The politicizing clinic: insights on 'the social' for mental health policy and practice.

PURPOSE: In this paper, we explore how Brazilian socially sensitive therapy can respond to care-users' desire to change the social and political forces shaping their lives. We use this case to demonstrate the limits of the "social determinants of health" agenda which, when operationalized, tends to leave questions of lasting structural change aside. METHODS: We report on mixed methods ethnographic and epidemiological results from the 1982 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort study, a prospective study of 5914 children. Ethnographic analysis explored the cyclical relationship between schooling, mental health care, conceptualizations of mental distress, social and political engagement, and experiences with diverse forms of discrimination. Epidemiological bivariate and multivariate analyses examined differences in socio-political participation and the reporting of discrimination at different time-points for participants who used therapy with those who did not. Effect modification analysis tested the hypothesis that the socially empowering effects of therapy were greater for marginalized and minoritized youth. RESULTS: Most young people living in situations of precarity experienced therapy, particularly when based in schools, to be a blame-inducing process. A more fulfilling and impactful therapeutic experience took shape when young people were able to shift the focus away from symptom reduction and behavioral management toward narrative life analyses, social debate, and political agency. Use of socially sensitive therapy was statistically associated with increased political participation and reporting of discrimination after controlling for confounders. The empowering effects of therapy were greater for those with less formal education and family income, but not for young people who identified as black, brown, or non-white. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the importance of considering agency, sociality, and politics when theorizing "the social" in clinical practice, and health and social policy.

Effects of Two Early Parenting Programmes on Child Aggression and Risk for Violence in Brazil: a Randomised Controlled Trial.

Violence is a major public health problem globally, with the highest rates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Americas and southern Africa. Parenting programmes in high-income countries can diminish risk for violence, by reducing risk factors such as child aggression and harsh parenting, and increasing protective factors such as child cognitive development and school readiness. However, there is critical need to identify low-cost programmes with replicable benefits that work in real-world LMICs contexts. A three-arm, randomised, single-blind trial evaluated effects of two low-cost, group-based parenting programmes recommended for LMICs (ACT: Raising Safe Kids; DBS: dialogic book-sharing) on child aggression (primary outcome), child development, parenting, maltreatment, and stress. Participants were 369 children with medium-high levels of aggression (mean age 3.1 years at baseline) in poor households. Interventions were implemented in city health and education services in southern Brazil. Maternal reports, filmed observations, child tasks, and hair cortisol were assessed at baseline, 1-month post-intervention, and 8-month follow-up. Intention-to-treat analyses compared each of ACT and DBS with a control group. Three hundred sixty-eight (99.7%) participants completed follow-up assessments 8 months after the interventions. There was no effect of ACT (standardised mean difference, SMD 0.11, 95% CI - 0.05, 0.27) or DBS (SMD 0.05, 95% CI - 0.11, 0.21) on the primary outcome of child aggression. ACT reduced harsh parenting behaviour post-intervention (SMD - 0.23; 95% CI - 0.46, - 0.01), but not at follow-up. DBS improved book-sharing practices at both time points (e.g., maternal sensitivity at follow-up SMD 0.33; 95% CI 0.08, 0.57). There were no benefits of either programme for other parenting, child development, or stress outcomes. Two parenting programmes in Brazil had small effects on parenting practices but did not reduce child aggression or several other important risk/protective factors for violence. Effective early interventions that reduce violence in real-world LMIC settings are highly desirable but may be challenging to achieve.

Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their associations with intimate partner violence and child maltreatment: Results from a Brazilian birth cohort.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been found to predict many negative life outcomes. However, very little evidence exists on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Child Maltreatment (CM). We investigated the impact of maternal ACEs on IPV and CM in three different: cumulative risk, individual adversities and particular groupings of ACEs. The 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort, Southern Brazil, has followed a population-based sample mothers and children repeatedly until children were aged 4 years, when mothers provided data on ACEs, and current IPV and CM. ACEs were examined in three different ways: (i) as a cumulative risk score; (ii) individual adversities; and (iii) patterns of ACEs (Latent Class Analysis: LCA). One quarter (25.4%) of mothers reported having 5+ ACEs in childhood. Compared to mothers with no ACEs, those who reported 5+ ACEs, had 4.9 (95%CI 3.5; 6.7) times the risk of experiencing IPV and 3.8 (95%CI 2.5; 5.6) times the risk of reporting child maltreatment. LCA results also highlighted the major influence of multiple ACEs on later IPV and CM. However, individual ACEs related to violence (exposure to abuse or domestic violence) showed some specificity for both later IPV and CM, over and above the influence of cumulative childhood adversity. This is the first large study to demonstrate a strong link between maternal ACEs and both IPV and CM. Cumulative ACE exposure and some specificity in effects of childhood violence are important for later IPV and CM. Integrated prevention is essential for reducing the intergenerational transmission of adversity and violence.

Construction and validation of the Oxford Neurodevelopment Assessment (OX-NDA) in 1-year-old Brazilian children.

BACKGROUND: Over 250 million children under 5 years, globally, are at risk of developmental delay. Interventions during the first 2 years of life have enduring positive effects if children at risk are identified, using standardized assessments, within this window. However, identifying developmental delay during infancy is challenging and there are limited infant development assessments suitable for use in low- and middle-income (LMIC) settings. Here, we describe a new tool, the Oxford Neurodevelopment Assessment (OX-NDA), measuring cognition, language, motor, and behaviour, outcomes in 1-year-old children. We present the results of its evaluation against the Bayley Scales of Infant Development IIIrd edition (BSID-III) and its psychometric properties. METHODS: Sixteen international tools measuring infant development were analysed to inform the OX-NDA's construction. Its agreement with the BSID-III, for cognitive, motor and language domains, was evaluated using intra-class correlations (ICCs, for absolute agreement), Bland-Altman analyses (for bias and limits of agreement), and sensitivity and specificity analyses (for accuracy) in 104 Brazilian children, aged 12 months (SD 8.4 days), recruited from the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study. Behaviour was not evaluated, as the BSID-III's adaptive behaviour scale was not included in the cohort's protocol. Cohen's kappas and Cronbach's alphas were calculated to determine the OX-NDA's reliability and internal consistency respectively. RESULTS: Agreement was moderate for cognition and motor outcomes (ICCs 0.63 and 0.68, p < 0.001) and low for language outcomes (ICC 0.30, p < 0.04). Bland-Altman analysis showed little to no bias between measures across domains. The OX-NDA's sensitivity and specificity for predicting moderate-to-severe delay on the BSID-III was 76, 73 and 43% and 75, 80 and 33% for cognition, motor and language outcomes, respectively. Inter-rater (k = 0.80-0.96) and test-rest (k = 0.85-0.94) reliability was high for all domains. Administration time was < 20 minutes. CONCLUSION: The OX-NDA shows moderate agreement with the BSID-III for identifying infants at risk of cognitive and motor delay; agreement was low for language delay. It is a rapid, low-cost assessment constructed specifically for use in LMIC populations. Further work is needed to evaluate its use (i) across domains in populations beyond Brazil and (ii) to identify language delays in Brazilian children.

Parental attendance in two early-childhood training programmes to improve nurturing care: A randomized controlled trial.

Parent training programmes have significant potential to improve the quality of children's early environments and thereby their development and life-course outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify and explain the extent to which parents engaged in two group-based training programmes, offered to high-risk families enrolled in a randomized controlled trial study called PIÁ in Southern Brazil. The programmes were: (1) ACT: Raising Safe Kids, a 9-week programme aiming to reduce harsh parenting and maltreatment and improve positive parenting practices; (2) Dialogic book-sharing (DBS), an 8-week programme aiming to promote parental sensitivity and improve child cognitive development and social understanding. Of the 123 mothers randomly allocated to the ACT programme, 64.2% (n = 79) completed the course, and of 124 mothers allocated to DBS, 76.6% (n = 95) completed the course. After the interventions, mothers were very positive about the experience of both programmes but highlighted practical difficulties in attending. In adjusted regression analyses, only two variables significantly predicted ACT course completion (maternal age and distance between the intervention site and household); no significant predictor was found for DBS attendance. We conclude that although high completion rates are possible, there are important challenges to engaging parents of young children in training programmes, and practical difficulties occurring during training courses may be more important for attendance than baseline participant characteristics.

Infant sleep hygiene counseling (sleep trial): protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Sleep problems in childhood have been found to be associated with memory and learning impairments, irritability, difficulties in mood modulation, attention and behavioral problems, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Short sleep duration has been found to be associated with overweight and obesity in childhood. This paper describes the protocol of a behavioral intervention planned to promote healthier sleep in infants. METHODS: The study is a 1:1 parallel group single-blinded randomized controlled trial enrolling a total of 552 infants at 3 months of age. The main eligibility criterion is maternal report of the infant's sleep lasting on average less than 15 h per 24 h (daytime and nighttime sleep). Following block randomization, trained fieldworkers conduct home visits of the intervention group mothers and provide standardized advice on general practices that promote infant's self-regulated sleep. A booklet with the intervention content to aid the mother in implementing the intervention was developed and is given to the mothers in the intervention arm. In the two days following the home visit the intervention mothers receive daily telephone calls for intervention reinforcement and at day 3 the fieldworkers conduct a reinforcement visit to support mothers' compliance with the intervention. The main outcome assessed is the between group difference in average nighttime self-regulated sleep duration (the maximum amount of time the child stays asleep or awake without awakening the parents), at ages 6, 12 and 24 months, evaluated by means of actigraphy, activity diary records and questionnaires. The secondary outcomes are conditional linear growth between age 3-12 and 12-24 months and neurocognitive development at ages 12 and 24 months. DISCUSSION: The negative impact of inadequate and insufficient sleep on children's physical and mental health are unquestionable, as well as its impact on cognitive function, academic performance and behavior, all of these being factors to which children in low- and middle-income countries are at higher risk. Behavioral interventions targeting mothers and young children that can be delivered inexpensively and not requiring specialized training can help prevent future issues by reducing the risk to which these children are exposed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.gov NCT02788630 registered on 14 June 2016 (retrospectively registered).

Maternal Communication with Preschool Children about Morality: A Coding Scheme for a Book-Sharing Task.

Background: Preventing interpersonal violence requires understanding the moral development and determinants of child aggression. Communication about moral values and concerns by parents is theoretically important in this process. We aimed to develop a coding system to measure mothers' communication about morality with young children and test its psychometric properties. Method: The cross-sectional study included a subsample (n = 200) of mothers and their four-year-old children in a population-based Brazilian birth cohort. Mothers and children were filmed while looking at a picture book together, containing events of aggression, taking away without asking, and several prosocial behaviours. Films were transcribed and a coding system, including 17 items, was developed to measure the maternal moral judgements and the explanations communicated to their children. Inter-rater reliability was estimated, and exploratory factor analysis performed. Results: Mothers judged acts of physical aggression as wrong more frequently than taking away material goods without asking; most mothers communicated about the emotional consequences of wrong behaviour with their child. Two latent factors of moral communication were identified, interpersonal moral concern and the expression of material moral concern. There was excellent inter-rater reliability between the two coders. Conclusions: Parent-child book-sharing provides a means to measure maternal communication about morality with their children. The coding system of this study measures both communication about interpersonal moral concern and material moral concern. Further studies with larger samples are suggested to investigate the importance of these dimensions of caregiver moral communication for children's moral development.

Contraceptive medicalisation, fear of infertility and teenage pregnancy in Brazil.

In Brazil, as in many other countries, teenage pregnancy is widely recognised as a public health problem. Buttressed by a public health science of the economics of teenage pregnancy that emphasises the postponement of parenthood as key to poverty reduction, young people's lack of appreciation for medical knowledge of contraceptives is most often credited for failed attempts to reduce teenage pregnancy. Based on a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted in Pelotas, Brazil, with young people over the course of 10 years, our study found that young women who became teenage parents did not lack medical knowledge but were, rather, highly medicalised. Not only were they intensely concerned with the ill-effects of oral contraceptives on possible future fertility, they also engaged in intricate routines of contraceptive-use as a way of testing and safeguarding their fecundity. Our analysis attends to the way these practices are shaped by the problematisation of the economics of teenage pregnancy, as well as by the gendering of cultural norms relating to the transition to adulthood. We theorise the results by considering how contraceptive medicalisation enabled some women to engage with the authority of normative society, while developing a potent off-stage critique of this authority and of what they considered to be discriminatory messages imbedded in scientific discourses on teenage pregnancy.

Dietary patterns and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder characterized by persistent symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. The diet during childhood has been investigated as a factor potentially involved in the ADHD etiology. OBJECTIVE: To review systematically the evidence of the association between dietary patterns and ADHD. METHODS: Two independent literature searches were carried out in PubMed, LILACS and PsycINFO databases. The studies included were only those that assessed dietary patterns and ADHD in children and adolescents. Due to heterogeneity between the studies random-effects models were used to pool the estimates. RESULTS: We included fourteen observational studies (four cohorts, five case-control and five cross-sectional studies). In the pooled analysis, healthy dietary patterns were protective against ADHD (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 044 - 0.97), while unhealthy dietary patterns were found as risk to ADHD (OR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.15-1.74). After stratifying the studies by design (cohort/case control or cross-sectional), continent (Europe or Asia/Oceania) and sample size (≥1000 or <1000) the effects remained. LIMITATIONS: Absence of randomized controlled trials at the literature on this subject and scarce evidence from more robust designs, such as cohort and case-control studies. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that a diet high in refined sugar and saturated fat can increase the risk, whereas a healthy diet, characterized by high consumption of fruits and vegetables, would protect against ADHD or hyperactivity. Nevertheless, giving the number and the design of most of the studies available in the literature, the current evidence is weak. More studies using longitudinal design need to be performed to reinforce this evidence.

Effect of Parental Counseling on Infants' Healthy Sleep Habits in Brazil: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Poor sleep during early childhood is associated with adverse outcomes, including obesity, cognitive impairment, and mental and behavioral disorders. Objective: To assess the efficacy of an educational intervention in the promotion of nighttime sleep duration. Design, Setting, and Participants: This single-blind, intent-to-treat randomized clinical trial included participants in Pelotas, Brazil, aged 3 months who were followed up until age 24 months. Eligibility criteria included healthy infants aged approximately 3 months who slept less than 15 hours per 24 hours. Infants were randomized to the intervention group or control group. Interventions: Information on sleep characteristics, improvements in the environment, establishment of a nighttime sleep routine, and waiting before attending nocturnal awakenings was delivered to mothers in the intervention group by trained home-visitors at baseline. The intervention group received a telephone call on the first and second day after the intervention and a home visit on the third day after the intervention. The intervention's content was reinforced at health care visits for ages 6 months and 12 months. Mothers allocated to the control group were counseled on the benefits of breastfeeding for the mother's and child's health and given written material with content on breastfeeding. Main Outcomes and Measures: Nighttime sleep duration was measured by interview and actigraphy at baseline and ages 6, 12, and 24 months and diaries at baseline and age 6 months. At ages 3 and 6 months, nighttime sleep self-regulation was calculated by subtracting nighttime sleep duration recorded by actigraphy from nighttime sleep duration recorded in the diaries and at ages 12 and 24 months by subtracting nighttime sleep duration recorded by actigraphy from nighttime sleep duration obtained by interview. Results: Among 1812 mother-infant dyads invited to participate, 798 met the inclusion criteria and 586 agreed to participate. The intervention group included 298 infants (154 [52.9%] boys), and the control group included 288 infants (164 [58.2%] boys). At age 6 months, mean (SD) nighttime sleep duration recorded in diaries was 9.80 (1.85) hours in the intervention group and 9.49 (2.07) hours in the control group, a difference of 19 minutes longer for the intervention group. At age 12 months, mean (SD) nighttime sleep duration based on the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire was 8.43 (1.35) hours in the intervention group and 8.52 (1.35) hours in the control group, a difference of 5 minutes shorter for the intervention group. At age 24 months, compared with information from the interview, actigraphy records showed that children in the intervention group stayed awake at night without signalizing for a mean (SD) of 0.52 (2.52) hours, whereas children in the control group stayed awake at night without signalizing for a mean (SD) of 0.23 (2.43) hours. There were no statistically significant difference between groups in any of the sleep parameters investigated. Conclusions and Relevance: This randomized clinical trial found that the educational intervention did not achieve longer nighttime sleep duration among infants in the intervention group. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02788630.

The effects of two early parenting interventions on child aggression and risk for violence in Brazil (The PIÁ Trial): protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Children in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at high risk for exposure to violence and later violent behaviour. The World Health Organization has declared an urgent need for the evaluation and implementation of low-cost parenting interventions in LMICs to prevent violence. Two areas of significant early risk are harsh parenting and poor child cognitive and socio-emotional development. Parenting interventions suitable for LMIC contexts have been developed targeting these risk factors and have been shown to have promising effects. However, their impact on child aggression, a key precursor of violence, has yet to be determined. The Pelotas Trial of Parenting Interventions for Aggression (PIÁ) has been designed to address this issue. METHODS: We are conducting a randomised controlled trial to evaluate two early parenting interventions for mothers of children aged between 30 and 42 months in a Brazilian city. The first of these, dialogic book-sharing (DBS), aims to promote child cognitive and socio-emotional development; and the second, the ACT Raising Safe Kids Program (ACT), is designed to reduce harsh parenting. These interventions are being compared with a control group receiving neither intervention. Three hundred and sixty-nine families in a birth cohort are being randomly allocated to one of the three groups (DBS, ACT, Control). Facilitators deliver the interventions to groups of five to 10 mothers at weekly sessions for 8 weeks in DBS and 9 weeks in ACT. Independent assessments of parenting and child development are being made before the interventions, shortly afterwards, and at follow-up 6 months later. The primary outcome is child aggression, and the two main secondary outcomes are: (1) child cognitive and socio-emotional development and (2) harsh parenting. Longer-term outcomes will be investigated as the birth cohort is followed into late childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. DISCUSSION: The Pelotas Trial of Parenting Interventions for Aggression (PIÁ) aims to evaluate the impact of two early parenting interventions on child aggression and several other key risk factors for the development of violence, including aspects of parenting and child cognition and socio-emotional functioning. The study is being carried out in a LMIC context where violence constitutes a major social and health burden. Since the two interventions are brief and, with modest levels of training, readily deliverable in LMIC settings, a demonstration that they benefit parenting and reduce risk factors for violence would be of major significance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Ministry of Health Register of Clinical Trials, ID: RBR-2kwfsk . Registered on 6 June 2018.

Use of contraceptive methods by sexually active teenagers in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of contraceptive use by adolescents. A cross-sectional study was performed from March to September 2002 in a representative sample of adolescents 15 to 18 years of age in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Multiple-stage sampling was used, and in the 448 census tracts located in the urban area, 90 were sampled and households were visited in each tract. Information was collected on sexual initiation and use of contraceptive methods. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions. The sample included 960 adolescents. 88% of subjects reported the use of any contraceptive method. Condoms were the most commonly used method (63.2%). Low adolescent schooling was the only variable associated with increased risk of non-use of contraceptives. Condom use was higher among males, adolescents whose mothers had 9 or more years of schooling, and those reporting several sexual partners in the previous year. Condoms were the most commonly used contraceptive method.

Behavior Problems in Four-Year-Old Children from a Brazilian Birth Cohort / Problemas de Comportamento em Crianças Brasileiras de Quatro Anos de Idade

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of behavior problems in 3750 four years old children from a birth cohort. Children were followed from birth to four years old through home visits, and questionnaires on child health and development and the Child Behavior Checklist 4-18/CBCL were applied. Prevalence rates were high (total problems 35.6%), particularly externalizing problems, which occurred in 44.4 % of children (48.3% girls; 40.6% boys; p < 0.001). Internalizing problems were less prevalent, occurring in 15.5 % of children (19.1% boys; 11.6% girls; p < 0.001). Regardless of sex, there was a higher prevalence of behavioral problems in children with younger siblings, whose mothers had less education and had no partner.

Resumo Este estudo objetivou investigar a ocorrência de problemas de comportamento em 3750 crianças pertencentes a uma coorte de nascimentos. As crianças foram acompanhadas do nascimento aos quatro anos de idade, por meio de visitas domiciliares, tendo sido aplicados instrumentos sobre saúde e desenvolvimento infantil e o Child Behavior Checklist 4-18/CBCL. As prevalências encontradas foram altas (total de problemas de comportamento: 35,6%), com destaque para problemas de externalização, que ocorreram em 44,4% das crianças (48,3% meninas; 40,6% meninos; p < 0,001). Problemas de internalização foram menos prevalentes, ocorrendo em 15,5% das crianças (19,1% meninos; 11,6% meninas; p < 0,001). Independente do sexo, houve maior prevalência de problemas de comportamento em crianças com maior número de irmãos mais novos, cujas mães tinham menor escolaridade e não tinham companheiro.

Problemas de comportamento e excesso de peso em pré-escolares do sul do Brasil / Behavior problems and overweight in preschool children in southern Brazil

RESUMO Objetivo Este estudo objetivou investigar a associação entre problemas de comportamento e excesso de peso (sobrepeso e obesidade) em pré-escolares de uma coorte de nascimentos do sul do Brasil, acompanhados do nascimento aos 4 anos de idade. Métodos No acompanhamento dos quatro anos foram realizadas entrevistas domiciliares com as mães das crianças, tendo sido coletadas informações sobre a saúde e o desenvolvimento infantil, além de ser aplicado o Child Behavior Checklist 4-18/CBCL. Resultados Cerca de 15% dos meninos e 12% das meninas de 4 anos apresentaram excesso de peso, e a associação entre problemas de comportamento e o excesso de peso nessa idade se deu apenas em problemas de ansiedade-depressão, nas meninas (OR: 3,79 [IC95%: 1,60-8,97]; p = 0,002). Conclusões Meninas em idade pré-escolar com excesso de peso apresentaram mais problemas de ansiedade-depressão do que as com peso adequado da mesma idade. Essa informação é de extrema relevância, visto que os anos pré-escolares são ideais para se investir em prevenção, tanto dos problemas de comportamento, como do excesso de peso, possibilitando introduzir comportamentos/hábitos mais saudáveis e diminuir, assim, as consequências negativas que ambos acarretam à vida das crianças.

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to investigate the association between behavior problems and excess of weight (overweight and obesity) in preschool children from a birth cohort in southern Brazil, followed from birth to four years old. Methods In the follow-up of four years, home interviews with mothers were carried out where information on the health and development of children were collected, in addition to application of the Child Behavior Checklist 4-18/CBCL. Results About 15% of boys and 12% of four-year girls were overweight/obese, and the association between behavior problems and excess of weight in this age occurred only with problems of anxiety-depression in girls (OR: 3.79 [95% CI: 1.60 to 8.97]; p = 0.002). Conclusions Preschool girls with excess of weight showed more problems of anxiety and depression than those with adequate weight at the same age. This information is extremely important, as the preschool years are ideal for investing in prevention of both behavioral problems and overweight/obesity, allowing to introduce healthier habits and behaviors and decrease thus the negative consequences both cause to children.

Vitimização por violência urbana em uma cidade de médio porte do sul do Brasil / Urban violence victimization in a medium size town in south Brazil

A violência urbana afeta a vida dos indivíduos, tornando-se um problema complexo de saúde e segurança pública. Buscando avaliar a situação de violência em uma cidade de médio porte, realizou-se um estudo transversal, de base populacional, investigando a prevalência de vitimização por violência urbana para furtos, roubos, agressões e furto/roubo à residência nos últimos cinco anos e 12 meses; e o perfil das vítimas e a prevalência de notificação à polícia. Foi construído um escore a fim de medir a vitimização por pelo menos um dos tipos de violência em cada período. Na análise bruta, a associação entre a vitimização por cada tipo de violência e as variáveis independentes foi investigada através do teste de Wald para heterogeneidade e para tendência linear, quando aplicável. A Regressão de Poisson foi utilizada na análise multivariável. Foram entrevistados 2.912 indivíduos (idade > 20 anos), sendo que 16,6 por cento destes sofreram violência no último ano e 28 por cento nos últimos cinco anos. As maiores prevalências de vitimização foram de furto/roubo à residência (9,7 por cento) e furto (6,0 por cento). As principais vítimas de violência urbana foram homens e jovens. Mais da metade dos vitimizados não notificou a ocorrência por não confiar na polícia. Os achados confirmam a importância de pesquisas de vitimização além das metrópoles. As discussões sobre o tema mostram a necessidade de incrementar, executar ou criar políticas públicas de segurança e saúde em distintos contextos nacionais, sem desconsiderar cidades do interior.

Urban violence affects individuals' lives, and therefore it is a complex problem of public health and security. To evaluate the occurrence of violence in a medium size city, a population-based cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate: prevalence of urban violence victimization (theft, robbery, aggression, and burglary) in the period of five years and twelve months before the interview; victims' profile and prevalence of crime reporting. A score was constructed to measure global urban violence victimization, which means at least one type of violence in each period. The Wald test for heterogeneity and linear trend was used in crude analysis, to measure violence victimization and independent variables. Poisson Regression was used in multivariate analysis. The sample included 2.912 individuals (> 20 years of age) and 16.6% of them had experienced urban violence in the past year and 28.0% in the past five years. Prevalence of burglary was 9.7% and theft 6.0% in the past year. Most urban violence victims were men and youth. More than half of the victims had not reported the crime, and the reason for that was distrust in the police. These findings sustain the importance of victimization surveys in smaller cities. The debate about urban violence should include the need to develop, execute or create health and security policies in different contexts, without comprising countryside.

Orientações sobre amamentação: a vantagem do Programa de Saúde da Família em municípios gaúchos com mais de 100.000 habitantes no âmbito do PROESF / Breast feeding orientation: the benefits of the Family Health Program in municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

OBJETIVOS: Descrever as orientações sobre amamentação fornecidas às gestantes e comparar sua freqüência durante o pré-natal de acordo com o modelo de atenção: Programa de Saúde da Família (PSF) ou Tradicional. MÉTODOS: Integrando a pesquisa de avaliação do PROESF/UFPEL (2005), estudou-se mulheres que tiveram filhos nos dois anos anteriores à entrevista, residentes na área de abrangência de 93 Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) em 17 municípios gaúchos com mais de 100.000 habitantes. Entre março e maio de 2005, 15 entrevistadores selecionados e capacitados coletaram informações em entrevistas domiciliares de 568 mulheres que fizeram o pré-natal na UBS de sua área de abrangência, através de questionários padronizados e pré-codificados. Na análise dos dados, utilizou-se o teste t para a comparação entre as médias e o teste do qui-quadrado para associação entre as proporções, considerando-se significativas as diferenças com valor p inferior a 0,05. Também foram calculadas as razões de prevalência (RP), com intervalos de confiança de 95 por cento. RESULTADOS: Todas as proporções de orientações sobre amamentação foram significativamente mais referidas por moradoras de áreas com PSF do que em moradoras de áreas de UBS tradicionais. Quando as orientações foram analisadas em um escore quantitativo, verificou-se que 18 por cento das mães não receberam nenhuma orientação, 39 por cento receberam pelo menos uma e 43 por cento receberam todas as orientações investigadas e estas proporções foram significativamente diferentes de acordo com o tipo de UBS, em favor do PSF. CONCLUSÕES: Os serviços de atenção primária do PSF mostraram-se mais efetivos no fornecimento de informações sobre amamentação, o que constitui uma vantagem que deve ser incentivada, tanto com a expansão da estratégia, ampliando sua cobertura populacional, quanto recomendando que profissionais vinculados à atenção tradicional possam ser motivados a incluir em seus atendimentos de pré-natal o reforço às orientaç...

Orientações sobre amamentação: a vantagem do Programa de Saúde da Família em municípios gaúchos com mais de 100.000 habitantes no âmbito do PROESF / Breast feeding orientation: the benefits of the Family Health Program in municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

OBJETIVOS: Descrever as orientações sobre amamentação fornecidas às gestantes e comparar sua freqüência durante o pré-natal de acordo com o modelo de atenção: Programa de Saúde da Família (PSF) ou Tradicional. MÉTODOS: Integrando a pesquisa de avaliação do PROESF/UFPEL (2005), estudou-se mulheres que tiveram filhos nos dois anos anteriores à entrevista, residentes na área de abrangência de 93 Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) em 17 municípios gaúchos com mais de 100.000 habitantes. Entre março e maio de 2005, 15 entrevistadores selecionados e capacitados coletaram informações em entrevistas domiciliares de 568 mulheres que fizeram o pré-natal na UBS de sua área de abrangência, através de questionários padronizados e pré-codificados. Na análise dos dados, utilizou-se o teste t para a comparação entre as médias e o teste do qui-quadrado para associação entre as proporções, considerando-se significativas as diferenças com valor p inferior a 0,05. Também foram calculadas as razões de prevalência (RP), com intervalos de confiança de 95 por cento. RESULTADOS: Todas as proporções de orientações sobre amamentação foram significativamente mais referidas por moradoras de áreas com PSF do que em moradoras de áreas de UBS tradicionais. Quando as orientações foram analisadas em um escore quantitativo, verificou-se que 18 por cento das mães não receberam nenhuma orientação, 39 por cento receberam pelo menos uma e 43 por cento receberam todas as orientações investigadas e estas proporções foram significativamente diferentes de acordo com o tipo de UBS, em favor do PSF. CONCLUSÕES: Os serviços de atenção primária do PSF mostraram-se mais efetivos no fornecimento de informações sobre amamentação, o que constitui uma vantagem que deve ser incentivada, tanto com a expansão da estratégia, ampliando sua cobertura populacional, quanto recomendando que profissionais vinculados à atenção tradicional possam ser motivados a incluir em seus atendimentos de pré-natal o reforço às orientações preconizadas em aleitamento materno (AU)

Prevalência e fatores associados à prática de esportes individuais e coletivos em adolescentes pertencentes a uma coorte de nascimentos / Individual and collective sports practice and associated factors among adolescents belonging to a birth cohort study

O presente estudo investigou a prática de esportes individuais e coletivos e fatores associados em jovens com idade média de 11 anos, pertencentes a uma coorte de nascimentos. Informações dos jovens e de suas mães foram coletadas por meio de questionários. O desfecho foi dividido em prática de esportes individuais e coletivos. Uma análise por meio de regressão de Poisson foi conduzida para estabelecer os fatores associados à prática esportiva, obedecendo a um modelo conceitual de análise com as variáveis independentes hierarquizadas. Um total de 4350 jovens foi estudado. A prática de esportes coletivos foi menor nas meninas - 68,1 por cento (IC95 por cento 66,2 - 70,0) em comparação aos meninos - 82,1 por cento (IC95 por cento 80,5 - 83,7). Nos esportes individuais, a prevalência foi de 12,9 por cento (IC95 por cento 11,6 - 14,4) e 18,9 por cento (IC95 por cento 17,3 - 20,6) em meninas e meninos, respectivamente. Entre as meninas, a prática de esportes individuais relacionou-se diretamente com nível econômico e inversamente com assistir televisão. Nos meninos este desfecho associou-se com estudar em escolas privadas e ter mães fisicamente ativas. Em esportes coletivos, a prática foi menor naqueles que despendem maior tempo assistindo TV. Em ambos os sexos houve uma relação direta entre o uso regular do vídeo-game e a prática de esportes. Políticas públicas devem considerar os diferentes aspectos relacionados à prática esportiva e atender a disparidades socioeconômicas no acesso a diferentes modalidades esportivas. Além disso, o maior acesso a diferentes locais de práticas esportivas, bem como o incentivos de pais, amigos e ambiente escolar devem ser fortalecidos.

The present study investigated individual and collective sports practice and associated factors among adolescents with a mean age of 11 years, belonging to a birth cohort study. Information on the adolescents and on their mothers were obtained through questionnaires. The outcome variable was divided into practice of individual and collective sports. Poisson regression models were used in order to determine the factors associated with sports practice, following a hierarchical framework. A total of 4350 adolescents were interviewed. Practice of collective sports was less frequent among girls - 68.1 percent (95 percentCI 66.2 - 70.0) in comparison to boys- 82.1 percent (95 percentCI 80.5 - 83.7). Regarding individual sports, the prevalence was 12.9 percent (95 percentCI 11.6 - 14.4) and 18.9 percent (95 percentCI 17.3 - 20.6) in girls and boys, respectively. Among girls, individual sports practice was directly associated with socioeconomic level and inversely with television viewing. Among boys, the outcome was associated with studying in private schools and having an active mother. In terms of collective sports, the practice was less frequent among those with high level of television viewing. In both sexes, a direct association was observed between videogame playing and sports practice. Public policies should consider the different aspects related to sports practice and consider socioeconomic inequalities in sports practice.

Use of contraceptive methods by sexually active teenagers in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of contraceptive use by adolescents. A cross-sectional study was performed from March to September 2002 in a representative sample of adolescents 15 to 18 years of age in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Multiple-stage sampling was used, and in the 448 census tracts located in the urban area, 90 were sampled and households were visited in each tract. Information was collected on sexual initiation and use of contraceptive methods. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions. The sample included 960 adolescents. 88 percent of subjects reported the use of any contraceptive method. Condoms were the most commonly used method (63.2 percent). Low adolescent schooling was the only variable associated with increased risk of non-use of contraceptives. Condom use was higher among males, adolescents whose mothers had 9 or more years of schooling, and those reporting several sexual partners in the previous year. Condoms were the most commonly used contraceptive method.

O estudo avaliou o uso de métodos contraceptivos em adolescentes. Entre março e setembro de 2002, realizou-se um estudo transversal na zona urbana da cidade de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. A amostragem foi em múltiplos estágios, 90 dos 448 setores censitários da zona urbana de Pelotas foram sorteados e em cada setor 86 residências foram visitadas. Considerou-se a informação do adolescente sobre a prática de relações sexuais e do uso de métodos contraceptivos. Nas comparações entre as proporções utilizou-se o teste do qui-quadrado. Foram entrevistados 960 adolescentes, enquanto que para 79 não foi possível realizar a entrevista. Aproximadamente 88 por cento dos adolescentes usavam algum método contraceptivo. O preservativo masculino foi encontrado como o método mais usado naqueles adolescentes que têm relação sexual (63,2 por cento). A escolaridade do adolescente foi a única variável associada com o uso de contraceptivos. O uso de preservativo masculino foi mais freqüente entre os meninos, aqueles cuja mãe tinha nove ou mais anos de escolaridade e naqueles com vários parceiros. O preservativo masculino é o método mais usado.

Use of contraceptive methods by sexually active teenagers in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of contraceptive use by adolescents. A cross-sectional study was performed from March to September 2002 in a representative sample of adolescents 15 to 18 years of age in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Multiple-stage sampling was used, and in the 448 census tracts located in the urban area, 90 were sampled and households were visited in each tract. Information was collected on sexual initiation and use of contraceptive methods. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions. The sample included 960 adolescents. 88 percent of subjects reported the use of any contraceptive method. Condoms were the most commonly used method (63.2 percent). Low adolescent schooling was the only variable associated with increased risk of non-use of contraceptives. Condom use was higher among males, adolescents whose mothers had 9 or more years of schooling, and those reporting several sexual partners in the previous year. Condoms were the most commonly used contraceptive method.(AU)

O estudo avaliou o uso de métodos contraceptivos em adolescentes. Entre março e setembro de 2002, realizou-se um estudo transversal na zona urbana da cidade de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. A amostragem foi em múltiplos estágios, 90 dos 448 setores censitários da zona urbana de Pelotas foram sorteados e em cada setor 86 residências foram visitadas. Considerou-se a informação do adolescente sobre a prática de relações sexuais e do uso de métodos contraceptivos. Nas comparações entre as proporções utilizou-se o teste do qui-quadrado. Foram entrevistados 960 adolescentes, enquanto que para 79 não foi possível realizar a entrevista. Aproximadamente 88 por cento dos adolescentes usavam algum método contraceptivo. O preservativo masculino foi encontrado como o método mais usado naqueles adolescentes que têm relação sexual (63,2 por cento). A escolaridade do adolescente foi a única variável associada com o uso de contraceptivos. O uso de preservativo masculino foi mais freqüente entre os meninos, aqueles cuja mãe tinha nove ou mais anos de escolaridade e naqueles com vários parceiros. O preservativo masculino é o método mais usado.(AU)