Arlinda Barbosa Moreno

Objectives: Hair cortisol has been increasingly used as an important biomarker of chronic stress, as it reflects prolonged systemic exposure to cortisol over time. Such exposure has been associated with alterations in body composition; however, the associations with sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity have still received little attention in the scientific literature on aging. The study aimed to assess the association between hair cortisol, dynapenia, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity in a multicenter and multiethnic Brazilian cohort. Methods: The criterion used to classify sarcopenia was specific to the study population, and the categories used were dynapenia (reduced muscle strength), sarcopenia (reduced muscle strength and mass), and sarcopenic obesity (≥ 38% body fat plus sarcopenia). Hair cortisol levels ( pg/mg ) were divided into three categories: Low (< 40), normal (40 to 128), and high (> 128). Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to verify the association between hair cortisol, reduced muscle strength, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity. The final model was adjusted for sex, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, physical activity, and race/ethnicity, and odds ratios ( OR ) and 95% confidence intervals ( 95% CI ) were calculated. Results: A total of 947 participants were included (aged 54 to 82 years, mean age 67.1 years, 63.7% women). Participants with high hair cortisol levels showed lower odds of reduced muscle strength ( OR: 0.796; 95% CI: 0.504–1.255), suggesting an inverse association; this was not statistically significant. However, no significant association was seen between chronic stress and sarcopenia ( OR: 1.106; 95% CI: 0.555–2.206 ) or sarcopenic obesity ( OR: 0.607; 95% CI: 0.162–2.279 ). Conclusions: In a sample of Brazilian adults, hair cortisol level, a measurement technique not affected by physiological fluctuations, was not associated with reduced muscle strength, sarcopenia, or sarcopenic obesity.

Resumo Objetivo Analisar a associação entre estressores ocupacionais e transtornos mentais comuns, segundo sexo e geração de nascimento. Métodos Estudo transversal com trabalhadores ativos participantes da linha de base do Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil). Transtorno mental comum (TMC) foi mensurado com o Clinical Interview Schedule – Revised (CIS-R) e estressores ocupacionais com o Questionário Sueco de Demanda-Controle-Apoio Social (DCSQ). Empregou-se regressão logística binária, com estratificação por sexo e geração de nascimento. Resultados Participaram 11.601 trabalhadores, 52,1% do sexo feminino. A prevalência global de TMC foi 26,8%, 35,9% entre as mulheres e 19,3% entre os homens. Houve associação entre estressores ocupacionais e TMC após ajuste apenas entre mulheres da Geração Baby Boomer com trabalho ativo (OR = 1,32; IC95% = 1,13; 1,54) e de alta exigência (OR = 1,41; IC95% = 1,14; 1,73) e entre mulheres da Geração X com trabalho ativo (OR = 1,39; IC95% = 1,09; 1,78). Conclusão Evidenciou-se a necessidade de se investigar efeitos de longo prazo associados à ocorrência de eventos de vida produtores de estressores e fatores que potencialmente modifiquem seu impacto. Ações voltadas a grupos mais afetados, no ambiente de trabalho e/ou nos serviços de saúde, são recomendadas para a promoção e proteção da saúde.

Objective To analyze the association between occupational stressors and common mental disorders, by sex and birth cohort. Methods A cross-sectional study of currently employed workers participating in the baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Common mental disorders (CMD) were assessed using the Clinical Interview Schedule – Revised (CIS-R), and occupational stressors using the Swedish Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire (DCSQ). Binary logistic regression was employed, stratified by sex and birth cohort. Results A total of 11,601 workers participated, 52.1% of whom were female. The overall prevalence of CMD was 26.8%, 35.9% among women, and 19.3% among men. Occupational stressors and CMD were associated after adjustment only among working women of the Baby Boomer generation (OR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.13, 1.54) and those in high-demand jobs (OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.14, 1.73), and among Generation X women who were currently employed (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.09, 1.78). Conclusion It is necessary to investigate long-term effects associated with the occurrence of life events that generate stressors and factors that may potentially modify their impact. Interventions targeting the most affected groups, in the workplace and/or health care settings, are recommended for the promotion and protection of health.

Resumen La creación del Reglamento Sanitario Internacional (RSI) en 2005 impulsó la producción científica sobre emergencias de salud con el papel hegemónico de las ciencias biomédicas, no libre de sesgos y limitaciones. Las ciencias sociales han demostrado que estas emergencias afectan de forma diferencial a las poblaciones, y que la producción de conocimiento y las respuestas a estas son procesos histórico-sociales determinados por los modelos explicativos y los intereses político-económicos de los actores implicados, afectando las agendas científicas. Esta revisión narrativa presenta las aportaciones de las ciencias sociales a la comprensión de las emergencias de salud pública en Latinoamérica del año 2003 al 2022 a partir de la consulta a cuatro bases de datos: PubMed, BVS, SciELO y Google Scholar. En esta revisión se incluyen 25 artículos sobre covid-19, Zika, VIH-Sida y dengue que fueron agrupados en 3 temas: La construcción social y política del conocimiento sobre las emergencias sanitarias; Los vacíos de conocimiento sobre género, raza, etnicidad y clase social; y Los usos científicos y políticos de los conceptos de grupos de riesgo y grupos vulnerables. Se realizan algunas recomendaciones en función de los resultados obtenidos.

Resumo A criação do Regulamento Sanitário Internacional (RSI) em 2005 impulsionou a produção científica sobre emergências de saúde com o papel hegemônico das ciências biomédicas, não livre de vieses e limitações. As ciências sociais têm demonstrado que estas emergências afetam as populações de maneiras diferentes e a produção de conhecimento e as respostas a estas emergências são processos sócio-históricos determinados pelos modelos explicativos e pelos interesses político-econômicos dos atores envolvidos, influenciando as agendas científicas. Esta revisão narrativa apresenta as contribuições das ciências sociais na compreensão das emergências de saúde pública na américa latina entre os anos 2003 e 2022 a partir da consulta a quatro bases de dados: PubMed, BVS, SciELO e Google Scholar. Nesta revisão es HIV-AIDS tão incluídos 25 artigos sobre Covid-19, Zika, HIV-AIDS e Dengue que foram agrupados em 3 temas: A construção social e política do conhecimento sobre as emergências sanitárias; Os vazios de conhecimento sobre gênero, raça, etnicidade e classe social; e Os usos científicos e políticos dos conceitos de grupos de risco e grupos vulneráveis. Se realizam algumas recomendações em função dos resultados obtidos.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated various determinants of mental disorders. Several behavioral changes were observed given this increase, including harmful health consequences, such as excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). To assess this relationship, we investigated the meditational role of symptoms of mental disorders (anxiety and depression) in the association between stress resulting from social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic and the consumption of UPFs in 3884 Brazilian public employees in a supplementary study of the ELSA-Brasil study. Structural equation models (SEMs) were estimated to assess the direct and indirect effects mediated by symptoms of mental disorders. The results suggested a significant and positive mediational effect of the symptoms of mental disorders on the association between the stress resulting from social distancing and the consumption of UPFs. These findings contribute to informing the need for policies and early interventions in potentially stressful situations, with a focus on the promotion of mental health, and may thus help prevent or reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods.

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Methods Sub-Group of the WHO COVID-19 Social Science Research Roadmap Working Group conducted a rapid evidence review of rapid qualitative methods (RQMs) used during epidemics. The rapid review objectives were to (1) synthesize the development, implementation, and uses of RQMs, including the data collection tools, research questions, research capacities, analytical approaches, and strategies used to speed up data collection and analysis in their specific epidemic and institutional contexts; and (2) propose a tool for assessing and reporting RQMs in epidemics emergencies. The rapid review covered published RQMs used in articles and unpublished reports produced between 2015 and 2021 in five languages (English, Mandarin, French, Portuguese, and Spanish). We searched multiple databases in these five languages between December 2020 and January 31, 2021. Sources employing “rapid” (under 6 months from conception to reporting of results) qualitative methods for research related to epidemic emergencies were included. We included 126 published and unpublished sources, which were reviewed, coded, and classified by the research team. Intercoder reliability was found to be acceptable (Krippendorff’s α = 0.709). We employed thematic analysis to identify categories characterizing RQMs in epidemic emergencies. The review protocol was registered at PROSPERO (no. CRD42020223283) and Research Registry (no. reviewregistry1044). We developed an assessment and reporting tool of 13 criteria in three domains, to document RQMs used in response to epidemic emergencies. These includeI. Design and Development(i. time frame, ii. Training, iii. Applicability to other populations, iv. Applicability to low resource settings, v. community engagement, vi. Available resources, vii. Ethical approvals, viii. Vulnerability, ix. Tool selection);II. Data Collection and Analysis(x. concurrent data collection and analysis, xi. Targeted populations and recruitment procedures);III. Restitution and Dissemination (xii. Restitution and dissemination of findings, xiii. Impact). Our rapid review and evaluation found a wide range of feasible and highly effective tools, analytical approaches and timely operational insights and recommendations during epidemic emergencies.

Depending on body shape trajectory, individuals may be more prone to develop chronic diseases in adulthood or older age, so the identification of factors associated with this is essential for encouraging the development of preventive public health strategies. This study was conducted among 14,014...

The sensory and affective impact of a photograph in a news story may mitigate the message of the headline and even the content of the story as a whole, with the potential to lead the reader to countless parallel stories. These stories can be imbricated to the theme explored by the media, but can also expand to several other issues, memories, events, authors unveiling to the reader other situational layers that transcend the sphere of simple reading leading to reflexivity. This text has, therefore, the intention to reflect at length about the inequities in health, especially in relation to the distribution of vaccines against Covid-19 on the planet, from an image published by France Presse in a story about a day with record application of doses of the vaccine against Covid-19 in India.