Browsing by Author "Moore, Kari"

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    Association between informal employment and depressive symptoms in 11 urban cities in Latin America
    (ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2022) Huynh, Tran B.; Oddo, Vanessa M.; Trejo, Bricia; Moore, Kari; Quistberg, D. Alex; Kim, Jannie J.; Diez-Canseco, Francisco; Vives, Alejandra
    Background: Mental health is an important contributor to the global burden of disease, and depression is the most prevalent mental disorder in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Informal jobs, often characterized by precarious working conditions, low wages, and limited employment benefits, are also highly prevalent in LAC and may be associated with poorer mental health. Our study tests the association between informal employment and major depressive symptoms in LAC cities.Methods: We used individual-level data collected by the Development Bank of Latin America via their "Encuesta CAF" (ECAF) 2016, a cross-sectional household survey of 11 LAC cities (N = 5430). Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale with possible total score ranging from 0 to 30. Scores were dichotomized, with a score > 16 indicating the presence of major depressive symptoms. Informal employment was defined based on self-reported lack of contribution to the social security system. We used generalized estimating equation (GEE) log-binomial models to estimate the association between informal employment and depressive symptoms overall and by gender. Models were adjusted for age, education, and household characteristics.Results: Overall, individuals employed in informal jobs had a 27% higher prevalence of major depressive symptoms (Prevalence Ratio [PR]: 1.27; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.00, 1.62) compared to those in formal jobs. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among individuals with informal jobs was higher compared to those with formal jobs in both women (PR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.74) and men (PR: 1.22; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.65).Conclusions: Informal employment in LAC was associated with a higher prevalence of major depressive symptoms. It is important to develop policies aiming at reducing informal jobs and increasing universal social protection for informal workers.
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    Using community-based system dynamics modeling to understand the complex systems that influence health in cities: The SALURBAL study
    (ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2019) Langellier, Brent A.; Kuhlberg, Jill A.; Ballard, Ellis A.; Slesinski, S. Claire; Stankov, Ivana; Gouveia, Nelson; Meisel, Jose D.; Kroker Lobos, Maria F.; Sarmiento, Olga L.; Caiaffa, Waleska Teixeira; Roux, Ana V. Diez; Alazraqui, Marcio; Spinelli, Hugo; Guevel, Carlos; Di Cecco, Vanessa; Tisnes, Adela; Leveau, Carlos; Santoro, Adrian; Herkovits, Damian; Gouveia, Nelson; Barreto, Mauricio; Santos, Gervasio; Cardoso, Leticia; de Menezes, Mariana Carvalho; de Pina, Maria de Fatima; Caiaffa, Waleska Teixeira; de Lima Friche, Amelia Augusta; de Souza Andrade, Amanda Cristina; Frenz, Patricia; Alfaro, Tania; Cordova, Cynthia; Ruiz, Pablo; Fuentes, Mauricio; Vives Vergara, Alejandra; Salazar, Alejandro; Cortinez O'Ryan, Andrea; Schmitt, Cristian; Gonzalez, Francisca; Baeza, Fernando; Angelini, Flavia; Sarmiento Duenas, Olga Lucia; Higuera, Diana; Gonzalez, Catalina; Montes, Felipe; Useche, Andres F.; Guaje, Oscar; Maria Jaramillo, Ana; Angel Guzman, Luis; Hessel, Philipp; Lucumi, Diego; David Meisel, Jose; Martinez, Eliana; Kroker Lobos, Maria F.; Ramirez Zea, Manuel; Martinez Folgar, Kevin; Barrientos Gutierrez, Tonatiuh; Perez Ferrer, Carolina; Prado Galbarro, Javier; de Castro, Filipa; Rojas Martinez, Rosalba; Jaime Miranda, J.; Hernandez Vasquez, Akram; Diez Canseco, Francisco; Hammond, Ross; Rodriguez, Daniel; Dronova, Iryna; Wang, Xize; Moran, Mika; Hovmand, Peter; Fuchs, Ricardo Jordan; Braslow, Juliet; Siri, Jose; Roux, Ana Diez; Auchincloss, Amy; Bilal, Usama; Garcia Espana, Felipe; Langellier, Brent; Lovasi, Gina; McClure, Leslie; Michael, Yvonne; Moore, Kari; Quick, Harrison; Quistberg, D. Alex; Sanchez, Brisa N.; Stankov, Ivana; Granados, Jose Tapia; SALURBAL Grp
    We discuss the design, implementation, and results of a collaborative process designed to elucidate the complex systems that drive food behaviors, transport, and health in Latin American cities and to build capacity for systems thinking and community-based system dynamics (CBSD) methods among diverse research team members and stakeholders. During three CB SD workshops, 62 stakeholders from 10 Latin American countries identified 98 variables and a series of feedback loops that shape food behaviors, transportation and health, along with 52 policy levers. Our findings suggest that CBSD can engage local stakeholders, help them view problems through the lens of complex systems and use their insights to prioritize research efforts and identify novel solutions that consider mechanisms of complexity.