A inclusão da comunidade cigana: um projeto de saúde escolar no Concelho do Seixal

A inclusão da comunidade cigana requer uma postura diferente por parte desta comunidade que passa pela assunção das normas por que todos os cidadãos portugueses se devem reger, em termos de direitos e deveres, exercendo a sua cidadania plena, de forma ativa e participada. Objetivo: Promover a inclusão das crianças ciganas nas escolas do Concelho do Seixal. Metodologia: utilizou-se a metodologia de planeamento em saúde, recorrendo à entrevista e grelha de observação, como instrumentos de recolha de dados. Resultados: Deficit de conhecimentos sobre cuidados de higiene nas crianças ciganas; Deficit de conhecimentos sobre cultura cigana pelos professores; Desvalorização da preservação dos espaços comuns do bairro pelas famílias ciganas. Conclusões: Importância da promoção de hábitos de higiene pessoal junto das crianças ciganas, necessidade de formação para professores sobre multiculturalidade e cultura cigana e de intervenção articulada e em parceria, no bairro, promovendo a mudança de comportamentos para preservação dos espaços comuns; ABSTRACT: The inclusion of the Roma community requires a different attitude on the part of this community that goes by the assumption of standards that all Portuguese citizens should be governed in terms of rights and duties, exercising their full citizenship, active and participatory way. Objective: To promote the inclusion of Roma children in the Municipality of Seixal schools. Methodology used the health planning methodology, using interview and observation grid, such as data collection tools. Results: Deficit of knowledge about hygiene in the Roma children; Deficit of knowledge about Roma culture by teachers; Devaluation of preservation of the common areas of the neighborhood by Roma families. Conclusions: The importance of promoting personal hygiene habits with Roma children, the need for training for teachers on multiculturalism and gypsy culture and coordinated intervention and partnership, in the neighborhood, promoting behavior change to preserving public spaces.

Increased physical activity and fitness above the 50th percentile prevents the institutionalization of elderly people: a cross-sectional pilot study.

Introduction Institutionalization in a nursing home restricts autonomy, most notably free will, free choice, and free action. Decreased physical activity and fitness are predictive of disability and dependence (Rikli & Jones, 2013; Tak, Kuiper, Chorus, & Hopman-Rock, 2014); however little is known about the impact of these factors on institutionalization. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the impact of physical activity and fitness and on the risk of elderly people without cognitive impairment become institutionalized. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 195 non-institutionalized (80.14.4yrs) and 186 institutionalized (83.85.2yrs) participants. Cognitive impairment was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination, physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and measures of physical fitness were determined by the Senior Fitness Test. Results: Multivariate binary logistic analysis selected 4 main predictors of institutionalization in both genders. The likelihood of becoming institutionalized increased by +18.6% for each additional year of age, while it decreased by -24.8% by each fewer kg/m2 in BMI, by -0.9% for each additional meter performed in the aerobic endurance test and by -2.0% for each additional 100MET-min/wk of physical activity expenditure (p<0.05). Values ≤50th percentile (age ≥81yrs, BMI≥26.7kg/m2, aerobic endurance ≤367.6m, and physical activity ≤693MET-min/wk) were computed using Receiver Operating Characteristics analysis as cut-offs discriminating institutionalized from non-institutionalized elderly people. Conclusion The performance of physical activity, allied to an improvement in physical fitness (mainly BMI and aerobic endurance) may prevent the institutionalization of elderly people without cognitive impairment only if they are above the 50th percentile; the following is highly recommend: expending ≥693MET-min/wk on physical activity, being ≤26.7kg/m2 on BMI, and being able to walk ≥367.6m in the aerobic endurance test, especially above the age of 80 years. The discovery of this trigger justifies the development of physical activity programs targeting the pointed cut-offs in old, and very old people. References Rikli, R., & Jones, C. (2013). Development and validation of criterion-referenced clinically relevant fitness standards for maintaining physical independence in later years. Gerontologist, 53, 255-267. Tak, E., Kuiper, R., Chorus, A., & Hopman-Rock, M. (2014). Prevention of onset and progression of basic ADL disability by physical activity in community dwelling older adults: a meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev, 12, 329-338.