Hazardous use of alcohol among undergraduate students at a public university

Background The potentially harmful consequences of alcohol use among undergraduates have become a growing concern in recent years. Objectives This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hazardous use of alcohol in this population and to identify demographic and psychosocial factors associated with this pattern of consumption. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using an anonymous and self-completed questionnaire in the classroom. The questionnaire was administered to 1,290 enrolled male and female students, which comprised a proportional sample of the main areas of knowledge at University of Campinas. The questionnaire produced sociodemographic and psychosocial profiles and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used to detect hazardous use of alcohol. Results The prevalence of hazardous use of alcohol among the study participants was 24%. Male gender, subjective perceived social support in case of difficulties, being sexually active, not dating, having smoked tobacco cigarettes or marijuana, and having used other illicit psychoactive substances were associated with hazardous use of alcohol. Discussion Variables related to gender, sexuality, affective partnerships, and consumption of other psychoactive substances were associated with hazardous use of alcohol, which was identified in a quarter of the evaluated students, and indicate the need for strategies to prevent and to treat problems

Gestational weight gain, nutritional status and blood pressure in pregnant women

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether weekly gestational weight gain is associated with anemia, vitamin A insufficiency, and blood pressure levels in the third trimester of pregnancy. METHODS: A prospective study with 457 pregnant women attending primary care in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre. The weekly gestational weight gain rate measured between the second and third trimesters was classified as insufficient, adequate, and excessive according to the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine 2009. The outcomes at the beginning of the third gestational trimester were: anemia (Hb < 110 g/L), vitamin A insufficiency (serum retinol<1.05 μmol/L) and blood pressure levels (continuous values, in mmHg). Age-adjusted prevalence ratios, schooling, and use of vitamin and mineral supplements were calculated in Poisson regression models with robust variance. RESULTS: A total of 18.6% of pregnant women had insufficient weekly weight gain, and 59.1% had excessive weight gain. The frequencies of anemia, vitamin A insufficiency and hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic ≥ 90 mmHg) were 17.5%, 13.4%, and 0.6%, respectively. The prevalence ratios for anemia among pregnant women with insufficient and excessive weight gain were 0.41 (95%CI 0.18–0.93) and 1.00 (95%CI 0.63–1.59), respectively, when compared to pregnant women with adequate weight gain. For vitamin A insufficiency, the adjusted prevalence ratio was significantly higher among pregnant women with insufficient weight gain (2.85, 95%CI 1.55–5.24) and no difference for excessive weight gain (1.53, 95%CI 0.84–2.74) when compared to pregnant women with adequate weight gain. Pregnant women with excessive weight gain had higher mean systolic blood pressure (111.10; 95%CI 109.9–112.2) when compared to pregnant women with insufficient weight gain (107.50; 95%CI 105.4–109.6) and adequate (106.20; 95%CI 104.3–108.20). CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient weekly gestational weight gain was associated with the risk of vitamin A insufficiency. Excessive weight gain, in turn, was associated with higher blood pressure values at the beginning of the third gestational trimester

Transtorno mental comum na gravidez e sintomas depressivos pós-natal no estudo MINA-Brasil: ocorrência e fatores associados

OBJECTIVE To investigate the occurrence and factors associated with common mental disorders in pregnancy and depressive symptoms in postpartum, as well as the association between both in the Brazilian Western Amazon. METHODS This is a prospective cohort in the MINA-Brazil study with women who received primary health care in the town of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre State. We performed two clinical evaluations during pregnancy (the first: 16–20 weeks; the second: 28 gestational weeks) and three postpartum evaluations (at 3, 6 and 12 months), in which demographic and socioeconomic, gestational, lifestyle and clinical data were collected. We used the Self-Reported Questionnaire (score ≥ 8) to screen the gestational common mental disorder and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (score ≥ 10) to identify postpartum depressive symptoms. We used adjusted ordinal logistic regression to investigate the relationship between the covariates and the occurrence of common mental disorders in pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptomatology. RESULTS A total of 461 women completed the two clinical evaluations in pregnancy; of these, 247 completed the three postpartum evaluations. The occurrence of common mental disorder during pregnancy was 36.2% and 24.5% in the first and second evaluations, respectively, and the cumulative incidence was 9.2%. In addition, 50.3% maintained the disorder between evaluations. During postpartum, approximately 20% of the mothers presented depressive symptoms during the first year of their children’s lives. Parity (≥ 2) was associated with common mental disorders, while low maternal education was associated with postpartum depressive symptoms. Women with a common mental disorder in both evaluations during pregnancy were 5.6 times more likely (95%CI: 2.50–12.60) to develop postpartum depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION The occurrence of common mental disorder at any time assessed during pregnancy, but especially its persistence from the second trimester, was strongly associated with depressive symptoms after childbirth. These findings highlight the need for early screening and monitoring of the mental health of pregnant women at the start of prenatal care in order to reduce possible negative impacts on the health of the mother-child binomial caused by such events.OBJETIVO Investigar a ocorrência e os fatores associados com os transtornos mentais comuns na gestação e sintomas depressivos no pós-parto, bem como a associação entre ambos na Amazônia Ocidental Brasileira. MÉTODOS Coorte prospectiva no estudo MINA-Brasil com mulheres atendidas na atenção primária à saúde de Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre. Foram realizadas duas avaliações clínicas na gestação (primeira: 16–20 semanas; segunda: 28 semanas gestacionais) e três avaliações no pós-parto (aos 3, 6 e 12 meses), nas quais foram coletados dados demográficos e socioeconômicos, gestacionais, de estilo de vida e clínicos. Utilizou-se o Self-Reported Questionnaire (escore ≥ 8) para rastreamento do transtorno mental comum gestacional e a escala de depressão pós-natal de Edimburgo (escore ≥ 10) para identificação de sintomas depressivos pós-parto. Foi utilizada regressão logística ordinal ajustada para investigar a relação entre as covariáveis e a ocorrência de transtornos mentais comuns na gravidez e a sintomatologia depressiva no pós-parto. RESULTADOS Um total de 461 mulheres completaram as duas avaliações clínicas na gestação; dessas, 247 completaram as três avaliações pós-parto. A ocorrência de transtorno mental comum durante a gestação foi de 36,2% e 24,5% na primeira e segunda avaliações, respectivamente, e a incidência cumulativa foi de 9,2%. Ademais, 50,3% mantiveram o transtorno entre as avaliações. Durante o pós-parto, aproximadamente 20% das mães apresentaram sintomatologia depressiva ao longo do primeiro ano de vida de seus filhos. A paridade (≥ 2) foi associada ao transtorno mental comum, enquanto a baixa escolaridade materna associou-se com sintoma depressivo pós-parto. Mulheres com transtorno mental comum nas duas avaliações na gravidez apresentaram 5,6 vezes mais chance (IC95% 2,50–12,60) de desenvolverem sintoma depressivo pós-parto. CONCLUSÃO A ocorrência de transtorno mental comum em qualquer momento avaliado durante a gravidez, mas principalmente sua persistência a partir do segundo trimestre, foi fortemente associado ao sintoma depressivo posterior ao parto. Tais achados evidenciam a necessidade de rastreamento precoce e monitoramento da saúde mental de gestantes no início do pré-natal, a fim de reduzir possíveis impactos negativos para a saúde do binômio mãe-filho causados por tais eventos

High prevalence of gestational night blindness and maternal anemia in a population-based survey of Brazilian Amazonian postpartum women.

Nutrition during pregnancy is one of the key elements to good maternal and child health, as well as to lifetime landmarks. However, many pregnant women go undernourished in less developed settings. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with gestational night blindness (GXN) and maternal anemia in a cross-sectional population-based study in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre State, Western Brazilian Amazon. All women living in the municipality admitted at the only maternity-hospital in the city to delivery of a singleton infant were eligible to this study (n = 1,525). Recruitment of participants took place between July 2015 to June 2016. GXN was assessed in the postpartum period by WHO standardized interview. Maternal anemia was defined as hemoglobin at delivery < 110.0 g/L. We estimated prevalence rates and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR), alongside 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), of the factors associated with the outcomes through multiple Poisson regression models with robust variance. Alarming prevalence of GXN (11.5%; 95% CI, 9.97-13.25) and maternal anemia (39.4%; 95% CI, 36.84-41.95) were found. Factors associated with GXN were (aPR; 95% CI): ≥ 5 residents in the household (2.06; 1.24-3.41), smoking during pregnancy (1.78; 1.15-2.78), and attending < 6 antenatal care visits (1.61; 1.08-2.40). Factors associated with maternal anemia were (aPR; 95% CI): maternal age < 19 years (1.18; 1.01-1.38), gestational malaria (1.22; 1.01-1.49), not taking micronutrient supplements during pregnancy (1.27; 1.01-1.62), and attending < 6 antenatal care visits (1.40; 1.15-1.70). High prevalence rates of GXN and maternal anemia in these postpartum women may reflect poor assistance during antenatal care, underlying the importance of rethinking current protocols related to nutrition in pregnancy

Prenatal care and preterm birth in the Western Brazilian Amazon: A population-based study

Brazil is among the top ten countries in preterm delivery worldwide. This study assesses the factors associated with preterm birth in the Western Brazilian Amazon. A population-based cross-sectional study was held between July 2015 to June 2016 in Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazilian Amazon. A total of 1525 births were included in this analysis. Preterm birth was defined as births at gestational age < 37 weeks. A stepwise multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with preterm delivery. The prevalence rate of preterm birth was 7.9% (n = 120; 95% CI: 6.5–9.3). After adjusting for confounding factors, a positive association with preterm birth was observed for pregnant women who completed less than six antenatal care visits (OR: 2.93; 95% CI: 1.89–4.56), who had a birth interval of < 18 months (OR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.04–6.75), and who experienced bleeding (OR: 2.17; 95% CI: 1.39–3.38) and hypertension during pregnancy (OR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.07–2.82). Factors associated with preterm birth in the Western Brazilian Amazon were mostly related to the aspects of health care provided to women, and thus could be prevented. Proper, timely, and regular antenatal care visits can help reduce adverse outcomes, such as hypertension and bleeding