Inês Coelho

The influence of population aging in Public Health

Introduction Population aging is one of the greatest challenges in contemporary public health. Thus, one of the consequences of this dynamic is a greater demand for health services. The aim of the present research consists in explaining the main topics that justify the fact that the increase of population-aging worldwide influences public health strategies applied. Materials and methods To carry out this review article the search strategies included electronic databases, such as PubMed, Cochrane Library and Science Direct, reference lists of articles, and selected textbooks. Articles and textbooks used in this study were mainly reached by using the following keywords: “Public health”; “Population-ageing “; “Global Aging”; “Elderly” and “Health”. Selection criteria included articles published from 1985 to the present year of 2018. At the end of the search, 11 scientific articles were selected. Results and Discussion The physical / biological, psychological and social changes associated with the elderly leads to decrease of health, withdrawal from the labor market and several unfavorable situations, which cannot be controlled. In this context, the elderly seek to find support in the family, neighborhood, friends and institutions that will influence their quality of life. Therefore, the path of Public Health has three essential points: first, health promotion and primary prevention, which requires a lot of health education to develop healthy living habits and improve understanding of the aging process; secondly, appropriate health treatments, including professionals trained in Geriatrics and Gerontology, aiming at early diagnosis and interdisciplinary administration of diseases, seeking to preserve functional capacity; and finally, the rehabilitation of the functions committed, aiming at functional independence and mental autonomy, in any type of incapacity or limitation. Conclusions Aging is a challenge to be integrated by Public Health and the vulnerability inherent in the elderly should never be seen in a unique way. Thus, we believe in the importance of different forms of support, not only in terms of assistance, clinical treatment and rehabilitation, but also in the implementation of public policies and disease prevention actions, as well as health promotion of the population of integral form.

Eficácia da promoção da saúde oral no controlo do biofilme bucal

Objective: To assess the efficacy of oral health instructions, particularly in the control of dental plaque, as well as assess the effectiveness of the reinforcement of the same instructions. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at the University Clinic of the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP) in Viseu-Portugal from January to June 2012. Three different assessments were performed with 30 participants using the O’Leary Plaque Index and a questionnaire on oral health behavior, with a one-month interval between each assessment. In the first assessment, all participants received the same instructions of oral hygiene and the O’Leary Plaque Index registration and the application of the questionnaire were performed; in the second assessment, a new registration of the O’Leary Index was made, but only the experimental group (n=16) received the reinforcement of oral health instructions, and in the third assessment, a new registration of the O’Leary Plaque Index was made for all the individuals (n=30). Results: Both control and experimental groups showed a decrease in the O’Leary Plaque Index, but the latter showed a more significant decrease in the last assessment: 38.19% (n=16) vs. 69.57% (n=14), p <0.05. Regarding the frequency of toothbrushing, in the experimental group, 68.8% (n=11) brushed the teeth at least twice a day, while in the control group only 57.1% (n=8) performed the same frequency of toothbrushing. In this case, statistically significant differences were found between the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Oral health promotion through oral hygiene instruction was effective in improving oral health behaviors, and, consequentely, the control of dental biofilm. doi:10.5020/18061230.2014.p117

Determinants of quality-of-life among a portuguese sample of adolescents

Non-communicable disease epidemic: epidemiology in action (EuroEpi 2013 and NordicEpi 2013) Aarhus, Denmark from 11 August to 14 August 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 Jørn Olsen, Ellen Aagaard Nøhr, Reimar Wernich Thomsen, Henrik Støvring Modern societies are increasingly challenged by the frequency of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as mental disorders, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, cancer, COPD, and arthritis. These conditions affect large proportions of the population and lead to premature mortality and loss of healthy life, which later will lead to less productive societies and loss of European socio-economic development. Both incidence and prevalence of these NCDs increase with age, which translates into the challenge only mounting over the coming decades. At the same time injuries and infections remain important, because their risk is increased with NCDs. While this has been a European reality for at least threedecades, similar patterns are beginning to appear in many other parts of the world. Type 2 diabetes for example is a disease reaching near-Western prevalences in China and India. It is therefore reasonable to ask, what epidemiologists on a global scale can learn from the European experiences when trying to identify causes and risk factors for NCDs. Also when searching for costeffective interventions for NCD prevention and treatment at an individual and at a societal level. To address this challenge, many different and crossdisciplinary viewpoints needs to be embraced. There is urgent need for input from risk factor epidemiology, clinical sciences,—omics research, psychology and behavioral research, consumer studies, and statistics, while maintaining a public health perspective to identify credible action strategies. Proper use of European experiences might mean that something good could come out of past failures and mistakes. With this setting in mind, the EuroEpi 2013 and NordicEpi 2013 are held in Aarhus, Denmark, August 11–14, 2013, with a program with a dual focus on cutting edge methodological developments for the study of causal effects and effect modifiers, and with corresponding presentations of current applications and challenges when using these techniques. As an integrated part of the congress the NordicEpi focus on register-based epidemiologic research in Nordic countries. On the first day of the congress six pre-congress courses are offered with a very distinguished panel of senior epidemiologists. During the congress nine special symposia are held, of which one is dedicated to the overall theme of the congress. All parts of the congress are open to all interested. The congress had received 668 abstracts at the end of the deadline from 561 presenters. Interestingly more than 100 abstracts came from outside Europe (Table 1). 153 abstracts were selected for oral presentation in one of the 18 contributed sessions, while 491 were accepted for poster presentation. Topics of the submitted abstracts were broad, ranging from disease specific themes over exposures to methods and public health (Table 2). Table 2 Author-chosen topics of submitted abstracts, EuroEpi and NordicEpi 2013