Work according to the viewpoint of hospital food handlers

OBJETIVO: Analisar as percepções acerca da atividade profissional de um grupo de manipuladores de alimentos de um hospital público. MÉTODOS: A pesquisa, de cunho qualitativo, foi realizada em um serviço de nutrição e dietética de um hospital público de ensino da Cidade de São Paulo. Desenvolveu-se a partir de corpus obtido por técnica do grupo focal realizada com 15 funcionárias, sendo 8 vinculadas ao lactário e 7 à cozinha dietética. Os depoimentos foram gravados, transcritos e analisados sob o ponto de vista do conteúdo e das representações sociais. Posteriormente, a validação da análise foi realizada com as participantes. A caracterização socioeconômica foi realizada com uso de um formulário auto-aplicável. RESULTADOS: O trabalho é percebido como crucial para a sobrevivência, porém de grande responsabilidade social, além de implicar em rotina exaustiva. Além disso, constitui instância que possibilita apoio e relacionamento entre as trabalhadoras, embora não lhes proporcione o status que julgam merecer. O trabalho é representado como instância simultânea de sofrimento e apoio; embora importante, tanto para elas mesmas, quanto para o grupo social. Ao mesmo tempo, chefias e os superiores se mostram alheios a todas as dificuldades. CONCLUSÃO: Por conseqüência, percebe-se que há necessidade de mudanças na organização do trabalho, a fim de reduzir os fatores que ocasionam cansaço, descontentamentos e desânimo nas manipuladoras. Faz-se necessário maior investimento, por parte da chefia do serviço, na adoção de estratégias gerenciais mais descentralizadas e participativas, respeitando, na medida do possível, as opiniões e diferenças individuais, bem como investindo em treinamentos periódicos dos trabalhadores.OBJECTIVE: The objective was to analyze how a group of food handlers from a public hospital perceive their professional activities. METHODS: This qualitative research was carried out in a nutrition and dietetic service of a public hospital school in the city of São Paulo. Its development was based on a corpus obtained by doing the focus group technique with 15 employees, of which 8 worked in the milk dispensary and 7 in the dietetic kitchen. The statements were recorded, transcribed and analyzed according to content and social representations. Later, the analysis was validated together with the participants. Socioeconomic status was determined with a self-assessment form. RESULTS: Labor is perceived as crucial for survival and of great social responsibility, in addition to being exhausting. Furthermore, work represents an instance that allows workers to support and relate to each other, although it does not provide the status they believe they deserve. Labor is simultaneously represented as an instance of suffering and support while it is important for themselves and for the whole social group. Meanwhile, supervisors and managers do not seem to notice their difficulties. CONCLUSION: Consequently, the organization of the work needs changes in order to reduce factors that generate fatigue, unhappiness and discouragement among food handlers. Supervisors need to invest more in the implementation of decentralizing and more participative management strategies, respecting, whenever possible, the opinions and individual differences, as well as in the periodical training of the employees

Intestinal absorption of iron and calcium from soy and cow's milk-based infant formulas in weanling rats pups

Objective This study aimed to compare the intestinal absorption of iron and calcium between soy-based and cow's milk- based infant formulas in weanling rats. Methods Twenty male Wistar rats, twenty-one days old on the first day of weaning, were used in this experiment, divided in two Groups, one Group was fed soy protein-based infant formula the other, cow's milk protein-based infant formula. During the study period (ten consecutive days) the animals received food and water ad libitum. Hematocrit and hemoglobin were evaluated on the first, fifth, and tenth days by the Wintrobe and cyanomethemoglobin methods. Feces and urine were collected, beginning on the fifth day, for three consecutive days. On the tenth day, hepatic iron content was also analyzed. Hepatic iron as well as fecal and urinary iron and calcium analyses were performed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. At thirty-one days of age, the animals were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine and sacrificed by exsanguination via the vena cava. Results The final concentration of hemoglobin in the group soy-based infant formula and milk-based infant formula were: 10.3 +/- 1.3g/dL and 10.9 +/- 1.0g/dL (p=0.310). The apparent absorption of iron and calcium, in that order, were: 73.4 +/- 10.2% and 70.2 +/- 9.5%97.2 +/- 0.7% and 97.6 +/- 1.0% (p=0.501p=0.290). The apparent calcium retention was: 88.4%+/- 2.2 and 88.6 +/- 2.6%(p=0.848). Hepatic iron content was: 522.0 +/- 121.1mg/g and 527.8 +/- 80.5mg/g (p=0.907). Conclusion Intestinal iron and calcium absorption from soy-based infant formula is similar to that from milk-based infant formula in weanling rats.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Pediat, R Coronel Lisboa,826,Vila Clementino, BR-04020041 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Lab Bromotol & Microbiol Alimentos, BR-04020041 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Pediatria. R. Coronel Lisboa, 826, Vila Clementino, 04020-041, São Paulo, SP, BrasilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Laboratório de Bromotologia e Microbiologia de Alimentos. São Paulo, SP, BrasilWeb of Scienc

Hurdles at work: perceptions of hospital food handlers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Food handlers have a very important role in preventing food contamination during its preparation and distribution. This responsibility is even greater in hospitals, since a large number of patients have low immunity and consequently food contamination by pathogenic bacteria could be particularly harmful. Therefore, a good working environment and periodic training should be provided to food handlers by upper management.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study is qualitative research by means of focus group and thematic content analysis methodologies to examine, in detail, the statements by food handlers working in the milk and specific-diet kitchens in a hospital to understand the problems they face in the workplace.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that food handlers are aware of the role they play in restoring patients' health; they consider it important to offer a good-quality diet. However, according to their perceptions, a number of difficulties prevent them from reaching this aim. These include: upper management not prioritizing human and material resources to the dietetic services when making resource allocation decisions; a perception that upper management considers their work to be of lesser importance; delayed overtime payments; lack of periodic training; managers lacking administrative skills; insufficient dietitian staff assistants, leading to overwork, at the same time as there is an excess of dietitians; unhealthy environmental working conditions – high temperature, high humidity, loud and constant noise level, poor ventilation; lack of food, and kitchen utensils and equipment; and relationship conflicts with chief dieticians and co-workers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>From these findings, improvement in staff motivation could be achieved by considering non-financial incentives, such as improvement in working conditions and showing appreciation and respect through supervision, training and performance appraisal. Management action, such as investments in intermediary management so that managers have the capacity to provide supportive supervision, as well as better use of performance appraisal and access to training, may help overcome the identified problems.</p

Determination of macronutrients, by chemical analysis, of home-prepared milk feeding bottles and their contribution to the energy and protein requirements of infants from high and low socioeconomic classes

Objectives: To determine the macronutrients composition of home-prepared milk feeding bottles, by chemical analysis, and assess their contribution to the energy and protein requirements of children under two years of age from high (HSE) and low (LSE) socioeconomic classes.Methods: 72 samples were analyzed for energy density and protein, fat and carbohydrate content: 41 from the LSE group and 31 from the HSE group. The assessment of the percentages of the energy and protein requirements met by the consumption of the milk bottles was calculated as follows: the energy and protein per 100 mL obtained through chemical analysis were multiplied by the volume consumed at each feeding, then by the number of feedings per day, the results divided by the energy and protein requirements and multiplied by 100. Energy and protein requirements were those recommended by the FAO/WHO/UNU Committee and the Food and Nutrition Board. The children's weight-for-age index was assessed.Results: Unmodified cow's milk was largely consumed by both groups. The addition of sugar and other ingredients to the milk was significantly higher in the LSE group. Moisture, protein and fat content were lower in the LSE group. whereas carbohydrate and energy content were higher. The percentages of energy and protein requirements provided by feeding bottles were higher in the LSE group. Children in the LSE group had lower z-scores for weight-for-age.Conclusions: Differences in the preparation practices led to differences in the chemical results. The feeding bottles in the LSE group were high in energy, due to the addition of sugar and cereals to the milk in the bottle. The milk feeding bottles were an important weaning food providing more than 50% and 100% of the children's energy and protein requirements, respectively. The children's weight-for-age index was within the normal Lb-aits.Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Pediat, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Pediat, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

A Novel and Potentially Valuable Exposure Measure: Escherichia coli in Oral Cavity and its Association with Child DayCare Center Attendance

This study investigated the occurrence of Escherichia coli, an indicator of fecal contamination, in saliva samples from 141 children up to 36 months old, 53 not attending and 88 attending a child daycare center after exposure to a public daycare center and home environments. Two samples from each child were collected on the same day at 07:00 and 15:00 h and plated on MacConkey agar for identification. Samples E. coli negative in the morning and positive in the afternoon were statistically associated with the condition of the child attending daycare center (Odds ratio = 2.72; 95% confidence interval = 1.15/6.46). Exposure to the daycare center environment favored the potential risk of transmission of enteropathogens, as demonstrated by the presence of E. coli in saliva. the method proved to be easy to sample, non-invasive and feasible in young children. the findings suggest a novel and potentially valuable exposure measure.Univ Oeste Paulista, Dept Microbiol & Immunol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pediat, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Food Qual Control Lab, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pediat, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Food Qual Control Lab, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc