OBJECTIVE To estimate the average of a sleep problems score and their associated factors in adults living in rural areas.METHODS A population-based cross-sectional study with individuals from the rural area of the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil. Twenty-four of the 50 census tracts that make up the eight rural districts of the city were randomly selected. Individuals of 18 years of age or older residing in the households chosen were considered eligible. Sleep problems were measured using the Mini Sleep Questionnaire, which ranged from 10 to 70 points and the higher the score, the greater the sleep problems. The independent variables evaluated included socioeconomic, demographic, behavioral and health characteristics. In the analysis, linear regression was used, obeying a previous hierarchical model.RESULTS The sample consisted of 1,421 individuals. The average obtained for sleep problems was 29.4 points (95%CI 28.7–30.1). After adjusted analysis, the following variables were associated factors for greater sleep problems: female sex, age greater than or equal to 40 years, lower schooling level, depressive symptoms, pesticide poisoning, and poorer quality of life.CONCLUSIONS The Mini Sleep Questionnaire average in this study was 4.4 points above the cut-off point that established sleep problems. The total points found in the score was high for the rural population. Strategies to improve sleep for these individuals should be focused on higher-risk groups such as women and the elderly and those with pesticide poisoning.

RESUMO: Objetivos: Descrever a ocorrência simultânea de fatores de risco para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis e os fatores associados à simultaneidade dessas prevalências em adultos residentes na zona rural de um município no sul do Brasil. Métodos: Trata-se de estudo transversal com 1.445 adultos da zona rural de Pelotas, RS. Foram considerados quatro fatores de risco: tabagismo, consumo de álcool, inatividade física e consumo inadequado de legumes/verduras. Para verificar a ocorrência simultânea, utilizou-se análise de clusters. A associação foi avaliada por regressão ordinal, obtendo-se estimativas em razões de odds. Resultados: Dos quatro fatores de risco avaliados, três foram mais prevalentes entre os homens, sendo apenas inatividade física maior entre as mulheres. Na análise de clusters, consumo de álcool + tabagismo + consumo inadequado de vegetais foi a única combinação que apresentou prevalência observada significativamente maior que a esperada (O/E = 2,67; IC95% 1,30; 5,48), sendo superior a encontrada em outro estudo no sul do país, dado que pode ser justificado pois tal estudo incluiu o consumo de frutas além de ter avaliado população urbana, enquanto para este estudo avaliou-se apenas a população rural. Após ajuste, os homens, indivíduos solteiros, de cor da pele preta, parda ou outra, com baixa escolaridade, pior condição socioeconômica, pior percepção de saúde e que não desenvolviam atividades rurais apresentaram maior odds ratio de acúmulo de fatores de risco. Conclusão: Os achados evidenciam a importância do desenvolvimento de ações prioritárias em relação à saúde da população rural com atenção específica aos subgrupos de maior risco identificados.

This study aims to describe the prevalence of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue and their association with socio-demographic and behavioral factors. Data from the Brazilian National Health Survey conducted in 2013 with 60,202 adults (≥ 18 years old) were used. The outcomes evaluated were self-reported sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue in the last two weeks. Sleep disturbance was defined as the presence of difficulty to fall asleep, frequently waking up during the night or sleeping more than usual; daytime fatigue was defined as the presence of not feeling rested and motivated during the day, feeling tired and lacking energy. Sociodemographic, lifestyle and chronic health aspects were explored as exposures for both outcomes. Prevalence of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue were 14.9% (14.4-15.4) and 11.9% (11.4-12.3), respectively. Both outcomes were more common in women, older people, people with no formal education, smokers and among physically inactive individuals. The association with education was inverse (the highest the level of education the lower the prevalence ratio - PR - of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue; adjusted p-value for trend < 0.001). Prevalence of sleep disturbances combined with daytime fatigue was 6.7% (6.4-7.1) and was about 6 times higher among those with three or more chronic health disturbances (PR = 6.2; 95%CI: 5.3-7.2). Strategies to decrease the prevalence of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue should be encouraged and focused on chronically ill individuals that share other modifiable risk factors.

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a intenção de puérperas de amamentar e as perspectivas de introdução de alimentos complementares no primeiro ano de vida da criança. Estudo transversal descritivo, realizado no Hospital Escola da Universidade Federal de Pelotas (RS), de Setembro a Dezembro de 2010. Os dados foram obtidos através de um questionário padronizado, contemplando perguntas sobre fatores socioeconômicos, amamentação e alimentação complementar. Participaram 170 puérperas com idade média de 26,5 ± 5,8 anos. Dentre elas, 99% realizaram pré-natal, mas apenas 49% referiram ter recebido informação sobre aleitamento materno e/ou alimentação complementar nestas consultas. Todas as mães informaram pretender amamentar, sendo a média do aleitamento exclusivo pretendido de 5,5 ± 1,6 meses. As variáveis associadas a maior tempo de intenção de amamentação foram maior escolaridade, não trabalhar fora do lar, menor idade materna e ter recebido informações sobre amamentação durante o pré-natal. Quanto à alimentação complementar, caldo de feijão foi o alimento mais pretendido pelas mães para o primeiro ano de vida, com 99,41% de aceitação, enquanto chá foi o de intenção mais precoce. O tempo de amamentação exclusiva foi aquém do preconizado pela OMS e a alimentação complementar mostrou-se equivocada.

OBJECTIVETo describe the planning, sampling, operational aspects of the field, and the sample obtained during a research conducted in a rural area, specifying and discussing the main logistical difficulties unique to these places and the solutions adopted.METHODSWe carried out a population-based, cross-sectional survey between January and June 2016, with a representative sample of the population aged 18 years or over living in the rural area of Pelotas (approximately 22,000 individuals), State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We collected demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related information, such as alcohol consumption, cigarette consumption, depressive symptoms, quality of diet, quality of life, physical activity, satisfaction with the health unit, overweight or obesity, and sleep problems.RESULTSIn the 720 domiciles sampled, 1,697 individuals were identified and 1,519 were interviewed (89.5%). The study initially drew 24 census tracts and proposed the visit to 42 households per tract; however, we need to adjust the method, such as decreasing the number of households per census tract (from 42 to 30) and identifying housing centers in each tract. The main reasons for these changes were difficulty accessing the area, large distances between households, misconceptions in the satellite data available (which did not fit the reality), and high cost of the field work.CONCLUSIONSThe previous detailed recognition of the research environment was crucial for decision making as the maps and territory had geographical inconsistencies. The strategies and techniques used in studies for the urban area are not applicable to the rural area given the outcomes observed in Pelotas. The decisions taken, keeping the methodological rigor, were essential to ensure the timely execution of the study with the financial resources available.

Resumo Objetivo Analisar a prevalência do uso de medicamentos, fontes de acesso e fatores associados, em residentes da zona rural de Pelotas, RS, Brasil. Métodos Estudo transversal com adultos ≥18 anos, realizado em 2016. Questionou-se o uso e fontes de acesso aos medicamentos no mês anterior à entrevista. Empregou-se regressão de Poisson. Resultados Dos 1.519 entrevistados, 54,7% (IC95% 48,7;60,5) utilizaram algum medicamento e 3,3% (IC95% 2,4;4,5) deixaram de utilizar medicamento necessário. Exibiram maiores prevalências de utilização: mulheres (RP=1,23 - IC95% 1,12;1,34), idosos (RP=2,36 - IC95% 2,05;2,73), pessoas com pior autopercepção de saúde (RP=1,29 - IC95% 1,14;1,46), com maior número de doenças (RP=2,37 - IC95% 2,03;2,77). Obtiveram medicamentos exclusivamente pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) 14,0% (IC95% 11,2;17,4), com prevalências maiores entre pessoas de cor da pele autodeclarada não branca e classificação econômica inferior. Conclusão Pequena parcela deixou de usar medicamentos de que necessitava. A obtenção gratuita de medicamentos foi maior nos grupos de menor poder aquisitivo.

BackgroundStudies have shown that sexual initiation at earlier ages increases the risk of depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, little is known about its association with major depressive episode (MDE).MethodsThe association between age of sexual initiation and MDE at 18 years was assessed in the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort using multiple logistic regression. Sexual initiation characteristics (age and type of partner) were assessed at the 15- and 18-years follow-up. The age of sexual initiation was evaluated in categories (11–14, 15–16, 17+ years). The type of partner was categorized into: boyfriend/ girlfriend, casual partner and other. MDE was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).ResultsFrom the 4027 adolescents assessed, the prevalence of MDE was higher in females (10.1%) than in males (3.4%), and 66.7% of the males and 58.6% of the females reported sexual initiation up to 16 years (p < 0.001). Female adolescents who had sexual initiation <17 years had higher odds of MDE (15–16 years: OR 2.29; 11–14 years: OR 2.23), however no association was found for males. The type of partner in the first sexual intercourse was not associated to depression.LimitationsPossibility of recall bias on the age of sexual initiation, and low statistical power for some analyses.ConclusionsA positive association between age of sexual initiation and MDE was observed only in females. More investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms through which age of sexual initiation can affect the risk of depression and whether the association persists in adulthood.

Adequate sleep is essential not only for mental and physical health but also for a person's well-being (Brand & Kirov, 2011). During adolescence, sleep plays a critical role in physical and intellectual development, including memory and learning consolidation, and it is important to school and work performance (Rasch & Born, 2013).According to the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention, short sleep duration is considered a public health epidemic (Croft, 2013) and recent studies have shown harmful effects of long sleep duration on health outcomes (Jike, Itani, Watanabe,