[Estimators of internal consistency in health research: the use of the alpha coefficient].

Academic production has increased in the area of health, increasingly demanding high quality in publications of great impact. One of the ways to consider quality is through methods that increase the consistency of data analysis, such as reliability which, depending on the type of data, can be evaluated by different coefficients, especially the alpha coefficient. Based on this, the present review systematically gathers scientific articles produced in the last five years, which in a methodological manner gave the α coefficient psychometric use as an estimator of internal consistency and reliability in the processes of construction, adaptation and validation of instruments.

Anthropometric indicators of obesity in policemen: a systematic review of observational studies.

The aim of this paper was to summarize scientific literature on obesity in policemen through a systematic review of observational studies. For this purpose the following electronic databases were selected: Medline by Pubmed, CINAHL, and Scopus; and a manual search of the referenced studies concerning this topic was performed. There were no restrictions with respect to the year or language of the publication.

Health-related quality of life and related factors of military police officers.

Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the effect of demographic characteristics, occupation, anthropometric indices, and leisure-time physical activity levels on coronary risk and health-related quality of life among military police officers from the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Methods: The sample included 165 military police officers who fulfilled the study’s inclusion criteria. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Short Form Health Survey were used, in addition to a spreadsheet of socio-demographic, occupational and anthropometric data.

Effects of square-stepping exercise on cognitive functions of older people.

Aim: Cognitive functions can decline with age, and interventions focusing on stimulating them may have positive results. Previous studies have shown that square-stepping exercise (SSE) has a good influence on balance, but this exercise also seems to promote cognitive stimulation. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to analyse the effect of 16 weeks of SSE on cognitive functions in non-demented community-dwelling older people.

Validation of the Brazilian version of the apathy inventory.

Background: Apathy is a frequent neuropsychiatric condition in neurodegenerative disorders, depression, and often in mild cognitive impairment. The Apathy Inventory (AI) is a reliable instrument for improving the accuracy of the apathy diagnosis. The aim was to establish the validity of the Apathy Inventory for the Brazilian community.

Apathy in Alzheimer's disease: Contribution to a clinical view on progression of dementia.

Unlabelled: In addition to cognitive impairment, apathy is increasingly recognized as an important neuropsychiatric syndrome in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Aims: To identify the relationship between dementia severity and apathy levels, and to discuss the association of this condition with other psychopathological manifestations in AD patients.

Methods: This study involved 15 AD patients (mean age: 77 years; schooling: 4.