Maria Cristina Flores Soares

Self-medication in university students from the city of Rio Grande, Brazil

BackgroundSelf-medication is the use of medication without prescription, orientation, or supervision of a physician or dentist. Self-medication might become a serious health problem. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and factors associated with self-medication among first and last-year students enrolled in healthcare and non-healthcare programs.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Of 830 students in the sample, 95% answered the questionnaire – 789 students enrolled in 10 undergraduate programs. Mean age was 22 ± 6.17 years. The students answered a questionnaire covering socio-economic and demographic variables, use of medication, and medication knowledge. Information was collected on the conditions treated with medication, the medications used, and attitude towards self-medication.ResultsOf 789 students, 86.4% self-medicated (88.5% of 446 healthcare students). There were no significant differences in self-medication between healthcare and non-healthcare students, nor between first and last-year students. Bivariate and multivariate analyses showed a significant association between self-medication and having children (p = 0.01), having a home pharmacy (p < 0.001) and adequate medication knowledge (p = 0.01). The most frequently used active ingredients were acetaminophen (paracetamol), dipyrone, aspirin, phytotherapic compounds, and tea. Illicit drug use was significantly associated with self-medication in the multivariate analysis.ConclusionThe fact that being a healthcare student was associated with higher medication knowledge, but not with less self-medication, suggests that medication knowledge might contribute to increase self-medication. This should be taken into account when designing educational interventions relating to self-medication.

Percepção dos trabalhadores avulsos sobre os riscos ocupacionais no porto do Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative study in the port of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, aimed at identifying occupational risk perceptions in a sample of 306 temporary dockworkers. Most temporary dockworkers (93.46%) acknowledged the existence of health risks on the job, independently of schooling (p = 0.44) and job activity (p = 0.47). Risks identified by temporary workers as a whole included falling of suspended objects (8.43 +/- 2.47), noise (8.06 +/- 2.32), and bad weather conditions (8.05 +/- 2.48). Risks that varied significantly between jobs were: noise (p = 0.00), lifting loads manually (p = 0.00), work tools (p = 0,00), insufficient number of work team members (p = 0.03), extra wages based on productivity (p = 0.00), work pace (p = 0.01), working on scaffolding and other high areas (p = 0.00), workers moving on top of cargo (p = 0.00), and ships ladders and gangways (p = 0.00). The study corroborated that temporary dock work is unhealthy and hazardous, and that the risks affect workers according to the specific jobs they perform.

Sistema de significados sobre a finalidade do trabalho na Saúde da Família: uma abordagem qualitativa

This exploratory study was performed to understand the system of meanings about the purpose of the nursing and medical work performed by Family Health teams, in the cities of Rio Grande and Pelotas (Brazil). Data collection was performed by semi-directed individual interviews. The interviews of 82 participants were recorded, and analyzed. The nuclear meaning of the purpose, as an end transmuted into the product of collective work, was in agreement with the possibility of the community implementing changes and acquiring healthy individual and collective behaviors. This gives evidence of the component of ethics in the process, by means of categories such as solidarity and compassion. This led to a marker, in the text production, of the human condition in the construction of the work purpose. Through the analysis and critical discussion of the theme, this study contributes to the macro-dimension of developing competencies and adjustment to the health needs of society.Se trata de un estudio exploratorio y descriptivo, con un abordaje cualitativo, objetivando comprender el sistema de significados sobre la finalidad del trabajo de enfermeros y medicos de los equipos de la Salud de la Familia, en las ciudades de Rio Grande y Pelotas. La entrevista dirigida parcialmente, individual y grabada, fue utilizada en la recoleccion de los datos, siguiendose un analisis tematico de las declaraciones de 82 participantes. El significado nuclear de la finalidad, como fin transmutado en producto del trabajo colectivo, se mostro de acuerdo con la posibilidad de realizar cambios y adquirir comportamientos individuales y colectivos saludables por parte de la comunidad, evidenciandose el componente etico en el proceso, por medio de categorias como la solidaridad y la compasion. De esto se derivo, en la produccion textual, un marcador de la condicion humana en la construccion de la finalidad del trabajo. Por medio del analisis y discusion critica de la tematica, este estudio contribuye para la dimension macro de la formacion de competencias y adecuacion a las necesidades sociales de salud.

Fatores associados à dor musculoesquelética em escolares da rede pública municipal no extremo sul do Brasil

Objectives: to identify the factors associated with musculo-skeletal pain (MSP) in schoolchildren in municipal public schools in the city of Rio Grande, in the far south of Brazil, between June and December 2010. Methods: a sectional study was carried out with a random sample of 625 schoolchildren aged between six and eighteen years of age. MSP was investigated using the Nordic Osteomuscular Symptoms Questionnaire (NOSQ) and information relating to demographic and biological factors, the means of transport of school materials and lifestyle, obtained using a standardized questionnaire. The raw and adjusted prevalence rations for association between MSP and the factors under study were estimated using a Poisson regression model. Results: the prevalence of MSP was 37.6%. Being aged between 11 and 18 years (PR=1.70; CI95%=1.36-2.11; p<0.001), being female (PR=1.47; CI95%=1.19-1.81; p<0.001) and a family history of back pain (PR=0.78; CI95%=0.64-0.96; p=0.020) were associated with the outcome. Not practicing competitive sports was a protective factor (PR=0.65; CI95%=0.51-0.81; p<0.001). Conclusions: these results confirm the negative influence of various factors present in the school environment on the health of students. It is considered an important measure to introduce health promotion programs in schools to encourage students to adopt healthy practices that minimize the deleterious effects of MSP.

Evaluation of the Analgesic Effect of Aqueous Extract of Brugmansia suaveolens Flower in Mice: Possible Mechanism Involved

The study was conducted to test the aqueous extract of Brugmansia suaveolens (AEBs) flowers for their antinociceptive effects in mice. In the hot plate test, a significant increase in reaction time for two doses of AEBs at 60, 90, 120, and 150 min after treatment was noted. Pretreatment of animals with naloxone (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [IP]) left the antinociceptive effect of AEBs at a dose of 100 mg/kg unaffected at 60, 90, 120, and 150 min after treatment and at a dose of 300 mg/kg at 30 min but not at 90, 120, and 150 min. In the writhing test, the AEBs significantly inhibited acetic acid—induced abdominal constriction and was equally potent at both doses. Pretreatment with naloxone (5 mg/kg, IP) left the antinociceptive effect of both doses of AEBs unaffected. Pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 20 mg/kg, IP) caused a significant change in the number of abdominal constrictions but did not change the antinociceptive effect of AEBs. Pretreatment of animals with methylene blue also did not change the effect of AEBs on the number of writhing movements in mice. Flumazenil (5 mg/kg, IP) antagonized the antinociceptive effects of diazepam and also reversed the antinociceptive effect of AEBs. AEBs showed a depressant effect on the central nervous system, and the treatment of mice with pentobarbital combined with AEBs increased the animals’ sleeping time in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the antinociceptive activity of AEBs may be related in part to benzodiazepine receptors, although peripheral mechanisms cannot be excluded.

Impacto de um programa piloto de promoção da saúde para trabalhadores marítimos de rebocadores

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To analyze a pilot study on health promotion for maritime tugboat workers. METHODOLOGY: Ten tugboat workers from Rio Grande harbor located in Southern Brazil participated in a 22 week program, consisting of physical activity and regular nutritional counseling. Physical tests, blood biochemistry, VO2 max, and test on quality of life (WHOQOL Bref) were applied before and after the intervention. Paired Student t test, Wilcoxon test, and Pearson correlation were used. RESULTS: Decrease on weight (84.3 x 82.1 kg; p = 0.03), waist circumference (97.1 x 91.7 cm; p = 0.005) and hip circumference (103.5 x 100.7 cm; p = 0.005) was observed. Physical activity duration showed correlation with reduction of waist circumference (r = 0.636; p = 0.048) and waist-hip ratio (r = 0.683; p = 0.03). The number of workers with elevated triglycerides was reduced (7 vs. 3; p = 0.04). Life quality results did not alter. CONCLUSION: The health promotion intervention model showed positive results in important parameters for cardiovascular risk among tugboat workers under study.

Developmental effects of parental exposure to soil contaminated with urban metals

Soil is a highly complex material, and because of rapid population growth, intense industrial activity and petrochemical development, it has suffered from contamination with substances of various origins. These environmental contaminants may have detrimental effects on human health, particularly during development. Due to the ability to transmit contaminants to the fetus, evaluating the effects of exposure of pregnant women on the psychomotor development of their offspring is of particular interest. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of exposure of female rats to an urban soil influenced by the dispersion of air contaminants during periods of pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and lactation on offspring development. Using physiological, behavioral and hematological parameters, deleterious effects on offspring were assessed. In behavioral parameters, parental exposure during pregnancy and lactation resulted in no significant differences in the evaluated parameters when compared to the control group. In contrast, pups from the pre-pregnancy group displayed decreased locomotor and exploratory activity in addition to increased levels of anxiety. Furthermore, offspring of rats exposed to contaminated urban soil during pre-pregnancy demonstrated significant changes in weight gain and development length and a reduction in the number of platelets compared to controls. Significantly, pups born to mothers exposed to contaminated urban soil during the pregnancy displayed changes in birth weight, weight gain during the growth, development length, incisor eruption and opening of the ears in addition to a reduction in their physical performance and a change in the number of lymphocytes. These results clearly show the negative influence of parental exposure to contaminated urban soil on the general development of the rats during the periods studied. These data indicate that developing organisms are highly sensitive to external factors. Further, they demonstrate the utility of these various biomarkers for identifying and displaying toxic effects of exposure to contaminated soils.

Subsídios reunidos junto à equipe de saúde para a inserção da fisioterapia na estratégia Saúde da Família

This study aimed to subsidize Physical Therapists (PT) in the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul. It is a quantitative study with cross-cut delimitation with 196 workers in the FHS. A semi-structured instrument approached the subjects: guideline criteria of FHS, identification of existing situations for the physiotherapy performance, staffs perception about the readiness to face those situations and the infrasctructure. A frequency distribution of the variables, averages comparison (ANOVA) and the Tuckey test were made. The means of the grades assigned to integrality, equity and universality differed among each other (p = 0.00): 6.3 ± 2.4, 7,0 ± 2.4 and 7.8 ± 2.2, respectively. The most prevailing pathologies identified were: hypertension (90.8%), diabetes (89.8%), musculoskeletal diseases (88.2%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (84.7%), bedridden (83.7%), walking difficulties (83.7%) and physically handicapped (82.7%). It was noticed that in five situations, most of the workers stated as unprepared to face them: developmental delay (51.7%), gait training (51.8%), disabled (68.1%) and amputees (57.0%). In the evaluation of the infrastructure of the units, most of the workers reported the building as in good and specialized treatment room (31.6%). Our data aids the possibility of the PT placement in the ESF city staff, increasing its solvability.

Biomonitoring of trace elements in urine samples of children from a coal-mining region

Biomonitoring through urine samples is important for evaluating environmental exposure, since urine is the main form of excretion for most chemical elements. Children are considered more vulnerable to adverse environmental conditions, especially children in developing countries. This study aimed to biomonitor trace elements in urine samples in children from a coal-mining region in the extreme south of Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 96 children between 6 and 11 years of age. Socioeconomic data and urine samples were collected to estimate the concentration of iron, zinc, selenium, lead, and cadmium. The prevalence of metals above the reference values was 52.0% for Se, followed by 15.6% for Zn. The data point toward a vulnerability to adverse environmental conditions in these children. Although the concentrations of the elements did not reveal intoxication cases, biomonitoring should be carried out continuously in order to assess exposure to metals and ensure the health of the population. This article provides data that help determine natural levels of metallic elements in children, specifically in South America, which have not yet been established.

Musculoskeletal disorders and their influence on the quality of life of the dockworker: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND Dockworkers are subjected to intense physical labor which leads to frequent occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders. OBJECTIVE This study aims to measure the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) of temporary dockworkers and its influence on their quality of life. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study developed with temporary dockworkers in Brazil. Recruitment was done by inviting workers when they presented themselves for work at the trade union. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and the Short-Form Health Survey were used. The association between the outcome and the different investigated factors was analyzed through Poisson Regression with robust variance. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the data from the Short-Form Health Survey scale among the groups both with and without work-related musculoskeletal disorders. RESULTS The sample was composed of 318 temporary dockworkers with a mean age of 48 years. WMSD prevalence was 37.4%. WMSD was associated with not practicing physical activity (PR = 2.03; p = 0.005), participation in housework (PR = 1.88; p = 0.029), taking care of preschool children (PR = 1.65; p <  0.000) and handling heavy objects (PR = 1.83; p = 0.007). The lumbar spine was the most frequently mentioned area of the body (22.5%) in the WMSD analysis. Workers without WMSD had higher (p <  0.00) quality of life scale scores in relation to functional capacity, physical and social aspects, pain and vitality. CONCLUSIONS The results highlight the relevance of developing action plans regarding the needs of this specific population of workers, especially concerning the reduction of risk factors.