Understanding and controlling asthma in Latin America: A review of recent research informed by the SCAALA programme.

Asthma is an important health concern in Latin America (LA) where it is associated with variable prevalence and disease burden between countries. High prevalence and morbidity have been observed in some regions, particularly marginalized urban populations. Research over the past 10 years from LA has shown that childhood disease is primarily non-atopic.

Course of depression during the first 2 years postpartum among Brazilian women enrolled in a conditional cash transfer program.

Background: Women living in low- and middle-income countries are more exposed to known risk factors for depression occurrence and persistency over time.

Aim: Our aim was to investigate the course of depression in the first 2 years postpartum among Brazilian women enrolled in a cash transfer program.

Method: Longitudinal analysis of baseline (T0; mean 3.

The Salvador Primary Care Longitudinal Study of Child Development (CohortDICa) Following the Zika Epidemic: Study Protocol.

This article describes the Salvador Primary Care Longitudinal Study of Child Development (CohortDICa). The exposed group was defined by confirmation of Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) diagnosed through computed tomography, magnetic resonance or transfontanellar ultrasound. A random selection of the 169 exposed children led to a subgroup of 120 children who were paired with children from the Live Birth Information System, according to birthdate, residence in the same street or neighborhood, and gestational age, resulting in 115 subjects in the non-exposed group.

Asthmatic Symptoms in Children and Adolescents: the Role of Maternal Experiences of Racial Discrimination.

Unlabelled: Emerging evidence suggests that vicarious racial experiences of discrimination may negatively influence child health. Few studies have focus on childhood asthma symptoms and potential moderators of such relationship.

Methods: We used two population-based cross-sectional studies from the Social Change Allergy and Asthma in Latin America project in Salvador, Brazil.

Maternal common mental disorder over time and asthma control: The role of social support.

Background: Despite therapeutic advances, asthma prevalence remains high. Psychosocial factors, including maternal mental disorders, may be involved. This study aims to evaluate the association of maternal common mental disorders (CMDs) and their change over time with asthma morbidity in the child and to observe the effect of social support on this association.

Brain abnormalities on neuroimaging in Children with Congenital Zika Syndrome in Salvador, Brazil, and its possible implications on neuropsychological development.

Objective: To characterize the spectrum of brain damages presented in children affected by Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS), verify the existence of a co-occurrence pattern of these damages and discuss possible implications for the neuropsychological development.

Methods: Descriptive, quantitative, individualized, and cross-sectional study using secondary sources. We selected 136 children with CZS from the database of the Center of Strategic Information on Health Vigilance of the Municipal Office of Salvador, Brazil.

Personal-Level and Group-Level Discrimination and Mental Health: the Role of Skin Color.

Objective: This study investigates the association between personal-level and group-level discrimination and common mental disorders (CMDs) among Afro-Brazilian women, aiming to explore the role of skin color on this association.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving 1130 women who were participating in the Social Change, Asthma and Allergy in Latin America (SCAALA) study, whose children were recruited from 24 geographical micro-regions representative of the population without sanitation. Measures of discrimination were defined by: experiences (personal-level) and concern about discrimination (group-level) using the Experiences of Discrimination Scale.

[Validity of the Experiences of Discrimination scale in a Brazilian population].

One of the most widely used tools in epidemiological research on discrimination is the Experiences of Discrimination (EOD) scale, used but not validated in Brazil. The objective was to assess the reliability and dimensional structure of the EOD scale in a Brazilian population. A cross-sectional study was performed with 1,380 adults in the city of Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil.

Measuring the level of social support using latent class analysis.

Different instruments have been used to measure social support in epidemiological studies of which the most widely used is the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale (SSS-MOS). However, these studies lack measures of the level of social support on health risks. We used latent class analysis (LCA) to distinguish subgroups with different levels of perceived social support and tested the consistency of these subgroups by their associations with the prevalence of Common Mental Disorders (CMD).