Objective. To analyze sociodemographic and behavioral factors associated with vulnerability to HIV according to sexual orientation. Method. is is a cross-sectional study conducted using data on 3,818 people in the city of Imperatriz, Brazil, during 2015 and 2016. e survey's questionnaires addressed sociodemographic and behavioral variables. For the data analysis, association (chi-square test) and strength of association (odds ratio) were observed. A significance level of 푝 < 0.05 and adjustment for age and gender were taken into consideration. Results. A substantial portion of the sample stated they were heterosexual (88.8%). ese individuals demonstrated a lower chance of HIV infection (푝 < 0.001), sexually transmitted infections (푝 < 0.001), alcohol use (푝 < 0.001) and condom use (푝 < 0.001), compared to men who have sex with men and/or bisexuals. In this group, a er adjusting for confounding variables, the factors associated with HIV infection were being male (푝 < 0.001), unmarried (푝 < 0.001), having completed higher education (푝 < 0.001) and boasting multiple sexual partners (푝 < 0.001). Conclusion. Behavioral and sociodemographic factors of vulnerability to HIV are predominant among men who have sex with men and/or are bisexual.

Objective Digestive symptoms are the most common complaints among patients who seek primary healthcare services. This study aims to identify digestive symptoms and determine their association with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy findings in patients treated at a public endoscopy centre in Northeast Brazil. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 751 patients with digestive symptoms who had an indication for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. We identified the association between these variables through Fisher's exact test or Chi-square test and calculated the odds ratio. Results Epigastric pain occurred in 83%, post-prandial plenitude in 72.6%, and heartburn in 72.3% of the patients. Women were more likely to present with epigastric pain ( p = 0.001; odds ratio [OR] = 1.25; confidence interval [CI] = 1.07–1.47), post-prandial plenitude ( p = 0.001; OR = 1.21; CI = 1.06–1.37), retrosternal pain or burning ( p = 0.03; OR = 1.11; CI = 1.004–1.24), heartburn ( p = 0.04; OR = 1.10; CI = 0.98–1.24), unintentional weight loss ( p = 0.01; OR = 1.12; CI = 1.02–1.24), and dysphagia ( p = 0.01; OR = 1.14; CI = 1.03–1.25). There was no statistically significant association between digestive symptoms and endoscopic findings of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, there was no significant association between digestive symptoms and abnormalities detected by endoscopy. Conclusion Dyspeptic symptoms of epigastric pain, post-prandial fullness, and heartburn were the most common symptoms in patients referred for endoscopy. Dyspepsia, heartburn, and dysphagia were more common in women than in men. Digestive symptoms were not associated with positive endoscopy findings or abnormalities detected by endoscopy.

Background:: It is undeniable that diabetes may cause several health complications for the population. Many of these complications are associated with poor glycemic control. Due to this, strategies to handle this problem are of great clinical importance and may contribute to reducing the various complications from diabetes. Objective: : The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the passion fruit peel flour versus turmeric flour on glycemic control. Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA protocol. The following inclusion criteria were applied: (1) Case-control studies, cohort studies, and clinical trials, due to the improved statistical analysis and, in restrict cases, cross-sectional studies; (2) Articles published in any language. The databases used for the search were PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and LILACS. A bias analysis and a meta-analyses were undertaken using R Studio (version 3.3.1) using effect- size models. Results: : A total of 565 studies were identified from which 11 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Through isolated analysis, the effectiveness of turmeric flour on glycemic control was in the order of 0.73 CI (Confidence Interval) (from 0.68 to 0.79) and the effectiveness of passion fruit peel flour was 0.32 CI (0.23 to 0.45). The joint analysis resulted in 0.59 CI (0.52 to 0.68). The assessment of blood glucose was by glycated hemoglobin levels. All values were significant at a p < 0.05 level. Conclusion: Both interventions showed significant effects on glycemic control.