Methodological design for the assessment of physical activity and sedentary time in eight Latin American countries - The ELANS study.

Worldwide studies of physical activity and sedentary time have historically under-represented low- and middle-income countries due to the lack of surveillance data. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methods and procedures used for the assessment of physical activity and sedentary time in the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición y Salud; ELANS). ELANS is a multicentre, cross-sectional and surveillance study of a nationally representative sample from eight Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Two instruments were used to evaluate different domains and intensities of physical activity and sedentary time: self-reported data and a triaxial accelerometer (model GT3X+). ELANS will generate important self-reported and objective information for the Latin American populations, namely:•evidence on the distribution of physical activity and sedentary time across population subgroups (e.g. sex, age, socioeconomic- and educational level). These sets of information will increase the evidence base and can help to inform future intervention strategies in Latin America;•self-reported and objective information on physical activity and sedentary time

Anthropometry, dietary intake, physical activity and sitting time patterns in adolescents aged 15-17 years: an international comparison in eight Latin American countries

BACKGROUND: Although there is high prevalence of obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors among Latin American adolescents, there is limited evidence on dietary intake and physical activity (PA) patterns in this population. Therefore, we characterized anthropometry, dietary intake, PA and sitting time (ST) in adolescents aged 15-17 years from eight Latin American countries. METHODS: Six hundred seventy-one adolescents (41.4% girls) from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS) were included. Nutritional status was classified by four BMI (kg/m2) categories. Waist circumference (WC) was categorized as above or below thresholds. Dietary intake was assessed through two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls. PA and ST were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). We calculated overall and country-specific estimates by sex and tested for differences between boys and girls. RESULTS: Differences in the prevalence of overweightness (15.1 and 21.6%) and obesity (8.5 and 6.5%) between boys and girls, respectively, were statistically insignificant (p = 0.059). Average energy intake was 2289.7 kcal/day (95% CI: 2231-2350) for boys and 1904.2 kcal/day (95% CI: 1840-1963) for girls (p  0.05 for all outcomes). There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of total energy (TE) saturated fat and added sugar (>10% of TE) between girls and boys (49.6% versus 44.8 and 81.7% versus 76.1%, respectively). Prevalence of physical inactivity was 19% in boys and 43.7% in girls (p  0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the high prevalence of poor dietary intake and physical inactivity in adolescents from Latin American countries. Therefore, effective and sustainable strategies and programmes are needed that promote healthier diets, regular PA and reduce ST among Latin American adolescents. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials NCT02226627. Retrospectively registered on August 27, 2014

Socio-demographic patterning of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviours in eight Latin American countries: findings from the ELANS study

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours (SB) are two independent risk factors for non-communicable diseases. However, there is a lack of objectively measured information on PA and SB in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to use objective data to characterise socio-demographic patterns of PA and SB in eight Latin American countries. 2,732 participants (aged 15-65 years) from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS) were included. PA and SB data were collected using accelerometers. Overall and country-specific average levels of time spent in PA and SB were compared by sex, age, socioeconomic and education level. Overall, the mean time spent in SB was 571.6 min/day, ranging from 553.8 min/day in Chile to 596.7 min/day in Peru. Average levels of light, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total PA were 311.1 min/day (95% CI: 307.7; 314.5), 34.9 min/day (95% CI: 34.0; 35.9) and 7531.2 MET-min/week (95% CI: 7450.4; 7611.9), respectively. MVPA and total PA were higher in men than women. The prevalence of physical inactivity was 40.6%, ranging from 26.9% (Chile) to 47% (Costa Rica and Venezuela). Women were more physically inactive than men (47.7% versus 33.0%). SB levels were highest among those with higher education; PA graded positively with socioeconomic level. Our findings can inform the planning of health policies and programmes designed to reduce levels of physical inactivity, as well as inform the local and cultural adaptation of these policies and programmes for implementation in Latin America

Effects of circadian disruption on physiology and pathology: from bench to clinic (and back)

Nested within the hypothalamus, the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) represent a central biological clock that regulates daily and circadian (i.e., close to 24 h) rhythms in mammals. Besides the SCN, a number of peripheral oscillators throughout the body control local rhythms and are usually kept in pace by the central clock. In order to represent an adaptive value, circadian rhythms must be entrained by environmental signals or zeitgebers, the main one being the daily light?dark (LD) cycle. The SCN adopt a stable phase relationship with the LD cycle that, when challenged, results in abrupt or chronic changes in overt rhythms and, in turn, in physiological, behavioral, and metabolic variables. Changes in entrainment, both acute and chronic, may have severe consequences in human performance and pathological outcome. Indeed, animal models of desynchronization have become a useful tool to understand such changes and to evaluate potential treatments in human subjects. Here we review a number of alterations in circadian entrainment, including jet lag, social jet lag (i.e., desynchronization between body rhythms and normal time schedules), shift work, and exposure to nocturnal light, both in human subjects and in laboratory animals. Finally, we focus on the health consequences related to circadian/entrainment disorders and propose a number of approaches for the management of circadian desynchronization.Fil: Chiesa, Juan José. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Duhart, José Manuel. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Casiraghi, Leandro Pablo. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Paladino, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bussi, Ivana Leda. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Golombek, Diego Andrés. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin