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Prevalence of hypertension in indigenous inhabitants of traditional communities from the north of Mexico.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of hypertension in adults indigenous to their traditional communities from the north of Mexico. The study was based on a cross- sectional survey of inhabitants from Mexicaneros, Huicholes and Tepehuanos communities, which have not been influenced by a western lifestyle. A home interview and clinical examination that included blood pressure and anthropometric measurements of 217 men and 598 non-pregnant women aged between 35 to 64 years was carried out. Eligible indigenous subjects must have had no migratory history to partially or totally urbanised areas. Target population represented approximately 100% of the indigenous people who have spent all their life time in the community of birthplace. Age and body mass index average was 48.9+/-12.9 years and 25.6+/-5.1 kg/m2. Hypertension was identified in 56 individuals, 45 women and 11 men (prevalence 6.87%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.1-8.6). Forty-one percent of the hypertensive subjects were aware of being hypertensive. Hypertensive subjects had a higher intake of saturated fats than non-hypertensives. Salt consumption was lower than 6 g per day in subjects with and without hypertension. High intake of saturated fats (odds ratio 6.4, 95% CI 2.1-12.3; P<0.01) was an independent predictor for hypertension. This study presents, for the first time, data concerning hypertension in adults who are indigenous to and living in traditional communities from Mexico. Prevalence of hypertension was lower than in the partly urbanised rural communities with a westernised lifestyle and the urban areas of Mexico.

Adult↗

Ways of coping and the health of relatives facing drug and alcohol problems in Mexico and England.

AIMS: To compare two contrasting socio-cultural groups in terms of parameters relating to the stress - coping - health model of alcohol, drugs and the family, and to test hypotheses derived from the model in each of the two groups separately. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, comparative and correlational, using standard questionnaire data, supplemented by qualitative interview data to illuminate the findings. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred close relatives, mainly partners or parents, from separate families in Mexico City, and 100 from South West England. Data sources. Coping Questionnaire (CQ), Family Environment Scale (FES), Symptom Rating Test (SRT), Semi-structured interview. FINDINGS: Mean symptom scores were high in both groups, and not significantly different. The hypothesis that relatives in Mexico City, a more collectivist culture, would show more tolerant - inactive coping was not supported, but there was support for the prediction that relatives in South West England would show more withdrawal coping. This result may be as much due to differences in poverty and social conditions as to differences in individualism - collectivism. As predicted by the stress - coping - health model, tolerant - inactive coping was correlated with symptoms, in both groups, after controlling for family conflict, but there was only limited support for a moderating role of coping. Wives of men with alcohol problems in Mexico City, and wives of men with other drug problems in South West England, reported particularly high levels of both engaged and tolerant - inactive coping. CONCLUSIONS: Tolerant - inactive coping may be bad for relatives' health: causality may be inferred but is not yet proved. Certain groups are more at risk of coping in this way. Qualitative data help understand the nature of tolerant - inactive coping and why it occurs despite the view of relatives themselves that it is counter-productive.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Factors predicting cesarean delivery for American Indian women in New Mexico.

BACKGROUND: American Indian women have one of the lowest cesarean delivery rates among all ethnic groups evaluated in the United States. Our objective was to identify risk factors for cesarean delivery among American Indian women in New Mexico. METHODS: Live birth certificate data (1994) from the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health statistics were used to compare American Indian women who had a cesarean delivery with those who had a vaginal delivery. We examined demographic, prenatal, and intrapartum factors to determine risk factors for cesarean delivery. RESULTS: In 1994 American Indian women in New Mexico had a cesarean delivery rate of 12 percent. Risk factors for cesarean delivery included age equal to or over 35 years (OR = 1.8, 1.3-2.5) and nulliparity (OR = 1.9, 1.5-2.5). Obstetric risk factors included prematurity (OR = 2.3, 1.5-3.6), low birthweight (OR = 2.6, 1.7-4.2), diabetes (OR = 1.7, 1.1-2.5), pregnancy-induced hypertension (OR = 2.6, 1.8-3.8), and labor and delivery complications (OR = 9.5, 7.5-12.1). Age less than 20 years was negatively associated with cesarean delivery (OR = 0.5, 0.3-0.7). CONCLUSION: American Indian women have risk factors for cesarean delivery that are similar to those reported in other populations. Future prospective research evaluating intrapartum management may help identify reasons for the low cesarean birth rate.

Adult↗

Gene flow scenarios with transgenic maize in Mexico.

Maize diversity is widespread in Mexico and it has been stewarded by campesinos in small communities until the present. With the arrival of transgenic maize, the objective of this study is to analyze possible scenarios that could result if genetically modified maize were not regulated and openly available in Mexico. By applying a simple logistic model based on the conditions of maize production in Mexico, the dispersion of transgenic maize in different situations within fields of farmers is described. In traditional open systems of freely exchanged seed within communities it is concluded that the most likely outcome of GM maize release is the incorporation of transgenes in the genome of Mexican germplasm and possibly in that of teosinte.

Agriculture↗

Detecting (trans)gene flow to landraces in centers of crop origin: lessons from the case of maize in Mexico.

There is much discussion of the probability of transgene flow from transgenic crop varieties to landraces and wild relatives in centers of origin or diversity, and its genetic, ecological, and social consequences. Without costly research on the variables determining gene flow, research on transgene frequencies in landrace (or wild relative) populations can be valuable for understanding transgene flow and its effects. Minimal research requirements include (1) understanding how farmer practices and seed systems affect landrace populations, (2) sampling to optimize Ne/n (effective/census population size), (3) minimizing variance at all levels sampled, and (4) using Ne to calculate binomial probabilities for transgene frequencies. A key case is maize in Mexico. Two peer-reviewed papers, based on landrace samples from the Sierra Juárez region of Oaxaca, Mexico, reached seemingly conflicting conclusions: transgenes are present (Quist and Chapela, 2001, Nature 414: 541-543; 2002, Nature 416: 602) or "detectable transgenes" are absent (Ortiz-García et al., 2005, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 12338-12343 and 18242). We analyzed these papers using information on Oaxacan maize seed systems and estimates of Ne. We conclude that if Quist and Chapela's results showing presence are accepted, Ortiz-García et al.'s conclusions of no evidence of transgenes at detectable levels or for their introgression into maize landraces in the Sierra de Juárez of Oaxaca are not scientifically justified. This is because their samples are not representative, and their statistical analysis is inconclusive due to using n instead of Ne. Using estimates of Ne based on Ortiz-García et al.'s n, we estimate that transgenes could be present in maize landraces in the Sierra Juárez region at frequencies of approximately 1-4%, and are more likely to be present in the 90% of Oaxacan landrace area that is not mountainous. Thus, we have no scientific evidence of maize transgene presence or absence in recent years in Mexico, Oaxaca State, or the Sierra Juárez region.

Crops, Agricultural↗

Development and implementation of a semester program in Mexico for senior nursing students.

The College of Nursing (CON), Michigan State University (MSU), in collaboration with the School of Nursing and Obstetrics, University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Mexico, developed a semester-long study-abroad program for senior MSU nursing students offered for the first time in the fall of 1998. The program provides intensive Spanish language classes and allows students to take required nursing courses in Mexico with a substantial amount of course content provided by Mexican faculty without an MSU CON faculty member on site at all times. Students receive a broad perspective of nursing and health care in Mexico, and develop an appreciation for its language and culture as well. This program represents an innovative approach to the development and implementation of a study-abroad program in nursing.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Absence of detectable transgenes in local landraces of maize in Oaxaca, Mexico (2003-2004).

In 2000, transgenes were detected in local maize varieties (landraces) in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico [Quist, D. & Chapela, I. H. (2001) Nature 414, 541-543]. This region is part of the Mesoamerican center of origin for maize (Zea mays L.), and the genetic diversity that is maintained in open-pollinated landraces is recognized as an important genetic resource of great cultural value. The presence of transgenes in landraces was significant because transgenic maize has never been approved for cultivation in Mexico. Here we provide a systematic survey of the frequency of transgenes in currently grown landraces. We sampled maize seeds from 870 plants in 125 fields and 18 localities in the state of Oaxaca during 2003 and 2004. We then screened 153,746 sampled seeds for the presence of two transgene elements from the 35S promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus and the nopaline synthase gene (nopaline synthase terminator) from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. One or both of these transgene elements are present in all transgenic commercial varieties of maize. No transgenic sequences were detected with highly sensitive PCR-based markers, appropriate positive and negative controls, and duplicate samples for DNA extraction. We conclude that transgenic maize seeds were absent or extremely rare in the sampled fields. This study provides a much-needed preliminary baseline for understanding the biological, socioeconomic, and ethical implications of the inadvertent dispersal of transgenes from the United States and elsewhere to local landraces of maize in Mexico.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens↗

Organochlorine pesticide levels in blood serum samples taken at autopsy from auto accident victims in Veracruz, Mexico.

Samples of human blood sera (N = 118) for the determination of organochlorine pesticide levels were obtained at autopsy from auto accident victims in Veracruz, Mexico, during the years 2000 and 2001. The presence of hexachlorobenzene (HCH), beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH), 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDT), and o,p'-DDT was confirmed by gas-liquid-electron-capture detection chromatography. During the years 2000 and 2001, the respective mean levels of (a) HCB, (b) beta-HCH, (c) p,p'-DDE, (d) o,p'-DDT, (e) p,p'-DDT, and (f) total DDT were (a) 2.1 ng/ml and 1.4 ng/ml, (b) 3.0 ng/ml and 3.6 ng/ml, (c) 21.1 ng/ml and 23.8 ng/ml, (d) 1.2 ng/ml and 0.8 ng/ml, (e) 3.3 ng/ml and 2.5 ng/ml, and, finally, (f) 25.4 ng/ml and 27.1 ng/ml, respectively. High levels of persistent organochlorine pesticides were--and continue to be--present in the blood of individuals who live in Mexico. Levels of insecticide metabolites (e.g., beta-HCH, p,p'-DDE) in blood have increased during recent years (1997-2001), but levels of p,p'-DDT decreased in 2001 because the use of DDT for the control of malaria in Mexico was restricted.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Altitude and mortality from chronic obstructive lung disease in New Mexico.

This study tested the hypothesis that altitude increases mortality from chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) in New Mexico. A death was attributed to COLD if it resulted from chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or chronic obstructive lung disease, according to the Eighth Revision International Classification of Diseases, Adapted for Use in the United States. New Mexico's average annual ethnic and sex-specific mortality rates from COLD were calculated using death certificate data for the period 1969 to 1977. Deaths were assigned to altitude groups according to the county of residence at the time of death. Mortality rates for whites exceeded nationwide rates at all altitudes. However, mortality rates showed no increase with altitude. In fact, mortality from COLD decreased significantly with altitude for non-Hispanic white (Anglo) males (P less than .02). Immigration of Anglos to the lower altitudes of New Mexico probably explains these results.

Altitude↗

Vehicular traffic as a determinant of blood-lead levels in children: a pilot study in Mexico City.

The major determinants of blood-lead levels were studied in 90 children who attended an outpatient pediatric clinic in Mexico City. All children, who were from 1-10 y of age, were from homes for which socioeconomic status had been categorized as medium to high. Blood-lead levels ranged from 0.17 (standard deviation [SD] = 0.008) to 1.21 (SD = 0.06 mumol/l). The main determinant of blood-lead levels was place of residence. Children who lived on private streets (i.e., low-traffic areas) had a significantly lower blood-lead level than children who lived on large avenues and who resided close to main roads (p = .0001, r2 = .27). This observation documented high exposure levels among children who live in Mexico City and suggested that leaded fuel used in Mexico could play an important role in determining blood-lead levels in this population.

Automobile Driving↗

A survey of personal exposures to benzene in Mexico City.

Benzene is a widely distributed environmental contaminant that causes leukemia. It is an important component in gasoline, it is used frequently as a solvent or chemical feedstock in industry, and it is emitted as a product of incomplete combustion. In Mexico City, investigators suspect that benzene exposure might be elevated and may pose a risk to the population; however, no published data are available to confirm or disconfirm this suspicion. We, therefore, conducted a survey in 3 occupational groups in Mexico City. Forty-five volunteers who used portable passive monitors measured their personal exposure to benzene during a workshift. None of the participants smoked during the monitoring period. Benzene exposure was significantly higher among service-station attendants (mean = 359.5 microg/m3 [standard deviation = 170.4 microg/m3]) than among the street vendors (83.7 microg/m3 and 45.0 microg/m3, respectively) and office workers (45.2 microg/m3 and 13.3 microg/m3, respectively). However, the benzene exposure levels observed among office workers were substantially higher than levels reported elsewhere for general populations. Our results highlight the need for more complete studies by investigators who should assess the potential benefits of setting environmental standards for benzene in Mexico.

Adolescent↗

AIDS-related illness trajectories in Mexico: findings from a qualitative study in two marginalized communities.

This paper describes findings from a recent study examining how people affected directly and indirectly by the HIV/AIDS epidemic cope with HIV-related illness in Mexico. One-hundred-and-thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants in two contrasting communities: Ciudad Netzahualcóyotl (an economically marginalized community) and the gay community in Mexico City (a sexually marginalized community). This paper describes the AIDS-related wellness/illness careers or trajectories followed by individuals in both communities, and identifies critical points for material and emotional intervention. This career comprises four stages: (1) life before infection; (2) life surrounding the discovery of seropositivity; (3) living as an HIV-positive person; and (4) facing death. Comparisons are drawn between the processes of adjustment and coping found in both communities. In Ciudad Netzahualcóyotl, wellness/illness careers are closely linked to prevailing poverty and oppression, as well as the sense of urgency in which local people live their lives. In the case of the gay community, wellness/illness careers are associated with the intolerance and social repression faced by homosexual men. The paper concludes by suggesting possible interventions to improve the lives of people with HIV/AIDS in Mexico today.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Blood lead levels and calcium intake in Mexico City children under five years of age.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between daily calcium intake and blood lead levels was evaluated among children under five years of age living in Mexico City. METHODS: A random sample of 200 children under five years of age, resident in two neighborhoods of Mexico City was selected: Xalostoc, an industrial neighborhood, and Tlalpan, a residential neighborhood (100 from each area). The mothers of these children filled out a questionnaire on predictors of blood lead levels including daily calcium intake. Lead levels were determined from the venous blood samples. Calcium intake was assessed using a short Food Frequency Questionnaire including 11 food items that accounted for 95% of calcium intake in Mexico. RESULTS: The average blood lead level was 9.93 microg dl(-1) (range 1-31 microg dl(-1)). An inverse relationship was observed between blood lead levels and daily calcium intake. This relationship was statistically significant among children aged 13 months-5 years. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that calcium provided a protective effect against lead accumulation in the body among children. Further studies should be undertaken to evaluate this hypothesis through experimental design.

Calcium, Dietary↗

Active life expectancy of older people in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Social and economic development together with demographic changes and health interventions have resulted in an increase in life expectancy and a rapidly ageing population in Mexico. Whether people will live longer active and independent lives is still, however, unknown. We will address this question, providing the first estimates of active life expectancy by age, sex and local regional area in Mexico. METHODS: Active life expectancy was calculated using the Sullivan method with abridged life tables. Information on the older Mexican population covered by the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) and the number of deaths for the same group in the year 2000 was obtained from the Office for Health Statistics and Information at IMSS in Mexico. Information on ability to perform basic activities of daily living was obtained from the National Survey on Ageing carried out in IMSS during 1998-99. RESULTS: For males and females combined, active life expectancy decreased from 26.9 years at 60 years to 5.7 years at 85 years. Women's life expectancy exceeded that of men but women lived more years dependent. Similarly, older people in geographical areas with longer life expectancy spent a lower proportion of remaining life active. CONCLUSION: The success in increasing life expectancy above average in some groups of older people covered by IMSS has been accompanied by increments in the proportion of remaining years dependent upon others for help in basic self-care activities.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Modeling and direct sensitivity analysis of biogenic emissions impacts on regional ozone formation in the Mexico-U.S. border area.

A spatially and temporally resolved biogenic hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions inventory has been developed for a region along the Mexico-U.S. border area. Average daily biogenic non-methane organic gases (NMOG) emissions for the 1700 x 1000 km2 domain were estimated at 23,800 metric tons/day (62% from Mexico and 38% from the United States), and biogenic NOx was estimated at 1230 metric tons/day (54% from Mexico and 46% from the United States) for the July 18-20, 1993, ozone episode. The biogenic NMOG represented 74% of the total NMOG emissions, and biogenic NOx was 14% of the total NOx. The CIT photochemical airshed model was used to assess how biogenic emissions impact air quality. Predicted ground-level ozone increased by 5-10 ppb in most rural areas, 10-20 ppb near urban centers, and 20-30 ppb immediately downwind of the urban centers compared to simulations in which only anthropogenic emissions were used. A sensitivity analysis of predicted ozone concentration to emissions was performed using the decoupled direct method for three dimensional air quality models (DDM-3D). The highest positive sensitivity of ground-level ozone concentration to biogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions (i.e., increasing biogenic VOC emissions results in increasing ozone concentrations) was predicted to be in locations with high NOx levels, (i.e., the urban areas). One urban center--Houston--was predicted to have a slight negative sensitivity to biogenic NO emissions (i.e., increasing biogenic NO emissions results in decreasing local ozone concentrations). The highest sensitivities of ozone concentrations to on-road mobile source VOC emissions, all positive, were mainly in the urban areas. The highest sensitivities of ozone concentrations to on-road mobile source NOx emissions were predicted in both urban (either positive or negative sensitivities) and rural (positive sensitivities) locations.

Agriculture↗

Evaluation of human exposure to ambient PM10 in the metropolitan area of Mexico City using a GIS-based methodology.

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the magnitude of outdoor exposure to fine particulate matter (PM10) potentially experienced by the population of metropolitan Mexico City. With the use of a geographic information system (GIS), spatially resolved PM10 distributions were generated and linked to the local population. The PM10 concentration exceeded the 24-hr air quality standard of 150 microg/m3 on 16% of the days, and the annual air quality standard of 50 microg/m3 was exceeded by almost twice its value in some places. The basic methodology described in this paper integrates spatial demographic and air quality databases, allowing the evaluation of various air pollution reduction scenarios. Achieving the annual air quality standard would represent a reduction in the annual arithmetic average concentration of 14 microg/m3 for the typical inhabitant. Human exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been associated with mortality and morbidity in Mexico City; reducing the concentration levels of this pollutant would represent a reduction in mortality and morbidity and the associated cost of such impacts. This methodology is critical to assessing the potential benefits of the current initiative to improve air quality implemented by the Environmental Metropolitan Commission of Mexico City.

Air Pollutants↗

An air quality modeling study comparing two possible sites for the new international airport for Mexico City.

Using an air quality model, two future urban scenarios induced by the construction of the new international airport for Mexico City are compared at a regional level. The air quality model couples the meteorology model MM5 and state-of-the-art photochemistry. The air quality comparison is made using metrics for the criterion gases selected for the study. From the two urban scenarios compared, the option for Tizayuca is moderately better than the option for Texcoco, because relative reductions in O3 and other photochemical pollutants are achieved over highly populated areas. Regardless of the site, the air quality for the central region of Mexico in the future will deteriorate. In the region of central Mexico, SO2 and NO2 will become important pollutants.

Air Pollutants↗

Substance use among school-based youths in northern Mexico.

A small base of research suggests that adolescent substance use is a growing public health concern in Mexico. Employing confidential methods, the International Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health was administered to assess substance use among 1,238 students in northern Mexico. A large proportion of students indicated lifetime use of tobacco and alcohol. Gender differences in tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana were also evident. The current findings are congruent with the sparse extant data on youths' substance use in Mexico and highlight the need for early prevention interventions.

Adolescent↗