Self-rated health conditions of the adult population, Southern Brazil

The study aimed to estimate how the adult population (20 to 59 years) of Joa?aba, Southern Brazil, rates its health status. A cross-sectional study involving a representative sample (n=707) was carried out in 2006. The questionnaire surveyed sociodemographic conditions, restriction on daily activities, medical consultation, hospitalization and self-rated health. A hierarchical multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. It was verified that 74.7% of the individuals perceived their health as good and 3.9% perceived it as poor/very poor. Being unemployed at the moment of the interview and ceasing to perform daily activities due to health problems significantly increased the chance of poor /very poor self-rated health.     

Variables associated with leisure-time physical inactivity and main barriers to exercise among industrial workers in Southern Brazil

The aim of this study was to identify the main perceived barriers to leisure-time physical activity and factors associated with physical inactivity among industrial workers in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A cross-sectional study with analysis of secondary data included 2,265 workers. Thirteen barriers were investigated: fatigue, weather, overwork, lack of will, study obligations, family obligations, distance to the facility/setting, affordability, lack of motor skills, poor physical conditioning, lack of facilities, lack of money, security, and others. Prevalence of physical inactivity among workers was 45.4%, and the most common barriers were fatigue (15.1%), overwork (12.7%), and family obligations (9.2%). Fatigue, overwork, family obligations, lack of will, affordability, study obligations, and weather were associated with leisure-time physical inactivity. Government policies focused on overarching interventions could help these workers overcome such barriers and adopt an active lifestyle.     

Self-rated health by HIV-infected individuals undergoing antiretroviral therapy in Brazil

In 2008, a survey was applied to a probabilistically selected sample of 1,245 HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy in Brazil. In this work, the analysis was focused on self-rated health. The analysis was conducted according to sex, age, socioeconomic variables, and clinical and treatment-related patient characteristics. Through stepwise logistic regression procedures, the main predictors of good perception of health status were established. Results showed that 65% self-rated health state as good or excellent, 81% do have no or slight difficulty in following treatment, but 34% men and 47% women reported intense or extreme degree of anxiety/worry feelings. Educational level, work situation, presence of side effects and AIDS-related symptoms were the main predictors of good self-perception of health. Problems related to animus status, involving worry and anxiety about the future are still barriers that must be overcome to improve quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS.     

Relationship between health practices and depressive mood among industrial workers

In order to investigate the relationship between health practices and depressive mood, a survey was made by mail questionnaire on 3,987 industrial workers, which included items on 8 health practices and Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (Zung SDS). A total of 3,160 or 79.3% responded to the questionnaire. Multivariate analysis was employed to control the effects of possible confounders, such as demographic, job- and health-related variables. As the results, the following four health practices were found to be significantly related to low depressive score in male cases (N = 2,779): eating breakfast regularly, habitual physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, and obesity not less than -10%. The following three health practices were found in female cases (N = 381) to be significantly related to low depression score: sleeping regularly 7-8 h per night, habitual physical activity, and non-smoker. It is considered that these health practices might decrease depressive mood, but further analysis is needed to determine their causal relationships because of the cross-sectional design of the present study.     

Self-perceived health and associated factors in industrial workers from Santa Catarina State, Brazil

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of negative self-perceived health and associated factors among industrial workers in Santa Catarina State, in southern Brazil. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted with a representative sample of 2,574 subjects (62.5% men). Negative self-perceived health (fair or poor) was the outcome investigated in association with demographic, socioeconomic, and other health indicators. Multivariate analysis was performed through logistic regression based on a hierarchical model. Negative self-perceived health was exceptional (11.8%), but positively associated with age, leisure physical activity, perceived quality of sleeping, perceived stress, and sex. Meanwhile, the outcome was negatively associated with family income and schooling. Workers with higher physical demands and BMI < 18.5 and > 30 showed increased odds of negative self-perceived health. No significant differences were found for marital status, binge drinking, or smoking. Few associations were observed for females.     

Self-rated health among U.S. adolescents

PurposeThis article investigates the meaning of subjective health assessments for younger respondents by examining the temporal stability of self-rated health (SRH) among adolescents. Two competing understandings of SRH are tested: SRH as a spontaneous health assessment or as an enduring self-concept.MethodsUsing data from two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 13,511), an intra-class correlation coefficient and a weighted Kappa estimate are calculated to assess the test-retest reliability for SRH. Self-rated health (T2) is then modeled as a function of SRH (T1), physical health (T1), and mental health (T1), and changes in physical and mental health (T2–T1).ResultsSRH is found to be moderately stable over repeated observations (K = .40; ρ = .55) among adolescents. Findings from multivariate analyses suggest that SRH (T2) is largely determined by SRH (T1) and less so by changes in physical or psychological health status (T2-T1).ConclusionsSRH among adolescents is in part a spontaneous health assessment but it is best understood as an enduring self-concept.     

Commuting to and from work and factors associated among industrial workers from southern Brazil

Cross-sectional study that aimed to estimate the prevalence of forms of commuting to and from work and to identify factors associated among industrial workers in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. A total of 2,265 workers completed a questionnaire on the forms of commuting to and from work (walking/biking, bus or car/motorcycle). Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association between the outcome and sociodemographic, occupational and behavioral variables. The main form of commuting to and from work was by bus (45.7%). Workers with higher socioeconomic condition were more likely to engage in passive commuting.     

Chronic fatigue among bank workers in Brazil

The present study examines the prevalence of chronic fatigue (CF) among bank workers in Brazil and possible associations with gender and working conditions. The study sample included all 735 workers from the department of data processing of a state bank. CF was assessed using the Chalder Fatigue Scale. Working conditions and socio-demographic, socio-economic and psychosocial factors at work were analysed. Psychiatric symptoms were measured with the SRQ-20. The overall estimate of the prevalence of CF was 8.7% [95% confidence intervals (95% CI) = 6.4-10.9%]: 7.8% (95% CI = 5.5-10.7%) among men and 11.0% (95% CI = 6.7-16.9%) among women. The male-female difference was not statistically significant, even after adjusting for minor psychiatric disorders. The overall prevalence of CF without minor psychiatric disorders was 4.5% (95% CI = 2.7-6.3%): 3.9% (95% CI = 1.9-5.9%) among men and 6.4% (95% CI = 2.0-10.1%) among women. In the final model, risk factors for CF were fast work speed [odds ratio (OR) = 3.5], dissatisfaction at work (OR = 3.1), minor psychiatric disorders (OR = 6.8), and medium (OR = 1.8) and heavy domestic workload (OR = 12.0). CF is common among these bank workers and is associated with psychosocial factors at work. Particularly among women, domestic workload, marital status and the presence of young children were associated with CF in the stratified analysis. Domestic workload may add physical and mental stress, putting employees at risk for CF from overload, or CF may cause workers to perceive domestic work as heavy.     

Improving health services for industrial workers

The purpose of the present sociohygienic study is to improve a system approach to the problem of workers' health protection at industrial enterprises. The methods of sociological investigations, organisational experiment, system analysis, modelling, and health statistics were used. The improved system of workers' health protection was developed, tested in the course of organizational experiment and implemented at the industrial enterprises which resulted in the reduction of temporary disability, occupational accidents and diseases.     

Self-rated oral health among Brazilian adults and older adults in Southeast Brazil: results from the SB-Brasil Project, 2003

The aim of this study was to determine which characteristics (predisposing and enabling, oral health, perceived need for dental treatment, and behavior) are independently associated with self-rated oral health among adults and older adults in Southeast Brazil. The study was based on 3,240 participants in the SB-Brasil Project/ Southeast. The characteristics of those who rated their oral health as good/very good were compared to those who rated it as fair, poor, or very poor. The following characteristics were significantly and independently associated with better self-rated oral health among adults: monthly household income > US 60.00 dollars, no current perceived need for dental treatment, place of residence in cities with > 50,000 inhabitants, and visit to the dentist > 3 years previously. Among older adults the factors were: monthly household income > US 60.00 dollars, no current perceived need for dental treatment, and 1-19 permanent teeth. Our results confirm those observed in other countries, showing associations between self-rated oral health and predisposing and enabling factors, oral health, perceived need for dental treatment, and behavior.     

Low back pain among Iranian industrial workers

BACKGROUND: Most epidemiological data concerning low back pain (LBP) are from high-income countries and there is very little information about LBP in the working population in developing countries. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of LBP in Iranian industrial workers. To explore associations between LBP and physical and psychosocial factors at work, as well as lifestyle factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of the largest car-manufacturing group in Iran. The prevalence of LBP, work exposures and lifestyle factors were recorded using the standardized Nordic questionnaire for analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Demographic data and lifestyle factors (age, sex, education, weight, work experience, smoking and fitness training) were also collected. RESULTS: Of the 18,031 employees, 78% participated. The majority of subjects in this study population were young males (<30 years) and a small proportion was female (4%). The 1-year prevalence of self-reported LBP in this Iranian industrial population was 21% (20% males and 27% females). The prevalence rate of absence due to LBP was 5% per annum. The multiple logistic regression models indicated that the following remained risk indicators for LBP in the previous 12 months: increasing age, no regular exercise, heavy lifting, repetitive work and monotonous work. CONCLUSION: LPB is a common problem in the working population even in a developing country. Age and gender as well as certain work-related physical and psychosocial factors influenced the prevalence of LBP but the differences between different categories of workers were small.