The development and psychometric evaluation of a self-efficacy scale for practicing pelvic floor exercises / Construcao e avaliacao psicometrica da escala de autoeficacia para pratica de exercicios do assoalho pelvico

BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy has been shown to be a predictor of many health-related behaviors, including the practice of pelvic floor exercises with a focus on prevention or cure. OBJECTIVES: To describe the process of construction and the psychometric properties of the scale of self-efficacy for the practice of pelvic floor exercises (EAPEAP). METHOD: A cross-sectional study of validation was carried out with 81 from community and 96 postpartum women, 54.8% of them complained of urinary leakage. An exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency analysis was performed. To check predictive capacity, we analyzed the adherence at 3 months post - intervention and compared the scores of self-efficacy between adherent and non-adherent women. Reliability was analyzed by split half procedure. RESULTS: The instrument showed α=0.923, and revealed three factors: performance expectation considering the action, performance expectation considering the preparation for action and outcome expectations. These factors accounted for 65.32% of the total variance. The instrument was able to differentiate between women who adhere and have not adhered to the exercises (U=352, p=0.013) and there was strong correlation between the two halves of the instrument (rho=0.889, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The scale is a valid and reliable tool to measure self-efficacy to practice pelvic floor exercises. .

CONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: A autoeficácia tem se mostrado preditora de muitos comportamentos relacionados à saúde, dentre eles, a prática de exercícios do assoalho pélvico (AP) com foco na prevenção ou cura. OBJETIVO: Descrever o processo de construção e as propriedades psicométricas da Escala de Autoeficácia para Prática de Exercícios do Assoalho Pélvico (EAPEAP). MÉTODO: Estudo transversal de validação com 81 mulheres da comunidade e 96 puérperas, sendo que 54,8% queixavam-se de perdas urinárias. Procedeu-se com análise fatorial exploratória e análise de consistência interna. Para verificar capacidade preditiva, analisou-se a aderência em três meses pós- intervenção e comparou-se o escore de autoeficácia entre mulheres aderentes e não aderentes. A fidedignidade foi avaliada pela técnica das metades partidas. RESULTADOS: O instrumento obteve α=0,923 e revelou três fatores: expectativa de performance considerando a ação, expectativa de performance considerando a preparação para a ação e expectativa de resultado. Tais fatores foram responsáveis por 65,32% da variância total. O instrumento foi capaz de diferenciar as mulheres que aderiram daquelas que não aderiram aos exercícios (U=352, p=0,013), e houve correlação forte entre as duas metades do instrumento (rho=0,889, p<0,001). CONCLUSÃO: A escala é válida e confiável para mensurar autoeficácia para prática de exercícios do assoalho pélvico. .

Força dos músculos do assoalho pélvico e função sexual em gestantes / Strength of pelvic floor muscles and sexual function during pregnancy

Contextualização: O bem-estar sexual depende de músculos do assoalho pélvico (MAP) fortes o suficiente para manter a sua função. Durante a gestação, tanto a função sexual como a força dos MAP podem modificar-se. OBJETIVOS: Comparar o grau de força dos MAP e a função sexual em gestantes do segundo e terceiro trimestres. MÉTODOS: Pesquisa descritiva causal comparativa realizada com 37 gestantes de Florianópolis (18 do segundo e 19 do terceiro trimestre), com média de idade de 25,22 anos (±5,7 anos). Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Questionário Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) e o Teste Manual da Musculatura do Assoalho Pélvico, utilizando a escala de Oxford modificada para graduação da força. Os dados foram analisados por meio de estatística descritiva e inferencial (teste t independente, teste U de Mann Whitney, correlação de Spearman), nível de significância de 0,05. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença significativa entre a média dos valores dos postos do grau de contração dos MAP de gestantes do segundo e do terceiro trimestre (U=150,5; p=0,512). Todavia, a função sexual das gestantes do segundo trimestre de gestação foi melhor que as do terceiro (U=104; p=0,042), e o grau de contração dos MAP apresentou correlações estatisticamente significativas com a idade (ρ=0,320, p=0,041) e com o escore do FSFI (ρ=0,540, p<0,001). CONCLUSÕES: A função sexual diminuiu significativamente do segundo para o terceiro trimestre, enquanto que a força dos MAP não apresentou diferença entre os trimestres.

Background: Sexual well-being depends on pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) that are strong enough to maintain their function. During pregnancy, both the sexual function and the strength of the PFMs may be altered. OBJECTIVES: to compare the degree of PFM strength and the sexual function of pregnant women in the second and the third trimesters. METHODS: a descriptive, causal-comparative study was carried out with 37 pregnant women in Florianópolis (18 in the second trimester and 19 in the third trimester) with a mean age of 25.22 years (±5.7 years). The instruments used were the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) Questionnaire and the Manual Test of Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength, using the modified Oxford scale to grade strength. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (independent t test, the Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman's correlation) with a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the mean rank values of PFM strength of pregnant women in the second and third trimester (U=150.5; p=0.512). However, the sexual function of the pregnant women in the second trimester of pregnancy was better than that of the women in the third trimester (U=104; p=0.042). In addition, PFM strength had statistically significant correlations with age (ρ=0.320, p=0.041) and with FSFI score (ρ=0.540, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sexual function decreased significantly from the second to the third trimester while PFM strength did not differ between trimesters.

Whole blood assay to access T cell-immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in healthy Brazilian individuals

The production of interferon gamma (IFNgamma) guarantees effective T cell-mediated immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. In the present study, we simply compare the in vitro immune responses to Mycobacterium antigens in terms of IFNg production in a total of 10 healthy Brazilian volunteers. Whole blood and mononuclear cells were cultivated in parallel with PPD, Ag85B, and M. bovis hsp65, and five-days supernatants were harvested for cytokine detection by ELISA. The inter-assay result was that the overall profile of agreement in response to antigens was highly correlated (r² = 0.9266; p = 0.0102). Potential analysis is in current progress to dictate the usefulness of this method to access the immune responses also in tuberculosis patients and its contacts.