Assessment of psoriasis severity in Brazilian patients with chronic plaque psoriasis attending outpatient clinics: a multicenter, population-based cross-sectional study (APPISOT).

PURPOSE: Data on chronic plaque psoriasis severity and its potential clinical and lifestyle implications in the Brazilian population are limited. The primary aim of this study was to assess the clinical severity of plaque psoriasis in Brazil. Further objectives included evaluating potential associations between disease severity and demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and work productivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational (non-interventional) cross-sectional study was conducted in 26 dermatologic clinics across 11 Brazilian states. Psoriasis severity was assessed using investigator judgment and Finlay's Rule of Tens: a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score >10, a Body Surface Area (BSA) > 10%, or a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score >10. RESULTS: Among 1125 patients, 205 (18.2%) had moderate-to-severe disease. On multiple regression analyses, psoriasis severity was significantly (directly) associated with the presence of physical inactivity and comorbid pain, anxiety, and depression; and significantly (inversely) associated with HRQOL and work productivity. LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional studies cannot assess temporal trends, and observational studies cannot conclusively determine causality or exclude biases and confounding due to unmeasured variables. CONCLUSIONS: Among Brazilian patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, disease severity had far-reaching adverse impacts on lifestyle, comorbidities, HRQOL, and work productivity.

Prevalence of chronic pain in a metropolitan area of a developing country: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of chronic pain (CP) in the adult population living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and to identify factors associated with CP in developing countries. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a computer-assisted telephone interview in a two-stage stratified sample of adults living in households. RESULTS: 2,446 subjects were interviewed. The mean age was 39.8 years old. The majority was female and 42.7% had less than 10 years of education. The prevalence of CP was 28.1%. The independent factors associated with CP were female gender (OR = 2.0; p < 0.001), age older than 65 years (OR = 1.4; p = 0.019) and less than 15 years of education (OR = 1.3-1.6; p < 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CP was high and similar to that which has been reported in developed countries. These results raise awareness about CP and may potentially help clinicians and policy makers to design better health care programs for CP treatment in these populations.

Prevalence of chronic pain in a metropolitan area of a developing country: a population-based study / Prevalência de dor crônica em área metropolitana de um país em desenvolvimento: um estudo populacional

ABSTRACT Objective To estimate the prevalence of chronic pain (CP) in the adult population living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and to identify factors associated with CP in developing countries. Methods A cross-sectional study using a computer-assisted telephone interview in a two-stage stratified sample of adults living in households. Results 2,446 subjects were interviewed. The mean age was 39.8 years old. The majority was female and 42.7% had less than 10 years of education. The prevalence of CP was 28.1%. The independent factors associated with CP were female gender (OR = 2.0; p < 0.001), age older than 65 years (OR = 1.4; p = 0.019) and less than 15 years of education (OR = 1.3-1.6; p < 0.04). Conclusions The prevalence of CP was high and similar to that which has been reported in developed countries. These results raise awareness about CP and may potentially help clinicians and policy makers to design better health care programs for CP treatment in these populations.

RESUMO Objetivo Estimar a prevalência de dor crônica (DC) na população adulta residente na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil, e assim identificar os fatores associados com DC em países em desenvolvimento. Método Estudo transversal utilizando entrevista por telefone auxiliada por computador em duas etapas numa amostra estratificada de adultos domiciliados em São Paulo. Resultados 2446 indivíduos foram entrevistados. A média de idade foi 39,8 anos. A maioria foi do sexo feminino e 42,7% tinham menos de 10 anos de escolaridade. A prevalência de DC foi de 28,1%. Os fatores independentes associados à DC foram gênero feminino (OR = 2,0; p < 0,001), idade superior que 65 anos (OR = 1,4; p = 0,019) e menor que 15 anos de escolaridade (OR = 1,3-1,6; p < 0,04). Conclusão A prevalência de DC foi alta e próxima à reportada em países desenvolvidos. Estes resultados irão auxiliar profissionais de saúde e gestores a realizarem programas de avaliação e tratamento de dor crônica mais ajustados à realidade local.

Psychometric validation of the Portuguese version of the Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that different symptoms or symptom combinations of neuropathic pain (NeP) may correspond to different mechanistic backgrounds and respond differently to treatment. The Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI) is able to detect distinct clusters of symptoms (i.e. dimensions) with a putative common mechanistic background. The present study described the psychometric validation of the Portuguese version (PV) of the NPSI. METHODS: Patients were seen in two consecutive visits, three to four weeks apart. They were asked to: (i) rate their mean pain intensity in the last 24 hours on an 11-point (0-10) numerical scale; (ii) complete the PV-NPSI; (iii) provide the list of pain medications and doses currently in use. VAS and Global Impression of Change (GIC) were filled out in the second visit. RESULTS: PV-NPSI underwent test-retest reliability, factor analysis, analysis of sensitivity to changes between both visits. The PV-NPSI was reliable in this setting, with a good intra-class correlation for all items. The factorial analysis showed that the PV-NPSI inventory assessed different components of neuropathic pain. Five different factors were found. The PV-NPSI was adequate to evaluate patients with neuropathic pain and to detect clusters of NeP symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric properties of the PV-NPSI rendered it adequate to evaluate patients with both central and peripheral neuropathic pain syndromes and to detect clusters of NeP symptoms.

Validation of brief pain inventory to Brazilian patients with pain.

PURPOSE: To validate the Brazilian version of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-B) scale and to determine the optimal cutpoints for mild, moderate, and severe pain based on patients' rating of their worst pain. METHODS: One hundred forty-three outpatients with cancer were recruited in Hospital das Clinicas-University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed two underlying dimensions, pain severity, and pain interference, with Cronbach's α of 0.91 and 0.87, respectively. Convergent validity was shown by the correlation observed between the BPI dimensions with the EORTC-QLQ-C30 pain scale and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. The BPI-B detected significant differences in the two dimensions by disease and performance status, supporting known-group validity. For the worst pain, the optimal cutpoints were 4 and 7 (1-4 = mild pain, 5-7 = moderate, and 8-10 = severe). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that BPI-B is a brief, useful, and valid tool for assessing pain and its impact on patient's life.

Translation to Portuguese and validation of the Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire.

UNLABELLED: The Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaire was developed by the French Neuropathic Pain Group and is a simple and objective tool, with the ability to distinguish nociceptive from neuropathic pain. The purpose of this work was to validate the DN4 questionnaire in the Portuguese language in order to allow its use in clinical and research settings. A double-blind, accuracy study was conducted, consisting of translation, back-translation, literal evaluation, semantic equivalence, and communication with the target population. The Portuguese version of the questionnaire was applied in a sample of 101 patients with neuropathic (N = 42) or nociceptive pain (N = 59), ranked according to medical diagnosis. The reproducibility, reliability and validity of the instrument were analyzed, and showed a high diagnostic power for this version of the DN4 questionnaire. The Portuguese version of the DN4 questionnaire presented good validity and reliability, allowing it to identify neuropathic pain and neuropathic characteristics of mixed pain syndromes. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents the first validated neuropathic pain questionnaire in the Portuguese language and represents a useful tool in the assessment of neuropathic pain both in the clinical setting and in population-based studies. The sensible and quick format of this instrument are key factors that will contribute to its widespread use, permitting a true recognition of patients with neuropathic pain.

Impact of cancer-related symptom synergisms on health-related quality of life and performance status.

To identify the impact of multiple symptoms and their co-occurrence on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) dimensions and performance status (PS), 115 outpatients with cancer, who were not receiving active cancer treatment and were recruited from a university hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Brief Pain Inventory. Karnofsky Performance Status scores also were completed. Application of TwoStep Cluster analysis resulted in two distinct patient subgroups based on 113 patient experiences with pain, depression, fatigue, insomnia, constipation, lack of appetite, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. One group had multiple and severe symptom subgroup and another had less symptoms and with lower severity. Multiple and severe symptoms had worse PS, role functioning, and physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and overall HRQOL. Multiple and severe symptom subgroup was also six times as likely as lower severity to have poor role functioning; five times more likely to have poor emotional; four times more likely to have poor PS, physical, and overall HRQOL; and three times as likely to have poor cognitive and social HRQOL, independent of gender, age, level of education, and economic condition. Classification and Regression Tree analyses were undertaken to identify which co-occurring symptoms would best determine reduction in HRQOL and PS. Pain and fatigue were identified as indicators of reduction on physical HRQOL and PS. Fatigue and insomnia were associated with reduction in cognitive; depression and pain in social; and fatigue and constipation in role functioning. Only depression was associated with reduction in overall HRQOL. These data demonstrate that there is a synergic effect among distinct cancer symptoms that result in reduction in HRQOL dimensions and PS.

[Childbirth and live newborns of adolescent and young adult mothers in the municipality of Feira de Santana, Bahia State, Brazil, 1998]. / Estudo dos partos e nascidos vivos de mães adolescentes e adultas jovens no Município de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil, 1998.

Data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the literature indicate that adolescents may be overrepresented in the prevalence of maternal morbidity and mortality and neonatal complications. This study focused on childbirth and live newborns among adolescent and young adult mothers in the municipality of Feira de Santana, Bahia, identifying risk factors for morbidity and mortality. A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted based on data from the Information System on Live Births (SINASC) in the municipality in 1998, totaling 5,279 live births among adolescent (10 to 19 years) and young adult mothers (20 to 24 years). Variables were age, schooling, prenatal care, gestational care, form of delivery, and birthweight. The authors measured the association between maternal age and the child's birthweight, while controlling potential confounders. Some 21.6% of live births were to adolescent mothers, 51.2% of whom had not finished primary school; there was an association between the 10 to 16-year age bracket and incomplete primary schooling, lack of prenatal care, and low and insufficient birthweight as compared to the other age brackets; there was also a high rate of underrecording in the SINASC. The results suggest the need for specific measures focusing on the reproductive health of adolescents in the municipality.

Estudo dos partos e nascidos vivos de mães adolescentes e adultas jovens no Município de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil, 1998 / Childbirth and live newborns of adolescent and young adult mothers in the municipality of Feira de Santana, Bahia State, Brazil, 1998

Data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the literature indicate that adolescents may be overrepresented in the prevalence of maternal morbidity and mortality and neonatal complications. This study focused on childbirth and live newborns among adolescent and young adult mothers in the municipality of Feira de Santana, Bahia, identifying risk factors for morbidity and mortality. A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted based on data from the Information System on Live Births (SINASC) in the municipality in 1998, totaling 5,279 live births among adolescent (10 to 19 years) and young adult mothers (20 to 24 years). Variables were age, schooling, prenatal care, gestational care, form of delivery, and birthweight. The authors measured the association between maternal age and the child's birthweight, while controlling potential confounders. Some 21.6 of live births were to adolescent mothers, 51.2 of whom had not finished primary school; there was an association between the 10 to 16-year age bracket and incomplete primary schooling, lack of prenatal care, and low and insufficient birthweight as compared to the other age brackets; there was also a high rate of underrecording in the SINASC. The results suggest the need for specific measures focusing on the reproductive health of adolescents in the municipality.

Indicadores materno-infantis na adolescência e juventude: sociodemográfico, pré-natal, parto e nascido-vivos / Maternal-infantile indicators in adolescence and youth: socio-demographic, prenatal, delivery and newborns

Objetivo: conhecer características e associações entre idade materna e aspectos da gestação, parto e nascidos vivos de adolescentes e adultas jovens em Feira de Santana, Bahia. Métodos: estudo epidemiólogico de corte transversal com nascidos vivos e mães adolescentes (10-16-19 anos) e adultas jovens (20-24 anos), através de Informações de Nascidos Vivos (SINASC-1998), totalizando 5.279 nascimentos. As variáveis foram classificados em sociodemográficas (idade, escolaridade e sexo do recém-nascido) e relacionadas a gestação, parto e condições dos recém-nascidos. Os dados processados usando a razão de prevelência e a análise multivariada. A regressão logística foi usada para controlar fatores de confusão (pré-natal e idade gestacional) e associar idade materna e peso de nascimento. Resultados: em 1998, 21,6 por cento dos nascidos vivos no município foram de adolescentes; a escolaridade de 51,2 por cento das mães era 1§ grau incompleto; e a razão de risco ajustada apontaram maior prevalência de analfabetismo, não realização do pré-natal, peso insuficiente ao nascer e menor prevalência de peso adequado, na faixa de 10 a 16 anos, comparada às demais faixas estudadas. A agressão logística mostrou associação positiva entre idade materna e peso insuficiente, bem como associação negativa com peso adequado ao nascer. Verificou-se significativa falta de registros em alguns itens do SINASC. Conclusões: o resultados apontaram entre adolescentes alta prevalência de nascidos vivos e baixo nível de escolaridade, além do risco aumentado para analfabetismo, não realização de pré-natal, baixo peso e peso insuficiente do RN, principalmente na faixa de 10 a 16 anos, em comparação com as outras faixas estudadas