Clinical and functional aspects of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among active workers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate musculoskeletal disorders among active industrial workers. METHODS: The study was carried out in S��o Carlos, Southeastern Brazil, in 2005. One hundred and thirty-four female workers were physically evaluated and answered questions about their physical symptoms, filled out a pain scale and gave responses in the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, and the Work Ability Index questionnaire. The data were analyzed descriptively, and in correlation tests and through applying logistic regression. The outcome was evaluated in relation to the perceptions of pain, symptoms, physical assessment, ability to work and disability. RESULTS: Clinical evaluations and sick leave presented positive correlations with the subjective variables. The Work Ability Index presented a negative correlation with the physical disability index (r=-0.69). Symptoms reported at the time of the assessment presented a good correlation with the results from the pain scale and the clinical findings. Previous sick leave showed an association with disability (OR=1.13; 95% CI:1.08;1.18). CONCLUSION: Symptom reports and pain scales may be useful for assessing current conditions at the time of evaluating individuals with work-related musculoskeletal disorders, as they are easier to apply. In more severe cases of such injuries, clinical and functional evaluations and questionnaires such as those relating to ability to work and disability are preferable. Precise and specific evaluations of these disorders may contribute towards fairer legal and administrative decisions.

Brazilian WHOQOL-OLD Module version: a Rasch analysis of a new instrument

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Brazilian version of WHOQOL-OLD Module and to test potential changes to the instrument to increase its psychometric adequacy. METHODS: A total of 424 older adults living in a city in Southern Brazil completed the WHOQOL-OLD instrument, in 2005. Rasch analysis was used to explore the psychometric performance of the scale, as implemented by the RUMM2020 software. Item-trait interaction, threshold disorders, presence of differential item functioning and item fit, were analyzed. RESULTS: Two ("death and dying" and "sensory abilities") out of six domains showed inadequate item-trait interactions. Rescoring the response scale and deleting the most misperforming items led to scale improvement. The evaluation of domains and items individually showed that the "intimacy" domain does perform well in contrast to the findings using the classical approach. In addition, the "sensory abilities" domain does not derive an interval measure in its current format. CONCLUSIONS: Unidimensionality and local independence were seen in all domains. Changes in the response scale and deletion of problematic items improved the scale's performance.

Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome in a developing country

OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether previously identified risk factors for sudden death syndrome have a significant impact in a developing country. METHODS: Retrospective longitudinal case-control study carried out in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. Cases (N=39) were infants born between 1996 and 2000 who died suddenly and unexpectedly at home during sleep and were diagnosed with sudden death syndrome. Controls (N=117) were infants matched by age and sex who died in hospitals due to other conditions. Data were collected from postmortem examination records and questionnaires answers. A conditional logistic model was used to identify factors associated with the outcome. RESULTS: Mean age at death of cases was 3.2 months. The frequencies of infants regarding gestational age, breastfeeding and regular medical visits were similar in both groups. Sleeping position for most cases and controls was the lateral one. Supine sleeping position was found for few infants in both groups. Maternal variables, age below 20 years (OR=2, 95% CI: 1.1; 5.1) and smoking of more than 10 cigarettes per day during pregnancy (OR=3, 95% CI: 1.3; 6.4), significantly increased the risk for the syndrome. Socioeconomic characteristics were similar in both groups and did not affect risk. CONCLUSIONS: Infant-maternal and socioeconomic profiles of cases in a developing country closely resembled the profile described in the literature, and risk factors were similar as well. However, individual characteristics were identified as risks in the population studied, such as smoking during pregnancy and maternal age below 20 years.

Core group approach to identify college students at risk for sexually transmitted infections

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the core group for sexually transmitted infections (STI) among college students. METHODS: Cross-sectional study carried out in a convenience sample comprising 711 college students of the public university of Morelos, Mexico, between 2001 and 2003. Sociodemographic and sexual behavior information were collected using self-applied questionnaires. Herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2) infection was tested in the blood. The number of sexual partners in the last year and cocaine consumption were used as indicators to construct the dependent variable "level of STI risk" in three categories: low, medium and high risk (core group). A multinomial analysis was conducted to evaluate whether different sex behaviors were associated with the variable "level of STI risk". RESULTS: There was significant association between HSV-2 seroprevalence and the variable "level of STI risk": 13%, 5.6% and 3.8% were found in high (core group), medium and low categories, respectively. There were gender differences regarding the core group. Men started having sexual intercourse earlier, had more sex partners, higher alcohol and drug consumption, higher frequency of sex intercourse with sex workers, exchanging sex for money, occasional and concurrent partners compared to women. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest existing contextual characteristics in the study population that affect their sex behavior. In Mexico, the cultural conception of sexuality is determined mainly by gender differences where men engage in higher risky sexual behavior than women.

A satisfa����o no trabalho : uma aplica����o ��s institui����es particulares de solidariedade social em S��o Miguel, A��ores

Disserta����o de Mestrado em Gest��o de Empresas/MBA.

Envolvimento parental nas classes populares e papel do diretor de turma

Mestrado em Educa����o, especialidade de Administra����o e Organiza����o Escolar.

A op����o dos jovens pelo ensino profissional : contextos e decis��es : um estudo de caso

Disserta����o de Mestrado em Ci��ncias Sociais, especialidade em Fam��lia, Envelhecimento e Pol��ticas Sociais.

Resist��ncia �� mudan��a organizacional : um estudo de caso

Disserta����o de Mestrado em Gest��o de Empresas/MBA.

Young people's blood alcohol concentration and the alcohol consumption city law, Brazil

The paper assesses blood alcohol concentration and risk behaviors for traffic accidents before and after the implementation of a law which prohibits the use of alcoholic beverages on city gas stations. In Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, young people go out at night and drive to gas station convenience stores to buy alcoholic beverages which are consumed on the premises of parking lots in gas stations. Data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires and breath analyzers in two cross-sectional collections with purposive samples of youngsters in May and July 2006 (n=62, and n=50, respectively). There were no significant differences between the groups before and after the city law was passed. Blood alcohol concentration greater than 0.06% was found in 35.5% of pre-law group and 40% of post-law group (p=0.62). Results point out heavy alcohol use in both groups, which did not change after the law was passed.

Potencialidades e utiliza����o do espa��o recreio: um estudo desenvolvido em escolas do 1.�� ciclo do ensino b��sico

Disserta����o apresentada para a obten����o do grau de Mestre em Educa����o - ��rea de Especializa����o em Did��tica das Ci��ncias

Representa����es dos pais prim��paros e mult��paros sobre creche

Disserta����o apresentada na Escola Superior de Educa����o de Lisboa, para obten����o do grau de Mestre em Ci��ncias da Educa����o - Especialidade Interven����o Precoce

Promo����o no ponto de venda: percep����es e comportamentos do consumidor

Este estudo enquadra-se no ��mbito do Marketing e Comportamento do Consumidor e tem como tema Promo����o no Ponto de Venda. Esta investiga����o tem como objectivo conhecer a percep����o e comportamento de grupos de consumidores face a promo����es no ponto de venda. O desenvolvimento deste projecto procurou encontrar resposta para os objectivos de investiga����o propostos atrav��s da realiza����o de um inqu��rito por question��rio. Toda a investiga����o emp��rica teve por base os resultados obtidos atrav��s de 156 question��rios online a consumidores, maiores de 18 anos, de super e hipermercados e centros comerciais. Foi utilizada uma amostra por conveni��ncia, para a qual foi enviado question��rio online atrav��s de email e redes sociais. Realizou-se ent��o este estudo e os resultados demonstraram que as promo����es continuam a motivar o consumo e a despoletar a compra imediata e em maior quantidade. Estas conclus��es s��o diferenciadas face ��s categorias de produto, com maior interesse por parte do consumidor em rela����o ��s promo����es nos bens essenciais e moda, e face ��s tipologias de promo����o, cuja prefer��ncia de promo����o s��o as que t��m incid��ncia no pre��o. No nosso estudo encontramos quatro segmentos de consumidores, que de uma forma global registam auto percep����o de consumidores inteligentes, que procuram com a promo����es optimizar a rela����o qualidade pre��o, e que s��o pouco impulsivos no consumo. Conclu��mos que as promo����es no ponto de venda s��o t��cnicas de marketing em que os gestores de marketing devem continuar a apostar pois �� um factor critico de sucesso no incremento de vendas.

Avalia����o do desempenho docente e desenvolvimento profissional dos professores de ci��ncias : o papel do coordenador de departamento

Disserta����o de Mestrado, Supervis��o Pedag��gica (Ci��ncias), 2 de Outubro de 2015, Universidade dos A��ores.

Students' engagement in schools : differentiation and promotion

The objective of this work is to present elements of the project Student engagement in Schools (SES). The team consists of 10 researchers from six Universities. Student engagement in schools is a multidimensional construct that unites affective, behavioural, and cognitive dimensions of student adaptation in the school and has influence on students���outcomes. The team of researchers conceptualized two major studies, a differential study to analyze the relations between SES and contextual factors, personal factors, student���s outcomes, and a quasi-experimental study to analyze the effects on SES of a specific intervention programmes. In study 1, the sample size is around 600 students (150 6th graders, 150 7th graders, 150 9th graders, and 150 10th graders). We shall focus on years of school transition, with rural and urban populations, on different regions of the country, and on students with different family background. We shall conduct questionnaires with national and international scales. The study 2 will involve students in 7th and 9th grade, from four classes, two of the experimental group and two of the control group. Patterns of verbal communication between a teacher and students can influence the classroom environment and SES. This model of communication would result in more effective student management and more time on-task for learning.

Validity of the Brazilian version of WHOQOL-BREF in depressed patients using Rasch modelling

OBJECTIVE: To assess the validity of the Brazilian version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument - Abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) in adults with major depression, using Rasch modelling. METHODS: Study analyzing data from the baseline sample of the Longitudinal Investigation of Depression Outcomes in Brazil, including a total of 208 patients with major depression recruited in a primary care service in Porto Alegre (Southern Brazil), in 1999. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was used to assess intensity of depression; the WHOQOL-BREF to assess generic quality of life; and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 2.1 for the diagnosis of depression. RESULTS: In the Rasch analysis, the four domains of WHOQOL-BREF showed appropriate fit to this model. Some items needed adjustments: four items were rescored (pain, finances, services, and transport); two items (work and activity) were identified as having dependency of responses, and one item was deleted (sleep) due to multidimensionality. CONCLUSIONS: The validation of the WHOQOL-BREF Brazilian version using Rasch analysis complements previous validation studies, evidencing the robustness of this instrument as a generic cross-cultural quality of life measure.