Community Empowerment and Community Partnerships in Nursing Decision-Making.

Community empowerment has been studied as a process and result phenomenon throughout the last 40 years. Community partnership, which has been studied during the last 20 years, has been identified as a key process to promote intervention and research within communities. In this paper, we introduce the relation between these two concepts, from the research that is being developed at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Health Research (CIIS) in Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

Physical Activity Patterns During Pregnancy in a Sample of Portuguese Women: A Longitudinal Prospective Study.

Background: Physical activity (PA) patterns during pregnancy have not been explored in depth and most previous studies lack assessment of variables such as type, frequency, duration and intensity of activity.

Objectives: This study had two goals: 1) to analyze PA patterns during pregnancy according to weekly time spent on different types of activity; and 2) to determine women's perception about health care providers regarding PA advisement during pregnancy.

Patients And Methods: A longitudinal prospective study was carried out with a 118-pregnant women cohort.

Presence and significance of Helicobacter spp. in the gastric mucosa of Portuguese dogs.

Background: Non-Helicobacter pylori Helicobacters (NHPH) are also able to cause disease in humans. Dogs are a natural reservoir for many of these species. Close and intense human contact with animals has been identified as a risk factor and therefore, an important zoonotic significance has been attributed to NHPH.

Impact of compliance with different guidelines on physical activity during pregnancy and perceived barriers to leisure physical activity.

The aims of the this prospective study were to analyse physical activity (PA) engagement during the first and second trimesters, considering the different guidelines published on PA, to document the individual characteristics associated with the accomplishment of these guidelines and to examine pregnant women's perceived barriers to leisure PA, using a socioecological framework. A sample of 133 pregnant women in two stages--at 10-12 weeks' gestation (T1) and 20-22 weeks' gestation (T2)--were evaluated. PA was assessed by accelerometry during the T1 and T2 evaluation stages.

[Prevalence and impact of stress urinary incontinence before and during pregnancy].

Introduction: Female Urinary Incontinence (UI) is a major public health issue given its high prevalence and its physical, psychological and social impact on women's lives. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and impact of Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) before and during pregnancy in parturients from the Viana do Castelo district.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out considering a representative sample of the district comprising 336 women who gave birth in the Santa Luzia Hospital between 15th January and 29th March 2002.