Dóra Chor

Chronic non-communicable diseases in Brazil: burden and current challenges

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become a major health priority in Brazil--72% of all deaths were attributable to NCDs in 2007. They are also the main source of disease burden, with neuropsychiatric disorders being the single largest contributor. Morbidity and mortality due to NCDs are greatest in the poor population. Although the crude NCD mortality increased 5% between 1996 and 2007, age-standardised mortality declined by 20%. Declines were primarily for cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, in association with the successful implementation of health policies that lead to decreases in smoking and the expansion of access to primary health care. Of note, however, the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension is rising in parallel with that of excess weight; these increases are associated with unfavourable changes of diet and physical activity. Brazil has implemented major policies for the prevention of NCDs, and its age-adjusted NCD mortality is falling by 1·8% per year. However, the unfavourable trends for most major risk factors pose an enormous challenge and call for additional and timely action and policies, especially those of a legislative and regulatory nature and those providing cost-effective chronic care for individuals affected by NCDs.

Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil): Objectives and Design

Although low- and middle-income countries still bear the burden of major infectious diseases, chronic noncommunicable diseases are becoming increasingly common due to rapid demographic, epidemiologic, and nutritional transitions. However, information is generally scant in these countries regarding chronic disease incidence, social determinants, and risk factors. The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) aims to contribute relevant information with respect to the development and progression of clinical and subclinical chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. In this report, the authors delineate the studys objectives, principal methodological features, and timeline. At baseline, ELSA-Brasil enrolled 15,105 civil servants from 5 universities and 1 research institute. The baseline examination (2008-2010) included detailed interviews, clinical and anthropometric examinations, an oral glucose tolerance test, overnight urine collection, a 12-lead resting electrocardiogram, measurement of carotid intima-media thickness, echocardiography, measurement of pulse wave velocity, hepatic ultrasonography, retinal fundus photography, and an analysis of heart rate variability. Long-term biologic sample storage will allow investigation of biomarkers that may predict cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Annual telephone surveillance, initiated in 2009, will continue for the duration of the study. A follow-up examination is scheduled for 2012-2013.

Cohort Profile: Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

Chronic diseases are a global problem, yet information on their determinants is generally scant in low- and middle-income countries. The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) aims to contribute relevant information regarding the development and progression of clinical and subclinical chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, in one such setting. At Visit 1, we enrolled 15 105 civil servants from predefined universities or research institutes. Baseline assessment (2008–10) included detailed interviews and measurements to assess social and biological determinants of health, as well as various clinical and subclinical conditions related to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mental health. A second visit of interviews and examinations is under way (2012–14) to enrich the assessment of cohort exposures and to detect initial incident events. Annual surveillance has been conducted since 2009 for the ascertainment of incident events. Biological samples (sera, plasma, urine and DNA) obtained at both visits have been placed in long-term storage. Baseline data are available for analyses, and collaboration via specific research proposals directed to study investigators is welcome.

Validade de constructo de escala de apoio social do Medical Outcomes Study adaptada para o português no Estudo Pró-Saúde

This paper evaluates the construct validity of the Medical Outcomes Studys social support scale adapted to Portuguese, when utilized in a cohort study among non-faculty civil servants at a university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Pró-Saúde Study). Baseline data were obtained in 1999, when 4,030 participants (92.0% of those eligible) completed a multidimensional self-administered questionnaire at the workplace. From the original scales five social support dimensions, factor analysis of the data extracted only three dimensions: positive social interaction/affective support; emotional/information support; and material support. We estimated associations between social support dimensions and socio-demographic, health, and well being-related characteristics. We confirmed the hypotheses that less isolated individuals, those with better self-rated health, those who reported more participation in group activities, and those with no evidence of common mental disorders reported better perception of social support. In conclusion, we found good evidence for a high construct validity of this scale, supporting its use in future analyses in the Pró-Saúde Study and in similar population groups.

Validade de peso e estatura informados e índice de massa corporal: estudo pró-saúde

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the validity of self-reported weight and height and the body mass index (BMI). METHODS A study was made of 3,713 employees of a public university in Rio de Janeiro, in which they were participants in Phase 1 of a longitudinal study. Information was obtained through a self-administered questionnaire, and measurements were carried out after its application. Students paired t-test, Bland & Altmans graphs and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were utilized to evaluate the differences between the measured and the reported parameters. The sensitivity and specificity of the various BMI categories were estimated. RESULTS There was high agreement between the measured and reported weights (ICC=0.977) and heights (ICC=0.943). The BMI sensitivity, in its various categories, was around 80%, and the specificity was close to 92%. There was a slight and uniform tendency toward self-reported weight underestimation and self-reported height overestimation in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS Self-reported and measured weight and height information had good agreement and validity. In similar populations, when few resources are available, it is possible to use self-reported data instead of actual measurements.

Epidemiologic aspects of racial inequalities in health in Brazil

In Brazil, data on education, the labor market, and the law enforcement and court systems have already documented that racial discrimination is a structural factor underlying economic and social disadvantages experienced by racial/ethnic minorities. However, racial inequalities in health have received little investigation. According to health indicators presented in this paper, race is a strong predictor of variability in mortality. Early mortality is more frequent among indigenous and black Brazilians; mortality rates from stroke and especially maternal mortality rates are exceedingly higher among black women; violence occurs predominantly among young black men. Lifetime socioeconomic differences across successive generations have been identified as the main cause of racial inequality in health. It is also suggested that racial discrimination and its impact on health are at the origin of these inequalities. Instruments to directly or indirectly measure the impact of racial discrimination on health are discussed. The article suggests that investigation of the impact of both social class and race on health is the most productive approach, both for research as well as for policies to address health inequalities.

Doenças crônicas não transmissíveis no Brasil: prioridade para enfrentamento e investigação

As Doencas Cronicas Nao Transmissiveis representam a maior carga de morbimortalidade no Brasil. Em 2011, o Ministerio da Saude lancou seu Plano de Acoes Estrategicas para o Enfrentamento das Doencas Cronicas Nao Transmissiveis, enfatizando acoes populacionais para controlar as doencas cardiovasculares, diabetes, câncer e doenca respiratoria cronica, predominantemente pelo controle do fumo, inatividade fisica, alimentacao inadequada e uso prejudicial de alcool. Apesar da producao cientifica significativa sobre essas doencas e seus fatores de risco no Brasil, poucos sao os estudos de coorte nessa tematica. Nesse contexto, o Estudo Longitudinal da Saude do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil) acompanha 15.105 servidores publicos do Pais. Seus dados espelham a realidade brasileira de altas prevalencias de diabetes e hipertensao e dos fatores de risco. A diversidade das informacoes produzidas permitira aprofundar o entendimento causal dessas doencas e subsidiar politicas publicas para seu enfrentamento.Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases are the main source of disease burden in Brazil. In 2011, the Brazilian Ministry of Health launched the Strategic Plan of Action for Management of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases focusing on population-based interventions to manage cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases mainly through fighting tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. Although a significant number of scientific studies on chronic diseases and their risk factors have been undertaken in Brazil, few are of cohort design. In this context, the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), a cohort study of 15,105 Brazilian public servants reflects the reality of high prevalences of diabetes, hypertension and the main chronic diseases risk factors. The diversity of information that the Study will produce can provide important input to better understand the causes of chronic diseases and to support public policies for fighting them.

Qualidade da atenção ao parto em maternidades do Rio de Janeiro

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a qualidade da atencao durante o processo de trabalho de parto de acordo com normas da Organizacao Mundial de Saude. METODOS: Trata-se de estudo do tipo caso-controle, realizado em duas maternidades: publica e conveniada com o Sistema Unico de Saude, no Municipio do Rio de Janeiro. A amostra foi composta por 461 mulheres na maternidade publica (230 partos vaginais e 231 cesareas) e por 448 mulheres na maternidade conveniada (224 partos vaginais e 224 cesareas). De outubro de 1998 a marco de 1999, foram realizadas entrevistas com puerperas e revisao de prontuarios. Foi construido escore sumarizador da qualidade do atendimento. RESULTADOS: Observou-se baixa frequencia de algumas praticas que devem ser encorajadas, como presenca de acompanhante (1% na maternidade conveniada, em ambos os tipos de parto), deambulacao durante o trabalho de parto (9,6% das cesareas na maternidade publica e 9,9% dos partos vaginais na conveniada) e aleitamento na sala de parto (6,9% das cesareas na maternidade publica e 8,0% das cesareas na conveniada). Praticas comprovadamente danosas e que devem ser eliminadas como uso de enema (38,4%), tricotomia, hidratacao venosa de rotina (88,8%), uso rotineiro de ocitocina (64,4%), restricao ao leito durante o trabalho de parto (90,1%) e posicao de litotomia (98,7%) para parto vaginal apresentaram alta frequencia. Os melhores resultados do escore sumarizador foram obtidos na maternidade publica. CONCLUSOES: As duas maternidades apresentam frequencia elevada de intervencoes durante a assistencia ao parto. A maternidade publica, apesar de atender clientela com maior risco gestacional, apresenta perfil menos intervencionista que maternidade conveniada. Procedimentos realizados de maneira rotineira merecem ser discutidos a luz de evidencias de seus beneficios.

Self-rated Health Compared With Objectively Measured Health Status as a Tool for Mortality Risk Screening in Older Adults: 10-Year Follow-up of the Bambuí Cohort Study of Aging

Interest in self-rated health (SRH) as a tool for use in disease and mortality risk screening is increasing. The authors assessed the discriminatory ability of baseline SRH to predict 10-year mortality rates compared with objectively measured health status. Principal component analysis was used to create a health score that included systolic blood pressure, presence of diabetes mellitus, body mass index, electrocardiographic parameters, B-type natriuretic peptide, and other biochemical and hematologic measures. From 1997 to 2007, a total of 474 of the 1,388 baseline participants died and 81 were lost to follow-up, yielding 11,833 person-years of observation. The adjusted hazard ratio for death was 1.74 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.32, 2.29) for persons reporting poor health versus those reporting good health. When combined with age and sex, SRH had a C statistic to predict death equal to 0.69 (95% CI: 0.67, 0.71), which was comparable to that of the inclusive health score (C = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.72). The addition of other parameters, such as lifestyle, physical functioning, mental symptoms, and physical symptoms, had little effect on these 2 predictive models (C = 0.71 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.73) and C = 0.71 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.74), respectively). The abilities of the SRH and the health score models to predict death decreased in parallel fashion over time. These results suggest that older adults who report poor health warrant particular attention as persons who have accumulated biologic markers of disease.

Eventos de vida produtores de estresse e transtornos mentais comuns: resultados do Estudo Pró-Saúde

This study investigates the association between stressful life events (SLE) and common mental disorders (CMD) among university employees in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Phase 1 sectional data from a cohort study (the Pro-Saude Study) were collected among 4,030 participants. A standardized self-administered questionnaire (General Health Questionnaire) assessed the presence of CMD during the previous two weeks, the occurrence of SLE in the previous 12 months, and socio-demographic characteristics. After adjustment for gender, age, income, and marital status, severe financial problems were associated with the greatest risk of CMD (OR = 2.6; 95%CI: 2.2-3.0), followed by physical aggression (OR = 2.1; 95%CI: 1.5-2.8), disruption of a love relationship (OR = 1.9; 95%CI: 1.6-2.3), forced change of residence (OR = 1.9; 95%CI: 1.5-2.4), serious disease (OR = 1.8; 95%CI: 1.5-2.1), hold-up or theft (OR = 1.5; 95%CI: 1.2-1.8), and hospitalization (OR = 1.4; 95%CI: 1.1-1.8). Results suggest that long-term effects of SLE should be investigated, as well as other potential modifying factors in the development and maintenance of CMD in order to support more effective mental health interventions.