Perfil da musculatura extensora lombar de trabalhadores rurais na atividade leiteira / Lumbar extensor muscle profile of rural milk production workers

Introdução: A atividade leiteira é um sistema de trabalho que envolve diversas tarefas, que vão desde o manejo com o gado, alimentação, ordenha, até o consumo do produto final. A dinamometria isométrica de extensão lombar tem sido descrita como um bom instrumento de avaliação e acompanhamento laboral, sobretudo de populações que exercem muita força para desempenhar suas atividades. Objetivo: Avaliar a força isométrica de extensão lombar de produtores rurais na atividade leiteira. Métodos: A amostra contou com 47 trabalhadores rurais que exercem atividade leiteira cadastrados na Empresa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural/Associação Sulina de Crédito e Assistência Rural do Rio Grande do Sul, que foram avaliados por meio de questionário sociodemográfico e testaram a força muscular de extensão lombar por meio de um sistema de dinamometria isométrica. Resultados: Participaram do estudo 20 homens com idade média de 50,45±9,44 anos e 27 mulheres com idade média de 46,15±7,56 anos. Quanto à força isométrica de extensão lombar, o grupo masculino alcançou 1169±289,96 N e o grupo feminino 571,34±190,36 N. Conclusão: Podemos concluir que o perfil da musculatura extensora lombar de trabalhadores rurais na atividade leiteira alcança valores superiores em indivíduos do gênero masculino, o que pode ser atribuído ao fato de homens apresentarem maiores níveis de massa corporal e consequentemente gerarem maior força

Background: Milk production is a work system that comprises several tasks from cattle handling, feeding and milking to product consumption. Isometric lumbar extension dynamometry is considered a satisfactory instrument for occupational evaluation and monitoring, especially for populations of workers whose activities demand high levels of strength. Objective: To investigate isometric lumbar extension strength among rural milk production workers. Methods: The sample comprised 47 rural milk production workers affiliated with the Technical Assistance and Rural Outreach Company/Southern Credit and Rural Assistance Company (Empresa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural/Associação Sulina de Crédito e Assistência Rural ­ EMATER/ASCAR), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The participants were analyzed based on a sociodemographic questionnaire and lumbar extensor muscle strength testing by means of an isometric dynamometry system. Results: Participants were 20 men with average age 50.45±9.44 years old and 27 women with average age 46.15±7.56 years old. The isometric lumbar extension strength was 1,169±289.96 N for the men and 571.34±190.36 N for the women. Conclusion: The lumbar extensor muscle profile of rural milk production workers was characterized by higher values for the men, which might be attributed to the fact that men exhibit higher body mass levels, and consequently produce greater force

Prognostic value of the six-minute walk test in end-stage renal disease life expectancy: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES: The six-minute walk test has been widely used to evaluate functional capacity and predict mortality in several populations. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the six-minute walk test for the life expectancy of end-stage renal disease patients. METHODS: Patients over 18 years old who underwent hemodialysis for at least six months were included. Patients with hemodynamic instability, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, physical incapacity and acute myocardial stroke in the preceding three months were excluded. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients (54% males; 36+11 years old) were followed for 144 months. The distance walked in the six-minute walk test was a survival predictor for end-stage renal disease patients. In the multivariate analysis, for each 100 meters walked with a 100-meter increment, the hazard ratio was 0.53, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.37-0.74. There was a positive correlation between the distance walked in the six-minute walk test and peak oxygen consumption (r = 0.508). In the multivariate analysis, each year of dialysis treatment represented a 10% increase in death probability; in the severity index analysis, each point on the scale represented an 11% increase in the death risk. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that survival increased approximately 5% for every 100 meters walked in the six-minute walk test, demonstrating that the test is a viable option for evaluating the functional capacity in patients with end-stage renal disease.