Measurement properties of the incremental step test for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The new incremental step test (IST) is a field test that was developed for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), based on the characteristics of the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT); however, its measurement properties still need to be determined. We aimed, first, to assess the construct validity (through the comparison with the ISWT), within-day reliability and measurement error of the IST in people with COPD; and, second, to identify whether the participants have a learning effect in the IST.

Design: Cross-sectional study, conducted according to COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments guidelines.

Translation of Berlin Questionnaire to Portuguese language and its application in OSA identification in a sleep disordered breathing clinic.

Background: Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), an English language screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in primary care, has been applied in tertiary settings, with variable results.

Aims: Development of BQ Portuguese version and evaluation of its utility in a sleep disordered breathing clinic (SDBC).

Material And Methods: BQ was translated using back translation methodology and prospectively applied, previously to cardiorespiratory sleep study, to 95 consecutive subjects, referred to a SDBC, with OSA suspicion.

Impact of sleep hygiene on patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a Sleep Hygiene brochure on a population of 36 patients recently diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome and beginning treatment. One expects that: 1) the information about Sleep Hygiene offered in the brochure would change some of the patients' habits toward sleep; and that, 2) this intervention in the form of a free informative brochure would have an echo in terms of a better subjective evaluation of sleep complaints. The sleep habits and the sleep complaints were evaluated in the pre-test.

Personality characteristics of asthma patients.

Introduction: Asthma, similarly to other chronic conditions, is strongly influenced by psychological factors. Previous studies have not established the personality characteristics of adult asthma patients as compared to non-patients.

Objectives: To study the psychological characteristics of adult asthma patients in comparison to a pattern drawn up for the Portuguese population.

Secondhand smoke exposure in adulthood and risk of lung cancer among never smokers: a pooled analysis of two large studies.

The interpretation of the evidence linking exposure to secondhand smoke with lung cancer is constrained by the imprecision of risk estimates. The objective of the study was to obtain precise and valid estimates of the risk of lung cancer in never smokers following exposure to secondhand smoke, including adjustment for potential confounders and exposure misclassification. Pooled analysis of data from 2 previously reported large case-control studies was used.