Back pain in Portuguese schoolchildren: prevalence and risk factors

2 Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention In Sport, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Portugal Background: Regarding children aged _10 years, only a few international studies were conducted to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for back pain. Although other studies on the older Portuguese children point to prevalence between 17% and 39%, none exists for this specific age-group. Thus, the aim of this study was conducted to establish the prevalence of and risk factors for back pain in schoolchildren aged 7–10 years. Methods: A cross-sectional survey among 637 children was conducted. A self-rating questionnaire was used to verify prevalence and duration of back pain, life habits, school absence, medical treatments or limitation of activities. For posture assessment, photographic records with a bio-photogrammetric analysis were used to obtain data about head, acromion and pelvic alignment, horizontal alignment of the scapulae, vertical alignment of the trunk and vertical body alignment. Results: Postural problems were found in 25.4% of the children, especially in the 8- and 9-year-old groups. Back pain occurs in 12.7% with the highest values among the 7- and 10-year-old children. The probability of back pain increased 7 times when the children presented a history of school absences, 4.3 times when they experienced sleeping difficulties, 4.4 times when school furniture was uncomfortable, 4.7 times if the children perceived an occurrence of parental back pain and 2.5 times when children presented incorrect posture. Conclusions: The combination of school absences, parental pain, sleeping difficulties, inappropriate school furniture and postural deviations at the sagittal and frontal planes seem to prove the multifactorial aetiology of back pain

Tuberculosis control: decentralization, local planning and management specificities

The goal was to analyze, according to the perception of health managers, the practices that guide tuberculosis control actions in cities in the metropolitan region of João Pessoa - PB, Brazil. This qualitative study involved eight professionals in management functions. Testimonies were collected through semi-structured interviews between May and June 2009 and organized through content analysis. Despite the acknowledged benefits of tuberculosis control action decentralization, local planning indicates the predominance of a bureaucratic model that is restricted to negotiation and supplies. Local programming is centered on the coordinator, which shows a command line and vertical management that lead to the fragmentation of the work process. Management action should follow an innovative and transformative route that surpasses bureaucratic barriers and faces the biggest challenge it is proposed: to balance professional interrelations with a view to improving health work performance.Se buscó analizar, según la percepción de los gestores de salud, las prácticas que orientan las acciones de control de la tuberculosis en municipios de la región metropolitana de Joao Pesoa, estado de Paraíba. Se trata de un estudio cualitativo que envolvió ocho profesionales que ejercían cargos de gestión. Las declaraciones fueron recolectadas por medio de entrevistas semiestructuradas, entre mayo y julio de 2009, y organizadas mediante análisis de contenido. A pesar de que se reconozcan los beneficios de la descentralización de las acciones de control de la tuberculosis, la planificación local señala la predominancia del modelo burocrático restricto a negociación y suministro de insumos. La programación local se centra en la figura del coordinador, retratando una línea de comando y gestión vertical que induce a la fragmentación del proceso de trabajo. La tarea de administrar debe explorar un camino innovador y transformador, que ultrapase las barreras burocráticas y alcance el mayor desafío que le es impuesto: equilibrar las interrelaciones profesionales con la finalidad de perfeccionar el desempeño del trabajo en salud.Buscou-se analisar, segundo a percepção dos gestores de saúde, as práticas que norteiam as ações de controle da tuberculose, em municípios da região metropolitana de João Pessoa, PB. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo que envolveu oito profissionais que exerciam cargos de gestão. Os depoimentos foram coletados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada, entre maio e julho de 2009, e organizados mediante análise de conteúdo. Embora se reconheça os benefícios da descentralização das ações de controle da tuberculose, o planejamento local sinaliza a predominância de modelo burocrático restrito à negociação e provisão de insumos. A programação local centra-se na figura do coordenador, retratando uma linha de comando e gestão vertical que induzem à fragmentação do processo de trabalho. A tarefa de gerenciar deve trilhar caminho inovador e transformador que ultrapasse as barreiras burocráticas e alcance o maior desafio que lhe é imposto: equilibrar as inter-relações profissionais no intuito de aperfeiçoar o desempenho do trabalho em saúde

Waste-polystyrene foams-derived magnetic carbon material for adsorption and redox supercapacitor applications

The current impact of plastic waste on the environment and nature pushes for coming up with methods for their efficient reuse and recycle. Expanded polystyrene waste, massively produced worldwide, is presented in this work as a novel precursor of magnetic activated carbons (MAC) for the first time. A simple methodology based on the impregnation of EPS samples with Fe3+ in solution, followed by pyrolysis under Ar pressure and chemical activation is proposed. The as-prepared carbonaceous magnetic materials present nanometric phases of Fe0, Fe3C, and Fe3O4, and showed high specific surface area (672 m2 g−1) and total pore volume (0.35 cm3 g−1), one of the highest found in the carbonaceous magnetic materials literature. Their excellent textural, chemical and electrical properties, combined with the possibility of magnetically collection and regeneration after operation guaranteed an excellent performance of MAC in two different applications: as adsorbents of organic contaminants and as electrodes of redox supercapacitors.The authors would like to thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) for the financial support. P.F.R. Ortega acknowledges the FAPEMIG (DOF nº. 2720262/2018). The authors are also grateful to Rede Mineira de Química. R.L. Lavall is recipient of fellowship from CNPq (grant number 313304/2017-3). N. C. F. Machado, K. H. A. Mendes, and L. A. M. de Jesus would like to thank CEFET-MG and FAPEMIG for scholarships receivedPeer reviewe

Social and environmental factors associated with the hospitalization of tuberculosis patients

OBJECTIVE: to identify social and environmental factors associated with hospitalization of tuberculosis (TB) patients in Manaus, Amazonas, during 2010. METHODS: this is a quantitative cross-sectional epidemiological study, with primary data collection and analysis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), based on seropositive status. RESULTS: Among social factors for TB-HIV co-infection, the association between alcohol use and dependence was significant for employed workers; among non-co-infections, the association between income less than one minimum wage (U.S. $200) and retired people, Bolsa Família Program [Family Allowance]/other social benefits was significant. Regarding environmental factors, the association was significant for TB-HIV co-infection among those not having their own house, having masonry housing and daily garbage collection; and among non-co-infection, owning their own house, no masonry housing and lack of daily garbage collection was significant. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that not only social factors, but also environmental ones are associated with hospitalization of tuberculosis patients, and such associations differ according to TB-HIV co-infection. Findings revealed that the non-biological factors associated with hospitalization of tuberculosis patients should be considered when caring patients with this disease

Public health emergency: social representations among managers of a university hospital

AIM: to comprehend the social representations of public health emergencies among managers who experienced the Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic of 2009. METHOD: a qualitative case study, with its theoretical and methodological framework based on the Theory of Social Representations. The data was obtained through the techniques of free association and semi-structured interviews, applied individually to managers who worked in different positions of the hierarchical management structure of the institution during the pandemic emergency, a total of 30 participants. RESULTS: thematic content analysis resulted in the following categories: vulnerability, health protection, neglect - gray areas of the public sphere, and integrality. The social representations of public health emergencies attest to continuities that transit the overvalorization of negative discourses linked to the health/education public space, naturalization of the substantial character of the epidemic, and normative managerial action. However, the defense of ongoing education as a necessity associated with emergency management revealed possibilities for change in the technical-scientific perception of the management. CONCLUSIONS: to understand healthcare/nursing workers as political beings, assuming responsibilities in the areas of the macro and micro policies of the State, the university hospitals and the work teams, is a pathway that is emerging for the management of emergencies