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BACKGROUND: The 12 item-General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is the shortest version of GHQ. The questionnaire works as well as the longer instruments and is used more frequently in epidemiological surveys. It is an effective instrument for aging studies because of its brevity and absence of somatic symptoms. Previous studies of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were carried out in adult populations only, demonstrating two- and three-factor solutions. METHODS: This study involved 392 participants over 75 years old in a population-based survey in Bambui, Brazil. Both PCA and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were performed. In CFA, several factor structures were compared using different goodness-offit indices. (The association between factor scores of the model with the best fit and participant characteristics were analyzed by linear regression). RESULTS: PCA suggested a three-factor model. Graetz's three-factor solution (Anxiety Depression, Social Dysfunction and Loss of Confidence) was the best model in CFA according to goodness-of-fit indices. Activity limitation and poor self-reported global health were associated with the anxiety/depression and social dysfunction factors. Cognitive impairment and female gender were associated with social dysfunction. Loss of confidence was not associated with these or other relevant variables. CONCLUSION: The three-factor solution proposed by Graetz seems to be the best fit also for people over 75 years old. Further studies are needed to understand the conceptual and practical relevance of these underlying factors, particularly loss of confidence in the elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The influence of socio-economic conditions on covariates of depression has received little attention. AIMS: Examine whether prevalence and covariates of depressive symptoms are affected by socio-economic circumstances. METHODS: Participants were 1,499 (86%) residents in Bambuí city, Brazil, aged ->- 60 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the GHQ-12 questionnaire and exploratory variables included demographic characteristics, life events, social support, health conditions and health service use. The analysis was stratified by family income (< US$240.00 [lowest tertile] vs. ->- US$240.00). RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in those with lower income (43.9%) in comparison with the better off (27.7%). Dissatisfaction with relationships, worse self-rated health and insomnia were independently associated with depressive symptoms in both income groups (OR from 2.00 to 4.74; p < 0.05). Depressive symptoms were associated with number of chronic diseases, functional disability and hospitalizations among the poorer (OR from 1.73 to 2.37; p < 0.05), while old age (OR 2.08) and female gender (OR 2.03) were associated with depressive symptoms among the better off. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their covariates are influenced by socio-economic conditions in a population with slight income differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Two-phase diagnostic surveys are popular in psychiatric epidemiology. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) are commonly used to screen in older and younger populations, respectively.Method: In Phase I, in this Brazilian population-based study, we screened 392 participants aged >or= 75 years. In Phase II, half of those scoring >or= 11 in the GDS and >or= 4 in the GHQ and 20% of others were selected for detailed evaluation with ICD-10 diagnoses assessed by the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) (n = 126).Results: Internal consistencies were good for all scales. At the optimal cut-off points GDS-30 (14/15) yielded 73% sensitivity and 65% specificity, while classical GHQ (4/5), Likert (15/16) and c-GHQ (5/6) yielded 66-75% sensitivity and 57-62% specificity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis against SCAN indicated only moderate screening potential [area under the ROC curve (AUROC): GDS = 0.76; classical GHQ = 0.74; Likert = 0.76; c-GHQ = 0.73], with no statistically significant differences. All measures were biased by disability and self-reported health.Conclusions: In this study, neither screen was sufficiently predictive of SCAN ICD-10 diagnosis to recommend their use in two-phase surveys. Despite its theoretical advantages, the GDS-30 performed no better than the GHQ-12, and was biased in similar ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To understand the perception of different actors involved in the older adults care process in the intersectoral strategy of the Programa Maior Cuidado (PMC - Greater Care Program), aiming at the development of actions that contribute to the improvement of the services provided., Methods: Eleven qualitative interviews guided by a semi-structured script were conducted in 2020 with key informants directly involved in the PMC: the older adults and their families, caregivers, health professionals and social assistance. In addition, to understand the functioning and proposals of the PMC, a documentary analysis was also carried out with the tracking of existing information on the guidelines, protocols, and management instruments. The content analysis technique was used to classify textual data, and the interpretation process was mediated by the theoretical-methodological framework of hermeneutic anthropology., Results: Two categories were identified: "Repercussions of the care offered by the PMC: the 'little' that makes a difference" and "Problems beyond the PMC: the limits of family care in the face of violence against the older adults". For all interviewees, the perception the PMC is very necessary is unison, being able to minimize the occurrence of health problems and avoid transfers of the older adults to hospitals and Long Stay Institutions for the Elderly (Instituição de Longa Permanência - ILPI in Portuguese). Chronic comorbidities increase the demands of health care and generate situations that can be managed by the PMC caregiver. Population aging requires the planning of strategies and public policies aimed at providing continuous care for the older adults, including those living in communities. The PMC emerges as an intersectoral alternative to assist in this issue., Conclusions: The PMC can be considered a good practice model to be expanded to other locations, however there are gaps that need to be rediscussed so that its processes are improved and its results enhanced.

The present study sought to understand how frail older adults perceive their therapeutic care itineraries. This qualitative research was based on Critical Medical Anthropology. Data were collected through interviews in the homes of 22 older adults, whose average age was 79. The emic analysis was guided by the model of Signs, Meanings, and Actions. All interviewees expressed access to professional care in their trajectories, which are understood as insufficient, unprepared, prejudiced, uncomfortable, contradictory, (un)accessible, realization, respectful, and excessive. Therapeutic itineraries were also revealed in the psychosocial and cultural spheres. Several day-to-day actions were evaluated and interpreted in the record of self-care and justified by this end: the time they wake up, sleep, what they eat, and how they behave. They face the lack of care policies in their trajectories, labeling their bodies as undesirable due to physical, symbolic, communicational, attitudinal, systematic, cultural, and political barriers. Thus, they bring to light therapeutic pluralism, challenges, confrontations, insistence, and resistance in maintaining care when experiencing old age with frailties.

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with paid work, after the dam failure, based on geographic strata, among men and women residing in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais., Methods: Baseline data from participants of the Brumadinho Health Project, aged 18 years or older, obtained through a questionnaire, between July and November 2021 (n=2,783) were used. The dependent variable was paid work after the dam failure and the explanatory variables were geographic stratum, age, education, race/skin color, self-perception of health and employment relationship before the event. The adjusted analysis was estimated by logistic regression. All analyses were performed separately for men and women., Results: Paid work after the dam failure was reported by 58.3% (95%CI 55.0-61.6) of the participants, with the highest prevalence among men (71.4%; 95%CI 67.1-75.3) compared to women (48.6%; 95%CI 44.3-52.8) (p<0.001). After adjustments, the results showed that the population who was directly exposed to the disaster was less likely to have a paid work after it, both for women (OR=0.68; 95%CI 0.48-0.95) and for men (OR=0.48; 95%CI 0.30-0.78). In addition, women directly exposed to the disaster and who reported being self-employed before it were less likely to have a paid work, compared to women who reported being employed with or without a formal contract., Conclusion: Participation in the labor market is determined by several factors. Thus, intersectoral policies are necessary the population's demands of life and work are met in disaster situations.

Objective: In January 2019 a dam at the Córrego do Feijão mine suffered a catastrophic failure that killed 270 people and caused extensive damage. It is unknown how exposure to such a disaster might affect healthcare utilization., Methods: We assessed survey data from the Brumadinho Health Project, a cohort study that includes people who were exposed to the dam failure and two comparison groups: people unexposed to mining or the disaster and people from a mining community, but not exposed to the disaster. Main outcomes include any doctor visit or hospitalization in the past year, having a usual source of healthcare, having blood pressure and blood sugar checked, and being up to date with vaccinations, for adults 18 years and over. We used survey-weighted robust Poisson regression to assess differences between those exposed and the two comparison groups while controlling for confounders., Results: In multivariable models, the exposed group had a 15% higher chance of having a doctor visit than the unexposed group. For hospitalization and reports of blood pressure and blood sugar assessments, there was no significant difference among any of the groups. The exposed group had a 24% higher chance and the unexposed mining community had a 143% higher chance of being up to date with immunizations, as compared to the unexposed group., Conclusion: There were some differences in healthcare utilization among individuals exposed to the dam failure. Continued monitoring of the situation is warranted, as the full consequences of such a traumatic event may take considerable time to unfold.

Objective: To describe the consumption of psychotropic drugs in the adult population residing in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, after the Vale dam collapse, which occurred in 2019., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, part of the Brumadinho Health Project, developed in 2021, with a representative population-based sample of adults (18 years and over) residing in Brumadinho. A total of 2,805 adults with information on self-reported use of psychotropic drugs (antidepressants and anxiolytics-hypnotics/sedatives) in the last 15 days were included in the analysis. The prevalence of psychotropic drug use was estimated, and the most used psychotropic drugs were identified. Pearson's chi-square test (with Rao-Scott correction) was used to test associations between exposures and use of psychotropic drugs, considering a significance level of p<0.05., Results: The use of antidepressants (14.2%) was more common than the use of anxiolytics or hypnotics/sedatives (5.2%), with sertraline and fluoxetine being the most used antidepressants. The use of anxiolytics and hypnotics/sedatives was higher among residents who lived in the area directly affected by the dam's mud, and the use of any psychotropic drug was higher among those who lost a relative/friend in the disaster and assessed that their health worsened after the disaster, and among women., Conclusion: The results of the study corroborate what was observed in other populations exposed to similar tragedies, regarding the pattern of associations and the of use of psychotropic drugs.

Objective: To examine the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and associated factors in the adult population of Brumadinho (MG), after the dam collapse., Methods: We included 2,740 participants with information about symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, thoughts of death/self-harm, and poor sleep quality collected in 2021. Prevalence values of all conditions were estimated to compare the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms with the participants' sociodemographic characteristics and place of residence. Pearson's c2 test was used, with Rao Scott's correction. Crude and adjusted logistic regressions estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals to assess the association between psychiatric symptoms and participants' characteristics., Results: The most common condition was depressive symptoms (29.3%), followed by post-traumatic stress symptoms (22.9%) and anxious symptoms (18.9%). Regarding the association between participants' characteristics in the adjusted analysis, being a female and living in a mining area was positively associated with symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, thoughts of death/self-harm, and poor sleep quality. A positive association was also found between high school education and post-traumatic stress symptoms. In contrast a negative association was found between being aged ≥60 years and symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety., Conclusion: High prevalence values were found for all psychiatric symptoms after the dam failure in Brumadinho. Being a female, living in the mining area, being ≥60 years old, and having an educational level were all associated with the psychiatric symptoms investigated.

Objective: To present the methodological aspects of the Brumadinho Health Project and to describe the epidemiological profile of participants in the baseline cohort., Methods: Prospective, population-based cohort study in a representative sample of residents (aged 12 and over) of Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, after a mining tailings dam failure. Information for the baseline was collected in 2021, two years after the mining tailings dam collapsed, including sociodemographic, health and service use aspects, among others. Prevalence estimates of health outcomes were described in Brumadinho, as well as in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte and Minas Gerais, using data from the 2019 National Health Survey. All analyses were performed in the software Stata 17.0, considering the sampling weights and design effect., Results: 3,080 (86.4%) residents participated in the study, most of them being females (56.7%) and with a mean age of 46.1 years. The diseases more frequently reported were arterial hypertension (30.1%), high cholesterol (23.1%) and depression (22.5%), similarly to what was observed in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte and Minas Gerais, although the prevalence in Brumadinho was higher. At least one medical appointment and one hospitalization occurred in 75.2% and 9.4% of residents in the past year, respectively., Conclusion: It is important to monitor health, physical and mental conditions of residents after the occurrence of a disaster of this magnitude. This information can contribute with risk management of these processes, not only in the affected municipality, but also in other areas where populations are at risk of major disasters.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of multimorbidity and sociodemographic and residential factors associated with this condition among adults living in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais., Methods: Cross-sectional study with baseline data from the Brumadinho Health Project, conducted in 2021 and comprising 2,777 individuals aged 18 years and over. The outcome variable was multimorbidity, defined by the existence of two or more of 20 chronic diseases. The exploratory variables were sex, age group, educational level, skin color and area of residence according to the dam failure. The association between exploratory variables and multimorbidity was assessed by logistic regression., Results: The prevalence of multimorbidity was 53.8% (95%CI 50.6-56.9). A greater chance of multimorbidity was found among women (adjusted OR=2.5; 95%CI 1.9-3.2), in participants aged between 40 and 59 (adjusted OR=2.8; 95%CI 1.8-4.3) or 60 years and older (adjusted OR=7.9; 95%CI 4.7-13.4) and in residents of the areas that were directly affected by the dam failure (adjusted OR=1.6; 95%CI 1.3-2.0)., Conclusion: The burden of multimorbidity on the population of Brumadinho requires effective preventive measures and actions to the whole population, but mainly to the most vulnerable groups, that is, women, middle-aged and older individuals, and those directly affected by the dam failure, in addition to a timely provision of health care to reverse this situation.

Objective: To analyze the food consumption patterns of residents of Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil, according to sociodemographic characteristics, neighborhood and area of residence., Methods: Cross-sectional study with baseline data from the Brumadinho Health Project, conducted with 2,805 adult individuals. The healthy food consumption markers analyzed were: fruits and vegetables (FV), beans and fish; the unhealthy markers were: sweets and soda/artificial juices, whole-fat milk and red meat with visible fat or chicken with skin. Prevalence values and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for the total sample and according to sociodemographic characteristics, presence of commercial establishments with varieties of FV in the neighborhood and area of residence affected by the dam failure., Results: Among the healthy food consumption markers, the most common was beans (81.6%), and among the unhealthy ones, whole-fat milk (68.8%) and red meat with visible fat/chicken with skin (61.1%). Women were more prone to higher consumption of FV, while men, of beans and fish; the prevalence of these markers was higher among individuals with higher education degrees and higher incomes. Unhealthy eating markers were more prevalent among men, younger people, individuals with lower educational level and lower incomes, and residents in an area directly affected by the dam failure or in a mining region., Conclusion: Less than half of the participants were considered to follow regular or recommended consumption of healthy eating markers, except for beans. Individual characteristics and area of residence were associated with individuals' food consumption patterns and should be taken into account in actions to promote adequate and healthy eating.

Objective: To identify factors associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory symptoms, in Brumadinho, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, after a dam rupture., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, including a representative sample of adults (aged 18 years and over) in the municipality. Associations were assessed between dependent variables (medical diagnosis of asthma and COPD; symptoms of wheezing, dry cough, and nose irritation) and exploratory variables (sex, age group, smoking habit, having worked at Vale S.A. company before the dam rupture, time and area of residence in relation to the dam rupture). Logistic regression models with odds ratio (OR) calculation and 95% confidence interval were used., Results: We identified a prevalence of 7.2% of asthma; 3.5% of COPD; 8.8% of wheezing; 23.6% of dry cough; and 31.8% of nose irritation. We observed a greater chance of asthma among women and residents in the affected and mining regions, while a greater chance of COPD was observed in smokers and in those with longer time of residence in the municipality. Among the symptoms, we verified a higher chance of nose irritation among women, while a higher chance of wheezing and dry cough were found among smokers (current and former). Residents of regions affected by the mud reported a greater chance of presenting all the analyzed symptoms. Conversely, level of education was negatively associated with wheezing and dry cough., Conclusion: We found respiratory changes and identified the groups most vulnerable to developing them, which could contribute to directing actions to reduce the population's respiratory problems.

Background: Cognitive impairment and physical frailty are common among older adults and associated with a higher likelihood of adverse health outcomes. These two conditions frequently coexist in the same individual as cognitive frailty, yet few studies have examined the impact of such comorbidity on clinical outcomes or underlying biological mechanisms., Methods: A total of 1,340 older adults (age ≥60 years old) from the Bambui Cohort Study of Ageing, with a total follow-up of 10 years, were included in this study. Frailty was defined by the accumulation of deficit framework and cognitive impairment based on scores on the MMSE less than 22. In addition, serum IL-6 levels were measured by cytometric bead array assay., Results: Individuals classified with cognitive frailty had significantly higher serum IL-6 levels compared to the robust, cognitively unimpaired group. Those with cognitive frailty (aOR = 1.97 [1.18-3.27] and prefrailty and cognitive impairment (aOR = 1.83 [1.24-2.69]) had the highest mortality risk over 10 years of follow-up. Higher IL-6 levels were also independently associated with a higher mortality rate (aOR = 1.37 [1.23-1.54])., Conclusion: Our study shows that cognitive Frailty indicates a vulnerability state and of increasing mortality risk. Our findings also suggested that proinflammatory abnormalities can be viewed as a central phenomenon underlying common age-related problems (e.g., cognitive impairment and Frailty) and outcomes (e.g., mortality)., (Copyright © 2022 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to investigate the association between social capital and functional disability, based on a longitudinal perspective, using data from the cohort of older adults from Bambuí, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The baseline of this study was composed of all surviving and disability-free - up until the seventh year of follow-up (2004) - older adults who were followed up until 2011. The outcome variable was functional disability for basic activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), separately analyzed. Social capital was the exposure of interest, measured through its cognitive (cohesion and social support) and structural (social participation and satisfaction with the neighborhood) components. Sociodemographic variables, health conditions, and lifestyle habits were used for adjustment purposes, and the occurrence of death was considered a competitive event. The hypothesis of association between social capital and functional disability was tested using the competing risk model, which provides hazard ratios (HR) and a 95% confidence interval (95%CI). After multivariate analysis, social capital - in its structural component - was associated with functional disability. Older adults who were dissatisfied with the neighborhood had a higher risk of developing functional disability for IADL (HR = 2.36; 95%CI: 1.31-4.24), in relation to their counterparts. This study results suggest that functional disability is associated with aspects other than health, evidencing the need for the development of policies and interventions that support aspects related to the physical and social environment in which older adults live.

The present study analyzed the profile of publications related to the health of the older adults in the Journal Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, in terms of quantitative evolution, methodological approach, thematic and institutions involved. The selection of articles considered the title, abstract and descriptors and covered all the content published between 1996 and 2019. The articles included were classified according to the year of publication, type, theme, methodological approach and institutional link of the first author. Data analysis was based on absolute and relative frequencies, in addition to summary (mean) and variability (standard deviation) measures. The results showed a consistent increase in publications on the health of the older adults in the Journal Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, with a predominance of the quantitative approach, mainly focused on investigating the topic related to health conditions and the use of health services and supplies. In the majority, the main author was linked to a public teaching/research institution, located in the Southeast region. The results indicate that the journal contributed to give greater visibility to the health of the older adults, but that the publications on this theme reproduce the inequality observed in the national scientific production.

Pain involves sociocultural and psychosocial dimensions that influence the experience and expression of the pain phenomenon, as well as the human and technological resources required for its care. This article seeks to understand the meaning attributed by elderly people to care of the person in old age who experiences pain and discuss it from the approach to pain in public health practices. The research was developed using a qualitative anthropological approach and based on the intersubjective contact between the researcher and the individuals researched. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 57 elderly people. The methodology of Signs, Meanings and Actions governed the collection and analysis of the data to investigate behavior associated with pain. The meaning of care of pain in public health practices was observed in three analytical categories, namely pain in the context of life, language in the care of the person in pain, and the pain inflicted in care practices. The care of pain in health care is not limited to the organic aspect, but it mobilizes the whole existence of the elderly person, interferes in the communicative process and causes suffering. Care of pain must include the users in the therapeutic process and mobilize them to regain control over their lives.

The increasing numbers of people at very old ages pose specific policy challenges for health and social care and highlight the need to rethink established models of service provision. The main objective of this paper is to introduce the concept of "avoidable displacement from home" (ADH). The study argues that ADH builds on and adds value to existing concepts, offering a holistic, person-centered framework for integrated health and social care provision for older people. It also demonstrates that this framework can be applied across different levels, ranging from macro policymaking to organizational and individual decision-making. The paper pays attention to the Brazilian context but argues that ADH is a universally applicable concept.

Background: Benzodiazepines are the most widely used psychoactive drugs, despite the risks associated with their prolonged use, especially among older adults., Objective: To investigate the use of benzodiazepines among community-dwelling people aged ≥ 75 years., Methods: The study was conducted among members of the baseline (in 1997) and survivors (in 2012) of the Bambuí Project cohort. The prevalence of benzodiazepine use was estimated separately for each year, and the comparison between them was performed using the Poisson regression model with robust variance., Results: The prevalence of benzodiazepine use was higher in 2012 (33.9%) compared to 1997 (24.9%). After multiple adjustments, the difference in prevalence did not remain significant in study population (PR = 1.25; 95%CI 0.99 - 1.60), unlike that observed in the female stratum (PR = 1.38; 95%CI 1.04 - 1.84). Clonazepam was the strongest-growing drug between the two years (PR = 4.94; 95%CI 2.54 - 9.62)., Conclusion: This study showed an important increase in benzodiazepine use in an older adult population. These results are concerning as these drugs are contraindicated for use in older adults, mainly if used chronically, and are available in the national list of essential medicines. Health professionals should be aware of the risks involved in its use regarding this population.

In old age, the ailing patient's body becomes estranged and reveals an awareness of alterity. This paper investigates how the body of the elderly addresses the estrangement as a subject, producing its own actions in the experience of disease and practice of public health. The research, developed using the qualitative approach of an anthropological nature, is based on the assumptions of ethnography. Individual interviews with a semi-structured script in the universe of 57 elderly people were conducted. The methodology of Signs, Meanings and Actions oriented the data collection and analysis enabling the investigation of representations and concrete behaviors associated with the otherness of the body. There was the sense of production of otherness in relation to two analytical categories associated with aging and disease. A split between the active body of the memory and another experienced with limitations in the present is detected, reflecting the confrontation of self-care and adherence to treatment. The body of the elderly individual is heir to a body image that remodels constantly, depriving the elderly of their place as contemporary owners of their bodies, as they become other persons.

Background: Both diabetes and depression increase the mortality risk in the elderly. In this study, we evaluated mortality risk associated with the comorbidity between depression and diabetes. We also assessed the moderating role of inflammation in the mortality risk in this population., Methods: We included a total of 1,183 community-dwelling older adults, divided into four groups: "neither diabetes nor depression"; "diabetes only"; "depression only," and "both diabetes and depression," and followed-up for a median of 13.5 years. We evaluated the inflammatory status by the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels. Date of death was computed by reviewing death certificates. We used Cox's proportional hazards models and additive interactions to evaluate the risk of mortality in the subject groups and the moderating effect of hs-CRP., Results: Participants with both diabetes and depression had higher death risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.59-3.42) than those with each condition alone (HR diabetes: 2.08 95% CI: 1.56-2.76 HR depression: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03-1.54). High level of hs-CRP, indicative of high inflammatory status, significantly moderated the risk of mortality in subjects with both diabetes and depression (Bonferroni-adjusted p = 0.0116)., Conclusions: The coexistence of diabetes and depression symptoms is associated with the highest death risk in this population. This risk is moderated by inflammatory status., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This study aimed to measure the contribution of selected health behaviors to the prevalence of hypertension control in Brazilian adults 50 years or older, based on data from the ELSI-Brasil study. The study included 4,318 individuals 50 years or older who reported having received a medical diagnosis of hypertension and were taking antihypertensive medication. The selected health behaviors were: physical activity, healthy diet, not consuming excessive alcohol, and never having smoked. The contribution of each health behavior to prevalence of hypertension control was estimated by the attribution method, via adjustment of the binomial additive hazards model, stratified by sex. Prevalence of hypertension control was 50.7% (95%CI: 48.2; 53.1). Overall, health behaviors made a larger contribution to hypertension control in women (66.3%) than in men (36.2%). Moderate alcohol consumption made the largest contribution in both sexes, but particularly in women (52.7% in women versus 19% in men). Physical activity contributed 12.6% in women and 10.7% in men. The other behaviors were more relevant in men: never having smoked (3.4%) and regular consumption of vegetables, legumes, and fruits (3.1%). These results underline the need for measures to promote the adoption of healthy behaviors by hypertensive individuals to reduce blood pressure levels, improve the effectiveness of antihypertensive medication, and decrease their cardiovascular risk.

The aim of this study was to verify whether social capital is a predictor of all-cause mortality in community-dwelling elderly Brazilians. Participation included 935 surviving elderly from the elderly cohort of the Bambui Project in 2004, who were followed until 2011. The outcome was all-cause mortality and the exposure of interest was social capital, measured in its two components, cognitive (social cohesion and social support) and structural (social participation and neighborhood satisfaction). Sociodemographic variables, health conditions, and smoking were included in the analysis for adjustment purposes. Data analysis was based on the Cox proportional hazards model, providing hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). The social participation dimension of social capital's structural component was the only dimension independently associated with mortality: elderly Brazilians that did not participate in social groups or associations showed a two-fold higher risk of death (HR = 2.28; 95%CI: 1.49-3.49) compared to their peers. The study's results reveal the need to extend interventions beyond the specific field of health in order to promote longevity, focusing on environmental and social characteristics.

Objective: Investigate whether the use of psychoactive drugs would be a predictor of incidence of functional disability among seniors living in community., Methods: It is a population-based longitudinal study, developed between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2011, with older adults living in community. The association between the use of psychoactive drugs and the development of functional disability for instrumental (IADLs) and basic (BADLs) activities of daily living was tested using the extended Cox proportional hazards model, which considers the measure of exposure of interest throughout the follow-up period. The analyses were stratified by sex and adjusted by sociodemographic characteristics, health behavior and health conditions., Results: After multivariate adjustment, the use of two or more psychoactive drugs in the female stratum was associated with disability for both IADLs (HR = 1.58; 95%CI 1.17-2.13) and BADLs (HR = 1.43; 95%CI 1.05-1.94), the use of benzodiazepines was associated with disability for IADLs (HR = 1.32; 95%CI 1.07-1.62), and the use of antidepressants was associated with disability for both IADLs (HR = 1.51; 95%CI 1.16-1.98) and BADLs (HR = 1.44; 95%CI 1.10-1.90). In the male stratum, the use of antipsychotics was associated with disability for IADLs (HR = 3.14; 95%CI 1.49-6.59)., Conclusions: The study showed a prospective association between the use of psychoactive drugs and functional disability. These results indicate the need to carefully assess the prescription of psychoactive drugs for older adults and monitor their usage in order to detect damages to the health of users.

The objective of this study was to understand how physicians at the largest emergency department in a large Brazilian city orient care for critical patients with suspected brain death and who are potential organ donors. This ethnographic study was conducted in an emergency care hospital, a reference in traumatology in Latin America, located in downtown Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State. The institution took pioneering steps in Brazil with a specific sector where patients with suspected brain death are referred. The fieldwork was performed over the course of nine months, based on targeted observations and interviews with 43 on-duty staff physicians (25 men and 18 women), from 28 and 69 years of age. Data analysis followed the "signs, meanings, and actions" model. The ethnography revealed the process of medical care for patients with suspected brain death, including: intensive care, adherence to protocol, and communicating the patient's status to the family. In the latter case, the dialogue reveals the controversies in the concept of brain death, the sociocultural context, and the emergency care context. It became clear that this process of medical care extrapolates merely normative issues, entering into a complex web of elements, especially the professional's role as mediator of a myriad of interwoven elements and tensions. Between confirmation of the brain death and communicating the situation to the family, ambivalent perceptions emerge, both for the physicians and the family members. The study evidenced how the tenuous definition of what constitutes life and death touches on all of the medical act, with direct implications on care for patients/potential donors and their families.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of adequate control of hypertension among older adults and to examine its association with predisposing and enabling factors and the need to use health services., Methods: The analysis was carried out with 4,148 participants (≥ 50 years) from the baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil), who reported being hypertensive and using antihypertensive medication. Adequate control of hypertension was defined as systolic and diastolic blood pressure below 140 mmHg and 90 mmHg, respectively. The following exploratory variables were included: age, sex, health behaviors, and body mass index (predisposing factors); region of residence, rural or urban residence, education level, socioeconomic status of the household, and coverage by private health plan (enabling factors); and medical diagnosis of diabetes (need). The multivariate analysis was performed using Poisson regression and binary logistic regression., Results: The prevalence of adequate control of hypertension was equal to 51.1% (95%CI 48.5-53.6). After adjusting for potential confounders, we observed statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) for education level > 4 years [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.12 in relation to the lowest level], highest quintile of the socioeconomic status (PR = 1.22 in relation to the lowest quintile), coverage by private health plan (PR = 1.13), residence in the South (PR = 1.19) and Midwest regions (PR = 1.20) in relation to the Southeast region, and obesity (PR = 1.10)., Conclusions: Half of the population studied had adequate control of hypertension. The improvement of this control is an important challenge, which should consider overcoming social and regional inequalities associated with it.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with cost-related underuse of medications in a nationally representative sample of Brazilians aged 50 years and over., Methods: Among the 9,412 participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil), 6,014 reported using at least one medication on regular basis and were included in the analysis. Underuse of medications was by stopping taking or reducing the number of tablets or the dose of any prescribed medication for financial reasons. The theoretical framework used for the selection of the exploratory variables included predisposing factors, enabling factors, and factors of need. Associations were tested by Poisson regression., Results: The prevalence of underuse of medications was 10.6%. After adjustments for relevant covariables, positive and statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) with the outcome were found for females [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.39], sufficiency of the family income for expenses (PR = 1.74 for sometimes and PR 2.42 for never), frequency with which the physician explains about the disease and treatment (PR = 1.31 for rarely or never), number of medications used (PR = 1.39 for 2-4 and 1.53 for 5 or more), fair (PR = 2.02) and poor or very poor self-rated health (PR = 2.92), and a previous medical diagnosis of depression (PR = 1.69). Negative associations were observed for the age groups of 60-79 years (PR = 0.75) and 80 years and over (PR = 0.43), socioeconomic status of the household (PR = 0.70, 0.79, and 0.60 for the second, third, and fourth quartile, respectively), and private health plan coverage (PR = 0.79). There were no associations between hypertension and self-reported diabetes and underuse of medications., Conclusions: Cost-related underuse of medications is multidimensional and complex, and it covers socio-demographic characteristics, health conditions, and the use of health services. The explanation about the disease and its treatment to the patient and the expansion of the universal access to pharmaceutical care can minimize the risks of underuse.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of the practice of physical activity (PA) among older Brazilian adults and associated factors. In addition, potential effect modifiers of the association between PA and age were investigated., Methods: We have analyzed data from 8,736 participants (92.8%) aged 50 and older from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil). Physical activity was measured using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The outcome variable was defined as at least 150 minutes of weekly activities in all domains. The exploratory variables were age, sex, education, ethnicity, marital status, number of chronic diseases and medical appointments, and knowledge about or participation in public programs that encourage physical activity. Logistic regression and estimates of predicted probabilities were performed., Results: The prevalence of recommended levels of physical activity was 67.0% (95%CI 64.3-69.5). Physical activity was associated with age [odds ratio (OR) = 0.97; 95%CI 0.96-0.98], higher educational level (OR = 1.27; 95%CI 1.11-1.45 for 4-7 years and OR = 1.52; 95%CI 1.28-1.81 for eight years or more), participants who were married/ in a long term relationship (OR = 1.22; 95%CI 1.08-1.38), and those who reported knowledge about (OR = 1.34; 95%CI 1.16-1.54) or participation in (OR = 1.78; 95%CI 1.34-2.36) a program aimed at the practice of physical activity. Women and those with lower educational level (p value for interaction < 0.05) reported lower physical activity levels., Conclusions: In addition to the association with marital status and health promotion programs, there were significant sex and educational level inequalities in physical activity decline later in life. These findings help the identification of groups more vulnerable to decreased physical activity levels with aging, as well as the planning of health promotion strategies, especially in older groups.

Differences in the perceptions of treatment between healthcare team and patients should be identified, aiming to provide a more humanised health care. We sought to understand and evaluate the concepts regarding oral health and dental care among haematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients, from both sexes, in the post-haematopoietic stem cell transplant stage, who underwent dental treatment. All interviews were recorded and transcribed, respecting the spelling and syntax used by the interviewees. A thematic content analysis was performed, and three themes were assessed: what is oral health, why was pre-transplant dental treatment performed, and what was the relevance of dental treatment for the haematopoietic stem cell transplant. Oral health was understood as the act of dental care through oral hygiene. The reason for performing prior dental treatment involves strict guidelines for transplants, and when questioned as to the importance of the dental treatment for transplants, the interviewed subjects' statements focused on the prevention of infections during the low-immunity stage. The individuals saw dental treatment as a step towards a successful transplant; their main concerns were not to re-establish their oral health, but rather to end the dental treatment as quickly as possible., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether religiousness and social support were associated with the use of antidepressants among community-dwelling elders. The research involved 1,606 older adults who make up the cohort of Bambuí Project, a study on ageing and health. The dependent variable was the use of antidepressants in the last 90 days, and the exposures of interest were social support and religiousness. Logistic regression was used to test the associations and to estimate crude and adjusted Odds Ratio and their 95% confidence intervals. The chances of use of antidepressants were significantly lower among older people with higher level of religiosity (OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.70), but none of the descriptors social support was associated with the event. In this population, it is possible that religion occupies a prominent role in the arsenal of health problems coping strategies, especially mental. Health professionals attending this particular segment of the population (elderly people with depressive disorders) should consider religiousness of patients when the proposed guidelines and treatment in coping with their mental suffering.

Background: Disability is a concern in the context of population ageing. The extent of an individual's disability is a major determinant of whether or not they require long-term care or survival time. We investigated the effect of three disability domains as predictors of all-cause mortality over 15-year follow-up in a Brazilian socioeconomically disadvantaged and multiracial older adult population., Methods: We estimated Cox proportional hazards models using data from 1333 community-dwelling individuals aged 60 and older from the Bambuí Cohort Study of Ageing. Disability was defined as a great difficulty or not being able to perform one and two or more activities in each domain: mobility, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and basic activities of daily living (BADL)., Results: The overall mortality rate was 46.1 per 1000 person-years at risk (pyrs) and it was higher in men. Among men, the fully adjusted Hazard Ratios (HRs) were 1.92 (95%CI: 1.43-2.58), 2.07 (95%CI: 1.53-2.79) and 1.65 (95%CI: 1.11-2.45), and among women 1.75 (95%CI: 1.38-2.21), 1.43 (95%CI: 1.11-1.84) and 1.43 (95%CI: 1.05-1.95), for two or more disability in mobility tasks, IADLs and BADLs, respectively, compared to those with no difficulty or some difficulty to perform all the tasks., Conclusion: A similar risk of death for mobility, IADL and BADL in both genders was found, suggesting that any of these domains can be used to identify risk of all-cause mortality among older adults. The number of activities with limitations in each domain was an important factor., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze how physicians, as part of a sociocultural group, handle the different types of death, in a metropolitan emergency service., Methods: This is an ethnography carried out in one of the largest emergency services in Latin America. We have collected the data for nine months with participant observation and interviews with 43 physicians of different specialties - 25 men and 18 women, aged between 28 and 69 years., Results: The analysis, guided by the model of Signs, Meanings, and Actions, shows a vast mosaic of situations and issues that permeate the medical care in an emergency unit. The results indicate that physicians may consider one death more difficult than another, depending on the criteria: age, identification or not with the patient, circumstances of the death, and medical questioning as to their responsibility in the death process., Conclusions: For physicians, no death is easy. Each death can be more or less difficult, depending on different criteria that permeate the medical care in an emergency unit, and it reveals different social, ethical, and moral issues.

: Ethnography is the principal research method in Anthropology. With a broad scope, it allows using different data collection techniques and incorporates elements observed and obtained in the field into the analysis. In Public Health, it can contribute to understanding the health/disease process and health professionals' and patients' values and attitudes in different healthcare settings. The aim of this article is to present and discuss the ethnographic method based on an empirical study of physicians' hospital work in the face of the limits between life and death. Data collection involved nine months of participant observation and interviews with 43 physicians (25 men and 18 women), 28 to 69 years of age, treating critical patients in different departments of a metropolitan emergency hospital. The various social and cultural aspects experienced by the researcher and obtained from the interlocutors in the field provide a dense description of this hospital ethnography.

This research sought to understand meanings and implications of the stigma related to bipolar disorder in relation to social processes and local cultural value systems. Seven semidirected individual interviews were performed with psychiatrists (from Belo Horizonte city, Minas Gerais State, Brazil) and analyzed with referential from the Medical Anthropology. Some potential stigmatizing views about bipolar disorder patients were endorsed by respondents related to biomedical model of bipolar disorder. They claimed about the extreme trivialization of this diagnosis nowadays and observed that, in spite of the mitigation of stigma related to bipolar disorder over time, it remains an important issue, especially at labor fields and as a cause of refusal of treatment.

In most studies, body mass index (BMI) has been used as the main measurement of nutritional status. However, BMI does not differentiate between body fat and muscle mass., Objective: To investigate the association between nutritional status and cognitive impairment in a population of Brazilian elderly., Methods: Participants (n=1,496) from the Bambuí Cohort Study of Aging were selected based on the results for the two variables nutritional status and cognitive impairment (MMSE score). Gender, age, education, lifestyle, ApoE, chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, current use of hypnotic or sedative medication and functional disability were used as confounding factors for adjusting the logistic regression., Results: Cognitive impairment was associated with lower BMI (OR: 0.91; CI: 0.86-0.95), waist circumference (OR: 0.97; CI: 0.95-0.99), triceps skinfold thickness (OR: 0.92; CI: 0.89-0.96) among the younger participants (60-69 years), while lower arm muscle circumference (OR: 0.88; CI: 0.80-0.98) and corrected arm muscle area (OR: 0.96; CI: 0.93-0.99) were associated with cognitive impairment among the older participants (70 years and over)., Conclusion: There was a difference of association between anthropometric measures and cognitive impairment after stratifying by age group. In the group aged between 60 and 69, cognitive impairment was associated with measures related to fat mass, while in the group aged over 70, cognitive impairment was associated with measures related to muscle mass. This finding suggests that investigation of nutritional status in the elderly using anthropometric measures should not be restricted only to the use of BMI, and should also, differ according to age., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.