Luiz Francisco Marcopito

Perfil de utilização de medicamentos por idosos em área urbana do Nordeste do Brasil

OBJECTIVE To identify medication use patterns among elderly people residing in areas with different socioeconomic status in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil. METHODS A total of 668 elderly (aged 60 years or older) residing in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, selected from a multistage random sampling stratified by socioeconomic status (higher, intermediate, and lower areas), were interviewed in a household survey. Descriptive statistics for dichotomous variables were presented as percent of the respective totals, and those for continuous variables as mean +/- SD. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the use of prescription, non-prescription and inappropriate) drugs. RESULTS Most (80.3% in the higher area) were on at least one non-prescription drug. More than one third (37.4%) were on at least one non- prescription drug and nearly 20% used at least one inappropriate in the lower area. PD use was associated with advanced age (OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.1-2.8); male sex (OR=0.5, 95% CI=0.3-0.7); health service visits (OR=2.5, 95% CI=1.9-3.1); chronic diseases (OR=4.0, 95% CI=2.5-6.2); and higher socioeconomic status (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.5-2.6).Non- prescription drug use was associated with disability (OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.1-2.2), and higher socioeconomic status (OR=0.6; 95% CI=0.5-0.8). Inappropriate drugs use was mainly associated with male sex (OR=0.4, 95% CI=0.2-0.8); chronic diseases (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.2-3.3); and higher socioeconomic status (OR=0.7, 95% CI=0.5-0.9). CONCLUSIONS The proportions of elderly using prescription, non-prescription and inappropriate drugs were remarkable and inequalities were seen particularly among those from different socioeconomic status. These results emphasize the need for strategies to optimize the access and rationalize the use of drugs for elderly people in Brazil.

Prevalência de alguns fatores de risco para doenças crônicas na cidade de São Paulo

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of a set of risk factors for non-transmissible chronic diseases and compare it to that found 15-16 years ago in a similar survey. METHODS: A cross-sectional household survey was carried out comprising a random sample of people aged 15-59 years in the city of Sao Paulo between 2001 and 2002. The total of 2,103 people answered a questionnaire and had their blood pressure, weight, height, waist and hip circumferences measured. For a third of these participants, their total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels were determined. RESULTS: The total age-adjusted prevalences in the study age group were as follows: smoking, 22.6%; uncontrolled blood pressure, 24.3%; obesity, 13.7%; increased waist circumference, 19.7%; total cholesterol ³240 mg/dL, 8.1%; HDL-cholesterol <40 mg/dL, 27.1%; triglycerides ³200 mg/dL, 14.4%; and blood glucose ³110 mg/dL, 6.8%. Smoking, uncontrolled blood pressure, high total cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol and high triglycerides were significantly more prevalent in men than women. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalences of a set of risk factors for chronic diseases showed men to have a poorer condition than women. In comparison to the previous survey, the prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure remained unchanged but the prevalence of smoking has significantly lowered.

Prevalência de hipertensão arterial sistêmica na cidade de Formiga, MG

OBJECTIVES: To estimate hypertension prevalence and identify associated socioeconomic, demographic, and anthropometric variables. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with probability sampling. Target population: people > 18 years of age living in the urban area of Formiga, Minas Gerais state, and registered with the Family Health Program (Programa Saude da Familia - PSF), which covers 94% of the population. Two hundred and eighty-five subjects (131 men and 154 women) were enrolled in the study. Criteria for the diagnosis of hypertension were the following: systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg, or current use of antihypertensive medication. A standard questionnaire was used to collect socioeconomic and demographic data, as well as information on alcohol consumption, smoking, and physical activity level. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of hypertension in the target population was estimated at 32.7% (95% CI): 28.2-37.2), 31.7% in men and 33.6% in women. Among subjects with prescribed antihypertensive drugs, 66% reported taking their medication regularly. Hypertension prevalence increased steadily with increasing age (OR = 1.07; 95% CI: 1.05-1.10) and was positively associated with waist circumference (OR = 3.05; 95% CI: 1.49-6.22) and negatively associated with the level of physical activity (OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.25-0.82). CONCLUSION: Hypertension prevalence was very high in the adult population registered with the PSF in Formiga, representing a major public health problem. Intervention programs that boost physical activity, promote compliance with drug treatment, and focus on hypertensive subjects unaware of their condition are needed.

Improving survival among Brazilian children with perinatally-acquired AIDS

UNLABELLED Brazil was the first developing country to provide free, universal access to antiretroviral treatment for AIDS patients. The Brazilian experience thus provides the first evidence regarding the impact of such treatment on the survival of perinatally acquired AIDS cases in the developing world. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective cohort study used medical record reviews to examine characteristics and trends in the survival of a representative sample of 914 perinatally acquired AIDS cases in 10 Brazilian cities diagnosed between 1983 and 1998. RESULTS Survival time increased steadily and substantially. Whereas half of the children died within 20 months of diagnosis at the beginning of the epidemic, 75% of children diagnosed in 1997 and 1998 were still alive after four years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Advances in management and treatment have made a great difference in the survival of Brazilian children with AIDS. These results argue strongly for making such treatment available to children in the entire developing world.

AIDS by mother-to-child transmission: Survival analysis of cases followed from 1983 to 2002 in different regions of Brazil.

Antiretroviral therapy contributes to decreasing morbidity and mortality, and ultimately to increasing survival. In Brazil, there are regional differences in HIV epidemiology regarding pregnant women and children with HIV/AIDS. This study evaluates survival time after AIDS diagnosis in 914 children infected by mother-to-child transmission, reported between 1983 and 1998 and followed until 2002, in Brazils five regions. Time between birth and HIV diagnosis decreased over the years, mainly in the South and Southeast Regions. There was a significant improvement in survival; more than 75% of cases were still living four years after diagnosis in the 1997-1998 group. This Brazilian study demonstrates that even with regional inequalities in health care infrastructure it is possible for a developing country to establish an effective system of universal and free access to antiretroviral therapy that produces a significant increase in survival for children with AIDS.

Amamentação entre mães adolescentes e não-adolescentes, Montes Claros, MG

OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalencia de amamentacao entre maes adolescentes (menores de 20 anos de idade) e nao-adolescentes aos seis meses de vida da crianca e identificar fatores associados ao desmame. METODOS: Estudo transversal feito por amostragem, com entrevista aplicada no domicilio a 237 maes adolescentes e 239 nao-adolescentes, residentes na cidade de Montes Claros, MG, com filhos de seis meses de idade no momento da entrevista. Para avaliar fatores associados ao desmame, realizou-se analise univariada, seguida de bivariada de Mantel-Haenszel e regressao logistica multipla. RESULTADOS: A prevalencia de amamentacao aos seis meses de vida foi de 71,3% entre as maes adolescentes e 77,4% entre as nao-adolescentes (OR bruta =1,38; p=0,128). O papel da adolescencia no desmame ganhou importância com o ajuste para variaveis de controle. Os fatores associados ao desmame foram: estado conjugal, atividade fora do lar apos o parto (esses dois apresentaram interacao com adolescencia), dificuldade para amamentar nos primeiros dias e aleitamento exclusivo ao peito na alta hospitalar. CONCLUSOES: As interacoes observadas com a adolescencia em relacao ao desmame sugerem que a maternidade nessa faixa etaria tem peculiaridades que a mantem como objeto especial de estudo.

Internal migration and distribution of Chagas disease mortality, Brazil, 1981-1998

In Brazil, mortality from Chagas disease occurs even in regions classified as free of vector transmission. Because death rates refer to residents, and considering that a huge migratory movement has occurred inside the country, this study was intended to quantify the contribution of Brazilian internal migration to overall mortality from Chagas disease, from 1981 to 1998. If the PAHO Southern Cone Initiative actually achieved its objectives, one could expect declining death rates and increasing age at death from this cause. The results showed that out of 68,936 deaths in Brazilians with known birthplace, 32,369 (32%) occurred in people born in States other than those of their current residence (range: from 0.3% in Rio Grande do Sul to 100% in Roraima and Amapá). Most (67%) of the deaths in migrants occurred in individuals born in the States of Minas Gerais (51%) and Bahia (16%). Death rates in residents showed a consistent decline in the Southeast, South, and Central West of the country, but not in the Northeast and North, where median age at death was the lowest.

Maus-tratos contra a criança e o adolescente no Estado de São Paulo, 2009

OBJECTIVE: To describe the profile of the reports of child and adolescent abuse in the state of Sao Paulo in 2009, and to analyze possible associated factors. METHODS: A total of 4,085 reports regarding children and adolescents younger than 15 years recorded by the Domestic, Sexual, and Other Interpersonal Violence Surveillance System (Sistema de Vigilância de Violencia Domestica, Sexual e Outras Violencias Interpessoais - VIVA) were analyzed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: The females comprised 61.4% of the total cases. The most common age group among females was 10 to 14 years (38.8%) and among males was < 5 years (35.8%). Physical abuse accounted for 43.3% of cases in males, and sexual abuse cases accounted for 41.7% of cases in females. The main perpetrators of the abuse were parents (43.8% of the total) and acquaintances (29.4%). Male aggressors were 72.0% of the total. The abuse occurred at home in 72.9% of cases; repeated abuse was reported in 51.4% of cases. Differences between the cases of physical and sexual abuse: a) physical abuse - mostly males (50.9%), parents as perpetrators (48.4%), and women as perpetrators (42.8%), b) sexual abuse - mostly females (77.2%), known aggressors (48.4%), and men as perpetrators (96.1%). Variables associated with physical abuse: male gender (OR: 2.22), age 10-14 years (OR: 1.68), and parents as perpetrators (OR: 2.50). Sexual abuse was associated with female gender (OR: 2.84), age 5-9 years (OR: 1.66), and unknown authors (OR: 1.53). CONCLUSION: Public policies should guarantee that children and adolescents have a healthy and violence-free life. The analysis of the notifications is an important tool to establish prevention strategies.

Qualidade de vida entre adolescentes: estudo seccional empregando o SF-12

Adolescence is a stage of life when potentially harmful behaviors to health can be initiated. For this reason, the assessment of quality of life at this age is useful to identify higher risk groups that may prejudice general well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life and associated factors in a sample of 754 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19. For the measurement of quality of life a Portuguese language version of the 12-item short-form (SF-12) Health Survey questionnaire was used. The results revealed that satisfactory levels of quality of life are higher with the frequent practice of physical activities and the absence of conditions such as work activities and the consumption of tobacco and alcohol. The female sex was correlated with lower scores in mental aspects of quality of life.

Mortalidade por causas mal definidas, Brasil, 1979-2002, e um modelo preditivo para idade

This study focused on the percentage of deaths due to ill-defined causes in Brazil, from 1979 to 2002. The objectives were to: (a) describe changes over the 24-year period; (b) identify the age group in which the percentage of ill-defined causes correlated most closely with the total percentage of ill-defined causes; (c) select a predictive model for the percentage of ill-defined causes in such age group, given the total percentage of ill-defined causes; (d) describe changes in the distributions of each age group in the total ill-defined causes; and (e) verify whether the percentage of deaths in-hospital shows any relationship to the percentage of ill-defined causes. Results showed that the total percentage of deaths from ill-defined causes decreased in Brazil. The percentage of ill-defined causes in the > 50-year age group correlated most closely with the total percentage of ill-defined causes, and cubic regression was the most appropriate predictive model. Age > 50 showed the highest increase in its share of total ill-defined causes from 1979 to 2002. The percentage of in-hospital deaths showed an inverse relationship with the percentage of deaths from ill-defined causes.