Planning Matters: A Document Analysis of 24 Portuguese Health Programmes.

Background: Health planning is essential for effective public health interventions and optimal resource utilisation. The Portuguese Directorate-General of Health has a long history of developing health plans and programmes, for communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and their determinants. This study aimed to review the current 24 programmes and assess the adequacy of their structure and content.

Logistic Regression: Limitations in the Estimation of Measures of Association with Binary Health Outcomes.

Introduction: Logistic regression models are frequently used to estimate measures of association between an exposure, health determinant or intervention, and a binary outcome. However, when the outcome is frequent (> 10%), model estimates for relative risks and prevalence ratios might be biased. Despite the availability of several alternatives, many still rely on these models, and a consensus is yet to be reached.

Long-term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and its Association with Mental Well-Being, Depression and Anxiety: A Nationally Representative Study.

Introduction: Exposure to ambient air pollution may play a role in the onset of common mental disorders like depressive and anxiety disorders. The association of long-term exposure to particles smaller than 10 μm (PM10) with these diseases remains unclear. This study aimed to estimate the association of long-term exposure to PM10 with mental well-being and the frequency of probable diagnosis of common mental disorders.

Subacute stroke: bladder and bowel dysfunctions and possible associated factors.

Purpose: Bladder and bowel dysfunctions negatively impact patients' health. Stroke-related characteristics associated to these dysfunctions are poorly known. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of bladder and bowel dysfunctions, characterize their associated factors, and describe the dysfunctions' clinical approach.