Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

INTRODUCTION: The Dietary Guidelines for the Argentine Population (GAPA) provide recommendations for a healthy diet. The objective of this work was to evaluate the compliance with the recommendations of GAPA between 1996 and 2018 by income level and by region of the country in the period 2017-2018. METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted, with expenditure and income data from the National Household Expenditure Survey for 1996-97, 2004-05, 2012-13 and 2017-18. Average daily apparent consumption was compared with the recommendations of guidelines for each food group. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Food groups with apparent consumption lower than recommended were observed, such as vegetables, fruits, milk, yogurt, legumes, nuts and seeds; groups with consumption two to three times higher than the maximum value established in the dietary guidelines, such as sugars and fats; and groups with adequate quantity but limited variety, such as meats, oils, cereals, bread and pasta. Over time, a gradual turn away from the recommendations was observed in fruits, milk, legumes, nuts, seeds and discretionary foods, with greater inadequacy in some regions of the country and more evident in lower-income households. DISCUSSION: It is evident that there are important differences, both quantitatively and qualitatively, between the recommended and the Argentine diet, with more pronounced imbalances in the most vulnerable groups.   

INTRODUCTION: The province of La Rioja is endemic for Chagas disease, which is primarily transmitted by its vector, thehematophagous insect Triatoma infestans (vinchuca). The objective of this work was to develop a comprehensive approach in order to knowthe importance given by the community to Chagas disease and its vectors, and to survey information related to the prevention of transmission.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a non-probabilistic mixed approach through a semi-structured questionnaire. Theperception of 96 residents from 41 localities of Los Llanos community, La Rioja, was explored. RESULTS: T. infestans took the sixth place amongthe animals residents are most worried about. While 83% of the people interviewed were capable of correctly identifying T infestans adultswhen compared to other triatomine bugs, 79% expressed confusion regarding the vector transmission process of Chagas disease. Henhouseswere recognized as the most common place to find vinchucas, followed by corrals. Besides, 92% reported they had never collected insectsfound in their housing to have them analyzed in health facilities. DISCUSSION: This descriptive research provided useful information to guidethe work with local communities and to identify aspects to be addressed to avoid the vector transmission of Chagas in the area of study.  

INTRODUCTION: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns on suicide behavior has been a matter of debate. Self-harm consultations to emergency departments are a way to analyze suicidal behavior. The objective was to describe and analyze self-harm consultations, comparing the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with secondary source analysis in three general hospitals and three neuropsychiatric hospitals from four Argentine provinces. Consultations reported in February, July and October over the analyzed period were considered for the study. Data gathered included sociodemographic variables and those related to the self-harm event. Relative frequencies and rates were used for the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 411 self-harm consultations were included in the analysis, 73% of them were from the pre-pandemic period. Consultation rates were higher in the pandemic period, with a particularly significant increase in neuropsychiatric hospitals. Referral to another facility was higher during the pandemic. Poisoning was the most frequently used mechanism in both periods, even though it diminished during the pandemic period, when the use of sharp objects increased. DISCUSSION: It is necessary to continue monitoring self-harm consultations, and the differences between demand to general and specialized neuropsychiatric hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of mortality among adults. The objective of this study was to show results of the implementation of the colorectal cancer screening program (CRCSP) in the province of Neuquén, Argentina. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted, with analysis of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) results in people aged 50 to 75 years, in public hospitals between 2015- 2019. Participation rate, FOBT results, colonoscopy (CC) performance in patients with positive FOBT and their findings, and positive predictive value (PPV) for detection of lesions and CRC were determined. RESULTS: A total of 11,189 FOBT were requested. The average participation was 6.52% of the target population, 24.6% of the participants had positive FOBT, and 24% of them had a CC performed. A significant lesion was found in 24.8% (adenomatous polyps 21.9%, cancer 2.9%), with a PPV for the detection of lesions of 34.3%. Furthermore, 7.4% had advanced adenomas, 17.6% of the patients repeated the FOBT after a negative result (second or third round), and 13.7% had a control CC performed after the finding of an adenomatous polyp. DISCUSSION: The CRCSP in Neuquén shows some indicators that need to be improved (coverage, conduction of CC) and others that are adequate (frequency of findings). In view of these difficulties, some more focused screening measures can be considered, such as use of CRC risk scales, bi-annual screening, etc.

INTRODUCTION: Social class and gender are linked to excess weight. However, the evidence in contexts of urban poverty in Córdoba (Argentina) is still scarce. The objective of this study was to analyze individual social determinants of adult overweight, obesity and central obesity by gender in contexts of poverty in the city of Córdoba in 2019. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out, with a random sample (n=380) of adult users of a public hospital. A survey on sociodemographic, socioeconomic, gender and health characteristics was applied, and anthropometric measures were taken. Multiple logistic regression models stratified by gender were estimated. RESULTS: Single, separated or widowed women were less likely to be overweight (OR 0.40; 95% CI: 0.18-0.87), and unemployed women had a lower probability of central obesity (OR 0.27; 95% CI: 0.08-0.87 ). Men with middle or low socioeconomic status were less likely to be overweight (OR 0.21; 95% CI: 0.05-0.76), and those who devoted more time to unpaid work had a lower probability of obesity (OR 0.43; 95% CI: 0.20-0.89). DISCUSSION: Excess weight in contexts of poverty in Córdoba is linked to social and gender determinants, and the associations are different in men and women. 

INTRODUCTION: The development of the COVID-19 pandemic has been described in terms of waves. This work aimed at characterizing the pandemic in the province of Buenos Aires through the comparison of indicators in each wave. METHODS: A descriptive observational study with data from secondary sources was conducted. Each wave was defined based on the inflection points of the cumulative confirmed cases curve. The waves were compared by indicators of morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Three different periods were established: first wave, summer resurgence and second wave. The maximum number of confirmed cases and deaths per day during the first wave was 5799 and 192, and during the second wave 12141 and 282, respectively. The fatality was 3.5% during the first wave and 2.3% during the second one. The mean age of confirmed and deceased cases during the second wave was significantly lower than during the first one. Among confirmed cases, the greatest difference in the proportion by age group was observed in the group aged 10 to 19 years. DISCUSSION: The second wave was of greater magnitude, probably due to the circulation of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, Gamma (P.1), for which there is evidence of increased transmissibility. The decrease in the age of deceased may be explained by the decrease in the age of confirmed cases and by the priority given to older people in the vaccination campaign. The increase in the 10-19 age group may be related to the resumption of face-to-face classes in schools. 

Between June and November 2021, the Directorate of Health Research of the Argentine Ministry of Health launched the Call for Health Research Grants “Salud Investiga 2021-2022”. Its objective was to promote health research on guidelines and topics prioritized in the National Public Health Research Agenda. The distinctive feature of this year was the pool of grants for Multiple Investigator Studies (MIS) and MIS National Hospitals within the framework of the National Plan of Translational Health Research for the Hospital Network. Forty-seven grants were awarded for Individual Studies (IS), 221 for MIS and 32 for MIS in National Hospitals. The guideline with the highest number of awarded grant projects (14) was health/social/economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable populations (indigenous peoples, structural poverty, immigrants, informal work). Sixty-eight percent of the IS grantees and 83% of the MIS and MIS National Hospitals grantees came from public institutions, mostly hospitals. The predominant disciplinary backgrounds were Health Sciences, and Social Sciences and Humanities. Most of the grant winners lived in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (40% IS and 29% MIS and MIS National Hospitals) and in the Province of Buenos Aires (17% IS and 36% MIS and MIS National Hospitals). Women between 30 and 39 years of age were the most represented subgroup among grant winners. 

INTRODUCTION: Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, difficulties and/or interruptions in health services were reported in various countries, with the consequent risk to the health of the population. In Argentina, there is evidence of a decrease in vaccination coverage and the frequency of pediatric check-ups. METHODS: A descriptive study was carried out in three health centers in the city of Buenos Aires. The number of health check-ups and vaccination schedules, among other variables, were detailed in children born in 2019 and 2020. RESULTS: A total of 505 medical records were reviewed: 202 from 2019 and 303 from 2020. Children born in 2019 and 2020 presented a median of 2 (interquartile range [IQR] 3) health check-ups per patient between 0 and 6 months. Between 7 and 12 months, the median was 2 (IQR 2) in 2019, and in 2020 it was 1 (IQR 2). The 6-month vaccination schedule was complete in 32.68% (66) of the children born in 2019 and 34.65% (105) of those born in 2020. DISCUSSION: The decrease in the number of health check-ups between 7 and 12 months, in the screening studies and in the maternal serologies performed could be attributed to the change in social behavior due to the possibility of contagion and/or difficulties in the movement of people at the beginning of the pandemic. Unlike other studies, a decrease in vaccination coverage was not found in the population studied. 

INTRODUCTION: In response to the increase of COVID-19 cases in the city of Quilmes (Buenos Aires Province), and considering the sociodemographic and housing characteristics of its population, a Sanitary Isolation Center at the National University of Quilmes (CASUNQ) was put into operation from April 22 to November 15, 2020. The objective of this work was to describe the operation of CAS-UNQ and its contribution to addressing the first wave of COVID 19 in Quilmes. METHODS: The general organization if the CAS-UNQ was conducted by a health team, which deployed the necessary strategies to take care of all the people housed there. Those who came to CAS-UNQ were experiencing mild illness and could not be isolated at home. Three lines of work were established: medical care, psychological support and social approach with a rights perspective. RESULTS: A total of 954 people were isolated (407 women, 362 men, and 185 children under 13 years of age). The maximum number of people isolated simultaneously was 120. The mean age of hospitalization was 27 years. DISCUSSION: The implementation of the CAS-UNQ was an effective tool both to cut chains of infections in environments of rapid spread of the virus and to carry out comprehensive health monitoring and access to rights of the population.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco harm reduction depends on cessation. Some sociodemographic and personal characteristics have been associated with successful cessation, but these features have not been assessed in this population. The objective was to evaluate the predictors of status of former Soler or being in a favorable stage of quitting in urban population of Argentina. METHODS: Secondary analysis of the Argentina Global Adult Tobacco Survey (EMTA-GATS) using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 6299 subjects were included (mean age: 43.3 years; 46.39% of males; 23.16% of smokers). Former smoker status was associated with age (OR 1.11; CI95%: 1.02-1.20 every 5 years), living in smoke-free homes (OR 2.92; CI95%: 1.78-4.78), supporting tobacco tax increases (OR 2.32; CI95%: 1.52-3.56), non-daily consumption (OR 2.06; CI95%: 1.25-3.39) and female gender (OR 1.53; CI95%: 1.06-2.19) regardless of education and income level. Among smokers, age (OR 1.10; CI95%: 1.01-1.26 every 5 years) and being aware of health warnings on packages (OR 4.64; CI95%: 2.28-9.41) were associated with wanting to quit regardless of gender and education level. Receiving medical advice was associated with the decision to quit (OR 6.25; CI95%: 2.91-13.42) regardless of education and income level. DISCUSSION: The implementation of smoke-free homes campaigns, health warning labels and medical advice are useful strategies to boost cessation.