THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERIZATION OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WHO STUDY AND WORK OUTSIDE THEIR HOME

The objective of this study was to identify the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of children and adolescents who study and work outside their home. This non-experimental, correlational, cross-sectional study was performed using questionnaires applied to primary education students, enrolled in public schools in Ribeirao Preto (Brazil). Two schools were selected through a draw. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 14.0. Of the 133 students who answered the questionnaire, 36 (27.7%) reported working outside their home, 20.6% were between 11 and 13 years of age, and 66.7% were male (p=0.000) and had started working early to help with the family income (p=0.003). The salary they received helped comprise the family income, and it was found that as the family income increased, the need for the youngsters to work was reduced. It was found that many factors contribute to these subjects' early start at work, including family size, structure and poverty.

Directions for advancing the study of work transitions in the 21st century

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to share the details, outcomes and deliverables from an international workshop on work transitions in London, Ontario, Canada. Participants: Researchers, graduate students, and community group members met to identity ways to advance the knowledge base of strategies to enhance work participation for those in the most disadvantaged groups within society. Methods: A participatory approach was used in this workshop with presentations by researchers and graduate students. This approach included dialogue and discussion with community members. In addition, small group dialogue and debate, world cafe discussions, written summaries of group discussion and reflection boards were used to bring new ideas to the discussion and to build upon what we know. Findings: Two research imperatives and six research recommendations were identified to advance global dialogue on work transitions and to advance the knowledge base. Occupational justice can be used to support future research directions in the study of work transitions. Conclusions: Moving forward requires a commitment of community of researchers, clinicians and stakeholders to address work disparities and implement solutions to promote participation in work.

Professional competences of nurse to work in Intensive Care Units: an integrative review

This study aimed to identify and analyze nurses' competences to work at Intensive Care Units-ICU. An integrative review method was used, and data were collected in LILACS, SciELO and BDENF, from August to October 2010. Ten articles were identified, published in the last 12 years. Data grouping permitted the construction of thematic units related to nurses' competences: nursing care management, high-complexity nursing care delivery, decision making, leadership, communication, continuing/permanent education, human resource management, material resource management. The professional competences identified can support the outline of guidelines to constitute the profile of nursing working in intensive care units and drive/mobilize the improvement of nursing care practices.

An experimental study to compare inflammatory response due to liquid or gas joint distension in horses submitted to arthroscopy

PURPOSE: To assess comparatively the inflammatory response that follows CO2 or Ringer's lactate joint capsular distension of horses submitted to experimental arthroscopy METHODS: Each animal was submitted to a bilateral tarsocrural arthroscopy employing gas distention in one joint and fluid distention in the contralateral joint. Synovial fluid was evaluated at 0, six, 12, 24 and 48 hours post-operative. RESULTS: The use of CO2 for arthroscopy causes an acute and mild synovitis alike to the liquid capsular distension, showing similar synovial fluid increase of leukocytes, TP, and TNF-alpha. Although synovial fluid PGE(2) content was higher in joints submitted to CO2 distension, lower levels of hemoglobin and leukocytes oxidative burst after surgery indicates that CO2 arthroscopy decreased intra-articular bleeding and activation of infiltrating leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CO2 for arthroscopic examination causes acute and mild synovitis that is similar to the effects caused by the liquid capsular distension. CO2 also seems to decrease intra-articular bleeding and activation of leukocytes.

Teachers' sick leave due to mental and behavioral disorders and return to work

This manuscript presents a review of the literature about medical leaves due to mental and behavioral disorders and return to work of teachers. There are scarce published manuscripts. Most articles relate with prevalence of mental disorders and factors associated with the work organization, and did not mention intervention proposals and or changes in the work organization and teaching work. Proposed actions are discussed.

Weight gain in relation to night work among nurses

Objective: To investigate the relationship between working at night and increased body weight in nursing. In addition, we evaluated the differences in the proportion of variables sociodemographic, work and health, according to the work shift and their association with body mass index. Methods: Based on questionnaires, we obtained data from 446 nursing professionals about aspects of their job, health and lifestyle. We performed linear and logistic regression analysis. Results: Working at night is associated with a weight gain greater than (beta=0.24 kg/m(2)) working during the day (beta=0.15 kg/m(2)), as well as with aging (beta=0.16 kg/m(2)) and duration of working in nursing (beta=0.18 kg/m(2)). Night workers have a higher educational level, have been working for more years in nursing and also in the current shift, do not have diabetes and have reported longer sleep than day workers. There are also a higher number of smokers among the night workers than day workers. Logistic regression analysis also showed the more time to work in nursing and as an assistant was more likely to develop overweight/obesity. Conclusion: Working at the night contributes to more weight gain than the day shift, aging and duration of working in nursing.

Micronucleus frequency in children exposed to biomass burning in the Brazilian Legal Amazon region: a control case study

Background: The Amazon represents an area of 61% of Brazilian territory and is undergoing major changes resulting from disorderly economic development, especially the advance of agribusiness. Composition of the atmosphere is controlled by several natural and anthropogenic processes, and emission from biomass burning is one with the major impact on human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate genotoxic potential of air pollutants generated by biomass burning through micronucleus assay in exfoliated buccal cells of schoolchildren in the Brazilian Amazon region. Methods: The study was conducted during the dry seasons in two regions of the Brazilian Amazon. The assay was carried out on buccal epithelial cells of 574 schoolchildren between 6-16 years old. Results: The results show a significant difference between micronucleus frequencies in children exposed to biomass burning compared to those in a control area. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that in situ biomonitoring using a sensitive and low cost assay (buccal micronucleus assay) may be an important tool for monitoring air quality in remote regions. It is difficult to attribute the increase in micronuclei frequency observed in our study to any specific toxic element integrated in the particulate matters. However, the contribution of the present study lies in the evidence that increased exposure to fine particulate matter generates an increased micronuclei frequency in oral epithelial cells of schoolchildren.

The Young Mother and the Labor Market

Introduction - The Centro de Orientacao ao Adolescente of Campinas (Southeastern Brazil) maintains a program to qualify economically disadvantaged adolescent students aged 15 to 18 years to enter the labor market. Objective - To understand life projects of teenagers who became mothers while participating in the program, in the period from 2003 to 2008, aiming to find the place of professional life in their life trajectory before and after motherhood. Method - Eight young mothers were interviewed, and a qualitative methodology was applied to the analysis of the interviews. Results - The trajectories of study and work were discontinued or adapted due to motherhood. Four young mothers completed high school and none had entered university. Three did not return to work and the rest had diverse work experiences. The reported difficulties to enter the labor market were: inadequate instruments to support the children's care, low income, lack of work experience, presence of small children and little educational background. Final Considerations - Teenage motherhood did not indicate the exclusion of educational or work projects but indicated adjustments and the need for a family and social support network. It was noted the need for public policies targeted at the inclusion of youths in the labor market and at support services such as nurseries. Also, the need for a change in gender relations was demonstrated, with greater equality of rights as a precondition for the inclusion of women, especially those who are mothers, in the labor market.

What is Missing for Traditional Design-Centric Engineering Education to Better Prepare Newly Graduated Engineers for the Global Era?

This paper presents an analysis of the capacity of design centric methodologies to prepare engineering students to succeed in the market. Gaps are brainstormed and analyzed with reference to their importance. Reasons that may lead the newly graduated engineers not to succeed right from the beginning of their professional lives have also been evaluated. A comparison among the two subjects above was prepared, reviewed and analyzed. The influence of multidisciplinary, multicultural and complex environmental influences created in the current global business era is taken into account. The industry requirements in terms of what they expect to 'receive' from their engineers are evaluated and compared to the remaining of the study above. An innovative approach to current engineering education that utilizes traditional design-centric methodologies is then proposed, aggregating new disciplines to supplement the traditional engineering education. The solution encompasses the inclusion of disciplines from Human Sciences and Emotional Intelligence fields willing to better prepare the engineer of tomorrow to work in a multidisciplinary, globalized, complex and team working environment. A pilot implementation of such an approach is reviewed and conclusions are drawn from this educational project.

Work organization and the health of bank employees

The Brazilian banking sector has undergone an intense restructuring process and taken a leading position in the incorporation of new technologies and organizational innovations. Computerization in the industry, in association with forms of work organization, has resulted in changes that reflect on the workers' health. Based on the theoretical and methodological frameworks of historical and dialectical materialism, this qualitative study investigates the work conditions of bank employees in order to identify the extent to which changes in work organization interfere with these workers' health. Data were collected through interviews held with 11 bank employees. In addition to physical sickening due to occupational diseases directly related to work intensification, the results also show an increased incidence of mental suffering and a feeling of loss of professional identity. Work-related frustration, instability and concerns related to psychological pressure resulting from the need to achieve goals predominated in the reports.

Study of postures in sugarcane cutters in the Pontal of Paranapanema-SP, Brazil

The expansion of sugarcane monoculture in Brazil in the last decades has pointed out to the necessity of considering the question of sugarcane cutters occupational health. In this work we present a cross-sectional study aiming to examine the occupational posture of a group of sugarcane cutters, which work in a cane field located in the region of Pontal do Paranapanema-SP, Brazil. The study was made using the Ergonomic Analysis of Work - EAW methodology and the postural analysis method by Win-OWAS. Through the obtained records of postures, it was observed that during a workday the sugarcane cutters remain standing erect on two legs or in one leg 66% of the time and that their trunk remain tilted and in rotation, according to 63% of the positions categorized. It was also observed that the sugarcane cutter trunk performs repetitive and boundless movements during his routine of work, which can expose this individual to additional wear of their musculoskeletal functions. The activities in which the individual engages have favorable or adverse influence on his posture. The repetitive movements involved in specialized occupations are equivalent to repeated exercises, thus may be responsible for the excessive development of certain muscle groups. The study suggests that the postures adopted by sugarcane cutters can overload their musculoskeletal system and predispose the cutters to work-related musculoskeletal diseases.

Brazilian multicenter study on prevalence of preterm birth and associated factors

Abstract Background The occurrence of preterm birth remains a complex public health condition. It is considered the main cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, resulting in a high likelihood of sequelae in surviving children. With variable incidence in several countries, it has grown markedly in the last decades. In Brazil, however, there are still difficulties to estimate its real occurrence. Therefore, it is essential to establish the prevalence and causes of this condition in order to propose prevention actions. This study intend to collect information from hospitals nationwide on the prevalence of preterm births, their associated socioeconomic and environmental factors, diagnostic and treatment methods resulting from causes such as spontaneous preterm labor, prelabor rupture of membranes, and therapeutic preterm birth, as well as neonatal results. Methods/Design This proposal is a multicenter cross-sectional study plus a nested case-control study, to be implemented in 27 reference obstetric centers in several regions of Brazil (North: 1; Northeast: 10; Central-west: 1; Southeast: 13; South: 2). For the cross sectional component, the participating centers should perform, during a period of six months, a prospective surveillance of all patients hospitalized to give birth, in order to identify preterm birth cases and their main causes. In the first three months of the study, an analysis of the factors associated with preterm birth will also be carried out, comparing women who have preterm birth with those who deliver at term. For the prevalence study, 37,000 births will be evaluated (at term and preterm), corresponding to approximately half the deliveries of all participating centers in 12 months. For the case-control study component, the estimated sample size is 1,055 women in each group (cases and controls). The total number of preterm births estimated to be followed in both components of the study is around 3,600. Data will be collected through a questionnaire all patients will answer after delivery. The data will then be encoded in an electronic form and sent online by internet to a central database. The data analysis will be carried out by subgroups according to gestational age at preterm birth, its probable causes, therapeutic management, and neonatal outcomes. Then, the respective rates, ratios and relative risks will be estimated for the possible predictors. Discussion These findings will provide information on preterm births in Brazil and their main social and biological risk factors, supporting health policies and the implementation of clinical trials on preterm birth prevention and treatment strategies, a condition with many physical and emotional consequences to children and their families.

Is waist-to-height ratio a useful indicator of cardio-metabolic risk in 6-10-year-old children?

Background: Childhood obesity is a public health problem worldwide. Visceral obesity, particularly associated with cardio-metabolic risk, has been assessed by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, but both methods use sex-and age-specific percentile tables and are influenced by sexual maturity. Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is easier to obtain, does not involve tables and can be used to diagnose visceral obesity, even in normal-weight individuals. This study aims to compare the WHtR to the 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) reference for BMI in screening for the presence of cardio-metabolic and inflammatory risk factors in 6–10-year-old children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken with 175 subjects selected from the Reference Center for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents in Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The subjects were classified according to the 2007 WHO standard as normal-weight (BMI z score > −1 and < 1) or overweight/obese (BMI z score ≥ 1). Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting glycemia, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglyceride (TG), Homeostatic Model Assessment – Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), leukocyte count and ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) were also analyzed. Results: There were significant correlations between WHtR and BMI z score (r = 0.88, p < 0.0001), SBP (r = 0.51, p < 0.0001), DBP (r = 0.49, p < 0.0001), LDL (r = 0.25, p < 0.0008, HDL (r = −0.28, p < 0.0002), TG (r = 0.26, p < 0.0006), HOMA-IR (r = 0.83, p < 0.0001) and CRP (r = 0.51, p < 0.0001). WHtR and BMI areas under the curve were similar for all the cardio-metabolic parameters. A WHtR cut-off value of > 0.47 was sensitive for screening insulin resistance and any one of the cardio-metabolic parameters. Conclusions: The WHtR was as sensitive as the 2007 WHO BMI in screening for metabolic risk factors in 6-10-year-old children. The public health message “keep your waist to less than half your height” can be effective in reducing cardio-metabolic risk because most of these risk factors are already present at a cut point of WHtR ≥ 0.5. However, as this is the first study to correlate the WHtR with inflammatory markers, we recommend further exploration of the use of WHtR in this age group and other population-based samples.