Publications by authors named "Severo M"

Background: We aimed to investigate the association between maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and asthma in children by 10 years of age.

Methods: We considered 5585 mother-child pairs enrolled in a population-based birth cohort. Consumption of regular and decaffeinated coffee, black and green tea, and cola beverages before and during pregnancy was obtained through face-to-face interviews within 72 h after giving birth, and total caffeine intake (mg/day) was estimated.

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Background/objectives: Mental health screening of perinatal women is recommended as an essential element of routine maternity health care. Knowledge of screening conditions in healthcare settings as indicated by NICE is limited. This scoping review examines current expert considerations in the scientific literature on the use of Whooley questions and GAD-2 tools in screening for women's perinatal mental health.

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Background And Objectives: Evidence is scarce on the clustering patterns of disordered eating dimensions or symptoms and their effects on future cardiometabolic health. This study examines associations of disordered eating trajectory profiles (from 13 to 21 years), with BMI and related cardiometabolic features at ages 21, 24 and 27.

Methods: Participants are from the Epidemiological Health Investigation of Teenagers cohort (Porto, Portugal).

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study assessed the effectiveness of international BMI references and an allometric BMI reference for diagnosing obesity in U.S. children and adolescents, using data from over 17,000 participants collected between 1999-2006 and 2011-2018.
  • - The MULT growth reference showed the best balance of sensitivity (0.92-0.96) and specificity (0.94) for boys, while for girls, the MULT references also displayed high accuracy (sensitivity 0.95-0.97, specificity 0.92).
  • - Overall, the MULT growth reference outperformed the others and specifically highlighted that girls have a higher fat mass than boys at equivalent BMI values, suggesting it may be a
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Background: The prospective effect of healthy and planetary diets on cardiometabolic health at young ages remains unclear.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the prospective associations between adherence to the EAT-Lancet dietary recommendations at age 7 and the prevalence of obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) at 7, 10, and 13 y old.

Methods: Participants are children from the Generation XXI birth cohort who completed 3-d food diaries at age 7, with complete data in variables of interest (n = 3564).

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The study aimed to describe trajectories of free sugar (FS) intake, its main sources and the associations with socio-economic status (SES) in Portuguese children/adolescents evaluated at 4, 7, 10 and 13 years of age from Generation XXI birth-cohort. Dietary intake was assessed through 3-day food diaries ( 5268). Added sugar intake was estimated following a systematic methodology, and FS was based on the WHO definition.

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Background & Aims: Ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption has been associated with unhealthy outcomes. However, the literature lacks robust longitudinal studies considering its cumulative effect, particularly in young populations. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between UPF consumption patterns throughout childhood with growth and adiposity trajectories.

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Objectives: To develop an allometric body mass index (ABMI) reference that adjusts the weight in relation to height, taking into account the changes during development (MULT ABMI reference), and to compare it with international BMI references.

Methods: The MULT ABMI reference was constructed through the LMS method, calculated with 65 644 ABMI observations of 17 447 subjects aged 5-22 years, from the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, India, Peru, Vietnam, Portugal, and Brazil. The M, S, and L curves of the MULT ABMI reference were compared with the curves of the MULT, World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), and Dutch Growth Study (DUTCH).

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Background: Calcium intake has been associated with lower adiposity, but few studies explored the longitudinal relation of calcium from different sources and cardiometabolic markers in young population.

Objective: Prospectively estimate the association between dairy and non-dairy calcium intake at 4, 7, and 10 years (y) of age and cardiometabolic risk at 13 y.

Methods: The sample included 4017 participants from the Generation XXI birth cohort.

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This study aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of the life expectancy of dogs in Portugal, focusing on the impact of diverse factors including breed, sex, size, and skull shape. The final dataset, gathering data from the national registry database, consisted of 278,116 dogs with confirmed deaths. The mean lifespan at birth for all the dogs was around 8.

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Purpose: To describe a series of patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv) with vitreous amyloid and to study the efficacy and safety of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for its treatment.

Methods: Retrospective study of 266 patients with ATTRv due to Val30Met mutation submitted to PPV for vitreous amyloid, with a minimum 3-month follow-up. Indications for surgery were disabling myodesopsia or 2 lines loss in visual acuity.

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Purpose: Limited research has examined the combined effects of psychosocial and material adversities experienced in childhood during adolescence, a sensitive period of rapid social, emotional, and cognitive development. We investigated the interaction effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and socioeconomic circumstances (SECs) during childhood on emerging self-reported depressive symptomatology among 13-year-old Portuguese adolescents.

Methods: We utilized data from 4,280 participants in the Generation XXI birth cohort, collected during the baseline (2005-2006), third (2016-2017), and fourth waves (2018-2020).

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Increased cardiometabolic risk is associated with abnormalities in blood biomarkers profile and adiposity measurements. Some substances found in the food matrix and the environment, called endocrine-disrupting chemicals, may impair cardiometabolic health in the early and later stages of life. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a food contaminant that migrates from food contact materials and may act as an endocrine disruptor, negatively affecting human health.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to adapt four dietary patterns for children and adolescents and examine their links to sustainability (greenhouse-gas emissions and land use) and health (body mass index).
  • Dietary intake was assessed using interviews involving food diaries and 24-hour recalls for a sample of 1,153 children and adolescents in Portugal.
  • Results indicated that while all dietary patterns had lower environmental impacts, only the Mediterranean diet was significantly associated with both better health outcomes and sustainability metrics, especially in children.
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This cross-sectional study aims to describe and compare energy, nutrient intake and food consumption according to eating location and by age groups using data from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2015/2016). Dietary intake was estimated by two non-consecutive days of food diaries (children)/24-h recalls (other age groups), and four eating location categories were defined according to the proportion of meals consumed at out-of-home locations: (at least 80 % of meals at home), , and . The majority of meals (69·1 %) were consumed at home.

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Higher levels of social capital (SC) are associated with better health status. However, there is little evidence of the impact of SC on biological health outcomes in the early ages. To identify the association between SC in adolescence and inflammation levels in early adulthood.

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Iron accumulation has been associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and memory decline. As previously described by our research group, iron overload in the neonatal period induces persistent memory deficits and increases oxidative stress and apoptotic markers. The neuronal insult caused by iron excess generates an energetic imbalance that can alter glutamate concentrations and thus trigger excitotoxicity.

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Background: Early feeding practices have a critical role in the future not only in health but also in modulating eating habits. This study aimed to assess breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices and the nutritional status of Portuguese toddlers aged 0-36 months.

Methods: EPACI Portugal 2012 is a cross-sectional study of a national representative sample.

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Most instruments measuring nutrition literacy evaluate theoretical knowledge, not necessarily reflecting skills relevant to food choices. We aimed to develop and validate a photograph-based instrument to assess nutrition literacy (NUTLY) among adults in Portugal. NUTLY assesses the ability to distinguish foods with different nutritional profiles; from each of several combinations of three photographs (two foods with similar contents and one with higher content) participants are asked to identify the food with the highest energy/sodium content.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study measured depressive symptoms, psychological characteristics, and neuroticism during pregnancy and after childbirth, using tools like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and NEO Five Factor Inventory.
  • * Results indicated that higher neuroticism levels correlated with increased depressive symptoms, anxiety in relationships, lower psychological well-being, resilience, and coping strategies, suggesting the need for routine neuroticism assessment in pregnant women for better mental health support.
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Episiotomy, defined as the incision of the perineum to enlarge the vaginal opening during childbirth, is one of the most commonly performed surgical interventions in the world. We aimed to determine if migrant status is associated with episiotomy, and if individual characteristics mediate this association. We analyzed data from the Bambino study, a national, prospective cohort of migrant and native women giving birth at a public hospital in mainland Portugal between 2017 and 2019.

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Article Synopsis
  • BPA is an endocrine disruptor found in food contact materials, linked to negative health effects, prompting a study on its impact on cardiometabolic patterns in adolescents.
  • Data from a Portuguese study involving 2,386 adolescents was analyzed, revealing three cardiometabolic patterns and quantifying BPA exposure through urine tests.
  • Higher BPA exposure correlated with increased BMI, body fat, waist circumference, insulin, and triglycerides in adolescents, indicating a significant association with higher cardiometabolic risk.
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This study aimed to examine diet tracking from childhood to adolescence, using 4 time-points, and the influence of socioeconomic and individual characteristics in this transition. The sample included 6893 children from the Portuguese birth cohort Generation XXI with complete information on Food Frequency Questionnaire in at least one of the considered follow-ups. A Healthy Eating Index (HEI), previously developed to assess adherence to WHO's dietary recommendations, was applied at all ages (4, 7, 10 and 13y).

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