Ethical challenges in global research on health system responses to violence against women: a qualitative study of policy and professional perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Studying global health problems requires international multidisciplinary teams. Such multidisciplinarity and multiculturalism create challenges in adhering to a set of ethical principles across different country contexts. Our group on health system responses to violence against women (VAW) included two universities in a European high-income country (HIC) and four universities in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to investigate professional and policy perspectives on the types, causes of, and solutions to ethical challenges specific to the ethics approval stage of the global research projects on health system responses to VAW. METHODS: We used the Network of Ethical Relationships model, framework method, and READ approach to analyse qualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 18) and policy documents (n = 27). In March-July 2021, we recruited a purposive sample of researchers and members of Research Ethics Committees (RECs) from the five partner countries. Interviewees signposted policies and guidelines on research ethics, including VAW. RESULTS: We developed three themes with eight subthemes summarising ethical challenges across three contextual factors. The global nature of the group contributed towards power and resource imbalance between HIC and LMICs and differing RECs' rules. Location of the primary studies within health services highlighted differing rules between university RECs and health authorities. There were diverse conceptualisations of VAW and vulnerability of research participants between countries and limited methodological and topic expertise in some LMIC RECs. These factors threatened the timely delivery of studies and had a negative impact on researchers and their relationships with RECs and HIC funders. Most researchers felt frustrated and demotivated by the bureaucratised, uncoordinated, and lengthy approval process. Participants suggested redistributing power and resources between HICs and LMICs, involving LMIC representatives in developing funding agendas, better coordination between RECs and health authorities and capacity strengthening on ethics in VAW research. CONCLUSIONS: The process of ethics approval for global research on health system responses to VAW should be more coordinated across partners, with equal power distribution between HICs and LMICs, researchers and RECs. While some of these objectives can be achieved through education for RECs and researchers, the power imbalance and differing rules should be addressed at the institutional, national, and international levels. Three of the authors were also research participants, which had potential to introduce bias into the findings. However, rigorous reflexivity practices mitigated against this. This insider perspective was also a strength, as it allowed us to access and contribute to more nuanced understandings to enhance the credibility of the findings. It also helped to mitigate against unequal power dynamics.

Engaging early career researchers in a global health research capacity-strengthening programme: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Research capacity-strengthening is recognized as an important component of global health partnership working, and as such merits monitoring and evaluation. Early career researchers are often the recipients of research capacity-strengthening programmes, but there is limited literature regarding their experience. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study as part of an internal evaluation of the capacity-strengthening programme of the international HERA (HEalthcare Responding to violence and Abuse) research group. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with group members, and thematic analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: Eighteen group members participated; nine of these were early career researchers, and nine were other research team members, including mid-career and senior researchers. Key themes were identified which related to their engagement with and experience of a research capacity-strengthening programme. We explored formal/planned elements of our programme: mentoring and supervision; training and other opportunities; funding and resources. Participants also discussed informal/unplanned elements which acted as important facilitators and/or barriers to engaging with research capacity-strengthening: English language; open relationships and communication; connection and disconnection; and diversity. The sustainability of the programme was also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Our study gives voice to the early career researcher experience of engaging with a research capacity-strengthening programme in a global health group. We highlight some important elements that have informed adaptations to our programme and may be relevant for consideration by other global health research capacity-strengthening programmes. Our findings contribute to the growing literature and important discussions around research capacity-strengthening and how this relates to the future directions of global health partnership working.

Improving health system readiness to address violence against women and girls: a conceptual framework.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing focus on readiness of health systems to respond to survivors of violence against women (VAW), a global human rights violation damaging women's health. Health system readiness focuses on how prepared healthcare systems and institutions, including providers and potential users, are to adopt changes brought about by the integration of VAW care into services. In VAW research, such assessment is often limited to individual provider readiness or facility-level factors that need to be strengthened, with less attention to health system dimensions. The paper presents a framework for health system readiness assessment to improve quality of care for intimate partner violence (IPV), which was tested in Brazil and Palestinian territories (oPT). METHODS: Data synthesis of primary data from 43 qualitative interviews with healthcare providers and health managers in Brazil and oPT to explore readiness in health systems. RESULTS: The application of the framework showed that it had significant added value in capturing system capabilities - beyond the availability of material and technical capacity - to encompass stakeholder values, confidence, motivation and connection with clients and communities. Our analysis highlighted two missing elements within the initial framework: client and community engagement and gender equality issues. Subsequently, the framework was finalised and organised around three levels of analysis: macro, meso and micro. The micro level highlighted the need to also consider how the system can sustainably involve and interact with clients (women) and communities to ensure and promote readiness for integrating (and participating in) change. Addressing cultural and gender norms around IPV and enhancing support and commitment from health managers was also shown to be necessary for a health system environment that enables the integration of IPV care. CONCLUSION: The proposed framework helps identify a) system capabilities and pre-conditions for system readiness; b) system changes required for delivering quality care for IPV; and c) connections between and across system levels and capabilities.

Disrespect and abuse in childbirth in Brazil: social activism, public policies and providers' training.

Brazil is a middle-income country with universal maternity care, mostly by doctors. The experience of normal birth often includes rigid routines, aggressive interventions, and abusive, disrespectful treatment. In Brazil, this has been referred to as dehumanised care and, more recently, as obstetric violence. Since the early 1990s, social movements (SM) have struggled to change practices, public policies and provider training. The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse the role of SM in promoting change in maternity care, and in provider training. In this integrative review using a gender-oriented approach, we searched the Scielo database and the Ministry of Health's (MofH) publications and edicts for institutional and research papers on SM initiatives addressing disrespect and abuse in the last 25 years (1993-2018) in Brazil, and their impact on public policies and training programmes. We analyse these groups of interrelated initiatives: (1) political actions of SM resulting in changes in public policies and legislation; (2) events organised by SM for diffusion of information to the public; (3) MofH policies to humanise childbirth with participation of SM; and (4) initiatives to change providers' training, including legal actions based on obstetric violence reports. To promote real change in maternity care, the progression of policies and enabling environment of laws, regulations, and broad dissemination of information, need to go hand in hand with changes in all health providers' training - including a solid base in ethics, gender and human rights.

The health-systems response to violence against women.

Health systems have a crucial role in a multisector response to violence against women. Some countries have guidelines or protocols articulating this role and health-care workers are trained in some settings, but generally system development and implementation have been slow to progress. Substantial system and behavioural barriers exist, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. Violence against women was identified as a health priority in 2013 guidelines published by WHO and the 67th World Health Assembly resolution on strengthening the role of the health system in addressing violence, particularly against women and girls. In this Series paper, we review the evidence for clinical interventions and discuss components of a comprehensive health-system approach that helps health-care providers to identify and support women subjected to intimate partner or sexual violence. Five country case studies show the diversity of contexts and pathways for development of a health system response to violence against women. Although additional research is needed, strengthening of health systems can enable providers to address violence against women, including protocols, capacity building, effective coordination between agencies, and referral networks.

"I Am from the Ghetto, I Am Black, I Live in the Slum and They Think: Why Bother with Her?" - Racism in Seeking Help Experiences for Domestic Violence in Brazil.

Despite the majority of Brazilians identifying as black, racial disparities are significant. Black women encounter disproportionate difficulties, with greater rates of homicide, unemployment, and poverty. After the Maria da Penha Law (2006), which is regarded as one of the most comprehensive laws to address domestic violence, there has been a notable increase in femicide among black women and a decrease in cases among white women. This paper aims to analyze the differences between white and black survivors of domestic violence in terms of the access and support they received from the violence against women multi agency network in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. To this end, in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted with nine white and nine black women who were seeking help in the justice system in June of 2018. The IDI were analyzed under critical path and structural racism theories, in order to understand how inequality markers such as race might affect the institutional response to the survivor's help seeking. The results indicated that black women received less information and support while seeking institutional help, as they faced more obstacles compared to white women. Among the interviewees critical paths, the access to the services was denied by providers 13 times for black women in contrast with 1 access denial for white women-also considering cases that discontinued the needed assistance due to institutional violence. The observed obstacles lived by black women in the multiagency network not only resulted in the path for these women toward support being longer but in many cases being repeated unsuccessfully multiple times. This study concludes that thus all women face obstacles while seeking help in formal institutions, black women may face greater barriers in this path due to how structural racism is reproduced in the services that should guarantee rights.

Evaluation of an intervention to improve Primary Health Care's response to cases of domestic violence against women - São Paulo, Brazil. / Avaliação de intervenção para aprimorar a resposta da Atenção Primária à Saúde ao cuidado de casos de violência doméstica contra a mulher - São Paulo, Brasil.

The aim was to analyse and improve the Primary Health Care (PHC) response to domestic violence against women (DVAW) by developing, implementing and evaluating an intervention. A pilot study evaluating the before and after of intervention implementation, using mixed methods and carried out in three phases - formative, intervention and evaluation - between August 2017 and March 2019 in two Basic Health Units (UBS) in the city of São Paulo. In this paper, we present the details and evaluation of the intervention, carried out six to twelve months after its implementation. The intervention was developed based on the findings of the formative phase and in line with the health policy that establishes the Violence Prevention Nucleus (NPV) and consisted of stablishing a care pathway; general training for all workers and specific training for the NPV; drawing up educational material and monthly case discussions over 6 months. The evaluation showed acceptability among the workers, increased identification and repertoire for caring for cases of DVAW, strengthening internal referral and the intersectoral network. We identified obstacles to the full implementation and sustainability of the intervention.

O objetivo foi analisar e aprimorar a resposta da Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS) ao cuidado dos casos de violência doméstica contra a mulher (VDCM), desenvolvendo, implementando e avaliando uma intervenção. Pesquisa piloto de avaliação do antes e depois da implementação de uma intervenção, utilizando métodos mistos e realizada em três fases - linha de base, intervenção e avaliação - entre agosto/2017 e março/2019 em duas Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) do Município de São Paulo. Apresentamos neste artigo o detalhamento e a avaliação da intervenção, realizada 6-12 meses após implementação. A intervenção foi desenvolvida com base nos achados da primeira fase e em consonância com a política de saúde que estabelece os Núcleos de Prevenção à Violência (NPV), consistindo em: elaboração de fluxo assistencial; capacitação geral para todos os trabalhadores e específica para o NPV; elaboração de material educativo e discussões mensais de caso durante 6 meses. A avaliação mostrou aceitabilidade entre os trabalhadores, aumentou a identificação e repertório para o cuidado dos casos de VDCM, fortalecendo o encaminhamento interno e à rede intersetorial. Identificamos obstáculos para plena implementação e sustentabilidade da intervenção.

Comparing health systems readiness for integrating domestic violence services in Brazil, occupied Palestinian Territories, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Domestic violence (DV) is a global prevalent health problem leading to adverse health consequences, yet health systems are often unprepared to address it. This article presents a comparative synthesis of the health system's pre-conditions necessary to enable integration of DV in health services in Brazil, Nepal, Sri Lanka and occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT). A cross-country, comparative analysis was conducted using a health systems readiness framework. Data collection involved multiple data sources, including qualitative interviews with various stakeholders; focus-group discussions with women; structured facility observations; and a survey with providers. Our findings highlight deficiencies in policy and practice that need to be addressed for an effective DV response. Common readiness gaps include unclear and limited guidance on DV, unsupportive leadership coupled with limited training and resources. Most providers felt unprepared, lacked guidance and felt unsupported and unprotected by managers and their health system. While in Brazil most providers felt they should respond to DV cases, many in Sri Lanka preferred not to. Such organizational and service delivery challenges, in turn, also affected how health providers responded to DV cases leaving them not confident, uncertain about their knowledge and unsure about their role. Furthermore, providers' personal beliefs and values on DV and gender norms also impacted their motivation and ability to respond, prompting some to become 'activists' while others were reluctant to intervene and prone to blame women. Our synthesis also pointed to a gap in women's use of health services for DV as they had low trust in providers. Our conceptual framework demonstrates the importance of having clear policies and highlights the need to engage leadership across every level of the system to reframe challenges and strengthen routine practices. Future research should also determine the ways in which women's understanding and needs related to DV help-seeking are addressed.

Temporal relationship between intimate partner violence and postpartum depression in a sample of low income women.

To estimate whether there is a temporal association between Postpartum Depression (PPD) and intimate partner violence (IPV), and to assess the potential role of social support on this relationship. A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2006 and March 2007 with 701 low income women who received prenatal and postpartum care in primary health care units of the public sector in São Paulo, Brazil. The Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20) was used to assess the presence of PPD. Structured standardized questionnaires were used to assess IPV and social support. The prevalence of PPD was estimated with a 95 % confidence interval. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated using Poisson regression to examine the association between PPD and exposure variables. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The prevalence of PPD was 27.9 % (95 %CI 24.6:31.2). The prevalence of psychological IPV was 38.6 %, physical IPV 23.4 %, and sexual IPV 7.1 %. The multivariate analysis showed that PPD was strongly associated with current psychological and physical/sexual violence, after controlling for confounding factors, and less so with past (prenatal or lifetime) IPV. Presence of social support was an independent protective factor for PPD. Identifying and addressing intimate partner violence, including psychological violence, in the postpartum period should be considered as part of a comprehensive approach to caring for new mothers.

An evidence-based primary health care intervention to address domestic violence against women in Brazil: a mixed method evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Health systems have a critical role in a multi-sectoral response to domestic violence against women (DVAW). However, the evidence on interventions is skewed towards high income countries, and evidence based interventions are not easily transferred to low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) where significant social, cultural and economic differences exist. We evaluated feasibility and acceptability of implementation of an intervention (HERA-Healthcare Responding to Violence and Abuse) to improve the response to DVAW in two primary health care clinics (PHC) in Brazil. METHODS: The study design is a mixed method process and outcome evaluation, based on training attendance records, semi-structured interviews (with 13 Primary Health Care (PHC) providers, two clinic directors and two women who disclosed domestic violence), and identification and referral data from the Brazilian Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAN). RESULTS: HERA was feasible and acceptable to women and PHC providers, increased providers' readiness to identify DVAW and diversified referrals outside the health system. The training enhanced the confidence and skills of PHC providers to ask directly about violence and respond to women's disclosures using a women centred, gender and human rights perspective. PHC providers felt safe and supported when dealing with DVAW because HERA emphasised clear roles and collective action within the clinical team. A number of challenges affected implementation including: differential managerial support for the Núcleo de Prevenção da Violência (Violence Prevention Nucleus-NPV) relating to the allocation of resources, monitoring progress and giving feedback; a lack of higher level institutional endorsement prioritising DVAW work; staff turnover; a lack of feedback from external support services to PHC clinics regarding DVAW cases; and inconsistent practices regarding documentation of DVAW. CONCLUSION: Training should be accompanied by system-wide institutional change including active (as opposed to passive) management support, allocation of resources to support roles within the NPV, locally adapted protocols and guidelines, monitoring progress and feedback. Communication and coordination with external support services and documentation systems are crucial and need improvement. DVAW should be prioritised within leadership and governance structures, for example, by including DVAW work as a specific commissioning goal.

Equity and women's health services for contraception, abortion and childbirth in Brazil.

This paper addresses equity in health and health care in Brazil, examining unjust disparities between women and men, and between women from different social strata, with a focus on services for contraception, abortion and pregnancy. In 2010 women's life expectancy was 77.6 years, men's was 69.7 years. Women are two-thirds of public hospital services users and assess their health status less positively than men. The total fertility rate was 1.8 in 2011, and contraceptive prevalence has been high among women at all income levels. The proportion of sterilizations has decreased; lower-income women are more frequently sterilized. Abortions are mostly illegal; women with more money have better access to safe abortions in private clinics. Poorer women generally self-induce abortion with misoprostol, seeking treatment of complications from public clinics. Institutional violence on the part of health professionals is reported by half of women receiving abortion care and a quarter of women during childbirth. Maternity care is virtually universal. The public sector has fewer caesarean sections, fewer low birthweight babies, and more rooming-in, but excessive episiotomies and inductions. Privacy, continuity of care and companionship during birth are more common in the private sector. To achieve equity, the health system must go beyond universal, unregulated access to technology, and move towards safe, effective and transparent care.

[Reasons and mechanisms for admission of children and adolescents to a psychiatric hospital: the control circuit]. / Motivos e mecanismos de internação de crianças e adolescentes em hospital psiquiátrico: o circuito do controle.

Important strides in psychiatric reform include the implementation of mental health services that replace the traditional psychiatric logic. However, admissions to psychiatric hospitals continue to occur, including children and adolescents. This study analyzed the reasons for admission to a psychiatric hospital from the institution's perspective and that of the hospitalized children and adolescents. This was a qualitative study with a hermeneutic-dialectic approach, based on a reading of the institutional documents, open interviews with eight adolescents, and participant observation. The results showed that the main alleged reason for admission reported by the psychiatric hospital was "aggressiveness", justified by the idea of "risk to self and others", while the children reported multiple reasons for their hospitalization, including drug use, minor scuffles, and misdemeanors. The analysis showed that the mechanism for admission to the psychiatric hospital involve, during anamnesis, defining an individual as deviating from social norms and, subsequently, assignment of a diagnosis to back the psychiatric institutionalization. It also showed that the backing and continuity of psychiatric hospitalizations occur in a circuit of control that is operated between different institutions for the deviants' custody. The study demonstrates that to avoid psychiatric hospitalizations, besides closing psychiatric hospitals, it is necessary to overcome the psychiatric paradigm, which in turn requires deinstitutionalization of practices and psychosocial care in open, community and substitutive mental health services.

Os avanços da reforma psiquiátrica incluem a implantação de serviços de saúde mental substitutivos à lógica asilar. Porém, internações em hospitais psiquiátricos, inclusive de crianças e adolescentes, continuam ocorrendo. Esse estudo buscou compreender os motivos de internação em um hospital psiquiátrico a partir da perspectiva da instituição e das crianças e adolescentes internados. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, de abordagem hermenêutico-dialética, tendo sido feita a leitura de documentos institucionais, entrevistas abertas com oito adolescentes e observação participante. Os resultados indicaram que o motivo principal alegado pelo hospital psiquiátrico para internação foi nomeado como "agressividade", justificada pelo "risco para si e para outros", enquanto, para as crianças e os adolescentes, os motivos de internação eram múltiplos, incluindo uso de drogas, pequenas brigas e infrações. A análise indicou que os mecanismos para a internação pelo hospital psiquiátrico envolvem, durante a anamnese, uma leitura sobre o outro que o define como desviante de normas sociais e a posterior atribuição de um diagnóstico, avalizando a internação psiquiátrica. Também indicou que a sustentação e continuidade de internações psiquiátricas ocorrem em um circuito do controle operado entre diferentes instituições para tutela dos desviantes. Este estudo evidencia que, para evitar internações em hospitais psiquiátricos, além do fechamento destes, é preciso superar o paradigma psiquiátrico, sendo, para isso, necessárias as práticas de desinstitucionalização e na perspectiva da atenção psicossocial nos serviços de saúde mental abertos, territoriais e substitutivos.

Los avances de la reforma psiquiátrica incluyen la implantación de servicios de salud mental substitutivos a la lógica de los asilos, no obstante, los internamientos en hospitales psiquiátricos, incluidos los de niños y adolescentes, continúan ocurriendo. Este estudio buscó comprender los motivos de internamiento en un hospital psiquiátrico, a partir de la perspectiva de la institución, y de los niños y adolescentes internados. Se trata de una investigación cualitativa, de abordaje hermenéutico-dialéctico, habiéndose realizado la lectura de documentos institucionales, entrevistas abiertas con ocho adolescentes y observación participante. Los resultados indicaron que el motivo principal alegado por el hospital psiquiátrico para el internamiento fue denominado "agresividad", justificada por el "riesgo para sí mismos y para otros", mientras que para los niños y adolescentes los motivos de internamiento eran múltiples, incluyendo el uso de drogas, pequeñas peleas e infracciones. El análisis indicó que los mecanismos para el internamiento por el hospital psiquiátrico implican, durante la anamnesis, una lectura sobre lo que lo define como una conducta desviada respecto a normas sociales, y la posterior atribución de un diagnóstico, avalando el internamiento psiquiátrico. También indicó que el mantenimiento y continuidad de los internamientos psiquiátricos se producen en un circuito del control operado entre diferentes instituciones para la tutela de los que desvían de las normas sociales. Este estudio evidencia que, para evitar internamientos en hospitales psiquiátricos, además del cierre de los hospitales psiquiátricos, es necesaria la superación del paradigma psiquiátrico, siendo para eso necesarias prácticas de desinstitucionalización y desde la perspectiva de la atención psicosocial contar con servicios de salud mental abiertos, territoriales y substitutivos.

Are We Asking Too Much of the Health Sector? Exploring the Readiness of Brazilian Primary Healthcare to Respond to Domestic Violence Against Women.

BACKGROUND: There is growing recognition of the health sector's potential role in addressing domestic violence (DV) against women. Although Brazil has a comprehensive policy framework on violence against women (VAW), implementation has been slow and incomplete in primary healthcare (PHC), and little is known about the implementation challenges. This paper aims to assess the readiness of two PHC clinics in urban Brazil to integrate an intervention to strengthen their DV response. METHODS: We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with health managers and health providers; a document analysis of VAW and DV policies from São Paulo and Brazil; and 2 structured facility observations. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Findings from our readiness assessment revealed gaps in both current policy and practice needing to be addressed, particularly with regards to governance and leadership, health service organisation and health workforce. DV received less political recognition, being perceived as a lower priority compared to other health issues. Lack of clear guidance from the central and municipal levels emerged as a crucial factor that weakened DV policy implementation both by providers and managers. Furthermore, responses to DV lost visibility, as they were diluted within generic violence responses. The organizational structure of the PHC system in São Paulo, which prioritised the number of consultations and household visits as the main performance indicators, was an additional difficulty in legitimising healthcare providers' time to address DV. Individual-level challenges reported by providers included lack of time and knowledge of how to respond, as well as fears of dealing with DV. CONCLUSION: Assessing readiness is critical because it helps to evaluate what services and infrastructure are already in place, also identifying obstacles that may hinder adaptation and integration of an intervention to strengthen the response to DV before implementation.

Remote methods for research on violence against women and children: lessons and challenges from research during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collecting data to understand violence against women and children during and after the COVID-19 pandemic is essential to inform violence prevention and response efforts. Although researchers across fields have pivoted to remote rather than in-person data collection, remote research on violence against women, children and young people poses particular challenges. As a group of violence researchers, we reflect on our experiences across eight studies in six countries that we redesigned to include remote data collection methods. We found the following areas were crucial in fulfilling our commitments to participants, researchers, violence prevention and research ethics: (1) designing remote data collection in the context of strong research partnerships; (2) adapting data collection approaches; (3) developing additional safeguarding processes in the context of remote data collection during the pandemic; and (4) providing remote support for researchers. We discuss lessons learnt in each of these areas and across the research design and implementation process, and summarise key considerations for other researchers considering remote data collection on violence.

Psychometric properties of a condition-specific PROM for the psychosocial consequences of Labelling hypertension by using Rasch analysis.

BACKGROUND: A previous qualitative assessment of the psychosocial consequences of labelling hypertension describes the diagnosis of hypertension as a labelling event with potential unintended negative long-term psychosocial consequences (labelling effects). Until now, the benefits of diagnosing hypertension have been far more reported than the harms. To obtain the net result of the preventive interventions for cardiovascular disease, such as diagnosing and treating mild hypertension, assessing benefits and harms in the most comprehensive way possible is necessary, including the psychosocial consequences of labelling. When measuring psychosocial consequences of labelling hypertension, a questionnaire with high content validity and adequate psychometric properties is needed. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the psychometric parameters of face and content-validated pool of items. Other objectives were also to screen the item pool by using Rasch model analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for identifying such items with sufficient fit to the hypothesised models. METHODS: We surveyed the pool of items as a draft questionnaire to Brazilians recruited via social networks, sending e-mails, WhatsApp® messages and posting on Facebook®. The inclusion criteria were to be older than 18 years old, to be healthy and to have only hypertension. We used Rasch model analysis to screen the item pool, discarding items that did not fit the hypothesised domain. We searched for local dependence and differential item functioning. We used CFA to confirm the derived measurement models and complementarily assessed reliability using Cronbach's coefficient alpha. RESULTS: The validation sample consisted of 798 respondents. All 798 respondents completed Part I, whereas 285 (35.7%)-those with hypertension-completed Part II. A condition-specific questionnaire with high content validity and adequate psychometric properties was developed for people labelled with hypertension. This measure is called 'Consequences of Labelling Hypertension Questionnaire' and covers the psychosocial consequences of labelling hypertension in two parts, encompassing a total of 71 items in 15 subscales and 11 single items. CONCLUSION: We developed a tool that can be used in future research involving hypertension, especially in scenarios of screening, prevention, population strategies and in intervention studies. Future use and testing of the questionnaire may still be required.

Child and adolescent mental health policy: history and paths to participation. / Políticas públicas na atenção à saúde mental de crianças e adolescentes: percurso histórico e caminhos de participação.

People with mental disorders play an important role in the mental health reform process, which involves the creation of new public policies, practices, knowledge, and ways of relating to this experience. Using a guiding question addressing the history of child and adolescent mental health in Brazil and the participation of child and adolescent mental health service users in the policy construction process, a narrative literature review was undertaken framing the main policy developments and advances in this area within the overall context of the Brazilian mental health reform. A search of technical, institutional, and legal documents in the thematic area Mental Health was conducted using a national database. The material analyzed addressed milestones in child and adolescent mental healthcare, highlighting the paths taken in building this field. The article also discusses the participation of child and adolescent mental health service usersin this process in the form of a commentary. Finally, the article highlights the need to guarantee the participation of this group to enable them to play a leading role in the struggle for the construction and realization of rights.

Na reforma psiquiátrica brasileira, é importante a participação de pessoas com experiência de sofrimento psíquico enquanto atores sociais na construção desse processo, que envolve a criação de novas políticas públicas, práticas, saberes e modos de relação com essa experiência. A partir do questionamento acerca do percurso histórico específico da saúde mental infantojuvenil e da participação de crianças e adolescentes nesse processo, foi feita uma revisão narrativa da literatura que busca evidenciar os momentos principais dessa trajetória, no que concerne à produção de políticas públicas e legislações. A revisão consistiu na busca de documentos técnicos e institucionais da área temática da Saúde Mental em base de dados nacionais, além de documentos legais. O material analisado versou sobre um conjunto de marcos da atenção à saúde mental de crianças e adolescentes e a análise assinalou os caminhos trilhados na construção desse campo. Ainda, na perspectiva de um comentário, foi discutida a participação de crianças e adolescentes com sofrimento psíquico nesse processo. Este artigo destaca a necessidade de construir garantias concretas de participação dessa população, possibilitando que assumam o papel de protagonista na luta pela construção e garantia de direitos.

Development of an item pool for a questionnaire on the psychosocial consequences of hypertension labelling.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is the most prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease globally. Roughly one-third of the adult population has hypertension. However, most people diagnosed with hypertension do not benefit from blood pressure control with pharmacologic interventions: they are overdiagnosed and overtreated and might experience negative psychosocial consequences of being labelled. These consequences are relevant outcomes that need to be assessed and validly measured to identify all benefits and harms related to interventions designed to prevent cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVES: To develop a pool of items with high content validity for a draft version of a condition-specific questionnaire to measure the psychosocial consequences of being labelled with mild hypertension. METHODS: We selected relevant items from existing Consequences of Screening (COS) questionnaires. These items belonged to two groups: COS core items and potential condition-specific items. All items were originally in Danish and were translated into Brazilian Portuguese using the dual-panel method. Individual and group interviews were conducted with people with mild hypertension and low risk for cardiovascular disease, and were designed to test the translated items for face and content validity and were also used to generate new relevant items. Structured individual interviews were conducted to categorise all the items into domains. RESULTS: The Brazilian Portuguese dual-panel translation of both groups of items was found to be relevant for adults diagnosed with hypertension. We generated 52 new items to achieve high content validity. The result was a set of 132 items divided into 22 domains in 2 parts. Part I was directed at the general population, whereas part II was directed only at people diagnosed with hypertension and it consisted of 38 items in 8 domains. Twelve items remained as single items. High content validity was achieved with the pool of 132 items divided into 22 domains in 2 parts. DISCUSSION: High content validity was achieved for a condition-specific questionnaire measuring the psychosocial consequences of being labelled with mild hypertension. This instrument encompassed 132 items divided into 22 domains in 2 parts. Thereby, a draft of the Consequneces of Hypertension questionnaire (COH) was developed. The psychometric properties of this questionnaire will be discussed in a diferent paper.

[Intimate partner sexual violence among men and women in urban Brazil, 2005]. / Violência sexual por parceiro íntimo entre homens e mulheres no Brasil urbano, 2005.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of intimate partner sexual violence among men and women of the Brazilian urban population and factors associated to it. METHODS: The data analyzed is part of the study conducted between 1998 and 2005 among urban populations in Brazil. The data was obtained by means of a questionnaire applied to a representative sample of 5.040 individuals, men and women 16 to 65 years of age. Descriptive analysis was undertaken with weighted data, utilizing F design-based tests, with 5% significance. RESULTS: The global prevalence of intimate partner sexual violence was 8.6%, being predominant among women (11.8% versus 5.1%). Women consistently reported higher rates of violence then men, except in cases involving homo/bisexual partners. The rate verified for male homo/bisexuals was significantly greater than that found among male heterosexuals, but this difference in rates was not significant among women. The black population, irrespective of sex, referred more violence than the white population. The lower the income and years of formal education, the greater the rates of violence. However, men from poorer regions referred more violence, but this did not occur with respect to women. Diverse situations with respect to work, use of condoms, lower age at first intercourse and number of partners during the last five years differed significantly among women, but not among men. For both men and women sexual violence was associated with being separated or divorced, having had STDs, self -evaluation of being at risk for HIV, but was not associated with testing positive for HIV. CONCLUSIONS: The high magnitude of sexual violence as well as female surtax is confirmed. Violence as a result of gender conflicts, that pervades social stratification and ethnic groups is reiterated. As to the Aids epidemic, sexual violence is an important factor to be taken into consideration when discussing the feminization of the population affected by the disease.

[Health administrators and public policies to deal with gender violence against women in São Paulo, Brazil]. / Gestores de saúde e o enfrentamento da violência de gênero contra as mulheres: as políticas públicas e sua implementação em São Paulo, Brasil.

The study focuses on policies to deal with violence against women in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The objectives were to map the public policies and the proposals for institutional organization of a network of comprehensive care, in addition to analyzing the implementation of these policies, highlighting the health sector, with reports by administrators and policymakers. The study addresses the relationship between management practice and the public policy provisions, the weight of administrators' personal values and perspectives, and the weight of the socially dominant discourse in decision-making for implementation of these policies. Data were produced through semi-structured interviews with 32 administrators working at different levels in the institutional organization of the Municipal Health Department, including some policymakers in the state and national scenarios. The body of data were submitted to thematic content analysis, examining each of the interviews and relating them to the literature and conceptual framework. The study concludes that health administrators, as agents of practices, are influenced by the prevailing structures and beliefs and reference to their social and historical context for decision-making. However, when they relate to such structures, they are also capable of intervening in the ways care is produced and provided for women in situations of violence, especially by addressing the training and awareness-raising processes and new references concerning recognition of women's rights as human rights.

Estudam-se as políticas de enfrentamento da violência contra as mulheres no Município de São Paulo, Brasil. Os objetivos foram mapear as políticas públicas e as propostas de organização institucional de uma rede de atenção integral, assim como conhecer suas implementações nos serviços, com destaque ao setor de saúde, pelos relatos de gestores e formuladores da política, trabalhando-se a relação da prática da gestão com o enunciado nas políticas públicas, o peso dos valores e da perspectiva pessoal dos gestores e o peso do discurso socialmente dominante nas tomadas de decisão para a implementação destas políticas. A produção dos dados foi realizada por intermédio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com 32 gestores operando em diferentes níveis da organização institucional da Secretaria Municipal da Saúde, dentre eles alguns formuladores das políticas nos cenários estadual e nacional. A análise desse córpus de dados foi temática de conteúdo, examinando-se cada uma das entrevistas e relacionando-as com a literatura e referencial conceitual utilizado. Conclui-se que os gestores, como agentes de práticas, são influenciados pelas estruturas e crenças vigentes, pela referência ao contexto sociohistórico a que estão inseridos para tomadas de decisão de gestão. Porém, são também capazes de, ao relacionar-se com tais estruturas, interferir nas formas de produzir e ofertar cuidado às mulheres em situação de violência, em especial ao aproximarem-se de processos de formação e sensibilização e de novos referenciais acerca do reconhecimento dos direitos das mulheres como direitos humanos.

En este trabajo se estudian las políticas de lucha frente la violencia contra las mujeres en el municipio de São Paulo, Brasil. Los objetivos fueron mapear las políticas públicas y las propuestas de organización institucional de una red de atención integral, así como conocer sus implementaciones en los servicios, destacando el sector de salud, por los relatos de gestores y formuladores de políticas, trabajando la relación de la práctica de gestión con el enunciado en las políticas públicas, el peso de valores y la perspectiva personal de los gestores, así como el peso del discurso socialmente dominante en las tomas de decisión para la implementación de estas políticas. La producción de datos se realizó mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas con 32 gestores operando en diferentes niveles de la organización institucional dentro de la Secretaría Municipal de Salud, entre ellos, algunos formuladores de las políticas en los escenarios estatal y nacional. El análisis de ese corpus de datos fue la temática de contenido, examinando cada una de las entrevistas y relacionándolas con la literatura y marco de referencia conceptual utilizado. Se concluye que los gestores, como agentes de prácticas, son influenciados por las estructuras y creencias vigentes, por la referencia al contexto sociohistórico en el que están insertados para las tomas de decisión en la gestión. No obstante, son también capaces de, al relacionarse con tales estructuras, interferir en las formas de producir y ofertar cuidado a las mujeres en situación de violencia, en especial al aproximarse a procesos de formación y sensibilización, así como nuevos marcos de referencia acerca del reconocimiento de los derechos de las mujeres como parte de los derechos humanos.

[Vulnerability to HIV among female injecting drug users]. / Vulnerabilidade ao HIV entre mulheres usuárias de drogas injetáveis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess some aspects of vulnerability to HIV infection in women users of injecting drugs. METHODS: Thirteen semi-structured interviews were performed with female drug users (or former users) of injecting drugs, leaving in the East side of São Paulo, in 2002. The script of interviews approached four focal point issues: socioeconomic context and affective relationships, drug use, prevention against HIV and health care. Interviews were assessed through content analysis. RESULTS: Poverty, absence of strong and continuous affective ties, being expelled from the family and school, exposure to violence, institutionalization, drug use, criminality, and discrimination were constant in interviewees' reports. These aspects made it difficult to adopt practices for HIV prevention such as the use of condoms, disposable syringes and needles, and looking for health care services. CONCLUSIONS: Vulnerability to HIV infection makes it clear the fragility use have effective access to social, economic and cultural rights, requiring welfare policies of specific population segments such as women (children and adolescents), low income citizens, people living in the outskirts, with poor access to educational, cultural and health resources. This access is complicated especially for those that are discriminated by behaviors such as drug use.