Mexico's National Research Articles

Cardiometabolic multimorbidity in Mexican adults: a cross-sectional analysis of a national survey.

Cardiometabolic multimorbidity is a rising phenomenon that has been barely explored in middle-income countries such as Mexico. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, associated factors, and patterns of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (2 and 3+ diseases) in Mexican adults (≥20 years old) by age group. A cross-sectional and secondary analysis of Mexico's National Health and Nutrition Survey 2018-2019 was conducted. Information on eight diseases and other sociodemographic and health/lifestyle characteristics was obtained through self-reporting. Descriptive analyses were performed, and multinomial logistic regression models were calculated to identify the variables associated with cardiometabolic multimorbidity. Factor analysis and latent classes were estimated to determine disease patterns. The prevalence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity for the total population study was 27.6% (13.7% for people with 2 diseases and 13.9% for people with 3+ diseases). By age group, the prevalence of 2+ diseases was 12.5% in the age group of 20-39 years, 35.2% in the age group of 40-59 years, and 44.5% in the age group of 60 years and older. The variables of depressive symptomatology and having functional limitations (1+) were statistically associated with cardiometabolic multimorbidity in almost all age groups. Patterns of cardiometabolic multimorbidity varied among adults in different age groups. Understanding the behavior of cardiometabolic multimorbidity at various stages of adulthood is a resource that could be used to design and implement intervention strategies. Such strategies should correspond to the population's sociodemographic, health, and lifestyle characteristics and the specific disease patterns of each age group.

Impact of a school-based intervention and the COVID-19 pandemic on healthy eating in Navajo families: Results from the Yéego! Healthy eating and gardening intervention trial

ObjectivesAs part of a group randomized trial of a school-based intervention promoting gardening and healthy eating, health behaviors of adult family members were evaluated. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Navajo Nation in March 2020 and the ongoing Yéego! collaborative study allowed description of adult response to COVID as an ancillary objective. MethodsSix elementary schools on the Navajo Nation in Arizona or New Mexico had been randomized to intervention or comparison group. One adult family member for each 3rd and 4th grade student completed surveys at baseline, nine-month and 21-month follow-up. Adult outcomes were fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, obesogenic dietary index and gardening frequency. COVID-related measures were collected at 21-month follow-up. Differential changes and interactions were examined using repeated measures linear mixed models. ResultsAdult F&V intake increased significantly more in the intervention group than in the comparison group at nine months by 2.26 servings/day (95% CI: 0.45, 4.06). No other changes were associated with the intervention at nine or 21 months. At 21 months, in the subgroup with COVID concerns, the differential change in F&V intake was 2.02 (95% CI: 0.21, 3.84) servings/day. In cross-sectional analyses, only healthy eating measures varied by levels of COVID concerns, stress and resilience. ConclusionsThe child focused school-based intervention had some impact on adult family members, particularly their F&V intake, suggesting the reach of the intervention extended to students’ families. The impact on adult F&V intake persisted among those reporting COVID concerns. Findings have important implications for augmenting healthy eating interventions.

Fragmented or disintegrated city? Urban models applied to intermediate Mexican cities from the perspective of geodemography

Urban models are fundamental in the theoretical and empirical discussions about cities. However, the Latin American city models proposed by German geographers have not been questioned much despite their use, and there are few studies outside the large metropolitan areas. Therefore, this article, using geodemography, seeks to identify whether there is a residential structure pattern in the intermediate cities of Mexico's National Urban System. This methodological proposal looks to use new spatial analysis tools focused on lifestyles and the study of one of the great layers that urban models have: their residential structure. The results show that, firstly, using the models and their temporalities as a kaleidoscope, it is possible to identify the multiple patterns of cities and not just a single model. Secondly, a new disintegrated pattern appears where the classical models of the Chicago School are unrecognizable, and the fragmented city is left disintegrated.

Economic burden assessment for the management of asthma patients at Mexico's National Institute for Respiratory Diseases

Determinar la carga económica anual del asma, desde una perspectiva institucional y con base en la clasificación recomendada por GINA, en una cohorte retrospectiva de adultos atendidos en el Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias (INER) de México. Estudio observacional, longitudinal y retrospectivo, llevado a cabo a partir de la información recabada de 247 pacientes femeninas con asma. Se estimaron los costos directos anuales: visitas, pruebas de laboratorio, tratamiento farmacológico y de las crisis o exacerbaciones, para determinar la carga anual de la enfermedad desde una perspectiva institucional, y según la clasificación de la Iniciativa Global para el Asma. El costo promedio anual fue de $43,813,92, que aumentó en relación con la necesidad de aumento de dosis de corticoides inhalados y beta-agonistas de acción prolongada. El costo promedio de la consulta médica fue de $2004.57, $982.82 por gestión de crisis y $2645.95 por pruebas de laboratorio. El tratamiento farmacológico representó la principal carga económica, con un costo promedio anual de $38,180.58. Los resultados resaltan una carga económica del asma estimada en un costo anual por paciente de $43,813.92 MXN (DE=93,348.85), en el contexto del tercer nivel de atención en el sistema de salud público mexicano. La gravedad del asma, los tratamientos y los biológicos fueron los principales factores que aumentaron los costos directos de la atención.

Firearms and Extortions in Mexico, 2012 to 2021.

The study of firearm violence in Mexico has primarily focused on homicides and trafficking. Less attention has been given to understanding how firearms affect other crimes and facilitate criminal activity beyond drug markets. By analyzing two questions, this study explores the role of firearms in extortions perpetrated in Mexico from 2012 to 2021. Questions are: What is the likelihood of reporting extortions to the police if offenders exhibited firearms? What is the likelihood of compliance with demands when offenders are armed with firearms? We obtained data from Mexico's National Crime Victimization Surveys and analyzed 2,619 extortions reported from 2012 to 2021. To explore our research questions, we ran two binary logistic regressions. Our dependent variables were dichotomous (reported to police = 1, complied with demands = 1). The independent variables were weapon types (extortions involving firearms as the reference group). We controlled for victim demographics as well as crime characteristics. Our results indicate that 40% of these extortions (n = 1,058) were perpetrated with a firearm. Fifty-two percent of extortions were perpetrated by unarmed offenders (n = 1,348) and 8% (n = 213) were perpetrated with other weapons (no firearms). Models suggest that, when compared to extortions perpetrated by unarmed offenders or those exhibiting other weapons (no firearms), victims of extortions involving firearms are less likely to report these crimes to police, mainly because of fear of reprisal. Similarly, victims are more likely to comply with demands if offenders exhibit firearms. Findings highlight the role of firearms in criminal enterprises and support the need for a comprehensive policy agenda to address firearm violence in Mexico.

Problematizing “Security” in Citizen Security: A feminist security studies critique of Mexico's “feminist” foreign policy and women, peace and security projects

AbstractThis article problematizes the concept of “security” within the concept of “citizen security” employed by Mexico, through a feminist security studies critique. Considering feminist security studies critiques that often see security as ultimately tied to militarization, regardless of the security referent, this article shows how this problem surfaces in Mexico's National Action Plan for Women, Peace, and Security and in the claim that Mexico has adopted a feminist foreign policy. Not only do these initiatives largely ignore high rates of femicide and other forms of state and nonstate violence in Mexico, but they are also reproductive of violence, particularly militarized violence, in their attachments to security. The article delves into the literature on how Mexico and other states domestically inimical to feminist movements have instituted national action plans that militarize the women, peace, and security agenda, embraced feminist foreign policies as they have further militarized, or both, often promulgating plans with little or no input from civil society. Mexico is revealed as a Janus‐faced example where seemingly liberal feminist values are promoted abroad but are not implemented at home. Thus, the nation is refashioning itself as a “good global citizen” at the expense of implementing and expanding citizen (and noncitizen) rights and protections within its borders.

Current status of the remaining Mexican cloud forests: landscape findings and conservation initiatives.

Tropical montane cloud forests are known for their unique biodiversity and their critical role in sustaining ecosystem services; however, approximately 50% of their original cover in Mexico was estimated to have been lost by 1998. The Mexican ecoregion that supports these ecosystems experienced one of the highest rates of deforestation between 2001 and 2021. Thus, a more recent evaluation of Mexico's cloud forests is required. There is limited data on the landscape structure of cloud forests in Mexico, despite the possible application of landscape factors in conservation planning. Here, we estimated the average total area, number of patches, effective mesh size, total edge, and the shape of mixed forests that was present in 2020 within polygons of cloud forests defined in 1999 by Mexico's National Commission for the Use and Knowledge of Biodiversity (CONABIO for its acronym in Spanish). We estimated land cover using data from the North American Land Change Monitoring System, which classifies cloud forests as mixed forests. We found that eight out of the 109 polygons have no mixed forests and that an average of 49% of the 1,768,914 ha of cloud forests polygons are now covered by mixed forests distributed across 13 states. Additionally, within the remaining 101 polygons that do contain this type of vegetation, mixed forest is distributed on average across 140 patches (range = 1-1,473); 80% of these forests have very low effective mesh size values; 90% of them have low total edge values (<2,000 km); and their shapes tend to be uniformly distributed. Furthermore, most of cloud forest polygons are located outside of federal protected areas. Overall, our results suggest that the remaining Mexican cloud forests are extremely vulnerable and fragmented and that their extent has steadily declined since 1999. To ensure the survival of Mexican cloud forests, it will be crucial to prioritize high-diversity areas, strengthen protection in critical zones, establish ecological corridors, encourage sustainable practices, and actively engage local communities. This study highlights the complex issues and inherent heterogeneity that characterize cloud forest ecosystems in Mexico and provides crucial insights for conservation.

Disparities and Backlogs in Mexico's National and International Cybersecurity Policies vis-à-vis the United States and Canada: Challenges of Cooperation for North America

Disparities and Backlogs in Mexico's National and International Cybersecurity Policies vis-à-vis the United States and Canada: Challenges of Cooperation for North America

Patterns of Avoidance Behavior in Response to Fear of Victimization in the Mexican Context: A Latent Class Analysis.

Fear of victimization (FOV) is a powerful determinant of behavior and prompts behavioral responses such as avoidance, associated with a decline in health-promoting activities and quality of life. Avoidance behaviors, which include constraining activities to perceived safe areas and avoiding areas regarded as unsafe, are of particular interest due to their high prevalence as a coping response to FOV and their link to adverse physical and mental health. Most research on FOV-related avoidance treats it as a single construct and have yet to elucidate the potential heterogeneity within this set of behaviors. We argue that such approach could mask potential heterogeneity among people who respond to FOV through avoidance and how they adapt to manage perceived risk. Our analysis extends the foundational knowledge regarding FOV-related avoidance using a person-centered approach. We attempted to capture distinct profiles across avoidance behaviors and how they are shaped by physical and social vulnerabilities. Data from the 2021 Mexico's National Survey of Victimization and Perception of Security Survey (n = 83,696) was analyzed using Latent Class Analysis focusing on 15 avoidance behaviors (e.g., stopped using public transportation). We conducted multinomial logistic regression to test whether age, gender, education, and neighborhood deprivation significantly predicted class membership. Findings revealed three classes: avoidant (most behavioral adjustments across the board), cautious (only adapted some behaviors), and protective (least behavioral adjustments, but more concerned about minors in their households). The results supported the hypothesized associations between age, gender, education, and neighborhood deprivation with group membership, but the significance differed by group. This research underscores the role of environmental context in shaping individual perceptions of safety and avoidance behavior. Finally, contrary to the approach of treating avoidance behavior as a single category, these findings present a more complex picture as distinct and meaningful patterns emerged across the three groups.

Determinants of poverty among Indigenous people in Mexico's Guerrero Mountain Region

AbstractMotivationThe eradication of poverty is one of Mexico's greatest challenges. This challenge is even greater for Indigenous communities, where seven out of 10 people were living in poverty in 2018. Despite the economic, social, and cultural impacts on Indigenous people, there has been scant literature addressing the determinants of Indigenous poverty in Mexico, while studies on the Guerrero Mountain Region (GMR) are scarcer still.PurposeThis study aims to identify the socioeconomic and contextual determinants of income and multidimensional poverty in the GMR, one of the poorest regions in Mexico and Latin America, inhabited primarily by Indigenous people.Methods and approachWe use data on 989 individuals in the GMR, collected during the 2018 Socioeconomic Conditions Module of Mexico's National Household Income and Expenditure Survey. To examine the main determinants of individual poverty, we use Bayesian logistic regression (BLR), which allows us to use the data to update information about the parameters and evaluate their distributional properties. The method simplifies multi‐causal elements by classifying them into categories of well‐being that incorporate more than economic factors.FindingsThe income‐poor population is also multidimensionally poor. Education helps to reduce poverty as households that spend more on schooling are less likely to be poor. Households with many members, those with high dependency ratios, and those with members living with disability all tend to be poor. Households with access to landlines and the internet are less likely to be poor.Policy implicationsMore diagnosis of poverty is needed. This should consider overlapping vulnerabilities (institutional, socioeconomic, environmental, and sociocultural) in this region for each Indigenous group. Public policies need to be monitored for performance.

Strengthening the Pharmacovigilance System in Mexico: Implementation of VigiFlow and VigiLyze, as ICSR and Signal Detection Management Systems.

Pharmacovigilance (PV) activities aim to identify potential risks of medicines and vaccines after they have been authorised in the market by collecting and analysing information on suspected adverse events from different stakeholders. These can be captured and transmitted electronically in the form of Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs). Hence, up-to-date ICSRs management systems, like VigiFlow and signal detection and management systems as VigiLyze, have an important role in the PV system of a country. In 2019, after various attempts to establish a PV database that could fulfil the needs of the country, Mexico's National Regulatory Authority, COFEPRIS (Federal Commission for the Prevention against Sanitary Risks) decided to implement these tools. This has been a successful project that is still ongoing, it has involved national and international organisations, and has required the participation and integration of different components of the national PV system. The implementation of these tools has allowed COFEPRIS to increase its reporting trends and quality of reporting, while contributing to make more efficient interactions and processes with PV stakeholders, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also allowed them to strengthen their commitment to the WHO-Programme for International Drug Monitoring, while highlighting opportunities for improvement in the national PV scenario and in the PV tools themselves. The aim of this article is to describe the implementation process, give an overview of current results regarding ICSR data and processes, and highlight the achievements, challenges, and opportunities for improvement after the three years since the beginning of the project.

POSTER: ABCL-269 Secondary Central Nervous System (CNS) Involvement in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL): Ten-Year Outcomes From Mexico's National Cancer Institute

POSTER: ABCL-269 Secondary Central Nervous System (CNS) Involvement in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL): Ten-Year Outcomes From Mexico's National Cancer Institute

ABCL-269 Secondary Central Nervous System (CNS) Involvement in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL): Ten-Year Outcomes From Mexico's National Cancer Institute

ABCL-269 Secondary Central Nervous System (CNS) Involvement in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL): Ten-Year Outcomes From Mexico's National Cancer Institute

A new Hygrochroma Herrich-Schäffer (Geometridae: Ennominae) from Mexico City named by its residents after an ancient volcano.

A new species of Hygrochroma Herrich-Schäffer is described and illustrated from a male and two females deposited in Mexico's National Insect Collection. Hygrochroma xitle Garzón-Orduña sp. n. is distinguished from other Hygrochroma by its two, bold, longitudinal white lines on the ventral surface of the wings. The species name was chosen by a crowd-sourced initiative that presented the general public with five alternative names. Xitle, the name of an ancient volcano located inside Mexico City, was the most popular, winning over the others with 1,881 votes.

Epidemiology of demyelinating diseases in Mexico: A registry-based study.

Demyelinating diseases (DD) are a group of chronic neurological diseases associated with loss and injury of brain or spinal cord regions. These conditions could trigger impairment of neurological functions and disability from earlier stages of life. Epidemiological data on DD remains insufficient for decision-making in the Mexican healthcare system. This study aims to describe the epidemiology of DD based on data from Mexico's National Registry of Demyelinating Diseases. A cross-sectional, registry-based, observational study was performed. We analyzed 408 reports of multiple sclerosis (331, 81%), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (67, 16%), chronic recurrent inflammatory optic neuropathy (5, 1%), clinically isolated syndrome (4, 0.9%), and autoimmune encephalitis (1, 0.2%) reported across 2021. The time from first symptoms to diagnosis of any DD was about 3 years. A treatment failure history was detected in 40% of patients. It was estimated that NMOSD accounts for 20% of all disorders. There was evidence that the use of brand-name and generic IFN drug products lead to increased therapeutic failures. Our research team suggests reinforcing educational programs and activities based on diagnosis and clinical management improvement to first-contact physicians and specialty doctors and promoting awareness in the whole population.

Trends in food and beverage purchases in informal, mixed, and formal food outlets in Mexico: ENIGH 1994-2020.

The retail food environment in Mexico is characterized by the co-existence of both, formal and informal food outlets. Yet, the contribution of these outlets to food purchases over time has not been documented. Understanding the longitudinal trends where Mexican households purchase their foods is critical for the development of future food retail policies. We used data from Mexico's National Income and Expenditure Survey from 1994 to 2020. We categorized food outlets as formal (supermarkets, chain convenience stores, restaurants), informal (street markets, street vendors, acquaintances), and mixed (fiscally regulated or not. i.e., small neighborhood stores, specialty stores, public markets). We calculated the proportion of food and beverage purchases by food outlet for each survey for the overall sample and stratified by education level and urbanicity. In 1994, the highest proportion of food purchases was from mixed outlets, represented by specialty and small neighborhood stores (53.7%), and public markets (15.9%), followed by informal outlets (street vendors and street markets) with 12.3%, and formal outlets from which supermarkets accounted for 9.6%. Over time, specialty and small neighborhood stores increased 4.7 percentage points (p.p.), while public markets decreased 7.5 p.p. Street vendors and street markets decreased 1.6 p.p., and increased 0.5 p.p. for supermarkets. Convenience stores contributed 0.5% at baseline and increased to 1.3% by 2020. Purchases at specialty stores mostly increased in higher socioeconomic levels (13.2 p.p.) and metropolitan cities (8.7 p.p.) while public markets decreased the most in rural households and lower socioeconomic levels (6.0 p.p. & 5.3 p.p.). Supermarkets and chain convenience stores increased the most in rural localities and small cities. In conclusion, we observed an increase in food purchases from the formal sector, nonetheless, the mixed sector remains the predominant food source in Mexico, especially small-neighborhood stores. This is concerning, since these outlets are mostly supplied by food industries. Further, the decrease in purchases from public markets could imply a reduction in the consumption of fresh produce. In order to develop retail food environment policies in Mexico, the historical and predominant role of the mixed sector in food purchases needs to be acknowledged.

Achim, Miruna, Deans‐Smith, Susan and Rozental, Sandra (eds.) (2021) Museum Matters: Making and Unmaking Mexico's National Collections, University of Arizona Press (Tucson, AZ), xi + 300 pp. $50.00 hbk, $50.00 ebook.

Bulletin of Latin American ResearchVolume 42, Issue 2 p. 303-304 Book Review Miruna Achim, Susan Deans-Smith and Sandra Rozental (eds.) (2021) Museum Matters: Making and Unmaking Mexico's National Collections, University of Arizona Press (Tucson, AZ), xi + 300 pp. $50.00 hbk, $50.00 ebook. Sam Holley-Kline, Corresponding Author Sam Holley-Kline [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0002-2169-2697 University of Maryland, USASearch for more papers by this author Sam Holley-Kline, Corresponding Author Sam Holley-Kline [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0002-2169-2697 University of Maryland, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 18 May 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/blar.13472Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume42, Issue2April 2023Pages 303-304 RelatedInformation

The AMLO Voter: Affective Polarization and the Rise of the Left in Mexico

What prompted so many voters in Mexico to abandon the traditional parties and support MORENA and its candidate, Andrés Manuel López Obrador? This research relies on data from Mexico's National Electoral Study (2018). The results show that support for López Obrador is strongly associated with affective polarization and the perception that the PRI and PAN represented the same political alternative. In turn, retrospective evaluations and ideology were not associated with López Obrador's victory. This research note contributes to our understanding of Mexico's historical elections as well as to the broader literature on the Latin American left. The success of the political left in Mexico is not rooted on voters’ programmatic preferences. Similar to the decay of mainstream political parties in other Latin American countries, in 2018, Mexican voters rejected the mainstream political establishment by supporting Lopez Obrador's third bid for the Presidency.

Characterization of triple negative breast cancer gene expression profiles in Mexican patients.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive type of cancer that accounts for ~23% of breast tumors in Mexico. In an attempt to understand in an improved way the behavior of TNBC, throughout the years, gene expression in these tumors has been studied. Lehman et al identified 6 subtypes of gene expression in TNBC with distinct characteristics. In the present study, it was aimed to assess clinical, pathological and prognostic characteristics of TNBC in a Mexican-based cohort. A total of 55 patients diagnosed with TNBC at Mexico's National Institute of Cancer (INCan) were included. Tumor needle biopsy samples were obtained and subjected to microarray analysis. Patients were thus classified into one of the 6 TNBC molecular subtypes. The prognostic, clinical and pathological information of patients was obtained, and differences across molecular subtypes were sought. Out of the 55 included patients, the following subtypes were identified: 9 basal-like-1, 11 basal-like-2 (BSL2), 16 immunomodulatory (IM), 12 mesenchymal, 6 androgen receptor-like and 1 mesenchymal stem-like. Mean follow-up time was 47.1 months. The IM molecular subtype had the best overall survival (OS) (median OS was not reached). BSL2 had the worst OS (15 months). A complete pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was obtained more often in the IM subtype (P=0.032). No significant associations were found between any of the clinical or pathological characteristics and the TNBC molecular subtypes. The results obtained from the present study should be considered when seeking to implement a clinical-molecular model for TNBC patient care, particularly in Hispanic-based populations, as they have been frequently underrepresented in clinical studies assessing TNBC molecular subtypes.

The family Nyctaginaceae (Caryophyllales) in Sonora, Mexico

The family Nyctaginaceae comprises 7 tribes, 31 genera and 300–405 species distributed in the tropics and other warm regions of the world, and in Mexico, it has been studied mainly in the central-southern zone of the country. The aim of this work is to report the genera and species of Nyctaginaceae found in Sonora. The material collected in the state of Sonora and deposited in University of Sonora Herbarium and Mexico National Herbarium was reviewed and corroborated using the literature. The specimens deposited in the Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium, University of Arizona Herbarium, Desert Botanical Garden and other collections, were also consulted using the platform Red de Herbarios del Noroeste de México. In the state of Sonora, the family Nyctaginaceae is represented by 11 genera and 33 species. All are native. A dichotomous key for the genera of Nyctaginaceae in Sonora is provided and the types of 23 names are here designated.