The contribution of self-efficacy and depression to disability and work status in chronic pain patients: A comparison between Australian and Brazilian samples

There is evidence that cognitions (beliefs) and mood contribute to physical disability and work status in people with chronic pain. However, most of the current evidence comes from North America and Europe. This study examined the contribution of demographic, pain and psychosocial factors to disability and work status in chronic pain patients in two matched samples from quite different countries (Australia and Brazil). Data were collected from 311 chronic pain patients in each country. The results suggest that although demographic and pain variables (especially pain levels) contribute disability, self-efficacy beliefs made a significant contribution to disability in both samples. Age and educational level also contributed to unemployment in both samples. But there were some differences, with self-efficacy and physical disability contributing to work status only in the Brazilian sample. In contrast, depression was the only psychological risk factor for unemployment in the Australian sample. Catastrophising and pain acceptance did not contribute to disability or unemployment in either sample. These findings confirm key aspects of biopsychosocial models of pain in two culturally and linguistically different chronic pain samples from different countries. They suggest that different chronic pain populations may share more similarities than differences. (C) 2008 European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain. Published

Identification and control of occupational risks in a Sao Paulo metropolitan region quarry

Crushed stone mining is the third largest mining economy in Brazil, where almost half is produced in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region. The segment registers the highest number of accidents among the extractive industries, which justifies the concern with workers` health and safety, and the importance of controlling occupational hazards. Since 2002, the NR-22 Standard (NR-22: Occupational Health and Safety in Mining) makes compulsory the elaboration of a Risk Management Program that identifies risks and establishes control measures. Considering the crushed stone mining industry importance to the state, this paper evaluates and discusses the risks identified in unit operations during the production process of crushed stone in an open pit mine in order to propose control measures for the development of the Risk Management Program. Although this study refers to a specific quarry, it can be applied to other mines from the same sector since some considerations are made regarding differences in manufacturing processes. The research was based on the identification of the main risks associated with drilling, blasting, load & haulage, crushing and screening through field measurements of some hazardous agents, together with company reports. The results contributed to the choice of the appropriate control measures for the improvement Of workers` health and safety conditions.

Application of the essential work of fracture method in ranking the performance in service of high-density polyethylene resins employed in pressure pipes

High-density polyethylene resins have increasingly been used in the production of pipes for water- and gas-pressurized distribution systems and are expected to remain in service for several years, but they eventually fail prematurely by creep fracture. Usual standard methods used to rank resins in terms of their resistance to fracture are expensive and non-practical for quality control purposes, justifying the search for alternative methods. Essential work of fracture (EWF) method provides a relatively simple procedure to characterize the fracture behavior of ductile polymers, such as polyethylene resins. In the present work, six resins were analyzed using the EWF methodology. The results show that the plastic work dissipation factor, beta w(p), is the most reliable parameter to evaluate the performance. Attention must be given to specimen preparation that might result in excessive dispersion in the results, especially for the essential work of fracture w(e).

Human Error Contribution in Collision and Grounding of Oil Tankers

The purpose of this article is to present a quantitative analysis of the human failure contribution in the collision and/or grounding of oil tankers, considering the recommendation of the ""Guidelines for Formal Safety Assessment"" of the International Maritime Organization. Initially, the employed methodology is presented, emphasizing the use of the technique for human error prediction to reach the desired objective. Later, this methodology is applied to a ship operating on the Brazilian coast and, thereafter, the procedure to isolate the human actions with the greatest potential to reduce the risk of an accident is described. Finally, the management and organizational factors presented in the ""International Safety Management Code"" are associated with these selected actions. Therefore, an operator will be able to decide where to work in order to obtain an effective reduction in the probability of accidents. Even though this study does not present a new methodology, it can be considered as a reference in the human reliability analysis for the maritime industry, which, in spite of having some guides for risk analysis, has few studies related to human reliability effectively applied to the sector.

Alcohol-related traffic accidents with fatal outcomes in the city of Sao Paulo

Aims: The aims of the present study were to characterize fatal traffic accident victims in a major urban center in Brazil and their association with alcohol consumption. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 907 fatal traffic accident victims in Sao Paulo, in 2005. Results: Adult males between the ages of 25 and 54 represented the majority of cases with positive blood alcohol concentrations (BAC). Overall, males had a higher proportional BAC and mean BAC than females. Pedestrians, particularly those with no detectable BAC, were typically older than other victims. Most accidents (total and BAC-positive) happened on weekends between midnight and 6 a.m. Considering all victims, 39.4% were positive (BAC over 0.1 g/l). When only drivers (automobile, motorcycle and bicycle) were evaluated. 42.3% had BAC over the legal limit (0.6 g/l). Conclusions: Alcohol is associated with nearly half of all traffic accident deaths in the city of Sao Paulo. especially for days and times associated with parties and bars (weekends between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.). (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Brazilian hairdressers

Background There are occupational risks inherent to the activities of professional hairdressers, which are not frequently studied, and therefore not considered in the formulation of health policies for this group. Aims To verify the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) in hairdressers through symptom reports, to characterize the most frequently affected anatomical parts and to identify and analyse risk factors of WRMDs in hairdressing. Methods A cross-sectional epidemiological study of 220 hairdressers from beauty parlours in Sao Paulo (Brazil) was carried out. Each hairdresser completed a self-administered questionnaire which included information on socio-demographic characteristics, working conditions and health-related musculoskeletal system complaints. Ergonomic analyses were also performed in six parlours. Results The prevalence of WRMDs was 71%. Risk factors were associated with psychosocial factors and factors related to discomfort and work fatigue such as lack of acknowledgement of work and uncomfortable posture at work [odds ratio (OR) = 3.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51-8.30], not feeling comfortable with body/neck/shoulders while working (OR = 2.78; 95% CI 1.40-5.54) and having > 15 years of professional activity (OR = 3.04; 95% CI 1.17-7.91). Conclusion Occupational risk factors associated with the development of WRMDs in hairdressers are related to biomechanical, organizational and psychosocial work factors. The high prevalence of WRMDs found highlights the importance of disseminating recommendations for prevention of symptoms with regards to the provision of suitable furniture, equipment and work tools, environmental conditions, size of workplace, work organization and psychosocial work factors.

Impact of a program for the prevention of traffic accidents in a Southern Brazilian city: a model for implementation in a developing country

Background: Traffic accidents constitute the main cause of death in the first decades of life. Traumatic brain injury is the event most responsible for the severity of these accidents. The SBN started an educational program for the prevention of traffic accidents, adapted from the American model ""Think First"" to the Brazilian environment, since 1995, with special effort devoted to the prevention of TBI by using seat belts and motorcycle helmets. The objective of the present study was to set up a traffic accident prevention program based on the adapted Think First and to evaluate its impact by comparing epidemiological variables before and after the beginning of the program. Methods: The program was executed in Maringa city, from September 2004 to August 2005, with educational actions targeting the entire population, especially teenagers and young adults. The program was implemented by building a network of information facilitators and multipliers inside the organized civil society, with widespread population dissemination. To measure the impact of the program, a specific software was developed for the storage and processing of the epidemiological variables. Results: The results showed a reduction of trauma severity due to traffic accidents after the execution of the program, mainly TBI. Conclusions: The adapted Think First was systematically implemented and its impact measured for the first time in Brazil, revealing the usefulness of the program for reducing trauma and TBI severity in traffic accidents through public education and representing a standardized model of implementation in a developing country. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Historia Nova do Brasil: revisiting a polemical work

This article discusses the texts and purposes of the Historia Nova do Brasil series, a joint production of the Ministerio da Educacao e Cultura and the Instituto Superior de Estudos Brasileiros (Iseb) launched in 1964 and soon aborted by the military dictatorship. The intent is to reconstitute its context to present the many influences on this project and to examine its impact and the debates and disputes that resulted, to try to recover the details of this important effort at renewing the teaching of history in Brazil.