715 resultados para Health postgraduate programs
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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
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The aim of this paper is to characterize and discuss the School Physical Education as a profession and subarea of research in the broader academic fi eld of Physical Education and educational research. To do that, it initially defi nes the difference between research in School Physical Education from research about School Physical Education, and point out the themes and research hypotheses for this subarea. It also analyses 289 articles characterized as research in School Physical Education, published in 11 Brazilian periodicals, classifying them in the following categories: “level of schooling”, “bodily practice” and “theme”. The results indicate that the majority of studies are carried out in elementary school, in “games” and “sports”, and in descriptive and interpretative research in School Physical Education practices in several dimensions and interrelations. In conclusion, it points to the need to a focus in the research in teaching, the implementation of public curricula, and teacher education. Finally, it alerts to the need for Brazilian postgraduate programs in the academic fi eld of physical education to invest more in research in School Physical Education subarea.
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In this article, we present results that express the occurrence of narratives researches in the form of theses and dissertations in postgraduate programs in Brazil, from 2000 to 2010 in the Teaching of Science and Mathematics area. We consulted the Student Registration, on the site of the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, through the keywords: narrative research, narrative inquiry and teacher training. Through reading the abstracts, we identified the area of knowledge, the IES and the supervisor. Of the 162 (one hundred, sixty two) academic productions identified, 31 (thirty-one) are in the area of Science and Mathematics teaching. The data obtained point to the existence of groups of studies and research training in the country engaged in narrative research in Mathematics and Science Teaching, in line with teacher training.
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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)
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The present studies adopted the theoretical framework of activity- and purpose-related incentives (Rheinberg, 2008) to explain the maintenance of physical activity. We hypothesized that activity-related incentives (e.g., “fun”) increase more than purpose-related incentives (e.g., “health”) between the initiation and maintenance phase of physical activity. Additionally, change in activity-related incentives was hypothesized to be a better predictor of maintenance of physical activity than change in purpose-related incentives. Two correlative field studies with rehabilitation patients (Study 1) and Nordic Walkers (Study 2) were conducted to test the hypotheses. Participants’ incentives of physical activity were measured at the beginning of exercising and two weeks (Study 1; T2) and three months (Study 2; T2) later. At T2, participants were asked for their current physical activity. Both studies showed a greater change of activity-related incentives than purpose-related incentives. Furthermore, change in activity-related incentives was more predictive of the maintenance of physical activity than change in purpose-related incentives. The results showed the important role of activity-related incentives in maintenance of physical activity. The theoretical contribution to physical activity maintenance research and practical implications for health promotion programs were discussed.
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The need for wildlife health surveillance has become increasingly recognized. However, comprehensive programs which cover a wide spectrum of species, pathogens and geographic areas are still lacking in most European countries and practical examples of systems in place remain scarce. This article provides an overview of the organization of wildlife health surveillance in Switzerland, with a focus on the development, current strategies and the activities of the national program carried out by the Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI), University of Bern. This documentation may stimulate on-going discussions on the design and development of national wildlife health surveillance programs in other countries. Investigations into wildlife health in Switzerland date back to the 1950s. The FIWI acts as a national competence center for wildlife diseases on mandate of the Swiss federal authorities. The mandate includes four main activities: disease diagnostics, research, consulting and teaching. In line with this, the FIWI has made continuous efforts to strengthen a national network of field partners and implemented strategies to facilitate long-term and metastudies.
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Background. The purpose of this study was to describe the risk factors and demographics of persons with salmonellosis and shigellosis and to investigate both seasonal and spatial variations in the occurrence of these infections in Texas from 2000 to 2004, utilizing time series analyses and the geographic information system digital mapping methods. ^ Methods. Spatial Analysis: MapInfo software was used to map the distribution of age-adjusted rates of reported shigellosis and salmonellosis in Texas from 2000–2004 by zip codes. Census data on above or below poverty level, household income, highest level of educational attainment, race, ethnicity, and urban/rural community status was obtained from the 2000 Decennial Census for each zip code. The zip codes with the upper 10% and lower 10% were compared using t-tests and logistic regression to determine whether there were any potential risk factors. ^ Temporal analysis. Seasonal patterns in the prevalence of infections in Texas from 2000 to 2003 were determined by performing time-series analysis on the numbers of cases of salmonellosis and shigellosis. A linear regression was also performed to assess for trends in the incidence of each disease, along with auto-correlation and multi-component cosinor analysis. ^ Results. Spatial analysis: Analysis by general linear model showed a significant association between infection rates and age, with young children aged less than 5 and those aged 5–9 years having increased risk of infection for both disease conditions. The data demonstrated that those populations with high percentages of people who attained a higher than high school education were less likely to be represented in zip codes with high rates of shigellosis. However, for salmonellosis, logistic regression models indicated that when compared to populations with high percentages of non-high school graduates, having a high school diploma or equivalent increased the odds of having a high rate of infection. ^ Temporal analysis. For shigellosis, multi-component cosinor analyses were used to determine the approximated cosine curve which represented a statistically significant representation of the time series data for all age groups by sex. The shigellosis results show 2 peaks, with a major peak occurring in June and a secondary peak appearing around October. Salmonellosis results showed a single peak and trough in all age groups with the peak occurring in August and the trough occurring in February. ^ Conclusion. The results from this study can be used by public health agencies to determine the timing of public health awareness programs and interventions in order to prevent salmonellosis and shigellosis from occurring. Because young children depend on adults for their meals, it is important to increase the awareness of day-care workers and new parents about modes of transmission and hygienic methods of food preparation and storage. ^
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Background. Racial/ethnic differences have been found in various aspects of cancer care. But a limited number of studies have examined the racial/ethnic differences in predictors of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in a group of prostate cancer patients and have attempted to identify the racial/ethnic differences in treatment discussions, treatment choice and treatment received for organ-confined localized prostate cancer (PCa) among three major racial/ethnic groups of the USA. This study was conducted to redress this lack of information. ^ Methods. This study was conducted on a group of 935 prostate cancer patients representing all three major race/ethnic groups (Whites, African Americans and Hispanics) who were treated at various medical institutes of the Texas Medical Center, Houston between 1996 and 2004 to identify the racial/ethnic differences in predictors of PSA screening. A subset of 640 patients who had organ-confined localized prostate cancer was selected to examine the racial/ethnic differences in treatment discussions, treatment choice and treatment received for their localized prostate cancer. They were interviewed by trained research interviewers of MD Anderson Cancer Center using a validated structured questionnaire. ^ Results. The results showed that African American (54.4%) and Hispanic patients (42.3%) were significantly less likely (p=0.004 and p<.001, respectively) than White patients (63.2%) to report having had PSA screening before their prostate-cancer diagnosis. Among Whites, only education and annual check-ups predicted the use of PSA screening, whereas in African Americans two more additional factors, marital status and bode-mass index (BMI), significantly predicted PSA screening. Among Hispanics, like two other groups, education and annual check-ups also appeared as a significant predictor of PSA screening. ^ Results from multivariable logistic regression showed that African American patients were 15% less likely (OR=0.85, 95% CI=0.61-1.17, p=0.32) and Hispanics patients were 40% less likely (OR=0.60, 95% CI=0.41-0.87, p=0.008) to undergo PSA screening than Whites after adjusting for education and age at diagnosis for African Americans, and for education, annual check-ups and age at diagnosis for Hispanics. ^ This study revealed that health professionals were less likely to discuss surgery (79.9% vs. 93.2%) and watchful waiting (27.9% vs. 43.9%) with Hispanics compared to Whites. African Americans were more likely to choose (35.1% vs. 27.7%) and receive radiation therapy (38.3% vs.31.4%) than Whites. A comparison of concordance between treatment choice and treatment received showed that the highest concordance was found for watchful waiting and radiation therapy among African Americans (100% and 85.9%, respectively) whereas the highest concordance (96.9%) was found for surgery among Hispanics. ^ Conclusions. In this multiethnic study, the rates of PSA screening and its potential predictors varied by racial/ethnic groups. Substantial racial/ethnic variations were also found in treatment discussion, but the differences were not evident for treatment choice and treatment received. Health-education programs and culturally appropriate educational outreach efforts, especially targeted for high-risk groups, are needed to reduce these disparities. In the current climate of uncertainty about the benefits of PSA screening, or the benefit of one treatment over others, men should have access to information and services regardless of race/ethnicity so that they can make informed decisions. Further in-depth studies are needed in other settings to confirm these findings with the goal of developing an intervention to address these concerns. ^
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Public health surveillance programs for vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) need functional quality assurance (QA) in order to operate with high quality activities to prevent preventable communicable diseases from spreading in the community. Having a functional QA plan can assure the performance and quality of a program without putting excessive stress on the resources. A functional QA plan acts as a check on the quality of day-to-day activities performed by the VPD surveillance program while also providing data that would be useful for evaluating the program. This study developed a QA plan that involves collection, collation, analysis and reporting of information based on standardized (predetermined) formats and indicators as an integral part of routine work for the vaccine preventable disease surveillance program at the City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services. The QA plan also provides sampling and analysis plans for assessing various QA indicators, as well as recommendations to the Houston Department of Health and Humans Services for implementation of the QA plan. The QA plan developed for VPD surveillance in the City of Houston is intended to be a low cost system that could serve as a template for QA plans as part of other public health programs not only in the city or the nation, but could be adapted for use anywhere across the globe. Having a QA plan for VPD surveillance in the City of Houston would serve well for the funding agencies like the CDC by assuring that the resources are being expended efficiently, while achieving the real goal of positively impacting the health and lives of the recipient/target population. ^
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Recent data have shown that the percentage of time spent preparing food has decreased during the past few years, and little information is know about how much time people spend grocery shopping. Food that is pre-prepared is often higher in calories and fat compared to foods prepared at home from scratch. It has been suggested that, because of the higher energy and total fat levels, increased consumption of pre-prepared foods compared to home-cooked meals can lead to weight gain, which in turn can lead to obesity. Nevertheless, to date no study has examined this relationship. The purpose of this study is to determine (i) the association between adult body mass index (BMI) and the time spent preparing meals, and (ii) the association between adult BMI and time spent shopping for food. Data on food habits and body size were collected with a self-report survey of ethnically diverse adults between the ages of 17 and 70 at a large university. The survey was used to recruit people to participate in nutrition or appetite studies. Among other data, the survey collected demographic data (gender, race/ethnicity), minutes per week spent in preparing meals and minutes per week spent grocery shopping. Height and weight were self-reported and used to calculate BMI. The study population consisted of 689 subjects, of which 276 were male and 413 were female. The mean age was 23.5 years, with a median age of 21 years. The fraction of subjects with BMI less than 24.9 was 65%, between 25 and 29.9 was 26%, and 30 or greater was 9%. Analysis of variation was used to examine associations between food preparation time and BMI. ^ The results of the study showed that there were no significant statistical association between adult healthy weight, overweight and obesity with either food preparation time and grocery shopping time. Of those in the sample who reported preparing food, the mean food preparation time per week for the healthy weight, overweight, and obese groups were 12.8 minutes, 12.3 minutes, and 11.6 minutes respectively. Similarly, the mean weekly grocery shopping for healthy, overweight, and obese groups were 60.3 minutes per week (8.6min./day), 61.4 minutes (8.8min./day), and 57.3 minutes (8.2min./day), respectively. Since this study was conducted through a University campus, it is assumed that most of the sample was students, and a percentage might have been utilizing meal plans on campus, and thus, would have reported little meal preparation or grocery shopping time. Further research should examine the relationships between meal preparation time and time spent shopping for food in a sample that is more representative of the general public. In addition, most people spent very little time preparing food, and thus, health promotion programs for this population need to focus on strategies for preparing quick meals or eating in restaurants/cafeterias. ^
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Breast cancer continues to reign as a common cause of death for women in the United States, claiming the lives of more than an estimated 40,000 women in 2009 alone (Ries et al., 2009). A mammogram, an x-ray of the breast, can aid in early detection of breast cancer and thus more successful treatment. Screening patterns indicate African American women are less likely to utilize mammography technology when compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Additionally, the obesity epidemic in the United States remains a major public health problem. Obesity trends indicate that African American women are likely to be more obese when compared to Caucasian women. Pischon, Nöthlings, & Boeing (2008) concluded there was sufficient evidence linking breast cancer and obesity. Many researchers have identified obesity as a risk factor for breast cancer. As African American women are disproportionately burdened by both breast cancer mortality and obesity, more extensive research is needed to gain more knowledge about their association. The purpose of this study was to identify the role obesity plays in lessening an African American woman’s usage of mammography technology. Data from the 2005 National Health Interview Study were analyzed using SPSS to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mammography utilization in the two aforementioned populations.^ After excluding respondents from the sample who did not meet the set criteria, there were 17,666 women remaining. Of the 17,666 women, 6,156 (34.8%) had a healthy weight, 6,024 (34.1%) were overweight, and 4,285 (24.3%) were obese. About 70% of the sample population reported having had a mammogram in the last two years. Another 27.6% of women reported not receiving a mammogram within this same two year time frame. Within ethnic categories, the majority of the sample was Caucasian (64.2%) while only 15.1% of the sample was African American. The relationship between mammography usage and body mass index was not statistically significant within any body mass index categories. When analyzing the relationship between mammography usage and BMI, adjusting for ethnicity, there was also no significant difference between obese African American and obese Caucasian women. The study did find significant relationships between mammography usage and body mass index when adjusting for cancer risk OR = .79 (95% CI .72 - .85), and marital status OR = 1.18 (95% CI 1.05 - 1.34). Due to insignificant findings, there was no evidence to support the hypothesis regarding differences in mammography usage based on weight or ethnicity. Mammography screening differences based on ethnicity are widely cited. Unfortunately it is still unclear exactly where these differences lie. Obesity has been widely documented in the literature as a risk factor for many chronic diseases, including certain forms of cancer. Understanding the relationship between screening behaviors and weight can assist in the development of health promotion programs aimed at high risk groups. In order to change screening behavior and reduce mortality from breast cancer, more research is needed to identify similarities within low screening populations.^
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Problem. Recent statistics show that over a fifth of children aged 2-5 years in 2006-2008 were overweight, with 7% above the 97 th percentile of the BMI-for-age growth charts (extreme obesity). Because poor diet is an important environmental determinant of obesity and the preschool years are crucial developmentally, examination of factors related to diet in the pre-school years is important for obesity prevention efforts. ^ Objective. The goals of this study were to determine the association between BMI of the parents and the number of servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (FVWG) packed; the nutrient content of preschool children’s lunches; and norms and expectations about FVWG intake.^ Methods. This study was a cross sectional analysis of parents enrolled in the Lunch is in the Bag program at baseline. The independent measure was weight status of the parents/caregivers, which was determined using body mass index (BMI) calculated from self-reported height and weight. BMI was classified as healthy weight (BMI <25) or overweight/obese (BMI ≥25). Outcomes for the study included the number of servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains (FVWG) in sack lunches, as well as the nutrient content of the lunches, and psychosocial constructs related to FVWG consumption. Linear regression analysis was conducted and adjusted for confounders to examine the associations of these outcomes with parental weight status, the main predictor. ^ Results. A total of 132 parent/child dyads were enrolled in the study; 59.09% (n=78) of the parents/caregivers were healthy weight and 39.01% (n=54) of the parents/caregivers were overweight/obese. Parents/caregivers in the study were predominantly white (68%, n=87) and had at least some college education (98%, n=128). No significant associations were found between the weight status of the parents and the servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grain packed in preschool children’s lunchboxes. The results were similar for the association of parental weight status and the nutrient contents of the packed lunches. Both healthy weight and overweight/obese parents packed less than the recommended amounts of vegetables (mean servings = 0.49 and 0.534, respectively) and whole grains (mean servings = 0.58 and 0.511, respectively). However, the intentions of the obese/overweight parents were higher compare to the healthy for vegetables and whole grains.^ Conclusion. Results from this study indicate that there are few differences in the servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains packed by healthy weight parents/caregivers compared to overweight/obese parents/caregivers in a high income, well-educated population, although neither group met the recommended number of servings of vegetables or whole grains. Thus, results indicate the need for behaviorally-based health promotion programs for parents, regardless of their weight status; however, this study should be replicated with larger and more diverse populations to determine if these results are similar with less homogenous populations.^
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Health departments, research institutions, policy-makers, and healthcare providers are often interested in knowing the health status of their clients/constituents. Without the resources, financially or administratively, to go out into the community and conduct health assessments directly, these entities frequently rely on data from population-based surveys to supply the information they need. Unfortunately, these surveys are ill-equipped for the job due to sample size and privacy concerns. Small area estimation (SAE) techniques have excellent potential in such circumstances, but have been underutilized in public health due to lack of awareness and confidence in applying its methods. The goal of this research is to make model-based SAE accessible to a broad readership using clear, example-based learning. Specifically, we applied the principles of multilevel, unit-level SAE to describe the geographic distribution of HPV vaccine coverage among females aged 11-26 in Texas.^ Multilevel (3 level: individual, county, public health region) random-intercept logit models of HPV vaccination (receipt of ≥ 1 dose Gardasil® ) were fit to data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (outcome and level 1 covariates) and a number of secondary sources (group-level covariates). Sampling weights were scaled (level 1) or constructed (levels 2 & 3), and incorporated at every level. Using the regression coefficients (and standard errors) from the final models, I simulated 10,000 datasets for each regression coefficient from the normal distribution and applied them to the logit model to estimate HPV vaccine coverage in each county and respective demographic subgroup. For simplicity, I only provide coverage estimates (and 95% confidence intervals) for counties.^ County-level coverage among females aged 11-17 varied from 6.8-29.0%. For females aged 18-26, coverage varied from 1.9%-23.8%. Aggregated to the state level, these values translate to indirect state estimates of 15.5% and 11.4%, respectively; both of which fall within the confidence intervals for the direct estimates of HPV vaccine coverage in Texas (Females 11-17: 17.7%, 95% CI: 13.6, 21.9; Females 18-26: 12.0%, 95% CI: 6.2, 17.7).^ Small area estimation has great potential for informing policy, program development and evaluation, and the provision of health services. Harnessing the flexibility of multilevel, unit-level SAE to estimate HPV vaccine coverage among females aged 11-26 in Texas counties, I have provided (1) practical guidance on how to conceptualize and conduct modelbased SAE, (2) a robust framework that can be applied to other health outcomes or geographic levels of aggregation, and (3) HPV vaccine coverage data that may inform the development of health education programs, the provision of health services, the planning of additional research studies, and the creation of local health policies.^
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During the last three decades considerable attention has been placed on the reduction of tobacco use due to cigarette smoking. During this time, studies have been funded and programs have been developed that focus on both prevention and cessation of cigarette smoking. This intense focus has led to a significant decline in cigarette smoking. But now, use of another form of tobacco--smokeless tobacco--is gaining in popularity.^ In 1989, the National Cancer Institute funded a research study at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, called Working Well, to develop, implement, and evaluate worksite health promotion programs aimed at reducing cancer risks. As part of this program, a behavioral intervention for smokeless tobacco use was developed. This dissertation evaluates the impact of that behavioral change intervention for smokeless tobacco use.^ Data collected during the Working Well program were analyzed to determine the effect of the intervention. The primary outcomes analyzed were smokeless tobacco cessation, stages of change movement, and prevalence. The secondary outcomes analyzed included the prediction of smokeless tobacco use, stage movement, and cessation. Primary outcome analyses were conducted using the worksite as the unit of analysis, while the secondary analyses were conducted using the individual as the unit of analysis.^ Approximately 20% of the male population used smokeless tobacco. Results of intervention analyses indicate that the Working Well program produced no intervention effect on any of the primary outcomes. At the final observation, the experimental worksites achieved a quit rate of 27%, while the control worksites achieved a quit rate of 26% (P = 0.78). Stage movement for the experimental worksites was 49%, while the control worksites experienced stage movement of 43% (P = 0.20). The results of the analyses on smokeless tobacco prevalence followed the same pattern. Predictors of smokeless tobacco use, cessation, and stage movement were also identified.^ Based on the results found in this study, smokeless tobacco should remain a research priority. Future research should focus on smokeless tobacco use, including the identification of the determinants of smokeless tobacco use and the development of measures and effective intervention strategies. ^
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Objectives. This study estimated the prevalence of risky sexual behaviors of older (≥ years old) and younger (18-24 years) men who have sex with men (MSM) in Houston, TX and compared the prevalence of these behaviors between the two age cohorts. ^ Methods. Data used in this analysis were from the third MSM cycle of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Study. There were 80 older and 119 younger MSM who met the eligibility criteria. Bivariate and Multivariate analysis were performed to compare risky sexual behaviors from the past 12 months and at last sexual encounter between the two age cohorts. ^ Results. OMSM were more likely to be Non-Hispanic White (AOR=4.17; CI: 1.46, 11.89), to have a household income last year greater than $75,000 (AOR=3.59; CI: 1.12, 11.55), and to self-report HIV-positive (AOR=7.35; CI: 2.69, 20.10) than YMSM. OMSM were less like to have had anal sex (AOR=0.11; CI: 0.04, 0.29) or a main sex partner (AOR=0.2; CI: 0.09, 0.45) than YMSM in the past 12 months. Among MSM who had anal sex at last sexual encounter, OMSM were more likely to have not used a condom the entire time regardless of partner type (AOR=3.64; CI: 1.54, 8.61), not used a condom the entire time with a causal sex partner (AOR=7.72; CI: 1.76, 33.92), had unprotected insertive anal intercourse (AOR=2.92; CI: 1.1, 7.75), and used alcohol before or during sex (AOR=5.33; CI: 2.15, 13.2) than YMSM. YMSM and OMSM did not different significantly in knowledge of last sex partner's HIV status. ^ Conclusions. This is not a homogeneous sample of OMSM and risky sexual behaviors vary within the group. There were many similarities in risk behavior between OMSM and YMSM but also some key differences in partner type and condom use indicating a need for increased age-appropriate health promotion programs to limit a potential increase in HIV infection among OMSM. ^