Climacteric symptoms seem to influence the sexual function in middle-aged women.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between physical activity level and sexual function in middle-aged women. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a sample of 370 middle-aged women (40-65 years old), treated at public health care facilities in a Brazilian city. A questionnaire was used containing enquiries on sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), short form, and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Results:The average age of the women studied was 49.8 years (± 8.1), 67% of whom exhibited sexual dysfunction (FSFI ≤ 26.55). Sedentary women had a higher prevalence (78.9%) of sexual dysfunction when compared to active (57.6%) and moderately active (66.7%) females (p = 0.002). Physically active women obtained higher score in all FSFI domains (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain) and total FSFI score (20.9), indicating better sexual function than their moderately active (18.8) and sedentary (15.6) counterparts (p <0.05). Conclusion: Physical activity appears to influence sexual function positively in middle-aged women.

RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a utilidade da Avaliação Externa do Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica, considerado uma inovação. Trata-se de pesquisa avaliativa da Avaliação Externa do PMAQ-AB na percepção de sujeitos que vivenciaram a condução dessa avaliação por meio de estudo de caso qualitativo. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada e de grupo focal on-line, e analisados por meio da análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Observou-se envolvimento dos interessados com pactuação em diferentes esferas da gestão nacional, envolvimento processual entre Departamento de Atenção Básica e Instituições de Ensino e Pesquisa, abrangência nacional facilitada com recurso de Tecnologia da Informação, negociação da logística in loco com gestores municipais. Verificou-se credibilidade científica dos avaliadores; a relação entre gestor nacional e instituições de pesquisa não se mostrou conflituosa; as instituições desvelaram conflitos entre gestores e Equipes de Atenção Básica sobre destinação dos recursos provenientes do PMAQ. Constatou-se grande escopo das informações sobre estrutura, processos e resultados; capilaridade e acesso aos resultados. Conclui-se que, na ótica dos participantes do estudo, a Avaliação Externa mostrou-se inovadora e útil à indução da melhoria da qualidade da Atenção Básica.

Objective:To carry out a documentary study on the rules, guidelines, policies and institutional support for the nurse to prescribe medicines and request tests with a view to the advanced practice in the scope of Primary Health Care. Methods:Documentary research using open-access institutional documents - Federal Nursing Council (COFEN), its regional representations in the respective Brazilian states (COREN) and the Brazilian Nursing Association (ABEN). Results:Most of the news/notices were issued by the Regional Nursing Councils in the different Federative Units. The argumentation regarding the prescription of medicines and request for tests by nurses is based on three categories: Autonomy and competencies for the prescription of medicines and/or request of tests; Corporate policies that undermine the full exercise of nursing; and Transformation of health and nursing care in Primary Health Care. Conclusion:The prescriptive practice by nurses integrates health care and has been defended by the institutions that represent the category. It emerges as an important element of advanced practice and in the transformation of care in the context of health teams.

the results may address to specific actions for tuberculosis control considering the early detection of the cases in the areas with higher transmission of the disease.

BackgroundIn Brazil, people still fall ill and die from tuberculosis (TB), and this can be explained by the significant impasse in the equity of distribution of therapeutic resources to the population as a whole. The aim was to identify geographical areas which have shown progress in terms of equity (of income, schooling and urban occupancy) and test its effect on mortality from TB in a municipality of southeast Brazil.MethodsIt is an ecological study considering TB as the basic cause for deaths registered between 2006 and 2013 on the Mortality Information System and other variables obtained through the Demographic Census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (2010). The geographical area for analysis comprised the areas of coverage of the health services. Social indicators have been constructed through the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The cases were geocoded and the annual mortality rate from TB was calculated with smoothing using the local empirical Bayesian method. Multiple linear regression was then performed. There was confirmation of the existence of spatial dependence of residue through the application of the Global Moran I test, and application of the Models with Global Spatial Effects, to identify the best standard of spatial regression.ResultsThe mortality rates ranged from 0.00 to 2.8 deaths per 100,000 people, per year. In the PCA, three indicators were constructed, and designated as indicators of income, social inequality, and social equity. In multiple linear regression, the indicator of social equity was statistically significant (P < 0.0001) but had a negative association, an adjusted R2 of 28.36% and with spatial dependence (Moran I = 0.21, P = 0.003455). The best model to deal with existing spatial dependence was the Spatial Lag Model.ConclusionsThe better social conditions have shown progress in reducing mortality from TB, thereby reinforcing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, cartography was also applied, which can be replicated in other scenarios throughout the world, using a scope distinct from that of works traditionally produced in that it places the emphasis on social equity.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-017-0348-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective: to analyze the influence of contextual indicators on the performance of municipalities regarding potential access to primary health care in Brazil and to discuss the contribution from nurses working on this access. Method: a multicenter descriptive study based on secondary data from External Evaluation of the National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care, with the participation of 17,202 primary care teams. The chi-square test of proportions was used to verify differences between the municipalities stratified based on size of the coverage area, supply, coordination, and integration; when necessary, the chi-square test with Yates correction or Fisher's exact test were employed. For the population variable, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used. Results: the majority of participants were nurses (n=15.876; 92,3%). Statistically significant differences were observed between the municipalities in terms of territory (p=0.0000), availability (p=0.0000), coordination of care (p=0.0000), integration (p=0.0000) and supply (p=0.0000), verifying that the municipalities that make up area 6 tend to have better performance in these dimensions. Conclusion: areas 4,5 and 6 performed better in every analyzed dimension, and the nurse had a leading role in the potential to access primary health care in Brazil.

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