Physical Activity, Fatigue And Quality Of Life In Breast Cancer Patients

Objective: to evaluate the relationship between levels of physical activity, fatigue and quality of life (QOL) in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods: 215 women between the ages of 40 and 65 years were recruited at a cancer clinic. Physical activity levels were assessed by using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), fatigue levels by using the revised Piper scale, and QOL by means of EORTC QLQ-C30 and WHOQOL-Bref. Statistical analysis was performed using Minitab statistical software, version 16. Results: the mean age of subjects was 52.66 years (SD=8.6); patients were mostly white (58.14%) and overweight (55.81%). Most women were fatigued (72.09%) while physically active women showed lower symptoms of fatigue (p0.001). Mean scores for QOL were significantly lower among fatigued women (p0.001). More active women scored higher on all scales of QOL (EORTC), especially for functional capacity (p0.001), compared with the sedentary patients. A significant association was found between level of physical activity and overall QOL (WHOQOL-Bref) for all domains (p0.001). Climacteric symptoms ranged from mild to strong and did not show any statistically significant results; however, the most active women had the fewest symptoms. Conclusion: physical activity appears to positively influence fatigue and QOL in women diagnosed with breast cancer.621384

O agente comunitário de saúde e aconsolidação do Sistema Único de Saúde: reflexões contemporâneas The community health agent and the consolidation of the Unified Health System: contemporary reflections

Os agentes comunitários de saúde (ACS) são personagens-chave na implantação de políticas voltadas para a reorientação do modelo de saúde, tendo como base a atenção primária. Este estudo apresenta uma revisão de literatura, dirigida à análise crítica sobre a contribuição deste profissional para a consolidação do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Considerando que as concepções acerca do processo saúde-doença dão sentido à prática sanitária e às ações dos profissionais de saúde, inicialmente discutiu-se a evolução dos paradigmas sanitários e a influência das correntes de pensamentos neste processo, apresentando as principais diferenças entre o paradigma flexneriano e o paradigma da produção social da saúde. Neste contexto, o SUS desponta como um novo sistema de saúde, com princípios e diretrizes que configuram o Programa Saúde da Família como estratégia revolucionária, por apresentar respostas aos problemas não solucionados pelo sistema sanitário hegemônico, baseado no paradigma até então dominante. Assim, por colocar em foco o cuidado, a atenção primária, a prática sanitária da vigilância à saúde e o trabalho em equipe multiprofissional, a formação dos profissionais para a abordagem do processo saúde-doença com enfoque em saúde da família surge como desafio para o êxito do modelo sanitário proposto. Destarte, a reflexão crítica sobre a função do ACS aponta para conflitos entre pressupostos teóricos do modelo e a prática deste profissional, destacando a necessidade de capacitação permanente, crítico-reflexiva e baseada em metodologias problematizadoras, como estratégia de potencialização para a efetiva mudança do modelo de saúde, no contexto da práxis do PSF.<br>The community health agents (ACS) are key players in the implementation of policies related to the reorientation of health model, based on primary care. This study presents a literature review, led to critical analysis on the contribution of this work for the consolidation of the Unified Health System (SUS). Whereas the conception of health-disease process gives meaning to the practice and actions of health professionals, first we discussed the evolution of the paradigms of health and the influence of currents of thought in this process, presenting the main differences between the paradigm and Flexnerian paradigm of social production of health. In this context, the SUS emerged as a new health system, with principles and guidelines that make up the Family Health Program a revolutionary strategy which presents answers to the unsolved problems by the hegemonic health system, based on the paradigm dominant so far. So, focusing on care, primary care, health surveillance practices and multi-professional teamwork, professional training to address the health-disease process with a focus on family health poses a challenge to the success of the proposed public health model. Thus, critical reflection on the role of the ACS points to conflicts between the theoretical model and professional practice, highlighting the need for ongoing training, critical and reflective and based on questionable methodology, such as augmentation strategy for the effective change in the health model in the context of the praxis of the Family Health Program