FCS - DCM | Documentos por Auto-Depósito
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing FCS - DCM | Documentos por Auto-Depósito by Author "Afonso, Rosa Marina"
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Association between handgrip strength, walking, agerelated illnesses and cognitive status in a sample of Portuguese centenariansPublication . Patto, Maria Da Assunção Vaz ; Bueno, Belén; Ribeiro, Óscar; Teixeira, Laetitia; Afonso, Rosa MarinaAbstract Background: Centenarians are a growing population in Europe and present significant variability in motor and cognitive functions. The aim of our study was to characterize health status, as well as cognitive and motor functions in a group of Portuguese centenarians. In addition, our study also aimed at analyzing the relationship between cognitive functions and the burden of diseases affecting the elderly. Methods: Fifty-two centenarians were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination, short version. Walking- related parameters (velocity and time spent in the 3 m walk test), grip strength and number of age-related illnesses were also measured. The relationship between cognitive scores and time spent in the three metre walk test, velocity, grip strength and number of diseases was analysed. Results: Cognitive scores showed a positive correlation with both handgrip strength and time spent in the three metre walk. In contrast, no association was found between cognitive scores and the presence/absence of disease, walking velocity or number of diseases present. Conclusions: These results suggest that in centenarians, cognitive functions may be related with motor functions.
- Development of a screening questionnaire for the study of food allergy in adultsPublication . Lozoya-Ibáñez, Carlos; Belo, João; Afonso, Rosa Marina; Pereira, Henrique; Rodrigues, Alexandra; Barata, Luís TabordaBackground & aims: As far as we know, no screening questionnaire has been developed and validated for identification of adverse food reactions in Portuguese-speaking adults, as an initial approach towards the investigation of cases of possible food allergy. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop and validate a screening questionnaire of food allergy in adult Portuguesespeaking patients. Methods: This was a multicentre, cross-sectional study using a simple random sample of 186 adults between 18 and 82 years old from various parts of the centre of Portugal. Intelligibility of the questionnaire was first assessed in 24 patients with confirmed IgE- or non-IgE-mediated food allergy, and in 24 volunteers without food allergies. The 17-item questionnaire was subsequently applied by phone to 78 food allergic patients (66 IgE-mediated and 12 non-IgE mediated) and to 60 non-food allergic volunteers, with subsequent reassessment (re-test). Face and content validity, intelligibility, construct validity, and test-retest reliability (temporal stability) were analysed. Results: Face and content validity allowed item reduction from 30 to 17 items with adequate content validity index >0.78. Construct validity was confirmed in the 66 confirmed IgE-mediated food allergic patients, 12 non-IgE-mediated food allergic patients, and 60 non-allergic patients. Test-Retest Reliability (general temporal stability) of the test had a Spearman correlation coefficient value of 0.845 for the retest. Cohen's Kappa values for the relevant questions were greater than 0.890 for almost all items. No differences were found when sex, age, and volunteers' recruitment origin were analysed. An inverse relationship was found between reliability and retest time interval. Conclusions: Due to the quick and easy implementation, confirmation of face, content and construct validity as well as high temporal reproducibility, this screening questionnaire may be a useful study tool for an initial approach to detection of food allergies in adults.
- Reaching 100 in the Countryside: Health Profile and Living Circumstances of Portuguese Centenarians from the Beira Interior RegionPublication . Afonso, Rosa Marina; Ribeiro, Oscar; Patto, Maria Da Assunção Vaz; Loureiro, Marli; Loureiro, Manuel; Castelo-Branco, Miguel; Patricio, Susana; Alvarinhas, Sara; Tomaz, Tatiana; Rocha, Clara; Jerónimo, Ana Margarida; Gouveia, Fatima; Amaral, Ana PaulaThe interest in studying a specific population of centenarians who lives in the country’s interior region (PT100-BI) emerged during the first Portuguese systematic study about centenarians (PT100 Oporto Centenarian Study). This region of Portugal is predominantly rural and is one of the regions with the largest number of aged people. The aim of this study is to provide information on the centenarians who live in the Beira Interior region, specifically in terms of their health status and the health services they use. A total of 101 centenarians (mean age: 101.1 years; SD = 1.5 years), 14 males and 87 females, were considered. Most centenarians lived in the community, and 47.6% lived in nursing homes. Nearly half (47.5%) presented cognitive functioning without deficits. A noteworthy percentage presented conditioned mobility and sensory problems. The most common self-reported diseases include urinary incontinence (31.7%), high blood pressure (23.8%), and heart conditions (19.8%). Despite these health and functional characteristics, formal support services and technical assistance were found to be scarcely used. Further research is needed to understand how the role of contextual variables and the countryside environment contribute to the centenarians’ adaptation to advanced longevity.
- Sexual expression involving people with dementia living in long‐term care facilities: staff's reactionsPublication . Fonseca, Maria Isabel; Almeida, Daniela; Martins, Ana Paula; Cerqueira, Margarida; Villar, Feliciano; Oliveira, José Martinez de; Afonso, Rosa MarinaThis study aims to explore and compare the reaction of long-term care staff towards situations of sexual intercourse in which one or both partners have dementia. Participants were 538 staff members at 28 Portuguese long-term care facilities. Data were collected using a printed questionnaire with seven vignettes with situations related to the sexuality of LTCF residents. In this study, three of these vignettes were analysed with situations in which residents were having relationships in their bedrooms: (1) one male resident and one female resident; (2) two residents with dementia; (3) two residents, one of them with dementia. For each of the vignettes, participants are asked what they think their ‘colleagues’ would do in each vignette, i.e. ‘What do you think most of your colleagues would do?’ The results revealed that when sexual relationships involved both partners living with dementia, the most selected reaction was ‘Comment on what happened with supervision or direction’, which may suggest that the situation was perceived as difficult or problematic. The most restrictive reactions were most often chosen when only one partner had dementia. This study suggests the need to improve and provide training, so that staff have knowledge and strategies that allow people living with dementia to preserve their sexual rights in long-term care facilities.