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Author: search.filters.author.María Pía Muñoz

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    Ultra‐Processed Foods and Markers of Systemic Inflammation in Children
    (Wiley, 2025-09)
    Camila Awad
    ;
    RUBILAR RAMIREZ, PAOLA ANDREA  
    ;
    HIRMAS ADAUY, MACARENA SOLEDAD  
    ;
    Verónica Iglesias
    ;
    María Pía Muñoz
    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, IL1 beta, TNF-alpha) 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-1 beta (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.
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    Arsenic Exposure During Pregnancy and Childhood: Factors Explaining Changes over a Decade
    (MDPI AG, 2025-03-16)
    RUBILAR RAMIREZ, PAOLA ANDREA  
    ;
    HIRMAS ADAUY, MACARENA SOLEDAD  
    ;
    APABLAZA SALINAS, MAURICIO IVÁN  
    ;
    Camila Awad
    ;
    Xaviera Molina
    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.</jats:p>
    Scopus© Citations 1  6
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    Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its association with heavy metals in children from northern Chile
    (2020)
    María Pía Muñoz
    ;
    RUBILAR RAMIREZ, PAOLA  
    ;
    Macarena Valdés
    ;
    María Teresa Muñoz-Quezada
    ;
    Andrea Gómez
      5Scopus© Citations 38