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To comparatively analyze nutrient intake and dietary adequacy on weekdays (WKDs) and weekends (WKNs) among undergraduate students. Participants: University students (N = 210), 18-30 years old. Methods: A two-day food record was used. Intake of energy, macronutrients, micronutrients and fiber were calculated, without and with an adjustment for 2000 kcal of energy and compared to the corresponding nutritional requirements. Results: Energy and macronutrients' intake was higher on WKNs (1,776.84 ± 40.68 vs. 2,025.76 ± 52.46 kcal; p < 0.05). There was a high predominance of hypocaloric diet on both WKDs (72%) and WKNs (57%). A low prevalence (<50%) of favorable intake level of most micronutrients and fiber was found on WKDs, WKNs, or both. There was a lower favorable intake of vitamins A, C, iron, and magnesium on WKNs, after adjusting for 2000 kcal. Conclusion: Undergraduate students showed an unfavorable nutrient intake and poor dietary quality on WKNs. Interventions that promote healthy eating are needed.

This study described integrative community therapy (ICT) in the online modality as a health promotion resource in the context of COVID-19 in Latin America, characterizing the ICT circles, the ICT training centers, and the community therapists involved in this practice. It is a descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. Data were collected from November 2020 to July 2021 through an online questionnaire created on the Google Forms platform. The study's first stage involved the participation of ICT training centers, while the second involved community therapists. Forty-three centers participated in the first stage; 86.1% offered online ICT in the period evaluated, and 74.4% trained professionals to implement this modality. In the second stage, 66 community therapists responded to the questionnaire. Of these, 49 (74.2%) resided in Brazil, 84.8% were female, and 72.7% performed the work voluntarily, with an average of 6.1 hours per week dedicated to online circles. Community-based circles were the most cited, followed by those linked to the public sector, with an average of 20.7 participants/circle in the period. The most frequent themes were stress and negative emotions, problems with work/unemployment, and family conflicts. Strengthening self-care, participation in ICT circles, and personal empowerment stood out among the coping strategies. In conclusion, online ICT proved to be an innovative resource for health promotion during the pandemic through the articulation and engagement of community therapists and different institutions, expanding solidary social networks, and showing itself as a sustainable practice in the Latin American scenario.

Background: Unhealthy lifestyle habits developed during university years could continue into adulthood. Purpose: To analyze and map worldwide publications on physical activity among university students. Method: A pre-validated search strategy was used to find relevant articles in the Scopus database. The study period represented three decades (1993-2022). Results: The method retrieved 919 articles. More than half of the articles (n = 491; 53.4%) were published between 2019 and 2022. The "International Journal of Environmental and Public Health" was the most prolific, but articles published in the "PLOS ONE" journal were the most influential. Research on the impact of physical activity on mental health (n = 236; 25.7%) was the largest research theme, followed by that on body weight (n = 144; 15.7%). Articles on the effect of screen time and mobile phone use on physical activity received the highest number of citations, while those on physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic received the highest number of citations per year. Discussion: The current study provided baseline information on the research activity on physical activity among a category of assumingly healthy individuals. Translation to Health Education Practice: University students need to be targeted to increase their engagement in physical activity. Translation to Health Education Practice

Social work scholars have increasingly adopted community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to center community voice in research and action to promote youth's healthy development. While valuable contributions have emerged to engage in further dialectical learning processes, limited research has examined in depth the participation, critical reflection, and training of social work graduate students pursuing CBPR. This article emphasizes the role of critical reflexivity and collaboration by presenting four social work doctoral students' efforts designed to engage community and youth in CBPR to enhance health promotion initiatives. We conclude by discussing the importance of engaging graduate social work students in CBPR, the influential role faculty and mentors play in providing opportunities for students to gain experience in CBPR, and recommendations and potential strategies for future social work education and training.

Given the rapid growing number of the ageing population worldwide, it has been questioned how health and wellbeing in old age can be improved, especially for women in socially vulnerable contexts. Research have shown that social aspects are key determinants for older-age groups' engagement in an active life. It is crucial to understand older people's experiences with physical activity in order to develop interventions that contribute to health promotion beyond disease prevention. The study's purpose was to explore the experiences of middle-aged and older socially vulnerable women with physical activity within a public-funded programme under the "Sistema Único de Saúde" -- SUS [Brazilian public healthcare system]. The study involved a Health and Physical Education professional and 16 women (43-66y) who regularly attended the programme. Data were generated through condensed fieldwork, employing semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation of sessions. Drawing on salutogenesis theory and a critical gender perspective, a qualitative analysis was conducted using the constant comparative method. From the women's experiences, a major finding was the construction of a community of active women, which served as a collective resource to support them in the process of health development. Relating to the emerging community, another three themes were developed. The first was dancing and challenging the gender order, referring to women's experiences of negotiating a collective identity and disrupting the invisibility of their bodies. The second was the HPE professional's dialogical pedagogies as emancipatory, revealing the ways in which the community was supported. The third was the empathetic relationships among the women as a way of coping, representing the women's positive experiences of social support, connectedness and resilience. The findings supported the conclusion that there are promising possibilities for research and practice in socially vulnerable contexts to widen the contributions to health promotion that are not limited to exercise prescription.

Background: Dental neglect results in dental caries, gum disease, and contributes to chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancers. Poor oral health habits developed in childhood persist into adulthood and can contribute to chronic diseases. School settings are a practical platform for teaching oral health skills. Purpose: The purpose was to assess the effectiveness of school-based, primary prevention oral health interventions for children and adolescents and to examine these programs for health behavior theory applications. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement and Checklist was used in reporting systematic review data. EBSCOhost database was utilized to search interventions by applying inclusion criteria. Data extraction occurred in four distinct phases to ensure all examined interventions met acceptable standards. Results: Eight interventions satisfied the inclusion criteria. Each study utilized oral health knowledge as an outcome variable. Two of the eight interventions stated that they utilized a specific health behavior theoretical framework. Each study applied health behavior concepts. Interventions were efficacious for improving oral health knowledge. Translation to Health Education Practice: Oral health education interventions in schools appear to be effective in providing dental skills and oral health knowledge.

Background: It is well established in the literature how exercise prevents chronic diseases. Nevertheless, we still lack knowledge about the ways in which health-related bodily practices might contribute to health promotion. Less is known about pedagogies in public health directed at adult and older-age groups, within non-formal educational settings. Considering a lack of tailored and attractive approaches to health-related bodily practices for adults and older people [Pettigrew et al. 2019. "Encouraging Older People to Engage in Resistance Training: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective." "Ageing & Society" 39 (8): 1806-1825; Van Dyck, D., L. Mertens, G. Cardon, K. De Cocker, and I. De Bourdeaudhuij. 2017. "Opinions Toward Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Interventions to Stimulate Active Living During Early Retirement: Qualitative Study in Recently Retired Adults." Journal of Aging and Physical Activity 25 (2): 277-286], we argue that there is a need to explore pedagogical practices that might further health promotion with this target group. Purpose: Drawing on Antonovsky's theory of salutogenesis [1996. "The Salutogenic Model as a Theory to Guide Health Promotion." "Health Promotion International" 11 (1): 11-18], the purpose of the study was to investigate how health and physical education (HPE) professionals delivered health-related bodily practices for adults and older people in community-based programmes. Data collection and analysis: A qualitative and grounded theory study design was employed. Participants included six HPE professionals, three health centre coordinators and thirty-four adults and older people enrolled in four community-based programmes from Brazil. Condensed fieldwork was adopted to generate data through three-days visits to each programme. Multiple data sources comprised semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation of health-related bodily practices sessions and documents/materials produced by participants. Data were analysed through open, axial and selective coding, using the constant comparative method [Charmaz 2006. "Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide Through Qualitative Analysis. Book." Vol. 10. London: Sage Publications]. Findings: Three themes were generated to explain the ways HPE professionals worked with adults and older people in health promotion: adopting a holistic view of health, serving as a health resource and nurturing further health resources. These practices included caring attitudes, such as listening carefully to adults and older people, showing attentiveness and responsiveness to them. Moreover, a key finding indicated that the HPE professionals served in their pedagogical practices as health resources, which the adults and older people learned to draw on to cope with life situations and experience health development. Conclusion: The HPE professionals in the four programmes demonstrated they were capable of moving beyond a solely biomedical approach to health and focus on the salutary factors that enable health promotion through the development of a combination of pedagogical practices that were consistent with salutogenesis.

Obesity and diabetes are two of the biggest public health problems in the modern world. One possible way to combat the rising prevalence of these diseases is through the spread of awareness about its consequences and how to prevent them. Therefore, educational interventions focused on teaching the physiological basis of these conditions might be valuable tools. However, most scholar curriculums lack high-quality material devoted to this topic. Thus we developed an educational booklet, composed of playful elements, targeted toward high school students and destined for application in classrooms. The efficacy of the developed material was validated through a pretest-posttest design, in which the students had to answer a 10-question test. After booklet completion, students had better outcomes, with an increase in the percentage of correct answers in 7 out of 10 questions contained in the test (P < 0.05. Thus we developed an effective material for usage in the high school classroom to spread the awareness of the risks of metabolic diseases and how to prevent them.

This descriptive paper presents the model of the Brazilian Universities of the Third Age (U3A). In a country with 208 million inhabitants and accelerated population aging, U3A's set of regular courses, lectures, workshops and group dynamics serve as a low-cost and high-efficacy strategy that promotes lifelong education and social integration. Although their conceptual basis has been inherited from their European counterparts, over the years, Brazilian U3As have developed their own model of functioning, by adapting already existing methodologies and creating new ones matching with the needs and interests of the Brazilian older adults, in accordance with their physical and financial resources. One unique feature of the Brazilian model of U3A is the wide and diverse offer of sports and leisure activities, which is generally under the responsibility of the Physical Education courses of federal, state or private universities. Having physical activity promotion as a key element goes beyond transfer and exchange of knowledge as it also encourages active and healthy aging in a more holistic approach. Thus, in the Brazilian context, the U3A play an important role in the social and economic development of the country.

Purpose: This paper aims to highlight the contribution of ecological fairs to the promotion of sustainability in university campuses, based on a case study carried out at the University of Passo Fundo, located in Southern Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: Producers and consumers of the ecological fairs were interviewed to analyse how the social, economic and environmental spheres of sustainable development are impacted by these fairs. In total, 24 interviews were conducted. Findings: The results showed how fairs positively impact the academic and local community while bringing sustainability into university campuses. Research limitations/implications: The main limitations of this study were the number of interviews and the short period during when the study was conducted. Practical implications This case study demonstrated how the promotion of ecological fairs on a university campus plays an important role in the implementation and practice of sustainability and can serve as an example for other institutions that intend to work on similar projects. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature by providing a discussion on how ecological fairs represent a good addition in the process of universities to become more sustainable and which aspects of each sustainability sphere are involved.

The aim of this article was to analyze how players of Pokémon GO could adopt a healthier and active lifestyle meanwhile or after using the game, observing how active they could become in their daily routines. The methodology involved a qualitative analysis involving a sample with players who were invited to complete an online questionnaire to answer specific questions about lifestyle and healthy choices. This study involved 125 players (84 males and 41 females) in the city of Pelotas (South of Brazil) that have played for at least six months the game. As results, it was possible to observe that users have changed many habits, specifically regarding physical activity gains, as going more often to practice different sports than only running, walking or cycling, and many of players were getting into an active living practicing exercises with friends and family, out of the game. Also, many players commented that meeting new users was a good way to socialize and making groups to walk or run together, getting an extra motivation for other activities out of the game. We conclude that Pokémon GO is one of the first mobile-based game plays that can be used to promote a healthier lifestyle with a new way of interaction, changing sedentary lifestyles with a big potential to be used in Health Education.

In this article, we explore how visitors engage with a science museum exhibit that displays controversial topics. Through a case study methodology, we focus on the Brazilian exhibit "Preventing Youth Pregnancy" that delves into teen pregnancy, sexual practices, and sexually transmitted diseases. Using the lens of science communication (an emergent field of research) we explore (a) communication patterns established between the exhibit and the public and (b) the dimensions of engagement that visitors experienced. Data were collected through observations and interviews with visitors, field notes, exit comment cards, and interviews with staffers. Our findings revealed the potential of articulating different models of science communication and exposed a visitor experience in which informed decision making, sharing of personal stories, co-production of knowledge, and learning how to care (and act) were at play while negotiating the complexities of the issues raised by the displays.

This qualitative study investigates underprivileged students' perceptions of their future, their health, and the relevance of a career counseling process. Interviews regarding career guidance were conducted during a workshop with nine eleventh-grade students from a public high school in Brazil's capital. The data were analyzed according to Gonzalez-Rey's constructive-interpretive method and three zones of senses emerged from this process: (1) the need to offer a supportive and safe space, (2) the challenges faced by participants and facilitators, and (3) the benefits from the intervention. The results suggested that this population has specific needs beyond career-related needs. They have limited sources of leisure and suffer from cultural and socio-economic prejudices.

Health education for socially marginalized populations challenges the efficacy of existing strategies and methods, and the pertinence of the educational and philosophical principles that underpin them. The Brazilian Community Health Agents Initiative (CHAI) hires residents of deprived marginalized communities to undertake health promotion and education in their communities. The ultimate goal of the CHAI is to connect populations with the public healthcare system by promoting social re-affiliation, protecting civil rights and enhancing equity of access to health services. In this article, we present the education work of community health agents through interplay between popular and scientific health knowledge in nine Rio de Janeiro shantytowns. A critical ethnographic research design, using thematic analysis, allowed us to explore agents' education work to enhance family health literacy in shantytowns. Local culture and social practices inspire Agents to create original strategies to reconcile forms of health knowledge in their work.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a dietary counseling in reducing the intake of energy-dense foods by infants. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Setting and Participants: Sao Leopoldo, Brazil. Mothers and infants of a low-income-group population were randomized into intervention (n = 163) and received dietary counseling during 10 home visits, or control (n = 234) groups. Main Outcomes Measures: Child consumption of sugar-dense (SD) and lipid-dense (LD) foods at 12 to 16 months. Analysis: The effect of the intervention was expressed by relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the association between exclusive breastfeeding and the energy-dense foods intake. Results: A smaller proportion of infants from the intervention group consumed candy, soft drinks, honey, cookies, chocolate, and salty snacks. In the intervention group, there was a reduction of 40% and 50% in the proportion of infants who consumed LD and SD foods, respectively. Being breastfed up to 6 months reduced the risk for consumption of LD and SD foods by 58% and 67%, respectively. Conclusions and Implications: Dietary counseling to mothers may be effective in reducing the consumption of energy-dense foods among infants, and it is helpful in improving early dietary habits. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

To examine young people's reactions to and understanding of HIV prevention messages developed for MTV's global HIV prevention campaign Staying Alive, videotaped campaign materials were shown to focus group discussion (FGD) participants living in urban areas of Brazil, Kenya, Nepal, and Senegal. Responses related to "personal involvement" with the message were identified in the data from these FGDs and were examined in relationship to the emerging message themes, the message format (public service announcements [PSAs] vs. documentary), cultural context (site), and participant gender. Across groups, greater personal involvement (measured by personal connections, emotional reactions, and lessons learned) was found in responses about the documentary format compared to the PSA format. Exceptions were found for specific PSAs that were considered more relevant within specific gender or cultural contexts. Implications of findings for global campaigns were considered. (Contains 2 tables and 4 notes.)

In 2002 MTV aired a global media campaign, "Staying Alive," to promote HIV prevention among 16- to 25-year-olds. Skeptics believed that a global MTV campaign would reach only a small group of elite young people. MTV increased access to its campaign, however, by making all materials "rights free" to third-party (non-MTV) broadcasters. Over 789 million households in over 166 countries had access to some or all of the campaign. To understand the level of actual exposure and the types of young people exposed, data were analyzed from population-based household surveys in three diverse urban areas where a campaign evaluation was conducted: Kathmandu, Nepal; Sao Paulo, Brazil and Dakar, Senegal. Exposure rates ranged from 12% in Kathmandu, 23% in Sao Paulo, and 82% in Dakar, reaching an estimated 32,000, 400,000, 220,000 16- to 25-year-olds in each city, respectively. A number of personal, social and economic characteristics found to predict campaign exposure were identified in each site; in general, these were related to economic status and use of "new" media technologies. Though this skew toward more exposure by those with greater resources existed, we found that the campaign audience was in no way composed only of "elite" young people. (For example, although more of those exposed to the campaign had used the Internet compared with those not exposed, this was not the majority of those exposed in most countries.) The possibility of reaching millions of young people through global networks with minimal marginal costs after production, creates a new paradigm for reaching an important segment of young people.

This paper describes an alternative approach to undertaking and evaluating sexual health promotion, focusing on the notion of "sexual scenes" and "scenarios" and how these can provide a vantage point from which to examine sexual experience. The concept of sexual scenes provides a context within which to analyse many of the behavioural and epidemiological factors associated with sexual practice. In principle, such an approach provides a tool for "conscientization", action and the invention of novel group and individual repertoires that may result in individual and social mobilization for health and/or sexual and reproductive rights. Scenes can be elicited through individual interviews, group interviews and discussions, or through staged and dramatized performance and students' writing. Analysing sexual scenes offers an entry point for dialogue in sexual health promotion programming. Evaluation of these programmes can be part of the process of changing sexual scenarios. Change is witnessed not only through individual changes but, especially in impoverished communities, through challenges to dominant local sexual scenarios and engagement with structural concerns. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

Reports a study of the effects of short-term fitness education on low-fit female college students' knowledge and attitudes. Group A received handouts and lectures. Group B received handouts only. Pre- and posttesting indicated lectures were more effective than handouts. Both groups demonstrated significantly higher knowledge about health and fitness than control subjects. (SM)

Brazil is a country member of the Para Report Card, and Brazilian researchers have frequently published information on physical activity of children and adolescents. The current study aimed to analyze the policies for the promotion of adapted physical activity to Brazilian children and adolescents with disabilities. Official government information on adapted physical activity was analyzed from the official websites. Policies were analyzed based on the Para Report Card benchmarks, and after that we used the principles of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) to analyze the information. Adapted physical activity is not the main focus of any of the many policies to promote physical activity for children and adolescents. Based on the Para Report Card initiative, the score for this indicator in Brazil is D. Brazil needs to develop specific policies to promote physical activity adapted to the pediatric population with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although menstruation is a monthly biological phenomenon, it is shrouded in stigma and shame which directly impacts health, education, gender equality, decent work, and economic growth. However, there is scarce evidence on how personal agency, an individual's ability to access resources, may act as a protective factor to adequate menstrual health and hygiene practices. Therefore, we assess the association between attitudes toward menstruation and personal agency among very young adolescent girls. Methods: We use cross-sectional data from the Global Early Adolescent Study in São Paulo, Brazil, among 10- to 14-year-old girls who have experienced menarche (n = 325) and completed a home-based self-administered questionnaire in 2021. "Attitudes toward menstruation" was created based on five indicators on a Likert scale, with a higher score indicating more positive attitudes. The main covariate was personal agency, comprised of three scales and modeled as three continuous variables: voice, decision-making power, and freedom of movement. Data were analyzed using multivariable linear regression. Results: Attitudes toward menstruation mean score was 12.5 (range 5–19). Older adolescents (12–14 years-old) had higher mean scores (more positive) than younger adolescents (10–11 years-old) on attitudes toward menstruation, whereas no other sociodemographic or menstrual health indicator (knowledge or access to products) were associated with attitudes toward menstruation. In the multiple regression model, older age and higher freedom of movement remained positively associated with attitudes toward menstruation (βadjust = 0.5; 95%CI 0.1 to 0.8). Conclusion: Positive attitudes toward menstruation are associated with higher freedom of movement among very young Brazilian adolescent girls. The promotion of personal agency should be recognized as key strategies to accelerate young girls' positive approaches to their own menstruation and, consequently, well-being. Plain language summary: Menstrual Health and Hygiene Attitudes are associated with Personal Agency Our results show that positive attitudes toward menstruation among very young adolescent girls are associated with personal agency, measured through freedom of movement. This information can inform strategies to accelerate young girls' positive approaches to their own menstruation and, consequently, well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Health Gym Program is the main health promotion strategy in the Brazilian public health system. This paper aims to measure the impact of the Health Gym Program on hospital admission expenses for stroke in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Subject and methods: This public health impact evaluation used a panel of socioeconomic, demographic, and epidemiological data from 2007 to 2019 for all 185 municipalities in the state of Pernambuco. The empirical strategy used pre-tests, ordinary least-squares econometric modeling, and quantile regression as a robustness test. Results: The municipalities that implemented the Health Gym Program spent an average of 21.04% less on hospitalizations for stroke than the municipalities that did not, and this result was statistically significant at the 1% level. Further, the density of program coverage within the municipality also impacts the reduction of expenses. This saving is directly proportional to the number of hubs of the program in the municipalities. An increase of one program hub for every 10,000 inhabitants results in a 4.57% reduction in expenditure on stroke hospitalizations in the municipalities. Conclusion: The presence of the Health Gym Program led to a reduction in expenses related to hospital admissions for stroke, which may indicate that this program effectively expands the scope of health promotion actions in primary healthcare. The evidence generated from this study can be used to implement evidence-based policies aimed at preventing and controlling chronic diseases in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a validation study of the Exercise Planning and Scheduling (EPS), and Goal-Setting (EGS) Scales, which were translated from English to Brazilian Portuguese, we aim to: present evidence of reliability and validity for the translated scale; and, explore the effects of non-labeled response categories of rating scales. The sample comprised 446 Brazilians, 82.5% female with a mean age of 32.89 (±12.21) years. The McDonald’s ω was 0.883 and 0.899 for EPS and EGS, respectively. Descriptive data and the Rasch Models confirmed that participants tended to endorse labeled categories on 5-point Likert-type scales. The model tested with the revised response scale presented better fit indices and lower values of residual statistics than the original one. These findings contribute psychometric evidence on a translated scale that could be used in future health promotion initiatives, and suggest a psychometric characteristic – response category labeling – that warrants future attention in measurement development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our goal was to explore self‐care practices among men who have sex with men in the context of Mpox in Brazil. This study used qualitative research methods, including interviews and thematic analysis, to collect and analyze data from male participants across the Brazilian territory. The narratives unveil men's perspectives on self‐care, risk reduction, and health beliefs during the Mpox pandemic. Our findings highlight a multifaceted approach to self‐care among men, encompassing hygiene, physical contact management, mask usage, skin lesion vigilance, and adherence to official guidelines. Men's attitudes toward sexual behaviors emphasize the importance of reducing sexual partners, practicing safe sex, and combating misinformation through accurate information dissemination. The development of these behaviors and self‐care practices can be facilitated by nurses guided by Dorothea Orem's Self‐Care Theory, supported by patient‐centered care, with strategies to address and confront the stigma associated with the disease and provide emotional support. Thus, the study underscores the pivotal role of self‐care in mitigating infection risks, especially in the context of emerging infectious diseases. It acknowledges the impact of socio‐cultural factors and healthcare policies on men's preventive measures. However, it also recognizes limitations, such as potential bias due to stigma concerns and a nonrepresentative sample. Ultimately, the research advocates for tailored education, promotion of gender equity, and healthcare empowerment to effectively manage health risks in such contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Child violence is a public health problem and is defined as any type of action or omission that may harm physical or psychological integrity, freedom or the right to child growth and development. In Brazil, as provided for in article 227 of the Federal Constitution and article 13 of the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA), abuse against children are the object of mandatory notification, predicting penalties for professionals who fail to communicate the cases of your knowledge. Since 2011, child violence, regardless of its type, has been part of the list of compulsory notification in Law 4.730/2011, implying the doctor the duty to notify, as well as to assume civil and criminal liability on the case . Objectives: To analyze the training of the students of the fifth and sixth year of the medical course regarding knowledge and conduct in the face of a suggestive picture of violence against children and adolescents in the various scenarios of practical action. METHODS: This is a quanti-quarter, transverse, exploratory characteristic descriptive study. As a method of data collection, the application of questionnaires containing open and closed questions, adapted from the questionnaire proposed by Dossi (2009), was used. The sending to students of the 5th and 6th year of medicine occurred electronically. The ethical criteria defined by Resolution No. 510 of the National Health Council (CNS), promulgated in 2016, were obeyed on research involving human beings, being respected voluntary participation and anonymity of the study population, using the free and informed consent form (Tcle). The research was submitted to the Research Ethics Committee (CEP) and obtained its approval. 4. Results/Discussion: A total of 40 (forty) answers was obtained. Regarding the participants’ profile, it was observed that 70% of participants are white ethnicity, 72.5% cisgender women and most aged 20 and 30 years old (77.5%). Students defined childhood violence broadly, recognizing it as any kind of physical, psychological and/or moral damage that can directly or indirectly compromise the physical or mental integrity of children. Among the types of child violence mentioned are physical, psychological and sexual aggression. A participant also stressed the importance of considering nutritional, vaccination and educational neglect. One third of the inmates reported having had some kind of experience in their clinical practices with situations suspected of child violence. Although most students (77%) consider themselves able to identify and communicate situations of violence, 95% say they are unaware of flows and protocols to follow. 5. CONCLUSIONS: Data reveals gaps in the preparation of students to deal with child violence. One third of them did not have classes or discussions on the subject, while 32.5% received only one class and 35% had up to 3 classes on the subject. These findings highlight the need to improve the training of professionals in the field, ensuring that they are prepared to deal with such situations, as well as promote the well-being of children in different situations of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in neonatology, neonatal mortality from preventable causes remains high in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. This study aimed to analyze the determinants associated with neonatal and postneonatal mortality in newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. A cohort study was carried out in a capital in the Brazilian Northeast from 2013 to 2018. The outcome studied was death. Poisson regression was performed in the multivariate analysis of variables. Four hundred and eighty newborns were eligible, and 8.1% (39 newborns) died. Among them, 34 died in the neonatal period. The determinants that remained significantly associated with neonatal and postneonatal mortality in the final adjustment model (p < 0.05) were history of abortion, perinatal asphyxia, early neonatal sepsis and umbilical venous catheterization. All causes of this outcome were preventable. The neonatal mortality rate, although it did not include twins, neonates with malformations incompatible with life and other conditions, was 3.47 deaths per thousand live births (95% CI:1.10−8.03‰), well below the national average. In this study, pregnant women from different social classes had in common a private plan for direct access to health services, which provided them with excellent care throughout pregnancy and postnatal care. These results indicate that reducing neonatal mortality is possible through public policies with strategies that promote improvements in access to health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Sleep alterations are common in college students, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic factors may predict these alterations in this population. OBJECTIVE: To identify the sociodemographic factors and health characteristics associated with the number of hours of sleep of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study carried out with 244 university students from a multicampi public university in the State of Bahia, Northeast Brazil. Data collection was performed online and participants answered a specific questionnaire to assess sleep hours, sociodemographic and health variables. RESULTS: Significant associations were observed between hours of sleep and older students (odds ratio adjusted –ORaj: 3.75; 95% Confidence Interval –CI: 1.81–7.75; p < 0.01), attending the final semesters (ORaj: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.05–3.25; p < 0.03), and who reported having some disease (ORaj: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.05–4.50; p < 0.03) with greater chances of getting less sleep. However, those who used tobacco (ORaj: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.01–0.45; p < 0.001) were likely to have more hours of sleep per night. CONCLUSION: Sleep restriction was common among participating college students, which has likely intensified due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions. This encourages specific public health actions, contemplating the health and hours of sleep of this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient activation is associated with treatment adherence, self-accountability for healthcare and a healthy lifestyle change. Mobile health (m-Health) apps can lead to greater patient treatment adherence and health behaviour change. This study aimed to evaluate the health behaviour change of elderly people through a healthcare programme focused on activation with the support of technology. Three phases were conducted: (1) pre-intervention – design of the intervention protocol and the app, (2) intervention – randomised clinical trial with 41 overweight/obese elderly people. m-Health app-supported group psychotherapy was compared with group psychotherapy only and individual psychotherapy (control) and (3) post-intervention – statistical analysis, intervention's assistant interviews and app heuristics evaluation. By crossing the results, the study has shown that there was no significant difference in the activation level before and after intervention between groups. However, there was a significant increase from the initial mean score to the final one when considering the three groups together. Group therapy, whether with or without the support of the app, was more effective for behaviour change measured by the achievement of the goals, than individual psychotherapy. The lack of impact on group therapy with app support calls into question which and how much technology support is useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drug use prevention program #Tamojunto2.0, a Brazilian version of the European Unplugged, showed effectiveness in preventing the alcohol use onset at short term. However, we aimed to evaluate the program effects on its secondary outcomes, such as drug knowledge, behavioral beliefs, attitudes, decision-making skills, and refusal skills. A cluster-randomized controlled trial (registration: RBR-8cnkwq) was conducted in 73 public middle schools in three Brazilian cities (N = 5,208 students; 49.4% girls; Mage= 13.2 years). The intervention group attended twelve #Tamojunto2.0 lessons conducted by their own teachers previously trained. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected pre-intervention (February/March 2019) and at nine-month follow-up (November/December 2019). We used multiple imputation to handle missing data and performed multilevel mixed-effect regression models, adjusted for sex, age, socioeconomic status, and city. The #Tamojunto2.0 program seems to have increased drug knowledge (Coef.= 0.26, 95%CI = 0.17–0.36), and negative and non-positive alcohol beliefs (Coef.= 0.24, 95%CI= 0.05–0.42), according to its logical framework. Nevertheless, it was found no evidence regarding the program's effect on marijuana beliefs, attitudes, decision-making skills, and refusal skills. These findings could explain the effectiveness of the program in preventing the onset of alcohol consumption in adolescent participants. More research is needed to observe the long-term effects of the program on primary and secondary outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article was to identify educational interventions on sexuality for parents of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. This is an integrative literature review. In May, 2023, searches were carried out in 12 databases using the keywords: intellectual disability, sexuality, sexual communication, intervention, program, and parents and Boolean operators AND and OR. The thematic analysis of the nine articles found resulted in the theme: Sex education programs and their interventions, and three sub-themes: (a) conceptualization and design of the programs; (b) from taboo to confidence: increasing self-perception of competence to approach sex education; and (c) speaking the same language: how sex education can contribute to improving communication between parents and children with intellectual disabilities. The results showed that the interventions were effective in promoting positive changes in self-efficacy, contributed to increasing knowledge about sexuality, improved the quality and frequency of communication about sexuality in the family context, and addressed parents' beliefs and attitudes, considering their cultural and personal context with a view to promoting positive changes in these areas. The development of sex education strategies prepares parents and families for handling and safely guiding children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The interventions showed a positive impact on parents and their children. Future investigations combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to the evaluation of these sex education programs are necessary, in order to provide a broader and deeper view of the results achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide. From this perspective, the role of vitamin E and its metabolites in preventing CVD has been studied, being supported by the findings that low vitamin E concentrations are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Despite this, no studies have analysed the co-existence of vitamin E deficiency (VED) and CVD on the basis of population studies. Facing that, this study summarises information on the relationship between vitamin E status and CVD, providing a basis for understanding the determining and protective factors for its development. VED may be a public health problem since it has been observed to vary from 0·6% to 55·5% worldwide, with higher percentages in Asia and Europe, where CVD mortality rates stand out. Intervention studies with α-tocopherol supplementation do not confirm cardioprotective action of vitamin E, which may reflect that α-tocopherol alone does not provide cardiovascular protection to individuals, but the consumption of all isomers found in food. Considering that low concentrations of α-tocopherol can lead to a higher susceptibility to diseases involving oxidative stress in the population, in addition to the high and growing prevalence of CVD and VED, it is essential to investigate or reinterpret the mechanisms of action of vitamin E and its metabolites in the cardiovascular process to better understand the co-existence of CVD and VED. It is also important to implement public health policies and programmes aimed at promoting the consumption of natural food sources of vitamin E and healthy fats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Portuguese Journal of Mental Health Nursing / Revista Portuguesa de Enfermagem de Saúde Mental is the property of Portuguese Society of Mental Health Nursing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Health & Society is the property of Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Periodicojs and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Health & Society is the property of Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Periodicojs and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study focused on examining the relationship between well-being and various psychological factors such as loneliness, anxiety, depression, and stress, whilst also considering changes in lifestyle. A total of 108 elderly participants, with an average age of 70.38 years, were enrolled in this quantitative cross-sectional study. The research employed a battery of assessment tools including a Sociodemographic Data Questionnaire, Mini-Mental State Examination, Positive Mental Health Scale, Stress Perception Scale, Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale (reduced version), Loneliness Scale, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was conducted in order to understand the distribution of scores across these variables, followed by the categorization of participants based on the reported alterations in eating and physical activity behaviors. Correlations between variables were assessed using Spearman correlation and an EBIC-LASSO network analysis. The findings indicated a potential detriment to the well-being of elderly individuals practicing social distancing, evidenced by heightened symptoms of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress, alongside the reported changes in dietary patterns and physical activity. The study underscores the importance of understanding the pandemic's impact on the well-being of older adults and advocates for longitudinal investigations to delineate the evolving effects of social distancing measures across different phases of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The "Adequate Childbirth Program" (PPA) is a quality improvement project that aims to reduce the high rates of unnecessary cesarean section in Brazilian private hospitals. This study aimed to analyze labor and childbirth care practices after the first phase of PPA implementation. Method: This study uses a qualitative approach. Eight hospitals were selected. At each hospital, during the period of 5 (five) days, from July to October 2017, the research team conducted face to face interviews with doctors (n = 21) and nurses (n = 28), using semi-structured scripts. For the selection of professionals, the Snowball technique was used. The interviews were transcribed, and the data submitted to Thematic Content Analysis, using the MaxQda software. Results: The three analytical dimensions of the process of change in the care model: (1) Incorporation of care practices: understood as the practices that have been included since PPA implementation; (2) Adaptation of care practices: understood as practices carried out prior to PPA implementation, but which underwent modifications with the implementation of the project; (3) Rejection of care practices: understood as those practices that were abandoned or questioned whether or not they should be carried out by hospital professionals. Conclusions: After the PPA, changes were made in hospitals and in the way, women were treated. Birth planning, prenatal hospital visits led by experts (for expecting mothers and their families), diet during labor, pharmacological analgesia for vaginal delivery, skin-to-skin contact, and breastfeeding in the first hour of life are all included. To better monitor labor and vaginal birth and to reduce CS without a clinical justification, hospitals adjusted their present practices. Finally, the professionals rejected the Kristeller maneuver since research has demonstrated that using it's harmful. Plain English summary: Brazil has high Cesarean Section (CS) rates, with rates far from the ideal recommended by the World Health Organization and a model of care that does not favor women's autonomy and empowerment. In 2015, a quality improvement project, called "Projeto Parto Adequado" (PPA), was implemented in Brazilian private hospitals to reduce unnecessary cesarean section, in addition to encouraging the process of natural and safe childbirth. One of the components of this project was to reorganize the model of care in hospitals to prepare professionals for humanized and safe care. The data were collected in 8 hospitals with interviews with 49 professionals, approximately two years after the beginning of the project in the hospitals. There were changes in the hospital routine and in the care of women after the project. The professionals incorporated practices such as skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding; diet during labor; non-invasive care technologies, especially to relieve pain during labor; birth plan; pregnancy courses with guided tours in hospitals (for pregnant women and family); and analgesia for vaginal labor. There was adaptation of existing practices in hospitals to reduce CS that had no clinical indication; better monitoring of labor, favoring vaginal delivery. And finally, the professionals rejected the practice that presses the uterine fundus, for not having shown efficacy in recent studies. We can conclude that the hospitals that participated in this study have made an effort to change their obstetric model. However, specific aspects of each hospital, the organization of the health system in Brazil, and the incentive of the local administration influenced the implementation of these changes by professionals in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life (QOL) and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in people living with HIV (PLWH) in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 385 patients followed-up on an outpatient basis. Interviews were conducted using the Sociodemographic, Epidemiological and Clinical Form, the World Health Organization's Quality of Life in PLWH Instrument, the Assessment of Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. The odds ratio and confidence interval were calculated, considering P < 0.05 as statistically significant. Of the 385 PLWH, 134 (34.8%) had unsatisfactory QOL which was associated with unemployment (P = 0.0037), monthly income less than the minimum wage (P < 0.0001), sleep disorders (P = 0.0039) and not doing regular exercise (P = 0.0032). Inadequate adherence to ART occurred in 24 patients (6.23%) and was associated with detectable viral load (P = 0.0001) and unsatisfactory QOL (P = 0.0033). QOL was more unsatisfactory for those unemployed and with low income, sleep disorders and sedentary lifestyle. People with detectable viral load and unsatisfactory QOL had more inadequate adherence to ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence is a global public health problem that affects especially the most vulnerable people. The aim was to analyze the prevalence of psychological violence in the Brazilian population and inequalities according to sex and skin color. This was a cross-sectional study in which the database of the National Health Survey 2019 was used. Psychological violence was considered present when an individual answered yes to at least one of the five variables investigated: In the last 12 months, has anyone (a) offended you, humiliated you, or ridiculed you in front of other people?; (b) yelled at you or called you names?; (c) used social media or cell phones to threaten, offend, curse, or expose your images without your consent?; (d) threatened to hurt you or hurt someone important to you?; and (e) destroyed something of yours on purpose? The independent variable was skin color. The crude prevalence ratio (PR) was determined by Poisson regression. All analyses were stratified by sex. Of the 88,531 respondents, 41,662 were males and 46,869 were females. The prevalence of the presence of psychological violence was 19% in women and 15.6% in men. Men and women with black/brown/yellow/indigenous skin color were 20% and 15% more likely to suffer one or more items of psychological violence, respectively, than men and women with white skin color (PR = 1.20; 95% CI [1.11, 1.30] and PR = 1.15; 95% CI [1.08, 1.23]). Psychological violence occurred predominantly against females and individuals with black/brown/yellow/indigenous skin color. There were notable inequalities in the exposure to this type of violence that need to be considered when making plans to address this problem. The findings emphasize the relevance of constantly reviewing political and social constructions to promote a reduction of inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to characterize the language employed in educational and communications materials about STIs, HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis produced by the Ministry of Health between 2010 and 2019, identifying elements related to health promotion and disease prevention. We conducted an exploratory descriptive study. The materials were selected by performing a systematic search of the Ministry of Health website focusing on the period 2010-2019. The materials were analyzed to determine the educational approaches adopted. The preventive, educational and personal development approaches were identified in 100% (201), 24.87% (50) and 7.96% (16) of the materials, respectively. The radical and popular education for health approaches were not observed. The almost exclusive focus on the preventive approach reveals that promoting changes in individual habits and behavior alone is not sufficient to combat and solve the problem of STIs, HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to understand the care practices of nurses focused on women's health in PHC. Methods: This is cross-sectional research with a quantitative-qualitative approach, carried out with 24 nurses from Primary Health Care in the state of Sergipe. The interviews were conducted from December 2020 to April 2021, using a semi-structured script. The analysis of the quantitative data occurred in a descriptive way, the qualitative one occurred through content analysis according to Bardin. Results: The practices most frequently mentioned by the interviewees were: prenatal nursing consultation; Pap smear and syndromic approach to sexually transmitted infections, clinical examination of the breasts and request for mammography; In family planning, health education was highlighted; In the postpartum period, they commented on the clinical and obstetric evaluation of the woman and the orientations. Conclusion: Nurses act mainly as fundamental agents in the promotion and prevention of women's health, acting in various phases of women's lives and assisting in the maintenance of health and in the prevention of risks and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University Extension is based on the relevance of the contact between undergraduate students and society, an interrelationship capable of generating social transformation. It aims to provide pedagogically professional practice and improvement, creating dialogue, exchange of knowledge. and contact with challenges, derived from a social commitment that surrounds the academy. In this context, extension programs are permanent actions that give structure in interprofessional, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary ways, oriented to a common goal that needs to be structured in the university and is based on the inseparability between extension, teaching, and research. Moreover, through many programs and extension projects that it has, UFCSPA offers the students experiences that foment responsible and critical formation of individuals. It stands out that the "Story Telling Extension Program in Health Promotion", for 15 years, has a purpose to provide humanized practical experiences between students and patients, using literature to create health care. This way, the history of the extension in Brazil emphasizes its importance and the need for appreciation of the academic projects and programs through the investment of the IES in institutionalizing these activities, generating a beneficial union between the academic and social environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local manufacture of advanced pharmaceutical products has been a long-standing objective of health and industry policy in many developing countries, including in Latin America. This strategy has been applied to fight epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we still know little about the politics and governance that enable such arrangements, especially when there is no consent from the originator company. This study focuses on the case of Brazil, a country that is well-known for its health-industry policy, which includes the local production of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), a new treatment for hepatitis C. We seek to explain the factors that have contributed to Brazil’s successful production of generic versions of DAAs, and, later, to the decision by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to procure drugs from multinational pharmaceutical companies rather than from local laboratories. A lack of support for domestic production by important stakeholders, the patent holder’s attempt to block domestic production and the MoH’s adoption of more modern treatment guidelines under a different procurement logic all created an unfavourable environment for local production and procurement of DAAs. Our study draws implications for middle-income countries that wish to produce drugs domestically without voluntary license agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-based interventions are needed due to the low levels of physical activity (PA) in adolescents. The aim is to examine the mediation effects of psychosocial factors (attitude, self-efficacy, social support from parents, friends, general teachers, and PE teachers, and environment school perception) and moderation by sex, school grade, and socioeconomic level of a school-based PA intervention on the PA practice among adolescents. The Movimente Programme is a randomised controlled trial at schools in southern Brazil (n = 921 adolescents). Strategies included teacher training, educational actions, and environmental changes. Adolescents self-reported their weekly PA. Potential psychosocial mediators and moderators were investigated through validated questionnaires in a Brazilian sample. The product of the coefficients with percentile bootstrapping 95% confidence interval was performed. The Movimente Programme was related to positive changes in adolescents' perception of the school environment and social support from general and physical education teachers. Most psychosocial variables (attitude, self-efficacy, social support from friends, and social support from teachers) were associated with PA, but none mediated the impact of the Movimente Programme on PA. Results varied according to sex and school grade. The Movimente Programme increased the adolescents' perception of the school environment and social support from teachers, but no mediators were confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated a school dental health education on the oral hygiene status in Quilombolas of the Brazilian Amazon. This is a prospective study. We included schoolchildren aged from 5 to 12 years and carried out an oral health education program for 4 months, totaling eight workshops held in the community school that provided physical structure and material resources for their development. We evaluated oral hygiene before and after the intervention period through clinical examination with the instrument Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHI-S) is the combination of bacterial plaque indices. Before the intervention, all schoolchildren were instructed to use the plaque-revealing tablet after unsupervised toothbrushing and before any oral hygiene guidance given by the dentist who conducted the playful workshops on the premises of the school. Quantitative variables (OHI-S and age) with normal distribution (p > 0.05, Shapiro-Wilk test) are presented as means and standard deviations. Those with non-normal distribution (p < 0.05, Shapiro-Wilk test) are presented as medians and 25–75 percentiles. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for within-group comparisons. We observed a significant difference in the mean scores of the oral hygiene index simplified (p < 0.001) before and after the intervention and 56.25% of the participants improved their oral hygiene condition. The results of this study provide evidence to support the importance of personalized educational initiatives to promote oral health in marginalized groups. However, it is important to recognize the limitations of the study, such as the relatively small sample size and the lack of a control group, which may require further investigation in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]