Nationwide vitamin D status in older Brazilian adults and its determinants: The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI).

Little is known about vitamin D status in older adults in South America, where exposures to ultra-violet radiation are high. We examined the distribution of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentration and its determinants in a nationally representative sample of Brazilians aged 50 years and older. Explanatory variables included environment and individuals' characteristics from the ELSI baseline survey (2015-16).

Using Item Response Theory to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of questions in a Brazilian programme and the performance of dental teams in primary care.

Objectives: First, to assess the psychometric properties of key questions included in a public sector evaluation of primary dental care in Brazil; and second, to evaluate the performance of dental teams in relation to these items.

Methods: Secondary analysis of a national primary care dataset monitoring quality and access to dental care. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with representatives of dental teams participating in the 'National Programme for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care'.

Multiple inflammatory markers and 15-year incident ADL disability in admixed older adults: The Bambui-Epigen Study.

Background: The ability of inflammatory markers to predict disability in later life has received growing attention. However, the current evidence came predominantly from Caucasians and the role of genomic ancestry has not been investigated.

Objective: We investigated the prognostic value of multiple citokynes and chemokines for incident disability in admixed older Brazilians and whether genomic African and Native American ancestry affects the association.

Socioeconomic inequalities in activities of daily living limitations and in the provision of informal and formal care for noninstitutionalized older Brazilians: National Health Survey, 2013.

Background: This study assesses the association between socioeconomic factors and living arrangements with activity of daily living limitations (ADL) and the receipt of informal and formal care among non-institutionalized Brazilians aged ≥ 60 years.

Methods: Data come from a nationally representative survey (the Brazilian National Health Survey), conducted in 2013. Outcomes examined include the number of ADL tasks performed with limitations and number of tasks for which the individual received informal care (provided by unpaid relatives or friends), formal care, or no care.

Physical activity and all-cause mortality among older Brazilian adults: 11-year follow-up of the Bambuí Health and Aging Study.

Objective: To investigate the association between physical activity (eg, energy expenditure) and survival over 11 years of follow-up in a large representative community sample of older Brazilian adults with a low level of education. Furthermore, we assessed sex as a potential effect modifier of this association.

Materials And Methods: A population-based prospective cohort study was conducted on all the ≥60-year-old residents in Bambuí city (Brazil).

Performance of primary dental care services: an ecological study in a large Brazilian city.

This study explored the association between area-level primary dental care performance and area-level demographics, dental treatment need, and health care service indicators. An ecological cross-sectional study was performed in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2010. The 142 primary health care (PHC) units were grouped based on the following variables: access to individual dental treatment, frequency of dental emergencies, and frequency of individual preventive procedures.