Preferences and consumer habits related to bread in the centre of Portugal

Purpose – Bread is one of the most consumed foods in the world, and its main function is to provide nutrients and energy for the body. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to raise awareness about the consumption habits of bread and consumer preferences in the region of Viseu (centre of Portugal), assessing the extent to which the preferences and consumption habits differ based on individual variables. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted by means of a questionnaire by direct interviewing. The questionnaire included sections aimed at gathering information about demographics, consumption habits and preferences related to bread. The sample consisted of 500 consented respondents. Findings – The results showed significant differences between genders regarding the type of bread eaten: women consumed less wheat bread (52 per cent against 62 per cent; p 0.029) and less unsalted bread (0.3 per cent against 3 per cent; p 0.023), but more whole bread (25 per cent against 11 per cent; p 0.001) and more bread with cereal grains (23 per cent against 11 per cent; p 0.001), thus revealing a trend for a nutritionally more adequate choice. Accordingly, women valued more the composition of the bread when purchasing it (p 0.001). It was also observed a trend for a lower consumption of wheat bread among classes with more advanced studies (47 per cent on university graduates against 60 per cent on nongraduates; p 0.004). Originality/value – This work is innovative because it was the first time the preferences and consuming habits of a sample of Portuguese population regarding bread were accessed, altogether. The results hereby obtained may be of importance both to understand the nutritional importance of bread in the diet of the Portuguese and also for the industry and manufacturers to better correspond to the buying preferences.

The assessment of the level of knowledge about dietary fibre among the portuguese population

The aim of this work was to assess the degree of knowledge about dietary fibre (DF), as influenced by factors such as age, gender, level of education and living environment. For this, a descriptive cross- sectional study was undertaken by means of a questionnaire and the total number of respondents was 382. The results revealed that the participants had a not satisfying global level of knowledge (3.59 ± 0.64, on a scale from 1 to 5). The overall knowledge was found lower for young adults aged 19 to 30 years, when compared to adults aged over 31 and up to 65 years, being this difference statistically significant (p=0.030). However, no statistical significant differences were found between genders, levels of education or living environments. The low level of knowledge demonstrated by the enquired alerts for the need to plan some additional actions to further inform the Portuguese population about dietary fibre.

Knowledge about dietary fibre: a fibre study framework

The objective of this work was to study the degree of knowledge about dietary fibre (DF), as influenced by factors such as gender, level of education, living environment or country. For this, a descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken on a non-probabilistic sample of 6010 participants from 10 countries in different continents (Europe, Africa and America). The results showed that the participants revealed on average a positive but still low global level of knowledge, which alerts for the need to take some actions to further inform the population about DF and its role as a component of a healthy diet. The results also indicated differences between genders, levels of education, living environments and countries. The highest level of knowledge was revealed by the participants from female gender, with higher education and living in urban areas. Concerning the country, the best informed were the participants from Romania, followed by those from Portugal and Turkey while the least informed were from Egypt.

Perception of health benefits of dietary fibre among the Portuguese population

Introduction: Dietary iber (DF) has been part of human diet since ever, and its beneits for the human health have been well estab-lished and scientiically conirmed. Among these stand improved gastrointestinal functions, prevent cholesterol, diabetes or CVD. Objectives: To study the level of knowledge of people residing in Portugal about the health effects related to an adequate ingestion of DF. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out on a non-probabilistic sample of 382 adults residing in Portugal. The questionnaire included a section about the socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, level of education and living environ- ment) and another about the relation between dietary iber and possible beneicial effects to treat and prevent diseases. The data was treated using the SPSS software (V22). Results: The results allowed concluding that people were dif- ferently informed about the effects of DF in preventing and/or treating different diseases, being constipation the most recog- nized, followed in decreasing order by obesity, bowel cancer, cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and breast can- cer. The results also showed that signiicant differences were encountered between age groups for most of the diseases evalu- ated, but not between genders, levels of education or living en- vironments. Conclusions: Generally, it was concluded that the participants in this study were relatively well informed about the roles of DF in preventing and/or treating various diseases.

Sources of Information about Dietary Fibre: A Cross-Country Survey

Problem statement: Dietary fibre (DF) has been recognized as a major determinant for improvement of health. Hence the means of information through which people become aware of its benefits are crucial. Research questions: Where do you usually find information about dietary fibre? What means of communication do you consider the most appropriate to encourage the consumption of dietary fibre? Purpose of the study: This work aimed at studying the sources of information about dietary fibre, as a means to educate people about aspects related to healthy eating. Factors such as gender, level of education, living environment or country were evaluated as to their effect on the selection of sources and preferences.   Research Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study by means of a questionnaire, applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 6010 participants from 10 countries in different continents (Europe, Africa and America), answered after informed consent by all participants. For the analysis were used several descriptive statistics tools, crosstabs and chi square test to assess the relations between some of the variables under study. Findings: Mostly the information about DF comes from the internet, but television is recognized as suitable. Differences were found between genders, levels of education, living environments and countries. The internet (preferred source), got highest scores for Hungary, urban areas, university education and female gender. The radio (least scored source) was preferred in Egypt, for men and with lower education (primary school). Conclusions: People get information through the internet due to easy access. However, it is to some extent a risk given the impossibility to control de information made public on the internet. The role of health centres and hospitals as well as schools should definitely be increased, as a responsible way to ensure correct information.

Perceção dos cuidadores informais sobre o planeamento da alta

Enquadramento: Conhecer a perceção que os cuidadores informais possuem sobre o planeamento da alta dos idosos internados, permite que os enfermeiros conheçam as reais necessidades do cuidador e do idoso, contribuindo assim, para a diminuição da ansiedade, prevenção de complicações e consequentemente uma maior satisfação pelos cuidados recebidos. Objetivos: Conhecer a perceção dos cuidadores informais sobre o planeamento da alta hospitalar do idoso, e analisar associações entre as variáveis sociodemográficas, profissionais, familiares, clínicas e psicossociais e a referida perceção. Métodos/ Procedimentos: Realizou-se um estudo quantitativo, transversal, descritivo e correlacional, utilizando uma amostra não probabilística por conveniência, constituída por 41 cuidadores informais de idosos internados no serviço de Medicina 1 do Centro Hospitalar do Algarve – Unidade de Faro. Recorreu-se ao questionário de caracterização sociodemográfica, profissional, familiar e clínica, bem como a utilização do Índice de Barthel, questionário de Planeamento da Alta (PREPARED) e a escala de Ansiedade e Depressão Hospitalar (HADS). Resultados: Dos 41 cuidadores informais,73,17 % são do género feminino, 78% são casados/ união de fato, 39,0% mantêm-se ativos profissionalmente a tempo inteiro e em 51,2% são filhos do idoso, que apresentam uma média de idade de 78,78 anos. A maioria (82,9%) reside na mesma habitação que o idoso, sendo cuidadores informais há menos de 3 meses (58,5%). Os cuidadores apresentam um nível de ansiedade leve a moderada, sendo superior para o género feminino, embora não se verificasse diferenças estatisticamente significativas. Relativamente à perceção dos cuidadores relacionados com o planeamento da alta, a maioria privilegia as informações relacionadas como conseguir fazer as AVD, afirmando que se sentem preparados para regressar a casa, contudo a maioria não sente confiança para executar as tarefas diárias no domicílio. Constatou-se que a presença de apoio da rede formal influencia significativamente a perceção do planeamento da alta (p< 0,05), sendo que o género, agregado familiar e grau de dependência, embora de forma parcial (apenas para um indicador) também são preditivas da perceção. Conclusões: Apesar do número reduzido da amostra, os resultados obtidos evidenciam a relevância de organização dos cuidados face à satisfação das necessidades dos idosos e seus cuidadores em cuidados de saúde, no que dizem respeito ao planeamento da alta, como busca da qualidade. Palavras-chave: perceção do planeamento da alta, cuidadores informais, idosos.

Percepção da pessoa surda sobre qualidade da assistência em saúde

A barreira de comunicação existente entre as pessoas surdas e ouvintes prejudicam a participação ativa da pessoa surda na sociedade, uma vez que dificultam a manifestação de suas opiniões e sua interferência direta no processo de construção do conhecimento. Como forma de amenizar as desigualdades, foi promulgada em 2005 uma lei, conhecida como Lei de Libras, que dentre outras coisas, garantem o acesso bilíngue, nas línguas portuguesa e de sinais, aos serviços essenciais de saúde e educação. Este trabalho de pesquisa teve o objetivo de avaliar a percepção da pessoa surda quanto à qualidade das ações e serviços oferecidos nas unidades de saúde públicas, tendo em vista o cumprimento das leis vigentes voltadas para a inclusão da pessoa surda no acesso à saúde pública. Trata-se de um estudo de natureza exploratório-descritiva e enfoque transversal, realizado numa amostra de 15 pessoas surdas portadoras de perda auditiva severa ou profunda, de ambos os sexos (10 homens e 5 mulheres), que se comunicam através da Língua Brasileira de Sinais (Libras), com idade entre 20 a 38 anos, usuárias dos serviços públicos de saúde, que buscaram atendimento em 2014. Foi utilizado um questionário estruturado. Os resultados apresentados evidenciam uma comunicação inadequada entre pacientes e profissionais da saúde, além da falta de intérpretes e de precariedade na estrutura física. Estes fatos, aliados à necessidade de contratação de intérpretes por parte dos usuários, refletem um desvio da responsabilidade do Estado, no que tange ao acesso pleno aos bens e serviços de saúde conforme as leis vigentes. Palavras-chaves: Acessibilidade; Saúde Pública; Surdez; Língua Brasileira de Sinais; Identidade surda.