The aim of this study was to investigate the vulnerability of adolescent students related to sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), identifying the main risk behaviors and prevention. This quantitative, cross-sectional study was performed in three public schools in Imperatriz--Maranhão, with 295 adolescents, using a structured questionnaire. The results show that: most young people (86.3%) who used a condom the last time they had intercourse, usually keep this practice, 82.8% of adolescents who understand the concept of HIV protect themselves against these infections and believe the main form of contamination is through sex, infected blood or through the placental barrier. We conclude that most teenager participants showed coherent knowledge about sexual practices and risk behaviors that make them vulnerable to STD/HIK presenting a positive aspect for the prevention of these diseases.

Early guidance emphasizes the provision of information to families about growth and normal development in childhood such as specific information about security at home. This research aimed to analyze mothers' knowledge about the prevention of accidents in childhood before and after an educational intervention. It was conducted as a quasi-experimental study with 155 mothers in a Basic Health Unit in northeastern of Brazil in April and May of 2015. The data were collected in two stages through a self-report questionnaire performed before and after the educational intervention by the subjects. The results revealed a significant increase in knowledge about prevention of accidents in childhood in all the self-applied questions (p<0.05). After the educational intervention, there seemed to be a significant difference with the questions regarding the knowledge on preventing fall (p=0.000), drowning (p=0.000), and intoxication (p=0.007). The authors concluded that the educational intervention performed in this study increased the subjects’ knowledge on prevention of accidents in childhood.

(24,44%). Houve predomínio de casos no sexo masculino (51,06%), cor parda (55,65%), faixa etária de 10-14 anos (60,22%) e com escolaridade média de 6-11 anos (59,8%). A maioria das formas clínicas notificadas foi do tipo indeterminada (40,13 %), tendo como predominante o grau de incapacidade física II (21,1 %). Não foram estatisticamente significantes as diferenças proporcionais entre as formas clínicas (p-valor=0,056); ao passo que a escolaridade apresentou associação significativa (p<0,0001) com a ocorrência da doença entre menores de 15 anos de idade. Conclui-se que a hanseníase continua uma doença de fácil disseminação, considerando a frequência de casos novos. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Hanseníase. Incidência. Menores de 15 anos. INCIDENCE OF LEPROSY IN PATIENTS AGED 15 OR YOUNGER CARED IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF IMPERATRIZ, MARANHÃO, BETWEEN 2004 AND 2010ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to estimate the global incidence and cases indexes of leprosy and to design the socio--demographic profile in children under 15 years of age in the municipality of Imperatriz, in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. A longitudinal retrospective study of leprosy cases in the municipality was performed, using information generated by the disease reports in SINAN NET. There was a predominance of male (51.06%), brown color (55.65%), aged between 10-14 years (60.22%), and average schooling of 6-11 years (59.8%). Most of the clinical forms reported were of the indeterminate type (40.13%), with predominance of physical incapacity degree II (21.1%). The proportional differences between the clinical forms (p-value = 0.056) were not statistically significant, while schooling presented a significant association (p <0.0001) with the occurrence of the disease among children under 15 years of age. It can be concluded that leprosy remains a disease with easy spread when considering the rate of new cases.

Background. Leprosy is an infectious disease that can lead to physical disabilities and stigmatization. It remains an important public health problem, especially in Brazil. Objective. To analyse sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with multibacillary leprosy in a hyperendemic region of the disease in northeastern Brazil. Method. This is a retrospective observational study with secondary data acquired from 2012 to 2015, from a group of leprosy cases reported in a reference outpatient clinic for the treatment and followup of leprosy in the city of Imperatriz, Maranhao, in northeastern Brazil. Results. From 905 new cases of leprosy studied, 656 (72.5%) were classified as multibacillary leprosy and 249 (27.5%) as paucibacillary leprosy. We observed that men were more likely to present 5 to 15 skin lesions (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.18-1.49; p <0.0001) and >15 skin lesions (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.09 -1.45; p = 0.005) and a lower chance of having <5 skin lesions (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.59-0.76; p <0.0001). Women were more likely to have no affected nerves compared to men (OR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.20-1.77; p <0.0001). The age range of 16 to 60 years showed a greater chance of having <5 skin lesions (OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 1.007-1.20; p = 0.03) and a lower chance of having 5 to 15 skin lesions (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03-1.23; p= 0.008) and a lower chance of being a grade I disability ( CI= 0.73-0.94; p=0.83) and II (OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.77-0.98; p=000.1). Conclusion. Cases of multibacillary leprosy were associated with male gender, low educational level, and clinical variables such as number of skin lesions and grade I or II disability.

Objectives: to understand the health promotion skills found in the speeches of health practitioners in care for TB patients. Methods: qualitative study, developed with seven practitioners involved in care for TB patients, identified from a sociocentric approach, whose speeches were submitted to analysis based on the health promotion skills model in the Galway Consensus. Results: there were four domains: Catalyzing change; Leadership; Planning; and Partnerships. These domains resulted from health education actions, contribution of management nursing practitioners, seeking to meet patients’ needs and articulation of professional sectors. Final considerations: there were some skill domains in the speeches of health practitioners, with the nurse being quoted in the development of essential skills for health promotion activities, such as catalyzing change and leading care for TB patients.

This study aimed to evaluate sociodemographic, behavioral, and individual factors associated with body image perception in a sample of adolescents from schools in low Human Development Index areas in Brazil. This cross-sectional study included 609 boys and 573 girls (aged 11-17 years). Body image perception (nine-silhouettes scale) and sociodemographic, behavioral, and individual variables were included. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used. Most boys (76.9%) and girls (77.5%) were dissatisfied with their body image. Body mass index status and healthy body image evaluation were significantly associated with body image dissatisfaction in both boys and girls ( p < .001), and daily fruit consumption was associated with body image dissatisfaction only in boys ( p = .035). Education and health care focused on body image can pay special attention to young people from vulnerable areas with unhealthy nutritional status and focus on strategies that enable improving the perception of a healthy body and a healthy diet.

Objetivou-se identificar o perfil dos óbitos por tuberculose pulmonar em um município do nordeste brasileiro durante o período de 2005-2014. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, exploratório, documental, com abordagem quantitativa, realizado por meio do Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade na qual a amostra foi composta por 37 óbitos cuja causa básica foi por tuberculose pulmonar. O tratamento dos dados se deu por meio de estatística descritiva simples. Houve prevalência de óbitos com idade média de 60 anos, predomínio da forma pulmonar, sem menção de confirmação bacteriológica ou histológica (81,0%), sexo masculino (65,0%), raça/cor parda (67,0%), estado civil solteiro (51,0%), parcela predominante apresentou ensino médio completo (32,0%) e aposentados (32,0%). Observou-se ainda que a maioria dos óbitos ocorreu no hospital (73,0%), com assistência médica antes do óbito (76,0%), sendo a maior parcela atestada por médico assistente (38,0%) e a maioria absoluta dos óbitos (94,0%) não foi submetida à necropsia. A presente investigação revelou o perfil de uma população fatalmente atingida pela tuberculose pulmonar, evidenciando aspectos epidemiológicos importantes a serem considerados em termos de gestão e organização dos serviços de saúde para a equidade no acesso, desenvolvimento social e intensificação das ações de controle da doença.

BackgroundEvaluations are essential to judge the success of public health programmes. In Europe, the proportion of public health programmes that undergo evaluation remains unclear. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control sought to determine the frequency of evaluations amongst European national public health programmes by using national hand hygiene campaigns as an example of intervention.MethodsA cohort of all national hand hygiene campaigns initiated between 2000 and 2012 was utilised for the analysis. The aim was to collect information about evaluations of hand hygiene campaigns and their frequency. The survey was sent to nominated contact points for healthcare-associated infection surveillance in European Union and European Economic Area Member States.ResultsThirty-six hand hygiene campaigns in 20 countries were performed between 2000 and 2012. Of these, 50% had undergone an evaluation and 55% of those utilised the WHO hand hygiene intervention self-assessment tool. Evaluations utilised a variety of methodologies and indicators in assessing changes in hand hygiene behaviours pre and post intervention. Of the 50% of campaigns that were not evaluated, two thirds reported that both human and financial resource constraints posed significant barriers for the evaluation.ConclusionThe study identified an upward trend in the number of hand hygiene campaigns implemented in Europe. It is likely that the availability of the internationally-accepted evaluation methodology developed by the WHO contributed to the evaluation of more hand hygiene campaigns in Europe. Despite this rise, hand hygiene campaigns appear to be under-evaluated. The development of simple, programme-specific, standardised guidelines, evaluation indicators and other evidence-based public health materials could help promote evaluations across all areas of public health.