Older adults, appendicular anthropometric measurements, and poor functional performance are predictors of sarcopenia in individuals with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of sarcopenia (demographical, anthropometric measurements, tumor-related clinical characteristics, performance status, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin levels in individuals with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study selected diagnosed with HNSCC (n = 125). Sarcopenia was defined as low muscle strength and low physical performance. Association between sarcopenia and anthropometric assessments (weight, height, body mass index, triceps skinfold, mid-upper arm circumference [MUAC], mid-upper arm muscle circumference, mid-upper arm fat area [UFA], mid-upper arm bone free muscle area, calf circumference, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass and index), tumor clinical characteristics (anatomical site, tumor size, and cervical metastasis), performance status scale (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status [ECOG-PS]), and CRP and albumin levels was analyzed using binary logistic regression models. RESULTS: The diagnosis of sarcopenia was identified in 28 (22.4%) individuals with HNSCC. Being an older adult increases the odds of association with sarcopenia in individuals with HNSCC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05). Increments in MUAC measurement reduce the odds of association with sarcopenia (OR = 0.69), while the increase in the UFA measurement increases the odds of association with sarcopenia (OR = 1.33). Poor ECOG-PS scores increase the odds of association with sarcopenia in individuals with HNSCC (OR = 5.54). CONCLUSION: Early identification of easy-to-perform, cost-effective predictors of sarcopenia tends to favor the implementation of personalized therapeutic and supportive interventions in individuals with HNSCC.

Factors associated with the lifestyle of state basic education teachers of state during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence and factors associated with the lifestyle profile of public basic education teachers in Minas Gerais during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Epidemiological websurvey carried out with public basic education teachers in Minas Gerais. Data collection took place from August to September2020 via digital form. Anthropometric, sociodemographic, work, and lifestyle characteristics were evaluated. Poisson Regression was used. RESULTS: 15,641 teachers participated and 31.1% had inadequate health habits. There was a higher prevalence among men (PR=1.38; 95%CI:1.31;1.45), older age (PR=1.20; 95%CI: 1.07;1.34), greater weekly workload (RP=1.10; 95%CI:1.03;1.17) and those dissatisfied with work (RP=1.21; 95%CI:1.15;1.27). As a protective factor, professors with longer teaching experience (RP=0.92; 95%CI:0.87;0.98) and those hired or appointed (PR=0.89; 95%CI:0.85) ;0.94). CONCLUSION: Lifestyle inadequacy was found among older male teachers, with longer working hours and job dissatisfaction.

Physical Activity among Elderly Teachers Working in Basic Education Schools.

This study aimed to assess the levels of physical activity (PA) among elderly teachers. It was an epidemiological, cross-sectional, and analytical web survey conducted with teachers working in public basic education schools. Data collection took place between October and December 2021 through an online form. The dependent variable was physical activity practice, classifying teachers as either physically active or inactive. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple analyses were performed using Poisson Regression with robust variance. A total of 1907 teachers participated in the study, of whom 5.6% were elderly, ranging in age from 60 to 72 years. Regarding PA practice, elderly teachers were found to be more physically inactive compared with adult teachers (PR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.04; 1.34). Conclusion: A statistically significant difference in PA practice was observed between adult and elderly teachers, indicating that elderly teachers are more physically inactive.

Different criteria for body mass index classification for excess weight screening in children aged six to ten years.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the agreement between body mass index (BMI) parameters applied to children aged six to ten years in the city of Montes Claros (MG), Brazil with national and international criteria, also calculating their sensitivity and specificity regarding excess weight screening. METHODS: A sample comprising 4151 children aged six to ten years was assessed, with height and body mass determined for BMI calculation. The obtained values were classified according to cutoff points established by the World Health Organization (WHO), International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Conde & Monteiro, and a recent local proposal. The agreement index between the mentioned criteria was calculated and thereafter the sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: The local proposal was proven to be highly consistent in most combinations, especially concerning the excess weight criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO) (k=0.895). Regarding excess weight, the local proposal presented sensitivity and specificity values of 0.8680 and 0.9956, respectively, indicating high BMI discrimination power. CONCLUSIONS: The locally applied BMI parameters for children aged six to ten years represent a valid, highly viable and practical proposal for excess weight screening in this population group, improving professional decision-making in their follow-up.

Interrelationships between dissatisfaction with teaching work and depressive symptoms: Structural equation modelling. / Inter-relações entre insatisfação com o trabalho docente e sintomas depressivos: modelagem com equações estruturais.

The objective of this article is to evaluate the interrelationships of factors associated with depressive symptoms (DS) in teachers, considering dissatisfaction with the teaching job as a possible mediator. This was a cross-sectional study using data from 700 teachers from the public school system of a Brazilian municipality. The outcome of interest was DS, as assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Direct and indirect interrelationships between the outcome and dissatisfaction with work, age, income, lifestyle and adiposity were tested. These variables composed the operational model tested by structural equation modelling. Older age (ß=0.12) and greater dissatisfaction with work (ß=0.12) were directly associated with DS. A more favourable lifestyle (ß=-0.60) and adiposity (ß=-0.10) were associated with a lower occurrence of DS. The variables lifestyle (ß=-0.06) and adiposity (ß=-0.02) also had negative indirect effects on DS, mediated by job dissatisfaction. The structural equation model tested identified interrelationships that influenced DS. Dissatisfaction with teaching work was associated with DS and mediated the relationship of other factors with such symptoms.

O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar inter-relações de fatores associados a sintomas depressivos (SD) em professores, considerando a insatisfação com o trabalho docente como possível mediador. Estudo transversal utilizando dados de 700 professores da rede pública de ensino de um município brasileiro. O desfecho de interesse foi SD aferido pelo Inventário de Depressão de Beck (BDI). Foram testadas inter-relações diretas e indiretas entre o desfecho e insatisfação com o trabalho, idade, renda, estilo de vida e adiposidade. Essas variáveis compuseram modelo operacional testado por meio de modelagem de equações estruturais. A maior idade (ß=0,12) e a maior insatisfação com o trabalho (ß=0,12) associaram-se diretamente aos SD. Já o estilo de vida mais favorável (ß=-0,60) e a adiposidade (ß=-0,10), associaram-se a menor ocorrência de SD. As variáveis estilo de vida (ß=-0,06) e adiposidade (ß=-0,02) também apresentaram efeitos indiretos negativos nos SD, mediados pela insatisfação com o trabalho. O modelo de equação estrutural testado identificou inter-relações que influenciaram os SD. A insatisfação com o trabalho docente associou-se aos SD e mediou a relação de outros fatores sobre tais sintomas.

Increased Depression and the Worsening of Depressive Symptoms Associated with Physical Inactivity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Two-Phase Cross-Sectional Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the incidence of depression and other mental disorders in the general population, influenced by various individual and contextual factors. Physical activity (PA) interventions offer a promising approach to mitigating the negative mental health effects of the pandemic. This study aims to analyze the association between PA and depressive symptoms. A total of 785 individuals aged 37.4 ± 13.2 years (72.5% female) were evaluated at two different time points: the first between 2018 and 2019, and the second during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Depressive symptoms, demographic, and socioeconomic data were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory to estimate depressive symptoms. Frequency analysis and binary and multinomial regression were employed for data analysis. The prevalence of mild depressive symptoms increased from 23.1% before the pandemic to 35.1% during the pandemic. Our findings reveal that practicing PA before the pandemic was a protective factor (OR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.30; p < 0.001) against mild depressive symptoms. Additionally, individuals who continued to practice PA during the pandemic had a lower chance of presenting mild (OR: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.30) and moderate/severe (OR: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.27) symptoms. Furthermore, our study shows that PA, which was already a protective factor before the pandemic, remained protective during the pandemic, even for those with the highest levels of depression.

Evaluation of the properties of WHODAS-12 measurements in individuals with Chagas disease in Brazil.

Numerous tests employed to predict cardiac and functional status are expensive and not widely accessible for a considerable number of patients, particularly those diagnosed with Chagas disease (CD) residing in remote and endemic regions. To date, there is no knowledge of studies that have validated instruments that address functionality in an expanded way, including the biopsychosocial factors in patients with CD. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0), in its 12-item shortened version (WHODAS-12) when applied to patients with CD. This is a cross-sectional study of a prospective cohort that follows individuals with CD (SaMi-Trop). Data collection took place between October 2019 and March 2020. In the interviews, sociodemographic information, life habits, clinical information, and indicators of disability measured by WHODAS-12 were collected. Descriptive analysis, internal consistency and construct validity of the instrument were performed. A total of 628 patients with CD were interviewed, most were women (69.5%), their mean age was of 57 years, and most declared an average self-perception of health (43.4%). The 12 items of WHODAS-12 were distributed into three factors, which together account for 61% of the variance. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index was 0.90, indicating adequacy of the sample for factor analysis. The internal consistency of the global scale showed alpha = 0.87. The percentage of incapacity was 16.05%, indicating mild incapacity for the evaluated patients. WHODAS-12 is a valid and reliable measure to assess the disability of the Brazilian population with CD.

Association between health risk behaviors and food consumption in adolescents.

The study aims to evaluate the association between substance use and social isolation with food consumption in adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 2,040 adolescents from a medium-sized city in Brazil. The exposures assessed were the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances, and social isolation. The outcomes were the regular consumption (≥5 times/week) of beans, fruit/fruit salad, candies, and soft drinks, and an unhealthy eating score. The association between health risk behaviors and food consumption was assessed through logistic and linear regressions. Regular users of alcohol were more likely to have regular consumption of candies and soft drinks, and those who used tobacco regularly were less likely to have regular bean consumption and more likely to have regular candies consumption. The use of at least one substance was negatively associated with regular bean consumption and positively associated with regular consumption of sweets and soft drinks. Socially isolated adolescents were less likely to have regular bean consumption. Substance use was positively associated with the unhealthy eating score. In conclusion, substance use and social isolation were associated with less regular consumption of healthy food markers and greater regular consumption of unhealthy food markers.

Prática de atividade física ao ar livre na pandemia da COVID-19 entre professores do ensino público / Practice of outdoor physical activity in the COVID-19 pandemic among public school teachers

Este estudo objetivou verificar a prática de atividade física ao ar livre durante a pandemia da CO-VID-19 entre os professores da educação básica pública de Minas Gerais. Trata-se de um inquérito epidemiológico do tipo websurvey, realizado com professores da educação básica pública de Minas Gerais. A coleta de dados ocorreu de agosto a setembro de 2020 via formulário digital. A variável de-pendente foi a prática de atividade física ao ar livre durante a pandemia, categorizada em sim vs não. Para a análise dos dados utilizou-se a Regressão de Poisson, com variância robusta. O estudo contou com 15.641 participantes. Entre eles, 30,5% estavam realizando atividade física ao ar livre durante a pandemia. Houve maior prevalência entre os homens (RP = 1,15; IC95%: 1,09 - 1,22), aqueles que trabalhavam na zona rural (RP = 1,07; IC95%: 1,01 - 1,13), que não tiveram diminuição na renda familiar (RP = 1,08; IC95%: 1,03 - 1,13), que viviam com cônjuge (RP = 1,05; IC95%: 1,01 - 1,10), que não aderiram totalmente ao distanciamento social (RP = 1,23; IC95%: 1,17 - 1,29), que aumen-taram o desejo de cuidar da aparência física (RP = 1,47; IC95%: 1,40 - 1,55), com melhor padrão alimentar (RP = 1,45; IC95%: 1,39 - 1,52), que estavam realizando atividades de lazer (RP = 1,33; IC95%: 1,27 - 1,40), aqueles que não apresentaram excesso de peso corporal (RP = 1,05; IC95%: 1,01 - 1,10), que não estavam com muito medo da COVID-19 (RP = 1,07; IC95%: 1,02 - 1,12) e os que não faziam parte do grupo de risco para a COVID-19 (RP = 1,10; IC95%: 1,05 - 1,16). Os resultados indicaram, de modo geral, um perfil positivo com os cuidados em relação à saúde entre os praticantes de atividade física ao ar livre

this study aimed to verify the practice of outdoor physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic among public basic education teachers in Minas Gerais. This is a websurvey-type epidemiological survey, carried out with adults, public basic education teachers in the state of Minas Gerais. Data collection took place from August to September 2020 using a digital form. The dependent variable was the practice of outdoor physical activity during the pandemic, categorized as yes vs no, and those who practiced other types of exercise were not considered. For data analysis, Poisson regression was used, with robust variance. The study had 15,641 participants. Among them, 30.5% were performing physical activity outdoors during the pandemic. There was a higher prevalence among men (PR = 1.15; 95%CI: 1.09 - 1.22), those who worked in rural areas (PR = 1.07; 95%CI: 1.01 - 1.13), who had no decrease in family income (PR = 1.08; 95%CI: 1.03 - 1.13), who lived with a spouse (PR = 1.05; 95%CI: 1.01 - 1.10), who did not fully adhere to social distancing (PR = 1.23; 95%CI: 1.17 - 1.29), which increased the desire to take care of physical appearance (PR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1.40 - 1.55), with a better dietary pattern (PR = 1.45; 95%CI: 1.39 - 1.52), who were performing leisure activities (PR = 1.33; 95%CI: 1.27 - 1.40) , those who were not overweight (PR = 1.05; 95%CI: 1.01 - 1.10), who were not very afraid of COVID-19 (PR = 1.07; 95%CI: 1.02 - 1.12) and those who were not part of the risk group for COVID-19 (PR = 1.10; 95%CI: 1.05 - 1.16). The results indicated, in general, a positive profile with regard to health care among practitioners of outdoor physical activity

Self-report of worse back pain among teachers at state schools in Minas Gerais during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: One of the consequences of halting face-to-face educational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic was worse back pain. Objectives: To evaluate worse back pain in teachers working in elementary state schools in Montes Claros, MG. Methods: This is a websurvey-type epidemiological survey using an on-line questionnaire to assess sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions, health condition, and behaviors during the pandemic. Poisson regression was performed, with robust variance. Results: 15,641 teachers were included, and 35.4% reported worse back pain during the pandemic. It was found that the prevalence of a worse condition was higher among women (prevalence ratio = 1.15), between 40 and 49 years old (prevalence ratio = 1.14), teaching for more than 11 years (prevalence ratio = 1.11; 1.19), working more than 21 hours (PR = 1.05; 1.11), with difficulty to work remotely (prevalence ratio = 1.16), with poor quality of life (prevalence ratio = 1.30) or not (prevalence ratio = 0.84), obese (prevalence ratio = 1.07), sad or depressed (prevalence ratio = 1.21), anxious or nervous (prevalence ratio = 1.57), consuming alcoholic beverage (prevalence ratio = 1.16), with poor dietary habits (prevalence ratio = 1.07), more screen time (prevalence ratio = 1.24), sedentary lifestyle (prevalence ratio = 1.13), and social distancing (prevalence ratio = 1.08). Conclusions: The pandemic worsened back pain in teachers, demonstrating a need for addressing the issue, aiming at improving the quality of life of these professionals.

Introdução: Uma das consequências da suspensão das atividades presenciais educacionais durante a pandemia da covid-19 foi o aumento da dor nas costas. Objetivos: Avaliar o aumento da dor nas costas em professores, em atividade, na educação básica de escolas estaduais de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais. Métodos: Trata-se de inquérito epidemiológico do tipo websurvey, através de questionário on-line, para avaliação das características sociodemográficas, condições de trabalho, situação de saúde e comportamentos durante a pandemia. Foi realizada regressão de Poisson, com variância robusta. Resultados: Participaram 15.641 professores, sendo que 35,4% relataram piora da dor nas costas durante a pandemia. Houve prevalência da piora do quadro nos seguintes grupos: sexo feminino (razão de prevalência = 1,15), idade entre 40 e 49 anos (razão de prevalência = 1,14), acima de 11 anos na docência (razão de prevalência = 1,11; 1,19), jornada de trabalho superior a 21 horas (razão de prevalência = 1,05; 1,11), dificuldade no trabalho remoto (razão de prevalência = 1,16), qualidade de vida com piora (razão de prevalência = 1,30) ou não (razão de prevalência = 0,84), obesos (razão de prevalência = 1,07), tristes ou deprimidos (razão de prevalência = 1,21), ansiosos ou nervosos (razão de prevalência = 1,57), que consumiam bebidas alcóolicas (razão de prevalência = 1,16), com pior padrão alimentar (razão de prevalência = 1,07), tempo de tela aumentado (razão de prevalência = 1,24), ausência de atividades (razão de prevalência = 1,13) e adesão total ao distanciamento social (razão de prevalência = 1,08). Conclusões: O período pandêmico trouxe um agravo na dorsalgia em professores, o que demonstra uma necessidade de atenção à questão, visando uma melhoria na qualidade de vida desses profissionais.

Fatores de risco e proteção para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis entre professores da educação básica / Risk and protective factors for noncommunicable chronic diseases among primary education teachers

Resumo Objetivo: descrever as prevalências de fatores de risco e de proteção para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNT) e testar associações desses fatores com sexo, idade e satisfação com o trabalho entre professores da educação básica. Métodos: estudo transversal analítico realizado em Montes Claros, MG, Brasil, em 2016. Amostra probabilística por conglomerados. Utilizou-se questionário autoaplicável e avaliações físicas. Estimaram-se razões de prevalências (RP) e intervalos de confiança de 95% (IC95%) pela Regressão de Poisson. Resultados: dos 745 participantes, 83% eram mulheres, 81% tinham até 49 anos e 60% estavam insatisfeitos com o trabalho. Houve maior prevalência de fumantes entre homens (RP: 2,33; IC95%: 1,13;4,81), bem como consumo abusivo de álcool (RP: 7,24; IC95%: 2,19;23,91), excesso de peso (RP:1,48; IC95%: 1,04;2,13), menor prevalência de sintomas depressivos (RP:0,93; IC95%: 0,88;0,98) e de estresse (RP:0,88; IC95%: 0,82;0,95). Professores mais velhos apresentaram menor prevalência de Burnout (RP:0,87; IC95%: 0,81;0,94) e maior prevalência de comportamentos de proteção, apesar de terem maior comprometimento da saúde física. Professores insatisfeitos apresentaram maior prevalência de sintomas depressivos (RP:2,52; IC95%: 1,61;3,93), estresse (RP:1,76; IC95%: 1,33;2,32) e Burnout (RP:9,20; IC95%: 4,46;18,99). Conclusões: tabagismo, etilismo, excesso de peso e comprometimento da saúde mental foram fatores de risco frequentes para DCNT entre professores. Observaram-se diferenças nas prevalências de fatores de risco e de proteção para DCNT segundo sexo, idade e satisfação com o trabalho.

Abstract Objective: to describe the prevalence of risk and protective factors for noncomunicable chronic diseases (NCD) and test the association of these factors with sex, age, and job satisfaction among public primary and secondary schools teachers. Methods: analytical cross-sectional study in Montes Claros, MG, Brazil, carried out in 2016. We applied the probability cluster sampling technique. We used a self-applicable questionnaire and physical evaluations. We estimated Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) using Poisson's regression. Results: of the 745 participants, 83% were women, 81% were 49 years old or younger, and 60% were unsatisfied with work. Smoking was more prevalent among men (PR: 2.33; 95%CI: 1.13;4.81), as well as alcohol abuse (PR: 7.24; 95%CI: 2.19;23.91), overweight (PR:1.48; 95%CI: 1.04;2.13), lower prevalence of depressive symptoms (PR: 0.93; 95%CI: 0.88;0.98) and stress (PR: 0.88; 95%CI: 0.82;0.95). Older teachers had a lower prevalence of burnout (PR: 0.87; 95%CI: 0.81;0.94) and a higher prevalence of protective behaviors, despite having a greater impairment of physical health. Unsatisfied teachers showed higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (PR: 2.52; 95%CI: 1.61;3.93), stress (PR: 1.76; 95%CI: 1.33;2.32), and burnout (PR: 9.20; 95%CI: 4.46;18.99). Conclusions: smoking, alcoholism, overweight, and mental health impairment were frequent risk factors for NCD among teachers. Differences were observed in the prevalence of risk and protection factors for NCD according to sex, age, and job satisfaction.

Changes in the frequency of oral hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic among teachers / Mudanças na frequência de higiene bucal durante a pandemia da COVID-19 entre professores

Aim: To verify changes in the frequency of oral hygiene among basic education teachers in Minas Gerais during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to gender. Methods: This is a web survey, epidemiological study. Data collection took place from August to September 2020 through digital form. The dependent variable was the frequency of oral hygiene during the pandemic, categorized as: remained the same, increased, and decreased. Multinomial Logistic Regression was performed. Results: In this study, 15,641 teachers participated, 81.9% of whom were women. Regarding the frequency of oral hygiene, 73.4% reported that it remained the same, 20.1% increased, and 6.5% decreased, with no significant difference between genders. The chances of a decrease in the frequency of oral hygiene were greater in women under 60 years of age, those without children, those who tested positive for COVID-19, those with a worsening health during the pandemic, those with an increased body weight during the pandemic, and those who were sad or depressed during the pandemic. Among men, the chances of reduction were greater among those who did not live with a spouse, those with a worsening health during the pandemic, those who were sad or depressed during the pandemic, and among smokers or ex-smokers. Conclusion: Although the prevalence of changes in the frequency of oral hygiene in the pandemic did not differ between men and women, the factors related to the increase and decrease in frequency were different for each sex.

Introdução: Cuidar da higiene bucal é fundamental para a manutenção da saúde. Objetivo: Verificar as mudanças na frequência de higienização bucal entre professores durante a pandemia da COVID-19, segundo sexo. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, do tipo websurvey, realizado com professores da educação básica pública de Minas Gerais. A coleta de dados ocorreu em 2020. A variável dependente foi a frequência de higiene bucal durante a pandemia. Foi realizada Regressão Logística Multinomial. Resultados: Participaram do estudo 15.641 professores, sendo 81,9% mulheres. Em relação à frequência de higiene bucal, 73,4% relataram que permaneceu a mesma, 20,1% aumentou e 6,5% diminuiu, sem diferença significativa entre os sexos. As chances de diminuição da frequência de higienização bucal foram maiores em mulheres com menos de 60 anos, sem filhos, que testaram positivo para a COVID-19, com piora da saúde durante a pandemia, com aumento de peso corporal durante a pandemia e aquelas que estavam tristes ou deprimidas durante a pandemia. Entre os homens, as chances de redução foram maiores entre aqueles que não moravam com cônjuge, com piora da saúde durante a pandemia, aqueles que estavam tristes ou deprimidos durante a pandemia e entre os fumantes ou ex-fumantes. Conclusão: A frequência de higienização bucal na pandemia não apresentou diferenças significativas entre os sexos, no entanto, observou-se, em ambos os sexos, que variáveis referentes às características sociodemográficas, hábitos de vida e condições de saúde, foram associados ao aumento e diminuição da frequência de higienização bucal na pandemia.

Dificuldades no ensino remoto emergencial da rede pública estadual de Minas Gerais no período pandêmico / Difficulties in emergency remote of the state public network of Minas Gerais in the pandemic period / Dificultades en la emergencia remota de la red pública es- tatal de Minas Gerais en el periodo pandémico

Este estudo objetivou-se analisar as dificuldades encontradas no ensino remoto emergencial (ERE) pelos professores da rede pública estadual de Minas Gerais durante o período pandêmico da COVID-19. Trata-se de estudo transversal com coleta realizada entre agosto e setembro de 2020, tipo websurvey. Utilizou-se a dificuldade encontrada com o ERE como variável dependente e as independentes foram características sociodemográficas e econômicas, perfil ocupacional, recursos/materiais e processos do trabalho docente. Participaram do estudo 15.641 professores. Observou-se prevalência de 90,6% de dificuldades no ERE. Os resultados, obtidos por meio da análise de Regressão de Poisson (α = 5%), apontaram associações entre o ERE e os professores do sexo feminino, a falta de recursos/materiais, o acesso limitado à internet e o processo de trabalho docente deficiente. Evidenciou-se um conjunto complexo de dificuldades que exige adequação de políticas públicas ao novo cenário educacional durante e pós- pandemia.

The objective was to analyse the difficulties encountered in emergency remote teaching (ERE) by teachers from the state public network of Minas Gerais during the COVID-19 pandemic period. This is a cross-sectional study with data collected be- tween August and September 2020, web survey type. The difficulty found with the ERE was used as a dependent variable, and the independent variables were sociodemographic and economic characteristics, occupational profile, resources/materials, and teaching work processes. 15,641 teachers participated in the study. There was a prevalence of 90.6% of difficulties in the ERE. The results, obtained through the Poisson Regression analysis (α=5%), indicated associations with the ERE of female teachers, the lack of re- sources/materials, limited access to the internet and the poor teaching work process. A complex set of difficulties was evidenced, which requires the adequacy of public policies to the new educational scenario during and after the pandemic.

El objetivo fue analizar las dificultades encontradas en la enseñanza remota de emergencia (ERE) por docentes de la red pública estatal de Minas Gerais durante el período pandémico del COVID-19. Se trata de un estudio transversal con datos entre agosto y septiembre de 2020, tipo encuesta web. Se utilizó como variable dependiente la dificultad encontrada con el ERE, y las variables independientes fueron características sociodemográficas y económicas, perfil ocupacional, recursos / materiales y procesos de trabajo docente. 15.641 profesores participaron en el estudio. Hubo una prevalencia del 90,6% de dificultades en el ERE. El análisis de regresión de Poisson (α = 5%) indicó asociaciones con el ERE de las maestras, falta de recursos / materiales, acceso limitado a Internet y un proceso de trabajo docente deficiente. Se evidenció un conjunto complejo de dificultades, que requiere la adecuación de las políticas públicas al nuevo escenario educativo durante y después de la pandemia.

Different criteria for body mass index classification for excess weight screening in children aged six to ten years / Diferentes critérios de classificação do índice de massa corporal para o rastreio do excesso de peso em crianças de seis a dez anos

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the agreement between body mass index (BMI) parameters applied to children aged six to ten years in the city of Montes Claros (MG), Brazil with national and international criteria, also calculating their sensitivity and specificity regarding excess weight screening. Methods: A sample comprising 4151 children aged six to ten years was assessed, with height and body mass determined for BMI calculation. The obtained values were classified according to cutoff points established by the World Health Organization (WHO), International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Conde & Monteiro, and a recent local proposal. The agreement index between the mentioned criteria was calculated and thereafter the sensitivity and specificity. Results: The local proposal was proven to be highly consistent in most combinations, especially concerning the excess weight criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO) (k=0.895). Regarding excess weight, the local proposal presented sensitivity and specificity values of 0.8680 and 0.9956, respectively, indicating high BMI discrimination power. Conclusions: The locally applied BMI parameters for children aged six to ten years represent a valid, highly viable and practical proposal for excess weight screening in this population group, improving professional decision-making in their follow-up.

RESUMO Objetivo: Analisar a concordância dos parâmetros de índice de massa corporal (IMC) para crianças com idade de seis a dez anos da cidade de Montes Claros/MG com os demais critérios de abrangência nacional e internacional, bem como sua sensibilidade e especificidade no rastreio do excesso de peso. Métodos: Foi utilizada uma amostra de 4.151 crianças de seis a dez anos, sendo mensuradas estatura e massa corporal para a determinação do IMC. Os valores obtidos foram classificados de acordo com os pontos de corte da World Health Organization (WHO), International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Conde & Monteiro e uma recente proposta local. Calculou-se o índice de concordância entre os critérios mencionados e, em seguida, a sensibilidade e a especificidade. Resultados: A proposta local mostrou-se altamente concordante na maioria das combinações, principalmente para o excesso de peso com a WHO (k=0,895). Com relação ao excesso de peso, a proposta local apresentou valores de 0,8680 e 0,9956 para a sensibilidade e especificidade respectivamente, mostrando alto poder de discriminação do IMC. Conclusões: Conclui-se que os parâmetros locais de IMC para crianças de seis a dez anos representam uma proposta válida, altamente viável e utilizável para o rastreio do excesso de peso desse grupo populacional, melhorando a tomada de decisão profissional no acompanhamento de tais indivíduos.

Genome-wide association study for Chagas Cardiomyopathy identify a new risk locus on chromosome 18 associated with an immune-related protein and transcriptional signature.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) usually develops between 10 and 20 years after the first parasitic infection and is one of the leading causes of end-stage heart failure in Latin America. Despite the great inter-individual variability in CCC susceptibility (only 30% of infected individuals ever present CCC), there are no known predictors for disease development in those chronically infected. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We describe a new susceptibility locus for CCC through a GWAS analysis in the SaMi-Trop cohort, a population-based study conducted in a Chagas endemic region from Brazil. This locus was also associated with CCC in the REDS II Study. The newly identified locus (rs34238187, OR 0.73, p-value 2.03 x 10-9) spans a haplotype of approximately 30Kb on chromosome 18 (chr18: 5028302-5057621) and is also associated with 80 different traits, most of them blood protein traits significantly enriched for immune-related biological pathways. Hi-C data show that the newly associated locus is able to interact with chromatin sites as far as 10Mb on chromosome 18 in a number of different cell types and tissues. Finally, we were able to confirm, at the tissue transcriptional level, the immune-associated blood protein signature using a multi-tissue differential gene expression and enrichment analysis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We suggest that the newly identified locus impacts CCC risk among T cruzi infected individuals through the modulation of a downstream transcriptional and protein signature associated with host-parasite immune response. Functional characterization of the novel risk locus is warranted.

Failure to use health services by people with Chagas disease: Multilevel analysis of endemic area in Brazil.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of non-use of health services in the last year by people with Chagas disease (CD) in an endemic area in Brazil and the contextual and individual factors associated with this non-use. This is a multilevel study that considered contextual and individual data. Contextual data were collected from official publicly accessible databases of the Brazilian government, at the municipal level. The individual data came from the first follow-up of a Brazilian cohort that assessed patients with CD in 21 municipalities in endemic area for the disease. The sample consisted of 1,160 individuals with CD. The dependent variable "use of health services in the last year" was categorized as yes vs. no. The analysis was performed using Poisson regression with robust variance. The prevalence of non-use of health services in the last year was 23.5% (IC95%: 21.1-25.9). The contextual factor "larger population" (PR: 1.6; 95% CI = 1.2-2.0) and individual factors related to the lower severity of the disease as a functional class without limitations (PR: 1.6; 95% CI = 1.2-2.1) and unaltered N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide levels (PR: 2.2; 95% CI = 1.3-3.6) increased the prevalence of non-use of the health service in the last year by people with CD. The results of this study showed that individual determinants are not isolated protagonists of the non-use of health services in the last year by people with CD, which reinforces the need for public policies that consider the contextual determinants of the use of health services by populations affected by the disease.

Hospitalizations due to gastrointestinal Chagas disease: National registry.

OBJECTIVES: Analyze the hospitalizations of patients admitted for Chagas disease with gastro-intestinal involvement (CD-GI) in the Brazilian Unified Health System, describe the epidemiological profile, mortality and costs. METHODS: This is an observational study that uses secondary data from the National Hospital Information System (SIH-SUS) for the years 2017-2019. CD-GI admissions were defined by specific ICD-10 codes that identify the main diagnosis. RESULTS: From 2017 to 2019, there were 4,407 hospitalizations for CD-GI in Brazil, considering only public hospitals and those associated with the SUS. This corresponds to an average of 1,470 hospitalizations per year, or 0.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, with significant regional variation. Hospitalizations increased with age and were slightly higher in men. More than 60% were emergencies and in 50% the procedure performed was surgical. The most used code was the one for megaesophagus followed by megacolon. In-hospital mortality was 5.8% and 17.2% went to intensive care units. The median cost was USD$ 553.15 per hospitalization, and an overall cost of USD$ 812,579.98 per year to the SUS budget. CONCLUSION: The numbers, rates and costs presented here are possibly underestimated but they give us an idea of the overall profile of hospitalizations due to CD-GI, which are not rare and are related to significant in-hospital mortality. CD-GI is a neglected manifestation of a neglected disease.

Contextual influence on poor self-rated health in patients with Chagas disease: multilevel study.

Chagas disease (CD) is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the thirteen most neglected tropical diseases in the world. Self-perceived health is considered a better predictor of mortality than objective measures of health status, and the context in which one lives influences this predictor. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and individual and contextual factors associated with poor self-rated health among CD patients from an endemic region in Brazil. It is a multilevel cross-sectional study. The individual data come from a cross-section of a cohort study named SaMi-Trop. Contextual data was collected from publicly accessible institutional information systems and platforms. The dependent variable was self-perceived health. The analysis was performed using multilevel binary logistic regression. The study included 1,513 patients with CD, where 335 (22.1%) had Poor self-rated health. This study revealed the influence of the organization/offer of the Brazilian public health service and of individual characteristics on the self-perceived health of patients with CD.

Two-year death prediction models among patients with Chagas Disease using machine learning-based methods.

Chagas disease (CD) is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the thirteen most neglected tropical diseases. More than 80% of people affected by CD will not have access to diagnosis and continued treatment, which partly supports the high morbidity and mortality rate. Machine Learning (ML) can identify patterns in data that can be used to increase our understanding of a specific problem or make predictions about the future. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate different models of ML to predict death in two years of patients with CD. ML models were developed using different techniques and configurations. The techniques used were: Random Forests, Adaptive Boosting, Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, and Artificial Neural Networks. The adopted settings considered only interview variables, only complementary exam variables, and finally, both mixed. Data from a cohort study with CD patients called SaMi-Trop were analyzed. The predictor variables came from the baseline; and the outcome, which was death, came from the first follow-up. All models were evaluated in terms of Sensitivity, Specificity and G-mean. Among the 1694 individuals with CD considered, 134 (7.9%) died within two years of follow-up. Using only the predictor variables from the interview, the different techniques achieved a maximum G-mean of 0.64 in predicting death. Using only the variables from complementary exams, the G-mean was up to 0.77. In this configuration, the protagonism of NT-proBNP was evident, where it was possible to observe that an ML model using only this single variable reached G-mean of 0.76. The configuration that mixed interview variables and complementary exams achieved G-mean of 0.75. ML can be used as a useful tool with the potential to contribute to the management of patients with CD, by identifying patients with the highest probability of death. Trial Registration: This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, Trial ID: NCT02646943.

Association between lifestyle and emotional aspects of food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Adequate nutrition during infectious outbreaks require a personal management strategy, especially when there are emotional factors involved. To evaluate the association between lifestyle and emotional aspects of food consumption during the pandemic COVID-19. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cross-sectional study using online self-applied questionnaire with 15,372 active schoolteachers who worked in primary education (kindergarten, elementary and high school) from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Poisson Regression model with robust variance was used to determine the association between lifestyle and emotional aspects and food consumption. Greater adherence to the healthy consumption profile showed a statistically significant association with decreased weight (PR = 1.58; p = 0.000), decreased physical activity (PR = 1.27; p = 0.000), reduced income, (PR = 1.26; p = 0.000), reduced alcohol consumption (PR = 1.22; p = 0.000), and changes in mental health (PR = 1.19; p = 0.000). Unhealthy consumption profile was significantly correlated with weight gain (PR = 1.54; p = 0.000), consuming more alcohol, or started drinking during the pandemic (PR = 1.44; p = 0.000), increased physical activity (PR = 1.43; p = 0.000); increased cigarette consumption (PR = 1.17; p = 0.000), and being a younger adult (PR = 1.17; p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the food profiles of basic education teachers in the Minas Gerais state education system in a bidirectional manner, favoring the practice of consuming healthy or unhealthy foods.