Restorative treatment on class I and II restorations in primary molars: A survey of Brazilian dental schools

A survey was sent to 70 Brazilian dental schools evaluating techniques and restorative materials being taught for Class I and II preparation in posterior primary teeth by Pediatric Dentistry courses. After a 54% response rate, marked teaching diversity was found among Brazilian dental schools. Amalgam continues to be taught, but a tendency of preference towards more esthetic-like materials was observed.

Caring for heart transplant recipients: The lived experience of primary caregivers

Objective: To understand the experience of primary caregivers of heart transplant recipients. Methods: A phenomenological approach was used to understand the caregivers' experience of caring for a heart transplant patient. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 caregivers, in a Brazilian hospital, from December 2008 to March 2009. Results: Following the transplant, caregivers' lives change drastically; their priority becomes providing care for their relative. Despite successful transplant results, the uncertainty about future remains, generating permanent distress. Anxiety is exacerbated by familial or economic problems and, consequently, many participants turn to their local communities for support. Some caregivers learn from the experience and plan return to regular activities. Others feel helpless, unable to overcome personal losses and difficulties. Conclusions: Nurses are ideally placed to lead the way by providing family-centered support and education for caregivers of heart recipients. Listening to the concerns of family caregivers seems to be an essential aspect of effective interventions. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Characteristics of physical activity programs in the Brazilian primary health care system

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of community-based physical exercise interventions carried out in primary helath care on plasma inflammatory biomarkers and cardiorespiratory fitness

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

Brazilian community health agents and qualitative primary healthcare information

The aim of this study was to explore female community health agents’ views about the value of recording qualitative information on contextual health issues they observe during home visits, data that are not officially required to be documented for the Brazilian System of Primary Healthcare Information. Background: The study was conducted in community primary healthcare centres located in the cities of Araçatuba and Coroados (state of São Paulo) and Rio de Janeiro (state of Rio de Janeiro), Brazil. Methods: The design was a qualitative, exploratory study. The purposeful sampling criteria were being female, with a minimum of three years of continuous service in the same location. Data collection with 62 participants was conducted via 11 focus groups (in 2007 and 2008). Audio files were transcribed and submitted to the method of thematic analysis. Four themes guided the analysis: working with qualitative information and undocumented observation; reflecting on qualitative information; integrating/analysing quantitative and qualitative information; and information-sharing with agents and family health teams. In 2010, 25 community health agents verified the final interpretation of the findings. Findings: Participants valued the recording of qualitative, contextual information to expand understanding of primary healthcare issues and as an indicator of clients’ improved health behaviour and health literacy. While participants initiated the recording of additional health information, they generally did not inform the family health team about these findings. They perceived that team members devalued this type of information by considering it a reflection of the clientele’s social conditions or problems beyond the scope of medical concerns. Documentation of qualitative evidence can account for the effectiveness of health education in two ways: by improving preventative care, and by amplifying the voices of underprivileged clients who live in poverty to ensure the most appropriate and best quality primary healthcare for them.

The interactive whiteboard in primary school: a case study of a brazilian district school

Interactive whiteboards (IWB) consist of a set of technological equipment organized in order to fulfill a specific task, enabling the development of didactic activities. Because they are associated to computers’ potentiality, interactive whiteboards can provide bigger interactivity between: teacher and students, students and content, and among students. This work’s main objective is to present some of the results yielded from a research related to the way students perceive interactive whiteboards in the classroom. In order to analyze the IWB usage dynamics, some educational applications in the field of mathematics were applied in the 3rd grade of elementary school. Aside from observation, video recordings were made and students were interviewed about the interactive whiteboard, in order to understand how these students observe and engage with the technological tool. IWB do not transform classroom’s reality by themselves, however, their physical presence and usage amount to external reinforcement can change student’s behavior positively.