Arsenic chronic exposure, particularly in its inorganic form, represents a significant public health concern. This study was conducted in Arica, the northernmost city in the country, whose inhabitants have been exposed to inorganic arsenic both naturally through drinking water and anthropogenically due to a toxic waste disposal site. We explored changes in inorganic arsenic levels in a cohort of pregnant women and their children over a decade, identifying exposure trends and their determinants. We used data on arsenic exposure through maternal urine samples during pregnancy, collected by the Health Authority between 2013 and 2016 (measurement 1), and followed up with assessments of their children in 2023 (measurement 2). Temporal changes in inorganic arsenic concentration were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test, and a mixed linear regression model was employed to determine which factors contributed to urinary inorganic arsenic levels. We did not observe significant differences in mean arsenic concentrations between the two-time points (p = 0.4026). The mixed linear regression model revealed that children consuming bottled water had 8.3% lower urinary inorganic arsenic concentrations than those drinking tap water (95% CI: −15.36 to −0.54%). Additionally, children from ethnic groups had 8.64% higher inorganic arsenic concentrations (95% CI: 0.49 to 17.5%), while those with caregivers with higher education showed a 13.67% reduction (95% CI: −25.06 to −0.56%). Despite mitigation efforts, these findings underscore the ongoing risk of inorganic arsenic exposure among vulnerable populations. They further emphasize the importance of addressing natural arsenic contamination in water and implementing targeted interventions to reduce disparities associated with socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Diets high in ultra‐processed foods (UPF) have been associated with negative health outcomes in adults; however, UPF's impact on children's health and their underlying mechanisms remain underexplored, despite the rising prevalence of their intake in younger populations. We aimed to investigate the association between UPF intake and systemic inflammation in primary school children. This study included 450 children aged 7–10 years participating in a birth cohort in Arica, Chile (2023). Using the NOVA food classification system, we calculated the intake of UPF (expressed in %kcal) from a 44‐item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The associations between UPF intake (exposure) and an array of cytokine levels (IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, IL‐12, IL1β, TNF‐α) were assessed using multiple linear regression models, adjusted for relevant covariates. The mean (SD) UPF intake was 29% (10.5%) of the total energy intake. Some of the associations appeared non‐linear; therefore, participants were grouped into tertiles of UPF intake. In adjusted models, a suggestive trend across tertiles was observed for IL‐1β (trend p ‐value 0.01). Stratified analyses by age suggested an association between UPF intake and IL‐6 in older children (≥ 9 years) only ( p ‐value for interaction = 0.02). We found potential associations between UPF intake and cytokine levels in school‐aged children. These results may suggest inflammation as a mechanism underlying the adverse health consequences of UPF consumption in children.

Introducción: El tabaco sigue siendo una amenaza a la salud pública. Si bien en los adultos ha habido una disminución en el consumo de tabaco, el consumo entre los jóvenes se ha mantenido e incluso ha aumentado en algunos países. Este estudio analizó la prevalencia de consumo de tabaco en estudiantes universitarios de una institución privada en Chile en 2023. Materiales y Métodos: estudio de diseño transversal, con una muestra de 1.448 estudiantes de entre 18 y 46 años de edad. Se utilizó la Encuesta mundial de tabaquismo en jóvenes de OMS, adaptado con preguntas adicionales sobre el uso de cigarrillos electrónicos y la exposición al humo de tabaco en el campus. Resultados: La prevalencia de consumo de cigarrillos en el último mes fue 39%, con mayor incidencia en hombres y en el grupo de edad de 21 a 30 años. Además, el uso de cigarrillos electrónicos es significativamente alto en esta población, casi diez veces más que el promedio nacional en jóvenes. El análisis multivariado indicó que el uso de otros productos de tabaco, el sexo masculino y la exposición al humo en espacios cerrados están asociados con una mayor probabilidad de consumo de tabaco. Más del 90% de los estudiantes reportó exposición al humo de tabaco en la universidad, lo que refleja un incumplimiento de la Ley de Control de Tabaco en los campus. Discusión: Se resalta la necesidad urgente de desarrollar políticas efectivas de prevención y programas de cesación del consumo de tabaco dirigidos a los estudiantes universitarios en Chile