Rural Communities In Brazil Research Articles

Influence of livelihood functional diversity on agro-food systems in rural communities from different macro regions of Brazil

Urbanization has changed the livelihood diversity of rural communities worldwide. This study aimed to fit an indicator of the functional diversity of livelihood activities to assess the heterogeneity of socioeconomic conditions and their influence on agro-food changes in rural communities in Brazil. This study was conducted in three macro regions of Brazil, through semi-structured questionnaire interviews conducted in 1012 households to verify details about food patterns, self-consumption farms, and socioeconomic conditions. Data from questionnaires were analyzed using multivariate statistical models to appraise similarities among communities and determine the relative influence of socioeconomic factors on agro-food patterns. Specific socioeconomic status and use of natural resource data were analyzed while adjusting for Petchey and Gaston's indicator of functional diversity to evaluate the heterogeneity of local livelihood activities and socioeconomic conditions. This indicator summarizes the proportional livelihood richness in all sampled places, as better conditions for survival were found in specific localities of the central-west and eastern Amazon regions of Brazil. We also verified that the remote areas of the Goiás and Pará states were regions with the most significant maintenance of traditional food habits and use of natural resources. Although these results do not allow us to establish that all of these areas are undergoing an agro-food transition process, some localities are more likely than others to adjust their livelihood strategies to face global food changes. This interdisciplinary approach facilitated the identification of the most similar groups regarding their livelihoods and socioeconomic conditions that influenced the agro-food transition process in rural regions.

Stakeholder engagement for inclusive water governance in a rural community in Brazil

Stakeholder engagement for inclusive water governance in a rural community in Brazil

Carriage of oropharyngeal bacteria among children in a vulnerable rural population living in a tropical region in São Paulo, Brazil

This study aimed to detect the carriage of _Streptococcus pneumoniae_, _Haemophilus influenza_, and _Moraxella catarrhalis_ in the oropharynx and a possible association for airway infections in children of a vulnerable population living in a tropical rural settlement, São Paulo, Brazil. Demographic data were collected through standard questionnaires. Oropharyngeal samples were cultured and examined using the multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The molecular method had higher sensitivity and revealed a high rate of colonization by _S. pneumoniae _and _M. catarrhalis_. _H. influenza_ was not detected, highlighting the strength of Brazil's national immunization program. Low income was reported by 61.4% of participants. Carriage of _S. pneumoniae _was positively associated with being female (_P_=0.004) and being brown color (_P= _0.042). We identified risk factors for respiratory infections and vulnerabilities that may be widely applicable to other rural communities in Brazil and other settings of developing countries.

The transformative journey of community health workers in implementing a lifestyle intervention in Brazil: A qualitative study.

Community health workers (CHWs) stand as critical frontline agents within the Brazilian healthcare system. In this qualitative study, we examined the impact of a community-based behavioral change intervention spearheaded by CHWs. The intervention focused on promoting healthy behaviors - physical activity, nutrition, and emotional well-being - among individuals aged 50 and older living in a rural community in Brazil. The intervention was designed, implemented, and evaluated in close collaboration with CHWs and local administrators. The implementation of the intervention unfolded in two waves, each lasting 12 months. Interviews with CHWs, health administrators, and intervention participants conducted at post-intervention and 6-year follow-up centered on CHWs as delivery agents and examined the implementation of the intervention in primary care contexts around adoption, implementation, and long-term maintenance. Inductive analysis revealed four themes that highlight CHWs' motivation to take active roles in health promotion and overcoming challenges such as unfamiliarity with new roles or limited training. In addition, enhanced community bonds, job satisfaction, and trust in CHWs gained through the intervention, empowered CHWs to realize their potential and importance. Another important area relates to the CHWs' ability to leverage their deep community ties and cultural insights to enhance the intervention's significance. CHWs' participation in the program also led to personal benefits and self-care practices, setting an example for the community they serve. This study underscores the positive impact of a community-based intervention led by CHWs. Such programs have the potential for nationwide dissemination, leveraging the CHWs' widespread presence and deep community integration.

Reiterative Code-Switching: Argument-Marking in Cena

Situations of language contact are often the norm for sign languages. This article investigates a case of unimodal contact between Cena, a young sign language in its third generation that is used in a small rural community in Brazil, and Libras, the national sign language of Brazil. Our analysis concerns one by-product of this contact: reiterative code-switches, wherein signers produce a sequence of two signs—one from each language—with the same meaning to label a single referent. We consider several motivations detailed in existing literature on code-switching, before proposing an explanation motivated by the disambiguation of reversible (therefore potentially ambiguous) verb events, primarily by using reiteration to focus agents. We suggest that with this phenomenon, we see signers employ a previously unattested strategy to mark arguments and thereby aid syntactic disambiguation.

COLLECTIVIZING COMMUNICATIVE SPACES FOR COLLABORATION IN RURAL LODGING IN BRAZIL

Collectivization and collaboration are categories essentially studied as a social dimension in urban contexts, despite the spatial dimension of rural realities. Given this reality of scientific studies, the research goal was to demonstrate collectivization for collaboration in rural lodging spaces from Sítio Hortêncio (Florianópolis, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil) as a research object. The research is a qualitative and descriptive study in view of space as a communicating empirical object. Bibliography and search in primary and secondary data sources, in loco spatial reading, and photographs of the spaces of the research object as support for spatial reading constituted the research procedures and instruments. First, collected data was approached by Semiotic of Peirce, followed by Benjamin Montage Theory. The semiotic and the montage theory presented themselves as unusual as methodological approaches for the Hospitality industry; the rural lodging space was an innovative attribute of approach for studies in the Hospitality area; rural lodging spaces revealed possibilities of political actions of collaborative, direct democracy for the empowerment of rural communities in Brazil. Collectivization and collaboration have been explained as urban phenomena. Therefore, the description of rural lodging spaces could legitimize other spaces that are not urban public spaces as support for collectivization and collaboration. The results gave meaning to rural lodging spaces, understood as communicators of collectivization for collaboration in the Brazilian rural territory.

Violence in Quilombola women living in rural communities in Brazil.

To estimate the prevalence of psychological, physical, and sexual violence perpetrated against women by their intimate partner (IP) in Quilombola communities located in Espírito Santo State, Brazil. The data is from a population-based cross-sectional study of Quilombola women conducted from 2017 to 2018. In-person interviews collected information on women's sociodemographic characteristics, behaviors, and their experience of violence perpetrated by their IP. The analysis used chi-square test and hierarchical logistic regression. 219 women (94.8% of the invited ones) agreed to participate in the study. 59.0% (95%CI: 5.25-65.5) reported psychological violence; 41% (95%CI: 34.5-47.5) physical violence; and 8.2% (95%CI: 4.6-11.8) sexual violence. Psychological violence was associated with having three or more sexual partners in life, when compared to those who had up to two partners (p = 0,009), and previous violence involving other people outside of family increased the chance of suffering psychological violence by an IP more than nine times (p ≤ 0.001). Regarding physical violence, the association with use of barrier contraception (p = 0.031) and having a partner with other sexual partners (p = 0.024) were protective factors for IP violence. Having 3 or more sexual partners in the last 12 months (p = 0.006), partner using illicit drugs (p = 0,006), and alcoholism in the family (p = 0,001), increased the chance of suffer physical violence by the partner. Sexual violence perpetrated by the IP was associated with miscarriage (p = 0.016), partner using drugs (p = 0.020), and gynecological symptoms (p = 0.045). These results showed the high frequency of intimate partner violence in Quilombola women and highlight the importance of reducing social and race inequities for interrupting the culture of violence against women.

Quantification of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus and in the production of fresh cheese in a rural community in Brazil

Cheese is a milk derivative widely consumed in Brazil, having a great nutritional importance. The microbiological quality of food is of vital importance, as existing microorganisms, especially in products of animal origin, can cause serious diseases, so the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of Minas Frescal cheese produced in a rural community in Brazil. Twenty samples of Minas Frescal cheese were analyzed, these samples were submitted to analysis for counting mesophilic aerobic bacteria, total coliform bacteria, coliform bacteria at 45°C and Staphylococcus aureus. Brazilian legislation was used as a parameter for the evaluation of the analyzed cheese samples. All samples analyzed showed high counts of mesophilic aerobic, bacteria total coliform bacteria, coliform bacteria at 45°C and Staphylococcus aureus. The high count of total coliform bacteria, coliform bacteria at 45°C and Staphylococcus aureus observed in the analyzed cheese samples suggests that this product may pose a health risk to consumers.

Environmental assessment of waste handling in rural Brazil: Improvements towards circular economy

Rural areas are often neglected with respect to solid waste management, and if some kind of management is in place it is often inadequate, causing harm to the rural population and environment, especially when open burning and dumping are practiced. These practices are performed in rural areas/isolated communities worldwide. In today's scenario, any actions taken by cities generally do not focus on implementing a circular economy, that is, closing the loops and resource recovery, which are important to increase the quality of life of rural populations. In this sense, this study aimed to assess the environmental impacts of the current waste handling scenario of Quilombola communities located in the rural areas of west-central Brazil to shed light on this issue and provide means to decision-makers to act appropriately. Life cycle assessment was employed for a “current” (combination of waste burning and landfilling) and a “proposed” (source separation and home composting) scenario with 1 ton of municipal solid waste as the functional unit and the ILCD recommended method for impact assessment. The results showed that the current scenario registered environmental burdens for all impact categories assessed, such as 415 kg CO 2 eq. for climate change and 37,174 CTUe for freshwater eutrophication, while in the proposed scenario, the impacts were reduced in all categories. Based on these results, we concluded that the studied population was exposed to several different impacts, especially due to waste burning, which represented 98.8% of emissions to climate change, and that the proposed scenario poses an alternative conducive to a shift towards circular economy and sustainable development concepts. Our study provides important data regarding necessary improvements to current waste handling practices to reduce environmental impacts and enhance the quality of life of the rural population, which will help decision-makers take appropriate actions. • We applied an LCA approach to waste handling in rural communities in Brazil. • Open burning represents 98.8% of emissions to climate change. • The alternative scenario towards CE produced savings in most impact categories. • Governance and investments are needed to improve life quality of the population.

Morar no campo e estudar na cidade: a realidade de crianças e jovens de uma comunidade do Norte do Tocantins, Brasil

The closure of schools located in rural communities in Brazil by public authorities has been recurrent in the country. Based on the development of a quantitive and qualitative research, characterized as a case study, this work sought to analyze the closure process of a school located in the rural area of the municipality of Tocantinópolis-TO, and its consequences for students and their families. The research corpus consists of semi-structured interviews with social actors in the community (six students, a student’s parent, a principal and the municipality’s Secretary of Education), in addition to documents. Among the results of the research, it is worth mentioning that in 2018 the number of students who lived in Ribeirão Grande II village and its surroundings and who studied in the urban area of Tocantinópolis totaled 78, and that these students had to travel an average of 15 km daily by bus to the schools in urban area. Of this total, 28 students are between 4 and 10 years old and are enrolled from kindergarten I to 4th grade. Considering the principle that rural people need an education that is in and out of the countryside and that the school should value knowledge, cultural identity, history, as well as the struggles of peasants in training processes, it is important to emphasize the reopening of a school in the community to serve the students who live there.

Insights from a design-led inquiry about rural communities in Brazil

This paper describes the trajectory of an inquiry about rural communities in Brazil that was simultaneously an inquiry about the “research-practice gap”. The journey begins in 2014, when the author...

Mitochondrial DNA reveals species composition and phylogenetic relationships of hookworms in northeastern Brazil

Hookworm infection persists focally in rural communities in Brazil. In this study, we analyze the mitochondrial nucleotide sequences obtained from hookworms infecting humans in order to characterize species composition and assess their genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships. Field expeditions and cross-sectional surveys were carried out in three Brazilian municipalities from 2013 to 2017: Nossa Senhora de Nazaré (n = 605) and Teresina (n = 297), in the state of Piauí, and Russas (n = 213) in the State of Ceará. Parasitological methods were used to evaluate fecal samples. Hookworm-positive samples had a partial mtDNA cox1 amplified and sequenced. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian analysis demonstrated two strongly-supported clades, including Group A, corresponding to Necator americanus, and Groups B and C, corresponding to Necator sp. Group A was divided into three main clusters: A1 grouped with Asian sequences, A2 grouped with African sequences, and A3 had only Asian sequences. Group B was closely related to Necator sp., showing a sequence similarity of 98%–99% with African samples circulating zoonotically among humans and non-human primates. Twenty three N. americanus haplotypes were identified. N. americanus Median-Joining network revealed three distinct groups, designated again as A1, A2, and A3. Group A1 presented a star-like shape, with one dominant haplotype. The molecular dating suggested that the two clades dividing N. americanus and Necator sp. began to diverge during the middle Pleistocene. The most recent common ancestor among N. americanus groups was dated to the late Pleistocene. Hookworms circulating in the studied communities are structured in well-defined subpopulations presenting both Asian and African genetic backgrounds. This reveals a double origin for hookworms in northeastern Brazil and opens up new possibilities in phylogeographic, evolutionary, and molecular epidemiological studies in regions where hookworms persists focally, despite control efforts. The presence of potentially zoonotic species and the specific identification of Necator sp. should be further investigated.

437. Spatial Distribution of Schistosomiasis After Repeated Praziquantel Treatments in a Rural Community in Brazil

BackgroundSchistosomiasis is to a degree a disease of contact with fecally contaminated surface waters, rather than ingestion. Repeated treatments with praziquantel reduce schistosomiasis prevalence and morbidity; however, transmission persists and prevalence of infection often recover within a few years.MethodsIn a community in rural Bahia, Brazil that straddles a shallow river, we surveyed and treated all individuals that tested positive for schistosomiasis by Kato Katz in stools in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Upstream and downstream, as well as common water contact sites along the river were sampled and analyzed by microbial source tracking for human fecal indicator markers. The location of each home and water contact site was registered with a handheld GPS unit. Spatial analyses were performed by using QGIS software, version 2.14.ResultsThe population in the village was 460 in 2009, with minimal fluctuation over the study period. In 2009, schistosomiasis prevalence was 45%. After successive rounds of community-wide treatment with praziquantel, in the years 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017, prevalence decreased to 24%, 16%, 13%, and 1.6%, respectively. Among the river water samples, human fecal indicator markers were detectable in minimal quantities upstream of the village. The highest concentrations were found in the downstream sections of the village. Hotspot analysis, raster calculator, and nearest neighbor analysis were used to display and analyze the prevalence of schistosomiasis. Distribution of infection was widespread initially and clustered in the downstream sections of the village after successive treatments.ConclusionIn this rural community in Brazil, sustained decrease in schistosomiasis prevalence was seen after multiple community-wide treatments over 5 years. Reinfection was not distributed randomly but concentrated in the downstream portion of the village, where human fecal water contamination is increased. Targeting sanitation in key areas may decrease sources of transmission persistence after cessation of community-wide treatment efforts.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Economic Viability of Photovoltaic Systems in a Rural Community in Brazil

Solar energy can be converted directly into electricity using photovoltaic cell technology. It is considered as the technology of the future because it uses the Sun, a clean and inexhaustible source. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the economic viability in energy generation of a photovoltaic system in a rural community in the district of Rio do Salto. The rural community is in the municipality of Cascavel, western region of the state of Paraná, geographical coordinates latitude 25°8'31"S, longitude 53°19'40"W and altitude 781 m. Rio do Salto has regulations of 19 blocks with 241 properties. The evaluated properties belonged to block 11. The project was feasible when the payback period of the investment occurred within the expected photovoltaic system life cycle and if the internal rate of return (IRR) was higher than the minimum attractiveness expected for the project. To ensure the viability of this power generation system, the average consumption over the 12-month period should be higher than the rate of availability of the concessionaire that the owner should pay. This value varied according to the connection type (single-phase: 30 kWh, two-phase: 50 kWh and three-phase: 100 kWh). Property 9 was the only one that did not show conditions for photovoltaic system for not reaching the minimum connection tariff of the concessionaire.

Religiousness/spirituality do not necessarily matter: Effect on risk perception and adaptive strategies in the semi-arid region of NE Brazil

The impact of environmental changes is a major threat to livelihoods, especially for small farmers in semi-arid regions. Therefore, local communities undertake efforts to cope with these new environmental conditions and researchers try to understand the limits of possible adaptive strategies. Religiousness/spirituality are two important factors that can influence environmental awareness and adaptive responses to risks caused by natural phenomena. However, studies addressing the relationship between such factors are either scarce or based on anecdotal information. This article discusses the influence of religiousness/spirituality on the perception of environmental risks by farmers in a rural community in Brazil's northeast region, and their knowledge of adaptive strategies to deal with such concerns. Religiousness/spirituality can positively or negatively influence the perception of risk and knowledge of adaptive strategies when facing environmental uncertainty. We note that dimensions of religiousness/spirituality such as religious history, values/beliefs, commitment, and daily spiritual experiences influence wealth and the sharing of natural perceived risks, as well as adaptive strategies. Based on our results, we conclude that religiousness/spirituality dimensions exert both positive and negative effects on the perception of environmental risks and ways of coping with the impacts of rapid environmental changes.

Seroprevalence of Chikungunya Virus in a Rural Community in Brazil.

BackgroundThe emergence of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is currently expanding. In 2015, 38,332 cases of Chikungunya were reported to the Brazilian epidemiological surveillance system. Eighteen months after notification of the first case in the city of Feira de Santana, we conducted the first serosurvey to define the magnitude of transmission in a rural community in Brazil.Methodology/Main findingsThe serosurvey was conducted in a random sample of 450 residences in the Chapada district, located 100 kilometers from Feira de Santana. We administered questionnaires and tested 120 sera from Chapada district residents for CHIKV IgM- and IgG-specific antibodies. An individual with CHIKV infection was defined as any person with CHIKV IgM or IgG antibodies detected in the serum. One Hundred cases of Chikungunya were reported after prolonged rainfall, which reinforced the relationship between the rainfall index and CHIKV transmission. Eighteen months after the start of the outbreak, we identified a seroprevalence of 20% (95% CI, 15.4–35%). CHIKV IgG- and IgM-specific antibodies were detected in 22/120 (18.3%) and 6/120 (5.0%) individuals, respectively. Among seropositive patients, 13/24 (54.2%) reported fever and joint pain over the previous two years (p<0.01). The rate of symptomatic CHIKV infection was 40.7%.Conclusions/SignificanceWe identified a moderate seroprevalence of Chikungunya in the Chapada district, and in half of the confirmed CHIKV infections, patients reported arthralgia and fever over the previous two years.

Healing faith: knowledge, learning and social relationships of healers from Araripe plateau, Brazil

We investigated the practice of healing in three rural communities in Brazil (Ceará) to understand the diseases that are treated, the plants known and used, the ways in which knowledge of the blessing practices and medicinal plants is gained, and the relationships among the healers. We interviewed 41 healers, who treat approximately 20 diseases with blessings and know several species of medicinal plants. Six plants are most often associated with blessing. The transmission of knowledge occurs mainly through people who have kinship. The popularity of a healer was not influenced by the number of therapeutic plants known or the number of diseases treated through blessing. In two communities, the best-known healers are also the most sought after by other healers for the exchange of information and blessings. The results of this study can assist in the establishment of public actions aimed at the enhancement and the recognition of blessing practices.

Population variation of HLA genes in rural communities in Brazil, the Quilombos from the Vale do Ribeira, São Paulo – Brazil

In the present study, we characterized the allelic and haplotypic profile of the genes HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 (PCR-SBT) in a population sample of 144 highly admixed individuals, coming from rural communities in Brazil (Quilombos from Vale do Ribeira, in the State of São Paulo). Furthermore, we identified three individuals with a new null allele in the HLA-C gene (HLA-C∗02:105N), associated with the haplotype HLA-A∗80: 01∼B∗18: 01:01G∼DRB1∗ 07:01.

Analytic Modeling of Rainwater Harvesting in the Brazilian Semiarid Northeast

AbstractDuring the past two decades, government efforts to provide water access to rural communities in Brazil's semiarid Northeast region have focused on building systems to capture and store rainwater, most importantly through the One Million Cisterns Program (P1MC). This article presents an analytic model based on daily precipitation data to evaluate the sustainability of rainwater capture. Application of this model to analysis of the P1MC reveals the heterogeneous climate in this region causes large spatial variability in the effectiveness of this program. In addition, the size of the area of capture, the run‐off coefficient of the roofs, and the amount of first‐flush diversion also have important effects. This analysis demonstrates while rainwater capture can offer sufficient water for drinking, as a stand‐alone solution it cannot meet P1MC objectives of guaranteeing sustainable and universal access to water for drinking, cooking, and basic hygiene in all regions and years.

The Role of Mammals in Local Communities Living in Conservation Areas in the Northeast of Brazil: An Ethnozoological Approach

Humans have used animals and their products since the beginning of their shared history. Animals are used for different purposes, including food, medicines and magical-religious practices. This study analyzes two communities that reside in a conservation area to determine the role of mammals by these communities, considering the influences of factors such as gender and age on the knowledge and use of the mammals by individuals. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews in the two communities in the Chapada do Araripe Environmental Protection Area (APA/Araripe) in Brazil. All of the inhabited houses in the communities were visited, and at most, two people were interviewed per household. A total of 229 interviews were conducted with local residents. A total of 32 species of mammals was recorded, with 8 used for medicinal purposes, 17 species used as food resources, and 23 species related to superstition. Men knew and used more mammals as zootherapeutics and as a food resource than women, whereas for superstition, there was no significant difference between the genders. Regarding age, adults knew and used more mammals as zootherapeutics, and the elderly used more mammals as a food resource. This study demonstrates that the use of wild mammals still occurs in rural communities in Brazil, even in conservation units where the federal laws are stricter.