Changes in consumption of sugar sweetened beverage (SSBs) have been associated with increased body mass index (BMI), but little work has evaluated the effect on waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage during adolescence, a period characterized by rapid growth and change in dietary behaviors. We examined the relationship of changes in SSB intake and changes in adiposity over two years in 464 Mexican adolescents. Food frequency questionnaires were used to sum intake of regular soda, coffee with sugar, tea with sugar, sweetened water with fruit, chocolate milk, corn atole, and a sweetened probiotic milk beverage. Linear regression models were used to estimate the associations of changes in SSBs with changes in BMI, body fat percentage, and WC, adjusting for sex, socioeconomic status, screen time, physical activity, age, and change in age. Adolescents who increased their daily SSB intake by >2 serving had a −2.72% higher body fat percentage (95% CI: 0.61, 4.82); a 1–2 serving increase was associated with a 2.49 cm increase (95% CI: 0.21, 4.76) in WC compared with those with no change in intake. Within an adolescent sample, changes in SSB intake were related to concomitant changes in body fat percentage and WC, but not BMI.

Introduction: Understanding the determinants of disease burden is imperative in enhancing population health outcomes. This study uses data from the Iganga-Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, to understand demographic and socioeconomic factors influencing morbidity. Methods: We analysed secondary data from 2018 to 2023. We employed graphs and tables to present morbidity patterns across different sociodemographic factors and applied mixed-effects multinomial multivariate logistic regression model to understand the correlates of morbidity. Results: The findings reveal a predominant prevalence of malaria, lower respiratory tract infections, coryza, gastric acid-related and urinary tract infections, collectively constituting 83% of diagnosed diseases. Noteworthy demographic variations, particularly gender and age, significantly impact disease distribution, revealing higher diagnosis rates among females. Additionally, socioeconomic factors, including education and wealth status, contribute to discernible differences in disease burden. Conclusion: This research provides crucial insights into the implications of demographic and socioeconomic factors on disease burden in Uganda. The results contribute to evidence-based policy-making, highlighting the necessity for targeted interventions addressing specific health challenges encountered by diverse populations. The study advocates for continuous assessment of the epidemiological landscape to inform more tailored and effective health strategies, ultimately enhancing resilience in disease control efforts.

Background/Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic risk factors that markedly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Its prevalence exceeds 50% among Mexican women. A growing number of studies suggest that DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism, is linked to MetS. Methylation risk scores (MRS) may be able to predict future disease risk, yet prospective studies with MRS and MetS are rare, especially in Hispanic populations. We aimed to (1) replicate previously reported locus-specific DNA methylation–MetS associations, (2) identify additional loci, and (3) evaluate an MRS for predicting MetS among a sample of midlife Mexican women. Methods: We analyzed 149 women from the Early Life Exposure in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) cohort with DNA methylation measured in blood leukocytes collected around 2008 and MetS assessed approximately ten years later. Logistic regression was applied to a priori loci, and then all loci on the Infinium EPICv1 array. MRS performance was evaluated by cross-validation. Results: Four loci—probe ID cg11024682 (SREBF1), cg06500161 (ABCG1), cg22891070 (HIF3A), and cg02650017 (PHOSPHO1)—showed consistent associations with MetS. For example, each 1-percentage-point increase in methylation at cg11024682 (SREBF1) was associated with higher odds of MetS in the fully adjusted model (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.12–1.52). No additional loci reached Bonferroni significance, though marginal associations with MetS components were observed. The MRS derived from four replicated loci was associated with higher odds of MetS per 1-SD increase in the training set (OR = 3.55; 95% CI: 2.03–6.22). In the independent testing set, the MRS-only model improved prediction compared with the baseline covariate-only model (AUC = 0.652 vs. 0.398; ΔAUC = +0.254). Conclusions: This study provides prospective evidence that specific DNA methylation markers are associated with MetS risk in midlife Mexican women. These loci, now replicated in several cohorts, are promising biomarkers for early identification and prevention of MetS.