Health Units Research Articles

Measuring Adaptive Functioning in a Correctional Setting: An Analysis of the Problems in Everyday Living Test (PEDL)

Identifying incarcerated individuals with poor adaptive functioning (AF) is critical to ensuring their safety and preserving their legal rights, particularly when a diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID) is considered. This study examined the utility of the Problems in Everyday Living Test (PEDL) to identify incarcerated individuals with deficits in AF who may warrant further assessment for ID. The sample consisted of 154 incarcerated adults housed in mental health units in a large urban jail. Latent class analysis supported a three-class model consistent with Impaired, Borderline, and Intact groups, which differed in the level of AF and other indicators of ID. A cutoff score of 13 in the PEDL was optimal to identify incarcerated individuals with deficits in AF, possible intellectual impairment, and a history of special education. Study findings provided preliminary support for using a 12-item modified version of the PEDL as a screening tool in correctional settings.

Association between Falls, Fear of Falling and Depressive Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Longevity increases pose public health challenges, especially in managing falls and their psychological impacts on older adults. Limited evidence exists on the relationship between a fear of falling (FOF), previous falls, and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults. To evaluate the association between falls, FOF, and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults. This cross-sectional study, conducted in 2018, included 400 older adults from a Basic Health Unit in São Paulo, Brazil. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and the International Falls Efficacy Scale (FES-I) were used, along with self-report questionnaires on fall history. Linear and logistic regression were used to analyze the relationships between variables. The mean age was 75.2 (SD = 8.53) years, with 63.2% being female. Depressive symptoms were observed in 18.3% of the participants, while 90.5% reported a fear of falling (FOF). More than half (63.0%) experienced falls, with 49.5% occurring in the last year. Factors such as the female gender, negative health perceptions, and functional dependence were associated with depressive symptoms. Adjusted analyses indicated that both a fear of falling (FOF) (B = 0.043; p = 0.012) and a history of falls (B = 0.725; p = 0.015) were associated with depressive symptoms. Falls, FOF, and depressive symptoms are interlinked among older adults, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to improve their mental and physical health.

Problemas de Saúde dos Alunos da FEA-RP/USP – Um Exame do Período 2015-2019

This article systematizes primary data on health problems of FEA-RP/USP students in the period 2015-2019 from a database of the unit's Undergraduate Service. This systematization makes it possible to know the nature of the unit's health problems and design more effective educational management policies to deal with health problems. It can be concluded that: there is an increase in requests related to health problems; the composition of requests is in accordance with the composition by sex of the student body; student requests do not occur uniformly per course; mental health problems increase in importance towards the end of the period; requests for home problem sets are of increasing importance; total leave of absence requests have a decreasing importance in percentage terms; The reasons for total leave of absence vary in importance.

Interrelationship between subjective wellbeing and health

BackgroundSubjective wellbeing (SWB) and health are important facets of any person’s life, and they tend to influence each other. This importance is reflected in the vastness of literature aiming to explore this association. However, most of this literature is based on sampling national population which may present different population characteristics to those of a province. Thus, the paper aims to investigate if the association between perceived health and SWB is moderated by population characteristics at a provincial level. We intend to add value to subjective wellbeing and health literature by reviewing the relationship between SWB and health in the Eastern Cape stratified by age, gender, rural and urban and different income classifications.MethodsDifferent population characteristics tend to associate to subjective wellbeing and health differently, therefore influencing how these two variables influence each other. Thus, the paper aims to investigate if the association between perceived health and SWB is moderated by population characteristics at a provincial level. Utilising the South African National Income Dynamics Survey from 2008 to 2017, this study examined the relationship between subjective wellbeing and health using a random effects model stratified according to aforementioned population characteristics.ResultsA better perceived health status is associated with higher subjective wellbeing. A better subjective wellbeing is also associated with a higher health status. Determinants of subjective wellbeing and health associate with these variables differently besides income and employment which led to higher subjective wellbeing and health. Health associates to subjective wellbeing different across populations characteristics.ConclusionSubjective wellbeing and health are interdependent as reflected in the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nation (UN) statements. Higher income and level of education and being employed is associated with both higher SWB and health. Therefore, improving these economic outcomes maybe associated with an improvement in well-being and health as desired by WHO and UN. Provinces differ, and different population characteristics tend to associate with subjective wellbeing and health differently, therefore influencing how these two variables influence each other. Health improvement policies must consider subjective wellbeing. Well-being improvement policies need to be cognisant of the differences in provincial and population characteristics.

High Prevalence of Syphilis among Young Pregnant Women in the Brazilian Amazon: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Clinical Records in a Public Health Reference Unit in the City of Belém.

Syphilis remains a significant global public health concern, and one of its consequences in pregnant women is the potential occurrence of congenital syphilis due to Treponema pallidum infection. This study determined the prevalence of syphilis among pregnant women undergoing prenatal care in a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city of Belém, Brazilian Amazon. This cross-sectional study used data from clinical records of 611 pregnant women who underwent prenatal care at a public health unit in 2019 and 2020. The reagent result for VDRL was used as an indicator of syphilis. Odds Ratio and chi-square tests were used to evaluate the association of information from pregnant women with syphilis. The overall prevalence of syphilis was 5.2 % (32/611; 95 % CI: 3.5-7.0 %). Age under 23 years was identified as a risk factor for syphilis. The prevalence of syphilis among pregnant women in the outskirts of Belém is high, especially among younger women. There is an urgent need to intensify innovative sexual and reproductive health education initiatives and emphasize the importance of consistent practice of preventive measures against syphilis and other STIs in the Amazon region, especially in the young population.

Perception of deaf patients about medical care

Deaf people are those who understand and interact with the world through visual language. Due to the linguistic and cultural differences that characterize the deaf population, this group still faces difficulties in accessing health services. For this reason, it was proposed to investigate communication difficulties in providing care to deaf patients. This is a qualitative study which was carried out at the Association of the Deaf of Maranhão (ASMA), in São Luís. The sample consisted of 10 women and 10 men, all over the age of 18. The information was collected through semi-structured interviews, with the help of Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) interpreters. Data interpretation were performed based on thematic content analysis. Two thematic categories were identified: “communication” and “autonomy”. In the first, the interviewees pointed out the lack of knowledge of the doctors about the needs of the deaf community or about their language, LIBRAS. In an attempt to establish a dialogue, the patients reported the use of writing, gestures and orofacial reading during the consultations. These strategies, however, are insufficient, since the information cannot be well understood. The second evidenced the need for the presence of companions to mediate the dialogue, as the participants stated that they did not find LIBRAS interpreters in the health units, resulting in loss of autonomy and confidentiality of information. It is concluded that this scenario of adversity implies important consequences for the health of this population, as well as lower adherence to treatments and a decrease in the search for medical care.

Knowledge of community health agents about stroke

The aim of this study was to measure the knowledge of community health agents (CHA) about stroke. This is a cross-sectional study carried out by applying a validated questionnaire to 235 CHAs from 16 basic health units from June to July 2023. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics techniques. Women predominated, the majority were brown/yellow and aged 40-49 years. The average age of the CHAs was 44.49 ± 8.55 years; more than 80% had worked for more than five years, 50% had primary education and 66.4% had no training in health. Knowledge ranged from poor (36.2%), bad (29.8%), regular (13.2%), good (17.9%), very good (2.1%), and excellent (0. 9%). The variables that demonstrated the highest number of correct answers were: married participants (p=0.048), with higher education (p<0.001), health training (p=0.02), and less than five years as a CHA (p<0.001) and stocking time (p=0.029). The section on treatment performed less well. The CHWs' knowledge about stroke was predominantly poor and bad, with a lower percentage of correct answers for those with longer professional experience.

Association between mental health and temporomandibular disorders symptoms of users of a Family health unit in the contexto of Covid-19

The research consisted of carrying out a descriptive cross-sectional study with the aim of evaluating the correlation between mental health and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The study was carried out in a unit of the SUS primary care network. The research involved users of a Family Health Unit, Tangará II and a sample population of 223 patients. Data collection was carried out by applying questionnaires representing demographic data, the anamnestic – anamnestic index, and the DASS-21. The data were transcribed into spreadsheets using the Microsoft® Excel program and statistical analyzes were carried out using the SPSS 22.0 program. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample. Qualitative variables were presented in simple and relative frequencies. To verify associations between variables, non-parametric tests were performed: Pearson's Chi-square test and Spearman's correlation test for the significance level p < 0.05. The results demonstrated alignment with results already obtained in the literature. It concluded that healthcare professionals dealing with patients with TMD should integrate regular assessments of anxiety and stress into their treatment plans.

Exploring the correlates of head-banging behaviour in a female forensic mental health unit: a mixed-methods study

ABSTRACT Despite the documented high prevalence of head-banging being used as a form of self-harm in forensic settings, little research has investigated its correlation with demographic and clinical factors. This mixed-methods study explores head-banging episodes (n = 145) within a female forensic mental health unit in England between 2019 and 2021. Using between-groups analyses, the study identifies clinical and demographic risk factors associated with head-banging behaviour in the sample. Results showed that White ethnicity, younger age, and a diagnosis of personality disorder were associated with an increased likelihood of head-banging. A subsequent regression analysis underscored the statistical significance of White ethnicity and younger age as predictors of head-banging behaviour in the sample. A thematic analysis of descriptive incident reports provided insights into the underlying psychological factors driving head-banging behaviour, which often emerged as a response to interpersonal factors or psychotic symptomatology. It is hypothesised that head-banging may vary in function across diagnoses. Further research should focus on using in-depth qualitative methods to better understand the functions of head-banging, developing effective management strategies for head-banging, as well as assessing its impact on healthcare staff.

Public health unit engagement in school mental health programs and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: COMPASS, 2018-2022.

Public health unit (PHU) engagement in schools is important for promoting wellness in students. We aimed to investigate if PHU engagement with schools may have provided protection against the risk of depression and anxiety in students during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used longitudinal data from the Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol use, Smoking and Sedentary behaviour survey between the 2018/19 and 2020/21 academic years. Multilevel models were used to assess the association between PHU engagement with school mental health programs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and depressive (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale Revised) and anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample included 23894 students across 104 secondary schools in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. In confounder-adjusted models, PHU engagement before the pandemic was not associated with student depressive symptoms (B=-0.01, 95% CI=-0.04, 0.02), but was protective against anxiety symptoms (B=-0.03, -0.06, 0.001) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results highlight that PHU engagement with mental health programming in schools was protective against anxiety for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings support the importance of PHU engagement for improving student mental health and pandemic recovery.

Measuring attitude change in nursing students after completion of a First Nations peoples’ health unit: Embedding a validated tool in learning and assessment practices

The health inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, rooted in the historical and ongoing negative impacts of colonisation and disrupted traditional lifestyles, sees higher rates of illness and hospitalisations, increased morbidity and higher premature death rates than other Australians. Nurses represent the majority of Australia’s health workforce and nursing students must have knowledge to provide culturally safe care to Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing unit was developed and introduced into an undergraduate nursing curriculum. This project aimed to determine the effectiveness of the unit content in changing the attitude of nursing students towards care of First Nations peoples. A quasi-experimental design was used and included all undergraduate nursing students commencing this unit in 2020 at one university in Western Australia. Students completed a validated questionnaire prior to engaging with unit learning materials and again at completion of the unit. Complete paired data was available for 339 participants. Results demonstrated statistically significant change in attitude following completion of the unit. Embedding targeted education concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health and wellbeing positively influences attitudes in caring for this population of patients.

The associations of supervised consumption services with the rates of opioid-related mortality and morbidity outcomes at the public health unit level in Ontario (Canada): A controlled interrupted time-series analysis.

This study aimed to assess the impact of the implementation of legally sanctioned supervised consumption sites (SCS) in the Canadian province of Ontario on opioid-related deaths, emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalisations at the public health unit (PHU) level. Monthly rates per 100,000 population of opioid-related deaths, ED visits and hospitalisations for PHUs in Ontario between December 2013 and March 2022 were collected. Aggregated and individual analyses of PHUs with one or more SCS were conducted, with PHUs that instituted an SCS being matched to control units that did not. Autoregressive integrated moving average models were used to estimate the impact of SCS implementation on opioid-related deaths, ED visits and hospitalisations. Twenty-one legally sanctioned SCS were implemented across nine PHUs in Ontario during the study period. Interrupted time series analyses showed no statistically significant changes in opioid-related death rates in aggregated analyses of intervention PHUs (increase of 0.02 deaths/100,000 population/month; p = 0.27). Control PHUs saw a significant increase of 0.38 deaths/100,000 population/month; p < 0.001. No statistically significant changes were observed in the rates of opioid-related ED visits in intervention PHUs (decrease of 0.61 visits/100,000 population/month; p = 0.39) or controls (increase of 0.403 visits; p = 0.76). No statistically significant changes to the rates of opioid-related hospitalisations were observed in intervention PHUs (0 hospitalisations/100,000 population/month; p = 0.98) or controls (decrease of 0.05 hospitalisations; p = 0.95). This study did not find significant mortality or morbidity effects associated with SCS availability at the population level in Ontario. In the context of a highly toxic drug supply, additional interventions will be required to reduce opioid-related harms.

Understanding the impact of distance and disadvantage on lung cancer care and outcomes: a study protocol

BackgroundLung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK and the leading cause of cancer mortality globally. NHS England guidance for optimum lung cancer care recommends management and treatment by a specialist team, with experts concentrated in one place, providing access to specialised diagnostic and treatment facilities. However, the complex and rapidly evolving diagnostic and treatment pathways for lung cancer, together with workforce limitations, make achieving this challenging. This place-based, behavioural science-informed qualitative study aims to explore how person-related characteristics interact with a person’s location relative to specialist services to impact their engagement with the optimal lung pathway, and to compare and contrast experiences in rural, coastal, and urban communities. This study also aims to generate translatable evidence to inform the evidence-based design of a patient engagement intervention to improve lung cancer patients’ and informal carers’ participation in and experience of the lung cancer care pathway.MethodsA qualitative cross-sectional interview study with people diagnosed with lung cancer < 6 months before recruitment (in receipt of surgery, radical radiotherapy, or living with advanced disease) and their informal carers. Participants will be recruited purposively from Barts Health NHS Trust and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trusts to ensure a diverse sample across urban and rural settings. Semi-structured interviews will explore factors affecting individuals’ capability, opportunity, and motivation to engage with their recommended diagnostic and treatment pathway. A framework approach, informed by the COM-B model, will be used to thematically analyse facilitators and barriers to patient engagement.DiscussionThe study aligns with the current policy priority to ensure that people with cancer, no matter where they live, can access the best quality treatments and care. The evidence generated will be used to ensure that lung cancer services are developed to meet the needs of rural, coastal, and urban communities. The findings will inform the development of an intervention to support patient engagement with their recommended lung cancer pathway.Protocol registrationThe study received NHS Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 23/SC/0255) and NHS Health Research Authority (IRAS ID 328531) approval on 04/08/2023. The study was prospectively registered on Open Science Framework (16/10/2023; https://osf.io/njq48).

How do undergraduate nursing students learn to care for families and informal caregivers? A qualitative study with a grounded theory approach

BackgroundNurses play a crucial role in caring for families of ill individuals in care, requiring high-quality relational and communication skills to care for them. Yet these skills remain underutilized, leading to reported issues of inadequate inclusion and communication. Education is crucial to enhance nurses' competencies in caring for families and informal caregivers. AimTo explore the learning process of undergraduate nursing students to care for families and informal caregivers. DesignQualitative study with a grounded theory approach. SettingsBachelor's degree in nursing from two off-sites of a university and four local health units collaborating with the university in North Italy. Participants15 undergraduate nursing students, 10 nurse preceptors, and 10 nurse clinical teachers. MethodsWe adopted initial and theoretical sampling and conducted semi-structured interviews from December 2023 to January 2024, lasting 16 to 62 min. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed through open, selective, and theoretical coding. ResultsWe developed a theory of learning for undergraduate nursing students in caring for families and informal caregivers, comprising two themes, “Learning areas” and “Learning antecedents,” and nine categories. Learning areas involve five stages of learning to care for families and informal caregivers and the most frequent opportunities to interact with families and informal caregivers. The five stages are “Seeing and considering families and informal caregivers”, “Assessing the families' and informal caregivers' needs and resources”, “Preparing for and planning intervention with families and informal caregivers”, “Acting with families and informal caregivers”, “Reflecting on the intervention with families and informal caregivers”. Learning antecedents encompass student characteristics, interpersonal relationships, and the clinical training setting. ConclusionsIn this study, we delineate a five-stage learning process for undergraduate nursing students to care for families and informal caregivers, influenced by individual, interpersonal, and contextual factors. We emphasised the importance of relational skill development, tailored learning experiences, and supportive mentorship in enhancing students' preparedness to engage with and support families in healthcare settings. The developed theory provides a foundational framework for designing educational interventions to optimise nursing students' capacities in this domain.

Knowledge, Attitude and Perception Towards Caesarean Section and Its Associated Factors Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women Attending Maternal Health Units in Burao District, Somaliland

Knowledge, Attitude and Perception Towards Caesarean Section and Its Associated Factors Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women Attending Maternal Health Units in Burao District, Somaliland

Towards performance governance in healthcare: An analysis of Italian local health units.

Bouckaert and Halligan (2008) proposed four ideal types of performance management systems, ranging from a disconnected and input-led approach (performance administration) to a model in which performance management is fully integrated with both the internal and external context of an organisation (performance governance). This article empirically analyzes performance plans issued by Italian Local Health Units (LHUs) to provide a first nationwide snapshot of the different ideal-types of performance management that each (LHUs) have reached, in a 'performance governance'-oriented perspective. This paper employs a qualitative methodology based on document analysis. The model orienting the analysis features six dimensions capturing the ideal-types characteristics and what the Italian performance regulations prescribe. Data was derived from the performance plans adopted by the Italian LHUs on the condition that they made the documentation necessary for the analysis public on their institutional website. For a 'performance governance' oriented approach, two elements are considered relevant: familiarity with the analysis of stakeholders and context. In our sample, consisting of 63 performance plans out of 99 Italian LHUs, it was challenging to identify specific territorial clusters, due tosignificant heterogeneity. The role of strategic objectives, integration between cycles, and context analysis seems to positively influence the orientation towards a 'performance governance' approach. The application of Bouckaert and Halligan's ideal-types has only been episodically investigated in the healthcare sector, mainly at the individual health unit or Region level. This article's innovative contribution consists of conducting a qualitative analysis based on a replicable taxonomy that enables further national comparisons. Furthermore, it highlights the need for public healthcare systems to engage more with external stakeholders to improve the quality of their performance governance.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Staffing Levels in Philadelphia Nursing Homes: Disparities Based on the Racial Composition of Geographical Areas.

Research to assess and inform health policy is an essential component of the policymaking process to advance equity in public health practice. This study investigated health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) in older adult institutional settings in Philadelphia, PA, to inform policy initiatives, interventions, and infrastructure development. We first explored the changing patterns of nursing staffing levels (total direct care staff and registered nurses [RNs]) measured by hours per resident per day (HPRD) before and after COVID-19. Our findings revealed that HPRD levels consistently fell below the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recommended standards from 2018 to 2022, with notable declines observed starting from 2021. Results from multilevel modeling showed significant declines in HPRD for total direct care nursing staff in nursing homes located in zip codes with a high proportion of Black residents (≥40%). In contrast, HPRD for RNs significantly declined in nursing homes located in zip codes with a lower proportion of Black residents (<40%). Moreover, higher reported direct care HPRD and RN HPRD were associated with any reported COVID-19 cases only within zip codes with a low proportion of Black residents. These findings indicate the need for additional policies to address these observed patterns in staffing levels. Our study provides a foundation for future policy reviews utilizing a conceptual framework that is health equity-centric for local and state health departments program and units intended for institutional care settings for older adults.

Learning Health System to rapidly improve the implementation of a school physical activity policy

BackgroundLearning Health Systems (LHS) – characterised by cycles of evidence generation and application – are increasingly recognised for their potential to improve public health interventions and optimise health impacts; however there is little evidence of their application in the context of public health practice. Here, we describe how an Australian public health unit applied a LHS approach to successfully improve a model of support for implementation of a school-based physical activity policy.MethodsThis body of work was undertaken in the context of a strong research-practice partnership. Core LHS capabilities included: i) partnerships and stakeholder engagement; ii) workforce development and learning health communities; iii) multi-disciplinary scientific expertise; iv) practice data collection and management system; v) evidence surveillance and synthesis; and vi) governance and organisational processes of decision making. Three cycles of data generation and application were used. Within each cycle, randomised controlled trials conducted in NSW primary schools were used to generate data on the support model’s effectiveness for improving schools’ implementation of a government physical activity policy, its delivery costs, and process measures such as adoption and acceptability. Each type of data were analysed independently, synthesised, and then presented to a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and practitioners, in consult with stakeholders, leading to collaborative decisions for incremental improvements to the support model.ResultsCycle 1 tested the first version of the support model (composed of five implementation strategies targeting identified barriers of policy implementation) and showed the model’s feasibility and efficacy for improving schools’ policy implementation. Data-informed changes were made to enhance impact, including the addition of three implementation strategies to address outstanding barriers. Cycle 2 (now, testing a package of eight implementation strategies) established the model’s effectiveness and cost-effectiveness for improving school's policy implementation. Data-informed changes were made to reduce delivery costs, specifically adapting the costliest strategies to reduce in-person contact from external support personnel. Cycle 3 showed that the adaptations minimised the relative cost of delivery without adversely impacting on the effect.ConclusionsThrough this process, we identified an effective, cost-effective, acceptable and scalable policy implementation support model for service delivery. This provides important information to inform or support LHS approaches for other agencies seeking to optimise the health impact of evidence-based interventions.

Evaluation of home health services provided to children in Batman province

Aims: To evaluate the home health services provided to children in Batman, a province in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkiye, where the birth rate and consanguineous marriages are high. Methods: For this descriptive and cross-sectional study, data from 460 patients aged 0-18 years who received services from the Home Health Unit of Batman Training and Research Hospital between January 10, 2018, and January 10, 2023, were retrospectively scanned through the Hospital Information Management System. Results: 57.6% of the patients were male and 42.4% were female. The mean age of the patients was 10.64±4.5 years; the proportion of patients aged 0-6 years was 20%, 7-12 years was 41.1%, and 13-18 years was 38.9%. Mental retardation was observed in 15%, cerebral palsy in 42.8%, hydrocephalus in 7.8%, epilepsy in 17%, spina bifida/meningocele/meningomyelocele in 4.1%, neuromuscular and motor disorders (paresis/plegia, etc.) in 10.4%, and osteogenesis imperfecta in 3%. While 99.6% of reasons for physician visits were non-emergency, the most common reason for visits by non-physician health personnel was dressing and monitoring of fever, pulse, and blood pressure, at 94.8%. The proportion of patients in need of nursing services was 98.7%; the proportion of patients with pressure sore signs was 87.8%; and the proportion of fully dependent patients was 93.9%. Conclusion: To provide home health services more effectively and efficiently, it is necessary to increase social awareness, improve health literacy to eliminate regional differences, and expand telehealth applications. For better quality service delivery, it is of vital importance to provide periodic training to those engaged in patient care, especially on managing bed sores. In this way, home health services for children can become more accessible and effective.

Stress experienced by professionals from basic health units in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE: To understand stress at work among professionals in Basic Health Units, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study. Data collection took place through semi-structured interviews and systematic observation. The 20 study participants were professionals from two Basic Health Units (UBS) in a municipality in the state of Bahia. The data was analyzed using IRAMUTEQ (word cloud and similarity tree) and content analysis. RESULTS: It was found that the experience of stress is something present and striking in the daily lives of health professionals at UBS due to their proximity to users and the responsibility of taking care of their health. They tend to experience frustration, instability, physical and emotional exhaustion and suffering due to the pressures of the service and the weaknesses of the health system. Fear during the COVID-19 pandemic brought anguish experienced in the work, social and family environment due to the difficulty of carrying out daily activities. They faced situations of lack of respect and empathy, risk of contamination, work overload, physical exhaustion, discrimination and isolation. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The stress of UBS health professionals was linked to the experience of overload in work activities, which was intensified with the biosafety measures adopted.