The industry uses nutrition and health claims, premium offers, and promotional characters as marketing strategies (MS). The inclusion of these MS on ultra-processed products may influence child and adolescent purchase behavior. This study determined the proportion of foods carrying claims and marketing strategies, also the proportion of products with critical nutrients declaration, and nutritional profile differences between products that carry or not claims and MS on the front-of-package (FoP) of ultra-processed food products sold in Costa Rica. Data were obtained from 2423 photographs of seven food groups consumed as snacks that were sold in one of the most widespread and popular hypermarket chains in Costa Rica in 2015. Ten percent of products lacked a nutrition facts panel. Sodium was the least reported critical nutrient. Energy and critical nutrients were significantly highest in products that did not include any nutrition or health claim and in products that included at least one MS. Forty-four percent and 10% of all products displayed at least one nutrition or at least one health claim, respectively, and 23% displayed at least one MS. In conclusion, regulations are needed to restrict claims and marketing on ultra-processed food packages to generate healthier food environments and contribute to the prevention of childhood and adolescent obesity in Costa Rica.
Objective: This article analyzes the relationship between socioeconomic status and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the primary school population in Costa Rica. Design: A National School Weight/Height Census was disseminated across Costa Rica in 2016. The percentage of children who were overweight or obese was calculated by sex, age, and socioeconomic indicators (type of institution: private, public, mix; type of geographic location: rural, urban; and the level of development of the district of residence: quartiles). A mixed effects multinomial logistic regression model and mixed effects logistic regression model were used to analyze the association between the prevalence of being overweight or obese and district socioeconomic status. Setting: The survey was carried out in public and private primary schools across Costa Rica in 2016. Participants: 347,366 students from 6 to 12 years old, enrolled in public and private primary schools. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children was 34.0%. Children in private schools were more likely to be overweight or obese than students in public schools (OR=1.10 [1.07, 1.13]). Additionally, children were less likely to be overweight or obese if attending a school in a district of the lowest socioeconomic quartile compared to the highest socioeconomic quartile (OR=0.79 [0.75, 0.83]), and in a rural area compared to the urban area (OR=0.92 [0.87, 0.97]). Conclusions: Childhood obesity in Costa Rica continues to be a public health problem. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children was associated with indicators of higher socioeconomic status.
Este artículo analiza la asociación existente entre el consumo de tabaco y el consumo de alcohol en mujeres de 15 a 49 años en Costa Rica. Se trata de un estudio epidemiológico observacional de tipo transversal (n = 7.487), en el cual se valora, por medio de un diseño de regresión logística, parte de los datos provenientes de la Encuesta de Mujeres, Niñez y Adolescencia del año 2018. Se utilizaron las variables dependientes de consumo de tabaco y alcohol y las variables independientes de edad, zona, nivel educativo, situación marital y nivel socioeconómico. Los resultados confirman una relación entre el uso de tabaco y el de alcohol, cuya intensidad se modifica a partir de las variables descritas; en efecto, las mujeres que bebieron alcohol cuatro veces o más en el último mes tuvieron una prevalencia de consumo de tabaco más alta (OR = 18,80 [11,25-31.41]). Así mismo, quienes fuman diariamente tuvieron una prevalencia de consumo de alcohol inferior (OR = 4,09 [2,67-6,26]) a las que fuman ocasionalmente (OR = 8,86 [4,83-16,24]). Se concluye el vínculo entre el consumo de tabaco y el consumo de alcohol en mujeres de 15 a 49 años, con mayor frecuencia en jóvenes, solteras y residentes de la zona urbana.
The aim of this study was to determine 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in healthy employees of the Universidad de Ciencias Médicas, Costa Rica. Methods: Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), and creatinine were measured in 80 people. Solar ultraviolet radiation exposure and 25-hydroxyvitamin D intake were estimated using a previously designed questionnaire. Participants were 52 women aged (mean ± standard deviation) 35.8±10.0 years old, body mass index of 27.1±5.9 kg/m 2 , and 26 men aged 36.4±10.8 years old, body mass index of 27.5±5.0 kg/m 2. Results: All participants were normocalcemic, eight females were postmenopausal, three were hypertensive; none had renal, gastrointestinal, or thyroid disease. The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 23.9±7.0 ng/dL and iPTH 40.1±17.5 pg/dL. A level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D $30 ng/dL was seen in 17% of the population. The eight participants with iPTH higher than 67 ng/dL, had 25-hydroxyvitamin D of 18.9±4.8 ng/dL. Two participants who received 25-hydroxyvitamin D and calcium supplements were excluded. Conclusion: The 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency and deficiency found in healthy employees from an academic center in Costa Rica may be due to working long hours indoors and solar ultraviolet radiation exposure. It is unknown whether secondary hyperparathyroidism seen in nearly 10% of this population, may have long-term effects on bone health.
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