Reliability and reproducibility of the method of assessment of midpalatal suture maturation: A tomographic study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess reliability and reproducibility of the individual assessment of midpalatal suture maturation in computed tomography among orthodontists and radiologists for potential diagnosis application. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty axial slices from cone-beam computed tomography and multi-slice CT scans of patients aged between 11 and 21 years old (33 females and 27 males) were selected. For the investigation of reliability and reproducibility of the method, two groups of examiners were established. The first group consisted of 11 orthodontists and the second consisted of 10 radiologists. Each group examined the images and performed individual assessment of the midpalatal suture maturation method twice within an interval of 21 days. During the first and second analyses, the sequence of images was randomized to reduce potential bias. Weighted Cohen's kappa was performed to assess inter- and intra-examiners' agreement. The percentage of perfect agreement and the number of stages apart for each disagreement were calculated. The significance level was P < .05. RESULTS: The overall inter-examiner agreement was satisfactory in the first (kappaw: 0.37) and the second (kappaw: 0.34) analyses. Intra-examiner agreement outcomes were similar between orthodontists (kappaw: 0.44) and radiologists (kappaw: 0.41). The percentage of perfect agreement was 43.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The method for individual assessment of midpalatal suture maturation revealed potential reliability and reproducibility. However, the agreement rate observed in the present study was not high enough for a method designed for routine clinical applications.

Prevalence of lip and perioral Ephelides in beach workers.

BACKGROUND: Ephelides are small hyperpigmented macules common in the skin, presenting as areas with increased melanin production. Ephelides are observed in genetically predisposed individuals, particularly fair-skinned people highly susceptible to sunburn. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of lip and perioral ephelides in 362 beach workers in the city of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte) and to investigate potential associations with sociodemographic, occupational and general health. METHODS: For this purpose clinical tests were performed by calibrated examiners in the epidemiological area around the lips and the area bounded laterally by the nasolabial groove and at the bottom by the chin. A questionnaire was completed and assessed. The possible associations between sociodemographic variables, occupational and general health with the presence of lip and perioral ephelides were evaluated by chi-square test for a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Approximately one third of the workers were affected by perioral ephelides (33.7%) and around a quarter of them by lip ephelides (24.0%). Gender was the only variable significantly associated with the presence of perioral ephelides (p = 0.002), unlike lip ephelides which proved to be significantly associated with habits (p = 0.036) and alcoholism (0.030). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ephelides in lip and perioral region was high in the study population, with gender and certain habits associated with its occurrence.

Prevalence of lip and perioral Ephelides in beach workers / Prevalência de Éfelides labiais e periorais em trabalhadores de praias

Ephelides are small hyperpigmented macules common in the skin, presenting as areas with increased melanin production. Ephelides are observed in genetically predisposed individuals, particularly fair-skinned people highly susceptible to sunburn. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of lip and perioral ephelides in 362 beach workers in the city of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte) and to investigate potential associations with sociodemographic, occupational and general health. For this purpose clinical tests were performed by calibrated examiners in the epidemiological area around the lips and the area bounded laterally by the nasolabial groove and at the bottom by the chin. A questionnaire was completed and assessed. The possible associations between sociodemographic variables, occupational and general health with the presence of lip and perioral ephelides were evaluated by chi-square test for a significance level of 5%. Approximately one third of the workers were affected by perioral ephelides (33.7%) and around a quarter of them by lip ephelides (24.0%). Gender was the only variable significantly associated with the presence of perioral ephelides (p = 0.002), unlike lip ephelides which proved to be significantly associated with habits (p = 0.036) and alcoholism (0.030). The prevalence of ephelides in lip and perioral region was high in the study population, with gender and certain habits associated with its occurrence. .

Efélides são máculas hiperpigmentadas pequenas, comuns na pele, que constituem uma área com maior aumento da produção de melanina. São observadas em indivíduos geneticamente predispostos, de pele clara, com grande suscetibilidade a queimaduras solares. Esse estudo teve o propósito de verificar a prevalência de efélides labiais e periorais em 362 trabalhadores de praias do município de Natal/RN e investigar potenciais associações com variáveis sociodemográficas, ocupacionais e de saúde geral. Para tanto, foram realizados exames clínicos por examinadores calibrados, na área correspondente aos lábios e na área delimitada lateralmente pelo sulco nasolabial e inferiormente pelo mento, além de preenchimento de questionário validado. As possíveis associações das variáveis sociodemográficas, ocupacionais e de saúde geral com a presença de efélides labiais e periorais foram avaliadas pelo teste do qui-quadrado para um nível de significância de 5%. Aproximadamente um terço dos trabalhadores foi acometido por efélides perioral (33,7%) e um quarto por efélides labial (24,0%). O gênero foi a única variável que se mostrou associada significativamente com a presença de efélides periorais (p=0,002), ao contrário das efélides labiais que mostrou-se associada significativamente com hábito (p=0,036) e etilismo (0,030). Conclui-se que a prevalência de efélides em região perioral e labial foi elevada na população estudada e o gênero e hábitos ...

Avaliação da educação sexual relacionadas ao HIV/AIDS entre adolescentes da região metropolitana de Recife-PE / Sexual education evaluation regards to the HIV/AIDS among adolescents of the Recife-PE metropolitan region

Estudo transversal, exploratório e descritivo, de abordagem quantitativa, que teve como objetivo geral avaliar os efeitos daeducação sexual relacionados ao HIV e a AIDS, entre adolescentes do Grupo AdoleScER ― Saúde, Educação e Cidadania daregião metropolitana de Recife ― PE. Participaram 58 adolescentes do referido grupo, com idade entre os 10 aos 20 anos queresponderam um questionário auto-respondido com 23 questões, entre outubro a dezembro de 2005, após parecer favorávelda Comissão de Ética em Pesquisa do Hospital Agamenon Magalhães. Foram analisadas as variáveis idade, sexo, estado civil,religião, naturalidade, conhecimento sobre o HIV/AIDS, comportamentos sexuais, atitudes com relação aos portadores do HVIe com as práticas de sexo mais seguro, idade de início de atividade sexual e uso de preservativos. Para análise, os dadosforam organizados, dispostos no programa Excel e submetidos à análise estatística-descritiva. Dentre os principais resultados,foi observado que 65,5% dos adolescentes eram do gênero feminino enquanto 34,5% do masculino; a grande maioria era desolteiros 98,28%; 1,72% estavam vivendo em união estável; 5,0% dos adolescentes do gênero masculino e 2,6% dasadolescentes opinaram que se relacionavam principalmente com homens, mas também com mulheres; 39,7% já tiveramcontato pênis/vulva, porém sem haver penetração vaginal. Dentre as práticas sexuais com penetração, a vaginal foi a maiscitada 37,03%; 14,3% da amostra iniciou a vida sexual aos nove anos mantendo relação sexual anal; 9,9% aos 12 anos, arelação vaginal e 20,0% a relação oro-vaginal. Portanto, é fundamental que os profissionais da área de saúde, na abordagemda sexualidade humana, com os adolescentes, tenham sempre presente que os cuidados de saúde sexual devem visar aoenriquecimento da existência e das relações interpessoais, não se limitando a dar conselhos em matéria de procriação ou detratar doenças transmitidas sexualmente.