Sexo, renda e escolaridade associados ao nível de atividade física de trabalhadores

OBJECTIVE: To analyze socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with physical activity level among workers. METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted in Brazil's Federal District, from 2000 to 2001, with a representative sample of 1,044 workers from both sexes, who are covered by the Programa de Alimentação do Trabalhador (Workers' Food Program). Binary logistic regression was used to determine possible risk factors associated with physical activity level and selected by the backward elimination process. Interactive effects of the variables were verified in the final model by means of the odds ratio for physical activity level >;1.4. RESULTS: The final model included sex, income and level of education. Male individuals who only finished elementary school and earned less than four Brazilian minimum wages per month were the most likely to show physical activity level >;1.4. The odds ratio estimate indicated that men were five times more likely to show physical activity level >;1.4 than women. Individuals who only finished elementary school and had an income equal to or below four minimum wages were two times more likely to show physical activity level >;1.4 than individuals who earned more than four minimum wages and had a university degree or higher. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that the factors associated with physical activity level among workers are the following: male, elementary school level, and income below four Brazilian minimum wages per month.OBJETIVO: Analisar fatores socioeconômicos e demográficos associados ao nível de atividade física de trabalhadores. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal realizado no Distrito Federal, de 2000 a 2001, com amostra representativa de trabalhadores de ambos os sexos, vinculados ao Programa de Alimentação do Trabalhador, envolvendo 1.044 trabalhadores. Utilizou-se a regressão logística binária para determinação dos possíveis fatores de risco associados ao nível de atividade física e selecionados pelo processo de "backward elimination". Efeitos interativos das variáveis foram verificados no modelo final por meio da razão de chances, para nível de atividade física >;1,4. RESULTADOS: O modelo final incluiu o sexo, a renda e a escolaridade. Indivíduos do sexo masculino que cursaram apenas o primeiro grau e ganhavam menos de quatro salários mínimos eram os que tinham mais chances de apresentar nível de atividade física >;1,4. A estimativa das razões de chances indicou que os homens tinham cinco vezes mais chances de apresentar nível de atividade física >;1,4, níveis inferiores aos das mulheres. Indivíduos que cursaram apenas o primeiro grau e com renda igual ou inferior a quatro salários mínimos tinham duas vezes mais chances de nível de atividade física >;1,4 do que indivíduos com renda superior a quatro salários mínimos e curso superior ou pós-graduação. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados indicam que os fatores associados ao nível de atividade física de trabalhadores são: sexo masculino, escolaridade primeiro grau e renda menor que quatro salários mínimos

Socio-demographic and food insecurity characteristics of soup-kitchen users in Brazil

O objetivo foi identificar o perfil dos usuários do programa Restaurantes Populares e suas associações com a situação de insegurança alimentar domiciliar. Trata-se de estudo transversal com amostra aleatória de 1.637 usuários. Foi utilizado um questionário com variáveis socioeconômicas, a Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar e aferidos peso e altura. Foram aplicados o teste de qui- quadrado, cálculo das razões de prevalência (RP) bruta e ajustada, utilizando-se o modelo de regressão de Poisson. Foram prevalentes a faixa de renda per capita entre ½ e 1 salário mínimo (35,1%), o Ensino Médio completo (39,8%) e a segurança alimentar (59,4%). Os usuários da Região Norte apresentaram os piores dados: Ensino Fundamental incompleto (39,8%), faixa de renda per capita de até ½ salário mínimo (50,8%) e insegurança alimentar (55,5%). Houve maior RP de insegurança alimentar entre os usuários que apresentaram renda per capita de até ¼ do salário mínimo (p < 0,05). Apenas renda manteve-se associada à maior prevalência de insegurança alimentar na RP ajustada. As características dos usuários em insegurança alimentar podem orientar a melhoria desta ação, os critérios de localização e funcionamento do Programa Restaurantes Populares.This study aimed to characterize users of a government soup-kitchen program and the association with family food insecurity, using a cross-sectional design and random sample of 1,637 soup-kitchen users. The study used a questionnaire with socioeconomic variables and the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale, and measured weight and height. The chi-square test was applied, and the crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated using Poisson regression. Prevalent characteristics included per capita income ranging from one-half to one minimum wage (35.1%), complete middle school (39.8%), and food security (59.4%). Users in the North of Brazil showed the worst data: incomplete primary school (39.8%), per capita income up to one-half the minimum wage (50.8%), and food insecurity (55.5%). Prevalence ratios for food insecurity were higher among users with per capita income up to one-fourth the minimum wage (p < 0.05). Income was the only variable that remained associated with higher prevalence of food insecurity in the adjusted PR. Knowing the characteristics of soup-kitchen users with food insecurity can help orient the program’s work, location, and operations.El objetivo fue identificar el perfil de los usuarios del programa Restaurantes Populares y su vinculación con la situación de inseguridad alimentaria en el hogar. Se trata de un estudio transversal con un muestreo aleatorio de 1.637 usuarios. Se utilizó un cuestionario con variables socioeconómicas, la Escala Brasileña de Inseguridad Alimentaria y se midieron peso y altura. Se aplicó el chi-cuadrado, la razón de prevalencia (RP) bruta y ajustada, con el modelo de regresión de Poisson. Fueron prevalentes la banda de ingresos per cápita entre ½ y 1 salario mínimo (35,1%), educación secundaria completada (39,8%) y seguridad alimentaria (59,4%). Los usuarios de la Región Norte presentaron los peores datos: educación primaria incompleta (39,8%), banda de ingresos per cápita de hasta ½ salario mínimo (50,8%) e inseguridad alimentaria (55,5%). Hubo una mayor RP de inseguridad alimentaria entre los usuarios que presentaron ingresos per cápita de hasta ¼ del salario mínimo (p < 0,05). Sólo el ingreso se mantuvo vinculado a la mayor prevalencia de inseguridad alimentaria en la RP ajustada. Las características de los usuarios con inseguridad alimentaria pueden orientar en la mejoría acciones, respecto a los criterios de ubicación y funcionamiento del programa restaurantes populares.Perfil y situación de seguridad alimentaria en usuarios de restaurantes populares en Brasi

Unhygienic practices of health professionals in Brazilian public hospital restaurants : an alert to promote new policies and hygiene practices in the hospitals

This study aimed to evaluate health professionals’ unhygienic practices and the stages of behaviour change in Brazilian public hospital restaurants. We evaluated all medium/large-sized public hospital restaurants (HRs) from the Brazilian Federal District (n = 9); a representative sample of 128 users). We evaluated the HRs’ physical structures, their consumers’ socio-demographic characteristics, their unhygienic practices, as well as the stages of behavioural change concerning unhygienic practices. All the HRs presented their menus for self-service distribution, so customers entered in lines to serve themselves. All the HRs had hand-wash sinks for customers; 77.8% offered antiseptic liquid soap; 33.3% offered alcohol gel; and 77.8% offered storage for professional accessories before serving food. Almost half (46.8%) of the customers did not sanitise their hands (with water and antiseptic soap and/or use of alcohol gel) immediately before serving, and 24.2% wore professional uniforms at HRs. Almost half (43.5%) of the customers spoke with each other in line while serving their plates and arranged the food on their plates with the serving utensils from the distribution counter. The declaration of behavioural change was inversely associated with the hygiene practices. Almost half of the individuals did not sanitize their hands; however, 90.4% declared “changed behaviour” when this contaminant practice was presented to them. We verified a high percentage of hygiene practices inconsistent with most of the customers´ answers about their stage of behaviour change. Based on the observations of this study, it is necessary for an awareness program to be developed that is focused on customers of HRs in order to reduce unhygienic practices. Also, it is important to promote new policies for proper hygiene practices in hospital restaurants

Food safety conditions in home-kitchens : a cross-sectional study in the Federal District/Brazil

This study aimed to analyze the food safety conditions in home kitchens from the Brazilian Federal District. A previously validated instrument composed of 77 items (in four blocks) was used to evaluate the safety conditions in home kitchens. A survey was carried out with on-site application with 226 home kitchens’ food handlers in the Federal District, Brazil to evaluate Brazilian home kitchens’ good practices. Of the home kitchen food handlers, most of them were female (64.6%), had completed undergraduate education (29.2%), and were 45–59 years old (23.5%). The visited households had an average of 3.38 ± 1.48 residents that ate some of their meals at home, and 40% declared the monthly family income to be between 5 and 15 Brazilian minimum wages (MW). Regarding the reliability of the instrument, from the KR-20 test, it was verified that the instrument presents good internal consistency (α = 0.758). According to the instrument classification, the home kitchens’ sample was considered as at a medium risk of food contamination (46.5% of them presented from 51 to 75% of conformities to the instrument). There was a statistical difference between house-kitchens with a family income from zero to one minimum wage (MW) and those receiving from 5 to 15 MW (p = 0.017), as well as between those from zero to one MW and who earn above 15 MW (p = 0.009). The result of the on-site evaluation shows that the instrument was able to measure food safety conditions in Brazilian Federal District domestic kitchens. Such findings can contribute positively to the development of actions in health education that help in the adoption of good practices of food manipulation and, consequently, in the reduction in foodborne disease outbreaks in residences

Brazilian Workers Food Program : an inquisitive review

O programa de alimentação do trabalhador (PAT) foi instituído em 1976 com o objetivo de garantir alimentação adequada aos trabalhadores brasileiros de baixa renda, visando à produtividade, à prevenção de doenças ocupacionais e à qualidade de vida. No entanto, atualmente, a situação nutricional das famílias de baixa renda é diferente da existente à época em que o programa foi criado. O quadro epidemiológico atual apresenta um avanço na prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade, tendo com fator determinante o desequilíbrio entre a ingestão alimentar e o gasto energético. Essa situação é motivo de grande preocupação para as entidades de saúde, pois tem sido responsável por grande número de moléstias incapacitantes, que retiram, temporariamente ou permanentemente trabalhadores do mercado de trabalho. Nesse sentido, dada a relevância social do programa, os autores desse artigo propõem: (1) questionar os critérios de ingestão delineados no programa diante das necessidades atuais dos trabalhadores, além do papel das empresas conveniadas como executora de educação nutricional para a clientela; (2) propor a vinculação do programa a outras ações básicas de saúde. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe Brazilian workers' food program was established in 1976 with the aim to provide optimal nutrition to low income Brazilian workers. The program also aims to increase productivity, prevent occupational diseases and improve life quality. However, since the program was established the Brazilian workers nutritional status has changeed considerably. At present, there has been an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity due to the imbalance of food intake and energy expenditure. These epidemiological changes have impact on the population health status with increase in non-transmissible diseases that interfere with productivity. In this context, this review aims to: 1. question the program's intake levels are fulfilling actual workers' nutritional requirements and the role of the register companies to implement nutritional education to its clientele; 2. propose a link between the workers food program to other public health basic actions

Perfil e situação de insegurança alimentar dos usuários dos Restaurantes Populares no Brasil

O objetivo foi identificar o perfil dos usuários do programa Restaurantes Populares e suas associações com a situação de insegurança alimentar domiciliar. Trata-se de estudo transversal com amostra aleatória de 1.637 usuários. Foi utilizado um questionário com variáveis socioeconômicas, a Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar e aferidos peso e altura. Foram aplicados o teste de qui- quadrado, cálculo das razões de prevalência (RP) bruta e ajustada, utilizando-se o modelo de regressão de Poisson. Foram prevalentes a faixa de renda per capita entre ½ e 1 salário mínimo (35,1%), o Ensino Médio completo (39,8%) e a segurança alimentar (59,4%). Os usuários da Região Norte apresentaram os piores dados: Ensino Fundamental incompleto (39,8%), faixa de renda per capita de até ½ salário mínimo (50,8%) e insegurança alimentar (55,5%). Houve maior RP de insegurança alimentar entre os usuários que apresentaram renda per capita de até ¼ do salário mínimo (p < 0,05). Apenas renda manteve-se associada à maior prevalência de insegurança alimentar na RP ajustada. As características dos usuários em insegurança alimentar podem orientar a melhoria desta ação, os critérios de localização e funcionamento do Programa Restaurantes Populares