Protocol for an ambidirectional cohort study on long COVID and the healthcare needs, use and barriers to access health services in a large city in Southeast Brazil.

Introduction: Post-COVID-19 condition, or syndrome, also known as long COVID, is an infection-associated chronic condition that can develop after a SARS-CoV-2 infection and last at least 3 months to years. Despite representing a high burden for the Unified Health System (SUS), which has affected millions of Brazilians, it has received limited attention in Brazil. Prevalence studies to date have failed to include a broad representation of the population, and there has been insufficient exploration of the impact on people's lives and the burden of and barriers to accessing health services.

Substance use, self-rated health and HIV status in Brazil.

We compared the prevalence of of non-injecting drug use (NIDU) and Self-Rated Health (SRH) among individuals self-reporting as HIV-positive (PLWHA), HIV-negative and unknown at the III Brazilian Household Survey on Substance Use. Overall, 16,273 individuals, 12-65 years old, were interviewed in 2015. Prevalence and Standard Error (SE) were estimated considering the complex sample design and weight calibration.

Factors associated with low handgrip strength in older people: data of the Study of Chronic Diseases (Edoc-I).

Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) is an important health biomarker whose low scores have been shown to be associated with the morbimortality. This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with low HGS in older people in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil.

Methods: The study was carried out with data from the Study of Chronic Diseases (EDOC-I) - Older People, a cross-sectional household PAPI probability sample survey performed with 1016 people aged over 60 residing in Rio Branco in 2014.

Hand grip strength: Reference values for adults and elderly people of Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil.

Hand grip strength (HGS) is recognized as an important health indicator, but validated reference values that can be applied to the evaluation of individuals in different populations are still lacking. This work aimed to identify correlations between HGS and anthropometric variables and to establish HGS reference values for adult and elderly populations. This is a population-based cross-sectional study considering the subsets of individuals with healthy right or left upper limbs from a sample of 1,609 adults and elderly residents in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil.

Health care factors associated with survival among women with breast cancer on hormone therapy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2004 - 2010.

Objectives To better understand the role that health care plays in breast cancer survival by investigating the effects that hormone therapy adherence and other select health care variables, adjusted for clinical and sociodemographic factors, had among a population of women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods This was a longitudinal study based on secondary data of 5 861 women treated with hormone therapy (tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors) at the National Cancer Institute of Brazil (INCA), from 1 January 2004 - 29 October 2010. Four different sources of data were integrated for analysis: INCA Pharmacy Sector Dispensation System; Hospital-based Cancer Registry; Integrated Hospital System and INCA Absolute System; and Mortality Information System.

Response rate in the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents - ERICA.

OBJECTIVE To describe the response rate and characteristics of people who either took part or not in from the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA) , according to information subsets. METHODS ERICA is a school-based, nation-wide investigation with a representative sample of 12 to 17-year-old adolescents attending public or private schools in municipalities with over 100,000 inhabitants in Brazil. Response rate of eligible subjects were calculated according to macro-regions, sex, age, and type of school (public or private).

ERICA: patterns of alcohol consumption in Brazilian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE To describe the patterns of alcohol consumption in Brazilian adolescents. METHODS We investigated adolescents who participated in the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA). This is a cross-sectional, national and school-based study, which surveyed adolescents of 1,247 schools from 124 Brazilian municipalities.

ERICA: prevalence of common mental disorders in Brazilian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE To describe the prevalence of common mental disorders in Brazilian adolescent students, according to geographical macro-regions, school type, sex, and age. METHODS We evaluated 74,589 adolescents who participated in the Cardiovascular Risk Study in Adolescents (ERICA), a cross-sectional, national, school-based study conducted in 2013-2014 in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. A self-administered questionnaire and an electronic data collector were employed.

ERICA: sexual initiation and contraception in Brazilian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of sexual initiation and contraceptive use at the last sexual intercourse of Brazilian adolescents, according to sociodemographic features. METHODS The data were obtained from the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA), a national school-based cross-sectional study. We included 74,589 adolescents from 32 geographic strata (27 capitals and five sets of municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants of each of the five macro-regions of the Country).

ERICA: prevalence of asthma in Brazilian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE To describe the prevalence of asthma and physician-diagnosed asthma in Brazilian adolescents. METHODS Cross-sectional, national, school-based study with adolescents from 12 to 17 years old, participants in the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA). The study stratified the sample by region and grouped according to schools and classes with representativeness to the set of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants of the Country, macro-regions, capitals, and Federal District.

ERICA: leisure-time physical inactivity in Brazilian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity in Brazilian adolescents and their association with geographical and sociodemographic variables. METHODS The sample was composed by 74,589 adolescents participating in the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA). This cross-sectional study of school basis with national scope involved adolescents aged from 12 to 17 years in Brazilian cities with more than 100 thousand inhabitants.

[Macronutrient food sources in a probabilistic sample of Brazilian adults].

Once it is available, the information on food intake (FI) may enable the development of strategies to intervene, monitor and explore dietary patterns with more sophisticated statistical methods. Thus, the purpose of this study was to document the quantitative dietary characteristics in a probabilistic sample of adults in Niterói in the State of Rio de Janeiro. A 24-hour dietary recall of a typical day was conducted.

Adherence to hormone therapy among women with breast cancer.

Background: Despite the excellent results obtained with hormone therapy, the long treatment period and the side effects associated with its use make patient adherence difficult. Moreover, certain aspects of health care can mitigate or exacerbate non-adherence. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with adherence to hormone therapy for breast cancer, with the goal of contributing to the reformulation of the care process and to improvements in outcomes.

[Regulation of radiotherapy and chemotherapy services by health plan organizations in Brazil].

This paper characterizes regulatory procedures applied by private health plan operators on their outpatient radiotherapy and chemotherapy services, especially via contracts, and outlines the health care providers’ perception on regulation. The study relied on primary data, taking into consideration 638 hospitals and outpatient health care units with the services in question. A stratified random sample was selected, resulting in the inclusion of 54 units that are representative of the population, excluding hospitals that only provide radiotherapy.

Is the prevalence of driving after drinking higher in entertainment areas?

Aims: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of driving after drinking (DUI) and its associated factors in low and high alcohol outlet density areas (LAOD and HAOD) in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Methods: A probability 3-stage sampling survey was conducted, and 683 drivers who were leaving alcohol outlets (AOs) and had been drinking were interviewed, breathalyzed and saliva was collected for drug screening. Prevalences were assessed using domain estimation and DUI predictors were assessed using logistic models.

[Evaluation of the pre-test counseling process in the HIV Testing and Counseling Centers in Rio de Janeiro State: the perception of users and health professionals].

This study sought to evaluate the pre-test counseling process in the HIV Testing and Counseling Centers (CTA) in Rio de Janeiro State, based on the perceptions of users and health professionals. A population survey was performed, based on a structured questionnaire given to a sample of users and counselors of nine CTAs. Quantitative analyses were employed to evaluate the degree of satisfaction in relation to infrastructure indicators of the way patients are received and treated, the user-counselor relationship, and territoriality, accessibility and availability.

Reaching the hard-to-reach: a probability sampling method for assessing prevalence of driving under the influence after drinking in alcohol outlets.

Drinking alcoholic beverages in places such as bars and clubs may be associated with harmful consequences such as violence and impaired driving. However, methods for obtaining probabilistic samples of drivers who drink at these places remain a challenge--since there is no a priori information on this mobile population--and must be continually improved. This paper describes the procedures adopted in the selection of a population-based sample of drivers who drank at alcohol selling outlets in Porto Alegre, Brazil, which we used to estimate the prevalence of intention to drive under the influence of alcohol.

Absolute and relative energy costs of walking in a Brazilian adult probability sample.

Background: Walking is commonly recommended for enhancing energy expenditure (EE), a basic principle in weight management, and cardiorespiratory fitness. However, walking EE varies with characteristics of a given population, especially by sex and age.

Purpose: The study's purpose was to measure EE of walking as influenced by physical and physiological characteristics of a sample of adults (≥ 20 yr) living in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

[Energy expenditure of adults in the city of Niterói, state of Rio de Janeiro: nutrition, Physical activity and Health Survey--PNAFS].

The accurate assessment of energy expenditure (EE) and of the physical activity level (PAL) is important for establishing the energy requirements (ER) of populations. Little is known about these variables in the Brazilian population. The purpose of the present study was to assess EE and PAL in the adult population (> 20 years) of Niterói, RJ.

[Factors associated with the use of clinical guidelines by health plan operators and their inpatient care providers].

This paper is aimed at identifying factors related to the use of clinical guidelines by health plan operators and their inpatient care providers in the supplementary care sector in Brazil from the viewpoint of managers. The study is based on two national surveys: one involving 90 health plan operators randomly selected from a universe of 1573, oriented towards characterizing the implementation of clinical guidelines and other tools of clinical governance; and another involving 74 hospitals, selected from a universe of 3817 inpatient care providers, aimed at capturing micro-regulation mechanisms applied by health plan operators and their repercussions on hospital practices. Use of clinical guidelines was reported by 32.

Reference values of handgrip dynamometry of healthy adults: a population-based study.

Background & Aims: Although maximal voluntary handgrip strength (HGS) is considered a reliable tool in nutritional assessment there are few reference data available. This paper presents reference values for handgrip strength of healthy adults (age > or = 20 years) from a household survey.

Methods: Data were obtained from a representative sample of adults (1122 males and 1928 females) living in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Low prevalence of hypothyroidism among black and Mulatto people in a population-based study of Brazilian women.

Objective African-Americans have been shown to have low prevalence of hypothyroidism. Brazil has a high ethnic admixture allowing further exploration into whether environmental factors can explain the ethnic differences. Design A survey, representative of the population of Rio de Janeiro, a large metropolitan city in Brazil.

[Clinical and demographic data concordance comparing authorizations for high-complexity oncological procedures and patient records of women treated under the Unified National Health System in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].

This study investigates the concordance of clinical and demographic data under the Unified National Health System (SUS) in Brazil, comparing authorizations for high-complexity oncological procedures in breast cancer with a random sample of 310 corresponding medical records in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Concordance was verified using kappa (K), prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK), weighted-kappa (KW), intra-class correlation (ICC), and relative frequency statistics. 95% confidence intervals were estimated, and Landis and Koch criteria were applied for concordance interpretation.