Verônica Gronau Luz

Pressão por produção e produção de riscos: a “maratona” perigosa do corte manual da cana-de-açúcar

Background: the sugar-cane sector is quickly expanding in Brazil in the recent years accounting for about 400 processing plants, more than a thousand support industries and generating one million direct jobs. Objective: to understand the organizational determinants that lead to the intensification of the workload and affect the health of manual sugar-cane cutters. Methods: we performed the Work Ergonomic Analysis integrated into the assessment of physiological and environmental aspects. A team of 40 sugar-cane cutters was chosen by convenience. Each worker was assessed for thermal overload, as well as the heart rate and daily production. Results: the findings showed that sugar cane manual cutting consists on average of 8 hours of daily activity, with intense work rhythms, high frequency of repetitive movements and inadequate postural requirements associated with unhealthy working conditions. Conclusion: The harmful effect of the physiological variables and the increase of cardiovascular load were demonstrated. The work pace is accelerated by managerial and organizational measures, especially the payment by production, responsible for increasing the physical exhaustion of workers and inducing them to exceed their physiological limits. It is recommended, among other measures, an alteration in the form of remuneration of the sugar-cane cutters.

Meat intake among adults: a population-based study in the city of Campinas, Brazil. A cross-sectional study.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Meat is a food with high nutritional density that has significant participation in the Brazilian diet. However, in excess it can cause harm to health. The aim of this study was to analyze the meat intake (g/day) among adults according to sociodemographic, behavioral and health situation characteristics, and to assess the types of meat most consumed. DESIGN AND SETTING Cross-sectional population-based study conducted in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in 2008 and 2009. METHODS Two-stage cluster sampling was used. The analysis included 948 adults between 20 and 59 years, who were participants in the Campinas Health Survey. Meat intake was assessed using 24-hour dietary recall. RESULTS The mean meat intake adjusted for sex and age was 182.3 g (95% CI: 170.6-193.9 g), with significantly lower intake among women, individuals aged 50 years or over, those with the presence of two or more self-reported chronic diseases and those with three or more health complaints. Higher meat intake was found in segments with intermediate monthly family income (between 1 and 3 minimum wages), those with 16 or more appliances per household and those who consumed soft drinks seven days a week. Beef was consumed most frequently (44%) among the meats in the diet, followed by poultry, fish and pork. CONCLUSION The data from this study reveal high meat intake in the population of Campinas and identify the segments that need to be prioritized for strategies directed towards appropriate meat intake.

A violência urbana é a maior causa de acidente de trabalho fatal no Brasil

OBJETIVO Este estudo visou quantificar a ocorrencia de mortes diretamente associadas a violencia urbana dentre os acidentes de trabalho fatais. METODOS Foram realizadas autopsias verbais com familiares e colegas de trabalho de moradores de Campinas, SP, falecidos por causas externas no ano 2015. Tambem foram analisados boletins de ocorrencia e laudos do Instituto Medio Legal […]ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To quantify the occurrence of deaths directly associated with urban violence among fatal work-related accidents. METHODS Verbal autopsies were performed with the relatives and coworkers of residents of Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil, who died from external causes in 2015. We have also analyzed police reports and reports of the Legal Medical Institute related to these deaths. RESULTS We have identified 82 fatal work-related accidents in Campinas in 2015, of which 25 were murders, 35 were traffic accidents not directly related to work activities, and three were suicides at work. The proportional mortality rate for homicides, traffic accidents, and suicides among fatal work-related accidents was estimated at 30.5%, 42.7%, and 3.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Urban violence accounted for three-fourths of the fatal work-related accidents recorded in the period studied.

Conhecimento e adesão às precauções padrão: Estudantes diante dos riscos biológicos no Brasil e na Colômbia

Objective To assess scales of adherence to universal precautions and means of knowledge transmission among healthcare students in Brazil and Colombia. Methods We conducted a pilot study to validate the questionnaire that started a cohort study. Twenty-six students in Colombia and 25 in Brazil were intentionally selected. The participants were comparable in number and sociodemographic characteristics in both countries and studied the health professions (medicine, nursing and dentistry). The program SPSS version 18.0 was used to create the database and to carry out statistical analysis. Results We evaluated a total of 51 students. They had a a mean (SD) age of 21.78 (2.33), 84.3 % were women, 66.7 % had white skin, 47.1 % were medical students, and 70,6 % were in their 4th year. They answered about sexual habits reporting that 45.1 had only one partner% in the last year, 23.5 % did not use protection, and, of those who were protected, 45.1 % used a condom. The mean knowledge was 10.88 (±0.952) points to an expected 9 points; Cronbachs Alpha (α) was 0.823. The mean adherence to universal precautions (UPs) was 33.69 (±3.36) points to an expected 30.75; α was 0.741. We found a significant difference in knowledge levels (p<0.007) between the two countries and in the adherence to PUs by year of study (p<0.001). Conclusions Knowledge about means of transmission was good. Adherence to universal precautions was acceptable, but low in terms of the use of glasses, face masks, and discarding sharp objects. Dentistry students showed the best adherence.

Perfil demográfico, socioeconômico e de saúde de crianças e adolescentes trabalhadores e não trabalhadores, Brasil: análise das desigualdades

Os objetivos do estudo foram descrever o trabalho de criancas e adolescentes brasileiros e comparar o perfil socioeconomico e de saude dos que trabalhavam ou buscavam emprego com os nao trabalhadores. A partir da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicilios (PNAD/2008), selecionamos criancas e adolescentes de 5 a 17 anos divididos em duas categorias de analise: “trabalhadores” (trabalhavam ou buscavam emprego) e “nao trabalhadores”. Calculamos prevalencias das caracteristicas do trabalho principal, bem como das variaveis socioeconomicas e de saude entre as categorias de analise. Razoes de prevalencia ajustadas das caracteristicas de saude foram estimadas utilizando-se a regressao de Poisson, sendo “nao trabalhadores” a categoria de referencia. Comparados aos “nao trabalhadores”, os “trabalhadores” tiveram maior proporcao de meninos; idade entre 14 e 17 anos; pretos e pardos; menor frequencia escolar e piores condicoes de moradia. O trabalho infantil esteve associado a pior saude referida; doenca de coluna ou costas; artrite ou reumatismo e depressao. Politicas eficazes de apoio as familias devem ser fortalecidas para o efetivo combate ao trabalho infantil.

Demographic, socioeconomic, and health profile of working and non-working Brazilian children and adolescents: an analysis of inequalities

Os objetivos do estudo foram descrever o trabalho de criancas e adolescentes brasileiros e comparar o perfil socioeconomico e de saude dos que trabalhavam ou buscavam emprego com os nao trabalhadores. A partir da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicilios (PNAD/2008), selecionamos criancas e adolescentes de 5 a 17 anos divididos em duas categorias de analise: “trabalhadores” (trabalhavam ou buscavam emprego) e “nao trabalhadores”. Calculamos prevalencias das caracteristicas do trabalho principal, bem como das variaveis socioeconomicas e de saude entre as categorias de analise. Razoes de prevalencia ajustadas das caracteristicas de saude foram estimadas utilizando-se a regressao de Poisson, sendo “nao trabalhadores” a categoria de referencia. Comparados aos “nao trabalhadores”, os “trabalhadores” tiveram maior proporcao de meninos; idade entre 14 e 17 anos; pretos e pardos; menor frequencia escolar e piores condicoes de moradia. O trabalho infantil esteve associado a pior saude referida; doenca de coluna ou costas; artrite ou reumatismo e depressao. Politicas eficazes de apoio as familias devem ser fortalecidas para o efetivo combate ao trabalho infantil.

Trabalho, violência e morte em Campinas: Evidenciando a ocorrência de acidentes de trabalho fatais no ano de 2015

Resumo O presente trabalho teve como objetivo verificar quais, das 383 mortes ocorridas por causas externas com moradores de Campinas, foram acidentes de trabalho (AT) e procurando caracterizá-las, através de necropsia verbal com familiares, amigos e vizinhos dos falecidos entre AT Crime (que ocorreram em decorrência de um crime), AT Estrito (excluída a classe anterior, são os que ocorreram em decorrência da própria atividade laboral), AT Trânsito (excluída as classes anteriores, são aqueles que ocorreram no trânsito), AT Outros (aqueles que não se enquadram em nenhuma das categorias anteriores). Das 382 mortes, 82 foram classificadas como acidentes de trabalho. Além disso, foi estimada a distribuição espacial do risco de AT segundo moradia.

Knowledge of and compliance with universal precautions: students dealing with biohazards in Brazil and Colombia

Objective To assess scales of adherence to universal precautions and means of knowledge transmission among healthcare students in Brazil and Colombia. Methods We conducted a pilot study to validate the questionnaire that started a cohort study. Twenty-six students in Colombia and 25 in Brazil were intentionally selected. The participants were comparable in number and sociodemographic characteristics in both countries and studied the health professions (medicine, nursing and dentistry). The program SPSS version 18.0 was used to create the database and to carry out statistical analysis. Results We evaluated a total of 51 students. They had a a mean (SD) age of 21.78 (2.33), 84.3 % were women, 66.7 % had white skin, 47.1 % were medical students, and 70,6 % were in their 4th year. They answered about sexual habits reporting that 45.1 had only one partner% in the last year, 23.5 % did not use protection, and, of those who were protected, 45.1 % used a condom. The mean knowledge was 10.88 (±0.952) points to an expected 9 points; Cronbachs Alpha (α) was 0.823. The mean adherence to universal precautions (UPs) was 33.69 (±3.36) points to an expected 30.75; α was 0.741. We found a significant difference in knowledge levels (p<0.007) between the two countries and in the adherence to PUs by year of study (p<0.001). Conclusions Knowledge about means of transmission was good. Adherence to universal precautions was acceptable, but low in terms of the use of glasses, face masks, and discarding sharp objects. Dentistry students showed the best adherence.

Conocimiento y adhesión a las precauciones universales: estudiantes frente a los frente a los riesgos biológicos, en Brasil y en Colombia

Objective To assess scales of adherence to universal precautions and means of knowledge transmission among healthcare students in Brazil and Colombia. Methods We conducted a pilot study to validate the questionnaire that started a cohort study. Twenty-six students in Colombia and 25 in Brazil were intentionally selected. The participants were comparable in number and sociodemographic characteristics in both countries and studied the health professions (medicine, nursing and dentistry). The program SPSS version 18.0 was used to create the database and to carry out statistical analysis. Results We evaluated a total of 51 students. They had a a mean (SD) age of 21.78 (2.33), 84.3 % were women, 66.7 % had white skin, 47.1 % were medical students, and 70,6 % were in their 4th year. They answered about sexual habits reporting that 45.1 had only one partner% in the last year, 23.5 % did not use protection, and, of those who were protected, 45.1 % used a condom. The mean knowledge was 10.88 (±0.952) points to an expected 9 points; Cronbachs Alpha (α) was 0.823. The mean adherence to universal precautions (UPs) was 33.69 (±3.36) points to an expected 30.75; α was 0.741. We found a significant difference in knowledge levels (p<0.007) between the two countries and in the adherence to PUs by year of study (p<0.001). Conclusions Knowledge about means of transmission was good. Adherence to universal precautions was acceptable, but low in terms of the use of glasses, face masks, and discarding sharp objects. Dentistry students showed the best adherence.

Conhecimento e adesão às precauções padrão: Estudantes diante dos vírus no Brasil e na Colômbia.

Objective To assess scales of adherence to universal precautions and means of knowledge transmission among healthcare students in Brazil and Colombia. Methods We conducted a pilot study to validate the questionnaire that started a cohort study. Twenty-six students in Colombia and 25 in Brazil were intentionally selected. The participants were comparable in number and sociodemographic characteristics in both countries and studied the health professions (medicine, nursing and dentistry). The program SPSS version 18.0 was used to create the database and to carry out statistical analysis. Results We evaluated a total of 51 students. They had a a mean (SD) age of 21.78 (2.33), 84.3 % were women, 66.7 % had white skin, 47.1 % were medical students, and 70,6 % were in their 4th year. They answered about sexual habits reporting that 45.1 had only one partner% in the last year, 23.5 % did not use protection, and, of those who were protected, 45.1 % used a condom. The mean knowledge was 10.88 (±0.952) points to an expected 9 points; Cronbachs Alpha (α) was 0.823. The mean adherence to universal precautions (UPs) was 33.69 (±3.36) points to an expected 30.75; α was 0.741. We found a significant difference in knowledge levels (p<0.007) between the two countries and in the adherence to PUs by year of study (p<0.001). Conclusions Knowledge about means of transmission was good. Adherence to universal precautions was acceptable, but low in terms of the use of glasses, face masks, and discarding sharp objects. Dentistry students showed the best adherence.