Burnout among Brazilian Dentists during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: This article identifies the factors associated with burnout among dentists in the state of Bahia, Brazil, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted between November 2020 and February 2021, of 251 dentists, selected by snowball sampling. Sociodemographic, occupational, and epidemiological information was collected in an electronic form. Burnout was evaluated through the Maslach Burnout Inventory; anxiety through the Beck Anxiety Inventory; and quality of life through the WHOQol-BREF questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was used to identify factors associated with variations in levels of the three burnout dimensions. Results: The mean levels of the burnout dimensions were: Emotional Exhaustion: 28.9 ± 8.9 (SD); Depersonalization = 8.2 ± 6.3; and Personal Accomplishment: 28.0 ± 6.2. The proportion of professionals with high Emotional Exhaustion (≥ 30 cut-off score), high Depersonalization (≥ 12 cut-off score), and low Personal Accomplishment (≤ 33 cut-off score) were 43.4%, 26.3% and 81.3%, respectively. Burnout components were associated with high anxiety; lower levels of the physical, psychological, social relations, and environmental dimensions of quality of life; less time working as a dentist; increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, feeling safe when using personal protective equipment, and support from work fellows. Conclusion: The dentists investigated showed moderate levels of Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization, and very low levels of Personal Accomplishment. The prevention and mitigation of burnout syndrome among dentists during a pandemic should consider several factors, such as quality of life, amount of time in the profession, use of personal protective equipment, support from fellow dentists, and alcohol consumption.

Presenteeism and Low Work Performance Among Fruit Farm Workers in Northeast Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: The "decision" to go to work, or remain absent, when unwell undermines worker energy. I is therefore understandable that low work performance is one of the main consequences of the act of presenteeism. This study evaluated the association between presenteeism, and absolute and relative work performance among fruit farm workers in Northeast Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study investigated 340 paid employees of both sexes, aged 18 years or over, who worked during the 2019 irrigated fruit harvest in the municipality of Petrolina, Northeast Brazil. Absolute and relative work performance were measured using the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. Workers who answered "one or more days" to the question "How many days have you worked this season when you were injured or unwell?" were considered presenteeists. Poisson regression with robust variance models was used to estimate the prevalence ratios of the main associations, adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: Presenteeist workers presented lower absolute and relative work performance than non-presenteeist workers according to the strata for most of the investigated factors. The associations between presenteeism, and absolute (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.31) and relative work performance (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.45) remained strong, even after multiple adjustments for other relevant variables. CONCLUSION: Presenteeist fruit culture workers self-assessed their work performance as lower than non-presenteeist ones.

Presenteeism among fruit farm workers in Northeast Brazil: cross-sectional study.

The scientific literature about presenteeism among farm workers is scarce. This study estimated the prevalence of and factors associated with presenteeism among paid fruit farm workers. A cross-sectional study investigated 340 paid employees of both sexes, aged 18 years or above, who worked during the 2019 irrigated fruit harvest in the municipality of Petrolina, Northeast Brazil. Information about sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, general health status, occupational characteristics, interpersonal work aspects, and the work environment's structural characteristics was collected in a structured questionnaire. Presenteeism was established when participants reported working one or more days during the previous season despite feeling ill or when injured. Cox regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios adjusted by sex, area of residence (urban or rural), employment contract (permanent or seasonal), satisfaction with management, participation in workplace decision-making, availability of on-site healthcare facilities, and on-site availability of sunscreen. The prevalence of presenteeism during the previous season was high: 58.2%. In the final multivariate model, the adjusted prevalence ratio was higher (≥1.20) among female workers (1.42), workers dissatisfied with management (1.28), and those for whom sunscreen was not available on site (1.61). The prevalence of presenteeism was high and associated with personal, work organizational, and workplace resources characteristics.

Violence Against Teachers and Work Ability: A Cross-Sectional Study in Northeast Brazil.

This study aimed to describe teacher work ability in relation to violence against teachers and certain sociodemographic and occupational features. A cross-sectional study investigated 525 kindergarten and elementary grade school teachers from Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Northeast Brazil. Information from each teacher was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The main outcome was teacher reports about their current and future (in 2 years' time) physical and emotional work ability. The teachers were predominantly female, young, with heavy workloads and on low incomes. Teachers reported being victimized in the school by physical violence (22.9%), verbal violence (42.9%), theft or robbery (36.4%), aggression or threats with a firearm or a non-firearm weapon (knife, glass, etc.; 7.0%), or by some form of violence (58.4%). Teachers reported low physical (56.0%) and emotional (40.6%) current work ability. Low physical work ability was significantly associated with physical and verbal violence, theft and robbery, and some form of violence; low emotional work ability was associated with physical and verbal violence, aggression or threat with a weapon, and some form of violence. Expectation of low work ability in the future was reported by 42.9% of the teachers and was associated with higher education level, and physical violence, verbal violence, theft or robbery, aggression or threat with a weapon, and some form of violence. The association between violence and work ability was modified by education level. Subsequent control of confounding in the strata of education confirmed the associations between violence and low work ability. The physical, emotional, and future work ability of teachers was low and associated with school violence, indicating the need to promote a safer work environment inside the school and in society as a whole.

Risk factors for fatal scorpion envenoming among Brazilian children: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Scorpion envenoming is relatively frequent in tropical and subtropical regions and potentially fatal. We aimed to identify risk factors for fatal scorpion envenoming among Brazilian children. METHODS: A case-control study investigated all fatal cases of scorpion envenoming among children up to 10 y old, reported to the Brazilian Diseases Surveillance System between 1 January 2007 and 18 July 2016. Controls were randomly sampled from children who survived the envenoming over this period. Data were analysed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the 254 cases and 1083 controls investigated, the identified risk factors were age ≤5 y, occurred in a rural area, time-to-treatment ≥3 h, treatment with scorpion antivenom (SAV) but either excessive or insufficient number of vials, treatment with antivenom that was neither SAV nor anti-spider and no antivenom administered compared with the standard recommended treatment. Treatment effectiveness at preventing fatal scorpion envenoming was 77.0% when time-to-treatment was <3 h and 75% in children 9-10 y of age. SAV was 63% effective at preventing death when administered early at the recommended dosage. CONCLUSIONS: Fatal scorpion envenoming was associated with younger age, incident occurring in a rural area, late treatment and inadequate antivenom treatment. SAV was effective at preventing death when administered early.

Spectroscopy, lifetime, and charge-displacement of the methanol-noble gas complexes: An integrated experimental-theoretical investigation.

An integrated experimental-theoretical investigation was employed to determine rovibrational energies, spectroscopic constants, lifetime as a function of temperature in gas phase complexes of methanol with noble gas (NgHe, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, and Rn). Beside that, a parallel effort has been addressed to theoretically characterize the nature of intermolecular interactions determining the dissociation energy and equilibrium distance of the formed adducts. Dynamics and lifetime results reveal that, except for the CH3OH-He aggregate, all other methanol-Ng compounds are sufficiently stable under thermal conditions. Their lifetimes are larger than 1 ps for the temperature of the bulk in the range between 200 and 500 K. In addition, the current lifetime results suggest that the aggregates formed by methanol and Ng are globally more stable than corresponding complexes formed by water with Ng. From the point of view of the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level calculation, in all compounds, the electron densities of Ng partners are weakly polarized in the presence of CH3OH molecule. The charge-displacement curves and NBO analysis indicate that the charge transfer from Ng to methanol molecule, in general, plays a minor role, being appreciable only in the aggregate involving Ar. Finally, it was verified from the SAPT2 + (CCD)-δMP2/aug-cc-pVTZ calculations and NCI analysis that the dispersion is the essential long-range attractive contribution to the interaction energy for all studied complexes. This feature strongly suggests that these compounds are held bonded substantially by van der Waals forces. Then non-covalent intermolecular bonds are effectively formed in the gas phase, which is disturbed by small stabilizing charge-transfer contributions.

Verbal Aggression Against Teacher and Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Pain.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the relationship between verbal aggression against school teachers and upper extremity (neck, shoulder, upper limb, and/or upper back) musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 525 elementary school teachers from Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Northeast Brazil. RESULTS: The prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain among teachers who reported verbal aggression in the past six months (67.7%) was higher than that among those who did not report verbal aggression (51.7%): (prevalence ratio = 1.21; 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.40). The prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was associated with verbal aggression, sex, and common mental disorders, controlled by skin color, age, monthly income, teachers' education, years working as a teacher, workload, and obesity. Furthermore, the measure of the association between verbal aggression and upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was modified by sex and common mental disorders, considered altogether. Teachers who suffered verbal aggression, of the feminine sex, and also having common mental disorders reported high prevalence (85.4%) of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain. CONCLUSION: The association between verbal violence in the school and complaints of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was strong and modified by teachers' sex and common mental disorders.

Soil Contamination by a Lead Smelter in Brazil in the View of the Local Residents.

A primary lead smelter operated in Santo Amaro City in Brazil from 1960 to 1993, leaving approximately 500,000 tons of industrial dross containing 2⁻3% of lead and other toxic elements that contaminated the industry grounds and the urban environment. This study aimed to present the local residents' perception towards soil contamination by the smelter. In a cross-sectional study, 208 residents from randomly selected households were interviewed about dross hazards and proposals for its management. A city map depicts the distribution and concentration of lead, cadmium, arsenic, zinc, nickel, and antimony, measured in the soil of the 39 households with visible smelter dross. Only one site complies with the soil quality reference values; 27 (69.2%) call for preventive measures, and 11 (28.2%) require intervention. The smelter dross continues widely spread over the city. Thirty (76.9%) out of the 39 residents were able to recognize the smelter dross on household surroundings. However, this ability was not associated with the concentrations of toxic elements in the soil of their residences and surroundings. The smelter and the local Prefecture were most frequently held liable for taking soil cleanup actions. The most frequently (38.0%) cited solution for managing the dross found in the households was "to provide the residents with information about health risks related to the dross".

Agriculture and snakebite in Bahia, Brazil - An ecological study.

This study investigated the correlation between the incidence of snakebite and indicators of agricultural development in municipal districts of the State of Bahia, Brazil. An ecological study was conducted with the 27,347 cases of snakebite poisoning reported to the Reportable Diseases National Information System in municipalities from the State of Bahia, Brazil, 2000-2009. The unit of analysis was each one of the 417 State municipalities, and the outcome variable was the average annual incidence of snakebite. Data were analyzed by multiple linear regression technique. The average annual incidence of snakebite ranged from zero to 221.96 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the municipalities. The incidence of snakebite was positively and strongly associated with municipality characteristics: planted areas of cocoa and coffee, and the size of domestic bred chicken and bovine livestocks. It was concluded that several characteristics related to municipal agricultural profile were strongly associated with the incidence of snakebite.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance: importance of risk factors and histological spectrum.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been associated with several metabolic conditions (MC) and secondary causes, but the relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and the underlying aetiology of NAFLD has not been extensively explored. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of IR among NAFLD patients and to describe IR according to risk factors and histological findings of the disease. METHODOLOGY: A case-series study of 64 patients with clinical and histological diagnosis of NAFLD. IR was calculated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) and IR was considered when HOMA > or = 3. Histological grades of NAFLD were: stage 1, steatosis isolated; stage 2, steatosis and inflammation; stage 3, steatosis and ballooning degeneration; stage 4, steatosis and fibrosis and/or Mallory bodies. Fibrosis was graded 0-4 (cirrhosis). RESULTS: IR was found in 21 (33%) patients. Among those with IR, 16 patients (76%) had associated MC and five patients (24%) had exposure to petrochemicals. The mean value of HOMA varied from 3.5 in NAFLD associated with MC to 1.6 in patients with exposure to petrochemicals (P < 0.03). Waist circumference was the metabolic factor most strongly associated with IR (P < 0.005). Steatohepatitis (NASH) was observed in 54 (84.3%) cases. The HOMA mean value was significantly higher in patients with advanced fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: IR occurred in 33% of the NAFLD patients, being more frequent among those with MC than among those with exposure to petrochemicals. The presence of IR in cases with advanced fibrosis suggests that it may influence the prognosis of NAFLD.

Health-related quality of life of students from a private medical school in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to describe factors associated with its variation among undergraduate medical students at a Brazilian private medical school. METHODS: A cross-sectional study in a sample (n=180) of medical students at a private medical school in Salvador, Brazil, stratified by year of medical course. Data about age, sex, year of course, physical activity, sleepiness, headaches, participation in a student loan program supported by the Brazilian government (FIES) and living arrangements were collected using a self-administered form. HRQOL was assessed by using a Brazilian Portuguese version of the SF-36 form. The eight domains of SF-36 and the Physical Component (PCS) and Mental Component (MCS) Summaries scales were calculated. RESULTS: The medical students showed poor HRQOL, mainly because of the mental component. Lower mean scores were found among those with FIES support, females, those suffering from sleepiness, headaches and lacking physical activity. No clear trend was observed in the variation of the SF-36 mean scores according to the year of medical school. However, students in the fifth year of the course had the highest HRQOL mean scores. CONCLUSIONS: Health-related quality of life of students at this private medical school was poor, mainly because of its mental component. Lower HRQOL was associated with FIES support, females, sleepiness, headaches and lack of regular physical activity. Higher scores were found among fifth year students.

[Labor and health conditions of private school teachers in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil]. / Condições de trabalho e saúde dos professores da rede particular de ensino de Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brasil.

The scientific literature on teachers' health is scarce, recent, and focuses predominantly on stress and burnout. This study describes the labor conditions of private school teachers in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia State, Brazil. Information on 250 teachers from the ten largest schools in the municipality was collected through a self-applied questionnaire. The most relevant characteristics of teachers' work, evaluated by the Job Content Questionnaire were: speed of work, creativity at work, and relations with colleagues. The most frequent complaints related to posture, mental strain, and voice problems. Prevalence of minor psychological disorders according to the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 was 41.5%, strongly associated with long periods of intense concentration on the same job and excessive work. Results suggest an association between the prevalence of minor psychological disorders and certain characteristics of teaching work, emphasizing teachers' exposure to stress.

Condições de trabalho e saúde dos professores da rede particular de ensino de Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brasil / Labor and health conditions of private school teachers in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil

A literatura científica sobre a saúde dos professores é escassa e recente, enfocando especialmente o desgaste e estresse. Este trabalho objetivou descrever as condições de trabalho e saúde dos professores da rede particular de ensino da cidade de Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brasil. Num questionário auto-aplicado foram coletadas informações de 250 professores de dez escolas. Entre as características do trabalho docente, avaliadas pelo Job Content Questionnaire, destacaram-se ritmo acelerado de trabalho, ser criativo e ter boas relações com as pessoas no trabalho. As queixas de saúde mais freqüentes estavam relacionadas à postura corporal, à saúde mental e a queixas relacionadas à voz. A prevalência de distúrbios psíquicos menores (DPM), medida pelo Self Reporting Questionnaire-20, foi de 41,5 por cento e estava fortemente associada a longos períodos de intensa concentração em uma mesma tarefa e volume excessivo de trabalho. Os resultados sugerem relação entre a prevalência de DPM e algumas características do trabalho docente, evidenciando desgaste psicológico do educador.

Sintomas psicológicos e trabalho na indústria petroquímica: um estudo com moradores de Camaçari, Bahia, Brasil / Psychological symptoms and petrochemical industry work: a study with inhabitants of Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil

Com dados recuperados e revisados de um inquérito populacional realizado na zona urbana de Camaçari, município da Regiäo Metropolitana de Salvador - Bahia, estimou-se a prevalência de sintomas psicológicos entre trabalhadores do setor industrial, enfocando-se o Pólo Petroquímico localizado nesta área. Através de uma amostra aleatória de superfície, 510 domicílios foram selecionados e identificados 709 indivíduos do sexo masculino, maiores de 18 anos. Destes, selecionou-se os chefes de família (308) que referiram trabalhar no setor industrial, sendo que 153 (49,6 por cento) mencionaram trabalhar em indústrias do Pólo, que à época encontra-se em vias de implantaçäo, com algumas empresas já totalmente instaladas. identificou-se que os trabalhadores das indústrias do Pólo eram mais jovens, tinham melhores níveis de escolaridade, apresentavam mais migrantes recentes (menos de dois anos de residência na área) e indivíduos em regime de trabalho de turno do que os demais trabalhadores do setor industrial. Em geral, prevalências de sintomas psicológicos foram elevadas, embora näo se tenha verificado diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos. Nota-se, entretanto, um predomínio entre os trabalhadores do Pólo de tratamento para nervosismo , preocupaçäo excessiva com doenças e o consumo excessivo de bebidas alcoólicas. Entre os trabalhadores de outras indústrias a maior diferença entre as prevalências estimadas foi para idéias de suicídio . Estes dados revelam desigualdades sociais e de saúde relacionadas ao processo de admissäo e seleçäo de trabalhadores em empresas de alta tecnologia. Maior aprofundamento dessa questäo, com a comparaçäo com dados recentes, encontra-se em investigaçäo

Intoxicaçäo pelo chumbo: zinco protofirina no sangue de crianças de Santo Amaro da Purificaçäo e de Salvador, BA / Lead poisoning: zinc protoporphyrin in blood of children from Santo Amaro da Purificaçäo, Bahia, Brazil

Um estudo epidemiológico de corte transversal avaliou a intoxicaçäo por chumbo em todas as 101 crianças de um a cinco anos de idade, residentes num raio de 500 metros de uma fundiçäo de chumbo, a qual funcionava desde 1960 em Santo Amaro da Purificaçäo(BA). A intoxicaçäo por chumbo foi avaliada através da dosagem da concentraçäo de zinco protoporfirina em sangue total(ZPP). Os resultados foram comparados com aqueles obtidos para 98 crianças da mesma faixa etária, de uma creche de Salvador. Em Santo Amaro, a média geométrica da ZPP foi de 65.5µg/dl(DPG=1,7), muito acima portanto do limite de normalidade de 30,0µg/dl recomendado pelo CDC-EUA. Uma criança, excluída das análises estatísticas, apresentou resultado de ZPP muito elevado:789µg/dl. Em Salvador, a média geométrica de ZPP foi de 31,0µg/dl(DPG=1,6). Valores de ZPP "extremamente elevados"(acima de 1546,0 µg/dl) foram observados em 8 por cento das crianças de Santo Amaro e em nenhuma (0 por cento) das crianças de Salvador, sendo esta diferença estatística altamente significante. Anemia estava presente em 35,0 por cento das crianças de Santo Amaro e em 25,5 por cento das crianças de Salvador. Crianças de uma ano de idade apresentaram níveis mais elevados de ZPP e anemia. Näo foi encontrada associaçäo estatística marcante entre os níveis de ZPP e de anemia. A contaminaçäo por chumbo desta populaçäo infantil manteve-se em nível permanentemente elevado durante, pelo menos, o período de 1980 a 1992. Em dezembro de 1993 a fundiçäo encerrou definitivamente suas atividades industriais em Santo Amaro da Purificaçäo.

Intoxicaçäo pelo chumbo: zinco protoporfirina no sangue de crianças de Santo Amaro da Purificaçäo e de Salvador, BA / Lead poisoning: zinc protoporphyrin in blood of children from Santo Amaro da Purificaçäo and Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Um estudo epidemiológico de corte transversal avaliou a intoxicaçäo por chumbo em todas as 101 crianças de um a cinco anos de idade, residente num raio de 500 metros de uma fundiçäo de chumbo, a qual funcionava desde 1960 em Santo Amaro da Purificaçäo (BA). A intoxicaçäo por chumbo foi avaliada através de dosagem da concentraçäo de zinco protoporfirina em sangue total (ZPP). Os resultados foram comparados com aqueles obtidos para 98 crianças da mesma faixa etária, de uma creche de Salvador. Em Santo Amaro, a média geométricada ZPP foi de 65,5 µg/dl(DPG=1,7), muito acima portanto do limite de normalidade de 30,0 µg/dl recomendado pelo CDC-EUA. Uma criança, excluída das análises estatísticas, apresentou resultado de ZPP muito elevado: 789 µg/dl. Em Salvador a média geométrica de ZPP foi de 31,0 µg/dl(DPG=1,6). Valores de ZPP "extremamente elevados" (acima de 156,0 µg/dl) foram observados em 8 por cento das crianças de Santo Amaroe em nenhuma (0 por cento) das crianças de Salvador, sendo esta diferenca estatística altamente significante...