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- Association between calcium intake and body fat among pre-school Portuguese childrenPublication . Abreu, S.; Vale, S.; Pereira, M.; Santos, R.; Moreira, C.; Santos, P.; Soares-Miranda, L.; Mota, J.; Moreira, P.Obesity is the condition in which abnormally large body fat mass accumulates and causes a broad range of health problems. Some studies with children have reported an inverse asso ciation between dietary calcium intake and adiposity.
- Vitamin D intake and cardiometabolic: risk factors in adolescentsPublication . Moreira, Carla; Moreira, Pedro; Abreu, Sandra; Santos, Paula Clara; Moreira-Silva, Isabel; Póvoas, Susana; Mota, Jorge; Santos, RuteA growing body of research suggests that vitamin D might play an important role in overall health. No data exist on vitamin D intake for the Azorean adolescent population. The purpose of this study was to assess vitamin D intake and investigate a possible association between vitamin D intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in Azorean adolescents. A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted on 496 adolescents (288 girls) aged 15–18 years from the Azorean Islands, Portugal. Anthropometric measurements (waist circumference and height), blood pressure (systolic), and plasma biomarkers [fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TGs)] were measured to assess metabolic risk. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), TC-to-HDL-C ratio, and waist-to-height ratio were calculated. For each of these variables, a Z-score was computed by age and sex. A metabolic risk score was constructed by summing the Zscores of all individual risk factors. High risk was considered when the individual had ‡ 1 standard deviation(SD) of this score. Vitamin D intake was assessed with a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Participants were classified into quartiles of vitamin D intake. Logistic regression was used to determine odds ratios for high cardiometabolic risk scores after adjusting for total energy intake, pubertal stage, fat mass percentage, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Mean (SD) vitamin D intake was 5.8 (6.5) mg/day, and 9.1% of Azorean adolescents achieved the estimated average requirement of vitamin D (10 mg/day or 400 IU). Logistic regression showed that the odds ratio for a high cardiometabolic risk score was 3.35 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28–8.75] for adolescents in the lowest vitamin D intake quartile in comparison with those in the highest vitamin D intake quartile, even after adjustment for confounders. A lower level of vitamin D intake was associated with worse metabolic profile among Azorean adolescents.
- Prognostic factors for recovery in Portuguese patients with Bell’s palsyPublication . Ferreira, Margarida; Firmino-Machado, João; Marques, Elisa A.; Santos, Paula Clara; Simões, Ana Daniela; Duarte, José A.The main aim of this study was to identify the prognostic factors that contribute to complete recovery at 6 weeks and 6 months in patients with Bell’s palsy. Material and Methods: This is a prospective, longitudinal, and descriptive study that included 123 patients diagnosed with facial nerve palsy (FNP) at a hospital in Guimarães, Portugal. However, only 73 patients with Bell’s palsy (BP) were included in the assessment of recovery at 6 weeks and 6 months. We analyzed the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, including sex, age, paralyzed side, occupation, previous and associated symptoms, seasonal occurrence, familial facial palsy, patient perception, intervention options, and baseline grade according to the House-Brackmann facial grading system (HB-FGS). Of the 123 cases with FNP, 79 (64.2%) patients had BP. Age, sex, and baseline HB-FGS grades were significant predictors of complete recovery at 6 weeks. Patients with HB-FGS grade III or lower (6 weeks baseline) had significant recovery of function at 6 months. Baseline severity of BP, elderly patients, and male sex were early predictors of poor prognosis. Patients with mild and moderate dysfunction according to the HB-FGS achieved significant normal facial function at 6 months. Further prospective studies with longer observation periods and larger samples are needed to verify the results.
- Influence of physical activity in weight gain, blood glucose levels and blood pressure in pregmant womenPublication . Santos, Paula Clara; Leal, I.; Santos, R.; Vale, S.; Alves, O.; Moreira, C.; Marques, AI.; Soares-Miranda, L.; Mota, J.The purpose of our study was to understand the influence of physical activity (PA) in weight gain, blood glucose levels, blood pressure in pregnancy and parity. Cross-sectional evaluation analysis of 100 women, aged between17 to 42, from Santo Antonio General Hospital was done. PA was assessed using the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ). We found that levels of PA and total weight gain of pregnant women were not associated (p = 0.352), and there was no linear correlation between the total score for PA and blood glucose levels (p = 0.849 for fasting glucose levels and p = 0.438 for blood sugar levels after 50 g glucose). In addition PA and blood pressure values were also not correlated (p = 0.166 for systolic blood pressure; p = 0.233 for diastolic It was found a correlation between PA and parity (multiparous had higher levels of PA: p = 0.020). The statistical tests used were the Spearman’s ρ and chi-square (p<0.05). In this study we did not find associations among PA and the following variables: gain weight, blood glucose and blood pressure. Howev we saw that PA levels were higher in multiparous compared to primiparous.
- Reeducation of pelvic floor muscles in volleyball athletesPublication . Ferreira, Sílvia; Ferreira, Margarida; Carvalhais, Alice; Santos, Paula Clara; Rocha, Paula; Brochado, GabrielaTo verify the effectiveness of the pelvic floor muscles rehabilitation program (PFMRP) in female volleyball athletes, analyzing the amount and frequency of urinary leakage. Experimental study. The sample consisted of 32 female athletes from Famalicão Athletic Volleyball Club (Portugal). The athletes were selected by convenience and distributed randomly into two groups: experimental group (EG = 16 athletes) and the control group (CG = 16 athletes). The EG underwent PFMRP for three months. The PFMRP was the awareness and identification of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM), pre-timed PFM contraction prior to occasions of increased intra-abdominal pressure, and 30 daily contractions of MPP at home. The CG had only access to the pamphlet. The assessment instruments included the questionnaires, the Pad Test (amount of urinary leakage) and frequency record of urinary leakage (7-day diary) before and after PFMRP. The amount of urine leakage decreased in 45.5% of athletes under PFMRP intervention, and in 4.9% of athletes in CG, with statistical differences between the groups (p < 0.001). The reduction in the frequency of urinary leakage was 14.3% in EG, and 0.05% in CG, a statistically significant difference between the groups (p < 0.001). PFMRP in this study was effective to reduce stress urinary incontinence in female volleyball athletes. The program allowed significant improvement of symptoms of quantity and frequency of urinary leakage.
- Milk intake is inversely related to body mass index and body fat in girlsPublication . Abreu, Sandra; Santos, R.; Moreira, C.; Santos, Paula Clara; Vale, Susana; Soares-Miranda, L.; Mota, J.; Moreira, P.Dairy foods comprise a range of products with varying nutritional content. The intake of dairy products (DPs) has been shown to have beneficial effects on body weight and body fat. This study aimed to examine the independent association between DP intake, body mass index (BMI), and percentage body fat (%BF) in adolescents. A cross-sectional, school-based study was conducted with 1,001 adolescents (418 boys), ages 15–18 years, from the Azorean Archipelago, Portugal. Anthropometric measurements were recorded (weight and height), and %BF was assessed using bioelectric impedance analysis. Adolescent food intake was measured using a self-administered, semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Data were analyzed separately for girls and boys, and separate multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate the association between total DP, milk, yogurt, and cheese intake, BMI, and %BF, adjusting for potential confounders. For boys and girls, respectively, total DP consumption was 2.6 ± 1.9 and 2.9 ± 2.5 servings/day (P = 0.004), while milk consumption was 1.7 ± 1.4 and 2.0 ± 1.7 servings/day (P = 0.001), yogurt consumption was 0.5 ± 0.6 and 0.4 ± 0.7 servings/day (P = 0.247), and cheese consumption was 0.4 ± 0.6 and 0.5 ± 0.8 servings/day (P = 0.081). After adjusting for age, birth weight, energy intake, protein, total fat, sugar, dietary fiber, total calcium intake, low-energy reporters, parental education, pubertal stage, and physical activity, only milk intake was negatively associated with BMI and %BF in girls (respectively, girls: β = −0.167, P = 0.013; boys: β = −0.019, P = 0.824 and girls: β = −0.143, P = 0.030; boys: β = −0.051, P = 0.548). Conclusion: We found an inverse association between milk intake and both BMI and %BF only in girls.
- Adiposity indicators and cardiovascular risk factors in Azorean adolescentsPublication . Moreira, C.; Santos, R.; Vale, S.; Santos, Paula Clara; Marques, A.; Abreu, S.; Soares-Miranda, L.; Mota, J.This study was conducted to evaluate the association of adiposity indicators (body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio) with cardiovascular risk factors in lean andobese Azorean adolescents.
- Urinary incontinence in pregnancy and postpartumPublication . Santos, Paula Clara; Ferreira, M.; Santos, R.; Vale, S.; Marques, A.; Abreu, S.; Mota, J.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) before pregnancy, during pregnancy and following childbirth, and also to analyze the impact of a health education campaign about SUI prevention following childbirth.
- Relationship between the use of new technologies and musculoskeletal symptoms in children and adolescentsPublication . Santos, Paula Clara; Lopes, Sofia; Oliveira, Rosa; Santos, Helena; Mota, Jorge; Mesquita, CristinaChildhood and adolescence are determinants of musculoskeletal development, and the attitudes and habits adopted during these periods can have repercussions in adult life. The increasing use of technologies is becoming more worrying due to the sustained and prolonged postures due to the use of these devices and the consequent impact on musculoskeletal health.
- Effect of exercise on quality of sleep in patients with ankylosing spondylitisPublication . Lopes, Sofia; Mesquita, Cristina; Santos, Paula ClaraAnkylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease, associated with limited mobility of the spine, sleep disturbance, and fatigue. The exercise aims are to preserve mobility and decrease sleep disorders.