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1.
J Prev (2022) ; 45(3): 467-482, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38564144

ABSTRACT

This longitudinal study aimed to analyze the evolution of patterns of daily activities (physical activity time, screen usage time, and sleep hours) in European youth during school closure due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Participants were 624 caregivers of children and adolescents aged 3-18 from Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Evaluations were online, and four time-points were considered: retrospective measurement of daily activities before confinement (T1), and two (T2), five (T3), and eight (T4) weeks after starting the lockdown. Generally accepted international guidelines on physical activity time, screen usage time, and hours of sleep by age group were used to determine whether the pattern might increase the risk for ill health or not. To estimate the evolution of daily activities, generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used. The percentage of children who practiced less than 60 min of daily exercise increased significantly from before home confinement (47.8%) to T2 (86.4%); it slightly decreased at T3 (79.8%), and remained stable at T4 (76.1%). The percentage of children who made excessive use of screens (according to their age group) significantly increased from T1 to T2 and remained stable and high in the rest of the evaluations. The percentage of children who slept fewer or more hours than recommended for their age group remained stable between T1 and T4, although there was a significant increase at T3. In general, results found unhealthier behaviors as confinement was extended. Results are discussed in order to find strategies for promoting healthy daily activities for future pandemics.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Exercise , Screen Time , Sleep , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Child , Longitudinal Studies , Adolescent , Male , Female , Sleep/physiology , Child, Preschool , SARS-CoV-2 , Schools , Europe/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Portugal/epidemiology , Quarantine
2.
Cureus ; 16(1): e52971, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38406029

ABSTRACT

Introduction Congenital toxoplasmosis (CT), despite being mostly subclinical at birth, can cause disabling disease in the fetus and lead to long-term sequelae. It is an important cause of chorioretinitis in infants and adolescents. Data on postnatal treatment are controversial, and there is a lack of universal guidelines. Methods A cross-sectional study of newborns with suspected CT was conducted between January 2007 and December 2021. Results Seventy-one patients with suspected CT were included. During pregnancy, 64 (90.1%) of the mothers underwent therapy, of which 59 (83.1%) with spiramycin. Amniocentesis identified one positive polymerase chain reaction assay. Most newborns were asymptomatic with normal laboratory, ophthalmological, and hearing screening. There was one case of hyperproteinorrachia. Fifty-seven patients (80.3%) started treatment: 42 (73.7%) with spiramycin, seven (12.3%) with pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine, and folinic acid (P+S+FA), and eight (14%) with P+S+FA intercalated with spiramycin. Adverse effects were found in 11 (19.3%) cases, mainly neutropenia. After investigation, we found three confirmed CT cases corresponding to 4.2% of suspected cases and an incidence of 0.4 per 10,000 births. All had normal clinical and laboratory exams in the neonatal period and started P+S+FA, fulfilling 12 months of therapy. During the follow-up, all presented normal psychomotor development without any long-term sequelae. Conclusion The lower incidence in our study, compared to the incidence in Europe, may be related to the decline in the prevalence of toxoplasmosis as well as the effectiveness of measures to prevent primary infection and a well-established program of antenatal screening, followed by the early initiation of treatment during pregnancy to prevent vertical transmission.

3.
BMC Health Serv Res ; 23(1): 1082, 2023 Oct 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37821932

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Translation into practice of effective physical activity interventions in primary care is difficult, due to a complex interaction of implementation determinants. We aimed to identify implementation barriers and facilitators of four primary care interventions: physical activity assessment, counselling, prescription, and referral. METHODS: A systematic review of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies published since 2016 was conducted. The "Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases" (TICD) framework was adapted to extract and synthesize barriers and facilitators. RESULTS: Sixty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Barriers (n = 56) and facilitators (n = 55) were identified across seven domains, related to characteristics of the intervention, individual factors of the implementers and receivers, organizational factors, and political and social determinants. The five most frequently reported determinants were: professionals' knowledge and skills; intervention feasibility/compatibility with primary health care routine; interventions' cost and financial incentives; tools and materials; and professionals' cognitions and attitudes. "Social, political and legal factors" domain was the least reported. Physical activity counselling, prescription, and referral were influenced by determinants belonging to all the seven domains. CONCLUSION: The implementation of physical activity interventions in primary care is influenced by a broader range of determinants. Barriers and facilitators related with health professionals, intervention characteristics, and available resources were the most frequently reported. A deep understanding of the local context, with particularly emphasis on these determinants, should be considered when preparing an intervention implementation, in order to contribute for designing tailored implementation strategies and optimize the interventions' effectiveness.


Subject(s)
Health Personnel , Primary Health Care , Humans , Chronic Disease
4.
Public Health Nutr ; 26(11): 2619-2627, 2023 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37712383

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Shifting from meat-centric to plant-rich diets may help to enable healthier and more sustainable food systems. Here we present the results of a 1-week intervention to promote plant-based eating in a meat-centric food context (i.e. canteen). DESIGN: The intervention included environmental restructuring strategies (e.g. promotional materials and menu redevelopment) and improvements to the offer of plant-based meals. The evaluation (sales data; pre-registered) spanned 3 weeks prior to the intervention (baseline), 1 week during the intervention (immediate/short-term impact) and 3 weeks after the intervention (follow-up). Opinion surveys were also used to collect data with customers during the intervention. SETTING: Canteen unit of a university campus in Portugal (Lisbon metropolitan area). PARTICIPANTS: In addition to sales data (baseline: 7965 meals; immediate/short-term: 2635 meals; follow-up: 7135 meals), we used opinion surveys to assess customers' meal appraisals during the intervention (n = 370). RESULTS: The odds of a sold meal being vegetarian were 24 % higher in the intervention week compared with the pre-intervention period [OR = 1·24, 95 % CI (1·10, 1·40)] and 9 % higher in the post-intervention period compared with the pre-intervention period [OR = 1·09, (95 % CI (1·00, 1·19)]. Survey data showed that vegetarian meals compared favourably to meat and fish alternatives in liking, sustainability and satiety. CONCLUSIONS: A short-term, theory-driven, operationally feasible intervention was effective in promoting increased plant-based meal choices in a collective meal context. Nevertheless, these changes were not entirely sustained over time. Future studies could test whether prolonged or more transformative interventions are necessary to unlock entrenched food practices more effectively in meat-centric collective meal contexts.


Subject(s)
Diet , Meat , Humans , Meals , Universities , Satiation
5.
Front Psychol ; 14: 1213293, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37529308

ABSTRACT

Background: Adolescence is a critical period of development in which well-being usually decreases, mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety) increase, and lifestyles become less healthy. Schools are a primary setting for the promotion of the well-being and overall health of adolescents, and preventive actions should be a priority within the scope of health-promoting schools. #EntreViagenseAprendizagens is a school-based intervention aiming to promote well-being and healthy lifestyles among adolescents based on social and emotional learning, positive psychology, and health education approaches. Methods: This protocol describes a school-based intervention, #EntreViagenseAprendizagens, that will be implemented in several schools in Portugal. The program is aimed at 8th and 9th grade students (14-16 years old) and comprises 20 weekly sessions. One of the sessions is aimed at the students' parents/guardians. The intervention content targets social and emotional skills, health literacy (physical and mental health), healthy lifestyles, character strengths, and well-being. An experimental design will be used in the intervention evaluation. Eighth grade classes will be randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group. All students complete the same assessment protocol at baseline, post-intervention, and 9-month follow-up. The impact assessment protocol includes measures related to well-being, health literacy, health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, relationships with others, social and emotional skills, and sociodemographic data. Process evaluation includes evaluation forms at the end of each session and at the end of the program and focus groups with students, parents, and teachers at the end of the program. Discussion: This school-based intervention may play an important role in promoting students' well-being and in preventing unhealthy lifestyles and socio-emotional maladjustment, by focusing on the development of social and emotional skills and health literacy among adolescents, empowering them to face the changing future and grow up healthy. Furthermore, this project aims to provide relevant scientific findings that can contribute to the development of better health-promoting schools.

6.
Appetite ; 187: 106597, 2023 08 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37178929

ABSTRACT

Collective meal contexts such as restaurants, cafeterias and canteens can help accelerate transitions to healthier and more sustainable diets. However, evidence from intervention studies on these contexts lacks integration. This scoping review aimed to map determinants of dietary change in collective meal contexts across multiple settings, interventions, target groups, and target behaviors. The review provided two main outcomes: (i) identifying intervention components to promote dietary change in collective meal contexts, based on the existing body of evidence; and (ii) classifying and integrating these intervention components into an overarching framework of behavior change (i.e., COM-B system). The review encompassed twenty-eight databases via two indexing services and extracted information from 232 primary sources (27,458 records selected for title and abstract screening, 574 articles selected for full-text screening). We identified a total of 653 intervention activities, which were classified into intervention components and grouped under three broad themes, namely contextual and environmental changes, social influence, and knowledge and behavioral regulation. Multi-component interventions tended to report overall positive outcomes. The review proposes several directions for future research, including: (i) moving toward more theory-based interventions in collective meal contexts; (ii) providing more detailed information about intervention settings, implementation, target groups, activities, and materials; and (iii) improving the use of open science practices in the field. Furthermore, the review offers a free, original, open-access list and synthesis of 277 intervention studies in collective meal contexts, which can help intervention planners and evaluators optimize their efforts to promote healthier and more sustainable food practices in these contexts.


Subject(s)
Diet , Meals , Humans
7.
BMJ Case Rep ; 16(3)2023 Mar 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36889805

ABSTRACT

We report a case of fetal microcephaly found during the second trimester ultrasound and confirmed by further ultrasound scans and fetal MRI. The array comparative genomic hybridisation analysis of the fetus and the male parent showed a 1.5 Mb deletion overlapping the Feingold syndrome region, an autosomal dominant syndrome that can cause microcephaly, facial/hand abnormalities, mild neurodevelopmental delay and others. This case illustrates the need for a detailed investigation by a multidisciplinary team to provide prenatal counselling regarding a postnatal outcome to the parents and orient their decision towards the continuation or termination of pregnancy.


Subject(s)
Intellectual Disability , Limb Deformities, Congenital , Microcephaly , Pregnancy , Female , Humans , Male , Microcephaly/diagnostic imaging , Microcephaly/genetics , Prenatal Diagnosis , Intellectual Disability/genetics , Limb Deformities, Congenital/genetics , Ultrasonography, Prenatal
8.
Appetite ; 184: 106511, 2023 05 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36858261

ABSTRACT

Global environmental and public health challenges related to current food systems call for large-scale shifts towards increasingly plant-based diets, especially in Western meat-centric societies. School meal systems can play a role in these changes due to their widespread prevalence and multi-sectoral impact. However, there is a lack of evidence about how adults involved in the school meals system perceive school-based pro-environmental food policies, which limits the ability to align those policies with the needs and expectations of the school community. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring parents' (n = 104) and teachers' (n = 252) support for policies to promote increased plant-based eating in public schools in a highly meat-centric EU country (Portugal). Overall, teachers seemed to be slightly more supportive of such policies and displayed more favorable (injunctive and dynamic) norms toward plant-based eating, more negative appraisals of meals with meat (i.e., perceived healthiness, naturalness, and sustainability), and lower attachment to meat consumption. Furthermore, injunctive norms in favor of plant-based meals were linked with higher support for measures promoting plant-based meals in schools, in both samples (parents, teachers). Lower meat attachment and favorable perceived meal attributes (e.g., perceptions about plant-based and fish meals) were associated with teachers' support for measures promoting plant-based meals in schools. These findings suggest that future efforts and research with parents and teachers to enable less meat-centric and more flexitarian food practices in schools should consider social and motivation variables relevant to plant-forward transitions.


Subject(s)
Faculty , Schools , Humans , Diet , Meals , Nutrition Policy , Parents
10.
BMJ Case Rep ; 16(2)2023 Feb 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36764739

ABSTRACT

The 18q deletion is a rare condition with several described features. A common phenotype includes short stature, microcephaly, facial defects, small feet, intellectual disability and hypotonia.We present a rare case of a fetus with del18q22.1q23 whose diagnosis was obtained by amniocentesis after a routine ultrasound at 20 weeks, where a hemivertebra was detected.Congenital hemivertebra is infrequent and is rarely associated with chromosomal anomalies. Expectant management can be advocated in isolated hemivertebra. This report shows that a hemivertebra can be an isolated prenatal finding in del18 so it is important to screen for, and exclude, chromosomal anomalies.


Subject(s)
Chromosome Disorders , Spinal Diseases , Female , Pregnancy , Humans , Amniocentesis , Chromosome Aberrations , Fetus , Ultrasonography, Prenatal , Prenatal Diagnosis , Chromosome Deletion
11.
Int J Sex Health ; 35(1): 105-122, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38596769

ABSTRACT

Objective: Empirical research to differentiate casual sex scripts is still limited. We aimed to ascertain the sexual scripts for three main types of casual sexual relationships: hookup, friends with benefits and one-night stands. Methods: Through a mixed-method approach, we performed a study consisting in two sequential tasks to (1) complete three lists of script actions, and (2) identify the most agreed-upon actions for each casual sexual relationship. Results: An important number of actions and events were identified for the three casual sexual scripts, reflecting a high level of elaboration and structure. Following a cognitive-script methodology, the actions retained for the content of the script for each casual sexual relationship were those obtaining at least 60% in respect to the mean of their centrality to the encounter. Only 16.5% of actions were shared among the three scripts, demonstrating their distinctiveness. Conclusion: Knowledge about the different casual sex scripts can be used to develop relational and personal skills within CSRs and decrease unwanted experiences such as condomless sex.

12.
BMC Med Educ ; 22(1): 624, 2022 Aug 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35978358

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is a major determinant of physical and mental health. International recommendations identify health professionals as pivotal agents to tackle physical inactivity. This study sought to characterize medical doctors' clinical practices concerning the promotion of patients' physical activity, while also exploring potential predictors of the frequency and content of these practices, including doctors' physical activity level and sedentary behaviours. METHODS: A cross-sectional study assessed physical activity promotion in clinical practice with a self-report questionnaire delivered through the national medical prescription software (naturalistic survey). Physical activity and sedentary behaviours were estimated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form). Indicators of medical doctors' attitudes, knowledge, confidence, barriers, and previous training concerning physical activity promotion targeting their patients were also assessed. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of physical activity promotion frequency by medical doctors, including sociodemographic, attitudes and knowledge-related variables, and physical activity behaviours as independent variables. RESULTS: A total of 961 medical doctors working in the Portuguese National Health System participated (59% women, mean age 44 ± 13 years) in the study. The majority of the participants (84.6%) reported to frequently promote patients' physical activity. Five predictors of physical activity promotion frequency emerged from the multiple regression analysis, explaining 17.4% of the dependent variable (p < 0.001): working in primary healthcare settings (p = 0.037), having a medical specialty (p = 0.030), attributing a high degree of relevance to patients' physical activity promotion in healthcare settings (p < 0.001), being approached by patients to address physical activity (p < 0.001), and having higher levels of physical activity (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The sample of medical doctors approached reported a high level of engagement with physical activity promotion. Physical activity promotion frequency seems to be influenced by the clinical practice setting, medical career position and specialty, attitudes towards physical activity, and perception of patients´ interest on the topic, as well as medical doctors' own physical activity levels.


Subject(s)
Physicians , Adult , Attitude of Health Personnel , Cross-Sectional Studies , Exercise , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Physicians/psychology , Self Report , Surveys and Questionnaires
14.
Front Psychol ; 13: 823102, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35250764

ABSTRACT

Casual sexual relationships (CSRs) are frequent relationship experiences in young adulthood that provide opportunities for many to explore sexual relationships and to construct their sexual identity. Empirical research on casual sex is still lacking outside North-American countries, despite evidence pointing to the need to contextualize sexual interactions in their own sociocultural context. In order to better understand casual sexual relationships, these should be examined in with novel samples in other countries where a "hookup culture" as it is described in the North-American university campus is apparently absent. Through a qualitative study, we explored what casual sexual relationships consist of according to the perceptions of Portuguese college students (N = 35). The thematic analysis of eight focus group interviews resulted in the generation of six themes, three of which are presented here: (1) What CSRs are, regarding features and types of CSRs, (2) Why individuals engage in CSRs, focusing on positive and negative motivations, and (3) What one gets from CSRs, focusing on positive and negative outcomes of CSRs. Our findings showed that Portuguese emerging adults are familiarized with CSRs, particularly with one-night stand, friends with benefits and "curte"/hookup. Sexual interactions associated with other CSRs, such as booty call or fuck buddies, were mentioned but rarely associated with a distinctive label and established characteristics. Participants described the CSRs in a partially overlapping manner presenting some areas of ambiguity, such as with regard to sexual exclusivity and still-unlabeled sexual interactions. CSRs are generally evaluated as positively motivated and mainly beneficial. This study adds to the literature around casual sexual relationships by exploring and describing CSRs in a different sociocultural context, as well as indicating directions for future research in order to better prepare and empower young adults in their sexual and relational trajectories.

15.
PLoS One ; 17(3): e0265100, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35275936

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity are constituent parts of a 24h period and there are several questionnaires to measure these movement behaviours, the objective was to systematically review the literature on content and measurement properties of self- and proxy-reported questionnaires measuring movement behaviours in adults and older adults. METHODS: The databases PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus were systematically searched until April 2021. Articles were included if: the questionnaires were design for adults and older adults; the sample size for validity studies had at least 50 participants; at least, both validity and test-retest reliability results of questionnaire that were developed specifically to measure the amount of sleep, sedentary behaviour or physical activity, or their combination were reported; and articles had to be written in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian or Chinese. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Data extraction, results, studies' quality, and risk of bias were evaluated using the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines. Fifty-five articles were included in this review, describing 60 questionnaires. None of the questionnaires showed adequate criterion validity and adequate reliability, simultaneously; 68.3% showed adequate content validity. The risk of bias for criterion validity and reliability were very low in 72.2% and 23.6% of the studies, respectively. Existing questionnaires have insufficient measurement properties and frequent methodologic limitations, and none was developed considering the 24h movement behaviour paradigm. The lack of valid and reliable questionnaires assessing 24h movement behaviours in an integrated way, precludes accurate monitoring and surveillance systems of 24h movement behaviours.


Subject(s)
Exercise , Sedentary Behavior , Aged , Humans , Movement , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and Questionnaires
16.
Pharm Pract (Granada) ; 19(3): 2413, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34621452

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Health systems and their professionals play a key role in the promotion and maintenance of behaviours contributing to increased physical activity levels. Pharmacists are well placed within communities, making them an accessible source to provide brief advice to people on how to be more physically active. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize physical activity promotion actions taking place in the Portuguese community pharmacies, as well as the major facilitators and barriers faced by pharmacists in their daily practice. METHODS: A cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire targeting community pharmacists was developed based on COM-B model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and distributed by email to 94% of the Portuguese pharmacies. RESULTS: In total, 396 complete responses from community pharmacists were obtained. Three out of four participants reported to promote physical activity in their daily routine, of which 87.7% reported doing it in only a few attendances. The majority (92.3%) mentioned to provide information orally, with walking being the activity most promoted (99.4%). More active and younger pharmacists were more likely to promote physical activity. Nearly all pharmacists (98.7%) believed it was important or very important to practice regular physical activity for the health, but only 41.4% of the respondents were able to correctly identify the WHO general recommendations for physical activity. The lack of coordination with other healthcare professionals (M=3.35; SD=1.11), lack of interest by customers (M=3.25; SD=1.09) and lack of time (M=3.06; SD=1.10) were the main barriers to physical activity promotion, all scoring above the scale mid-point (i.e., 3). CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity promotion in the Portuguese community pharmacies is still not present as daily activity. Younger pharmacists seem to be a generation that better understand this need and could easily integrate this practice in their daily routine. Possibilities for including pharmacies and pharmacists as promoters of physical activity in the primary health care sector in the future are discussed in the light of these findings.

17.
Public Health Nutr ; 24(18): 6488-6498, 2021 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34482856

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To understand the key mechanisms that support healthy dietary habits promoted by fruit and vegetable (F&V) box schemes, testing relevant behaviour change triggers identified under the COM-B model in an evaluation research study of a Portuguese F&V box scheme (PROVE). DESIGN: Correlation study with a post-test-only non-equivalent group design based on survey data. The mechanisms underpinning the differences between subscribers and non-subscribers are operationalised as mediation effects. Data availability, theoretical relevance and empirical validation supported the selection and testing of four potential mediators for the effects of subscribing to the box scheme on F&V consumption. These estimations derive from the coefficients of a structural equation model combined with the product coefficient approach and Sobel test. SETTING: The study is part of a wider evaluation study on the impact of the PROVE box scheme on sustainability, health and equity. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of PROVE box subscribers (n 294) was compared with a matched subsample of non-subscribers (n 571) in a nationally representative survey. RESULTS: Subscribing to the PROVE box correlates with an increased probability of eating at least five portions of F&V, irrespective of differences in age, education and perceived economic difficulties. Diet quality perceptions, and more robustly, the strength of meal habits and household availability were identified as relevant mediators. CONCLUSIONS: The subscription to an F&V box scheme is connected with proximal context that enables the consumption of F&V by ensuring more readily available F&V and better situational conditions associated with healthier meal habits.


Subject(s)
Access to Healthy Foods , Diet, Healthy , Feeding Behavior , Fruit , Health Behavior , Vegetables , Access to Healthy Foods/methods , Diet , Diet, Healthy/psychology , Eating/psychology , Feeding Behavior/psychology , Fruit/supply & distribution , Humans , Models, Psychological , Portugal , Surveys and Questionnaires , Vegetables/supply & distribution
18.
PLoS One ; 16(9): e0252003, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34534218

ABSTRACT

Academic disciplines are often organized according to the behaviors they examine. While most research on a behavior tends to exist within one discipline, some behaviors are examined by multiple disciplines. Better understanding of behaviors and their relationships should enable knowledge transfer across disciplines and theories, thereby dramatically improving the behavioral knowledge base. We propose a taxonomy built on the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF), but design the taxonomy as a stand-alone extension rather than an improvement to ICF. Behaviors considered important enough to serve as the dependent variable in articles accepted for publication in top journals were extracted from nine different behavioral and social disciplines. A six-step development and validation process was employed, leading to the final taxonomy. A hierarchy of behaviors under the top banner of Engaging in activities/participating, reflective of ICF's D. hierarchy was constructed with eight immediate domains addressing behaviors ranging from learning, exercising, self-care, and substance use. The resulting International Classification of Behaviors (IC-Behavior), provides a behavior taxonomy targeted towards the interdisciplinary integration of nomological networks relevant to behavioral theories. While IC-Behavior has been labeled v.1.0 to communicate that it is by no means an endpoint, it has empirically shown to provide flexibility for the addition of new behaviors and is tested in the health domain.


Subject(s)
Behavioral Sciences , International Classification of Diseases/standards , International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health/organization & administration , Humans , Interdisciplinary Studies , World Health Organization
19.
Pharm. pract. (Granada, Internet) ; 19(3)jul.- sep. 2021. tab
Article in English | IBECS | ID: ibc-225581

ABSTRACT

Background: Health systems and their professionals play a key role in the promotion and maintenance of behaviours contributing to increased physical activity levels. Pharmacists are well placed within communities, making them an accessible source to provide brief advice to people on how to be more physically active. Objective: This study aimed to characterize physical activity promotion actions taking place in the Portuguese community pharmacies, as well as the major facilitators and barriers faced by pharmacists in their daily practice. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire targeting community pharmacists was developed based on COM-B model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and distributed by email to 94% of the Portuguese pharmacies. Results: In total, 396 complete responses from community pharmacists were obtained. Three out of four participants reported to promote physical activity in their daily routine, of which 87.7% reported doing it in only a few attendances. The majority (92.3%) mentioned to provide information orally, with walking being the activity most promoted (99.4%). More active and younger pharmacists were more likely to promote physical activity. Nearly all pharmacists (98.7%) believed it was important or very important to practice regular physical activity for the health, but only 41.4% of the respondents were able to correctly identify the WHO general recommendations for physical activity. The lack of coordination with other healthcare professionals (M=3.35; SD=1.11), lack of interest by customers (M=3.25; SD=1.09) and lack of time (M=3.06; SD=1.10) were the main barriers to physical activity promotion, all scoring above the scale mid-point (i.e., 3) (AU)


Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Community Pharmacy Services , Health Promotion , Exercise , Surveys and Questionnaires , Cross-Sectional Studies
20.
Nutrients ; 13(8)2021 Aug 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34444845

ABSTRACT

Rapid worldwide decreases in physical activity (PA), an increase in sedentary behaviour (SB) and poorer dietary patterns have been reported during COVID-19 confinement periods. However, as national variability has been observed, this study sought to describe PA, SB and eating patterns, and to explore their gender as well as other socio-demographic correlates and how they interrelate in a representative sample of Portuguese adults during the COVID-19 first mandatory social confinement. The survey was applied online and by telephone to 5856 adults (mean age = 45.8 years; 42.6% women). The majority reported high (46.0%) or moderate (20.5%) PA levels. Men, younger participants, those with higher education levels and a favourable perception of their financial situation reported higher PA levels, with the opposite pattern for SB. Physical fitness activities and household chores were more reported by women, with more strength training and running activities reported by men. Regarding eating behaviours, 45.1% reported changes, positive (58%) and negative (42%), with 18.2% reporting increases in consumption of fruit, vegetables, and fish and other seafood consumption, while 10.8% (most with lower educational level and less comfortable with their income) reported an increase in consumption of ready-to-eat meals, soft drinks, savoury snacks, and take-away and delivered meals. Two clusters-a health-enhancing vs. risky pattern-emerged through multiple correspondence analysis characterized by co-occurrence of high vs. low PA levels, positive vs. negative eating changes, awareness or not of the COVID-19 PA and dietary recommendations, perceived financial situation, higher vs. lower educational level and time in social confinement. In conclusion, while in social confinement, both positive and negative PA and eating behaviours and trends were displayed, highlighting the role of key sociodemographic correlates contributing to healthy vs. risky patterns. Results may inform future health interventions and policies to be more targeted to those at risk, and also advocate the promotion of PA and healthy eating in an integrated fashion.


Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , Exercise , Feeding Behavior , Sedentary Behavior , Adolescent , Adult , COVID-19/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Behavior , Health Policy , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Portugal/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
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