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- Foreign language skills: a challenge for the economyPublication . Delplancq, Véronique; Costa, Ana Maria; Oliveira, Ana Maria; Amante, Susana; Oliveira, Isabel; Abrantes, José Luís; Pato, Maria Lúcia; Amaral, Odete; Fidalgo, SusanaAwareness of the fact that multilingualism opens doors to new markets and new business opportunities is not an original phenomenon, but the various works produced with a view to its being acknowledged are still little publicized and granted little practical use also. Showing mastery of communicative skills in several foreign languages is always valuable for the market economy, not only in terms of sales and marketing, but also in order to reach new target groups and establish lasting strategic relationships. The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of the studies carried out in this context, focusing in particular on aspects such as the increasingly obvious relationship between in force language practices of a diversified nature and the proper functioning of businesses. Equally important is the mastery of language skills, seen as an important driving force of cross-border cooperation, as well as the development of an emotional culture within the business world, propitious to the implementation of efficient language management strategies, which are clearly beneficial inasmuch as the market economy is concerned.
- The influence of population aging in public healthPublication . Veiga, Nélio; Couto, Patrícia; Fernandes, Adélia; Oliveira, Alexia; Gomes, Daniela; Santos, Daniela; Amaral, Odete; Pereira, Carlos; Pereira, Pedro; Coelho, InêsIntroduction Population aging is one of the greatest challenges in contemporary public health. Thus, one of the consequences of this dynamic is a greater demand for health services. The aim of the present research consists in explaining the main topics that justify the fact that the increase of population-aging worldwide influences public health strategies applied. Materials and methods To carry out this review article the search strategies included electronic databases, such as PubMed, Cochrane Library and Science Direct, reference lists of articles, and selected textbooks. Articles and textbooks used in this study were mainly reached by using the following keywords: “Public health”; “Population-ageing “; “Global Aging”; “Elderly” and “Health”. Selection criteria included articles published from 1985 to the present year of 2018. At the end of the search, 11 scientific articles were selected. Results and Discussion The physical / biological, psychological and social changes associated with the elderly leads to decrease of health, withdrawal from the labor market and several unfavorable situations, which cannot be controlled. In this context, the elderly seek to find support in the family, neighborhood, friends and institutions that will influence their quality of life. Therefore, the path of Public Health has three essential points: first, health promotion and primary prevention, which requires a lot of health education to develop healthy living habits and improve understanding of the aging process; secondly, appropriate health treatments, including professionals trained in Geriatrics and Gerontology, aiming at early diagnosis and interdisciplinary administration of diseases, seeking to preserve functional capacity; and finally, the rehabilitation of the functions committed, aiming at functional independence and mental autonomy, in any type of incapacity or limitation. Conclusions Aging is a challenge to be integrated by Public Health and the vulnerability inherent in the elderly should never be seen in a unique way. Thus, we believe in the importance of different forms of support, not only in terms of assistance, clinical treatment and rehabilitation, but also in the implementation of public policies and disease prevention actions, as well as health promotion of the population of integral form.
- Perfil sociodemográfico e prevalência do Helicobacter Pylori em adultos portuguesesPublication . Amaral, Odete; Fernandes, Isabel; Pereira, Carlos; Veiga, Nélio; Nelas, Paula; Chaves, Claudia; Coutinho, EmíliaSociodemographic profile and the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in Portuguese adults Introduction: within the last decades, great importance has been given to the bacterium Helicobacter Pylori. The Helicobacter pylori infection is a public health problem and is recognized as one of the most common chronic infections, estimating that about half of the world’s population is infected with it. This bacterium, located in the gastric mucosa, is related to some pathologies: gastritis, gastric carcinoma, peptic ulcer. Methods: We carried out an observational cross-sectional study with a community sample of adults from the municipalities of Viseu and Satão. The final sample consisted of 166 adults, aged between 19 and 92 years (mean of 46.96 ± 3.17 years), and the majority female (56.6%). Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire with questions regarding sociodemographic aspects, the family household and daily habits and lifestyles. The H. pylori infection was identified using the urea breath test. The test was performed in the morning after at least 6 hours of fasting. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical program SPSS 23.0. The prevalences were expressed in proportions and compared by the chi-square test with a level of significance of 0.05. Associations were calculated using the Odds Ratio (OR), with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: The prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori was 48.8% (50.0% in females and 47.2% in males). We found higher percentages in the female gender, for ages ≤ 50 years, married, with an education level inferior to 12th grade, with a greater number of siblings, and for those who were employed. Nonetheless, the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Almost half of the sample was infected by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria. We found no association between the presence of Helicobacter pylori and gender; age; marital status; schooling, body mass index, professional situation, number of household members and the number of rooms.
- EditorialPublication . Delplancq, Véronique; Costa Lopes, Ana Maria; Amante, Susana; Oliveira, Isabel; Abrantes, José Luís; Pato, Lúcia; Amaral, Odete; Relvas, Susana; Fidalgo, Susana
- Educação para a saúde na escolaPublication . Ferreira, Manuela; Amaral, Odete; Campos, Sofia; Cardoso, Ana PaulaAo longo do ciclo de vida, crianças e adolescentes passam grande parte do seu tempo na escola, reconhecendo-se, atualmente, que este espaço e tempo contém potencial educativo para além da sua missão suprema, expressa na definição da Lei de Bases do Sistema Educativo, em termos de “garantia de uma permanente ação formativa orientada para favorecer o desenvolvimento global da personalidade, o progresso social e a democratização da sociedade” (Portugal, Lei nº 49/2005). Assim, a escola deve ter um papel primordial e dinâmico na educação das crianças e jovens nas várias dimensões preparando-as para a vida em sociedade. A Comissão Nacional da UNESCO (Portugal, Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, Comissão Nacional da UNESCO, n.d.) também desenvolve a sua atividade para alcançar a Educação para Todos, promovendo a saúde de cada indivíduo dentro da comunidade escolar, considerando que a educação para a saúde visa a criação de ambientes de aprendizagem saudáveis e inclusiva para todos os membros da comunidade escolar.
- Quality of life, sleepiness and depressive symptoms in adolescents with insomnia: A cross-sectional studyPublication . Amaral, Odete; de Almeida Garrido, António José; de Figueiredo Pereira, Carlos; Veiga, Nélio; de Rosário Delgado Nunes, Carla; Sakellarides, Constantino TheodorTo determine the prevalence of insomnia in a sample of Portuguese adolescents and assess its repercussions on HRQoL, daytime sleepiness and depressive symptomatology.
- Eating Habits and Food Literacy: Study Involving a Sample of Portuguese AdolescentsPublication . Ferreira, Manuela; Guiné, Raquel; Leitão, A. L.; Duarte, João; Andrade, J.; Amaral, OdeteAdolescents tend to neglect food and their eating pattern is influenced by several factors. Adolescents’ health literacy substantiates their ability to respond to the growing demands of health, being linked to health promotion in several areas, including food. The goal of this work was to analyze the relationship between sociodemographic and contextual variables with secondary school students’ food literacy. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study was carried out with a sample of 181 nonprobabilistic secondary school students, aged between 16 and 21 years (mean = 18.09 years ± 1.45), mostly female (58.0%), from 11th grade (35.4%), who are part of a secondary school in central Portugal. As a tool for data collection, the questionnaire of the project “Your PEL – Promote and Empower for Health Literacy in the young population” was used, aggregating three areas: eating behaviors, harmful consumptions and sexuality. The results showed that 58.6% of young people eat 4–5 meals a day, consume fast food weekly (79%) and eat soup (82.3%). Additionally, they eat fruit and vegetables on a daily basis (94.5 and 83.4%, respectively). The results further showed that 10th grade students have higher levels of health and food literacy. It was observed that both girls and boys are interested in receiving information regarding food, transmitted through social networks and by a communication application (84.5 and 73.5%, respectively), with significant differences (χ2 = 4.768; p = 0.028). Adolescents face unique health challenges and a critical level of health literacy compromises their understanding of information about diet and future health. The results indicate that educational plans to empower adolescents in these areas, which integrate gender and age differences and sources of information as important variables to be considered, are pivotal for increasing levels of health and food literacy.
- Health Literacy And Pregnancy SurveillancePublication . Ferreira, Manuela; Neto, Silvia; Amaral, Odete; Duarte, JoãoHealth literacy is a determinant of health and quality of life. During pregnancy, one can identify symptoms that may affect the evolution of the pregnancy. The objectives of the study were to determine the level of literacy in the health of pregnant women, and identify the sociodemographic, obstetric and prenatal care variables associated with the level of literacy in the health of pregnant women. The methods involved a a cross-sectional study, using a quantitative, descriptive and correlational approach with nonprobabilistic sample, intended for convenience (n = 404 pregnant women) with a mean age of 32 years. The collection of data was carried out by applying a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic questions, obstetrical questions and the HLS-EU-EN-scale (National School of Public Health, 2014). Using the HLS-EU-EN scale, 36.9% of pregnant women presented a problematic level of health literacy. However, a sufficient level of literacy about care was shown in 40.1% of the women, about prevention of diseases in 39.9% and about health promotion in 38.4%. The health literacy during pregnancy is influenced by nationality (p = 0.048), place of residence (p = 0.000), educational level (p = 0.000), family income (p = 0.000), internet within the household (p = 0.000), planning and desire of pregnancy (p <0.05) preparation course for childbirth/parenting (p = 0.000), prenatal care (p = 0.000) and early prenatal care before 12 weeks (p = 0.000). We obtained a problematic level of Literacy in Health that was associated with several sociodemographic and obstetric variables. This improved the result in pregnancy, which is essential for healthy motherhood and includes the development of skills and knowledge so that the pregnant woman has decision-making power and autonomy to make free and informed decisions.
- Living Conditions and Helicobacter pylori in AdultsPublication . Amaral, Odete; Fernandes, Isabel; Veiga, Nélio; Pereira, Carlos; Chaves, Claudia; Nelas, Paula; Silva, DanielInfection by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is transmissible and is considered a public health issue which affects people of all ages. The objective of this study was to identify factors (lifestyles, dietary factors, and hygiene conditions) related to the prevalence of H. pylori infection.
- The contribution of foreign languages in the development of enterprises: a review of literaturePublication . Delplancq, Véronique; Costa, Ana Maria; Oliveira, Ana Maria; Amante, Susana; Oliveira, Isabel; Abrantes, José Luís; Pato, Lúcia; Amaral, Odete; Fidalgo, SusanaForeign languages have been the subject of research due to their importance as a means of communication. In fact, the competitiveness of companies is, nowadays, influenced in part by the communication resulting from their contact with companies from different countries, which requires a thorough knowledge of the language of these countries. On the other hand, for the success and progression of workers, it is crucial they acquire and develop foreign language skills. In this context, there have been multiple efforts by the European Commission to promote language learning in Europe and worldwide. In fact, over the past few years, several studies have demonstrated the need of companies to value foreign language skills among workers and collaborators. Multilingualism becomes, therefore, increasingly fundamental to the growth of the economic power of companies, and the competence in foreign languages can be the key factor to enter the labour market. Thus, the present study aims to understand the importance of foreign languages in the development of enterprises and their workers. The research question underlying the review of literature is: “What is the perception of companies regarding the importance of foreign languages for their economic progression and for their workers? To answer this research question, a review of the literature was conducted taking into consideration documents, reports and other secondary sources. For the collection of scientific evidence, research was carried out in the following databases: Science Direct from Elsevier; PubMed; B-on; Google Scholar and in the RCAAP portal. We used as descriptors of our search the following terms: industry, foreign language, multilingualism, higher education, employment, enterprise, among others.