Health literacy, a more complex concept than knowledge, is a required capacity to obtain, understand, integrate and act on health information [1], in order to enhance individual and community health, which is defined by different levels, according to the autonomy and personal capacitation in decision making [2]. Medium levels of Health literacy in an adolescent population were found in a study conducted in 2013/2014, being higher in sexual and reproductive health and lower in substance use. It was also noticed that the higher levels of health literacy were in the area adolescents refer to have receipt more health information. The health literacy competence with higher scores was communication skills, and the lower scores were in the capacity to analyze factors that influence health. Higher levels were also found in younger teenagers, but in a higher school level, confirming the importance of health education in these age and development stage. Adolescents seek more information in health professionals and parents, being friends more valued as a source information in older adolescents, which enhance the importance of peer education mainly in older adolescents [3]. As a set of competences based on knowledge, health literacy should be developed through education interventions, encompassing the cultural and social context of individuals, since the society, culture and education system where the individual is inserted can define the way the development and enforcement of the health literacy competences [4]. The valued sources of information should be taken into account, as well as needs of information in some topics referred by adolescents in an efficient health education. Schizophrenia is a serious and chronic mental illness which has a profound effect on the health and well-being related with the well-known nature of psychotic symptoms. The exercise has the potential to improve the life of people with schizophrenia improving physical health and alleviating psychiatric symptoms. However, most people with schizophrenia remains sedentary and lack of access to exercise programs are barriers to achieve health benefits. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of exercise on I) the type of intervention in mental health, II) in salivary levels of alpha-amylase and cortisol and serum levels of S100B and BDNF, and on III) the quality of life and selfperception of the physical domain of people with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 31 females in long-term institutions in the Casa de Saúde Rainha Santa Isabel, with age between 25 and 63, and with diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Physical fitness was assessed by the six-minute walk distance test (6MWD). Biological variables were determined by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). Psychological variables were assessed using SF-36, PSPP-SCV, RSES and SWLS tests. Walking exercise has a positive impact on physical fitness (6MWD -p = 0.001) and physical components of the psychological test...

The study was initiated because one of the authors had a child in the family with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The author was concerned about what could be done to improve the quality of life of this child. The hypotheses explored whether hydrotherapy could bring any relief or advantage in functional mobility to an individual with DMD and whether a water environment facilitates mobility, pleasure, and joy for a young child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Our sample had three individuals, all of them boys, 9-11 years of age. Two were the control group and didn't practice any kind of physical activity and the other one was our two-year longitudinal case study during which he experienced hydrotherapy practice two times a week for forty-five minutes each. We applied the Egen Klassifikation (EK) scale to quantify the degree of movement limitation present at each of five measurement points over the two years. The variables analyzed were the physical activity issues and the EK scale values. The descriptive results showed that all three individuals increased their EK scale values over time, showing the inevitable progression of the disease. The individual who participated in the water activity sessions had the slower increase that we inferred, meant less deterioration in functional movement. No inferences can be drawn from these limited data, especially because only one individual experienced the water activities. This study does provide the impetus for subsequent, larger controlled studies to see if they could replicate these initial case study results.

BACKGROUND: Measuring the functional fitness is essential to provide a working basis for assessing and prescribing exercises. There is a special interest in developing procedures and tests able to provide reliable information and general vocabulary for researchers and practitioners. We intend with this study to analyze the functional fitness of different groups of institutionalized elderly of both genders, relating it with their nutritional status. METHODS: A sample of 46 participants, 31 males and 15 females aged between 65 to 93. For this investigation, the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was used in order to categorize the nutritional status with a Mediterranean diet that was used. For the assessment of the functional fitness, it the battery Fullerton Functional Fitness Test (FFFT) developed in 1999 by Rikli and Jones was used. RESULTS: We found that the elderly who maintained a diet divided into seven meals had more favorable values in all categories of the battery tests with significant differences. We also found that the nutritional status of the elderly and the number of meals is statistically significant in tasks measuring strength, agility and aerobic capacity. CONCLUSIONS: The elderly with normal nutritional status have better performance in the battery tasks, particularly those who choose the diet divided into seven daily meals. The Mediterranean Diet used seems to be favorable in this population, in both genders and it promotes the maintenance of their physical abilities.

A investigação teve como objetivo caraterizar a rotina diária de um rapaz de 10 anos. O estudo baseou-se na realização de entrevistas narrativas e semiestruturadas com registo audiovisual, elaboração de mapas diários de ocupação temporal, registos fotográficos, assim como na execução de mapas subjetivos da habitação, rua e outros locais que frequenta, entrevistas de inventário dos objetos pessoais da criança e documentação fotográfica. Efetuámos ainda o devido acompanhamento nas suas tarefas quotidianas, pelos locais que habitualmente frequenta, durante uma semana. Os dados obtidos foram categorizados em função das atividades realizadas pela criança, seguindo-se uma análise ao tempo dedicado a cada atividade e categoria, tendo em conta os dias da semana, atividades que implicam movimento ou não, as ações realizadas dentro e fora de casa. Através da sua análise pode-se verificar que a criança em estudo vive com os seus pais e irmão, numa vivenda localizada numa quinta. A criança frequenta diariamente o ATL e pratica futsal. Esta criança, no seu Mundo Vivido despende muito tempo (todos os dias da semana de manhã e à tarde) em instituições (escola e ATL). O restante é passado em casa e no espaço envolvente. No que respeita ao Mundo do Movimento, passa a maior parte do tempo no quarto a jogar Playstation e a ver televisão.

O presente estudo tem como objetivo principal conhecer a aptidão física funcional em dois grupos distintos de idosos (praticantes e não praticantes de atividade física organizada) do concelho de Pampilhosa da Serra. Saber se há diferenças ao nível da aptidão física entre um grupo que praticou atividade física organizada durante 9 meses (2x semana) e um grupo que não praticou e ainda saber se há diferenças ao nível da aptidão física entre os grupos de ginástica sénior das diferentes freguesias. A amostra foi constituída por 225 idosos com idades entre os 65 e 94 anos de idade. Na recolha de dados foi aplicada a bateria de testes Senior Fitness Test (Rikli y Jones, 2001). Os resultados demonstraram que os praticantes que tiveram atividade física organizada apresentaram em todos os testes melhores níveis de aptidão física. Entre os dois grupos encontrámos diferenças estatisticamente significativas em todas as provas aplicadas. Concluimos que a prática de atividade física organizada teve um impacto positivo na aptidão física dos idosos avaliados.