). Validity of BW perception was slight in children's parents (k=0·176) and fair in adolescents (k=0·268). When evaluating BI, most children were perceived by parents as having lower weight. Reliability of BI perception was slight in children's parents (k=0·124) and moderate in adolescents (k=0·599). Validity of BI perception was poor in children's parents (k=-0·018) and slight in adolescents (k=0·023). Conclusions: Reliability of BW and BI perceptions was higher in adolescents than in children's parents. Validity of BW perception was good among the parents of the children and adolescents with underweight and normal weight

A multicriteria optimization framework for the definition of the spatial granularity of urban social media analytics

The spatial analysis of social media data has recently emerged as a significant source of knowledge for urban studies. Most of these analyses are based on an areal unit that is chosen without the support of clear criteria to ensure representativeness with regard to an observed phenomenon. Nonetheless, the results and conclusions that can be drawn from a social media analysis to a great extent depend on the areal unit chosen, since they are faced with the well-known Modifiable Areal Unit Problem. To address this problem, this article adopts a data-driven approach to determine the most suitable areal unit for the analysis of social media data. Our multicriteria optimization framework relies on the Pareto optimality to assess candidate areal units based on a set of user-defined criteria. We examine a case study that is used to investigate rainfall-related tweets and to determine the areal units that optimize spatial autocorrelation patterns through the combined use of indicators of global spatial autocorrelation and the variance of local spatial autocorrelation. The results show that the optimal areal units (30 km2 and 50 km2) provide more consistent spatial patterns than the other areal units and are thus likely to produce more reliable analytical results

Costo efectividad de la vacunación contra influenza en menores de 2 años y mayores de 65 años en colombia

Objetivo  Estimar la carga de enfermedad asociada a influenza y modelar el impacto epidemiológico y económico de la introducción de la vacuna para influenza  en Colombia. Métodos Se realizó un estudio de evaluación económica completa de la introducción de la vacuna de influenza en dos grupos poblacionales. Los desenlaces seleccionados en menores de dos años fueron la frecuencia de enfermedad respiratoria (ERA), consultas y hospitalizaciones por ERA. En mayores de 65 años se adicionaron las muertes y hospitalizaciones por enfermedad cardiosvascular y cerebrovascular.  Resultados En el escenario sin vacunación, el virus de influenza produciría anualmente 4 300 casos, 2 700 consultas, 900 hospitalizaciones y 230 muertes por ERA en menores de dos años. En mayores de 65 años, se presentarían anualmente  670 muertes por neumonía, 1 150 muertes por enfermedad cardiovascular y 720 muertes por enfermedad cerebrovascular relacionadas con influenza. El costo efectividad de la vacuna en menores de dos años oscila entre US $1 900 y US$ 2 967 por muerte evitada mientras que para mayores de 65 años la razón de costo efectividad seria costo ahorrativa. Conclusiones Los resultados del presente estudio apoyarían la decisión del Ministerio de la Protección Social y algunas Secretarias de Salud de introducir la vacunación en Colombia para menores de dos años y  mayores de 65 años

Maternal factors associated with birth weight in term infants, Colombia, 2002-2011

ABSTRACT: The study aimed to identify maternal factors associated with birth weight in Colombia from 2002 to 2011. This was a descriptive study based on data from the Live Birth Registry of Colombia, Administrative Department of Vital Statistics. Birth weight was classified as low birth weight < 2,500g, insufficient birth weight 2,500-2,999g, normal birth weight 3,000-3,999g, and high birth weight ≥ 4,000g. Data analysis used Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and multinomial logistic regression. Women with increased likelihood of low birth weight newborns were 35 years or older (OR = 1.4; 95%CI: 1.39-1.4), had little schooling (OR = 1.1; 95%CI: 1.1-1.1), were single (OR = 1.1; 95%CI: 1.1-1.2), without prenatal care (OR = 1.9; 95%CI: 1.9-2.0), and lived in rural areas (OR = 1.2; 95%CI: 1.1-1.2). Women with higher prevalence of high birth weight newborns were 35 years or older (OR = 1.1; 95%CI: 1.1-1.1) and had four or more children (OR = 2.1; 95%CI 2.0-2.1). Insufficient birth weight showed a similar pattern to low birth weight. In conclusion, social, demographic, and maternal factors influence the birth weight of newborns in Colombia.RESUMEN: El estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar los factores maternos asociados con el peso al nacer, en Colombia, entre 2002-2011. Fue un estudio descriptivo, basado en información del Registro de Nacido Vivo de Colombia del Departamento Administrativo de Estadísticas Vitales, se clasificó el peso al nacer como: bajo peso al nacer < 2.500g, peso insuficiente 2.500- 2.999g, peso adecuado 3.000-3.999g y macrosomía ≥ 4.000g. Para el análisis se utilizó la U Mann-Whitney, Kruskall Wallis y un modelo de regresión logística multinomial. Las mujeres con mayor probabilidad de recién nacidos con bajo peso fueron las de 35 años o más (OR = 1,4; IC95%: 1,39- 1,4), con bajo nivel educativo (OR = 1,1; IC95%: 1,1-1,1), solteras (OR = 1,1; IC95%: 1,1-1,2), sin asistencia a controles prenatales (OR = 1,9; IC95%: 1,9-2,0) y de la zona rural (OR = 1,2; IC95%: 1,1-1,2). Las mujeres con mayor prevalencia de recién nacidos macrosómicos fueron de 35 años o más (OR = 1,1; IC95%: 1,1-1,1) y de 4 hijos o más (OR = 2,1; IC95%: 2,0-2,1). El peso insuficiente tuvo un comportamiento similar al bajo peso al nacer. En conclusión, los factores sociodemográficos y maternos influencian el peso al nacer de recién nacidos de mujeres colombianas

Dispersal Routes and Habitat Utilization of Juvenile Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus, Tracked with Mini PSAT and Archival Tags

Between 2005 and 2009, we deployed 58 miniature pop-up satellite archival tags (PSAT) and 132 implanted archival tags on juvenile Atlantic bluefin tuna (age 2–5) in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Data returned from these efforts (n = 26 PSATs, 1 archival tag) revealed their dispersal routes, horizontal and vertical movements and habitat utilization. All of the tagged bluefin tuna remained in the northwest Atlantic for the duration observed, and in summer months exhibited core-use of coastal seas extending from Maryland to Cape Cod, MA, (USA) out to the shelf break. Their winter distributions were more spatially disaggregated, ranging south to the South Atlantic Bight, northern Bahamas and Gulf Stream. Vertical habitat patterns showed that juvenile bluefin tuna mainly occupied shallow depths (mean  = 5–12 m, sd  = 15–23.7 m) and relatively warm water masses in summer (mean  = 17.9–20.9°C, sd  = 4.2–2.6°C) and had deeper and more variable depth patterns in winter (mean  = 41–58 m, sd  = 48.9–62.2 m). Our tagging results reveal annual dispersal patterns, behavior and oceanographic associations of juvenile Atlantic bluefin tuna that were only surmised in earlier studies. Fishery independent profiling from electronic tagging also provide spatially and temporally explicit information for evaluating dispersals rates, population structure and fisheries catch patterns

The Kuramoto model in complex networks

181 pages, 48 figures. In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Physics Reports 2015 Acknowledgments We are indebted with B. Sonnenschein, E. R. dos Santos, P. Schultz, C. Grabow, M. Ha and C. Choi for insightful and helpful discussions. T.P. acknowledges FAPESP (No. 2012/22160-7 and No. 2015/02486-3) and IRTG 1740. P.J. thanks founding from the China Scholarship Council (CSC). F.A.R. acknowledges CNPq (Grant No. 305940/2010-4) and FAPESP (Grants No. 2011/50761-2 and No. 2013/26416-9) for financial support. J.K. would like to acknowledge IRTG 1740 (DFG and FAPESP).Peer reviewedPreprin

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Comparación entre variables antropométricas auto reportadas y mediciones reales

El objetivo de este estudio fue valorar el autoreporte de peso, estatura y perímetro de cintura, y comparar dicha percepción con los valores reales en estudiantes universitarios participantes de la Cohorte MESPYN, -Medellín, Salud Pública y Nutrición- de la Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA) - Colombia. Se realizó un estudio transversal a partir de la primera medición de la Cohorte MESPYN 2009-2010. La muestra incluyó estudiantes voluntarios de las diferentes áreas académicas. La autovaloración de peso, estatura y perímetro de cintura se registró antes de la toma de los datos reales. Se calcularon coeficientes de correlación intraclase (CCI) para todas las variables (α=0,05); la concordancia entre medidas reales y autoreferidas se valoró según el método de Bland y Altman. Se incluyeron 424 estudiantes voluntarios. El peso promedio real de hombres (kg) fue 67,4±10,4 y autoreportado: 67,0±11,0; en mujeres el valor real: 55,7±10,1 y autoreportado: 55,0±9,0. La estatura promedio real (m) en hombres fue 1,73±6,1 y autoreportada: 1,73±6,0; en mujeres el valor real: 1,60±5,9 y autoreportado: 1,61±6,0. En hombres el perímetro de cintura promedio real (cm) fue 76,6±8,0 y autoreportado: 75,0±14,0; en mujeres el valor real: 69,9±8,0 y autoreportado: 70,0±9,0. El CCI para peso: 0,956, IC95% (0,95; 0,97), (p<0,01); CCI para estatura: 0,953, IC95% (0,91; 0,97), (p<0,01) y CCI para perímetro de cintura: 0,593, IC95% (0,55; 0,65), (p<0,01). En conclusión, la evaluación nutricional antropométrica de estudiantes de la UdeA puede realizarse por datos autoreportados para peso y estatura, pero la evaluación de obesidad abdominal requiere la toma directa del perímetro de cintura

Peso al nacer: Una comparación de sus factores relacionados entre los recién nacidos de madres españolas y madres colombianas residentes en España Factors related to birth weight: A comparison of related factors between newborns of spanish and colombian immigrant women in Spain

El objetivo del estudio fue establecer diferencias en el peso al nacer (PN) y sus factores relacionados, en recién nacidos (RN) a término de mujeres españolas (Esp) y colombianas (Col) residentes en España, en el periodo 2001-2005. Para ello, se incluyó el total de RN de madres españolas y colombianas a partir del Boletín Estadístico de Nacimientos de España. Según la nacionalidad materna se estimó la asociación del PN (bajo peso -BP-, peso insuficiente -PI- y macrosomía), con variables como intervalo intergenésico, edad materna, número de hijos nacidos vivos, profesión de la madre y sexo del RN. El análisis se basó en el cálculo de frecuencias y la estimación de Odds ratios (OR) simples y ajustadas con intervalos de confianza del 95% (IC95%). Se encontró mayor prevalencia de BP en RN de mujeres españolas (3,4%) que en colombianas (2,1%). Las madres españolas presentaron mayor riesgo de BP (ORa 1,89; IC95% 1,65-2,16) y PI (ORa 1,49; IC95% 1,41-1,57). En las madres colombianas se observó mayor porcentaje de macrosomía (8,0%). En las niñas de madres españolas se observó mayor porcentaje de BP (Esp 4,1%; Col 2,7%) y PI (Esp. 25,6%; Col. 19,6%) (p40 años y tener 4 ó más hijos se asoció con el BP para Españolas y Colombianas. Se concluye que los recién nacidos de las madres colombianas presentan menor prevalencia de BP y PI, lo que es compatible con el efecto del inmigrante sano.The objective of this study is to establish differentials in birth weight (BW) and related factors, in term newborns (NB) of Spanish (SP) and Colombian (CO) immigrant mothers living in Spain, between 2001-2005. Data on the NB population of SP and CO mothers was retrieved from the National Statistical Bulletin of Birth in Spain. We analysed the association with BW (Low birth weight -LBW- insufficient weight -IW- macrosomia), by the nationality of the mother; taking into account variables such as the intergenesic interval, maternal age, number of live children, maternal occupation and sex of NB. The analysis was based on frequencies and the estimation of simple and adjusted odds ratios (OR) by means of logistic regression with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). A higher prevalence of LBW was found in SP mothers (3.4%) than in their CO counterparts (2.1%). In SP mothers a higher risk of LBW (aOR 1.89, 95%CI 1.65- 2.16) and IW (aOR 1.49, 95%CI 1.51- 1.57) was observed. In CO mothers a higher percentage of macrosomia was found (8.0%). Also, a higher percentage of LBW was observed in female new borns (SP 4.1%; CO 2.7%) as well as IW (PI (SP 25.6%; CO 19.6%) (p 40 years and having 4 or more children were associated with LBW in both nationalities. As a conclusion, NB of Colombian mothers presented a lower prevalence of LBW and IW, which could be explained by the healthy migrant effect