Background
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the female population. Health education interventions based on the use of mobile technologies enable the development of health self-care skills and have emerged as alternative strategies for the control of breast cancer. In previous studies, WhatsApp has stood out as a useful tool in health education strategies; however, it has not yet been applied for breast cancer education.
Objective
This study aimed to analyze the potential of WhatsApp as a health education tool used to improve women's knowledge on the risk reduction of breast cancer. It also aimed to understand how women feel sensitized within the WhatsApp group throughout the intervention and how they incorporate information posted to improve knowledge about early detection and risk reduction methods.
Methods
The study involved a pre-post health educational intervention with 35 women (aged 45-69 years) included in a WhatsApp group to share information (audio, video, text, and images) over 3 weeks on the early detection and risk reduction of breast cancer. Data were collected through questionnaires on topics related to risk reduction, as well as qualitative content analysis of group interactions. Effectiveness and feasibility were analyzed through conversations and the comparison of the scores obtained in the questionnaires before and after the intervention.
Results
A total of 293 messages were exchanged (moderator 120 and users 173). The average scores of the participants were 11.21 and 13.68 points before and after the educational intervention, respectively, with sufficient sample evidence that the difference was significant (P<.001). The intervention enabled women to improve their knowledge on all topics addressed, especially “myths and truths,” “incidence,” “clinical manifestations,” and “protective factors.” Some themes emerged from the interactions in the group, including group dynamics, general doubts, personal narratives, religious messages, daily news, and events.
Conclusions
The use of groups for women in WhatsApp for health education purposes seems to be a viable alternative in strategies on breast cancer control, especially as it provides a space for the exchange of experiences and disinhibition. However, the need for a moderator to answer the questions and the constant distractions by members of the group represent important limitations that should be considered when improving this strategy.
Com o objetivo de fornecer informações sobre o câncer do colo do útero (CCU), usando canais de comunicação presentes nos smartphones, o estudo apresentado neste artigo caracterizou o padrão de uso desses canais e a preferência de recebimento de informações de 395 mulheres, foco do programa de rastreio do CCU do município de Maringá (PR). Entre essas mulheres, 89% possuem celulares e 65% com acesso à internet. Entre as entrevistadas que utilizam a internet, 46% usam para acessar redes sociais, 45% para fazer pesquisas e 33% para ler notícias. Entre as que utilizam as redes sociais, 55% têm acesso ao Facebook e 56% ao WhatsApp. A porcentagem das que preferem receber informações por meio de panfletos é de 52% e, para 48% delas, os médicos são os profissionais mais indicados para darem as informações. Embora haja significativa utilização dos canais de comunicação presentes nos smartphones, muitas mulheres ainda preferem receber informações sobre o CCU através dos métodos tradicionais de educação em saúde.Palavras-chave: Promoção da saúde. Tecnologia biomédica. Saúde pública. Acesso à informação. Atividades cotidianas.Link: https://www.reciis.icict.fiocruz.br/index.php/reciis/article/view/1217
Com o objetivo de fornecer informações sobre o câncer do colo do útero (CCU), usando canais de comunicação presentes nos smartphones, o estudo apresentado neste artigo caracterizou o padrão de uso desses canais e a preferência de recebimento de informações de 395 mulheres, foco do programa de rastreio do CCU do município de Maringá (PR). Entre essas mulheres, 89% possuem celulares e 65% com acesso à internet. Entre as entrevistadas que utilizam a internet, 46% usam para acessar redes sociais, 45% para fazer pesquisas e 33% para ler notícias. Entre as que utilizam as redes sociais, 55% têm acesso ao Facebook e 56% ao WhatsApp. A porcentagem das que preferem receber informações por meio de panfletos é de 52% e, para 48% delas, os médicos são os profissionais mais indicados para darem as informações. Embora haja significativa utilização dos canais de comunicação presentes nos smartphones, muitas mulheres ainda preferem receber informações sobre o CCU através dos métodos tradicionais de educação em saúde.
Introdução: As Academias da Terceira Idade foram criadas com o propósito de estimular a saúde e a inserção social do idoso. Objetivos: Este estudo transversal teve como objetivo analisar o equilíbrio, a agilidade e a capacidade cognitiva de idosos praticantes de exercícios físicos nas Academias da Terceira Idade (ATI). Métodos: Participaram do estudo 600 idosos de ambos os gêneros, sendo 300 praticantes de exercícios físicos nas Academias da Terceira Idade (grupo teste – GT), e 300 idosos não praticantes (grupo controle – GC). As variáveis equilíbrio, agilidade e capacidade cognitiva foram avaliadas respectivamente pela Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg, pelo teste Timed Up and Go e pelo Mini – Exame do Estado Mental. Para análise dos dados foram utilizados o teste t para amostras independentes, ANOVA e teste Z. Resultados: A média de idade dos participantes foi de 68,7 ± 5,9 anos. No GT verificou-se melhores resultados nos testes de equilíbrio (p=0,019), de agilidade (p=0,001) e cognição (p=0,007). Conclusão: O estudo mostrou que os idosos praticantes de exercícios físicos nas ATI possuem melhor equilíbrio, maior agilidade e capacidade cognitiva, quando comparados aos não praticantes.
Our proposal in Bioart and Biomedical Engineering for affective esthetics focuses on the expanded sensorium and investigates problems regarding enactive systems. These systems enhance the sensorial experiences and amplify kinesthesia by adding the sensations that are formed in response to the physical world, which aesthetically constitutes the principle of synaesthesia. In this paper, we also present enactive systems inside the CAVE, configuring compelling experiences in data landscapes and human affective narratives. The interaction occurs through the acquisition, data visualization and analysis of several synchronized physiological signals, to which the landscapes respond and provide immediate feedback, according to the detected participants' actions and the intertwined responses of the environment. The signals we use to analyze the human states include the electrocardiography (ECG) signal, the respiratory flow, the galvanic skin response (GSR) signal, plantar pressures, the pulse signal and others. Each signal is collected by using a specifically designed dedicated electronic board, with reduced dimensions, so it does not interfere with normal movements, according to the principles of transparent technologies. Also, the electronic boards are implemented in a modular approach, so they are independent, and can be used in many different desired combinations, and at the same time provide synchronization between the collected data.
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