Association between health risk behaviors and food consumption in adolescents.

The study aims to evaluate the association between substance use and social isolation with food consumption in adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 2,040 adolescents from a medium-sized city in Brazil. The exposures assessed were the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances, and social isolation. The outcomes were the regular consumption (≥5 times/week) of beans, fruit/fruit salad, candies, and soft drinks, and an unhealthy eating score. The association between health risk behaviors and food consumption was assessed through logistic and linear regressions. Regular users of alcohol were more likely to have regular consumption of candies and soft drinks, and those who used tobacco regularly were less likely to have regular bean consumption and more likely to have regular candies consumption. The use of at least one substance was negatively associated with regular bean consumption and positively associated with regular consumption of sweets and soft drinks. Socially isolated adolescents were less likely to have regular bean consumption. Substance use was positively associated with the unhealthy eating score. In conclusion, substance use and social isolation were associated with less regular consumption of healthy food markers and greater regular consumption of unhealthy food markers.

Association between lifestyle and emotional aspects of food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Adequate nutrition during infectious outbreaks require a personal management strategy, especially when there are emotional factors involved. To evaluate the association between lifestyle and emotional aspects of food consumption during the pandemic COVID-19. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cross-sectional study using online self-applied questionnaire with 15,372 active schoolteachers who worked in primary education (kindergarten, elementary and high school) from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Poisson Regression model with robust variance was used to determine the association between lifestyle and emotional aspects and food consumption. Greater adherence to the healthy consumption profile showed a statistically significant association with decreased weight (PR = 1.58; p = 0.000), decreased physical activity (PR = 1.27; p = 0.000), reduced income, (PR = 1.26; p = 0.000), reduced alcohol consumption (PR = 1.22; p = 0.000), and changes in mental health (PR = 1.19; p = 0.000). Unhealthy consumption profile was significantly correlated with weight gain (PR = 1.54; p = 0.000), consuming more alcohol, or started drinking during the pandemic (PR = 1.44; p = 0.000), increased physical activity (PR = 1.43; p = 0.000); increased cigarette consumption (PR = 1.17; p = 0.000), and being a younger adult (PR = 1.17; p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the food profiles of basic education teachers in the Minas Gerais state education system in a bidirectional manner, favoring the practice of consuming healthy or unhealthy foods.

Back pain occurred due to changes in routinary activities among Brazilian schoolteachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: This study's main objective was to investigate the emergence of back pain as a consequence to changes in usual activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic among teachers in public schools in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 15,276 schoolteachers using an online questionnaire. The variables included sociodemographic and occupational data, health situation, habits and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bivariate analyses using Pearson's chi-square test and multiple analyses using Poisson regression were performed to identify the associated factors. RESULTS: About 58% of schoolteachers reported back pain due to changes in routine activities during the pandemic. The adjusted model showed a correlation between back pain and female sex, longer working hours, overwork, difficulties concerning distance working, negative changes in health status and quality of sleep; frequent feeling of sadness, depression, or anxiety; use of medications to relax, sleep or against stress/anxiety/depression; physical inactivity or negative changes in the practice of physical activities; increased body weight; reduction of leisure time; increased time of use of computer or tablet and overload of housework. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, schoolteachers reported a high prevalence of emergence of back pain, which delineates a contradiction in terms: on the one hand, distance education allows social distancing that contributes to the preservation of teachers' health by reducing the risk of contamination by COVID-19. On the other hand, it imposes new demands that-in disagreement with working conditions-can threaten the health of these workers.

Contextual and individual determinants of tooth loss in adults: a multilevel study.

BACKGROUND: Tooth loss represents a known marker of health inequality. The association between tooth loss and unfavorable socioeconomic conditions is evident when analyzed at an individual level. However, the effects of contextual characteristics on tooth loss need to be better investigated and understood. The objective of this study was to analyze tooth loss among Brazilian adults (35-44 years of age), in accordance with individual and contextual social characteristics. METHODS: This was a multilevel cross-sectional study with data from 9564 adult participants from the Brazilian Oral Health Survey - SBBrasil 2010. The dependent variable was the number of lost teeth and the independent variables were grouped into structural (socioeconomic & political context) and intermediary (socioeconomic position, behavioral & biological factors, and health services) determinants. Multilevel Hierarchical Negative Binomial Regression was conducted and the Mean Ratio (MR) was estimated. RESULTS: Brazilian adults lost a mean of 7.57 (95% CI 7.1-8.1) teeth. Among the contextual variables, the number of teeth lost was higher among residents of municipalities with high and medium/low Municipal Human Development Index (MHDI) and in municipalities that did not have public water fluoridation. Among the individual variables, dental loss was higher among those who declared themselves yellow/black/brown/indigenous, were older, who had lower income, who had never visited a dentist, who had used dental services for more than a year and those whose most recent visit to the dentist was due to oral health problems. On the other hand, dental loss was lower among adults with higher education levels and males. CONCLUSIONS: The number of missing teeth was associated with unfavorable contextual and individual conditions, which reinforces the need to reduce social inequality and guarantee regular, lifetime access to dental services.

Self-report of worse back pain among teachers at state schools in Minas Gerais during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: One of the consequences of halting face-to-face educational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic was worse back pain. Objectives: To evaluate worse back pain in teachers working in elementary state schools in Montes Claros, MG. Methods: This is a websurvey-type epidemiological survey using an on-line questionnaire to assess sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions, health condition, and behaviors during the pandemic. Poisson regression was performed, with robust variance. Results: 15,641 teachers were included, and 35.4% reported worse back pain during the pandemic. It was found that the prevalence of a worse condition was higher among women (prevalence ratio = 1.15), between 40 and 49 years old (prevalence ratio = 1.14), teaching for more than 11 years (prevalence ratio = 1.11; 1.19), working more than 21 hours (PR = 1.05; 1.11), with difficulty to work remotely (prevalence ratio = 1.16), with poor quality of life (prevalence ratio = 1.30) or not (prevalence ratio = 0.84), obese (prevalence ratio = 1.07), sad or depressed (prevalence ratio = 1.21), anxious or nervous (prevalence ratio = 1.57), consuming alcoholic beverage (prevalence ratio = 1.16), with poor dietary habits (prevalence ratio = 1.07), more screen time (prevalence ratio = 1.24), sedentary lifestyle (prevalence ratio = 1.13), and social distancing (prevalence ratio = 1.08). Conclusions: The pandemic worsened back pain in teachers, demonstrating a need for addressing the issue, aiming at improving the quality of life of these professionals.

Introdução: Uma das consequências da suspensão das atividades presenciais educacionais durante a pandemia da covid-19 foi o aumento da dor nas costas. Objetivos: Avaliar o aumento da dor nas costas em professores, em atividade, na educação básica de escolas estaduais de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais. Métodos: Trata-se de inquérito epidemiológico do tipo websurvey, através de questionário on-line, para avaliação das características sociodemográficas, condições de trabalho, situação de saúde e comportamentos durante a pandemia. Foi realizada regressão de Poisson, com variância robusta. Resultados: Participaram 15.641 professores, sendo que 35,4% relataram piora da dor nas costas durante a pandemia. Houve prevalência da piora do quadro nos seguintes grupos: sexo feminino (razão de prevalência = 1,15), idade entre 40 e 49 anos (razão de prevalência = 1,14), acima de 11 anos na docência (razão de prevalência = 1,11; 1,19), jornada de trabalho superior a 21 horas (razão de prevalência = 1,05; 1,11), dificuldade no trabalho remoto (razão de prevalência = 1,16), qualidade de vida com piora (razão de prevalência = 1,30) ou não (razão de prevalência = 0,84), obesos (razão de prevalência = 1,07), tristes ou deprimidos (razão de prevalência = 1,21), ansiosos ou nervosos (razão de prevalência = 1,57), que consumiam bebidas alcóolicas (razão de prevalência = 1,16), com pior padrão alimentar (razão de prevalência = 1,07), tempo de tela aumentado (razão de prevalência = 1,24), ausência de atividades (razão de prevalência = 1,13) e adesão total ao distanciamento social (razão de prevalência = 1,08). Conclusões: O período pandêmico trouxe um agravo na dorsalgia em professores, o que demonstra uma necessidade de atenção à questão, visando uma melhoria na qualidade de vida desses profissionais.

Evaluation of the properties of WHODAS-12 measurements in individuals with Chagas disease in Brazil.

Numerous tests employed to predict cardiac and functional status are expensive and not widely accessible for a considerable number of patients, particularly those diagnosed with Chagas disease (CD) residing in remote and endemic regions. To date, there is no knowledge of studies that have validated instruments that address functionality in an expanded way, including the biopsychosocial factors in patients with CD. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0), in its 12-item shortened version (WHODAS-12) when applied to patients with CD. This is a cross-sectional study of a prospective cohort that follows individuals with CD (SaMi-Trop). Data collection took place between October 2019 and March 2020. In the interviews, sociodemographic information, life habits, clinical information, and indicators of disability measured by WHODAS-12 were collected. Descriptive analysis, internal consistency and construct validity of the instrument were performed. A total of 628 patients with CD were interviewed, most were women (69.5%), their mean age was of 57 years, and most declared an average self-perception of health (43.4%). The 12 items of WHODAS-12 were distributed into three factors, which together account for 61% of the variance. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index was 0.90, indicating adequacy of the sample for factor analysis. The internal consistency of the global scale showed alpha = 0.87. The percentage of incapacity was 16.05%, indicating mild incapacity for the evaluated patients. WHODAS-12 is a valid and reliable measure to assess the disability of the Brazilian population with CD.

Interrelationships between dissatisfaction with teaching work and depressive symptoms: Structural equation modelling. / Inter-relações entre insatisfação com o trabalho docente e sintomas depressivos: modelagem com equações estruturais.

The objective of this article is to evaluate the interrelationships of factors associated with depressive symptoms (DS) in teachers, considering dissatisfaction with the teaching job as a possible mediator. This was a cross-sectional study using data from 700 teachers from the public school system of a Brazilian municipality. The outcome of interest was DS, as assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Direct and indirect interrelationships between the outcome and dissatisfaction with work, age, income, lifestyle and adiposity were tested. These variables composed the operational model tested by structural equation modelling. Older age (ß=0.12) and greater dissatisfaction with work (ß=0.12) were directly associated with DS. A more favourable lifestyle (ß=-0.60) and adiposity (ß=-0.10) were associated with a lower occurrence of DS. The variables lifestyle (ß=-0.06) and adiposity (ß=-0.02) also had negative indirect effects on DS, mediated by job dissatisfaction. The structural equation model tested identified interrelationships that influenced DS. Dissatisfaction with teaching work was associated with DS and mediated the relationship of other factors with such symptoms.

O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar inter-relações de fatores associados a sintomas depressivos (SD) em professores, considerando a insatisfação com o trabalho docente como possível mediador. Estudo transversal utilizando dados de 700 professores da rede pública de ensino de um município brasileiro. O desfecho de interesse foi SD aferido pelo Inventário de Depressão de Beck (BDI). Foram testadas inter-relações diretas e indiretas entre o desfecho e insatisfação com o trabalho, idade, renda, estilo de vida e adiposidade. Essas variáveis compuseram modelo operacional testado por meio de modelagem de equações estruturais. A maior idade (ß=0,12) e a maior insatisfação com o trabalho (ß=0,12) associaram-se diretamente aos SD. Já o estilo de vida mais favorável (ß=-0,60) e a adiposidade (ß=-0,10), associaram-se a menor ocorrência de SD. As variáveis estilo de vida (ß=-0,06) e adiposidade (ß=-0,02) também apresentaram efeitos indiretos negativos nos SD, mediados pela insatisfação com o trabalho. O modelo de equação estrutural testado identificou inter-relações que influenciaram os SD. A insatisfação com o trabalho docente associou-se aos SD e mediou a relação de outros fatores sobre tais sintomas.

Physical Activity among Elderly Teachers Working in Basic Education Schools.

This study aimed to assess the levels of physical activity (PA) among elderly teachers. It was an epidemiological, cross-sectional, and analytical web survey conducted with teachers working in public basic education schools. Data collection took place between October and December 2021 through an online form. The dependent variable was physical activity practice, classifying teachers as either physically active or inactive. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple analyses were performed using Poisson Regression with robust variance. A total of 1907 teachers participated in the study, of whom 5.6% were elderly, ranging in age from 60 to 72 years. Regarding PA practice, elderly teachers were found to be more physically inactive compared with adult teachers (PR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.04; 1.34). Conclusion: A statistically significant difference in PA practice was observed between adult and elderly teachers, indicating that elderly teachers are more physically inactive.

Factors associated with the lifestyle of state basic education teachers of state during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence and factors associated with the lifestyle profile of public basic education teachers in Minas Gerais during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Epidemiological websurvey carried out with public basic education teachers in Minas Gerais. Data collection took place from August to September2020 via digital form. Anthropometric, sociodemographic, work, and lifestyle characteristics were evaluated. Poisson Regression was used. RESULTS: 15,641 teachers participated and 31.1% had inadequate health habits. There was a higher prevalence among men (PR=1.38; 95%CI:1.31;1.45), older age (PR=1.20; 95%CI: 1.07;1.34), greater weekly workload (RP=1.10; 95%CI:1.03;1.17) and those dissatisfied with work (RP=1.21; 95%CI:1.15;1.27). As a protective factor, professors with longer teaching experience (RP=0.92; 95%CI:0.87;0.98) and those hired or appointed (PR=0.89; 95%CI:0.85) ;0.94). CONCLUSION: Lifestyle inadequacy was found among older male teachers, with longer working hours and job dissatisfaction.

Analysis of ECOG performance status in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients: association with sociodemographical and clinical factors, and overall survival.

PURPOSE: In the present study, we analyzed sociodemographical and clinical factors, and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) scale in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. We evaluated the impact of a range of variables on overall survival. METHODS: We investigated a sample of HNSCC patients (n = 671), using sociodemographical and clinical information, and survival data collected from a review of epidemiological, clinical, and treatment reports. Statistical associations were analyzed by bivariate and multivariate statistical tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Of patients 85.4% recorded good ECOG-PS scores. Poor ECOG-PS scores were associated with the covariates indicative of dysphagia [odd ratios (OR) = 2.660, CI 95% = 1.661­4.260, p = 0.000] and large-size malignant disease (T3­T4; OR = 5.337, CI 95% = 2.251­12.652, p = 0.000). Overall survival analysis revealed that ECOG-PS scores (OR = 1.879, CI 95% = 1.162­3.038, p = 0.010), tumor size (OR = 1.665, CI 95% = 1.035­2.680, p = 0.036), and the presence of cervical metastasis (OR = 3.145, CI 95% = 2.008­4.926, p = 0.000) were independent predictors. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of physical consumption in head and neck cancer patients at diagnosis may indicate a more aggressive type of malignant disease. Thus, the ECOG-PS scale may help to identify HNSCC patients in need of rapid referral, who may benefit from specific therapeutic and rehabilitative interventions.

Analysis of socio-demographic and systemic health factors and the normative conditions of oral health care in a population of the Brazilian elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of socio-demographic and systemic health factors according to the normative conditions of oral health care (dental caries, edentulism, periodontal disease and oral mucosal lesion) in elderly individuals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a group of elderly with access to community health care (n = 200). The normative conditions of oral health were then investigated according to the WHO and the SB Brazil criteria. Bivariate analyses were evaluated by the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. An estimation of prevalence for the covariates was performed using Poisson's regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of edentulism and oral mucosal lesions was detected in 58% and 21.5% of elderly patients, respectively. In the dentate subjects, the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease was 51.2% and 20.8%, respectively. Older men and individuals from lower-income groups exhibited a higher prevalence of dental caries. Elderly women, illiterate individuals, and individuals over the age of 65 years exhibited a higher prevalence of edentulism. Elderly 60-64 years old and those who are employed had a significant association with periodontal disease. CONCLUSION: Socio-demographic factors were associated with some notable oral diseases in the elderly.

Hospitalizations due to gastrointestinal Chagas disease: National registry.

OBJECTIVES: Analyze the hospitalizations of patients admitted for Chagas disease with gastro-intestinal involvement (CD-GI) in the Brazilian Unified Health System, describe the epidemiological profile, mortality and costs. METHODS: This is an observational study that uses secondary data from the National Hospital Information System (SIH-SUS) for the years 2017-2019. CD-GI admissions were defined by specific ICD-10 codes that identify the main diagnosis. RESULTS: From 2017 to 2019, there were 4,407 hospitalizations for CD-GI in Brazil, considering only public hospitals and those associated with the SUS. This corresponds to an average of 1,470 hospitalizations per year, or 0.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, with significant regional variation. Hospitalizations increased with age and were slightly higher in men. More than 60% were emergencies and in 50% the procedure performed was surgical. The most used code was the one for megaesophagus followed by megacolon. In-hospital mortality was 5.8% and 17.2% went to intensive care units. The median cost was USD$ 553.15 per hospitalization, and an overall cost of USD$ 812,579.98 per year to the SUS budget. CONCLUSION: The numbers, rates and costs presented here are possibly underestimated but they give us an idea of the overall profile of hospitalizations due to CD-GI, which are not rare and are related to significant in-hospital mortality. CD-GI is a neglected manifestation of a neglected disease.

Genome-wide association study for Chagas Cardiomyopathy identify a new risk locus on chromosome 18 associated with an immune-related protein and transcriptional signature.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) usually develops between 10 and 20 years after the first parasitic infection and is one of the leading causes of end-stage heart failure in Latin America. Despite the great inter-individual variability in CCC susceptibility (only 30% of infected individuals ever present CCC), there are no known predictors for disease development in those chronically infected. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We describe a new susceptibility locus for CCC through a GWAS analysis in the SaMi-Trop cohort, a population-based study conducted in a Chagas endemic region from Brazil. This locus was also associated with CCC in the REDS II Study. The newly identified locus (rs34238187, OR 0.73, p-value 2.03 x 10-9) spans a haplotype of approximately 30Kb on chromosome 18 (chr18: 5028302-5057621) and is also associated with 80 different traits, most of them blood protein traits significantly enriched for immune-related biological pathways. Hi-C data show that the newly associated locus is able to interact with chromatin sites as far as 10Mb on chromosome 18 in a number of different cell types and tissues. Finally, we were able to confirm, at the tissue transcriptional level, the immune-associated blood protein signature using a multi-tissue differential gene expression and enrichment analysis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We suggest that the newly identified locus impacts CCC risk among T cruzi infected individuals through the modulation of a downstream transcriptional and protein signature associated with host-parasite immune response. Functional characterization of the novel risk locus is warranted.

COVID-19 pandemic: dissatisfaction with work among teachers in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. / Pandemia da COVID-19: insatisfação com o trabalho entre professores(as) do estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil.

This article aimed to verify the prevalence and factors associated with dissatisfaction with teaching work among teachers from the state public basic education network in the state of Minas Gerais during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a websurvey, carried out with these teachers between August and September 2020 via digital form. The dependent variable was job satisfaction during the pandemic, with satisfied people being the reference category. Multinomial Logistic Regression was used. 15,641 teachers from 795 municipalities participated in the study. Regarding work satisfaction, 21.6% were satisfied, 44.7% were indifferent and 33.7% were unsatisfied. The chances of being unsatisfied were higher among those without a spouse (OR=1.23), longer teaching time (OR=1.19), difficulty with remote activities (OR=37.60), without possession of a computer (OR=1.40), smokers (OR=1.27), using alcoholic beverages (OR=1.54), sedentary (OR=1.22) and absent leisure activities (OR=1.49). The changes caused in the educational system in the face of the pandemic impacted the teacher's routine, contributing to the dissatisfaction with the work of this professional.

O objetivo deste artigo foi verificar a prevalência e fatores associados à insatisfação com o trabalho docente entre professores(as) da rede pública estadual de educação básica do estado de Minas Gerais durante a pandemia da COVID-19. Inquérito epidemiológico do tipo websurveys, realizado com esses(as) professores(as) entre agosto e setembro de 2020 via formulário digital. A variável dependente foi a satisfação com o trabalho durante a pandemia, sendo os(as) satisfeitos(as) a categoria de referência. Foi utilizada a Regressão Logística Multinomial. Participaram do estudo 15.641 professores(as) de 795 municípios. Em relação a satisfação com o trabalho, 21,6% estavam satisfeitos(as), 44,7% indiferentes e 33,7% insatisfeitos(as). As chances de estarem insatisfeitos(as) foram maiores entre aqueles(as) sem cônjuge (OR=1,23), maior tempo de docência (OR=1,19), dificuldade com atividades remotas (OR=37,60), sem posse de computador (OR=1,40), tabagistas (OR=1,27), em uso de bebida alcoólica (OR=1,54), sedentários(as) (OR=1,22) e atividade de lazer ausente (OR=1,49). As mudanças causadas no sistema educacional diante da pandemia impactaram a rotina do(a) professor(a), contribuindo para a insatisfação com o trabalho deste(a) profissional.

NEW REFERENCE PARAMETERS FOR BODY MASS INDEX IN CHILDREN AGED SIX TO TEN YEARS.

OBJECTIVE: To determine new body mass index (BMI) reference values to classify the nutritional status of children aged six to ten years old from the city of Montes Claros (state of Minas Gerais), Southeast Brazil. METHODS: The sample consisted of 3,863 individuals from both genders. Body mass and height were measured to determine the BMI. We adopted the Lambda, Mu, and Sigma (LMS) method to obtain the cut-off points. After that, each stratum curve was smoothed using quartic polynomials by gender. Average interpolation was used to determine the biannual distribution values. We calculated the 3rd, 85th, and 95th centiles to classify underweight, overweight, and obesity, respectively, according to gender and age. RESULTS: After tabulating the LMS parameters at biannual intervals by gender, we plotted a graphic with seven centiles of BMI distribution and calculated the new BMI parameters for children aged 6-10 years old from the city of Montes Claros. The cut-off values for underweight, overweight, and obesity classification were, respectively, 17.5, 25 and 30 kg/m2. CONCLUSIONS: For the studied children, the use of traditional BMI references may result in the overestimation of underweight and underestimation of overweight and obesity. Studies should be carried out with periodic updates, respecting the characteristics of each location in order to use BMI reference values to classify the nutritional status of children and adolescents.

Working conditions, lifestyle and mental health of Brazilian public-school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aimed to describe the working conditions, lifestyle and mental health of Brazilian public-school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an epidemiological websurvey, carried out from August to September 2020. Teachers from public schools in rural and urban areas in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, participated in the study. A digital questionnaire was used and the study addressed variables related to four major thematic topics: sociodemographic and economic profile, working conditions, lifestyle and health conditions, and mental health problems during the pandemic. The sample consisted of 15,641 teachers, of which 13.3% worked in rural areas, 81.9% were women, 56.2% were aged 41-60 years, 66.8% were married, 99.2% were working remotely and 79.8% adhered to social distancing. During the pandemic, 40.6% showed a decrease in family income, 33.7% were dissatisfied with their work, 58% reported increased body weight, 47.9% did not exercise, 35.8% were part of at least one risk group for COVID-19, 40.5% had some flu-like symptoms during the pandemic and 1.2% tested positive for COVID-19. Regarding mental health problems, 25.9% of teachers self-reported formal diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression during the pandemic. In addition, 7.1% of teachers were drinking more alcohol than usual, 33.4% started having sleep problems, 30.4% were using relax/sleep/anxiety/depression medications, 67.1% reported that their quality of life worsened and 43.7% reported having severe fear of COVID-19. It was also found that 82.3% of teachers had at least one mental health problem during the pandemic, such as increased alcohol consumption, sleep problems, use of psychotropic medication, decreased quality of life, and fear of COVID-19. The results of this study reveal the numerous challenges and the extent of the impact of the pandemic on working conditions, lifestyle, and especially on the mental health of teachers.

Cohort profile update: the main and new findings from the SaMi-Trop Chagas cohort.

The SaMi-Trop project is a cohort study conducted in 21 municipalities of endemic areas of Chagas disease, including 1,959 patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy. In this article we updated the results of the project, adding information from the second cohort visit. Trypanosoma cruzi-seropositive patients were enrolled from the primary care Telehealth service in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The eligibility criterium for the second visit was the participation in the baseline evaluation. Of 1,959 participants at the baseline assessment, 1,585 (79.9%) returned after two years for the second evaluation. The mortality rate was 6.7%, but varied from 0.9% to 18.2% when it was stratified by certain clinical characteristics. A lower age-adjusted NT-Pro-BNP level (less than 300) and a prior benznidazole treatment were associated with lower mortality. There was an improvement in most quality of life domain scores. Participants have also reported fewer signs and symptoms and greater use of medication. The second follow-up visit will be complete in Oct 2021.

Serological screening for Chagas disease in an endemic region of Northern Minas Gerais, Brazil: the SaMi-Trop project.

Chagas disease (CD) is still a neglected disease. Infected individuals are diagnosed late, being treated in worse clinical conditions. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the prevalence and the factors associated with new confirmed cases of CD identified by serological screening in an endemic region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This is an analytical cross-sectional study with data from a project of the Research Center in Tropical Medicine of Sao Paulo- Minas Gerais (SaMi-Trop) conducted in two municipalities. Data collection included a questionnaire with closed questions, a venous blood collection and an ELISA serological test for CD. A total of 2,038 individuals with no previous diagnosis of CD participated in the study. The result of the serological test for CD was adopted as the dependent variable. The independent variables addressed personal issues, health conditions and lifetime housing. A descriptive analysis of individual variables was performed. Subsequently, a bivariate analysis was performed using the Pearson's chi-square test. Households sheltering individuals positive for CD were georeferenced, and the analysis of spatial distribution was performed using the quartic function to estimate the density of the nucleus. Among the participants, 188 (9.2 %) were positive for CD. The profile of participants with CD was associated with place of residence, age, relative/family member with CD and living conditions. It is noteworthy that there are still patients with CD who are unaware of their diagnosis in both, rural and urban areas.

[Arterial Hypertension and work among teachers of basic education in the public-school system]. / Hipertensão Arterial e trabalho entre docentes da educação básica da rede pública de ensino.

The scope of this paper was to investigate the relationship between Arterial Hypertension (AH) and the occupational profile of teachers of basic public education and present a theoretical model. A probabilistic sample was adopted by clusters, with AH as the dependent variable. The independent variables were grouped in thematic blocks (Sociodemographic Characteristics, Occupational Profile, Behaviors and Health Outcomes) that composed the theoretical model. The analyses were corrected by the sample design. Hierarchical logistic regression was conducted. The prevalence of AH was 25%, and 58% reported dissatisfaction with the work. There was a higher probability of AH among older teachers (OR = 3.7), without postgraduate qualification (OR = 1.4), who also worked in the private network (OR = 2.6), who had a higher salt intake (OR = 1.7), with a high waist-hip ratio (OR = 1.9) and hypercholesterolemia / hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 1, 5) and a lower chance among females (OR = 0.5), who had other work activity (OR = 0.6) and were dissatisfied with the work (OR = 0.6). Thus, the occupational profile of teachers had an influence on AH. The relationship between work and teacher health demands attention and care, with measures that preserve and promote the health and well-being of teachers.

Objetivou-se investigar a relação entre Hipertensão Arterial (HA) e perfil ocupacional de docentes da educação básica pública e apresentar modelo teórico. Adotou-se amostra probabilística por conglomerados. A HA foi a variável dependente. As variáveis independentes foram agrupadas em blocos temáticos (Características Sociodemográficas, Perfil Ocupacional, Comportamentos e Desfechos em Saúde), que compuseram o modelo teórico. As análises foram corrigidas pelo desenho amostral. Foi conduzida regressão logística hierarquizada. A prevalência de HA foi de 25%, enquanto que 58% apresentaram insatisfação com o trabalho. Houve maior chance de HA entre os docentes mais velhos (OR = 3,7), sem pós-graduação (OR = 1,4), que atuavam também na rede privada (OR = 2,6), que apresentavam maior consumo de sal (OR = 1,7), com sobrepeso (OR = 2,1) / obesidade (OR = 7,2), com relação cintura-quadril elevada (OR = 1,9) e com hipercolesterolemia/hipertrigliceridemia (OR = 1,5) e menor chance entre os do sexo feminino (OR = 0,5), que exerciam outra atividade de trabalho (OR = 0,6) e insatisfeitos com o trabalho (OR = 0,6). Assim, o perfil ocupacional docente apresentou influência sobre a HA. A relação trabalho e saúde docente carece de atenção e cuidado, com adoção de medidas que preservem e promovam sua saúde e seu bem-estar.