Violence against children: an analysis of mandatory reporting of violence, Brazil 2011.

This article aims to describe and analyze reporting of violence against children from 0 to 9 years of age, issued by the public health services, in Brazil. Data from the Violence and Accident Surveillance System (Viva-SINAN) were used. The frequency of selected variables was calculated by age group (0-1; 2-5 and 6-9 years of age) as well as their Prevalence Ratios (PR). 17.900 cases were reported: 33% in the 0-1 year group; 35,8% in the 2-5 year group; and 31,2% in the 6-9 year group. Physical violence predominated among boys (PR: 1.22; CI 95%: 1,16-1,28 ); 6-9 years old (PR: 1,19; CI 95%: 1,12-1.27 ). Sexual violence predominated among girls, mulatto/afro-descendant (PR: 1.12; CI 95 %: 1.06 to 1.19 ); 6-9 years (PR: 4.63; CI 95%: 4.22- 5.08) with more chances of occurring at home (PR: 1.38 , CI: 95%: 1.29-1.48); psychological violence prevailed among girls, mulatto/afro-descendant (PR: 1.10; CI 95 %: 1.03-1.18 ), 6-9 years old (PR: 2.95; CI 95%: 2.69- 3.23), at home (PR: 1.40; CI 95%: 1.29-1.53); negligence predominated among boys (PR: 1.33 ; 95% CI: 1.27-1.39); 0-1 years and their parents were the most prevalent perpetrators.The results indicate the need to strengthen intersectoral actions aiming at extending the social protection and care network.

[Accidents by external causes in adolescents: care in sentinel urgency and emergency services in the Brazilian State Capitals--2009]. / Causas externas em adolescentes: atendimentos em serviços sentinelas de urgência e emergência nas Capitais Brasileiras - 2009.

Adolescents are seeking new references and experiences, which may involve attitudes of risk and exposure to accidents and violence from external causes. These events constitute a serious Public Health problem. The scope of this study was to analyze the occurrence of accidents by external causes in adolescents from 10 to 19 years of age attended at sentinel urgency and emergency services in Brazil. Data from the 2009 Surveillance System for Violence and Accidents (VIVA 2009) was analyzed in 74 emergency units in 23 state capitals and the Federal District. The findings revealed that 6,434 adolescents (89.8%) were victims of accidents and 730 (10.2 %) were victims of violence. The main causes of the accidents were falls and traffic accidents, and assaults were predominant in violence. For both accidents and violence, non-white male adolescents were predominant and the events occurred most frequently on the public highways. A marked increase was detected, with hospitalization of victims of violence between 15 and 19 years of age. Understanding the epidemiological reality of external causes among adolescents represents an important tool for health prevention and promotion policies and the culture of peace seeking to reduce morbidity and mortality.

[Popular participation in Ipatinga (MG, Brazil): achievements and challenges of the health sector]. / A participação popular em Ipatinga (MG, Brasil): conquistas e desafios do setor de saúde.

Since the SUS implementation in the 90's, it has been possible to observe the change from a political, administrative, and financially centered system to a scene where thousands of agents started to constitute fundamental citizens in the field of health. The objective of this work is to understand how these different actors have absorbed and guaranteed the community the right to participate in the decision of public health policies. This research also tries to investigate the democratic speech and the participative practice implemented by the Worker's Party (PT) in the city of Ipatinga (MG, Brazil). This work uses as theoretical referential the Communicative Action Theory of Habermas and, from this theory, a model of democracy which is understood as the institutionalization of the discursive processes of opinion and will formation. The results obtained indicate that there is an important democratic history in the city, but with indications, however, of retrocessions in the participative practices of the health sector, as the reproduction of traditional practices of government is verified.

Compliance with environmental control measures in the homes of children and adolescents with asthma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine, through home visits, the rate of compliance with environmental control measures in the homes of children with asthma. METHODS: This study involved 98 asthma patients between the ages of 4 and 15. The parents of those children and adolescents received instruction in how to carry out environmental control measures and were encouraged to perform such measures continuously for a period of 90 days. Home visits, which included direct inspection of the domicile and administration of a questionnaire, were made before and after this 90-day period. In cases of noncompliance, parents were asked to explain why they did not carry out the control measures. Statistical analysis was performed using the McNemar test. RESULTS: Overall compliance with the various items studied was 11.1%, ranging from -4.1% (for curtain control, p = 0.63) to 22.6% (for stuffed toys, p < 0.001). Passive smoking was reduced to 9.7% (p = 0.02). Among the families studied, the mean monthly income was 2.5 times the national minimum wage. When asked why they had not adopted the recommended measures, noncompliant parents gave, among others, the following explanations: "economic hardship" (60.1%); "the measures were too difficult to carry out" (6.1%); "nonparticipation of the father" (4%); and "lack of time on the part of the mother" (4%). CONCLUSION: Environmental control measures were carried out sporadically, possibly reflecting the influence of socioeconomic and cultural factors.