Ana Carolina Araújo

Portuguese children's exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke in the family car

OBJECTIVES To assess the prevalence of childrens exposure to second-hand smoke in the family car; to compare exposure among children with smoking and non-smoking parents. METHODS In 2011, a self-administered questionnaire was applied to a 4th grade Portuguese children national sample (N=3187, mean age 9.5 ± 0.7, 51.1% boys). Prevalence rates and chi-square tests were computed. RESULTS Of the participants, 52.0% reported having, at least, one smoking parent. Overall exposure in the car was 28.9% (95% CI 27.3-30.5). Childrens exposure among those reporting smoking parents was 46.9% (95% CI 44.4-49.4); and 8.6% (95% CI 7.1-10.1) among those reporting non-smoking parents (p<.001). Therefore, children with smoking parents were 5.44 times more likely to be exposed. CONCLUSIONS Childrens exposure to second-hand smoke in the family car is frequent, especially if one or both parents smoke. This highlights the need for effective tobacco control measures to prevent this severe health hazard.

Prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure in asthmatic children at home and in the car: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE To compare secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) prevalence at home and inside the car between asthmatic and non-asthmatic Portuguese children. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a cross-sectional study that assessed childrens SHSe in a representative sample of nine Portuguese cities. A validated self-reported questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 4th grade students during the school year of 2010/2011. The asthma prevalence was defined by the answers to three questions regarding asthma symptoms, medication and inhaler use. We performed chi-square tests and analysed frequencies, contingency tables, confidence intervals, and odd-ratios. RESULTS The self-reported questionnaire was administered to 3187 students. Asthma prevalence was 14.8% (472 students). Results showed that 32.3% of non-asthmatic children and 32.4% of asthmatic children were exposed to secondhand smoke as at least one of their household members smoked at home. The prevalence of parental smoking, smoking among fathers and smoking among mothers at home was also similar in both groups (asthmatic and non-asthmatic children). SHSe inside the car was 18.6% among non-asthmatic children and 17.9% among asthmatic children. CONCLUSIONS Asthmatic and non-asthmatic children were equally exposed to secondhand smoke, because no significant differences were found between the two groups concerning the prevalence of SHSe at home and inside the car. These findings highlight the need to include SHSe brief advice in paediatric asthma management.

Traffic risk behaviour: an observational study of drivers’ behaviour in Braga (Portugal)

Traffic accidents are a serious public health problem which causes a high number of deaths and injuries. In Portugal, 32,299 traffic accidents involving victims (accidents involving at least one injured person), 554 accidents involving deaths and 2148 accidents involving severe injuries occurred in 2016.1 The use of cell phones and tobacco consumption cause traffic accidents, whose consequences are aggravated if passengers fail to use seat belts.2 Using a cell phone while driving (whether it is used with or without a hands-free system) causes visual, auditive, physical and cognitive distraction. Tobacco consumption negatively affects the health of the driver and the other passengers in the vehicle (particularly children) by the high concentrations of tobacco smoke inside the car, and it is also a distracting factor that compromises driving.3 Several studies have shown that using a seat belt is associated to a drastic reduction on the number of accidents and injuries. Many traffic accidents could be avoided by modifying these behaviors. The present study aimed to describe drivers’ risk behaviors in the city of Braga (Portugal), namely the use of cell phone, tobacco consumption and failure to use seat belts while driving. This is an observational study conducted between December 2016 and January 2017 which followed the validated methodology of Martínez-Sánchez et al.4 The observers registered the behavior of the first five drivers who stopped at a red light traffic in Avenida João XXI, Avenida 31 de Janeiro, Rua da Estrada Nova, and EN 103 (Braga, Portugal). Motorcycles, mopeds and non-motor vehicles were excluded from the study. The observation focused on the use of cell phones, tobacco consumption (lit cigarettes), and failure to use seat belts by the driver of the vehicle. Descriptive analysis was performed. Among the 705 conductors observed, 70 (9.8%) used a cell phone, 50 (7.1%) did not use a seat belt, and 39 (5.5%) smoked while driving. There is still a significant percentage of drivers who adopt risk behaviors while driving. Greater police attention is needed to prevent non-compliance with the law regarding the use of cell phones and driving without seat belts. However, it still does not exist a ban on smoking inside the cars in Portugal. Car smoking bans should be similar to other restrictions on drivers’ behavior that are critical for public health and safety, such as the driving ban under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Studies show that over 90% of respondents agree with a car smoking ban, especially with children on board.5 Creating campaigns to highlight the importance of banning tobacco consumption inside the car would be useful, not only to increase awareness about the negative effects of smoking on the driver’s health and on the road traffic safety, but also as a way to collect signatures to present this ban at the Portuguese Parliament.

Tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve

of life due to hypoxemia and grade IV/VI systolic murmur. She was diagnosed remotely with tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve on the first day of life and was transferred to Hospital Santa Cruz with body weight of 3.695 kg (<5th percentile) for surgical correction of cyanotic heart disease. She was slightly pale and markedly polypneic, with systolic and diastolic murmurs on the left sternal border, but no other relevant alterations on physical

Tetralogia de Fallot com agenesia da válvula pulmonar

of life due to hypoxemia and grade IV/VI systolic murmur. She was diagnosed remotely with tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve on the first day of life and was transferred to Hospital Santa Cruz with body weight of 3.695 kg (<5th percentile) for surgical correction of cyanotic heart disease. She was slightly pale and markedly polypneic, with systolic and diastolic murmurs on the left sternal border, but no other relevant alterations on physical