Sample Of Brazilian Women Research Articles

Study of the Discriminative Validity of the PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 in a Sample of Brazilian Women in the Context of Primary Health Care

This study aimed to assess the discriminative validity of the Brazilian version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and of its reduced version (PHQ-2). The sample consisted of 177 women (60 cases of depression and 117 noncases). The SCID-IV was used as the gold standard. For the PHQ-9, a cutoff score equal to or higher than 10 proved to be the most adequate for the screening of depression, whereas the best cutoff score for the PHQ-2 was found to lie between 3 and 4. The systematic use of these instruments in nursing and in the context of primary health care could favor the early detection of depression.

Leptin G-2548A promoter polymorphism is associated with increased plasma leptin and BMI in Brazilian women

Variants in leptin gene (LEP) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. The relationship between LEP G-2548A polymorphism and obesity-related traits was evaluated in a sample of Brazilian women (n = 228) who were randomly selected from two clinical centers in Sao Paulo city. Blood samples were collected for DNA extraction, plasma leptin and serum lipids measurements. LEP G-2548A genotypes were identified by a PCR- RFLP strategy using the endonuclease Alw44I. LEP G-2548A was associated with obesity after adjustment for covariates (age, hypertension, coronary artery disease, smoking and physical activity). Women carrying G allele had a four times higher risk of obesity than the A allele carriers (OR: 4.11, CI95%: 1.06-15.90, p = 0.041). G allele was also related to increased plasma leptin (p = 0.024) and body mass index (p = 0.027). Hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and coronary artery disease were associated with obesity. However LEP G-2548A polymorphism was not related to these variables. All together these data suggest that LEP G-2548A polymorphism has an important role in regulating plasma leptin levels and body mass index in women.

Deriving conditional and unconditional marginal effects in log earnings equations estimated by Heckman's procedure

Although the Heckman approach has often been used in empirical analysis, the marginal effects, necessary to interpret the effect of the regressors on the dependent variable, appeared to be overlooked. Using the Heckman approach, general expressions are derived for calculating the conditional and unconditional marginal effects. Based on a sample of Brazilian women, the conditional and unconditional return to education are calculated for the logarithm of earnings equation estimated by Heckman's procedure, comparing them to the marginal effect of education obtained without correcting for selectivity bias. The same analysis is carried out for a discrete variable ‘black’.

Quantifying pain threshold and quality of life of fibromyalgia patients

The most typical symptom of fibromyalgia (FM) is diffuse pain, and pain at specific points-tender points-is crucial for its diagnosis. By comparing healthy individuals and FM patients, this study was aimed at assessing pain and quality of life of Brazilian females with FM, while seeking for a correlation between pain threshold and quality of life. A total of 178 women were evaluated: 124 were FM patients and 54 were healthy women. Pain threshold at tender points was quantified by dolorimetry, and diffuse pain by means of the visual analogue scale (VAS); the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was used to evaluate quality of life. Statistical treatment of the data allowed for proposing two indexes: a pain threshold index (PT) and a quality of life one (QOL). PT is the lowest value among all pain thresholds measured at the 18 tender points; QOL is the mean of responses to the FIQ and VAS. Both indexes were tested and showed significant differences between the test and control groups. By pairing pain threshold values of each tender point in the test and control groups, it was found that the most sensitive points matched between the two groups, that is, the most sensitive anatomic spots in a healthy individual are also likely to be the most sensitive points in a person with FM. This suggests that a stimulus that provokes slight discomfort to a healthy person may produce more pain in FM patients--which may bear implications for FM clinical treatment. In this sample of Brazilian women, FM patients had both lower pain threshold and worse quality of life than healthy women.

Prevalence of sexual dysfunctions and correlated conditions in a sample of Brazilian women--results of the Brazilian study on sexual behavior (BSSB).

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of female sexual dysfunctions across a selection of social groups. In all, 1219 women in the community, aged 18 y or older, answered a 38-question self-applicable questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariate logistic regression. The average age was 35.6 y (s.d.=12.31) and the average number of sexual intercourses was 2.8 (s.d.=1.94) a week. At least one sexual dysfunction was reported by 49% of the women; lack of sexual desire (LSD) by 26.7%; pain during sexual intercourse (PSI) by 23.1% and orgasmic dysfunction (OD) by 21%. Women aged over 40 y represented an LSD and OD risk factor, whereas women aged over 25 y showed less likelihood of presenting PSI. The educational level was inversely correlated with the risk of LSD, OD and PSI. Depression and cardiopathies increased PSI occurrences and women with diabetes mellitus showed a higher probability of developing LSD and OD. In conclusion, almost half the women had at least one sexual dysfunction, and prevalence increased with age and lower educational levels. Preventive medical care for the female population, mainly for patients with chronic and/or degenerative diseases, considerably reduced the chances of sexual dysfunction.

Factors associated with overweight in Brazilian childbearing-age women according to skin color

Objective: To investigate factors potentially associated with overweight in women of different skin colors. Methods and material: Cross-sectional population-based study with a random two-stage selection sample. A total of 1865 Brazilian women ages 15 to 49 years, mothers of children under 5 years of age, residing in seven different regions of Brazil. Body Mass Index was used to identify overweight (BMI >= 25). The women were categorized according to skin color as white or brown. Results: The final logistic regression model showed that the skin color variable was associated with overweight in this sample of Brazilian women in two ways: as a biological variable and as a socioeconomic marker. We observed a significant interaction between skin color, age bracket, and residential stratum (urban versus rural), showing that this condition requires these other variables to complement its final effect on overweight. Conclusion: The skin color variable is important to explain the differential prevalence of overweight in the various population sub-groups through statistically significant interactions with age, stratum, and purchasing power.