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Analysis of the Vulnerability Profile of tuberculosis co-infection in people living with HIV

Introduction: studies that seek to identify and outline the vulnerability profile contribute to directing necessary interventions to be carried out in people with tuberculosis (TB) and HIV (acronym in English for human immunodeficiency virus) co-infection, to achieve the end of TB. Objective: to describe the profile of people with tuberculosis and HIV co-infection, from 2016 to 2018, in Espírito Santo, Brazil. Methods: this is a cross-sectional descriptive study, using secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) for TB and HIV, through a methodological process of database preparation and descriptive data analysis, the information was encoded and stored anonymously in a database in Excel for Windows®; Afterwards, the STATA statistical package, version 16 (Stata Corp LP, College Station, TX, USA) was used to carry out descriptive analyses with identification of relative and absolute values, and tables were generated for data analysis. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Health Sciences Center of the Federal University of Espírito Santo (CEP/CCS/UFES) under opinion number 4022892 on 05/12/2020. Results: of a total of 4,428 cases, 325 cases were TB-HIV co-infection, 322 cases were located in the SINAN-TB database and three cases were located after linking with the SINAN-HIV database that presented a record of negative results for the diagnostic test of HIV in the SINAN-TB database. There was a profile with a predominance of men (71%), young people (20 to 39 years old) (52%), mixed race (59%), up to 8 years of schooling (25%), of which 29% reported alcohol consumption, 26% used illicit drugs, and 37% were smokers, who had the pulmonary form of the disease (66%), they reported adherence to antiretroviral therapy (65%) and only 44% had a cure outcome at closure and 20% stopped treatment; the majority of cases (61%) did not undergo directly observed treatment and only 6.9% of cases reported receiving assistance from the government’s income transfer program. Conclusion: in order to ensure greater coverage of tuberculosis control in PLHIV patients, it is necessary to expand the dialogue between health and social support policies; enable access to health services such as antiretroviral treatment for all people diagnosed with HIV, and timely directly observed treatment (DOT) for people who present this vulnerability profile. Carrying out new studies is essential to contribute to technological advancement and planning in health service actions.

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Internet addiction in late adolescence: profile and patterns of use

Introduction: Cross-sectional school-based epidemiological survey, conducted in 2016 and 2017, from a representative sample of 15 to 19-year-old students enrolled in the Greater Vitória Metropolitan Region (RMGV-ES), Espírito Santo, Brazil. Objectives: To verify the association between Internet Addiction, sociodemographic characteristics and the pattern of Internet and social media use. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 2293 students. The sociodemographic data of the individuals and information on internet and social media dependence were verified using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Frequencies were calculated and Chi-square and Binomial Logistic Regression tests were applied. Results: Internet addiction was associated with adolescents in the early years (p = 0.001), those with less-educated household heads (p = 0.018), and those who spent four or more hours a day surfing the internet (p < 0.001) and those who used the Internet every day of the week (p = 0.004). Internet addiction was also associated with the use of Twitter (p-value = 0.040), subjective reasons for use (p = 0.001) and those who stopped using it for social reasons (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Public policies that envision the education of adolescents and their families, as well as protection focused on the most susceptible individuals, should be developed. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent adolescents from having daily access to the Internet, not exceeding four hours of use, in order to reduce the risk of dependence and protect the individual from this situation.

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Aquatic high-intensity interval training improves cardiometabolic profile and physical fitness in active middle-age and older adults: quasi-randomized clinical trial study

Introduction: aquatic exercises have been increasingly suggested to the population. Despite evidence on the benefits of high-intensity interval training in aquatic environments, scientific production still needs to be improved. Research involving middle-aged and older individuals usually seeks physiological responses from the assumption that they are sedentary. Objective: to assess the physical fitness, lipid profile, and glycemic control of active middle-aged and older adults undergoing aquatic high-intensity interval training associated or not with intense water walking. Methods: it is a quasi-randomized clinical trial composed of 45 active middle-aged and older adults subdivided into two groups with aquatic high-intensity interval training in the absence (AHIIT) or presence (AHIITW) of intense water walking. Participants were dosed with biochemical parameters, bioimpedance analysis, and physical and cardiopulmonary tests at the intervention’s beginning and end. Results: both groups showed increased HDL, reduced LDL, and hemoglobin glycated, with increased endurance and strength of upper and lower limbs. The AHIIT group showed a lean mass gain and fat mass decline compared to the AHIITW. The intense walking promoted an increase in oxygen ventilatory equivalent, maximum oxygen consumption, and the task metabolic equivalent at values like the AHIIT. Conclusion: our findings indicate that high-intensity aquatic training holds the potential to enhance the lipid profile of individuals. However, the incorporation of pool walking into the training regimen did not lead to any notable differences in this regard. Conversely, the inclusion of pool aquatic exercises did result in improved functional capacity among participants. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC): #RBR-99b6jr6

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Knowledge of residents about Chagas disease and its vectors in a municipality of Juruá, Amazonas

Introduction: Chagas disease (CD) is an infectious condition caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, primarily transmitted by vectors. Understanding the diversity of these vectors in a region is crucial for disease prophylaxis, with vector control being the main measure to reduce its incidence. Therefore, it is essential to enhance knowledge about triatomines to guide prevention and promotion actions, with active community participation. Objective: to describe residents’ knowledge about Chagas disease and its vectors in a municipality in the Western Amazon of Brazil. Methods: the data was collected by means of an interview with the application of a semi-structured questionnaire containing objective and subjective questions to residents over 18 years of age in the urban area of the municipality of Guajará - AM in their homes. Results: out of 400 participants, 75% reported having heard of Triatomines. 65.38% of those who encountered a suspected insect in their home or surroundings claimed to have killed it and most could not indicate where the insect should be taken (91.25%). Only 40.25% correctly identified the triatomines, with Rhodnius montenegrensis (22.75%) being the most chosen. Most were unaware of signs/symptoms (70.25%), transmission routes (52.75%), and preventive measures (62.5%) related to CD. Regarding dietary habits: 93% consumed açaí (Euterpe olerácea), 88.75% buriti (Mauritia flexuosa), 65.5% sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), 50.5% bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba), 50.25% patoá (Oenocarpus bataua), and 75.75% game meat. Conclusion: the research revealed several knowledge gaps on the topic, emphasizing the need to intensify health education actions.

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Food supplementation policy for pregnant women: analysis of coverage in Brazilian regions in the light of COVID-19

Objective: in the context of Brazil, a peripheral country, pregnant women are a vulnerable class. Proper nutrition and fetal health depend directly on maternal nutrition, which is often precarious. Thus, the food supplement, which has already changed the health scenario of malnutrition in children, is big important in the best Prenatal Care. The objective is to analyze the quality and supply of food supplementation for pregnant women in Brazil, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: analysis of public domain data, from pregnant women registered in the E-manager primary care system, between 2019 and 2021. Results: the micronutrients offered in Brazil in the public policy of supplementation for pregnant women are iron and folic acid, since 2005 until the present date. Data analysis showed that the offer of those both in the pre-pandemic year and in the pandemic was inadequate, reaching less than 20% of pregnant women in the five regions of the country, with only one state in the northeast region, of the 27 national states, having an adequate supply to 100% of pregnant women. Conclusion: supplementation rich in several micronutrients, used preventively during pregnancy, reduces maternal and fetal diseases. However, in Brazil, the supplementation policy during pregnancy is poor in quality, offering only folic acid and iron for years, as well as inadequate distribution of these. This fact proved to be unrelated to the health crisis of the pandemic, as it occurred since the pre-pandemic and worse in numbers before than during it. Therefore, a set of “poor quality and low supply” was identified in the supplementation of pregnant women in Brazil, which contributes to maintaining greater maternal-fetal and child morbidity and mortality.

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Teachers’ quality of life perception during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review protocol

Introduction: quality of Life is a growing concern across various sectors of human activity, and the academic world has noticed. The academic community has consistently shown interest in studying Quality of Life, and this theme has been the focus of several research studies. It is crucial to understand how teachers perceive their Quality of Life and to determine if they have been the focus of these investigations. Objective: this protocol describes the method for assessing teachers’ perceptions of their quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic and after returning to face-to-face activities. Methods: this study aims to produce a step-by-step systematic review protocol. The search will be conducted across six databases, namely CINAHL, Embase, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Original articles published from December 2019 in any language will be included. Two independent reviewers will select the articles, and a third senior reviewer will resolve disagreements. The methodological quality assessment will be conducted using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations scale (GRADE), while the risk of bias will be evaluated using the Downs and Black scale and the Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist (CASP). The systematic review will adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Final considerations: the information collected can be used to develop and support public policies.

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Pandemia da COVID-19 e seu reflexo no rastreamento do câncer de mama no Brasil

Introduction: breast cancer has been the leading cause of death among women in Brazil and worldwide. During the years of social isolation due to COVID-19, health services, including breast cancer screening, were suspended in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus, interfering with the early detection and treatment of breast cancer, effective means of reducing mortality. Objective: to identify how the COVID-19 pandemic has interfered with the therapeutic itinerary for breast cancer in Brazilian regions. Method: this is an observational, ecological study, carried out through secondary analysis of data available on the website of the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). Results: information was collected from all screening bilateral mammography exams in women aged 50 to 69 years, positive cases, and therapeutic modalities from 2018 to 2022. The data showed that the pandemic impacted Brazilian regions differently, requiring different strategies and investments to ensure access to health services and minimize the impacts of the pandemic. Conclusion: although the survey did not show statistically significant results, the southeast region stood out in the registration of cases, but shows a drop-in case registered between 2021 and 2022. On the other hand, the northern region had the lowest number of cases in all years.

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