Absenteeism due to mental and behavioral disorder in employees of a federal university.

Introduction: Mental and behavioral disorders (MBD) are one of the main causes of absence from work in Brazil and worldwide. Objectives: To analyze the prevalence of absence from work according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, with stratification of disease defined as "Mental and Behavioral Disorders", in permanent employees of the Federal University of Ouro Preto and its relationships with sociodemographic and occupational determinants, during the period from 2011 to 2019. Methods: An epidemiological, descriptive, and analytical study, with a cross-sectional design and quantitative approach was conducted using primary and secondary data. The population consisted of federal public sector workers who were granted ML to treat their own health during a 9-year period. Analyses were performed using descriptive and bivariate statistics. The Wilcoxon (Mann-Whitney) and Poisson tests were used to assess the existence of associations between variables. Results: 733 medical records of employees eligible according to the inclusion criteria were analyzed. There was a rising trend in ML rates over the 9-year period. Of the sample, 23.2% (n = 170) were absent from work due to mental and behavioral disorders - females accounted for 57.6% and administrative technicians in education for 62.3%. In the multivariate analysis (Poisson test), only the outcome "time of first ML due to mental and behavioral disorders" was associated with the variable "time working at the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto". Conclusions: The high prevalence of mental and behavioral disorders found in this investigation is an alert to the magnitude of the problem, highlighting the urgency of implementing measures to detect psychosocial risk factors, whether associated with work or not.

Introdução: Os transtornos mentais e comportamentais (TMC) configuram como uma das principais causas de afastamento do trabalho no Brasil e no mundo. Objetivos: Analisar a prevalência do afastamento do trabalho de acordo com a Classificação Internacional de Doenças e Problemas Relacionados à Saúde - 10ª Revisão, com estratificação da doença definida como "Transtornos Mentais e Comportamentais" dos servidores efetivos da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto e sua relação com os determinantes sociodemográficos e ocupacionais, no período de 2011 a 2019. Métodos: Estudo epidemiológico com delineamento transversal e abordagem quantitativa, realizado a partir de dados primários e secundários. A população foi composta por servidores públicos federais com licenças médicas para tratamento da própria saúde no período de 9 anos. A análise foi realizada por meio de estatística descritiva e bivariada. Utilizou-se o teste de Wilcoxon (Mann-Whitney) e de Poisson para avaliação de existência de associação entre as variáveis. Resultados: Foram analisados 733 prontuários de servidores elegíveis nos critérios de admissão. A tendência das taxas de afastamento foi de crescimento no período de 9 anos. Na amostra, 23,2% (n = 170) apresentaram afastamento do trabalho por transtornos mentais e comportamentais - o sexo feminino apresentou 57,6%, e os técnicos administrativos em educação apresentaram 62,3%. Na análise multivariada (teste de Poisson), apenas o desfecho "momento do primeiro afastamento por transtornos mentais e comportamentais" apresentou associação com a variável tempo de Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto. Conclusões: A alta prevalência de transtornos mentais e comportamentais encontrada nesta investigação alerta para a magnitude do problema, evidenciando-se a urgência da implantação de medidas de detecção de fatores psicossociais de risco associados ou não ao trabalho.

A High-Fat Diet Exacerbates the Course of Experimental Trypanosoma cruzi Infection That Can Be Mitigated by Treatment with Simvastatin.

The protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi is responsible for triggering a damage immune response in the host cardiovascular system. This parasite has a high affinity for host lipoproteins and uses the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor for its invasion. Assuming that the presence of LDL cholesterol in tissues could facilitate T. cruzi proliferation, dietary composition may affect the parasite-host relationship. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate myocarditis in T. cruzi-infected C57BL/6 mice-acute phase-fed a high-fat diet and treated with simvastatin, a lipid-lowering medication. Animals (n = 10) were infected with 5 × 103 cells of the VL-10 strain of T. cruzi and treated or untreated daily with 20 mg/kg simvastatin, starting 24 h after infection and fed with a normolipidic or high-fat diet. Also, uninfected mice, treated or not with simvastatin and fed with normolipidic or high-fat diet, were evaluated as control groups. Analyses to measure the production of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), interferon- (IFN-) γ, interleukin- (IL-) 10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF); total hepatic lipid dosage; cholesterol; and fractions, as well as histopathological analysis, were performed on day 30 using cardiac and fat tissues. Our results showed that the high-fat diet increased (i) parasite replication, (ii) fat accumulation in the liver, (iii) total cholesterol and LDL levels, and (iv) the host inflammatory state through the production of the cytokine TNF. However, simvastatin only reduced the production of CCL2 but not that of other inflammatory mediators or biochemical parameters. Together, our data suggest that the high-fat diet may have worsened the biochemical parameters of the uninfected and T. cruzi-infected animals, as well as favored the survival of circulating parasites.

Determinants of Iron Deficiency Anemia in a Cohort of Children Aged 6-71 Months Living in the Northeast of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common nutritional disorders worldwide. The aim was to identify the prevalence and incidence of anemia in children and to identify predictors of this condition, including intestinal parasites, social, nutritional and environmental factors, and comorbidities. A population-based cohort study was conducted in a sample of 414 children aged 6-71 months living in Novo Cruzeiro in the Minas Gerais State. Data were collected in 2008 and 2009 by interview and included socio-economic and demographic information about the children and their families. Blood samples were collected for testing of hemoglobin, ferritin and C-reactive protein. Anthropometric measurements and parasitological analyses of fecal samples were performed. To identify risk factors associated with anemia multivariate analyses were performed using the generalized estimating equations (GEE). In 2008 and 2009, respectively, the prevalence rates of anemia were 35.9% (95%CI 31.2-40.8) and 9.8% (95%CI 7.2-12.9), the prevalence rates of iron deficiency were 18.4% (95%CI 14.7-22.6) and 21.8% (95%CI 17.8-26.2), and the incidence rates of anemia and iron deficiency were 3.2% and 21.8%. The following risk factors associated with anemia were: iron deficiency (OR = 3.2; 95%CI 2.0-.5.3), parasitic infections (OR = 1.9; 95%CI 1.2-2.8), being of risk of or being a low length/height-for-age (OR = 2.1; 95%CI 1.4-3.2), and lower retinol intake (OR = 1.7; 95%CI 1.1-2.7), adjusted over time. Nutritional factors, parasitic infections and chronic malnutrition were identified as risk factors for anemia. These factors can be verified in a chronic process and have been classically described as risk factors for these conditions.

[The Brazilian School Nutrition Program from the standpoint of students attending state schools in Minas Gerais, Brazil]. / O Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar sob a ótica dos alunos da rede estadual de ensino de Minas Gerais, Brasil.

The scope of this article is to analyze the Brazilian School Nutrition Program from the standpoint of students attending state schools in Minas Gerais. It is a qualitative and quantitative cross-sectional study with a sample of 1500 students, representing the population of the state schools of Minas Gerais, involving the administration of a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using simple frequency, mean, standard deviation, Fisher's exact test, the chi-square test and logistic regression (p < 0.05, CI 95%). The effective acceptance of the program was 28.8% and the effective adhesion to the program was 45.1%. Program acceptance was significantly higher among males and students who consumed less extra-institutional food. Acceptance and adhesion to the program was significantly higher among the older students and those who reported participating in activities related to nutritional education. In total, 73.5% of the students suggested improvements in school food. Many of the program's norms and guidelines are not being implemented. The acceptance of school food was negatively influenced by the consumption of extra-institutional foods and positively influenced by food and nutritional education activities.

[Sodium and glucose concentration in therapeutical solution for oral rehydration prepared by Community Health Agents]. / Concentração de sódio e glicose em soro de reidratação oral preparado por Agentes Comunitários de Saúde.

Infant Diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is required. This study evaluates the composition of ORT prepared by Community Health Agents (CHAs) working in Basic Health Units, assessing their profile and knowledge about ORT. After the CHAs answer specific questions, they are invited to prepare ORT using three methods. Glucose and sodium levels were then quantified and compared with WHO recommendations. ANOVA, Tukey and odds ratio were used for statistical analysis. 52 CHAs participated, mainly females, and 90.4% with full high school education. The adequacy of the ORT was 3.9; 9.8 and 28.9% for table spoon, measuring spoon and pinch and scoop, respectively. The ORT preparation by table spoon resulted in 88% of samples with dangerous levels of sodium (≥101 mmol/L). 38.5% of the CHAs had less than 2 years experience, leading to a 4.8 times greater risk of preparing ORT with high sodium. The CHAs indicated ORT as a treatment for diarrhea, though they were unaware of the side effects of inadequate preparation. The composition of the ORT produced by the CHAs was inadequate in all methods tested. The CHAs revealed a lack of knowledge of the side effects iof ORT with inadequate salt levels. The recommendation is to train the CHAs in ORT preparation.

Association between nutritional status, environmental and socio-economic factors and Giardia lamblia infections among children aged 6-71 months in Brazil.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on a randomised sample of 405 children aged 6-71 months in Brazil to investigate the association between nutritional status, environmental and socio-economic factors and Giardialamblia infection. Data collection entailed an interview, anthropometric measurements and the collection of faeces and venous blood samples. The analysis was performed using multivariate logistic regression. The prevalence rate for G. lamblia was 26.3%. Nutritional status evaluation showed that 7.9% of the children had chronic malnutrition and 11.1% had acute malnutrition. The risk factors associated with infection by G. lamblia were an age of 2 years or older [odds ratio (OR)=2.4], living in a two-bedroom house or smaller (OR=2.3), living among a family of five or more people (OR=2.4) and living in a house without access to a sewerage system (OR=2.1). Non-participation in the social service programme was associated with a lower risk of infection (OR=0.2). The model adjusted for age, including only biochemical and nutritional variables, showed weak associations with G. lamblia infection for two variables: inadequate animal protein intake according to the Dietary Reference Intake recommendation and low haemoglobin concentration. The sociodemographic and environmental risk factors classically described were associated with G. lamblia infection, but nutritional variables were only weakly associated with it.