Corporate political activity in the context of sugar-sweetened beverage tax policy in the WHO European Region

BACKGROUND: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes have emerged as an effective and increasingly popular tool to reduce added sugar intake, an important contributor to obesity and non-communicable diseases. A common barrier to the implementation of well-designed SSB taxes is the opposition of commercial actors. Focusing on the WHO European Region, this study seeks to map if and how key stakeholders have experienced industry efforts to influence SSB taxes. METHODS: We identified 11 countries in the WHO European Region which have implemented SSB taxes or attempted to do so. Using an online survey informed by the global literature on industry interference with SSB taxation, we approached 70 in-country policymakers, advocates and academics. The data were analysed using an existing framework of corporate political activity. RESULTS: Twenty-three experts from nine countries responded to the survey. Transnational SSB producers and their business associations were identified as the most active opponents of SSB taxation. Industry claims that the policy would have negative economic effects were identified as the most common and powerful arguments. Direct lobbying was reported in all study countries. Shifts in political activity were recognisable across stages of the policy process, moving from outright opposition to attempts to delay or weaken the policy after its announcement. CONCLUSION: Those seeking to introduce effective SSB taxation can use our findings to pre-empt and counter industry opposition. We identify several measures for preventing and mitigating industry interference with SSB tax policy

Quantifying urbanisation as a risk factor for non-communicable disease

Aim of this study was to investigate the poorly understood relationship between the process of urbanization and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Sri Lanka using a multi-component, quantitative measure of urbanicity.NCD prevalence data were taken from the Sri Lankan Diabetes and Cardiovascular Study comprising a representative sample of people from seven of the nine provinces in Sri Lanka (n=4,485/5,000; response rate=89.7%). We constructed a measure of the urban environment for seven areas using a seven-item scale based on data from study clusters to develop an ―urbanicity&rdquo; scale. The items were population size, population density, and access to markets, transportation, communications/media, economic factors, environment/sanitation, health, education, and housing quality. Linear and logistic regression models were constructed to examine the relationship between urbanicity and chronic disease risk factors.Among men, urbanicity was positively associated with physical inactivity (OR: 3.22; 2.27 &ndash; 4.57), high body mass index (OR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.88 &ndash; 3.20) and diabetes mellitus (OR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.66 &ndash; 3.57). Among women, too, urbanicity was positively associated with physical inactivity (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.64 &ndash; 3.21), high body mass index (OR: 2.92;95% CI: 2.41 &ndash; 3.55) and diabetes mellitus (OR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.58 &ndash; 2.80).There is a clear relationship between urbanicity and common modifiable risk factors for chronic disease in a representative sample of Sri Lankan adults.<br /

Socioeconomic status and non-communicable disease behavioural risk factors in low-income and lower-middle-income countries: a systematic review

Background Non-communicable diseases are the leading global cause of death and disproportionately affl ict those living in low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs). The association between socioeconomic status and non-communicable disease behavioural risk factors is well established in high-income countries, but it is not clear how behavioural risk factors are distributed within LLMICs. We aimed to systematically review evidence on the association between socioeconomic status and harmful use of alcohol, tobacco use, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity within LLMICs. Methods We searched 13 electronic databases, including Embase and MEDLINE, grey literature, and reference lists for primary research published between Jan 1, 1990, and June 30, 2015. We included studies from LLMICs presenting data on multiple measures of socioeconomic status and tobacco use, alcohol use, diet, and physical activity. No age or language restrictions were applied. We excluded studies that did not allow comparison between more or less advantaged groups. We used a piloted version of the Cochrane Eff ective Practice and Organisation of Care Group data collection checklist to extract relevant data at the household and individual level from the included full text studies including study type, methods, outcomes, and results. Due to high heterogeneity, we used a narrative approach for data synthesis. We used descriptive statistics to assess whether the prevalence of each risk factor varied signifi cantly between members of diff erent socioeconomic groups. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42015026604. Findings After reviewing 4242 records, 75 studies met our inclusion criteria, representing 2 135 314 individuals older than 10 years from 39 LLMICs. Low socioeconomic groups were found to have a signifi cantly higher prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use than did high socioeconomic groups. These groups also consumed less fruit, vegetables, fi sh, and fi bre than those of high socioeconomic status. High socioeconomic groups were found to be less physically active and consume more fats, salt, and processed food than individuals of low socioeconomic status. While the included studies presented clear patterns for tobacco use and physical activity, heterogeneity between dietary outcome measures and a paucity of evidence around harmful alcohol use limit the certainty of these fi ndings. Interpretation Despite signifi cant heterogeneity in exposure and outcome measures, clear evidence shows that the burden of behavioural risk factors is aff ected by socioeconomic position within LLMICs. Governments seeking to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4—reducing premature non-communicable disease mortality by a third by 2030—should leverage their development budgets to address the poverty-health nexus in these settings. Our fi ndings also have signifi cance for health workers serving these populations and policy makers tasked with preventing and controlling the rise of non-communicable diseases

La seguridad e higiene en el trabajo y su influencia en el desempeño laboral de los colaboradores del área de producción del Molino Rey León S.A.C. del distrito de Cacatachi periodo 2015

Actualmente, la seguridad e higiene en el trabajo es un tema muy importante, ya que representa un elemento indispensable en el desarrollo y la administración del talento humano dentro de la organización, es por ello que esta investigación es aplicada, que tiene como objetivo, evaluar la seguridad e higiene en el trabajo y su influencia en el desempeño laboral de los colaboradores del área de producción de la Empresa Molino Rey León S.A.C. que está ubicado en el distrito de Cacatachi - provincia de San Martin ,departamento de San Martin, correspondiente al año 2015. . El análisis evidencio que la seguridad e higiene del área de producción se viene desarrollando de manera inadecuada en cada uno de sus elementos que la componen como son las condiciones ambientales de trabajo, dentro de las cuales tenemos los niveles de iluminación, ruido y condiciones atmosféricas, así como también la prevención de accidentes con indicadores que se tomaron en cuenta como las condiciones de inseguridad y actos inseguros. Con respecto al desempeño laboral, los colaboradores están insatisfechos por la forma en que se desarrollan sus actividades en base a los criterios evaluados como son: La poca motivación por parte de una baja remuneración económica, la falta de reconocimiento del trabajo y la confianza en la empresa, así como también la formación y desarrollo profesional del colaborador factores por lo cual los colaboradores se sienten insatisfechos de su centro de labores.Currently, safety and hygiene at work is a very important issue, since it represents an essential element in the development and administration of human talent within the organization, which is why this research is applied, hygiene at work and its influence on the work performance of the collaborators of the production area of the Mill Rey León SAC Company, which is located in the district of Cacatachi - province of San Martin, department of San Martin, corresponding to the year 2015. The analysis showed that the safety and hygiene of the production area is developing inadequately in each of its elements that compose it as are the environmental working conditions, within which we have the levels of lighting, noise and atmospheric conditions, as well as the prevention of accidents with indicators that were taken into account as the conditions of insecurity and unsafe acts. Regarding job performance, employees are dissatisfied with the way in which their activities are carried out based on the criteria evaluated, such as: Lack of motivation on the part of low economic remuneration, lack of recognition of work and confidence in the company, as well as the training and professional development of the collaborator factors for which the employees feel dissatisfied with their work center.TesisAp

СТАТИСТИКА КАК ИНСТРУМЕНТ ПОЗНАНИЯ УСТОЙЧИВОГО РЕГИОНАЛЬНОГО РАЗВИТИЯ

At the end of the twentieth century, sustainable development became a universally recognized goal for humanity, countries, regions, enterprises and the population, considering socio-economic and environmental processes in unity and interdependence. New interest in sustainable development is associated with the holding of the UN Conference on sustainable development (September 2015), which stressed the need to monitor progress towards sustainable development and the “green” economy, avoiding the absolutization of traditional macroeconomic indicators. The authorities and management bodies are obliged, according to the UN resolution and the UN targets, to develop strategies for sustainable development of territories for the period up to 2030, to implement the following basic standards of living: improving the quality of life of the population, eradicating poverty, creating a stable infrastructure, promoting sustainable industrialization and innovation, to build technological capacity, to ensure a healthy lifestyle by improving socio-demographic indicators, etc.The paper deals with the actual problem of cognition of the sustainability of regional development with the use of traditional tools to assess the quality of life and additional complex indicators that reflect the effectiveness of governing bodies. The aim of the study is to develop methodological tools for assessing the welfare and quality of life of the population in the regions of the Russian Federation, allowing to know the real level of stability of regional development.In accordance with the goal, the following tasks were solved:– identification of features for traditional tools’ application to the assessment of well-being in the context of spatial heterogeneity and its modernization, which allows to reflect the real quality of life in the regions;– to develop a comprehensive indicator of sustainable regional development from the standpoint of reproduction of the population in contrast to the priorities of reproduction of means of production in the field of material production, traditional for Russian economic theory;– to improve the three-pronged concept of sustainable ecological, social and economic development by including in the integral indicator of the sustainability of regional development a block of data reflecting the political state of the region, which in modern conditions has a significant impact on the conditions and quality of life of the population;– to develop a matrix of sustainable development management and assess the qualitative changes in the state of the economy of the region (Kurgan region) for 2006-2016.The object of the study is the quality of life of the population, which adequately reflects the degree of stability of regional development in the context of the regions of the Russian Federation of the Ural Federal District.The subject of the research are social relations (social, economic, demographic, environmental, etc.) arising from the organization and monitoring of the object of the study.В конце ХХ века общепризнанной целью для человечества, стран, регионов, предприятий и населения стало устойчивое развитие, в единстве и взаимозависимости рассматривающие социально-экономические и экологические процессы. Новый всплеск интереса к проблемам устойчивого развития связан с проведение Конференции ООН по устойчивому развитию (сентябрь 2015 года), где было подчеркнута необходимость мониторинга прогресса к устойчивому развитию и «зеленой» экономике, дополнение и уход от абсолютизацией традиционных макроэкономических показателей. Органы власти и управления обязаны, в свете резолюции и целевых установок ООН, разработать стратегии устойчивого развития территорий на период до 2030 года, внедрить следующие основные стандарты жизни людей: повышение качества жизни населения, ликвидацию нищеты, созданию стойкой инфраструктуры, содействовать устойчивой индустриализации и инновациям, наращивать технологический потенциал, обеспечить здоровый образа жизни за счет улучшения социально-демографических показателей и т.д.В статье рассматривается актуальная проблема познания устойчивости регионального развития с применением традиционного инструментария к оценке качества жизни и дополнительных комплексных индикаторов, отражающих эффективность деятельности органов управления. Целью исследования является разработка методического инструментария оценки благосостояния и качества жизни населения в регионах Российской Федерации, позволяющего познать реальный уровень устойчивости регионального развития.В соответствии с поставленной целью решались следующие задачи:– выявление особенностей применения традиционного инструментария к оценке благосостояния в условиях пространственной неоднородности и его модернизацию, позволяющую отразить реальное качество жизни в регионах;– разработать комплексный индикатор устойчивого регионального развития с позиции воспроизводства населения в противоположность приоритетам воспроизводства средств производства в сфере материального производства, традиционных для отечественной экономической теории;– усовершенствовать триединую концепцию устойчивого эколого-социально-экономического развития за счет включения в составе интегрального индикатора устойчивости регионального развития блок данных, отражающих политическое состояние региона, который в современных условиях оказывает значительное влияние на условия и качество жизни населения;– разработать матрицу управления устойчивым развитием и оценить качественные изменения состояния экономики региона (Курганской области) за 2006–2016 годы.Объектом исследования является качество жизни населения, которое адекватно отражает степень устойчивости регионального развития в разрезе субъектов РФ Уральского Федерального округа. Предметом исследования являются общественные отношения (социальные, экономические, демографические, экологические и другие), возникающие при организации и осуществлении мониторинга объекта исследования

Childhood overweight and obesity abatement policies in Europe

Over the past two decades, a concerted effort to combat the rising tide of childhood overweight and obesity has taken shape. The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO) provides recommendations for six priority areas of action, including the promotion of healthy food consumption, promotion of physical activity, preconception and pregnancy care, early childhood diet and physical activity, healthy nutrition and physical activity for school-aged children, and community-based weight management. This paper provides a snapshot of policies and measures aligned to these areas of action within the WHO European Region in order to encourage other countries to make similar efforts. Examples are drawn from Portugal (sugar-sweetened beverage tax, integrated nutrition strategy), the United Kingdom (soft drink levy, active commuting programs, urban design principles), Lithuania (prohibition of energy drinks), Norway (industry and government partnerships to promote healthier foods, nutrition education curriculum for schools), Hungary (tax subsidies to promote healthy diets), the European Union (cross-border marketing regulations, preconception and pregnancy care), Slovenia (food marketing restrictions), Spain (marketing restrictions within educational settings), Poland (investing in sports infrastructure), Russia (increasing sports participation), Estonia (redevelopment of the physical education curriculum), Netherlands (preconception and pregnancy care), Croatia (conditions to support breastfeeding), Austria (perinatal and early childhood nutrition), Czechia (life-course strategy), San Marino (nutrition and physical activity for school-aged children), Ukraine (potable water for schools), Ireland and Italy (community-based weight management approaches). Our findings suggest that a large disparity exists among the type and breadth of policies adopted by Member States, with a mix of single-issue policy responses and more cohesive strategies. The role of data, implementation research, and ongoing surveillance of country-level progress related to childhood overweight and obesity policies are discussed as an essential part of the iterative process of policy development. Additional work to systematically gather context-specific information on policy development, implementation, and reach according to ECHO's six areas of action by WHO European Region countries will inform future policy paradigms within the region.The authors gratefully acknowledge support through a grant from the Russian government in the context of the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of NCDs. Acesso de acordo com página web do editor da revista.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Projecting Cardiovascular Deaths Averted due to Trans Fat Policies in the Eurasian Economic Union

Objective: To demonstrate the potential impact on population health if policies designed to reduce population trans fatty acid (TFA) intake are successfully implemented in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in line with the World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines to lower intake of TFA as a percent of total energy intake to less than 1%. Design: A projection exercise was conducted to estimate reductions in CVD-related deaths in countries of the EAEU if TFA policies are implemented in the EAEU. Plausibly causal, annual effects (in %) of Denmark's TFA policy on the evolution of CVD mortality rates were applied to project the potential effects of recently announced TFA policies in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation under three TFA exposure scenarios. Settings: Member States of the EAEU; Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation. Participants: Data used for the projection exercise were based on estimates from natural experimental evidence from Denmark. National CVD mortality rates used were from WHO and OECD datasets. Results: In all countries in all scenarios deaths averted were ≤5 deaths/100,000 in year 1 and rose in years 2 and 3. The highest projected impacts in the high exposure scenario were seen in Kyrgyzstan (39 deaths/100,000), with the lowest occurring in Armenia (24 deaths/100,000). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential population health gains that can be derived from effective policies to reduce TFAs in line with WHO guidance. Monitoring and surveillance systems are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the TFA-reduction policies in a national context.</p

Análisis del comportamiento físico y mecánico del concreto al adicionar fibra de metal para su uso en pavimentos rígidos en la ciudad de Huancayo, 2021

La investigación de concreto fibro-reforzado desde hace mucho tiempo viene siendo un tema de estudio para investigadores interesados en el área, siendo uno de los más importantes y con un amplio campo laboral en los pavimentos rígidos. El objetivo de la investigación fue presentar una propuesta de solución principalmente para poder combatir el problema de las fisuras por contracción plástica en el pavimento rígido en la ciudad de Huancayo, las que ocasionan que el pavimento se debilite y posteriormente se desarrollen fallas de mayor magnitud dentro de los paños de concreto, las cuales se originan a causa de diversos factores como pueden ser el exceso de cargas vehiculares, mal estudio técnico, mal diseño, mal control y supervisión en la ejecución y condiciones ambientales a las que se encuentra expuesto el pavimento, a su vez se tiene como otro objetivo mejorar el comportamiento mecánico en la resistencia a la compresión y flexión, es por ello que se ha optado por adicionar fibra de metal a la mezcla, cuyo uso no es muy común en el país; por ende, se explica los aportes físicos y mecánicos en el concreto en general. El diseño del trabajo de investigación es experimental, porque se realizó en un laboratorio de concreto especializado donde se manipularon las variables en estudio para obtener resultados verídicos según los objetivos planteados. Los ensayos para el estudio se realizaron según la Norma Técnica Peruana (NTP) y sus equivalentes en el Manual de ensayo de materiales del Ministerio Transporte y Comunicaciones (MTC), incluyendo el método Módulo de Finura para el diseño de mezcla con dosificaciones de 20, 25 y 30 kg en un metro cúbico de concreto para una resistencia de 280 kg/cm2, con la finalidad de encontrar la dosificación que garantice la mejora de sus propiedades. Para calcular la resistencia a compresión, se realizaron ensayos con briquetas a edades de 3 días en el diseño patrón llegando al 39.93%, 39.66%, 40.40% y 40.54% con dosificación de 20kg/m3, 25kg/m3 y 30kg/m3 respectivamente con relación a su resistencia final, a los 7 días alcanzaron una resistencia de 60.23%, 60.61%, 60.52% y 61.84% y finalmente a los 28 días con resistencias excedidas en 7.77%, 10.00%, 13.15% y 16.22% con respecto a la resistencia a compresión establecida para pavimentos rígidos de 280 kg/m3. También para calcular la resistencia a flexión se hizo uso de vigas con roturas a 3 días con 44.84%, 51.79%, 69.65% y 63.22% según las dosificaciones anteriormente indicadas, a 7 días 72.25%, 76.79%, 81.19% y 77.41% y a los 28 días con 16.91%, 24.92%, 7.49% y 12.60% más del requisito mínimo establecido para pavimentos rígidos que es de 34 kg/cm2 o 3.4 MPa. Y para determinar la evaluación del agrietamiento por contracción plástica se hizo uso de paneles de concreto, identificando el valor de Reducción de fisuras (CRR), que indica la relación en la que afecta la fibra de metal en el espesor de las fisuras que se presentan en el panel de concreto, donde se alcanzó un valor mínimo de 0.29 mm con el diseño patrón y un máximo de 0.99 mm con el diseño con dosificación de 30kg/m3. Después de realizar los ensayos se pudo identificar que la dosificación de 20kg/m3 y 25kg/m3 son las mejores alternativas que evidencian mayor influencia en la resistencia en el ensayo a compresión alcanzado a los 28 días y la dosificación de 30kg/m3 es una dosificación excedente donde según el análisis estadístico y análisis por gráficas la influencia comienza a ser dañina para el concreto. Para el ensayo a flexión la mejor las mejores opciones se alcanzan con las dosificaciones de 25 y 30 kg/m3 y para obtener mayor reducción de la cantidad y espesor de las fisuras a temprana edad por retracción plástica las dosificaciones de 25 y 30 kg/m3 afectan de manera elocuente. Finalmente, con respecto al costo de la elaboración del concreto con aporte de fibra de metal se incrementa de manera muy elevada en un 43.76%, 55.08% y 66.09% según las dosificaciones con respecto a un concreto convencional, pero a su vez sustituye a los costos de mantenimiento del pavimento con S/. 443.73, S/. 478.67 y S/. 512.67 según las dosificaciones en estudio. El aporte a favor que brinda la fibra se centra en la mejora de la relación de reducción de fisuras por retracción plástica, mayor resistencia a la compresión y mayor valor de módulo de rotura, para alcanzar una mayor vida útil del pavimento rígido. Por otro lado, se ve la desventaja económica del concreto fibroreforzado f’c=280kg/cm2 a comparación de un concreto tradicional f’c=280kg/cm2 incrementando el costo de manera significativa. Es así que se logra alcanzar un impacto positivo para las mejoras en la sociedad

Assessing performance of contemporary plant-based diets against the UK dietary guidelines: findings from the Feeding the Future (FEED) study

Uncertainty remains about the composition of contemporary plant-based diets and whether they provide recommended nutrient intakes. We established Feeding the Future (FEED), an up-to-date online cohort of UK adults following different plant-based diets and diets containing meat and fish. We recruited 6334 participants aged 18–99 [omnivores (1562), flexitarians (1349), pescatarians (568), vegetarians (1292), and vegans (1571)] between February 2022 and December 2023, and measured diet using a food frequency questionnaire and free text. We compared personal characteristics and dietary intakes between diet groups and assessed compliance with dietary guidelines. Most participants met UK dietary recommendations for fruit and vegetables, sodium, and protein, although protein intakes were lowest among vegetarians and vegans. Omnivores did not meet the fibre recommendation and only vegans met the saturated fat recommendation. All diet groups exceeded the free sugars recommendation. Higher proportions of vegetarians and vegans were below the estimated average requirements (EARs) for zinc, iodine, selenium, and, in vegans, vitamins A and B12, whereas calcium intakes were similar across the diet groups. People following plant-based diets showed good compliance with most dietary targets, and their risk for inadequate intakes of certain nutrients might be mitigated by improved dietary choices and/or food fortification

Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a national multisectoral action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in Nepal:perspectives of stakeholders

BACKGROUND: Nepal adopted the Multisectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (MSAP) in 2014. Implementation of the plan has been challenging, with limited participation from non-health sectors. OBJECTIVES: The overall aim of the study was to gain the perspectives of key stakeholders involved in the Nepal MSAP on the barriers and facilitators to its implementation, through the participation of relevant sectors in the plan. METHODS: We held face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 12 stakeholders working in sectors involved in the MSAP. These sectors included the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministries; Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP); Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Ministry of Forest and Environment; academia; and professional organizations. Thematic analysis of transcripts was used to identify themes on awareness of NCDs, awareness of the MSAP, and barriers and facilitators to participation in the MSAP. RESULTS: Participants recognised NCDs as a growing and major burden in Nepal. However, a number of participants were not familiar with the MSAP, identifying a lack of leadership and poor dissemination. Political and systemic transformation, since the adoption of the MSAP, was seen as a key barrier to implementation. International commitments to develop multisectoral action made by the Government of Nepal were identified as drivers. The recent establishment of a separate section for NCDs and Mental Health within the Department of Health Services of MOHP and the promotion of a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach in recent national documents, were both considered to support implementation. CONCLUSIONS: The establishment of permanent multisectoral or multistakeholder mechanisms has been challenging despite strong political calls for their development. Moving beyond 2020, multisectoral action plans should engage with stakeholders from federal, provincial and local governments in order to develop costed action plans with specific roles and responsibilities for each sector