This study investigated whether the association between body image dissatisfaction and poor self-rated health is mediated by insufficient physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. The participants were 6727 men and 8037 women from the baseline (2008–2010) of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto, ELSA-Brasil). Structural equation modelling was used. Associations were found between body image dissatisfaction and poor self-rated health in both sexes. Insufficient physical activity was a mediator. However, unhealthy eating habits were found to exert a mediator effect only via insufficient physical activity. Body image dissatisfaction was found to associate, both directly and possibly indirectly, with poor self-rated health, mediated by insufficient physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. Accordingly, encouraging physical activity and healthy eating can contribute to reducing body image dissatisfaction and favour better self-rated health.

Introdução: O mesotelioma é um câncer cuja incidência vem aumentando em todo o mundo como resultado, sobretudo, da exposição ao amianto. O Brasil ainda é um grande produtor e consumidor dessa fibra. Objetivo: O objetivo deste trabalho e descrever a distribuição da mortalidade por mesotelioma no Brasil no período de 1980 a 2010. Método: Foi realizado estudo descritivo ecológico, com análise descritiva dos dados. Utilizaram-se registros do Sistema Nacional de Informacoes sobre Mortalidade do DataSUS. Resultados: Foram encontrados 3.718 óbitos por mesotelioma; a maioria (2.180) ocorreu na região Sudeste. Houve um equilíbrio na mortalidade entre homens e mulheres mostrando uma razão de 1,12:1 e 80,7% das mortes atingiram a faixa etária de maiores de 50 anos. As taxas de mortalidade padronizadas por idade aumentaram de 0,64 óbitos por milhão de habitantes em 1980 a 1,18 óbitos por milhão de habitantes em 2002. Conclusão: As estatísticas de mortalidade por mesotelioma no Brasil são baixas, e não correspondem ao volume da produção e do uso do amianto em nosso país podendo não refletir a real magnitude da doença.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated various determinants of mental disorders. Several behavioral changes were observed given this increase, including harmful health consequences, such as excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). To assess this relationship, we investigated the meditational role of symptoms of mental disorders (anxiety and depression) in the association between stress resulting from social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic and the consumption of UPFs in 3884 Brazilian public employees in a supplementary study of the ELSA-Brasil study. Structural equation models (SEMs) were estimated to assess the direct and indirect effects mediated by symptoms of mental disorders. The results suggested a significant and positive mediational effect of the symptoms of mental disorders on the association between the stress resulting from social distancing and the consumption of UPFs. These findings contribute to informing the need for policies and early interventions in potentially stressful situations, with a focus on the promotion of mental health, and may thus help prevent or reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods.