Analysing the Influence of Green Marketing Communication in Consumers' Green Purchase Behaviour.

This study aims to explore whether consumers' attention to companies' green marketing communication influences their green purchase behaviour. It also analyses the importance of consumers' characteristics, namely gender, education, and green attitudes, in their attention to companies' green marketing communication. An online survey was carried out on the population residing in Portugal over 18 years of age, allowing us to collect 690 valid responses. Data analysis techniques including descriptive analyses, parametric and non-parametric tests, linear correlation, and regression analysis were used. The achieved results allow us to conclude that consumers are attentive to companies' green marketing communication. A strong correlation between consumers' attention to companies' green marketing communication and green purchasing behaviour was identified. The results also confirm that individuals with higher educational levels and green attitudes and females are the most attentive to companies' green marketing communication.

Saúde dos idosos: polifonia de vozes / Health of the Elderly: Polyphony of Voices

O duplo envelhecimento da população e o consequente aumento de pessoas idosas dependentes exige uma progressiva adequação da prestação de cuidados de saúde suscetíveis de proporcionarem uma melhoria da qualidade de vida e bem-estar. Dado que o prolongamento da vida não é garantia de um envelhecimento bem-sucedido, o debate desta problemática centra-se nas políticas de saúde que visam o planeamento numa lógica de intervenção prospetiva baseada em necessidades. O presente estudo teve como objetivos analisar a situação de saúde das pessoas idosas de 3 freguesias do concelho de Viana do Castelo relativamente à sua qualidade de vida e bem-estar, do ponto de vista dos próprios e de líderes da comunidade, caraterizar o perfil dos cuidadores informais e a sua sobrecarga, e identificar áreas prioritárias de intervenção. Tratou-se de um estudo quantitativo com abordagem qualitativa, descritivo, correlacional, transversal, cuja recolha de informação decorreu entre 1 de outubro de 2013 e 31 de janeiro de 2014. Optou-se por uma amostra probabilística aleatória simples de 235 idosos, cujo nível de confiança foi de 95% e o erro amostral de 5%. Para a recolha da informação utilizou-se o Easycare Standard Portugal 2010, a Escala de Sobrecarga de Zarit, um questionário de caraterização sociodemográfica aplicado aos cuidadores informais e uma entrevista semi-estruturada dirigida aos líderes. Foram inquiridos 199 idosos com idades compreendidas entre os 75 e os 96 anos, 40 cuidadores informais e 6 líderes comunitários. Constatou-se que 84,4% dos idosos inquiridos apresentava alguma dependência nas AVD, 90,5% apresentavam risco de quedas, 94,5% risco de falha de autocuidado e 67,8% risco de depressão. Verificou-se: correlação entre a dependência e a idade (p=0,000); relação entre a dependência e o sexo (p=0,014); não existir relação entre o risco de quedas e a idade (p=0,050); relação entre o risco de quedas e o sexo (p=0,004), sendo mais elevado nas mulheres; relação entre o risco de depressão e o sexo (p=0,000) mas não com a idade (p=0,104); e relação entre o risco de falha de autocuidado e a idade (p=0,000) e o sexo (p=0,000), sendo mais elevado nas mulheres mais idosas.Constatou-se também uma correlação negativa entre o risco de quedas e a polimedicação (p=0,048). Os cuidadores informais, com idades compreendidas entre os 41 e os 87 anos, eram na maioria filhos(as) dos idosos, mulheres (82,5%) e cuidavam do idoso dependente há mais de 3 anos (75%). Verificou-se também que 29,5% apresentavam "ausência de sobrecarga", 54,6% "sobrecarga moderada" e 15,9% "sobrecarga severa". Não se observou relação estatisticamente significativa entre a sobrecarga dos cuidadores e a pontuação de dependência dos idosos (p=0,077). As condições de vida promotoras de saúde, a existência de uma rede de apoio social efectiva e a promoção do envelhecimento activo foram aspectos valorizados pelos líderes comunitários. Este estudo permitiu concluir que os idosos apresentam alguma qualidade de vida e bem-estar, que podem ser melhoradas com intervenções direcionadas às suas necessidades e realizadas com base num planeamento em saúde em parceira com todos os intervenientes na promoção da sua saúde.

The double aging of population and the consequent increase of dependent older people requires a progressive adaptation of health care to provide a better quality of life and well-being. As the prolongation of life is no guarantee of a successful aging, the discussion of this problem has been focused on health policies involving planning on a prospective logic intervention, based in needs. The investigation objectives consisting in analyzing the health situation, quality of life and well-being of elderly people from 3 parishes of Viana do Castelo, from their point of view and from the community leaders, characterize the profile of informal caregivers and their overburden, and identify intervention priority areas. This is a cross-sectional and descriptive correlational study. We used the Easycare Standard Portugal 2010, the Zarit Burden Interview Scale and an interview to the community leaders. The data collection period ran from October 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014. It was opted for a simple random probability sample of 235 elderly people, whose confidence level was 95% and the sampling error of 5%. Were inquired 199 elderly people, 40 informal caregivers and 6 leaders. It was been verified that 84.4% of elderly people showed some dependence in activities of daily life, 90.5% falls risk, 94.5% self-care failure risk and 67.8% depression risk. It was observed: correlation between dependence and age (p = 0.000); significant statistical relation between dependence and sex (p = 0.014); no relation between falls risk and age (p = 0.050); relationship between the risk of falls and sex (p = 0.004), being higher in women; significant statistical relation between depression risk and sex (p = 0.000) but not with age (p = 0.104); and statistical relation between self-care failure risk and age (p = 0.000) and sex (p = 0.000), which is higher in older women. It was also found a negative correlation between falls risk and polypharmacy (p = 0.048). The informal caregivers were between 41 and 87 years, the majority were sons or daughters of dependent elderly, women (82,5%) and cared for the dependent elderly for more than three years (75%). It was also found that 29.5% had "no overburden", 54.6% "moderate overburden" and 15.9% "severe overburden".There was no significant statistical relation between caregivers overburden, and elderly dependency score. The conditions of healthy life promotion, the existence of a social support network and the promotion of active aging were reported by community leaders. To respond elderly people needs, we need to coordinate various stakeholders including the elderly, caregivers and community leaders, taking into account their needs/potentials. This study concluded that elderly have some quality of life and well-being, which can be improved with coordinated interventions based on their needs and on health planning with partnership with all the health promotion stakeholders.

Why are human newborns so fat? Relationship between fatness and brain size at birth.

The plumpness of the human newborn has long been recognized as a trait in need of explanation among researchers. Using a linear regression analysis, we find that head circumference is significantly and positively associated with BMI at birth, after gestational age and birthlength were controlled for, in a sample of 1,069 healthy liveborn routinely delivered at the University Hospital of Coimbra (partial correlation r = 0.409, P < 0.0001). This significant association is consistent with the idea that newborn fatness is related to the higher need of lipids in newborn humans as an energetic and plastic substrate during its accelerated brain growth period. As birthweight and birth head size are associated with head size and cognitive abilities in childhood and adult life, it could be postulated that these cognitive abilities could have acted as selective pressure responsible for the newborn fatness increase in our lineage.