Socio-economic vulnerability and deaths of despair in Brazilian counties.

Over the past few years, there has been a progressive increase in premature deaths attributable to suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol-related liver disease that impact life expectancy. Regarding the relationship with contextual effects, the evidence is developing, especially in countries with a peripheral economy, as is the case of Brazil. We carried out an analysis aimed at estimating the relationship between socioeconomic insecurity and deaths due to despair in Brazilian cities. We used 5,570 counties' data to create clusters concerning socioeconomic development and then analyzed age-adjusted mortality rates (ASMR) from each of them and compared them using the ANOVA test. Cluster analysis generated two groups of Brazilian municipalities. DoD rates are consistently higher in the group that experiences more deprivation. However, considering differences between 2010 and 2019, the increase in rates was higher in the group with less deprivation experience (48.82 % vs. 39.53 %) We verified an existing gap between the clusters before the beginning of economic stagnation in 2010 The gap between those two groups decreased from 20.58 % (p < 0.001) in 2010 to 14.03 % in 2019 (p = 0.034). The conjuncture of economic crises creates mortality differentials in certain population groups. Also, significant inequalities explain how causes of death from despair affect different subpopulations. Our first approach assessed this assumption, and we could check those differentials at an ecological level. Public policies should focus on reducing the difference in mortality from despair between higher and lower socioeconomic strata.

The effect of primary care policy changes on hospitalisation for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: notes from Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the Primary Health Care Reform and the impact of recent national policy changes on the trend in hospitalisation rates for Ambulatory Conditions Sensitive to Primary Care (ACSC) in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. STUDY DESIGN: Ecological study with data from the Brazilian National Health Information System. METHODS: This study performed an interrupted time-series analysis, comparing three different time periods related to important changes in primary care policies in Brazil: Baseline (2008-2009); Primary Health Care Reform (RCAPS) (2010-2017); and National Primary Health Care Policy (PNAB) (2018-2019). Data included total monthly admissions for ACSC and rates for 19 groups of causes for hospitalisation. RESULTS: There was a non-significant increasing trend in ACSC hospital admissions between January 2008 and December 2009 (ß = 4.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] -12.14 to 20.15). The Primary Health Care Reform (RCAPS), which commenced in January 2010, resulted in a significant reduction in ACSC hospital admission trends during this time period (ß = -7.97, 95% CI -9.78 to -6.16). Change in the PNAB did not change the declining ACSC hospital admission trend but it did reduce the rate of decline. In addition, the coefficient was no longer significant (ß = -1.93, 95% CI -2.46 to 0.59), suggesting that monitoring of the historical series for a long time may show a reversal of the downward trend in some months. The most consistent change in ACSC hospital admission trend occurred between baseline and the RCAPS (ß slope = -0.143, P < 0.001) and the level between the RCAPS period and the new PNAB (ß step = 7.00, P = 0.008). Trends and differences in the time periods vary in the different ACSC hospitalisation-cause groups. CONCLUSION: Changes in public health policies impact ACSC hospitalisation rates, which can thus be used as an indicator for monitoring primary health care. We also recommend analysing admission rates by the individual ACSC hospitalisation-cause groups.

Critical perspective of social participation in health surveillance / Vigilância civil em saúde, estudos de população e participação popular

Many barriers impede the defense of health equity, especially those that hinder social participation in health. In the mid-1990s, Victor Valla proposed incorporating the population's participation into health surveillance through Paulo Freire's popular education. This counterpoint to traditional surveillance practices, then called civil health surveillance, is added to the expanded concept of health, and has a strong connection with the critical perspective of epidemiology to understand the dialectical relationship between social classes and their lived spaces. The practice of civil surveillance aims to overcome essential gaps left by traditional methods of public health investigation. It includes a lack of attention to socio-cultural contexts, the construction of risk located only in the individual, and the representation of public health agendas that privilege and pathologize certain behaviors. In this sense, this paper discusses concept of civil health surveillance, the locus of discussion of population studies in the reification of the role of the contextual effect in explaining the social production of health and the incorporation of popular participation in health surveillance as an element of social transformation. The deepening of this discussion allows a participatory construction of new health models focused on the effective reduction of health inequities and, consequently, the effective universalization of the right to health.

Muitas barreiras impedem a defesa da equidade na saúde, especialmente aquelas que dificultam a participação popular. Em meados dos anos 90, Victor Valla propõe a incorporação da participação da população à prática da vigilância em saúde, por meio da educação popular de Paulo Freire. Este contraponto às práticas tradicionais da vigilância, nomeadas vigilância civil da saúde, se somam à concepção ampliada de saúde, e possuem forte ligação com a perspectiva crítica da epidemiologia enquanto meio de compreender a relação dialética entre classes sociais e seus espaços vividos. A prática da vigilância civil pretende superar lacunas importantes deixadas pelos métodos tradicionais de investigação em saúde pública, como falta de atenção aos contextos socioculturais, a construção do risco localizada somente no indivíduo e a representação de agendas de saúde pública que privilegiam e patologizam certos comportamentos.  Neste sentido, o presente trabalho debate o conceito de vigilância civil da saúde, o locus de discussão dos estudos de população na reificação do papel do efeito contextual para a explicação da produção social da saúde e a incorporação da participação popular à vigilância em saúde como elemento de transformação social. O aprofundamento desta discussão, no limite, permite uma construção participativa de novos modelos de saúde focados na redução efetiva das iniquidades em saúde e, consequentemente, universalização efetiva do direito à saúde.

Avaliação clínica dos sintomas de pacientes com câncer de cabeça e pescoço / Clinical evaluation of symptoms in patients with cancer of head and neck

Resumo Objetivo: avaliar os sintomas mais frequentes apresentados pelos pacientes com câncer de cabeça e pescoço e fatores associados. Metodologia: trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado com 77 pacientes do serviço de cirurgia de cabeça e pescoço do Instituto Nacional de Câncer (Brasil). Foi utilizado o Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS), adaptado ao Brasil. Foi avaliada a prevalência dos sintomas, bem como sua associação com variáveis demográficas e clínicas por meio dos testes de qui- quadrado e de ANOVA. Resultados: os sintomas mais prevalentes foram boca seca (62,5 %), tristeza (60 %), preocupações (53,75 %), nervosismo (48,75 %) e tosse (46,25 %). Quanto à faixa etária, identificou-se diferença nos sintomas físicos de baixa frequência (PHYS-L), com maior queixa entre os jovens (p < 0,01). Na escala global (TMSAS) houve queixa maior dos pacientes ambulatoriais comparados aos internados (p = 0,05). Houve, ainda, queixa maior de sintomas de baixa frequência entre pacientes sem metás-tase (p = 0,05). Conclusão: considerando-se a ocorrência de múltiplos sintomas no paciente oncológico, é necessário ter métodos que sejam capazes de avaliar, de forma mais ampla, os sintomas. Dessa forma, o enfermeiro terá melhor compreensão da complexidade dos grupos de sintomas, permitindo aperfeiçoar as intervenções clínicas no processo de enfermagem.

Resumen Objetivo: evaluar los síntomas más frecuentes presentados por los pacientes con cáncer de cabeza y cuello y factores asociados. Metodología: estudio transversal realizado con 77 pacientes del servicio de cirugía de cabeza y cuello del Instituto Nacional de Cáncer (Brasil). Se utilizó el Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) adaptado a Brasil. Se estimó la prevalencia de los síntomas, así como su asociación con variables demográficas y clínicas, evaluada a través de las pruebas de chi cuadrado y de ANOVA. Resultados: los síntomas más prevalentes fueron boca seca (625 %), tristeza (60 %), preocupaciones (5375 %), nerviosismo (48,75 %) y tos (46,25 %). Para la franja etaria se identificó diferencia en los síntomas físicos de baja frecuencia (PHYS-L), con mayor queja entre los jóvenes (p < 0,01). En la escala global (TMSAS) hubo mayor queja de los pacientes ambulatorios que de los internados (p = 0,05). Se produjo, incluso, mayor queja de síntomas de baja frecuencia entre pacientes sin metástasis (p = 0,05). Conclusión: si se tiene en cuenta la aparición de múltiples síntomas en el paciente oncológico, es necesario tener métodos que sean capaces de evaluar, de forma más amplia, los síntomas. De esa forma, el enfermero tendrá una mejor comprensión de la complejidad de los grupos de síntomas y podrá perfeccionar las intervenciones clínicas en el proceso de enfermería.

Abstract Objective: to evaluate the most frequent symptoms showed by patients with cancer of head and neck, and associated factors. Methodology: cross-sectional study conducted with 77 patients of service of head and neck surgery of the National Institute of Cancer (Brazil). It was used the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS), adapted to Brazil. It was estimated the prevalence of symptoms, as well as its association with demographic and clinical variables, assessed through Chi-squared and ANOVA tests. Results: the most prevalent symptoms were: dry mouth (62.5 %), sadness (60 %), concerns (53.75 %), nervousness (48.75 %) and cough (46.25 %). Difference in the physical symptoms of low frequency (PHYS-L) was identified for the age group, with greater complaint among young people (p < 0.01). On the global scale (TMSAS) there was greater complaint of outpatients than that of hospitalized patients (p = 0.05). There was greater complaint of symptoms of low frequency among patients without metastasis (p = 0.05). Conclusion: if it is taken into account the appearance of multiple symptoms in cancer patients, forms able to assess these in a broader way are necessary, which allow the nurse to get a better understanding of the complexity of the groups of symptoms and improve clinical interventions in the nursing process.

Quality of information given to surgical patients with abdominal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the need for information in patients with abdominal neoplasms. METHODS: The sample consisted of 100 patients hospitalized in a surgical ward for patients with abdominal neoplasms at the National Institute of Cancer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva / INCA, in the period between June and December 2016. To collect the data, the Brazilian Portuguese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) information module questionnaire (QLQ-INFO25) was used. RESULTS: In general, for most items, the patients showed satisfaction with the amount of information received. The items referring to the disease, examinations, treatment and general information stand out, with an average score of more than 80%. For some items, however, there is dissatisfaction with the amount of information received, especially those related to the cause of the disease, aspects of out-of-hospital and home care, different places of care and aspects of self-help, with a satisfaction level of less than 40. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high level of satisfaction with the information received, it was observed that almost all patients would like more information, which makes us recommend that, as part of the care, the information offered to these patients about the treatment and the evolutionary process of the disease should be enhanced.

O impacto do consumo de agrotóxicos na prevalência de desfechos perinatais no Brasil / The impact of agricultural pesticide use on the prevalence of perinatal outcomes in Brazil

A contaminação por agrotóxicos gera discussão pelos impactos no meio ambiente e saúde. Os períodos natal e neonatal constituem janelas com susceptibilidade às consequências dos agrotóxicos. O estudo possui um desenho ecológico descritivo com o objetivo de verificar a existência de associação entre o consumo per capta dos agrotóxicos e eventos da gravidez e nascimento, através da quantidade consumida em 1997 e 2001 nos estados brasileiros. Os dados são do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística e do Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos. O estudo não recebeu financiamento, utilizou bases de dados populacionais públicas sem análises individuais. Nos cálculos foi utilizado o consumo per capta de agrotóxicos classificados em três grupos com os tercis de distribuição em ordem crescente. O banco de dados do Departamento de Informática do SUS foi utilizado na análise das variáveis de desfecho de gravidez. Os resultados evidenciam associação entre praguicida e prematuridade, bem como uma relação com baixo o peso ao nascer, porém, que pode ser também um efeito confundidor.

Contamination with pesticides has generated discussion about their impacts on the environment and health. Natal and neonatal periods represent windows of susceptibility to the effects of pesticides. In this study we used a descriptive ecological design with the aim of verifying a possible association between the per capita consumption of pesticides and events of pregnancy and birth, using the amount of pesticides consumed in 1997 and 2001 in Brazilian states. The data was obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and the Live Birth Information System. The study received no funding, and thus employed public databases of populations without individual analysis. For the calculations we used the per capita consumption of pesticides classified into three groups with the distribution of the tertiles in ascending order. The database of the Information Department at the SUS (Unified Health System) was used to analyze the pregnancy outcome variables. The results show an association between pesticide consumption and premature births, and pesticide consumption and low birth weight, although the latter could also be a confounding effect.