Washington Leite Junger

As ondas de calor têm sido associadas a morbimortalidade por doenças do aparelho circulatório em diferentes locais, principalmente em ambientes urbanos, afetando os grupos considerados vulneráveis. O objetivo deste estudo foi estimar os efeitos de ondas de calor na mortalidade por doenças do aparelho cardiovascular nas capitais brasileiras, além disso, foi investigada a modificação de efeito segundo a intensidade e duração das ondas de calor. A análise de séries temporais foi utilizada para estimar o percentual do Risco Relativo (%RR) do efeito das ondas de calor na mortalidade de pessoas adultas ≥ 30 anos de idade, durante o periodo do de 2000 a 2016. Os resultados indicaram uma associação entre ondas de calor e a mortalidade por doenças cerebrovasculares e doenças isquêmicas do coração na população adulta. Houve ocorrência de onda de calor no inverno. O efeito sem adição tem maior %RR e aumenta proporcionalmente ao critério de intensidade dos percentis.

Objetivo: Este trabalho descreve a construção de indicadores de violência comunitária dos 163 bairros do município do Rio de Janeiro, a partir de registros da Polícia Civil, e apresenta possibilidades de aplicabilidade em pesquisa, assistência e gestão no campo da saúde. Métodos: Foram construídos três indicadores - a taxa de crimes contra patrimônio, taxa de crimes contra pessoa não letais e taxa de crimes letais -, através do cálculo contendo no numerador os respectivos tipos de crimes oriundos dos boletins de ocorrência das delegacias, e no denominador a população residente do bairro, multiplicado por 100.000. Resultados e Discussão: Os resultados são apresentados no formato de mapas dos bairros do Município do Rio de Janeiro, com a distribuição de ocorrência das três taxas propostas, classificados em nível baixo, médio e alto. Os autores discutem sua aplicabilidade no campo da saúde, com foco na associação entre a violência comunitária e presença de sintomas em saúde mental, mas ressaltam que esses indicadores podem ser replicados e utilizados no estudo da associação da violência comunitária com diferentes desfechos na área de saúde, assim como para nortear ações de saúde pública no campo da gestão e assistência.

This study aimed to estimate the association between urban physical disorder and alcohol consumption in Brazilian adolescents. The sample was composed of 2,384 adolescents, aged 12 to 17, resident in Brazilian capitals and participants in the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA), a school-based cross-sectional study undertaken in 2013 and 2014. The outcome variable was alcoholic beverage consumption characterized as having drunk an alcoholic beverage at least once in the previous 30 days. The exposure variable was urban physical disorder measured according to the urban features in the 2010 Demographic Census. The total effect of the indicators of exposure to urban physical disorder on the consumption of alcohol among adolescents was estimated using Poisson regression models with robust variance. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for each exposure, controlling for possible confounding variables. Adolescents living in areas with paved roads and manholes presented higher prevalence of alcohol consumption (adjusted PR = 1.24, 95%CI: 1.02; 1.50 and adjusted PR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.01; 1.84, respectively). Conversely, the presence of wheelchair ramps and open sewers was associated with a lower prevalence of alcohol consumption (adjusted PR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.62; 0.99 and adjusted PR = 0.80, 95%CI: 0.66; 0.97, respectively). These findings suggest that urban contextual factors can influence alcohol consumption among adolescents. Understanding these factors may aid in the development of public health policies that promote healthier urban environments.

Dating violence during adolescence is a global public health issue due to its widespread occurrence and negative health consequences. Unfortunately, research addressing this topic in Latin American countries remains limited. Seeking to bridge this gap, the present study estimated the prevalence of both dating violence victimization and perpetration among high schoolers considering sociodemographic factors, exposure to other forms of violence, and school-related characteristics. A total of 539 students participated in the study selected by means of probabilistic sampling from private and public schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dating violence was identified using the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory. Victimization prevalence ranged from 16.7% (sexual) to 94.6% (emotional), whereas perpetration prevalence varied between 9.9% (sexual) and 94.6% (emotional). Boys were more physically victimized (37.2% vs. 24.5%) and perpetrated more sexual abuse (13.7% vs. 6.9%) than girls. Adolescents reporting child abuse, living in violent areas, and those who consumed alcoholic beverages more frequently had greater dating violence prevalence overall. However, some differences between male and female vulnerability characteristics merit debate. These heterogeneous profiles of victimization/perpetration between boys and girls indicate the need for specific dating violence prevention interventions.

Resumo: O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver metodologia para estimar a incidência de câncer no Brasil e regiões. A partir de dados dos registros de câncer de base populacional (RCBP) e do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM) foram calculadas razões de incidência e mortalidade (I/M) anuais, tipo de câncer, faixa etária e sexo em cada RCBP. Para estimar as razões I/M por região em 2018, foram aplicados modelos multiníveis longitudinais de Poisson. A estimativa de casos novos de câncer, em 2018, foi calculada aplicando-se as razões I/M estimadas ao número de óbitos corrigidos do SIM ocorridos naquele ano. Norte e Nordeste concentraram as menores razões I/M. Os cânceres de pâncreas, pulmão, fígado e esôfago tiveram as menores razões I/M, enquanto as maiores razões I/M foram estimadas para câncer de tireoide, testículo, próstata e mama feminina. Para 2018, foram estimados 506.462 casos novos de câncer no Brasil. Mama feminina e próstata foram os dois principais tipos de câncer em todas as regiões. No Norte e no Nordeste, destacaram-se os cânceres do colo do útero e de estômago. Diferenças nas razões I/M entre as regiões foram observadas e podem estar relacionadas ao desenvolvimento socioeconômico e ao acesso a serviços de saúde.

Background: Globally, artificial intelligence (AI) is expanding in healthcare and public health and AI education for students in these fields will be essential. It is therefore important that future public health professionals are aware of opportunities and challenges linked to AI. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the perceptions and attitudes regarding AI among one such group of future public health professionals – Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health students – in South Africa. Methods: An online survey was sent to students enrolled for the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health programme from 13 June 2022 to 17 June 2022. Results: Six hundred and eighteen respondents completed an online survey (81.5% response rate). Generally, respondents thought AI would be capable of performing various tasks that did not provide direct care to individuals. Most (69%) agreed that introduction of AI could reduce job availability in public health fields. Respondents agreed that AI in public health could raise ethical (84%), social (77%) and health equity (77%) challenges. Relatively few respondents (52%) thought they were being adequately trained to work alongside AI tools, and the majority (76%) felt training of AI competencies should begin at an undergraduate level. Conclusion: Respondents expect AI to eventually carry out specific functions in public health and had reservations that AI may cause ethical challenges and increase unemployment in the country. Further exploration is needed regarding the perceptions about AI and its integration into the health system and the implications for undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.

Background: This study aims to explore the association between exposure to neighborhood violence and the presence of common mental disorders (CMDs) among Brazilian adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Additionally, we aim to analyze whether sex, age and race are modifiers of the effect of this association. Methods: The study comprised 1,686 adolescents residing in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, situated in the Southeast region of Brazil. To measure exposure to community violence, we constructed three crime indicators using data from Civil Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro: crimes against property, nonlethal crimes, and lethal crimes. Employing geospatial analysis based on the adolescents’ residence location, logistic regression modeling was performed to measure the association between violence and CMDs. Results: Adolescents living in regions with higher rates of the three types of violence studied herein were more likely to have CMDs, with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 2.33 to 2.99. When stratified by sex, age and race, girls, older adolescents and blacks have a greater magnitude of effect on the measure of association, indicating a heightened risk for CMDs. Conclusion: This study provides important contributions to the public health field, as it reveals new information on the influence of community violence on the mental health of adolescents. Given the elevated rates of violence globally, knowing the effects of such violence on adolescents becomes crucial for the prevention and treatment of CMDs within this population.