Dra. Troncoso-Pantoja, Claudia

The foodservice sector has grown rapidly due to the increase in meals out of home. Thanks to the enormous number of meals served daily, making changes to reduce the environmental footprint of their menus could have a positive impact on the sustainability of the food system. The objective of this study was to select indicators to evaluate and communicate the sustainability of culinary preparations offered by foodservices. A bibliographic search of indicators was carried out, which were subsequently subjected to validation regarding their relevance by a group of experts. The indicators finally selected, carbon footprint, water footprint, presence of meat and/or animal products, presence of local ingredients and generation of waste in processing, were applied to traditional Chilean recipes and the results were presented to two discussion groups of consumers to evaluate their understanding and usefulness. When these indicators were applied to 10 Chilean recipes, it was found that those containing meat as an ingredient were less sustainable. A group of consumers invited for validation found the way these indicators were communicated understandable and useful. It is expected that the validation of these indicators will be useful for communicating to services and consumers the sustainability of dishes in foodservices.

Certain countries have the privilege of diverse ecosystems that allow access to wide food availability. This fact carries an intrinsic diversity in bioactive compounds such as phytochemicals, especially polyphenols. The aim of this review is to summarize the advances in polyphenols research which have been conducted in Chile, with a focus on polyphenol-rich foods and health-related outcomes. In the first part, several studies that have analyzed food sources rich in polyphenols are presented. This is followed by a description of in vitro and in vivo studies from Chile that have evaluated the polyphenol compounds of Chilean foods or their extracts along with their biological activity or health effects. Most polyphenol studies in our search have an in vitro experimental design where mainly protective activities are tested. The antioxidant effect is remarkable in all studies. As well as discussing the future direction of dietary assessment and the approach to biomarkers in this field, currently, additional emphasis and research investment are necessary to explore more native foods with an added value.

Research on morbidity and mortality often emphasizes individual diseases over the cumulative effects of multimorbidity, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to analyze the association between multimorbidity and all-cause mortality in a representative sample of the Chilean population. This longitudinal study used data from 3701 subjects aged ≥15 years who participated in the Chilean National Health Survey conducted between 2009 and 2010. We included 16 self-reported highly prevalent morbidities. All-cause mortality data from an 11-year follow-up were collected from the Chilean Civil Registry. The Cox proportional hazard model, adjusted for confounders, determined the association between multimorbidity categories and all-cause mortality. Of the total sample, 24.3% reported no morbidity, while 50.4% two or more. After adjustment, participants with four or more morbidities had a 1.66 times higher mortality risk [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–2.67] than those without morbidities. The mortality risk increased by 10% for each additional morbidity [HR: 1.09 (CI: 1.04–1.16)]. Multimorbidity was common in the Chilean population and increased the mortality risk, which greatly challenges the health system to provide an integral and coordinated approach to healthcare.

Objetivo principal: Interpretar el significado que se le asigna a las estrategias de enseñanza-aprendizaje en el área de salud destinada a personas mayores. Método: Estudio cualitativo de carácter exploratorio. Participaron personas mayores de 60 años y profesionales del área gerontológica con experiencia en la planificación y ejecución de educación en salud. La información fue recolectada a través de entrevista semiestructurada, y los datos fueron analizados a través de análisis de contenido. Resultados principales: Las personas mayores reconocen el realizar talleres y la educación individual como las mejores estrategias para recibir educación. Al triangular la información, los profesionales gerontológicos coinciden con la apreciación positiva de los talleres, pero acompañados de un adecuado diagnóstico participativo y desde la experiencia del participante. Conclusión principal: Los talleres se reconocen como la mejor estrategia de enseñanza-aprendizaje para personas mayores. Esta debe aplicarse considerando un diagnóstico participativo, con la experiencia de la persona mayor y ser mantenido en el tiempo.

Background: The Frailty Index (FI) is used to quantify and summarize vulnerability status in people. In Chile, no development and assessment of a FI have been explored. Objective: To develop and evaluate a FI using representative data from Chilean adults aged 40 years and older stratified by sex. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: National representative data from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016–2017 (CNHS 2016–2017). Participants: 3,036 participants older than 40 years with complete data for all variables. Measurements: A 49-item FI was developed and evaluated. This FI included deficits from comorbidities, functional limitations, mental health status, physical activity, anthropometry, medications, and falls. A score between 0 and 1 was calculated for each person. Descriptive statistics and linear regression models were employed to evaluate the FI’s performance in the population. Comparative analyses were carried out to evaluate the FI score by age (<60 and ≥ 60 years). Results: The mean FI score was 0.15 (SD:0.09), with a 99% upper limit of 0.46. Scores were greater in women than men (0.17 [SD:0.09]) vs. 0.12 [0.08]); in people older than 80 years (0.22 [0.11]), and in people with ≤8 years of education (0.18 [0.10]) compared with those with >12 years (0.12 [0.08]). The average age-related increase in the FI was 2.3%. When a cut-off point ≥ 0.25 was applied, the prevalence of frail individuals was 11.8% (95% CI: 10.0 to 13.8) in the general population. The prevalence was higher in women 15.9% [95% CI: 13.3 to 18.9] than men 7.4% [95% CI: 5.3 to 10.1]. In a comparative analysis by age, higher FI mean scores and prevalence of frail were observed in people ≥ 60 than younger than 60. Conclusions: The mean FI score and frailty prevalence were higher in women than men, in people with fewer years of formal education, and incremented markedly with age. This FI can be used for early detection of frailty status focusing on women and middle-aged people as a strategy to delay or prevent frailty-related consequences.

Objetivo. Interpretar la valoración que presentan titulados de la carrera de Nutrición y Dietética sobre su formación en nutrición gerontológica. Material y métodos. Estudio cualitativo de enfoque fenomenológico hermenéutico y alcance exploratorio. Resultados. Participaron 10 titulados, quienes se reconocen competentes en el manejo nutricional de personas mayores. Perciben una formación biológica que requiere profundizar en las prácticas profesionales y necesitan potenciar las estrategias comunicativas. Conclusiones. La formación en nutrición gerontológica debe coconstruirse entre estudiantes, personas mayores y el programa de formación.

Objectives: Older adults with poor oral health may be at higher risk of being pre-frail or frail. However, very few studies have examined this association in Latin American countries and middle-aged individuals. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between oral health and frailty status among Chilean adults ≥40 years. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting and Participants: We included 3,036 participants ≥40 years from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016–2017. Methods: Frailty status was assessed with a 49-item frailty index, while the number of teeth, self-reported oral health, tooth decay, use of prostheses, and oral pain were the oral health conditions included. To assess the association between oral health conditions and frailty, we used multinomial logistic regression models status adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. Results: Overall, 40.6% and 11.8% of individuals were classified as pre-frail and frail, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, individuals with ≤20 teeth had a higher likelihood of being frail (odds ratio (OR): 1.94 [95% CI: 1.18–3.20]) than people with >20 teeth. Moreover, people with bad or very bad oral health, as well as oral pain, had a higher likelihood of being pre-frail (OR: 2.04 [95% CI: 1.40–2.97] and OR: 2.92 [95% CI: 1.58–5.39], respectively). Middle-aged individuals with fewer teeth and poor self-reported oral health had a higher likelihood of being pre-frail and frail than people ≥60. Conclusions and Implications: Individuals with poor global oral health were more likely to be pre-frail or frail. This association seems to be stronger in people <60 years old. Our results are consistent with previously published reports.

Antecedentes: La velocidad de la marcha podría considerarse un marcador temprano de riesgo de deterioro cognitivo en personas mayores. Objetivo: Determinar la asociación entre velocidad de la marcha y sospecha de deterioro cognitivo en población mayor chilena. Métodos: Se incluyeron 1788 personas mayores de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud (ENS) 2016-2017 que tenían información sobre velocidad de marcha y sospecha de deterioro cognitivo. La velocidad de la marcha fue autorreportada y categorizada como marca lenta, normal y rápida. Sospecha de deterioro cognitivo fue evaluado a través del cuestionario Mini Mental abreviado. La asociación entre marcha y deterioro cognitivo fue investigada mediante análisis de regresión logística. Resultados: En comparación a las personas mayores que reportaron una velocidad de marcha rápida, aquellas que reportaron una marcha lenta presentaron 2,67 veces mayor probabilidad de tener deterioro cognitivo (OR: 2,67 [95% IC:1,62; 4,42], p<0,001). Al ajustar los modelos por variables de confusión sociodemográficas, estilos de vida y salud, la asociación disminuyó, pero, permaneció significativa (OR: 1,78 [95% IC:1,15; 3,17], p=0,047). Mientras que las personas mayores que reportaron tener una velocidad de marcha normal no presentaron asociación con deterioro cognitivo. Conclusión: Personas mayores que reportan una velocidad de marcha lenta presentaron una mayor probabilidad de sospecha de deterioro cognitivo. Considerando que el deterioro cognitivo es un síndrome geriátrico con alta prevalencia en población mayor, existe la necesidad de enfatizar en estrategias para un diagnóstico temprano, por lo cual la velocidad de marcha podría ser un instrumento útil.

La globalización ha potenciado la transición demográfica, con una marcada disminución de las tasas de mortalidad y también de fecundidad, situación que se presenta de manera dispar en países desarrollados o en vías de desarrollo1. Para el año 2019, la mitad de los países del mundo, presentaban una fecundidad por debajo de los niveles de reemplazo, lo que conlleva para los respectivos territorios, importantes cambios económicos, sociales y geopolíticos2. Por lo mismo, estimar la proyección de fecundidad y mortalidad de la población y como esta será afectada por los niveles de migración entre países ofrece una oportunidad única para planificar e implementar medidas que permitan a cada país adaptarse a estos cambios demográficos que se experimentarán a nivel mundial.