Key Facts in Rural Health : Vulnerable Rural Counties : The Changing Rural Landscape, 2000-2010

In 2008, the U.S. experienced its worst recession since the Great Depression, particularly affecting rural America. The South Carolina Rural Health Research Center used county-level data to examine rural demographic changes over the last decade. Most counties experienced increased levels of poverty between 2000-2010. Rural counties were disproportionately affected. Rural counties experienced a growth in the 65 and older population while losing children. Rural counties gained in racial/ethnic diversity.

Vulnerable Rural Counties: The Changing Rural Landscape, 2000–2010

Understanding the demography of rural America is vital to understanding what programs, interventions and policy initiatives are needed to improve health care access, delivery and outcomes. Overall findings suggest that rural America experienced the recession that ended the 2000–2010 decade more severely than did urban America. Loss of income, declining population and reduced health care resources marked the period for most rural counties. Rural counties will need continued monitoring in the present decade to ascertain whether these adverse trends continue and to identify any policy approaches that can serve to ameliorate losses in health care services.

Contribución de la misión de naciones unidas en Guatemala – Minugua, a la promoción, defensa y garantía de los derechos de la población indígena guatemalteca (1994 a 2004)

El conflicto armado en Guatemala se originó por el abuso de poder, la desigualdad, la exclusión y la profunda discriminación, sobre todo hacia la población indígena, a la que se le han desconocido históricamente sus derechos y que fue la más afligida durante el conflicto. Lo que desembocó en el nacimiento de grupos al margen de la ley, cuyo propósito fue reivindicar los derechos de la población, así como la equidad y justicia social. El conflicto se caracterizó por la formación de grupos paramilitares, la violación al Derecho Internacional Humanitario, el elevado número de víctimas del conflicto, mayoritariamente indígenas y porque más del 85% de las violaciones a los derechos humanos fueron perpetradas por el Estado. Gracias a la voluntad política, al respaldo de la comunidad internacional, especialmente de la Organización de Naciones Unidas -ONU, y a los buenos oficios de la Comisión Nacional de Reconciliación – CNR, se lograron firmar los Acuerdos de Paz y dar fin a este cruento conflicto de más de 36 años. Las partes firmantes vieron la necesidad de que un ente autónomo e imparcial de Naciones Unidas, verificara el cumplimiento de La Misión de Naciones Unidas en Guatemala - MINUGUA contribuyó a la promoción, defensa y garantía de los derechos de la población indígena guatemalteca. Específicamente, incidió en el cumplimiento de los compromisos contenidos en el Acuerdo sobre Identidad y Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas guatemaltecos –AIDPI, que fue suscrito el 31 de marzo de 1995, asimismo, contribuyó a la garantía del derecho a la justicia de la población indígena, lo que se evidenció en las acciones y el papel que desempeñó en los componentes de verdad, justicia y reparación.

Contributions of the Rural Education Project (PER)

This paper presents the results of the research project “El proceso de formación inicial del Proyecto de Educación Rural (PER)” (creation of the Rural Education Project, PER by its Spanish acronym), conducted between 1984 and 1987 in the Regional Offices of the Ministry of Public Education in San Carlos, Coto and Limón. The Rural Education Project (PER) was implemented by the Center of Research and Teaching in Education (CIDE) of the Universidad Nacional (UNA) aiming at training teachers of single-teacher schools located in rural areas. The objective of our research was to collect the contributions of PER bearing in mind the training processes required today, and considering the success of PER, which was based on the leadership of teachers to promote community progress in rural areas from the classroom, an input to be considered in the new learning processes of Rural Education

Investing for impact. An exploration of impact investments in rural Ghana

This thesis offers an exploration of impact and social investments for agricultural development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. It does so through the case of SustAgric-Africa (SAA), a social enterprise that aims to lift smallholder farmers out of poverty through the promotion of sustainable farming and operates with capital provided by a variety of investors who are committed to pairing financial returns with social and environmental outcomes. The thesis sets off to answer the following research questions: What is the moral dimension that emerges in finance with the establishment of environmental and social criteria? What kind of arrangements do social and impact investments give origin to? Is it possible to talk about a ‘spirit of the gift’ in such arrangements? What happens when abstract and globalizing ideas around ‘impact’ hit the ground? Drawing from the STS and Actor-Network Theory, I look at the formation engendered by social and impact investments in terms of a socio-technical arrangement, and look at the movements of “objects” between the main actors in terms of circuits. In these processes ideas about ‘value’ and ‘values’ articulate in complex ways in the interplay of gift, debt and credit in the relationships among the three main categories of involved actors: investors, SAA, and the farmers. In the case of SAA, I contend that the ways abstract and globalising ideas about ‘impact’ hit the ground produce uncertain results and contribute to the reproduction of inequalities and unequal wealth distribution and accumulation, deepening ongoing processes of financialization. However, my ethnography also reveals how actors depicted as beneficiaries of impact and social policies and resources, far from being passive recipients of policies and resources, actually question and appropriate them, potentially unsettling the whole arrangement and the moral and ethical claims underpinning it.

[yoga And The Promotion Of Health].

The scope of this paper is to analyze the self-declared symptoms and state of well-being of participants in the Yoga and Promotion of Health program, which consisted of hatha yoga lessons. It includes body exercises and breathing techniques, as well as ethical and philosophical content, administered to two groups of lecturers, workers and students of a public university in the State of São Paulo from August to December 2011 and March to June 2012. The participants filled out the adapted version of the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile form at the beginning and end of the program. Of the 20 participants in Group 1, eight filled out the form and half of them reported the improvement of self-declared symptoms; as regards the state of well being, three of them felt they had improved. In Group 2, which also had 20 participants, nine completed the program and all of them reported improvements of self-declared symptoms and well-being. In conclusion, yoga is a mind-body practice which exerts an important therapeutic effect on most practitioners and also promotes health for the majority of them, expanding their capacity of self perception and self care. However, it should be noted that it doesn't achieve the same positive effect for all practitioners as some yoga traditions advocate.

[health Protection For Rural Workers: The Need To Standardize Techniques For Quantifying Dermal Exposure To Pesticides].

Quantification of dermal exposure to pesticides in rural workers, used in risk assessment, can be performed with different techniques such as patches or whole body evaluation. However, the wide variety of methods can jeopardize the process by producing disparate results, depending on the principles in sample collection. A critical review was thus performed on the main techniques for quantifying dermal exposure, calling attention to this issue and the need to establish a single methodology for quantification of dermal exposure in rural workers. Such harmonization of different techniques should help achieve safer and healthier working conditions. Techniques that can provide reliable exposure data are an essential first step towards avoiding harm to workers' health.

Pregnancy In Women Undergoing Hemodialysis: Case Series In A Southeast Brazilian Reference Center.

To describe maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women undergoing hemodialysis in a referral center in Brazilian Southeast side. Retrospective and descriptive study, with chart review of all pregnancies undergoing hemodialysis that were followed-up at an outpatient clinic of high- risk prenatal care in Southeast Brazil. Among the 16 women identified, 2 were excluded due to follow-up loss. In 14 women described, hypertension was the most frequent cause of chronic renal failure (half of cases). The majority (71.4%) had performed hemodialysis treatment for more than one year and all of them underwent 5 to 6 hemodialysis sessions per week. Eleven participants had chronic hypertension, 1 of which was also diabetic, and 6 of them were smokers. Regarding pregnancy complications, 1 of the hypertensive women developed malignant hypertension (with fetal growth restriction and preterm delivery at 29 weeks), 2 had acute pulmonary edema and 2 had abruption placenta. The mode of delivery was cesarean section in 9 women (64.3%). All neonates had Apgar score at five minutes above 7. To improve perinatal and maternal outcomes of women undergoing hemodialysis, it is important to ensure multidisciplinary approach in referral center, strict control of serum urea, hemoglobin and maternal blood pressure, as well as close monitoring of fetal well-being and maternal morbidities. Another important strategy is suitable guidance for contraception in these women.

Indications For In Vitro Fertilization At A Public Center For Reproductive Health In Campinas, Brazil.

To assess the sociodemographic profile and gynecologic and obstetric characteristics of women referred to a public reference center in Campinas, Brazil, for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women referred between April 1, 2008, and October 31, 2009, were eligible for inclusion in a cross-sectional study. Participants were interviewed about sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric and gynecologic history, and etiologic factors resulting in the referral. Preliminary clinical examinations performed elsewhere were evaluated. A total of 176 women were included, of whom 129 (73.3%) presented with tubal factor infertility. Tubal ligation had been performed in 66 (37.5%) women. Overall, 121 (68.8%) women were aged 30 years old or less, 110 (62.5%) had received more than 8 years of schooling, 123 (69.6%) had had infertility for up to 5 years, and 99 (56.3%) did not have any children. Moreover, 25 (14.2%) women had endometriosis and 25 (14.2%) had a male factor issue. A previous ectopic pregnancy was reported for 20 (11.4%) women and pelvic inflammatory disease for 49 (27.8%). Tubal factor infertility was the most common indication for IVF. Preventive measures are required, in addition to policies that ensure access to high-complexity treatments in the public sector.

Atividades corporais : uma estrategia de adaptação biocultural numa comunidade rural do Amazonas

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Atividade fisica e saude : estudo do conhecimento de professores de educação fisica do ensino fundamental atraves da educação a distancia

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Dental caries profile in Monte Negro, Amazonian state of Rondônia, Brazil, in 2008

OBJECTIVE: This epidemiological survey assessed the dental caries profile in Monte Negro, a small town in the Amazonian state of Rondônia, Brazil, and its relationship with the northern region, national and global goals for oral health in the years 2000 and 2020. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The groups randomly examined were composed of individuals aged 5, 12, 15 to 19, 35 to 44, 65 to 74 years, living in both rural and urban areas. RESULTS: The means dft (standard deviation) and DMFT (standard deviation) for the groups were, respectively, 3.15 (3.12), 3.41 (2.69), 5.96 (4.19), 16.00 (7.30) and 25.96 (9.82). Caries-free individuals were 34.42%, 14.81% and 8.16% in the preschoolchildren, schoolchildren and adolescent groups, respectively. The Significant Caries Index percentages applied to the two younger groups were 6.65 and 6.70, and they increased to 32.00 in the individuals aged 65 to 74 years. Care Index percentages for adolescents, adults and elderly groups were, respectively, 29.40, 25.00 and 1.41. The dental caries profile in Monte Negro in 2008 shows that, 8 years after the year 2000, no FDI/WHO goal for any age settled in 1982 has been achieved. Dental caries increased with age and the main dental problem of adult and elderly groups was tooth loss. CONCLUSION: Oral health promotion and prevention of oral disease policies are urgent needs. Setting of oral health goals and targets to people living in Monte Negro or Amazonia to be pursuit and achieved in a near future is an important action to do because of the culture, sanitary conditions and socioeconomic aspects of this particular population.

Análise das diferentes manifestações de cultura quanto aos cuidados em saúde bucal em moradores de região rural ribeirinha em Rondônia, Brasil

Esse estudo avaliou as práticas populares nos cuidados com a saúde bucal decorrentes de patologias como a cárie dentária, doença periodontal, entre outras, no distrito de Tabajara, Estado de Rondônia, Brasil, tendo em vista que o folclore é muito presente na cultura popular, sendo considerado um fato social e cultural, ao mesmo tempo atingindo e influenciando os cuidados quanto à saúde bucal. Realizou-se um estudo quanti-qualitativo, sendo a amostra composta por catorze mulheres e seis homens. O instrumento de pesquisa compreendeu um questionário, com questões objetivas e subjetivas, sendo os dados analisados sob a forma descritiva. Observou-se um baixo nível de conhecimento em aspectos relacionados à saúde bucal nas pessoas analisadas, bem como uma variedade de métodos alternativos para "tratamento" e "prevenção" de afecções bucais. Concluiu-se que há necessidade de um conhecimento mais aprofundado da população-alvo dos programas em saúde, haja vista que introduzem, quase sempre, mudanças culturais, e para que sejam construtivos e não desintegradores, devem levar em conta a estrutura sociocultural da comunidade onde serão executados.

Thermal performance of sisal fiber-cement roofing tiles for rural constructions

Roofing provides the main protection against direct solar radiation in animal housing. Appropriate thermal properties of roofing materials tend to improve the thermal comfort in the inner ambient. Nonasbestos fiber-cement roofing components reinforced with cellulose pulp from sisal (Agave sisalana) were produced by slurry and dewatering techniques, with an optional addition of polypropylene fibers. Nonasbestos tiles were evaluated and compared with commercially available asbestos-cement sheets and ceramic tiles (frequently chosen as roofing materials for animal housing). Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of tiles were determined by the parallel hot-wire method, along with the evaluation of the downside surface temperature. Cement-based components reinforced with sisal pulp presented better thermal performance at room temperature (25ºC), while those reinforced with sisal pulp added by polypropylene fibers presented better thermal performance at 60ºC. Non-asbestos cement tiles provided more efficient protection against radiation than asbestos corrugated sheets.

A comunicação dialógica como fator determinante para os processos de ensino-aprendizagem que ocorrem na capacitação rural: um estudo de caso em um órgão público de extensão localizado no interior do Estado de São Paulo

O objetivo deste artigo é discutir quais caminhos ou descaminhos estão sendo percorridos nos processos de capacitação rural de extensionistas e agricultores de algumas localidades do interior do Estado de São Paulo. Para tanto, a pesquisa aqui relatada teve como pressuposto analisar as práticas pedagógicas e os processos de comunicação que ocorrem durante as capacitações formativas entre extensionistas e agricultores, bem como entre formadores e extensionistas. Buscou-se, ainda, identificar as influências da comunicação nos processos de ensino e aprendizagem, a fim de se repensar práticas relativas à comunicação que devem ser utilizadas nos processos de ensino-aprendizagem. Para tanto, o método de coleta de dados foi o estudo de caso com viés fenomenológico. Os dados anunciam a necessidade da formação continuada com orientação de profissionais da pedagogia a fim de que mudanças efetivas possam ser realizadas.