Dataset Information

Changes in the Sodium Content of Foods Sold in Four Latin American Countries: 2015 to 2018.

ABSTRACT: In 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) published sodium targets for packaged foods, which included two distinct levels: one "regional" and one "lower" target. Changes to the sodium content of the food supply in Latin American Countries (LAC) has not been evaluated. A repeated cross-sectional study used food label data from 2015 (n = 3859) and 2018 (n = 5312) to determine changes in the proportion of packaged foods meeting the PAHO sodium targets and the distribution in the sodium content of foods in four LAC (Argentina, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru). Foods were classified into the 18 food categories in the PAHO targets. The proportion of foods meeting the regional targets increased from 82.9% to 89.3% between 2015 and 2018 (p < 0.001). Overall, 44.4% of categories had significant decreases in mean sodium content. Categories with a higher proportion of foods meeting the regional and lower targets in 2018 compared to 2015 (p < 0.05) were breaded meat and poultry, wet and dry soups, snacks, cakes, bread products, flavored cookies and crackers, and dry pasta and noodles. While positive progress has been made in reducing the sodium content of foods in LAC, sodium intakes in the region remain high. More stringent targets are required to support sodium reduction in LAC.

SUBMITTER: Blanco-Metzler A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8624930 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Changes in the Sodium Content of Foods Sold in Four Latin American Countries: 2015 to 2018.

Blanco-Metzler Adriana A Vega-Solano Jaritza J Franco-Arellano Beatriz B Allemandi Lorena L Larroza Rodrigo Burgos RB Saavedra-Garcia Lorena L Weippert Madyson M Sivakumar Bridve B Benavides-Aguilar Karla K Tiscornia Victoria V Sequera Buzarquis Guillermo G Guarnieri Leila L Meza-Hernández Mayra M Cañete Villalba Felicia F Castronuovo Luciana L Schermel Alyssa A L'Abbé Mary R MR Arcand JoAnne J

Nutrients 20211116 11

In 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) published sodium targets for packaged foods, which included two distinct levels: one "regional" and one "lower" target. Changes to the sodium content of the food supply in Latin American Countries (LAC) has not been evaluated. A repeated cross-sectional study used food label data from 2015 (<i>n</i> = 3859) and 2018 (<i>n</i> = 5312) to determine changes in the proportion of packaged foods meeting the PAHO sodium targets and the distribution i ...[more]

PMID: 34836362

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Project description:BackgroundThe valuation of medicines as health needs vary depending on the stakeholders involved (users, prescribers, managers, etc.) and their expectations. These factors modulate the role of medicines as a health need and influence access to medicines, and could be useful to explain the rising of Judicialization of access to medicines.AimTo conduct a comparative analysis of the causes and consequences of judicialization of access to medicines in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Chile from the perspective of medicines as health needs.MethodsA qualitative, cross-country study was carried out in these 4 countries. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 representatives of the different stakeholders involved in the judicialization of access to medicines, including Executive branch, Judiciary, health system managers, patient organizations. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis used a framework approach based on the theoretical model for medicines as health needs.FindingsRepresentatives from Argentina, Brazil and Colombia considered judicialization of access to medicines as a widespread phenomenon in their respective countries. Meanwhile in Chile, the respondents highlighted that most lawsuits related to the right to health were filed against private insurers because of unjustified increases in the insurance premiums. The comparative analysis showed that judicialization of access to medicines emerged in the four countries regardless of the constitutional protection or the health system population coverage. Among the causes were mentioned difficulties in guaranteeing access to covered medicines and the influence of pharmaceutical marketing on needs assessment and prescription behaviours. The interviewees highlighted the pressure to health system managers to fulfil their responsibilities as a positive impact of litigation. In contrast, the funding of medicines without evidence of efficacy or safety was considered a negative impact. Only in Brazil, judicialization has had impact on R&D policies. In Colombia, litigation also encouraged the recognition of the right to health as a fundamental right and the development of policies for controlling medicines prices.ConclusionThe results suggest that applying the adopted theoretical model creates the possibility of identifying critical points to guide policy makers to improve the health systems performances and to control lawsuits for access to medicines.

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Dataset Information

Changes in the Sodium Content of Foods Sold in Four Latin American Countries: 2015 to 2018.

Publications

Changes in the Sodium Content of Foods Sold in Four Latin American Countries: 2015 to 2018.

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