Have immigrant children been left behind in COVID-19 testing rates? - A quantitative study in the Lisbon metropolitan area between march 2020 and may 2023.

Immigrant children often encounter additional barriers in accessing health care than their peers. However, there is a lack of evidence globally regarding how migrant status may have affected access to COVID-19 testing during the pandemic. This study aimed to analyze migrant status as a determinant of COVID-19 testing rates among children in the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal. This cross-sequential study included 722 children aged 2-8 years (47% non-immigrants; 53% immigrants). We collected data from a national surveillance system on laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 tests conducted between March 2020 and May 2023 and assessed whether children were ever tested for COVID-19 and testing frequency. We employed robust and standard Poisson regression models to estimate Adjusted Prevalence Ratios and Relative Risks with 95% confidence intervals. A total of 637 tests were performed. Immigrant children had lower testing rates (53% vs. 48%) and fewer tests per child (median: 2 vs. 3). Moreover, they were 17% less likely to be ever tested (PR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.76-0.89) and performed 26% fewer tests (RR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.67-0.82) compared to non-immigrant children. Caregiver's age, education, employment status, child's birth weight, and perceived health status were associated factors. Our findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has left immigrant children somewhat behind. We conclude that specific interventions targeting vulnerable populations, such as immigrant children, are needed in future health crises.

If I told you that there is no need for yellow fever vaccine booster would you still come to the travel clinic?: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Yellow Fever (YF) immunization required a single dose vaccine with boosters every 10 years. After International Health Regulation (IHR) amendment annex 7 (July 2016), it was accepted that a single dose confers lifelong immunity. Since pre-travel advice is as important as vaccination when traveling, it is essential to clarify why travelers come to a travel health consultation, with the possibility of IHR amendment having a negative impact on travelers' health. This study aims to describe travelers' reasons to come to a pre-travel consultation in Lisbon and if they would return if they wouldn't need the YF vaccine booster. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted during 5 months in the waiting room of Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical travel clinic in Lisbon, Portugal. Travelers were asked about sociodemographic characteristics, destination country, travel duration and reasons to travel in an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 1043 travelers agreed to participate in the study. Although 61.0% (627/1028) did not come to the clinic to get the YF vaccine, from those who did, 36.7% (133/362) would not come and 12.9% (47/362) didn't knew if they would come if the vaccine would not be necessary. CONCLUSION: The IHR amendment may have a negative impact on travel clinic attendance and on travelers´ health.

Voice Care from the Student Teachers' Perspective.

OBJECTIVE: Voice is an essential working tool in the teaching profession and thus needs to be acknowledged and cared for by student teachers. This study aimed to investigate the presence of vocal symptoms among fourth-year students of teacher education programs and whether students had received voice care advice during their education. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 70 students in their final year of 9 teacher education programs at Regional Jataí of Universidade Federal de Goiás, Midwestern Brazil, from January to April 2017. Participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic, academic, and work-related characteristics, and were asked to answer an open-ended question on whether they had received any voice care advice during their education (and what type of advice if any). The Screening Index for Voice Disorder was then administered to all participants for self-reported vocal symptoms. RESULTS: Of 70 students included in the study, 81.4% were women with a mean age of 30 years. Overall, 62.9% were employed: 47.7% in the field of education and 52.3% in other activities. As for vocal symptoms, 35.7% reported ≥ 5 symptoms, including strained speech (51.4%), dry throat (50.0%), dry cough (48.6%), hoarseness (37.1%), and phlegm (35.7%). Most students (87.14%) did not receive voice care advice during their education. Among those who received advice (12.86%), voice care was limited to lay advice, such as drinking plenty of water, speaking in a lower voice, avoiding straining the voice by shouting, avoiding cold beverages, and drinking ginger tea. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the need for the introduction of voice training during teacher education in order to promote efficient voice production and prevent occupational voice disorders among future teachers by raising awareness of the importance of voice care and the risk factors that may affect the voice directly or indirectly.

Voz do professor: fatores predisponentes para o bem-estar vocal / Voz del profesor: los factores predisponentes del bienestar vocal

Introdução: Muitos estudos, no campo da Fonoaudiologia, têm se preocupado em estudar a voz dos professores, a fim de pensar ações de promoção de saúde e/ou prevenção de alterações vocais. Objetivo:levantar o conhecimento dos professores acerca dos fatores predisponentes para o bem-estar vocal, além de verificar o uso de práticas que favorecem o bem-estar vocal, segundo o tempo de docência.Material e Método: A amostra deste estudo, de tipo transversal, foi constituída por 242 professores da rede pública do município de Jataí-GO, que antes de uma oficina educativa assistiram ao vídeo ?O que é bom para o dono é bom para a voz? e preencheram um instrumento com seis questões relacionadas ao bem-estar vocal, hábitos e exercícios vocais. Foram consideradas as respostas de duas questões (informações novas e hábitos praticados) tabuladas e analisadas (qui-quadrado), quanto ao tempo de docência. Resultados: Foram consideradas informações novas e não realizadas pelos professores as que faziam referência a exercícios de aquecimento e desaquecimento vocal; entre os de conhecimentoe praticado pelos professores destacaram-se hábitos que interferem na voz (falar alto, falar muito, tossir). Não foi registrada diferença na associação entre o tempo de profissão e a maioria dos aspectos(exceção a prática de ?bocejar?) Conclusão: As respostas indicaram que mesmo tendo conhecimento de fatores prejudiciais ao bem-estar vocal, os mesmos permanecem fazendo parte da rotina e da prática dos professores, fato que alerta o fonoaudiólogo na condução de suas ações junto a esse profissional...

Introduction: In the fi eld of Speech-Language Pathology, many studies have been focusing on the voice of teachers, in order to propose actions in health promotion and/or prevention of voice disorders. Aim: Raise teachers? knowledge about risk factors for the vocal well-being, and check the use of practices that favor the vocal well-being, according to the number of years of teaching. Material and Method: The sample of this cross-sectional study was composed by 242 teachers of the public school system of the city of Jataí-GO, who, before an educational workshop watched a specific video about teachers? voice, and filled out an instrument composed of six questions about vocal health, habits and vocal exercises.The answers to two questions (new information and habits) were considered and analyzed (chi-squaretest), according to years of teaching. Results: The considered data regarded new information not putinto practice by the teachers, the information that concerned vocal warm-up and cool-down. Among theinformation known and practiced by the teachers deleterious habits to the voice that were used (speckingloudly, speaking excessively, coughing) were highlighted. There was no difference in the association ofyears of teaching and most aspects (with exception of ?yawning?). Conclusion: The answers indicated thateven knowing about deleterious factors to vocal well-being, these continue to be a part of the teachers?routine and habits. This fact should alert Speech-Language Pathologists in conducting their practiceswith this professional category...

Introducción: Muchos estudios en el campo de la Logopedia, se han ocupado de estudiar la voz de los docentes, con el fi n de refl ejar las acciones de promoción de la salud y/ o prevención de trastornosde la voz. Objetivo: investigar el conocimiento de los profesores acerca de los factores predisponentes para el bienestar vocal, y verificar el uso de prácticas que favorezcan el bienestar vocal, en función del tiempo de docencia. Material y Método: La muestra para este estudio transversal se componía por 242 maestros de escuela pública en el municipio de Jataí-GO. Antes de un taller educativo asistieron el video ?O que é bom para o dono é bom para a voz? y respondieron un cuestionario con seis temas de la salud vocal, hábitos y ejercicios vocales. Se consideró dos preguntas (nuevas informaciones y los hábitos de práctica) y estos fueron tabulados e analizados (qui-quadrado), cuanto el tiempo de la enseñanza. Resultados: Se consideró que las nuevas informaciones y las no practicadas por los maestros que hacían referencia a los ejercicios de calentamiento y enfriamiento vocal; los aspectos conocidos e practicadospor los profesionales fueron los hábitos que interfi eren en la voz (hablar fuerte y en exceso, mucho. No hubo diferencias en la asociación del tiempo de la profesión y la mayoría de los aspectos (excepto en la práctica del ?bostezo?). Conclusión: Las respuestas indicaron que aún con conocimiento de los factores perjudiciales para el bienestar vocal, siguen siendo parte de la rutina e de la práctica de estos profesionales, esto alerta el logopedista para pensar las acciones con estos profesionales...

Voz do professor: fatores predisponentes para o bem-estar vocal / Voz del profesor: los factores predisponentes del bienestar vocal

Introdução: Muitos estudos, no campo da Fonoaudiologia, têm se preocupado em estudar a voz dos professores, a fim de pensar ações de promoção de saúde e/ou prevenção de alterações vocais. Objetivo:levantar o conhecimento dos professores acerca dos fatores predisponentes para o bem-estar vocal, além de verificar o uso de práticas que favorecem o bem-estar vocal, segundo o tempo de docência.Material e Método: A amostra deste estudo, de tipo transversal, foi constituída por 242 professores da rede pública do município de Jataí-GO, que antes de uma oficina educativa assistiram ao vídeo ?O que é bom para o dono é bom para a voz? e preencheram um instrumento com seis questões relacionadas ao bem-estar vocal, hábitos e exercícios vocais. Foram consideradas as respostas de duas questões (informações novas e hábitos praticados) tabuladas e analisadas (qui-quadrado), quanto ao tempo de docência. Resultados: Foram consideradas informações novas e não realizadas pelos professores as que faziam referência a exercícios de aquecimento e desaquecimento vocal; entre os de conhecimentoe praticado pelos professores destacaram-se hábitos que interferem na voz (falar alto, falar muito, tossir). Não foi registrada diferença na associação entre o tempo de profissão e a maioria dos aspectos(exceção a prática de ?bocejar?) Conclusão: As respostas indicaram que mesmo tendo conhecimento de fatores prejudiciais ao bem-estar vocal, os mesmos permanecem fazendo parte da rotina e da prática dos professores, fato que alerta o fonoaudiólogo na condução de suas ações junto a esse profissional.(AU)

Introduction: In the fi eld of Speech-Language Pathology, many studies have been focusing on the voice of teachers, in order to propose actions in health promotion and/or prevention of voice disorders. Aim: Raise teachers? knowledge about risk factors for the vocal well-being, and check the use of practices that favor the vocal well-being, according to the number of years of teaching. Material and Method: The sample of this cross-sectional study was composed by 242 teachers of the public school system of the city of Jataí-GO, who, before an educational workshop watched a specific video about teachers? voice, and filled out an instrument composed of six questions about vocal health, habits and vocal exercises.The answers to two questions (new information and habits) were considered and analyzed (chi-squaretest), according to years of teaching. Results: The considered data regarded new information not putinto practice by the teachers, the information that concerned vocal warm-up and cool-down. Among theinformation known and practiced by the teachers deleterious habits to the voice that were used (speckingloudly, speaking excessively, coughing) were highlighted. There was no difference in the association ofyears of teaching and most aspects (with exception of ?yawning?). Conclusion: The answers indicated thateven knowing about deleterious factors to vocal well-being, these continue to be a part of the teachers?routine and habits. This fact should alert Speech-Language Pathologists in conducting their practiceswith this professional category(AU)

Introducción: Muchos estudios en el campo de la Logopedia, se han ocupado de estudiar la voz de los docentes, con el fi n de refl ejar las acciones de promoción de la salud y/ o prevención de trastornosde la voz. Objetivo: investigar el conocimiento de los profesores acerca de los factores predisponentes para el bienestar vocal, y verificar el uso de prácticas que favorezcan el bienestar vocal, en función del tiempo de docencia. Material y Método: La muestra para este estudio transversal se componía por 242 maestros de escuela pública en el municipio de Jataí-GO. Antes de un taller educativo asistieron el video ?O que é bom para o dono é bom para a voz? y respondieron un cuestionario con seis temas de la salud vocal, hábitos y ejercicios vocales. Se consideró dos preguntas (nuevas informaciones y los hábitos de práctica) y estos fueron tabulados e analizados (qui-quadrado), cuanto el tiempo de la enseñanza. Resultados: Se consideró que las nuevas informaciones y las no practicadas por los maestros que hacían referencia a los ejercicios de calentamiento y enfriamiento vocal; los aspectos conocidos e practicadospor los profesionales fueron los hábitos que interfi eren en la voz (hablar fuerte y en exceso, mucho. No hubo diferencias en la asociación del tiempo de la profesión y la mayoría de los aspectos (excepto en la práctica del ?bostezo?). Conclusión: Las respuestas indicaron que aún con conocimiento de los factores perjudiciales para el bienestar vocal, siguen siendo parte de la rutina e de la práctica de estos profesionales, esto alerta el logopedista para pensar las acciones con estos profesionales.(AU)