The use of portable A-mode ultrasound in appendicular lean mass measurements among older adults: a comparison study with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and handgrip strength.

Background/objectives: Strength and muscle mass are key factors for the diagnosis of sarcopenia. The EWGSOP2 recommended using ultrasound (US) as a reliable device to measure muscle mass (MM), but A-mode US still needs to be validated for older adults. This study aimed to evaluate the association between measurements of muscle thickness (MT) by portable A-mode US and, muscle quantity by Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in older adults.

Intra- and inter-rater reliability of muscle and fat thickness measurements obtained using portable ultrasonography in older adults.

Background & Aims: Ultrasonography (US) is a promising tool for assessing body composition, offering accuracy and accessibility. However, technician skills and equipment characteristics can impact measurement reliability. We aimed to evaluate the intra- and inter-rater reliability of two evaluators using A-mode Portable Ultrasound to measure muscle and fat thickness in Brazilian older adults.

Sociodemographic factors associated with Kyasanur forest disease in India - a retrospective study.

Objectives: Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a tick-borne disease in India affecting humans and two local non-human primate species. A critical knowledge gap in the scientific literature is the lack of information on how people's sociodemographic factors influence KFD occurrence.

Methods: We analyzed available data on KFD from three data sources: (a) 104 peer-reviewed articles using keyword searches on PubMed Central and Google Scholar, (b) 116 Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases reports, and (c) an acute febrile illness surveillance data set on KFD from a report by the government of India.

Awareness of the diagnosis, treatment, and control of diabetes mellitus in Brazil.

Objective: To estimate the proportions of awareness, treatment, and control of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the Brazilian adult population.

Method: This is a cross-sectional study, with data from a representative sample of the Brazilian population, taken from the National Health Survey(PNS 2014/2015). Outcomes were defined based on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurements, self-reported DM diagnosis, and use of hypoglycemic agents or insulin.

Doctors' recommendations and healthy lifestyle behaviors among individuals with hypertension in Brazil.

Little is known about whether doctors' recommendations encourage healthy behaviors among individuals with hypertension in Brazil. This study examined the biological, social, and health factors related to doctor's recommendations and the associations between doctor's recommendations and healthy behaviors. The sample consisted of individuals with hypertension (N = 18,260) from Brazil's 2019 National Health Survey.

Social Network, Food Patterns, Physical Activity and Associations with Overweight and Obesity in Adolescents from a School in Rural Brazil.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the social network, food patterns, physical activity, and their associations with overweight/obesity in adolescents from a school in rural Brazil. Students from a rural school in Northeast Brazil ( = 90) completed questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, food consumption, physical activity, and a name generator. Social networks were constructed using students' social proximity ties.

Setting references for daily intake of micronutrients: A study on magnesium.

Objectives: The Institute of Medicine stratifies the references for daily nutrient intake into age and sex groups, considering that the basal metabolic rate varies according to these aspects, and in most cases, it extrapolates the values calculated for adults to children, because their body weights are different. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the recommendation for magnesium in children according to energy expenditure.

Methods: This was an observational study using the database of the Social Changes, Asthma and Allergy in Latin America (SCAALA) cohort, which randomly collected information from 1445 children ages 4 to 11 y.

Availability of Drinking Water Source and the Prevalence of Diarrhea among Nigerian Households.

Diarrhea is highly prevalent in Nigeria and accounts for 16% of deaths among Nigerian children. The WHO classifies water source into two categories: improved and unimproved. This study aimed to examine the association between type of water source and the prevalence of diarrhea among members of a nationally representative sample of Nigerian households while controlling for key sociodemographic and household factors.

A biopsychosocial examination of chronic back pain, limitations on usual activities, and treatment in Brazil, 2019.

Background: Chronic back pain is prevalent in Brazil, leading to enormous healthcare costs and social burdens. It also disproportionately affects low-income and less-healthy people.

Objectives: This study examines the associations of chronic back pain with biological, psychological, and social factors; how it limits usual activities; and how chronic back pain influences the use of treatment services.

Higher hemoglobin levels are associated with better physical performance among older adults without anemia: a longitudinal analysis.

Background: Anemia is the most common hematological abnormality among older adults, and it is associated with decreased physical performance. But the role of hemoglobin in the absence of anemia remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of hemoglobin levels on physical performance in Brazilian older adults without anemia.

Reducing Obesogenic Eating Behaviors in Hispanic Children through a Family-Based, Culturally-Tailored RCT: .

Family-based interventions that incorporate culturally-tailored multi-component curricula and are grounded on evidence-based information and theoretical frameworks can help reduce the prevalence of obesity among Hispanic children. : Clearing the Path to Hispanic Health is a multi-site culturally-tailored randomized control trial that aims to reduce obesity rates in Hispanic families by delivering education on nutrition, family wellness, and physical activity. This study evaluated the effect of the six-week intervention on dietary behaviors of Hispanic children (6-18 years).

Coresidence increases the risk of testing positive for COVID-19 among older Brazilians.

Background: Brazil is among the countries hit hardest by COVID-19, and older adults are among the vulnerable groups. Intergenerational coresidence and interdependence among family members, both prevalent in Brazil, likely increase social and physical contact and thus potential infection.

Methods: Using nationally representative data from the COVID-19 module of the Brazilian National Household Sample Survey (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios), collected between July and November of 2020, we examined the association between living arrangements and exposure to and testing for COVID-19 among 63,816 Brazilians aged 60 years and older.

Factors associated with body mass index changes among older adults: a ten-year follow-up.

To examine changes in body mass index (BMI) among older Brazilian adults and associated factors. Longitudinal, population-based study, conducted in São Paulo, Brazil. Adults aged 60 years or over (n = 1,796) from the first wave of data collection from the Health, Well-Being, and Aging Study (SABE Project) conducted from 2000 to 2010.

Simpson's paradox: a demographic case study of population dynamics, poverty, and inequality.

Brazil is undergoing a demographic transition characterized by regional inequalities. It is reasonable to assume that aspects related to poverty, development and inequality might reverse the sign of the association of indicators of demographic transition, exemplifying a phenomenon known as Simpson's Paradox. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of inequality, poverty and social development on population dynamics in Brazil, verifying the occurrence of Simpson's paradox in demographic transition.

Optimizing Dementia Care for Mexicans and for Mexican-Origin U.S. Residents.

In this article, we report on the recommendations of a binational conference that examined the institutional capacities and future ability of Mexico and the United States to address the need for affordable and sustainable dementia care that results from growing older adult populations. These recommendations reflect the large difference in resources between the two nations and each country's political and institutional capacity. Progress in both countries will require an expansion of programs or the generation of new ones, to meet the needs of older adults, including improving access to services and actively managing the dementia care burden.

Association of self-reported sleep disturbances with ideal cardiovascular health in Brazilian adults: A cross-sectional population-based study.

Objective: To examine the association between sleep disturbances and cardiovascular health in Brazilian adults.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample of 36,480 Brazilian adults ages 18 and over. Multivariate Poisson regression models were used to assess the association between sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep, frequent interruptions in sleep, or sleeping more than usual) and Life's Simple 7 (LS7) cardiovascular health (CVH) scores through consideration of four behaviors (smoking, physical activity, body mass index, and diet) and three biological factors (hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes).

Universal Health Coverage: Are Older Adults Being Left Behind? Evidence From Aging Cohorts In Twenty-Three Countries.

Countries around the world have committed to achieving universal health coverage as part of the Sustainable Development Goals agreed upon by all United Nations members, intended to be achieved by 2030. But important population groups such as older adults are rarely examined as part of Sustainable Development Goals monitoring and evaluation efforts. This study uses recent (2014-16) high-quality, individual-level data from several aging cohorts representing more than 100,000 adults ages fifty and older in twenty-three high- and middle-income countries.

Life-course risk factors are associated with activity of daily living disability in older adults.

Background: Multiple risk factors accumulate over the life-course and contribute to higher rates of disability at older ages. This study investigates whether three life-course risk factors (low educational attainment, poor health in childhood and multimorbidity) are associated with increased risk of disability [defined as any limitation in basic activities of daily living (BADL)] in older adults and whether this relationship is moderated by the national socioeconomic context, measured by the Human Development Index (HDI).

Methods: Data include 100 062 adults (aged 50 and over) participating in longitudinal studies of aging conducted in 19 countries.

Healthy life-expectancy and multimorbidity among older adults: Do inequality and poverty matter?

Multimorbidity among older adults increases with age. There are large socioeconomic differences across states in Brazil. We believe that estimates of healthy life expectancy differ according to poverty and income inequality status.

The Influence of Evidence-Based Exercise and Age Reattribution on Physical Function in Hispanic Older Adults: Results From the Randomized Controlled Trial.

Older Hispanics routinely exhibit unhealthy beliefs about "normal" aging trajectories, particularly related to exercise and physical function. We evaluated the prospective effects of age reattribution on physical function in older Hispanics. Participants ( = 565, ≥60 years) were randomly assigned into (a) treatment group-attribution-retraining, or (b) control group-health education.

Association between frailty and family functionality on health-related quality of life in older adults.

Objectives: To investigate the longitudinal association between frailty and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older adults and to examine whether family functionality moderates the association between frailty and HRQoL.

Methods: It's a longitudinal observational study. The sample was drawn from three waves (2006, 2010, and 2015) of the Health, Well-Being, and Aging Study (Saúde, bem-estar e envelhecimento; SABE) collected in São Paulo, Brazil with adults aged 60 years and older.

Impact of the Chicago Earned Income Tax Periodic Payment intervention on food security.

This article examines the Earned Income Tax Credit Periodic Payment Pilot and its effectiveness in reducing food insecurity for low-income households. Low-income families in Chicago who were eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit provided data over four waves of data collection between 2014 and 2015. We utilize longitudinal random effects logit models to test the likelihood of experiencing food insecurity.

Inequalities in Life Expectancy With Frailty Among Brazilian Older Adults: A Multistate Approach.

Background And Objectives: Frailty is considered one of the major conditions faced by aging societies. Little has been reported about the effect of becoming frail on life expectancy among older adults in developing countries. The aim was to estimate total life expectancy and life expectancy with or without frailty by age, sex, and education among older adults in Brazil.