Anxiety and depression assessment prior to initiating antiretroviral treatment in Brazil.

A cross-sectional study was carried out with 386 patients who received their first anti-retroviral prescription between May 2001 and May 2002 in public AIDS referral centers in Belo Horizonte (Brazil). The main objective was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression among HIV-infected patients initiating antiretroviral treatment using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Clinical, behavioural and demographic data were collected from interviews and medical charts. Multivariate analysis was carried out by logistic regression. Prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety and depression were 35.8% and 21.8%, respectively. Female gender, low schooling, lack of health insurance, attendance to psychotherapy, difficulty in accessing health services and exposure category were independently associated with anxiety. On the other hand, female gender, lack of health insurance, low income, living alone, and lacking a sexual partner in the last month were independently associated with depression. This study highlights the importance of detecting psychological distress by simple screening methods in the HIV/AIDS setting, where the prevalence of anxiety and depression is considerably high, so proper intervention can be established soon in the treatment course.

[Association between socioeconomic factors and infant deaths due to diarrhea, pneumonia, and malnutrition in a metropolitan area of Southeast Brazil: a case-control study]. / Associação entre fatores sócio-econômicos e mortalidade infantil por diarréia, pneumonia e desnutrição em região metropolitana do Sudeste do Brasil: um estudo caso-controle.

A population-based case-control study was carried out to identify determinant factors for post-neonatal infant deaths due to diarrhea, pneumonia, and malnutrition in Greater Metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Southeast Brazil. From May 1, 1991, to April 30, 1992, 511 post-neonatal deaths due to diarrhea, pneumonia, and malnutrition were selected after investigation of medical records to validate cause of death. Of this total, 396 deaths were compared to a neighborhood control group, matched for age. The study was carried out in a low-income area with a high proportion of families living in shantytowns. The article discusses the methodology and selected socioeconomic factors. Logistic regression analysis indicated that number of household appliances, mother's and father's education, and mother's marital and work status were significantly associated with risk of infant death, i.e., they were determinants of infant deaths due to avoidable causes.