Adult and young women communication on sexuality : a pilot intervention in Maputo-Mozambique

Background: Communication on sexuality within the family has been considered a determinant factor for the sexual behaviour of young women, contributing to delaying sexual initiation. Taking into account that young women are increasingly exposed to sexualized messages, they need clear, trustful and open communication on sexuality more than ever. However, in Mozambique, communication about sexuality is hampered by strict social norms. This paper evaluates the case of an intervention aimed at reducing the generational barrier for talking about sexuality and to contribute to better communication within the family context. Methods: The intervention consisted of three weekly one-hour coached sessions in which female adults and young interacted about sexuality. Realist evaluation was used as a framework to assess context, mechanisms, and outcomes of the intervention. Interviews were conducted among 13 participants of the sessions. Result: The interaction sessions were positively appreciated by the participants and contributed to change norms and attitudes towards communication on sexuality within families. Recognition of similarities and awareness of differences were key in the mechanisms leading to these outcomes. This was reinforced by the use of visual materials and the atmosphere of respect and freedom of speech that characterized the interactions. Limiting factors were related to the long-standing taboo on sexuality and existing misconceptions on sexuality education and talks about sex. Conclusion: By elucidating mechanisms and contextual factors our study adds knowledge on strategies to improve transgenerational communication about sexuality

Factors influencing abortion decision-making processes among young women

Background: Decision-making about if and how to terminate a pregnancy is a dilemma for young women experiencing an unwanted pregnancy. Those women are subject to sociocultural and economic barriers that limit their autonomy and make them vulnerable to pressures that influence or force decisions about abortion. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the individual, interpersonal and environmental factors behind the abortion decision-making process among young Mozambican women. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in Maputo and Quelimane. Participants were identified during a cross-sectional survey with women in the reproductive age (15-49). In total, 14 women aged 15 to 24 who had had an abortion participated in in-depth interviews. A thematic analysis was used. Results: The study found determinants at different levels, including the low degree of autonomy for women, the limited availability of health facilities providing abortion services and a lack of patient-centeredness of health services. Conclusions: Based on the results of the study, the authors suggest strategies to increase knowledge of abortion rights and services and to improve the quality and accessibility of abortion services in Mozambique

Fatores que influenciam a procura de ajuda dos serviços de aborto em Moçambique

Background: help-seeking behaviour implies an active search for information, counselling, treatment or support to respond to a recognized problem. Objective: to understand the help seeking process for abortion services by adolescents and young women, sources of help and, the influencing factors. Methods: a qualitative approach was applied using semi-structured interviews with nurses from Adolescents and Young People Friendly Health Services, gynaecology emergency services and, maternity services of 8 health facilities in Maputo and Quelimane cities; 14 adolescents and young women who induced abortion were also interviewed. The data was analysed using content analysis approach. Results: the help seeking process for abortion services started with confirmation and recognition of the pregnancy. Friends and sisters were the initial sources of information and stimuli for the identification of the provider of abortion services, after analysing the costs and benefits of keeping the pregnancy or inducing abortion; non-perception of the susceptibility and the severity of having an early pregnancy. Non-awareness of sources of help and laws; fear of public exposure; lack of financial resources; and providers’ behaviour served as barriers in this process. Conclusion: dissemination of available sexual and reproductive health services is recommended, as well as promotion of sex education for healthy choices.  Marco contextual: la búsqueda de ayuda implica un supuesto de búsqueda activa de información, asesoramiento, tratamiento o apoyo para responder a un problema reconocido en instituciones formales o informales. Objetivo: processos el processo de búsqueda de ayuda para la interrupción del embarazo por parte de adolescentes y jóvenes, las fuentes de ayuda y los factores que influyen. Métodos: un enfoque cualitativo basado en entrevistas semiestructuradas con enfermeras de los Servicios de Salud Amigos de Adolescentes y Jóvenes, de lprocessosias processosgía y de las maternidades de 8 unidades de salud de las ciudades de Maputo y Quelimane; se entrevistaron 14 adolescentes y jóvenes que se provocaron el aborto. Se realizó un análisis de contenido de los datos utilizando NVivo versión 11. Resultados: la búsqueda de servicios de aborto se iniccomcon la confirmación y reconocimiento del embarazo. Amigos y hermanas fueron las fuentes y estímulos iniciales para la identificación del prestador de servicios de interrupción del embarazo, después de analizar los costos y beneficios de continuar o interrumpir el embarazo; la no percepción de la susceptibilidad y de la gravedad de tener un embarazo precoz. El desconocimiento de las fuentes de ayuda y de las leyes; el miedo a la exposición pública; la falta de recursos financieros; y el comportamiento de los proveedores sirvieron como barreras en este proceso. Conclusión: se recomienda la difusión de los servicios de salud sexual y reproductiva disponibles, así como la promoción de la educación sexual para elecciones saludables.  Enquadramento: a procura de ajuda pressupõe um comportamento de busca ativa de informação, aconselhamento, tratamento ou suporte para responder a um problema reconhecido. Objetivo: perceber o processo de busca de ajuda para a interrupção da gravidez pelas adolescentes e jovens, as fontes de ajuda, e os fatores influenciadores. Metodologia: abordagem qualitativa baseada em entrevistas semiestruturadas às enfermeiras dos Serviços de Saúde Amigos dos Adolescentes e Jovens, das urgências de ginecologia e das maternidades de 8 unidades sanitárias das cidades de Maputo e Quelimane; foram entrevistadas igualmente 14 adolescentes e jovens que induziram aborto. Aos dados, foi feita uma análise de conteúdo. Resultados: a procura de serviços de aborto iniciou com a confirmação e reconhecimento da gravidez. As amigas e as irmãs constituíram as fontes iniciais e estímulos para a identificação do provedor para a interrupção da gravidez, depois de analisados os custos e benefícios de continuar ou terminar a gravidez; não perceção da suscetibilidade de ter uma gravidez precoce e a gravidade das suas consequências. Não conhecimento das fontes de ajuda e das leis; medo de exposição pública; falta de recursos financeiros; e o comportamento dos provedores serviram de barreiras neste processo. Conclusão: Há necessidade de uma maior divulgação dos serviços de saúde sexual e reprodutiva disponíveis, bem como promoção da educação sexual, para escolhas saudáveis.

Quadra tradicional: questões de estrutura e de forma

O elevado grau de fluidez da quadra tradicional – que participa da mutabilidade e flexibilidade características de toda a literatura de transmissão oral – faz dela um espaço complexo, movediço e resistente a quadros taxinómicos rígidos ou definitivos. Partindo desse pressuposto, quisemos determinar neste artigo as principais linhas de instabilidade desta forma poética e os seus principais processos de edificação, nos planos estrutural e formal. Procurámos demonstrar que a quadra encerra uma força de conflito decorrente de uma dialéctica de abertura e de fechamento, relacionada com impulsos quer de condensação e fixação quer de intensificação ou derivação de sentidos

A manipulative field experiment to evaluate an integrative methodology for assessing sediment pollution in estuarine ecosystems

The assessment of sediment contamination is of crucial importance for the management of estuarine ecosystems. Environmental risk assessment of oil pollution must be specific to these ecosystems because of their unique toxicant bioavailability dynamics, which is not comparable with that of other ecosystems where the environmental parameters are less variable. The goal of this work was to test in two European estuarine areas (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal; La Manga, Spain) whether the common methodology used to evaluate sediment pollution in marine sediment (amphipod toxicity tests and community structure analysis) is suited to these physico-chemically unique systems. Manipulative field experiments were conducted at three oil concentration levels, to compare resulting changes in community structure with laboratory and in situ amphipod toxicity tests carried out with native amphipod species Corophium multisetosum (Atlantic area) and Microdeutopus gryllotalpa (Mediterranean area). The impact of the toxicant was reflected in the community structure and toxicity tests, both of which were correlated with oil concentration. These results point to this methodology being a reliable tool for assessing and monitoring pollution in estuarine areas.This work was financially supported by the project VEM2003-20068-C05-02 from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. C.S. is funded by the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Pre-doctoral FPU scholarship)

Benthic recovery during open sea fish farming abatement in Western Mediterranean, Spain

Fish farming is an important source of organic matter input in coastal waters, which contributes to eutrophication. In this study, the macrofaunal benthic community was studied after the cessation of fish farming with the aim of improving our understanding of benthic succession and sediment recovery in a marine ecosystem. The results showed that the best environmental variables for assessing organic pollution were acid-volatile sulfides (AVS) and redox potential. Succession and recovery was best explained by macrofaunal analysis based on community composition as well as on trophic groups. The patterns of recovery differed between each impacted station. For this reason, succession could not be accurately predicted due to the unique environmental parameters and the singular community functional structure of each location. The Azti Marine Benthic Index (AMBI) proved its validity for assessing pollution but did not distinguish between successional stages.This work was financially supported by the Project AGL2004-08350-C02-01 from Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia and Culmarex S.A. Company. During the writing of the manuscript C.S. was granted a Pre-doctoral FPU scholarship from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia

Tissue Clearing and Expansion Methods for Imaging Brain Pathology in Neurodegeneration : From Circuits to Synapses and Beyond

Studying the structural alterations occurring during diseases of the nervous system requires imaging heterogeneous cell populations at the circuit, cellular and subcellular levels. Recent advancements in brain tissue clearing and expansion methods allow unprecedented detailed imaging of the nervous system through its entire scale, from circuits to synapses, including neurovascular and brain lymphatics elements. Here, we review the state-of-the-art of brain tissue clearing and expansion methods, mentioning their main advantages and limitations, and suggest their parallel implementation for circuits-to-synapses brain imaging using conventional (diffraction-limited) light microscopy -such as confocal, two-photon and light-sheet microscopy- to interrogate the cellular and molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss recent studies in which clearing and expansion methods have been successfully applied to study neuropathological processes in mouse models and postmortem human brain tissue. Volumetric imaging of cleared intact mouse brains and large human brain samples has allowed unbiased assessment of neuropathological hallmarks. In contrast, nanoscale imaging of expanded cells and brain tissue has been used to study the effect of protein aggregates on specific subcellular structures. Therefore, these approaches can be readily applied to study a wide range of brain processes and pathological mechanisms with cellular and subcellular resolution in a time- and cost-efficient manner. We consider that a broader implementation of these technologies is necessary to reveal the full landscape of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases

Determinants of poor self-rated health among adults in urban Mozambique

Abstract Background Self-rated health is a measure expressing the general condition of health of individuals. Self-rated health studies are common in developed countries and in some developing regions. Despite increasing proportion of adult and older population in sub-Saharan Africa and poor population health indicators, there is a dearth of studies on self-rated health in the region. This study examines factors associated with poor self-rated health among adult individuals in Maputo metropolitan area in Mozambique. Methods Data for this study come from a survey of 1768 individuals aged 18 years or more carried out in Maputo metropolitan area, Mozambique, in 2015. Employing multiple logistic regression, the study used a subsample of 677 female and male respondents aged 40 years or more to estimate the determinants of poor self-rated health. Results About 54 % of respondents aged 40 years or more believed that their health status was poor. Female respondents [Odds Ratios (OR) = 3.43, p <0.01], single (OR = 4.71, p < 0.05), widow (OR = 1.81, p < 0.05), separated or divorced (OR = 2.08, p < 0.05) and those believing that hypertension or heart problem was a major community health problem (OR = 1.56, p < 0.05) displayed higher odds of reporting poor health than their peers, net of other factors. Furthermore, individuals aged 40–49 years (OR = 0.45, p < 0.01), or 50–59 years (OR = 0.59, p < 0.05), those whose work involves intensive physical activity (OR = 0.60, p < 0.05) and those from households treating drinking water (OR = 0.49, p < 0.01) showed lower odds of reporting poor health, adjusting for other factors. Conclusion Overall, the results point to the importance of age, gender, marital status, socioeconomic circumstances, individuals’ health behaviors and perceived community health problems as key determinants of poor self-rated health among adults in Maputo metropolitan area. Given the growing number of adult and older people in sub-Saharan Africa, the rising importance of non-communicable diseases and the scarcity of studies on determinants of poor self-rated health among adults in the region, our findings may have implications for a better understanding of the drivers of poor health among adults in urban sub-Saharan Afric

Ethnicity and Marriage Patterns in Mozambique

Marriage in sub-Saharan Africa has been commonly described as early and universal. Yet, its patterns vary across countries and even within countries among different cultural groups. Mozambique is culturally heterogeneous with both patrilineal and matrilineal systems of social organisation represented. Using data from the 1997 Census and 1997 MDHS, this article examines differentials in marriage patterns among five ethnic groups in Mozambique: Tsonga, Sena/Ndau, Lomwe/Chuwabo, Macua and Others, a residual group. Multivariate analyses are used to explore whether the reported ethnic differentials in age at first marriage, polygyny and marital dissolution can be attributed to ethnicity or to other characteristics that distinguish the ethnic groups. The findings are consistent with culture-associated differentials. After controlling for the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of women, the differences remain, with the matrilineal ethnic groups (Macua and Lomwe/Chuwabo) having an earlier age at marriage, lower prevalence of polygyny and higher marital dissolution than the patrilineal ethnic groups (Tsonga and Sena/Ndau)