Relationship between attention to body shape, social physique anxiety, and personal characteristics of Brazilians: A structural equation model

Abstract: People can develop eating disorders due to excessive body image concerns. The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between attention to body shape, social physique anxiety, and personal characteristics in a sample of Brazilians. The secondary objective was to evaluate the correlation of the constructs with the participants’ body composition. First, 1795 individuals (70% female; Mage = 25.5 ± 6.6 years) completed the Attention to Body Shape Scale, the Social Physique Anxiety Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Then, 286 participants (58% female; Mage = 25.3 ± 5.7 years) underwent a bioimpedance exam to identify body composition. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the relationship between the variables. The greater the attention to body shape, the greater the expectations of negative physical evaluation and the less comfort with physical presentation. Younger age, female gender, consumption of supplements/substances for body change, restrictive diets, physical inactivity, poor self-assessment of food quality, and overweight/obesity were related to negative body concerns. An expectation of negative physical evaluation was positively correlated with body fat and negatively with muscle mass. Comfort with physical presentation was negatively correlated with fat and positively with muscle. These results can support preventive strategies aimed at reducing eating disorders resulting from body image concerns.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Strategies to improve the availability of medicines in primary health care in Brazil : findings and implications

Aim: Access to essential medicines is a key component of managing patients in ambulatory care. In 2008, the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, created the Pharmacy Network of Minas (Rede Farmácia de Minas [RFM]) program to improve access to medicines, increasing availability and restructuring the infrastructures. The aim was to assess the current situation, comparing municipalities with and without RFM. Materials & methods: Descriptive survey study, data collected from 2014 July to May 2015. Availability was verified by stock levels. Results: The drug availability index was 61.0%, higher in municipalities with RFM. Most physicians considered the pharmaceutical services as good/very good. The main reasons for medicines shortage were ‘financial transference problems’, ‘insufficient financial resources’ and ‘budget’. Conclusion: Strategies, such as the RFM can promote improvements in medicine availability

Real-world evaluation of the impact of statin intensity on adherence and persistence to therapy : a Scottish population-based study

Aim: To assess associations between statin intensity and adherence, persistence and discontinuation of statin therapy in Scotland. Method: Retrospective cohort study, using linked electronic health records covering a period from January 2009 to December 2016. The study cohort included adult patients (≥18 years) newly initiating statins within Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland. Study outcomes comprised adherence, discontinuation and persistence to treatment, stratified by three exposure groups (high, moderate and low intensity). Discontinuation and persistence were calculated using the refill-gap and anniversary methods, respectively. Proportion of days covered (PDC) was used as a proxy for adherence. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate discontinuation, and associations between adherence/persistence and statin intensity were assessed using logistic regression. Results: A total of 73 716 patients with a mean age of 61.4 ± 12.6 years were included; the majority (88.3%) received moderate intensity statins. Discontinuation rates differed between intensity levels, with high-intensity patients less likely to discontinue treatment compared to those on moderate intensity (prior cardiovascular disease [CVD]: HR 0.43 [95% CI 0.34-0.55]; no prior CVD: 0.80 [0.74-0.86]). Persistence declined over time, and high-intensity patients had the highest persistence rates. Overall, 52.6% of patients were adherent to treatment (PDC ≥ 80%), but adherence was considerably higher among high-intensity patients (63.7%). Conclusion: High-intensity statins were associated with better persistence and adherence to treatment, but overall long-term persistence and adherence remain a challenge, particularly among patients without prior CVD. This needs addressing

Access to medicines in the Brazilian Unified Health System's primary health care : assessment of a public policy

In 2008, the Programa Rede Farmácia de Minas (RFM, literally translated: ‘Minas Gerais Pharmacy Network’ program) was created as a strategy to expand access to medicines. Aim: Measure access to medicines in public pharmacies through comparison between municipalities that joined or not the RFM. Materials & methods: Cross-sectional, evaluative study, gathering information from a representative sample of the municipalities in Minas Gerais between July 2014 and May 2015. The Poisson regression results were obtained by calculating the prevalence ratios. Results: Adequate access to medicines in Minas Gerais was 69.9%, being 75.8% in municipalities with and 69.2% without the RFM. The municipalities with the RFM showed statistically higher percentages in the Availability, Adequacy/Accommodation, and Acceptability dimensions. Conclusion: RFM appears an efficient strategy for promoting access to medicines

Emicizumab prophylaxis for people with hemophilia A : waste estimation and the Brazilian perspective

Costs of hemophilia A treatment are increasing. Waste of clotting products should be avoided. To estimate the first-year waste of emicizumab prophylaxis for people with hemophilia A and inhibitors (PwHAi) who failed immune tolerance induction (ITI), in Brazil. We evaluated the manufacturer and the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH) protocol-recommended regimens in a budget impact model. The loading dose consisted of 3.0 mg/kg/Q1W for 4 weeks, for both recommendations. The manufacturer maintenance regimens comprised 1.5 mg/kg/Q1W, 3.0 mg/kg/Q2W, and 6.0 mg/kg/Q4W. The MoH protocol maintenance regimen encompassed a hybrid Q1W/Q2W administration, depending on the body weight. The Q4W regimen was not recommended by the MoH protocol. Analyses were performed to estimate waste given its expense based on the World Health Organization body weight range (percentiles [P] 15, 50, and 85). The first-year emicizumab waste was estimated individually and for the disclosed PwHAi who failed ITI (n = 114). The highest emicizumab waste was estimated for the lowest body weights and the Q1W regimen. The Q4W regimen resulted in the lowest emicizumab waste, followed by the MoH protocol regimen. The total reconstituted costs estimated for the PwHAi who failed ITI according to the hybrid MoH protocol ranged from US$32,858,777 (P15) to US$47,186,858 (P85), with emicizumab waste ranging from 7.9 % (US$2,594,515) to 3.7$1,738,750), respectively. Lost resources due to current protocols for emicizumab prophylaxis for PwHAi who failed ITI in Brazil are considerable. Waste was more pronounced due to lower body weight and shorter administration intervals

Budget impact analysis of medicines : estimated values versus real-world evidence and the implications

Objectives: Budget Impact Analyses (BIA) of medicines helps managers in promoting health systems’ sustainability when assessing the role and value of new medicines. However, it is not clear whether BIAs typically underestimate or overestimate the impact on real-world budgets. This retroactive analysis seeks to compare estimated values obtained by a BIA and Real-World Evidence (RWE) to guide discussions. Methods: The estimated values were obtained through a BIA concerning the incorporation of adalimumab for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis into the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) carried out retroactively and per international guidelines. RWE data was extracted from SUS computerized systems. We subsequently compared the number of treatments, costs, and Incremental Budget Impact (IBI). Results–The total number of treatments was underestimated by 10% (6,243) and the total expenditure was overestimated by 463% (US$4.7 billion). In five years, the total difference between the estimated values and real IBI reached US$ 1.1 billion. A current expenditure of US$1.0 was observed for every US$ 5.60 of estimated expenditure. Conclusion–The higher estimates from the BIA might cause decision makers to be more cautious with the introduction of a new medicine to reduce the opportunity costs for other interventions

Acceptability and willingness to pay for a hypothetical vaccine against SARS CoV-2 by the Brazilian consumer : a cross-sectional study and the implications

Introduction: The new coronavirus pandemic has appreciably impacted on morbidity and mortality as well as having appreciable economic impact worldwide. New vaccines are a potential way forward to reduce transmission rates and their subsequent impact. In Brazil vaccines are being distributed via the public sector. In the future, vaccines will be available in the private market. Information about consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical vaccine against SARS CoV-2 can help future price setting discussions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with consumers in the five regions of Brazil regarding the willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical vaccine against SARS CoV-2 with a 50% efficacy. Results: A total of 1402 individuals over 18 years of age who declared not having COVID-19 at the time of the survey were interviewed. The acceptability for this hypothetical vaccine was 80.7%. In addition, the amount of WTP by Brazilian consumers for a hypothetical SARS CoV-2 vaccine was estimated at US$ 22.18(120.00 BRL). Conclusion: This study can contribute to decision-making to inform potential pricing for a hypothetical SARS CoV-2 vaccine

Influence of pharmaceutical services organization on the availability of essential medicines in a public health system

Objective: To evaluate the influence of organizational structure and technical-management activities on the availability of essential medicines in the primary healthcare. Materials methods: Cross-sectional, exploratory and evaluative study. The availability was evaluated according to parameters established by the WHO. Results: The average availability of standardized essential medicines was 83.3 and 73.3% for medicines purchased centrally by the Brazilian government. Among the therapeutic groups evaluated, the lowest average availability were for the tuberculostatics (24.1%) and psychotropic/special control medicines (30.3%). Conclusion: The availability of essential medicines was positively influenced by the presence of the pharmacist and by the computerized system deployed, and negatively associated with essential medicines purchased centrally by the federal government, especially in the smaller municipalities

Overview of managed entry agreements : an integrative review towards policy making in Brazil

Resuminho (60 palavras): In order to provide legal and scientific embasement for policy making in Brazil, the aim of this study was to provide a panorama of Managed Entry Agreements around the world. A systematic review was conducted and the information about the agreements were summarized. It was included 25 studies, which described 446 agreements performed in 29 countries. Introduction (100 palavras): Managed Entry Agreements (MEA) are a reality in many countries. They are used as a tool to reduce the impact of uncertainty and the high cost of new drugs by providing access to new technologies under pre-established conditions. In Brazil, the Ministry of Health approved a high-cost technology under performance evaluation, being the first experience in the country. The aim of this study was to conduct a review to identify MEA performed worldwide to provide embasement to inform public health policy making in Brazil, as well as critical considerations surrounding the implementation of performance based agreements. Methods (75 palavras): A review of MEA for health technologies was conducted, using the question ‘What are the health technology managed entry agreements that have being performed around the world?’. The searches were conducted in april 2019, through PUBMED, EMBASE, LILACS and Cochrane Library databases, as well as manual search and gray literature. The selection of studies was performed by two independent reviewers and, in cases of disagreement, solved by a third reviewer. Results (75 palavras): A total of 25 studies were included, describing 446 agreements in 29 countries, being Australia (122), Italy (96), the United States (48) and Scotland (42) more frequent. Financial risk-sharing agreements were the most prevalent (43%). About 95% of the agreements involved medicines - more than half antineoplastic agents. The outcomes assessed and the impact of the agreements were not addressed in most studies, which may be due to the confidentiality character of them. Conclusions (100 palavras): We are likely to see a growth in MEA in the future with the continual launch of new high priced and complex treatments, coupled with increasing demands on available resources. They are an important tool to improve access to innovative and high cost medicines to achieve universal health coverage, although there are critical issues to consider. Besides the embedded confidentiality of most of the agreements, learning from already stablished knowledge, experiences and practices across countries can be a crucial strategy to guide Brazil’s initial experiences in this area

A cross-sectional study of quality of life among Brazilian adults with type 1 diabetes treated with insulin glargine : findings and implications

We conducted a cross-sectional study with 401 patients of type 1 diabetes mellitus treated with insulin glargine in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using EQ-5D-3L and the Diabetes Quality of Life Measure. Our findings showed that a worse HRQoL was associated with a low level of education, self-perceived health reported as poor/very poor, being bedridden and not physically exercised, had seen a doctor more than four times in the past year before the interview, and had reported comorbidities and episodes of hypoglycemia