Overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity in middle-age adults in an inland region of Northeast Portuguese: a pilot study

The prevalence of central and abdominal obesity has been increasing over last decades in developed countries. As well, the high prevalence of obesity in Portugal has already been documented, however it is need to better understand the prevalence in each region of the country. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity in middle-age in an inland region of Northeast Portuguese. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional community sample was collected from two Portuguese primary health care centres between January 2019 and December 2020. A total of 673 individuals aged 40–65 years were included for analysis, among which 400 women (53.34 ± 7.33 years) and 273 men (53.01 ± 7.20 years). Prevalence of overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity were analysed across sexes using body mass index and waist circumference. Categorical variables were expressed by counts and proportions with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Chi-squared test or fisher exact test were applied whenever appropriate. To compare continuous variables independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U test were used. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity in this cross-sectorial sample were 41.01%, 30.61% and 67.20%, respectively. Significant differences among men and women were found for abdominal obesity (p < 0.001). Women presented a higher prevalence of abdominal obesity (67.5%). Men have higher prevalence of overweight (48.72%) and central obesity (31.14%) than women (35.75% and 30.25%, respectively). However, differences were not statistically significant between sexes for overweight and central obesity (p ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: A higher prevalence of overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity was reported for middle- age adults in this inland region of Northeast Portuguese. Our data suggest a higher prevalence of all three clinical conditions, comparing previous Portuguese epidemiological studies. Current report provides the study pilot for a more detailed epidemiological research. Also, preliminary findings emphasise the importance of implementing physical activity programmes and promoting healthy lifestyles to tackling this growing public health problem.Project “GreenHealth – Digital strategies in biological assets to improve well-being and promote green health” (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042), supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prevalence of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a middle-age North-East Portuguese population: an exploratory and preliminary study

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease with a growing impact on morbidity and mortality worldwide. Previous studies detected a high prevalence of T2DM in Portugal, however the latest Portuguese epidemiological reports about Diabetes were performed in 2010 and 2015. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of T2DM in a middle-age Portuguese population from a North-East Portuguese region. Methods: An exploratory study was conducted between January 2019 and December 2020 from two primary health care centers in a North-East Portuguese region. A total of 673 individuals aged 40–69 years were analyzed, among which 400 women (53.34 ± 7.33 years) and 273 men (53.01 ± 7.20 years). T2DM diagnosis were based on World Health Organization (WHO) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria (2006). Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) was included for analysis (≥110.0mg/dLand<126.0 mg/dL). Categorical variables were expressed by counts and proportions with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Chi-squared test or fisher exact test was applied whenever appropriate. Results: The prevalence of T2DMin this middle-age Portuguese population was 14.9%. Significant differences among sexes were found (p<0.05) with a higher prevalence for men (17.9%) than women (12.8%). Also, T2DM prevalence was significant different among age-groups with an increase with age (p < 0.001). T2DM prevalence represented 5.8%, 16.0% and 25.5% of the cases on age groups 40–49 years, 50–59 years and 60–69 years, respectively. Analyzing the prevalence of T2DM in each age group according to sex, women had 4.7%, 12.4% and 24.5% diabetic cases in the age groups 40–49 years, 50–59 years and 60–69 years, respectively. Otherwise, men had 7.4%, 21.6% and 26.9% of the diagnosed T2DM for the same age groups. Regarding to IFG, 5.1% of the non-diabetics presented some degree of change in fasting glucose in the blood. Of those, the higher percentage of IFG cases was present in men (4.5%) than women (0.6%). Individuals with 60–69 years have higher percentage of IFG (12.5%) than other age-groups (4.3% and 5.0% for 40–49 and 50–59 years, respectively). Women had ab normal-values for fasting glucose in 4.9%, 1.3% and 8.5% of the 40–49 years, 50–59 years and 60–69 years’ age-groups, respectively. Conversely, men presented 3.4%, 11.5% and 18.4% of IFG prevalence for the same age-groups. Conclusion: A high prevalence of T2DM was reported in the studied middle-age North-East Portuguese population. Men have a higher number of diabetics, however an age-related increase for both sexes. The results also suggest potential cases of pre-diabetes, which should be carefully monitored. Further epidemiological reports should include the influence of socio-demographic factors, physical activity patterns and health-risk behaviors on prevalence of T2DM.Project “Green Health -Digital strategies in biological assets to improve well-being and promote green health” (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042), supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bioactivity and Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Compounds in Gastrointestinal Digestion of Tomato Bagasse Extracts

Funding: The authors would like to thank the CCTI group that kindly provided the samples. Also to thank to project Co-promoção nº 016403, “MULTIBIOREFINERY”, supported by Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização and by Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa, in its component FEDER, and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, byprojects UID/Multi/50016/2020 and UIDB/04469/2020 administrated by FCT, and by the I&D&I AgriFood XXI project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 (Programa Operacional Regional do Norte 2014/2020) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020-Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. Furthermore, the author Marta Coelho would like to acknowledge FCT for your PhD grant with the reference [grant number SFRH/BD/111884/2015].A nutrient-rich diet is a key to improving the chemical signals, such as antioxidants, which modulate pathogens' resistance in the gut and prevent diseases. A current industrial problem is the generation of undervalued by-products, such as tomato bagasse, which are rich in bioactive compounds and of commercial interest (carotenoids and phenolic compounds). This work analyzed the effect of gastrointestinal digestion on the bioactivity and bioaccessibility of carotenoids and phenolic compounds from tomato bagasse extracts. Thus, the extraction by ohmic heating (OH) technology was compared with conventional (organic solvents). The results showed that the main phenolic compounds identified by UPLC-qTOF-MS were p-coumaric acid, naringenin, and luteolin. A higher recovery index for total phenolic compounds throughout the gastrointestinal digestion was observed for OH while for carotenoids, a strong reduction after stomach conditions was observed for both extracts. Furthermore, colon-available fraction exhibited a prebiotic effect upon different Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, but a strain-dependent and more accentuated effect on OH. Thus, the extraction technology highly influenced bioaccessibility, with OH demonstrating a positive impact on the recovery of bioactive compounds and related health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-hypertensive, prebiotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Of these properties, the last is demonstrated here for the first time.publishersversionpublishe

Overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity in middle-age adults in an inland region of northeast Portuguese: a pilot study

The prevalence of central and abdominal obesity has been increasing over last decades in developed countries. As well, the high prevalence of obesity in Portugal has already been documented, however it is need to better understand the prevalence in each region of the country. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity in middleage in an inland region of Northeast Portuguese. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional community sample was collected from two Portuguese primary health care centres between January 2019 and December 2020. A total of 673 individuals aged 40–65 years were included for analysis, among which 400 women (53.34 ± 7.33 years) and 273 men (53.01 ± 7.20 years). Prevalence of overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity were analysed across sexes using body mass index and waist circumference. Categorical variables were expressed by counts and proportions with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Chi-squared test or fisher exact test were applied whenever appropriate. To compare continuous variables independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U test were used. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity in this cross-sectorial sample were 41.01%, 30.61% and 67.20%, respectively. Significant differences among men and women were found for abdominal obesity (p < 0.001). Women presented a higher prevalence of abdominal obesity (67.5%). Men have higher prevalence of overweight (48.72%) and central obesity (31.14%) than women (35.75% and 30.25%, respectively). However, differences were not statistically significant between sexes for overweight and central obesity (p ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: A higher prevalence of overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity was reported for middle-age adults in this inland region of Northeast Portuguese. Our data suggest a higher prevalence of all three clinical conditions, comparing previous Portuguese epidemiological studies. Current report provides the study pilot for a more detailed epidemiological research. Also, preliminary findings emphasise the importance of implementing physical activity programmes and promoting healthy lifestyles to tackling this growing public health problem.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Uma comunidade desportiva e as redes de cooperação entre organizações promotoras de desporto

É fundamental o estudo das organizações desportivas, enquanto entidades sociais essenciais no processo de desenvolvimento do desporto em Portugal, uma vez que as relações interorganizacionais são determinantes para a sustentabilidade e competitividade no setor desportivo. O estudo tem como objetivo identificar e compreender as relações de cooperação que as instituições promotoras de desporto do concelho de Évoraestabelecem entre si, como forma de potenciar a eficiência coletiva. A investigação enquadra-se nos estudos de carácter exploratório e assume a configuração de um estudo de caso. A ferramenta utilizada no tratamento dos dados foi a Análise de Redes Sociais (ARS), tendo os dados sido recolhidos através de questionário sociométrico e complementados com análise documental. Concluiu-se que, na generalidade, as dinâmicas de cooperação em rede são fracas, encontrando-se algumas exceções ao nível dos subgrupos. Perante os números de praticantes e modalidades disponibilizadas, aferiu-se que as organizações desportivas desenvolvem, através das suas estruturas, uma função interventiva na comunidade. A Câmara Municipal de Évora é a instituição que apresenta maior centralidade nas diferentes redes. A perspetiva dos atores em rede é exclusivamente centrada em interesses particulares, sendo que, as relações de cooperação acontecem essencialmente para troca de informação. A prospetiva de cooperação futura apresenta múltiplas potencialidades, o que, certamente, contribuirá para o desenvolvimento desportivo do concelho

Sensibility and specificity analysis for waist to height ratio, body mass index and waist circumference as a screening criterion for metabolic syndrome in an adult North East Portuguese population

Obesity is a central component of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and a major public health concern. A harmonizing MetS definition was developed to aggregate the different criteria used by the umbrella organizations, however there is still controversy over the most sensitive and specific parameter to characterize each MetS componentinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Structural equation modelling for predicting the relative contribution of each component in the metabolic syndrome status change

Understanding the factor weighting in the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) may help to predict the progression for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a confirmatory model to describe and explain the direct and indirect effect of each component in MetS status change. A total of 3581 individuals diagnosed with MetS, aged 18–102 years, were selected between January 2019 and December 2020 from a community-representative sample of Portuguese adults in a north-eastern Portuguese region to test the model’s goodness of fit. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach and a two-way ANOVA (age × body composition) were performed to compare the relative contribution of each MetS component using joint interim statement (JIS). Waist circumference (β = 0.189–0.373, p < 0.001), fasting glucose (β = 0.168–0.199, p < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (β = 0.140–0.162, p < 0.001) had the highest direct effect on the change in MetS status in the overall population and concerning both sexes. Moreover, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) had a low or non-significant effect. Additionally, an indirect effect was reported for age and body composition involving the change in MetS status. The findings may suggest that other components with higher specificity and sensitivity should be considered to empirically validate the harmonised definition of MetS. Current research provides the first multivariate model for predicting the relative contribution of each component in the MetS status change, specifically in Portuguese adults.This article is a result of the project “GreenHealth-Digital strategies in biological assets to improve well-being and promote green health” (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042), supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The authors also express acknowledgement all medical staff, patients and human resources of the two primary health care centers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exercise in the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases: an intervention project in Bragança community

O presente projeto de intervenção tem como objetivo a implementação de estratégias digitais e biológicas, visando a melhoria do bem-estar e a promoção da saúde no município de Bragança. Enquadrado no Projeto GreenHealth (Norte-01- 0145-FEDER-000042), pretende-se expor a importância da atividade física e dos estilos de vida saudáveis em problemas de Saúde Pública como a Síndrome Metabólica (SM) e a Diabetes Mellitus do tipo 2 (DM2). O projeto tem duas fases de implementação: (1) fase exploratória através de rastreios para estimar o risco de SM e DM2 na população alvo; (2) fase de intervenção com a implementação de programas de avaliação antropométrica, da atividade física e da condição física, assim como subsequente prescrição de exercício físico. A primeira fase será baseada no questionário de avaliação de risco de DM2 da Sociedade Portuguesa de Diabetologia e na avaliação epidemiológica de uma amostra representativa da comunidade brigantina. Esta fase pretende avaliar a prevalência de SM e DM2, bem como o número de pessoas em risco alto e muito alto. Posteriormente, a segunda fase do projeto visa promover atividades de intervenção ao nível da atividade física e do exercício físico. Dados preliminares da primeira fase do projeto demonstram uma elevada prevalência de SM e de DM2 na população estudada, tal como elevados índices de obesidade, dislipidemia, hipertensão e aumento da resistência à insulina. Estes factos enfatizam a necessidade de implementação de estratégias que visem a prevenção destas doenças metabólicas, especialmente pelo fomento do aumento da atividade física, realizada de forma controlada e consciente.This intervention project aims to develop digital and biological strategies for wellbeing improvement and health promotion in the municipality of Bragança. As part of the GreenHealth Project (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042), it is intended to explain the importance of physical activity and healthy lifestyles in the public health problems such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The project has two implementation phases: (1) exploratory phase by a targetpopulation screening to estimate the risk of MetS and T2DM; (2) intervention phase with evaluation programs for anthropometry, physical activity and fitness, as well as subsequent prescription of physical exercise. The first phase will be based on the T2DM risk assessment questionnaire followed by Portuguese Society of Diabetology and a representative community-sample of Bragança for epidemiological reporting. This project phase aims to evaluate the prevalence of MetS, T2DM and the number of people at high and very high T2DM risk. Subsequently, the second phase of this project aims to implement an intervention strategy in order to promote physical activity and exercise. Preliminary data from the exploratory phase demonstrate a high prevalence of MetS and T2DM in the population studied. Additionally, high levels of obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and impaired fasting glucose have also been observed. These facts emphasize the need for implementation strategies to prevent metabolic diseases, especially by encouraging an increase of physical activity levels performed in a controlled and conscious mannerThis article is a result of the project “GreenHealth - Digital strategies in biological assets to improve well-being and promote green health” (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042), supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Towards customized footwear with improved comfort

A methodology enabling the customization of shoes for comfort improvement is proposed and assessed. For this aim, 3D printed graded density inserts were placed in one of the critical plantar pressure zones of conventional insoles, the heel. A semi-automated routine was developed to design the 3D inserts ready for printing, which comprises three main stages: (i) the definition of the number of areas with different mesh density, (ii) the generation of 2D components with continuous graded mesh density, and (iii) the generation of a 3D component having the same 2D base mesh. The adequacy of the mesh densities used in the inserts was previously assessed through compression tests, using uniform mesh density samples. Slippers with different pairs of inserts embedded in their insoles were mechanically characterized, and their comfort was qualitatively assessed by a panel of users. All users found a particular pair, or a set, of prototype slippers more comfortable than the original ones, taken as reference, but their preferences were not consensual. This emphasizes the need for shoe customization, and the usefulness of the proposed methodology to achieve such a goal.This work was funded by National Funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Reference UID/CTM/50025/2019 and UIDB/04436/2020, and Project FAMEST, Reference POCI-01-0247-FEDER-024529, co-financed by COMPETE2020 through PT2020 and FEDER

Patient-physician discordance in assessment of adherence to inhaled controller medication: a cross-sectional analysis of two cohorts

We aimed to compare patient's and physician's ratings of inhaled medication adherence and to identify predictors of patient-physician discordance.(SFRH/BPD/115169/2016) funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT); ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) through the operations: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029130 ('mINSPIRERS—mHealth to measure and improve adherence to medication in chronic obstructive respiratory diseases—generalisation and evaluation of gamification, peer support and advanced image processing technologies') cofunded by the COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização), Portugal 2020 and by Portuguese Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio