Maternal dietary patterns and acute leukemia in infants: results from a case control study in Mexico

BackgroundChildhood cancer is the leading cause of disease-related mortality among children aged 5–14 years in Mexico, with acute leukemia being the most common cancer among infants. Examining the overall dietary patterns allows for a comprehensive assessment of food and nutrient consumption, providing a more predictive measure of disease risk than individual foods or nutrients. This study aims to evaluate the association between maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and the risk of acute leukemia in Mexican infants.MethodsA hospital-based case–control study was conducted, comparing 109 confirmed acute leukemia cases with 152 age-matched controls. All participants (≤24 months) were identified at hospitals in Mexico City between 2010 and 2019. Data on a posteriori dietary patterns and other relevant variables were collected through structured interviews and dietary questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to estimate the association between maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and the risk of acute leukemia in infants.ResultsThe “Balanced & Vegetable-Rich” pattern, characterized by a balanced consumption of various food groups and higher vegetable intake, exhibited a negative association with acute leukemia when compared to the “High Dairy & Cereals” Pattern (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29, 0.90). We observed that mothers who gave birth to girls and adhered to a healthy dietary pattern during pregnancy exhibited significantly lower odds of their children developing AL compared to those who gave birth to boys [OR = 0.32 (95% CI 0.11, 0.97)]. Our results underscore the significance of maternal nutrition as a modifiable factor in disease prevention and the importance of prenatal health education

Effect of pollination of strawberry by Apis mellifera L. and Chrysoperla carnea S. on quality of the fruits

Se evaluó la contribución de Apis mellifera L. y Chrysoperla carnea S. como polinizadores del cultivo de la fresa, utilizando flores primarias de la variedad Festival en un experimento realizado en Irapuato, Guanajuato, México. Los tratamientos utilizados fueron: autogamia (SF), polinización abierta (OP), Apis mellifera (AM) y Chrysoperla carnea (CC). La tasa de polinización mostró que hubo diferencias significativas en el tratamiento AM (85.20 ± 2.41) en comparación con SF (41.51 ± 3.92), OP (77.98 ± 2.11) y CC (48.46 ± 2.97). Igualmente se encontraron diferencias significativas en el grado de malformación en AM (16.78 ± 1.20) en comparación con el SF (52.53 ± 1.54), OP (23.34 ± 1.03) y CC (47.88 ± 2.02). El total de antocianinas, peso, diámetro y sólidos totales solubles de los frutos fueron significativamente mayores en AM comparados con los tratamientos SF, OP y CC. El número de óvulos fertilizados se correlacionó positivamente con el peso de la fruta. Se considera a Chrysoperla carnea como deficiente polinizador, pero en contraparte se concluye que la utilización de Apis mellifera puede ser una alternativa para incrementar la producción y calidad de la fruta en los cultivos de la fresa establecidos en Irapuato, Guanajuato, México

Prevalence of multimorbidity in subjects aged ≥60 years in a developing country

Horacio Islas-Granillo,1 Carlo Eduardo Medina-Solís,1 María de Lourdes Márquez-Corona,1 Rubén de la Rosa-Santillana,1 Miguel Ángel Fernández-Barrera,1 Juan José Villalobos-Rodelo,2 César Tadeo Hernández-Martínez,1 José de Jesús Navarrete-Hernández,1 Martha Mendoza-Rodríguez1 1Academic Area of Dentistry, Health Sciences Institute at Autonomous University of Hidalgo State, Pachuca, Mexico; 2Department of Epidemiology, ISSSTE Sinaloa, Culiacan, Mexico Background: Aging is one of the most prominent features in recent population dynamics around the world. As populations age, the prevalence of simultaneous chronic diseases increases, which is known as multimorbidity. Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of multimorbidity and associated factors in a sample of elderly Mexican subjects. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on a convenience sample of 139 subjects aged ≥60 years. The dependent variable was the multimorbidity diagnosis performed by a physician, which was categorized as 0 for subjects with no chronic disease or only 1 disease and 1 for subjects with 2 or more chronic diseases. Questionnaires were used to collect the information on the different variables. A statistical analysis was performed in Stata 11.0. Results: The mean age was 79.06±9.78 years, and 69.1% of the subjects were women. A total of 69.1% (95% confidence interval =61.3–76.8) reported at least 1 morbidity. The mean morbidity by subject was 1.04±1.90. Cardiovascular diseases (25.9%), hypertension (20.1%), musculoskeletal disorders (19.4%), and diabetes (13.7%) were the most frequently reported conditions. The prevalence of multimorbidity (2 or more diseases) was 27.3% (95% confidence interval =19.8–34.8). No significant differences were observed in the independent variables. Conclusion: In conclusion, the prevalence of multimorbidity in this sample of elderly Mexican subjects was relatively low. The distribution across the included variables was not significantly different. Interventions focused on the health care of older adults with multimorbidity should pay special attention to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and musculoskeletal disorders. Keywords: older adults, multimorbidity, cardiovascular disease, hypertensio