Dimensional structure of the demand control support questionnaire: a Brazilian context.

UNLABELLED: According to Karasek, job strain results from an interaction between high demands and low decision latitude. PURPOSE: To reassess the dimensional structure and evaluate the internal consistency of demand control support questionnaire (DCSQ), a shortened version of job content questionnaire that was not sufficiently evaluated in validation studies. METHODS: The study investigated 825 workers who completed the DCSQ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; to 399 workers, the questionnaire was self-administered at a hospital (2004-2005), and 426 workers were interviewed at nine restaurants (2006-2007). Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation models was used to test theoretical structure of dimensionality. Internal consistency was evaluated by composite reliability and convergent validity by average variance extracted. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the instrument in three dimensions: demands, skill discretion and decision authority. The best fit model was achieved by removing social support at work and the item repetitive work (skill discretion). A cross-loading from learning new things on demands and an error measurement correlation between work fast and work intense were confirmed. Composite reliability was acceptable for all dimensions, except for demands (0.58), which also showed inadequate average variance extracted (0.32). This final model was confirmed in separate analyses according to work setting, but the loadings of demands were lower for restaurant workers. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that skill discretion and decision authority formed two distinct dimensions. Additionally, the item repetitive work should be removed, as well as one of the items work fast or work intense (demands). Future research is still required to confirm these findings.

[Magnitude of mortality from cervical cancer in the Brazilian Northeast and socioeconomic factors]. / Magnitude da mortalidade por câncer do colo do útero na Região Nordeste do Brasil e fatores socioeconômicos.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the time trend of cervical cancer mortality based on adjusted or unadjusted mortality data and to investigate the association between these data and socioeconomic indicators in women aged 20 years or older in the Brazilian Northeast (in capitals and non-capital cities) during the period from 1996 to 2005. METHODS: All deaths from cervical cancer recorded in the Brazilian Health Ministry's Mortality Data System (SIM) were included in the study. Also included were the cervical cancer deaths identified after the adjustment process. Simple linear regression was used to analyze the time trends for mortality and their correlations (Pearson) with selected socioeconomic indicators. RESULTS: The highest mortality coefficients with unadjusted data were observed in capitals and the lowest were observed in non-capital cities. Conversely, the highest mortality coefficients with adjusted data were observed in non-capital cities. Similarly, the lowest unadjusted mortality rates were observed in the states with the most poverty, illiteracy, fertility, and child mortality, whereas the highest unadjusted mortality rates were observed in the regions with the best social indicators. Adjusted mortality rates showed a negative association with the indicators describing better living conditions, and a positive association with the indicators describing worse living conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The use of unadjusted mortality data may lead to underestimation of cervical cancer rates and compromise the interpretations of comparative analyses of the magnitude, distribution, and factors associated with this disease. The magnitude of cervical cancer should be reassessed at least in the Brazilian Northeast. However, the findings show that positive results have been obtained with early detection efforts in Brazil.

[Fraction of the global burden of diabetes mellitus attributable to overweight and obesity in Brazil]. / Fração da carga global do diabetes mellitus atribuível ao excesso de peso e à obesidade no Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the global burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) in 2002-2003 and to calculate the fraction of diabetes attributable to excess weight and obesity for Brazil and its regions. METHODS: The prevalence of excess weight and obesity according to sex and age (> 20 years) and the relative risks for the development of DM (derived from international studies) attributable to excess weight and obesity were used to calculate the global burden of DM. The prevalence of excess weight and obesity for Brazil and its regions was obtained from the Family Budget Survey (Pesquisa de Orçamento Familiar). Disability-adjusted life years (DALY) were calculated for DM based on the sum of two components: years of life lost (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD). RESULTS: Of the total DALY estimated for DM in Brazil, YLD accounted for 70%. For Brazil as a whole, 61.8% and 45.4% of DM in females was attributable to excess weight and obesity, respectively. Among males, the proportions were 52.8% and 32.7%. The largest excess weight/obesity-attributable fractions were observed in the South, Southeast, and Midwest regions and in the 35-44-year-old age groups. CONCLUSIONS: A large fraction of the burden of DM is attributable to preventable individual risk factors. Measures targeting prevention and control of risk factors such as excess weight and obesity must be included in the Brazilian public health agenda.

The disease burden attributable to smoking in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2000.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is one of the main risk factors for morbidity and mortality. An estimated 59 million (4.4%) disability-adjusted life years were lost due to smoking throughout the world in 2000. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the disease burden attributable to smoking in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the year 2000. METHODS: Based on estimates of smoking prevalence and relative death risks, the smoking-attributable fraction was calculated for each selected cause, by age and gender. The disease burden attributable to smoking was estimated by multiplying the fractions by the corresponding disability-adjusted life years. RESULTS: In the State of Rio de Janeiro, 7% of all disability-adjusted life years were due to smoking. For individuals 30 or more years old, the fraction increased to 10.6% (13.6% in males and 7.5% in females). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancer accounted for 32.2%, 15.7%, 13.2%, and 11.1% of the estimated total DALYs, respectively, amounting to 72.2% of the smoking-attributable disease burden. DISCUSSION: Limitations related to parameter estimates were not unique to this study, and therefore should not compromise the comparability of our results. Outcomes were similar to those obtained in other countries, despite methodological differences. CONCLUSION: Smoking is an important risk factor and places a significant disease burden on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, showing a pattern similar to that observed in high income countries.

Trends in mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1980-2014. / Tendências de mortalidade por doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica no Rio de Janeiro e em Porto Alegre, 1980-2014.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze age-period-cohort (APC) effects on mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the municipalities of Porto Alegre, RS, and Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, between 1980 and 2014. METHODS: this was a time series study using corrected Mortality Information System (SIM) data; APC effects were estimated by Poisson regression, in relation to the 1935 cohort. RESULTS: relative risk (RR) of death due to COPD for males decreased in the most recent birth cohort (1970-1974) in Porto Alegre (RR=0.39; 95%CI 0.32;0.48) and Rio de Janeiro (RR=0.42; 95%CI 0.38;0.48); while among women an increase in risk of death due to COPD was observed in Rio de Janeiro in more recent cohorts (RR=1.41; 95%CI 1.20;1.67). CONCLUSION: risk of death due to COPD decreased among men, while risk among women in Rio de Janeiro increased.

[Infant mortality according to color or race based on the 2010 Population Census and national health information systems in Brazil]. / Mortalidade infantil segundo cor ou raça com base no Censo Demográfico de 2010 e nos sistemas nacionais de informação em saúde no Brasil.

The aim of this study was to investigate infant mortality data according to color or race in Brazil with a focus on indigenous individuals, based on data from the 2010 Population Census and the Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM) and Brazilian Information System on Live Births (SINASC). In both sources, the infant mortality rate (IMR) for indigenous individuals was the highest of all the various population segments. Although the census data indicate inequalities by color or race, the infant mortality rates for indigenous and black individuals were lower than those based on data from SIM/SINASC. Methodological specificities in the data collection in the two sources should be considered. The reduction in IMR in Brazil in recent decades is largely attributed to the priority of infant health on the policy agenda. The study's findings indicate that the impact of public policies failed to reach indigenous peoples on the same scale as in the rest of the population. New sources of nationwide data on deaths in households, as in the case of the 2010 Census, can contribute to a better understanding of inequalities by color or race in Brazil.

[Accuracy of waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio as predictors of dyslipidemia in a cross-sectional study among blood donors in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso State, Brazil]. / Acurácia da circunferência da cintura e da relação cintura/quadril como preditores de dislipidemias em estudo transversal de doadores de sangue de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brasil.

This study evaluated the accuracy of anthropometric fat location indices (waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio) as predictors of dyslipidemia, in addition to defining their respective cut-offs. The sample consisted of 416 healthy male blood donors from 20 to 58 years of age at the Blood Center in Cuiabá, capital of Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Serum lipids were determined through the enzymatic method. Data analysis through the ROC curve identified the best indicator and the cut-off with the largest statistically significant area under the ROC curve. The best cut-off points for waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference were 0.90 and 85cm, respectively. The area under the ROC curve between waist circumference and high cholesterol/HDL relation included the 0.50 value, so waist circumference could not be considered a predictor of dyslipidemia. The best sensitivity and specificity were in the youngest group. Waist-to-hip ratio was a better predictor of dyslipidemia than waist circumference, although the latter showed better discriminating power to detect hypertriglyceridemia. The most accurate cut-off points were lower than those set by the World Health Organization.

Readmission of older patients after hospital discharge for hip fracture: a multilevel approach.

OBJECTIVE To identify individual and hospital characteristics associated with the risk of readmission in older inpatients for proximal femoral fracture in the period of 90 days after discharge. METHODS Deaths and readmissions were obtained by a linkage of databases of the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System and the System of Information on Mortality of the city of Rio de Janeiro from 2008 to 2011. The population of 3,405 individuals aged 60 or older, with non-elective hospitalization for proximal femoral fracture was followed for 90 days after discharge. Cox multilevel model was used for discharge time until readmission, and the characteristics of the patients were used on the first level and the characteristics of the hospitals on the second level. RESULTS The risk of readmission was higher for men (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.37; 95%CI 1.08-1.73), individuals more than 79 years old (HR = 1.45; 95%CI 1.06-1.98), patients who were hospitalized for more than two weeks (HR = 1.33; 95%CI 1.06-1.67), and for those who underwent arthroplasty when compared with the ones who underwent osteosynthesis (HR = 0.57; 95%CI 0.41-0.79). Besides, patients admitted to state hospitals had lower risk for readmission when compared with inpatients in municipal (HR = 1.71; 95%CI 1.09-2.68) and federal hospitals (HR = 1.81; 95%CI 1.00-3.27). The random effect of the hospitals in the adjusted model remained statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Hospitals have complex structures that reflect in the quality of care. Thus, we propose that future studies may include these complexities and the severity of the patients in the analysis of the data, also considering the correlation between readmission and mortality to reduce biases.

The Fraction of Cancer Attributable to Ways of Life, Infections, Occupation, and Environmental Agents in Brazil in 2020.

Many human cancers develop as a result of exposure to risk factors related to the environment and ways of life. The aim of this study was to estimate attributable fractions of 25 types of cancers resulting from exposure to modifiable risk factors in Brazil. The prevalence of exposure to selected risk factors among adults was obtained from population-based surveys conducted from 2000 to 2008. Risk estimates were based on data drawn from meta-analyses or large, high quality studies. Population-attributable fractions (PAF) for a combination of risk factors, as well as the number of preventable deaths and cancer cases, were calculated for 2020. The known preventable risk factors studied will account for 34% of cancer cases among men and 35% among women in 2020, and for 46% and 39% deaths, respectively. The highest attributable fractions were estimated for tobacco smoking, infections, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, excess weight, reproductive factors, and physical inactivity. This is the first study to systematically estimate the fraction of cancer attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors in Brazil. Strategies for primary prevention of tobacco smoking and control of infection and the promotion of a healthy diet and physical activity should be the main priorities in policies for cancer prevention in the country.

Survival of AIDS patients using two case definitions, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1986-2003.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown substantial increases in the survival of AIDS patients in developed countries and in Brazil as a result of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prophylaxis for opportunistic infections. This study compares survival rates using the Brazilian Ministry of Health 2004 and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1993 case definitions in a large HIV/AIDS referral centre in Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: Survival after AIDS diagnosis was assessed in a clinic-based cohort of 1415 individuals using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: There were 393 (88%) deaths from AIDS-related causes and 52 (12%) from unrelated or unknown causes. A total of 205 patients (14%) were lost to follow-up and 765 patients (55%) remained alive until the end of the study. Three-quarters of patients (75%) were still alive 22 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 19-26] after the AIDS diagnosis according to the CDC case definition and 31 months (95% CI 26-36) according to the Ministry of Health case definition. Independent predictors of survival included AIDS defined by CD4 cell count and any use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, with either case definition, and initial stage of the case, with the Ministry of Health case definition. CONCLUSION: Survival observed in this reference centre is comparable or longer than other international studies, although the choice of case definition criterion influenced findings. Adoption of the Ministry of Health case definition may enhance the ability to track the use of and outcomes from ART among AIDS patients.

[Predictive model for cocaine use in prisons in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]. / Modelo preditivo do uso de cocaína em prisões do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of and groups vulnerable to cocaine use in prison. METHODS: We selected 376 inmates with history of cocaine use in prison (cases) and 938 inmates with no history of drug use (controls) serving sentences in the Rio de Janeiro State prison system in 1998. The analysis included exposure variables divided into three hierarchical levels: distal, intermediate, and proximal. We performed bivariate analysis using logistic regression and multivariate analysis using hierarchized regression; results are given in odds ratios. RESULTS: Variables associated with cocaine use in prison in the proximal level were use of alcohol and marijuana and duration of imprisonment in years. The effect of social vulnerability variables (distal level) was intermediated by variables in the next levels. Considering only the distal and intermediate levels, use of marijuana prior to imprisonment (OR=4.50; 95% CI: 3.17-6.41) and offence in order to obtain drugs (OR=2.96; 95% CI: 1.79-4.90) showed the strongest association with the outcome. For every additional year spent in prison, the odds of cocaine use increase by 13% (OR=1.13; 95% CI: 1.06-1.21). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the distal and intermediate levels, use of marijuana prior to imprisonment and perpetration of offence in order to obtain drugs were the variables with greatest predictive value. The final model showed alcohol and marijuana use in prison and duration of imprisonment as important predictors of the outcome. The prison environment appears as a factor stimulating drug use.

Elderly readmission and death after discharge from treatment of hip fracture, occurred in public hospitals from 2008 to 2010, Rio de Janeiro.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the risk of death and readmission of a cohort of elderly patients discharged after hip fracture treatment from hospitals of the public health system; to describe the causes of these events; and to compare the rates of readmission and death observed with those of the elderly population hospitalized in public hospitals of Rio de Janeiro city. METHODS: Data on deaths and readmissions were obtained through the linkage of these two data sources: the Hospital Information System of the Sistema Único de Saúde and the Mortality Information System from the city of Rio de Janeiro. The time frame for the study was 2008 to 2011. The population consisted of 2,612 individuals aged 60 years or older with nonelective hospitalization for hip fracture who were followed for a year after discharge. RESULTS: The readmission rate in one year, excluding the deaths in this period, was 17.8%, and the death rate was 18.6%. The most common causes of death were circulatory system diseases (29.5%). Approximately 15% of the causes of readmissions were surgical complications. The state hospitals showed lower readmission risks and higher death risks compared with the federal and municipal hospitals. It was observed that there is an excess risk of readmission and hospitalization of the study population compared with the elderly population hospitalized in the public hospitals of the city. CONCLUSION: Hospitalization of elderly individuals for hip fracture causes adverse outcomes such as readmissions and deaths. Many of these outcomes can be prevented from actions recommended in the National Policy for the Elderly Health.

Burden of disease in Brazil and its regions, 2008.

The current study estimated DALY (disability-adjusted life years), an indicator of burden of disease, for Brazil in 2008. The North and Northeast regions showed higher burden of disease. Chronic noncommunicable diseases predominated in all regions of the country, especially cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders (particularly depression), diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The study also showed a high burden of homicides and traffic accidents. Brazil's epidemiological profile appears even more complex when one considers the non-negligible burden of communicable diseases, maternal and perinatal conditions, and nutritional deficiencies. The analyses allowed a more detailed understanding of the Brazilian's population's health status, underscoring the need for crosscutting actions beyond specific health sector policies and greater attention to the quality of information on morbidity and mortality.

[Menarche, early pregnancy, and obesity in selected Brazilian women from a health care center in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil]. / Menarca, gravidez precoce e obesidade em mulheres brasileiras selecionadas em um Centro de Saúde de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil.

The aim of this study was to investigate obstetric variables potentially associated with obesity among 486 Brazilian childbearing-age women aged 15-59 residing in the municipality of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State. Body fat (BF) was measured through impedance analysis, and obesity was defined as BF > 30%. The association between obstetrics factors and obesity was evaluated through multivariate logistic regression. The following variables remained in the logistic regression after adjustments for total income, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity: age at menarche < 12 years (OR = 3.02; 95% CI: 1.62-5.61), age > 30 and < 39 (OR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.01-2.92), age > 40 years (OR = 3.32; 95% CI: 1.76-6.27), age at first childbirth (OR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.07-3.68), and the following interaction: age group > 30 and < 39 and age at menarche (OR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.09-0.83). It appears that obstetric factors affect obesity through a complex network of interrelations that involve the covariates studied above. It is important to support efficient programs to prevent obesity, as well as family planning programs emphasizing a reduction in the prevalence of teenage pregnancies.

Postpartum weight retention among women in Rio de Janeiro: a follow-up study.

This study presents follow-up results on trends in postpartum weight retention among women in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at 0.5, 2, 6, and 9 months postpartum. The outcome variable, weight retention, was calculated by subtracting the reported pre-pregnancy weight from the observed weight at each interview. Statistical analyses used means and a 95% confidence interval for weight retention. Mean weight retention was 4.7, 4.1, 3.4, and 3.1kg at 0.5, 2, 6 and 9 months postpartum, respectively. At completion of the study, the largest weight retention was observed in women over 30 years of age (4.2kg) and with 30% or more of body fat (5.9kg). The rate of reduction in weight retention was 0.4kg/month, 0.2kg/month, and 0.1kg/ month for the periods 0.5-2, 2-6, and 6-9 months, respectively. The largest reductions were observed among young, single women and those with < 30% of body fat at baseline. The results suggest that variables such as age, parity, schooling, and body fat may be important predictors of postpartum weight retention.

[Isoniazid and rifampicin resistance and prior treatment for tuberculosis]. / Resist ncia a isoniazida e rifampicina e hist ria de tratamento anterior para tuberculose.

A case-control study in Rio de Janeiro in 1994 included 552 patients with a positive culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and reported a 1.8% resistance rate to rifampicin and isoniazid. Prior treatment for tuberculosis (the exposure factor) was associated with resistance. The binomial proportion was used to test the hypothesis of no dependence between the observed associations based on prior exposure to the drugs. This test showed a greater than expected dependence between resistances to rifampicin and isoniazid.

[Haemophilus influenzae type b: epidemiological situation in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 1993-1997]. / Haemophilus influenzae tipo b: situação epidemiológica no Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil, 1993 a 1997.

Among Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) invasive diseases, pneumonia and meningitis are the most relevant in public health due to their frequency and severity. From 1993 to 1997, there were 720 cases of Hib meningitis in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, representing the most frequent cause of bacterial meningitis in infants (< 1 year) and the second most frequent among all causes of meningitis. The total estimated cases of invasive Hib diseases thus appear to justify the recent inclusion of the vaccine in the basic immunization protocol. The vaccine's high cost reinforces the need for more precise monitoring of the etiological diagnosis of meningitis cases, representing one of the weaknesses in the prevailing epidemiological surveillance system.

Evaluation of waist circumference to predict general obesity and arterial hypertension in women in Greater Metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

This study examined the capacity of waist circumference (WC) to identify subjects with overweight (BMI >/=25) and obesity (BMI >/=30), in agreement with internationally recommended levels of action. Data were obtained from 791 women, 15-59 years old. After identifying overweight and obesity according to WC values, sensitivity and specificity were calculated to verify whether WC could be a good risk predictor for hypertension. Associations were tested by linear regression and logistic regression, controlling for confounding. WC cut-off points of 80cm and 88cm correctly identified 89.8% and 88.5% of women with overweight and obesity, respectively. Abdominal obesity (WC >/=88cm) was statistically associated with hypertension in the multivariate analysis (OR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.77-4.67). Hypertension was identified with a sensitivity of 63.8% and 42.8%, and with a specificity of 68.0% and 83.3%, for WC >/=80 and >/=88, respectively. The proposed cut-off points for abdominal obesity can potentially distinguish individuals at risk for future obesity, but has only moderate power to predict individuals with high blood pressure.

Epidemiological aspects of pulmonary tuberculosis in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the profile and analyze the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis reported in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul from 2001 to 2009, according to the chosen variable categories (gender, age, ethnicity, education, residing in the border area, indigenous population and individuals deprived of liberty). METHODS: An ecological study was conducted from data of reported cases of TB. RESULTS: Estimates of risk higher than the general population, and even extremely high, were obtained in three specific populations, which certainly requires priority attention from health policies and health network professionals to keep the transmission of tuberculosis under control, including in the population residing in the borders with Bolivia and Paraguay, the indigenous population and individuals deprived of liberty. CONCLUSIONS: This study sought to show the importance of discussing territoriality more adequately in Brazil. A continuous reevaluation of all health programs is needed for populations in each of the areas where they live. Then, it will be possible to correct the incidence rate of tuberculosis for specific populations in the state, taking into account populations in each place of residence and considering their specificities and differences. In conclusion, in the light of the present study, it is necessary to discuss more efficient strategies to control tuberculosis in the various territories of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul if we actually want to minimize this endemic to acceptable levels in our environment.