A pessoa idosa com doença crônica não transmissível atendida em serviços de média complexidade na cidade de Natal/RN

The demographic and epidemiological transition process caused by a declining in birth rates and in mortality, also changes occurred in morbidity and mortality is represented by the increasing of the aging population and the raising of chronic diseases. These diseases are characterized by multiple etiologies, risk factors, long latency period, a prolonged evolution, non-infectious origin and it has association with functional impairment and disability. Thus, elderly with chronic non-communicable disease has priority because they belong to a vulnerable group to get affection of comorbidities in aging, with increased demand and spending on health services. This study is aimed to analyse the understanding of elderly people with chronic non comunicable disease in the medium complexity service as a contribution to the improvement of health care in the city of Natal / RN. This is a descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach, carried out at the Specialized Center for Elderly Health Care and at the Pescadores Hospital. The population was composed of 4,180 persons with a sample of 124 elderly aged above 60 years, attended in these medium complexity services. The instrument, a structured form, adapted from a questionnaire for monitoring risk and protective factors for chronic disease of the Ministry of Health. To collect data was was used the interview form containing demographic data, habits, health status and health care services. The results were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Science, version 18.0, analyzed by simple statistics. It was found that most seniors were female, predominantly between 70 and 74 years old, married, with a brown skin tone and Catholic religion, more than half had incomplete basic education, family income between one to two minimum wages and living with their families. Regarding the interviewers lifestyle, 94.4%, of them ate chicken and 97.6%, fruits, it was observed a reduction in smoking, alcoholism habits and physical activity according to the increasing age, 58.1 and 18.5% had insomnia18,5 % used sleeping pills. The elderly (51.6%) reported using services in times of sickness, seeking primary care at first (30.6%), 52% did not receive referral and was looking for free demand (38.7%). The most reported morbidity was hypertension, followed by musculoskeletal disorders. Regarding the difficulties in seeking health services, the delay in treatment and the waiting line were the most cited by the elderly. Almost all of them reported no activities to promote health in these services and those who received individual counseling on chronic diseases. Almost always, the health professionals who care of them, were mostly doctors followed by nurses. Based on the results presented, it is considered that the health services of medium complexity must undergone a more continuous dialogue with other attention level and focus on actions of health promotion and prevention. It is also recommended the necessity for qualified professionals to delivery health care to elderly and the implementation of protocols by a multidisciplinary health team, intending to provide better and continous care for the elderly with chronic diseases. The healthcare professionals who served them, were mostly physicians, followed by nurses. Through the results presented, it is considered that the medium complexity healthcare services need to perform a more continuous dialogue with the other levels of attention focusing attention to the health promotion and prevention actions. It is also recommended the necessity for qualified professionals to delivery healthcare for the elderly, in addition, a protocol implementation for the multidisciplinary health care team, to provide better care, and also the care continuity to elderly with chronic diseases

Indicadores e fatores preditivos de uso abusivo de álcool em adultos jovens

The abusive use of alcohol is closely related to dependence and to social and work damages. The main focus of this thesis is to create an instrument about alcohol abuse, in order to differentiate the degree of commitment of the symptomatology, considering its psychosocial factors of prediction. As specific goals: I) characterize the state of the art about assessment related to the abuse and dependence to alcohol; II) investigate and systematize aspects related to the predictive psychosocial factors for alcohol dependence; III) build an instrument for the assessment of alcohol abuse and protection and risk factors for the development of an alcohol dependence; and IV) verify validity evidence of the instrument built for the Brazilian population. In Study I, it was possible to observe the prevalence of articles related to the use of alcohol in a problematic way, without a classification dependence, it is lower than the one of articles that investigate the disease when it is already manifested, not to mention a few systematic studies about the theme of alcohol abuse in the scientific environment. In Study II, focus groups (FGs) were conducted, the analysis about the discourses of the focus groups were made through the ALCESTE software and it was possible to observe a response pattern that existed among the participants in different groups, with the generation of five classes. In Study III, we developed an instrument that contemplated aspects of the Alcohol Dependence Syndrome of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III, in addition to the characteristics defined in Study I and in Study II. The final version of the instrument had 59 items assessed through the likert scale of five points. In Study IV, the administration of the instrument was performed in an online format with university students ranging from 18 to 24 years old, residents in Brazilian metropolitan cities. The results evidenced that the internal consistency of the instrument is considered satisfactory (α = 0,882) and in what it refers to classes, the most significant data was the one related to financial loss and criteria for the diagnosis of alcohol abuse. It is important to consider the evaluative potential of risk and protective factors for the development of alcohol dependence of the instrument as a whole. Once the indicators of abuse and the profile of the abusers has been modified, the patient may have his/her treatment/intervention focused on the trouble and/or specific syndrome, thus having a clear and fast improvement.

Metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women: higher prevalence in the Northeastern Region of Brazil than in other Latin American countries and the influence of obesity and socioeconomic factors

SILVEIRA, Inavan Lopes da; MARANHÃO, T. M. O.; AZEVEDO, George Dantas. Metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women: higher prevalence in the Northeastern Region of Brazil than in other Latin American countries and the influence of obesity and socioeconomic factors. Climacteric (Carnforth), v.10, p.438-439, 2007.

Prevalence of orofacial clefts and social factors in Brazil

RODRIGUES, Katamara et al. Prevalence of orofacial clefts and social factors in Brazil. Brazilian oral research, v.23, n. 1, p. 38-42, 2009.Disponivel em: . Acesso em: 04 out. 2010.