ObjectiveIn Brazil, information about the influence of body image on the various life domains of women in menopausal transition is scarce. Thus, the objective of the study was to analyze the relationship between body image and quality of life in middle-aged Brazilian women.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of 250 women between 40 and 65 years old, living in Parnamirim/RN, Brazil, who were evaluated in relation to body image and quality of life. For body image, women were classified as: dissatisfied due to low weight, satisfied (with their body weight) and dissatisfied due to being overweight. Quality of life was assessed through a questionnaire in which higher values indicate higher quality of life. Multiple linear regression was performed to analyze the relationship between body image and quality of life, adjusted for covariates that presented p<0.20 in the bivariate analysis.ResultsThe average age was 52.1 (± 5.6) years, 82% of the women reported being dissatisfied due to being overweight, and 4.4% were dissatisfied due to having low weight. After multiple linear regression analyzes, body image remained associated with health (p<0.001), emotional (p = 0.016), and sexual (p = 0.048) domains of quality of life, as well as total score of the questionnaire (p<0.001).ConclusionWomen who reported being dissatisfied with their body image due to having low weight or overweight had worse quality of life in comparison to those who were satisfied (with their body weight).

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Introduction Some studies have investigated the influence of hormonal deficits and menopausal status in muscle disorders of women. However, it has not been investigated the relationship of both climacteric symptoms and the perception of quality of life with physical performance. Objective To evaluate the correlation of menopausal symptoms and quality of life with physical performance in middle-aged women. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed from April to November 2013 in the municipality of Parnamirim, in the Brazilian state, Rio Grande do Norte. The sample was composed of 497 women aged 40-65 years. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and the Utian Quality of Life (UQOL) questionnaire were used to evaluate menopausal symptoms and quality of life respectively. Measures of physical performance included handgrip strength, knee extensor and flexor strengths (using an isometric dynamometer), gait speed, and chair stand test. The correlation between menopausal symptoms and quality of life with physical performance was assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficient with significance set at p < 0.05 and a confidence interval of 95%. Results There was a significant negative correlation between handgrip strength and somatic MRS score (p = 0.002) and total MRS score (p = 0.03). There was a significant correlation between knee flexor strength and sit-to-stand time and all menopausal symptom areas (p < 0.05), except psychological symptoms. There was a positive correlation between physical performance of the knee flexors and quality of life items including occupational (p = 0.001), emotional (p = 0.005), and total UQOL (p = 0.01), but a negative correlation with sit-to-stand time and all quality of life domains (p < 0.05). Conclusion A greater intensity of menopausal symptoms and worse quality of life were related with worse physical performance. Thus, preventive measures should be implemented to avoid adverse effects on physical performance at more advanced ages.

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Introdução: As leucemias destacam-se como a neoplasia infantil mais comum e o tratamento eleito para a doença é a quimioterapia. Entre outras, a quimioterapia provoca, em nível do sistema respiratório, danos ao tecido epitelial, que podem culminar em pneumonite ou até mesmo em fibrose pulmonar. Objetivo: Comparar a força dos músculos respiratórios e a mobilidade da caixa torácica de crianças e adolescentes com leucemia aguda na fase de manutenção da quimioterapia e de indivíduos saudáveis. Método: A amostra foi composta por 48 participantes distribuídos em dois grupos (grupo A, formado por 16 crianças e adolescentes com leucemia aguda; e grupo B, formado por 32 escolares saudáveis). Foram realizadas cirtometria torácica, manovacuometria e avaliação antropométrica dos sujeitos. Posteriormente à análise descritiva, a prova de Kolmogorov-Smirnov identificou as variáveis com distribuição normal. Estas foram comparadas através do teste t’student não pareado e, as demais, através do teste de Mann-Whitney. Atribuiu-se nível de significância p<0,05. Resultados: Observou-se diferença significativa entre os grupos A e B nas variáveis pressões inspiratórias máximas (p=0,01), retração axilar (p=0,012), expansão (p=0,007) e retração xifoidiana (p=0,005). Conclusão: Os achados indicam que pode ocorrer um déficit na mobilidade torácica e na força dos músculos respiratórios em crianças e adolescentes na fase de manutenção da quimioterapia para a leucemia aguda. Isso pode apontar para a necessidade de avaliar e monitorar periodicamente a musculatura respiratória dessa população, o que permitiria diagnóstico e intervenção precoces na evidência de dano à função pulmonar.

Relação entre disfunção vestibular e qualidade de vida em mulheres climatéricasResumo Mudanças hormonais em mulheres climatéricas podem afetar o sistema vestibular, porém, não está claro na literatura se a presença da disfunção vestibular associada ao climatério está relacionada à pior qualidade de vida. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a relação entre disfunção vestibular e qualidade de vida em mulheres climatéricas. Amostra composta por 374 mulheres (40 a 65 anos). Foram coletados dados socioeconômicos e demográficos, status menopausal, prática de exercício físico, presença ou ausência de disfunção vestibular, hipertensão e diabetes, medidas antropométricas e qualidade de vida (por meio do Utian Quality of Life Scale -UQoL). Na análise estatística foi utilizado teste de Pearson, Anova, teste t e regressão múltipla, considerando nível de significância de 5%. Verificou-se relação significativa entre a disfunção vestibular e os domínios saúde (p = 0,02) e emocional (p = 0,01) do UQoL. Além disso, atividade física, status menopausal, IMC (índice de massa corporal), RCQ (relação cintura-quadril), renda familiar e média da PAD (pressão arterial diastólica) também permaneceram significantemente relacionadas à qualidade de vida. Observou-se relação entre disfunção vestibular e qualidade de vida para os domínios saúde e emocional em mulheres climatéricas. Palavras-chave Climatério, Doenças vestibulares, Qualidade de vidaAbstract The hormonal changes in climacteric women may affect the vestibular system; however, it is not clear in the literature whether the presence of vestibular dysfunction associated with climacteric is related to poorer quality of life. The study sample was composed of 374 women (40-65 years). Socioeconomic and demographic data, menopausal status, practice of physical exercises, presence or absence of vestibular dysfunction, hypertension and diabetes, anthropometric measurements and quality of life (using the Utian Quality of Life Scale -UQoL) were collected. Statistical analyses were performed using the Pearson test, Anova, T-test, and multiple regression considering a significance level of 5%. A significant relationship was found between vestibular dysfunction and health (p = 0.02) and emotional (p = 0.01) domains of the UQoL. In addition, physical activity, menopausal status, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), household income and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) mean also remained significantly related to quality of life. A relationship between vestibular dysfunction and quality of life for health and emotional domains in climacteric women was observed.

Objective: to analyze the relationship between handgrip strength and lower limb strength and the amount of segmental skeletal muscle mass in middle-aged and elderly women. Methods: an observational, cross-sectional, observational study of 540 women aged between 40 and 80 years in the cities of Parnamirim and Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte, was performed. Sociodemographic data, anthropometric measurements, handgrip dynamometry, knee flexors and extensors of the dominant limbs, as well as the segmental muscle mass of the limbs were evaluated. Data were analyzed using Student's t-Test, Chi-square test, Effect Size and Pearson's Correlation (CI 95%). Results: there were statistically significant weak and moderate correlations between handgrip strength and upper limb muscle mass, knee flexion strength and lower limb muscle mass, and between knee extension strength and lower limb muscle mass for the age groups 40-59 years and 60 years or more ( p<0.05). Conclusions: muscle strength correlates with skeletal muscle mass. It could therefore be an indicator of the decrease in strength. It is not the only such indicator, however, as correlations were weak and moderate, which suggests the need for more studies on this theme to elucidate which components may also influence the loss of strength with aging.

Background and Purpose: The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is widely used for older adults since it has a high level of validity, reliability, and responsiveness in measuring function in this population. However, only a few studies of diagnostic accuracy have assessed SPPB capacity in detecting frailty and prefrailty by estimating more detailed measurement properties. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the SPPB's diagnostic accuracy in detecting frailty and prefrailty, in addition to identifying cut-off points for walking time and chair stand time. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study composed of 786 community-dwelling older adults 60 years or older, in which sociodemographic and anthropometric data, frailty phenotype, and total SPPB score, as well as walking time and chair stand time, were assessed. Analysis of a receiver operating characteristic curve was performed to identify the cut-off point, sensitivity, and specificity in the total SPPB score, as well as the walking time and chair stand time for frailty and prefrailty screening. Accuracy and positive and negative predictive values were subsequently calculated. Results and Discussion: The cut-off points identified for the total SPPB score, walking time, and chair stand time were 9 points or less (accuracy of 72.6%), 5 seconds or less, and 13 seconds or less, respectively, for frailty screening and 11 points or less (accuracy of 58.7%), 4 seconds or less, and 10 seconds or less, respectively, for prefrailty screening. The walking time showed greater frailty discriminatory capacity compared with the chair stand time (effect size = 1.24 vs 0.64; sensitivity = 69% vs 59%; and specificity = 84% vs 75%). Conclusions: The total SPPB score has good diagnostic accuracy to discriminate between nonfrail and frail older adults using a cut-off point of 9 or less, being better to identify the true negatives (older adults who are not frail). Although the SPPB's diagnostic accuracy measures for detecting prefrailty were low to moderate, this instrument can help in screening prefrail older adults from the cutoff point of 11 or less in the total SPPB score. Identification of prefrail older adults enables implementing early treatment in this target audience and can prevent their advance to frailty.