Eloine Nascimento de Alencar

Adolescent fathers: Knowledge of and involvement in the breast feeding process in Brazil

OBJECTIVE to understand the ways in which adolescent fathers participate in the breast feeding process in the family environment in North-eastern Brazil. METHODS a descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study was undertaken involving 10 couples with infants aged 6-8 months living in a single community in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with questions to guide the interviewer. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis, and interpreted under the theoretical reference of being an adolescent father within the context of breast feeding. FINDINGS from the data collected, three themes were identified: knowledge of the benefits of breast feeding for the childs health; discontinued participation of the father in breast feeding during the pregnancy-childbearing cycle; and exclusion of the adolescent father from the breast feeding process. The adolescent fathers knew about the benefits of breast feeding in terms of the childs health, but did not mention benefits for the mother, the family or society. For some adolescent fathers, their participation in the breast feeding process started during pregnancy, whereas for others, it was only initiated after the infant was born. One of the fathers was prevented, by his wife and mother-in-law, from participating in the breast feeding process. CONCLUSIONS the involvement of adolescent fathers in the breast feeding process oscillated during the pregnancy-childbearing cycle. This may be due to the patriarchal cultural heritage, Brazilian paternity laws, and the fact that these fathers were adolescents. This study showed that adolescent parents were knowledgeable about breast feeding. Finally, fathers want a new model of parenting in which the man participates in child care.

Nursing and medical students’ knowledge about toxoplasmosis

ABSTRACT Objective : to evaluate the knowledge about toxoplasmosis along with medical and nursing students. Method : this is about an exploratory and descriptive study, from quantitative approach. P opulation’s study was composed of academics from the Nursing and Medicine courses, of the Federal University of Pernambuco and of the University of Pernambuco, after meeting inclusion criteria. Data collection was conducted form March to April 2010, using a questionnaire after approval by the Ethics in Research UFPE (protocol number 369/09). Data analysis was performed using the Microsoft Excel and Word ed. 2003 programs, whose presentation of results from absolute and relative, was in figures and tables. Results : fever was the most frequent response, by students as a sign of acute infection (40,8%), 44,7% reported some type of neurological involvement as complication, personal hygiene and/or washing hands in order to prevent reached 20,6%; 57,1% reported IgG and IgM antibodies as diagnostic serological, 40,8% said that the possibility of transmitting toxoplasmosis dog. Conclusion : in general, students did not obtain satisfactory results, showing a little knowledge about several aspects of toxoplasmosis. Descriptors : toxoplasmosis; knowledge; students. RESUMO Objetivo : avaliar o conhecimento sobre a toxoplasmose junto aos estudantes de enfermagem e medicina. Metodo : estudo exploratorio e descritivo, de abordagem quantitativa. A populacao foi composta por estudantes dos cursos de Enfermagem e Medicina da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco e da Universidade de Pernambuco, apos atendimento de criterios de inclusao. A coleta de dados foi realizada entre marco e abril de 2010, utilizando-se de questionario apos aprovacao pelo Comite de Etica em Pesquisa da UFPE (numero de protocolo 369/09). A analise dos dados foi realizada utilizando-se os programas Microsoft Excel e Word ed. 2003, cuja apresentacao dos resultados, a partir de numeros absolutos e relativos, foi em figuras e tabelas. Resultados : febre foi a resposta mais frequente, pelos alunos, como sinal de infeccao aguda (40,8%); 44,7% afirmaram algum tipo de acometimento neurologico como complicacao; higiene pessoal e/ou lavagem das maos como forma de prevencao alcancaram 20,6%; 57,1% assinalaram IgG e IgM como diagnostico sorologico; 40,8% afirmaram que ha possibilidade do cao transmitir toxoplasmose. Conclusao : em geral, os estudantes, nao obtiveram resultado satisfatorio, demonstrando um baixo conhecimento sobre diversos aspectos da toxoplasmose. Descritores: toxoplasmose; conhecimento; estudantes. RESUMEN Objetivo : evaluar el conocimiento de la toxoplasmosis junto a los estudiantes de enfermeria y medicina . Metodo : estudio exploratorio y descriptivo, un enfoque cuantitativo. La poblacion estaba compuesta por academicos de la Enfermeria y Medicina de la Universidad Federal de Pernambuco y la Universidad de Pernambuco, despues de los criterios de inclusion reunion. La recoleccion de datos se llevo a cabo entre marzo y abril de 2010, mediante un cuestionario tras su aprobacion por la Etica en la Investigacion UFPE (numero de registro 369/09). El analisis de datos se realizo mediante los programas de Microsoft Excel y Word ed 2003, cuya presentacion de resultados de absolutos y relativos, fue en figuras y tablas. Resultados : la fiebre fue la respuesta mas frecuente, por los estudiantes como un signo de infeccion aguda (40,8%), el 44,7% reporto algun tipo de afectacion neurologica como complicacion, la higiene personal y / o el lavado de manos con el fin de evitar que alcanzo 20,6%, 57,1% informo de anticuerpos IgG e IgM en el diagnostico serologica, el 40,8% dijo que la posibilidad de transmision de la toxoplasmosis perro. Conclusion : en general, los estudiantes no obtuvieron resultados satisfactorios, mostrando un poco de conocimiento acerca de varios aspectos de la toxoplasmosis. Descriptores : toxoplasmosis; conocimiento; estudiantes.