A behavioral intervention in a cohort of Japanese-Brazilians at high cardiometabolic risk

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a health promotion program on cardiometabolic risk profile in Japanese-Brazilians. METHODS: A total of 466 subjects from a study on diabetes prevalence conducted in the city of Bauru, southeastern Brazil, in 2000 completed a 1-year intervention program (2005-2006) based on healthy diet counseling and physical activity. Changes in blood pressure and metabolic parameters in the 2005-2006 period were compared with annual changes in these same variables in the 2000-2005 period. RESULTS: During the intervention, there were greater annual reductions in mean (SD) waist circumference [-0.5(3.8) vs. 1.2(1.2) cm per year, p<0.001], systolic blood pressure [-4.6(17.9) vs. 1.8(4.3) mmHg per year, p<0.001], 2-hour plasma glucose [-1.2(2.1) vs. -0.2(0.6) mmol/L per year, p<0.001], LDL-cholesterol [-0.3(0.9) vs. -0.1(0.2) mmol/L per year, p<0.001] and Framingham coronary heart disease risk score [-0.25(3.03) vs. 0.11(0.66) per year, p=0.02] but not in triglycerides [0.2(1.6) vs. 0.1(0.42) mmol/L per year, p<0.001], and fasting insulin level [1.2(5.8) vs. -0.7(2.2) IU/mL per year, p<0.001] compared with the pre-intervention period. Significant reductions in the prevalence of impaired fasting glucose/impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes were seen during the intervention (from 58.4% to 35.4%, p<0.001; and from 30.1% to 21.7%, p= 0.004, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A one-year community-based health promotion program brings cardiometabolic benefits in a high-risk population of Japanese-Brazilians.

Factors associated with dietary supplement use by people who exercise at gyms

OBJECTIVE To assess the factors associated with the use of dietary supplements by people who exercise at gyms.METHODS A cross-sectional study with a sample defined by convenience, considering the number of gyms registered in the Conselho Regional de Educação Física (Regional Council of Physical Education) of Sao Luis, MA, Northeastern Brazil, from July 2011 to July 2012. The final sample comprised 723 individuals who exercise at gyms. The dependent variable was supplement use, and the explanatory variables were length of time and motivation of the physical exercises, duration, goal and self-perception of training, weekly frequency of gym attendance, sex, age, educational attainment, self-perception of body weight, smoking and self-perception of diet. The association between variables was analysed by hierarchical Poisson regression based on a theoretical model.RESULTS Supplement use was reported by 64.7% of the participants. Most of the sample was male (52.6%). The most frequent age group was 20 to 39 years (74.4%). Most participants (46.1%) had been exercising for over a year. The following variables were associated with supplement use: self-perceiving body weight as below ideal (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.001), exercising for 7 to 12 months (p = 0.028) or more than one year (p < 0.001), spending more than two hours at the gym (p = 0.051), and perceiving training as moderate (p = 0.024) or intense (p = 0.001).CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements lacks proper professional guidance, being motivated by individuals unsatisfied with their low body weight and who perceive their workout as intense, which raises the need for monitoring this population.

Participation of nurses in the execution of clinical research protocol about technological innovation

AbstractOBJECTIVETo report the nurse's experience of inclusion in interdisciplinary clinical study about technological innovation, involving people with spinal cord injury.METHODDescriptive experience report. The empirical support was based on notes about perspectives and practice of clinical research, with a multi-professional nursing, physical education, physiotherapy and engineering staff.RESULTThe qualification includes the elaboration of the document for the Ethics Committee, familiarization among the members of staff and with the studied topic, and also an immersion into English. The nurse's knowledge gave support to the uptake of participants and time adequacy for data collection, preparation and assistance of the participants during the intervention and after collection. Nursing theories and processes have contributed to reveal risky diagnoses and the plan of care. It was the nurse's role to monitor the risk of overlapping methodological strictness to the human aspect. The skills for the clinical research must be the object of learning, including students in multidisciplinary researches.CONCLUSIONTo qualify the nurse for clinical research and to potentialize its caregiver essence, some changes are needed in the educational system, professional behavior, attitude and educational assistance.

Avaliação da aptidão funcional através do conjunto de testes da AAHPERD em mulheres na pós-menopausa: existe declínio entre a quinta e sexta década de vida?

OBJETIVO: analisar o nível de aptidão funcional de um grupo de mulheres na pós-menopausa da cidade de Presidente Prudente por meio do conjunto de testes de aptidão funcional da American Aliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance e verificar se existe diferença entre grupos de mulheres na quinta e sexta década de vida. MÉTODOS: estudo de característica transversal, com 175 mulheres na pós-menopausa (dosagem de hormônio folículo estimulante>26,72 mIU/L) desenvolvido na cidade de Presidente Prudente no ano de 2013. Os critérios de inclusão foram não ter feito parte de nenhum tipo de intervenção motora sistematizada durante, pelo menos, seis meses do período que antecedeu a coleta de dados da investigação; não apresentar comprometimentos motores ou cognitivos que inviabilizassem a realização dos protocolos de avaliação, não apresentar doença crônica ou degenerativa, lesão musculo-esquelética ou comorbidade que pudessem impedir ou limitar a realização das avaliações. As avaliações foram conduzidas pelos mesmos avaliadores treinados. O grupo 50 a 59 anos apresentou valores médios para idade de 55,3±4,5 anos, FSH de 53,5±21,1 mUI/mL, coordenação 11,4±2,2 segundos, força 20,1±3,9 repetições, flexibilidade 51,7±11,8 centímetros, agilidade 23,2±2,8 segundos e Resistência aeróbia 500±43 segundos e o grupo 60 a 69 anos apresentou idade média de 65,1±4,1 anos com FSH de 54,9±15,9, coordenação 11,6±2,6 segundos, força 20,3±4,7 repetições, flexibilidade 54,6±11,2 centímetros, agilidade 24,7±4,3 segundos e Resistência aeróbia 508±51 segundos. CONCLUSÃO: foi possível analisar a aptidão funcional de mulheres na pós-menopausa por meio do conjunto de testes da American Aliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance não havendo diferenças significativas para as variáveis força, flexibilidade, capacidade aeróbia e coordenação, sendo que apenas a variável agilidade demonstrou diferenças significativas. Recomenda-se outros estudos, buscando formular valores normativos para a população em questão.

Association between anaerobic components of the maximal accumulated oxygen deficit and 30-second Wingate test

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between the anaerobic components of the maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) and of the 30-second Wingate anaerobic test (30-WAnT). Nine male physical education students performed: a) a maximal incremental exercise test; b) a supramaximal constant workload test to determine the anaerobic components of the MAOD; and c) a 30-WAnT to measure the peak power (PP) and mean power (MP). The fast component of the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and blood lactate accumulation were measured after the supramaximal constant workload test in order to determine the contributions made by alactic (ALMET) and lactic (LAMET) metabolism. Significant correlations were found between PP and ALMET (r=0.71; P=0.033) and between MP and LAMET(r=0.72; P=0.030). The study results suggested that the anaerobic components of the MAOD and of the 30-WAnT are similarly applicable in the assessment of ALMET and LAMET during high-intensity exercise.