Estudo envelhecer na Covilhã: apresentação de um estudo interdisciplinar

El objetivo de este estudio es examinar, de forma integrada, los diferentes aspectos relacionados con el envejecimiento, que pueden mejorar nuestro conocimiento sobre el Proceso de adaptación y la promoción de un envejecimiento exitoso. Se disponía de una muestra de 226 participantes elegidos al azar, con referencia a la población que vive en las parroquias urbanas del municipio de Covilhã - Portugal, con edades comprendidas entre los 65 y 96 años, con una edad media de 74,67 años (SD = 6,76). Se evaluaron las dimensiones relacionadas con el envejecimiento, mediante la aplicación de una adaptación de la ESAP - La Encuesta Europea sobre el Envejecimiento Protocolo (versión en Inglés de Paúl, Fonseca, Cruz y Cerejo, 1999). Siendo el objetivo de este artículo informar sobre el proyecto en Covilha. Siendo esta una fase de análisis de datos, aún no son visibles ni adecuadamente sistematizados los hallazgos, pero sí algunas conclusiones parciales. A este respecto hay que señalar los resultados mostrados por A. Moreira (2012) que señalan el reconocimiento de la importancia de las variables psicosociales, incluyendo la percepción del control personal en su relación significativa con la dependencia funcional y las actividades instrumentales de la vida diaria.The aim of this study is to examine, in an integrated way, the different aspects of their relationship with aging, can improve our knowledge of the inherent adaptation process and promoting successful aging. He was just a sample of 226 randomly selected participants, with reference to the population living in urban parishes of the municipality of Covilhã - Portugal, aged between 65 and 96 years, with a mean age of 74.67 years ( SD = 6.76). The European Survey on Aging Protocol (English version of Paul, Fonseca, Cruz and Cerejo, 1999) - dimensions related to aging, by applying an adaptation of the ESAP were evaluated. As the purpose of this article report on the project in Covilha, and this being a data analysis phase, are still not visible properly systemized the findings, but some partial conclusions. In this regard it should be noted the results shown by A. Moreira (2012) indicating the recognition of the importance of psychosocial variables, including the perception of personal control in their significant relationship with functional dependence and instrumental activities of daily living .O objetivo deste estudo consiste em analisar, de forma integrada, diferentes aspetos que pela sua relação com o envelhecimento, poderão melhorar a nossa compreensão acerca do proceso adaptativo inerente e a promoção do envelhecimento bem-sucedido. Contou com 226 participantes, que constituíram uma amostra extraída aleatoriamente, tendo por referência a população residente nas freguesias urbanas do concelho da Covilhã - Portugal, com idades compreendidas entre 65 e os 96 anos, sendo a média de idade de 74,67 anos (DP=6,76). Foram avaliadas dimensões relacionadas com o envelhecimento, através da aplicação de uma adaptação do ESAP – The European Survey on Aging Protocol (versão Portuguesa de Paúl, Fonseca, Cruz & Cerejo, 1999). Sendo objetivo deste texto dar a conhecer o projeto Envelhecer na Covilhã, e estando este numa fase de análise de dados, não são ainda visíveis conclusões devidamente sistematizadas, sendo no entanto já conhecidas algumas conclusões parciais. Neste sentido merecem destaque os resultados evidenciados por A. Moreira (2012) que apontam no sentido do reconhecimento da importância das variáveis psicossociais, nomeadamente da perceção de controlo pessoal, na sua relação significativa com a dependência funcional e com as atividades instrumentais de vida diária.peerReviewe

Solidão e sintomatologia depressiva na velhice

Loneliness and depression are related to the psychological well-being in old age. However, this relationship is not clear because of the complexity of these dimensions, namely the solitude. The objective of this study is to examine these two dimensions and discuss the relationship in elderly people. This study included 213 people aged 65 and 96 years old, and the average age was 75 years old (DP=6.74). Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) (Pocinho, Farate, Dias, Lee, & Yesavage, 2009) and through direct questions to assess loneliness (Paúl, Fonseca, Ribeiro, & Teles, 2006). The sample comprised 213 people aged 65-96 years old. The findings indicate that 26.76% (57) of the individuals had depressive symptoms. Differences were statistically significant between men and women and between marital states, education levels and living conditions of the individuals. Regarding the experience of loneliness, the results indicate that 12.7% (27) of the individuals had solitude. We found statistically significant associations between loneliness and gender, marital status and living conditions. The results also revealed a statistically significant association between loneliness and depressive symptoms [χ2(2)=35.315; p=0.000] and in this sample 35.1% (20) of the subjects present loneliness and depressive symptoms. This study warns of the importance of perceiving the relationship between loneliness and depression, in the design of evaluations and interventions for old age, to optimize of the social network settings of the person for an improvement in their health and quality of life.A solidão e a depressão encontram-se relacionadas com o bem-estar psicológico na velhice. Contudo, esta relação não é clara dada a complexidade destas dimensões, nomeadamente da solidão. Este estudo pretende avaliar estas duas dimensões e discutir a sua relação em pessoas idosas, considerando aspetos sociodemográficos. Participaram no estudo 213 pessoas com idades entre os 65 e os 96 anos, sendo a média de idades de 75 anos (DP=6.74). Foram utilizados como instrumentos de avaliação, um questionário sociodemográfico, a Escala de Depressão Geriátrica (GDS) (Pocinho, Farate, Dias, Lee, & Yesavage, 2009) e questões diretas para avaliar a solidão (Paúl, Fonseca, Ribeiro, & Teles, 2006). Os resultados indicam que 26.76% (57) dos indivíduos apresentaram sintomatologia depressiva. Verificaram-se diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os géneros, níveis de escolaridade, estados civis e condições de vida dos participantes. Relativamente à experiência de solidão, 12.7% (27) dos indivíduos apresentaram solidão. Foram, também, encontradas associações estatisticamente significativas entre a solidão e o género, e o estado civil e as condições de vida dos participantes. Os resultados revelaram uma associação estatisticamente significativa entre a solidão e a sintomatologia depressiva [χ2(2)=35.315; p<0.001)], constatando-se que 35.1% (20) dos participantes apresentam solidão e sintomatologia depressiva. Este estudo alerta para a importância de se perceber a relação entre a solidão e a depressão para que, no desenho de avaliações e intervenções para a velhice, se otimizem as configurações da rede social da pessoa idosa para uma melhoria da sua saúde e qualidade de vida

Toxic metals in indoor dust collected from houses included in the “6x60x6” Project (Covilhã, Portugal) during the cooling season

We spend more than 90 per cent of our daily lives indoors. Managing the indoor environment so that we feel comfortable and healthy is therefore very important. However, this management is only possible if rigorous data on both construction parameters and indoor environment exists. Moreover, the evolution of construction techniques and materials used modulates both aspects. As a consequence, it is necessary that the information obtained reflects a long period of time. That is the main driver for the project “Six by Sixty by Six” undertaken by the Civil Engineering and Architecture Department and the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Beira Interior. Six houses constructed in six different decades (1960’s-2010’s) were surveyed for sixty days regarding a set of parameters (e.g., temperature, humidity, CO2, CO, VOCs). Additionally, dust was collected by the vacuum cleaner bag and was analyzed for specific contaminants. This work presents the results obtained for the toxics metals mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and lead in dust samples. There is no legislation regulating maximum permissible levels for any of the studied metals in dust. A comparison with ”Portaria Nº 1450/2007” which regulates the maximum metal contents in dredged sediment that can be safely deposited in soils (here used as an action threshold) reveals that the values for As in all houses were transcended. For Cd and Hg they were only transcended in one house, whereas for lead all the values were below this threshold. Linear regression with age of construction used as independent variable revealed no relationship between this variable and metal concentrations with the exception of As (R2 adjusted= 0.41). Findings are discussed under the light of potential health outcomes upon the residents.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

House dust fungal communities’ characterization: a double take on the six by sixty by six project (6x60x6)

Fungi are a group microbes, that are found with particular incidence in the indoor environment. Their direct toxicity or capability of generating toxic compounds has been associated with a large number of adverse health effects, such as infectious diseases, allergies and other toxic effects. Given that in modern society people spend a large part of their time indoors; fungal communities’ characterization of this environmental compartment assumes paramount importance in the comprehension of health effects. House dust is an easy to obtain, time-integrative matrix, being its use in epidemiological studies on human exposure to environmental contaminants highly recommended. Furthermore, dust can carry a great variety of fungal content that undergoes a large number of processes that modulate and further complexify human exposure. Our study aims to quantify and identify the fungal community on house dust samples collected using two different methodologies (an approach not often seen in the literature): active (vacuum cleaner bags) and passive sampling (dust settled in petri dishes). Sampling was performed as part of the ongoing 6x60x6 Project in which six houses from Covilhã (Portugal), with building dates representative of six decades, were studied for a period of sixty days.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mercury levels in house dust samples from Covilhã, Portugal - Preliminary results from 6x60x6 Project

A avaliação da qualidade do ambiente interior, particularmente do ambiente doméstico, por ser aquele em que o ser humano passa a maior parte do seu tempo, reveste-se de particular importância. Esta qualidade é modulada por um conjunto de fatores entre os quais se encontram os contaminantes ambientais com potencial tóxico, que têm vindo a ser quantificados de forma consistente no pó doméstico, uma matriz com grande capacidade integradora. Este trabalho, que utiliza o mercúrio como caso de estudo, integra-se no âmbito de um projeto pioneiro e multidisciplinar, em que se pretende estudar por um período de sessenta dias, seis habitações particulares localizadas na cidade da Covilhã, para compreender de que forma as características do imóvel e os hábitos dos habitantes podem influenciar a qualidade do ambiente interior e consequentemente a saúde dos residentes. Os níveis de mercúrio total nas amostras de pó doméstico variaram entre 138,7 ppb e 1075,5 ppb, com um só dos imóveis a transcender o valor máximo permissível estabelecido pela Portaria Nº1450/2007. Estabelece-se uma comparação com os valores registados para outros estudos similares e traça-se um plano de ação para o pleno desenvolvimento do estudo.The evaluation of indoor environmental quality, particularly of households, is of paramount importance since modern humans spend most of their time indoors. Environmental contaminants with toxic potential play a central role in the modulation of indoor quality and recent trends have pointed towards their quantification in dust, which is a highly integrative matrix. The present work uses mercury as a case study integrated in a pioneering multidisciplinary study aiming to ascertain (by measuring a set of parameters for sixty days in six houses built in six different decades – 6x60x6) how the household characteristics and residents’ habits modulate indoor environmental quality and, in turn, drive impacts upon their health. Total mercury levels in house dust samples varied between 138.7 ppb and 1075.5 ppb, with a single house recording a value higher than the limit admissible by Portuguese law (Portaria Nº1450/2007). A comparison of the obtained values with similar studies worldwide is performed and an action plan for the full development of the study is drafted. Keywords: Indoor environment, Metals, Mercury, House dustinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Characteristics of the dietary consumption of patients with probable dementia of alzheimer type, at different stages: Observational study in a public outpatient clinic in São Paulo, Brazil

Purpose:to verify the correlation of the ingested diet with the nutritional status of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients; observation of fiber and fluid consumption and intestinal function. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 77 patients of both genders and their caregivers who were referred to nutritional status care in the three phases (CDR) of the AD. All answered the food anamnesis where it was possible to establish the amount of calories, macronutrients and micronutrients. Anthropometric measurements of weight, height, BMI, AC, TSF and AMC were collected.For the continuous variables, a descriptive statistical analysis was performed and for the analytical statistic the Poisson regression was used. Results:Most of the patients were eutrophic. The studied macronutrients were found to be adequate, except for the protein intake that was higher in the mild phase. No group achieved fiber intake. It was not found significant correlations between fiber consumption and intestinal function. In relation to micronutrients, adequate consumption of iron, vitamins A and B12 were found. Vitamin C intake did not reach DRI in mild patients and zinc consumption was low for patients who belonged to the group with moderated patients. Conclusions:Although it does not reflect the nutritional reality of Brazilian patients with probable AD, this study provided important characteristics of the diet composition that already allow us to establish nutritional action strategies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio