Effects of school violence and work context on teachers' health / Efeitos da violência escolar e do contexto de trabalho na saúde de docentes / Efectos de la violencia escolar y del contexto laboral en la salud de los profesores

The presented study aimed to understand how school violence and work context affect teachers' health. The study included 744 teachers of public schools. The instruments used for data collection were: Victimization Questionnaire, Work Context Assessment Scale, and Work-Related Harm Scale. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed. The results indicate that a high percentage of the participants considered the psychological and social harms as bearable. More than a third of the teachers evaluated physical harm more negatively. Gender and employment status were associated with physical harm. Physical aggression affected psychological harm. Verbal harassment and work organization were predictors of all types of harm. We concluded that models of work structuring, management practices, and being a victim of verbal harassment have a central role in teachers' health

O presente estudo visou compreender como a violência escolar e o contexto de trabalho repercutem sobre a saúde de professores. Participaram da pesquisa 744 docentes de escolas públicas. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Questionário de Vitimização, Escala de Avaliação do Contexto de Trabalho e Escala de Danos Relacionados ao Trabalho. Foram realizadas análises de regressão logística multinomial. Os resultados indicaram que um percentual alto de participantes considerou os danos psicológicos e sociais como suportáveis. Mais de um terço dos professores avaliaram os danos físicos de forma mais negativa. Gênero e vínculo empregatício se mostraram associados aos danos físicos. As agressões físicas incidiram sobre os danos psicológicos. Assédio verbal e organização do trabalho foram preditores de todos os tipos de danos. Conclui-se que os modelos de estruturação do trabalho, as práticas gerenciais e o assédio verbal desempenham um papel central para a saúde docente

La encuesta presentada tuvo como objetivo comprender cómo la violencia escolar y el contexto laboral impactan en la salud de los docentes. Participaron del estudio 744 docentes de escuelas públicas. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron: Cuestionario de Victimización, Escala de Evaluación del Contexto Laboral y Escala de Daños Relacionados con el Trabajo. Se realizaron análisis de regresión logística multinomial. Los resultados indicaron que un alto porcentaje de los participantes consideraba soportables los daños psicológicos y sociales. Más de un tercio de los docentes evaluó los daños físicos de manera más negativa. El género y la situación laboral se asociaron con los daños físicos. Las agresiones físicas afectaron a los daños psicológicos. El acoso verbal y la organización del trabajo fueron predictores de todos los daños. Se concluye que los modelos de estructuración del trabajo, prácticas gerenciales y acoso verbal juegan un papel central en la salud docente

Global longitudinal strain and echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular geometry and systolic function in healthy adult Angolans: Effect of age and gender.

INTRODUCTION: Studies on the normal echocardiographic reference values in Africans are limited. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to establish the normal left ventricular echocardiographic parameters for adult Angolans, stratified by gender and age. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed involving healthy adults attending a diagnostic center in Luanda, Angola. The two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography was performed according to the Guidelines of the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. RESULTS: A total of 103 men (47.5%) (mean age: 39.5 ± 10,8) and 114 women (52.5%) (mean age: 43.0 ± 12,5 years) were included. Compared to men, women were older (p = 0.025) and had a significantly smaller body surface area (BSA) (p < 0.001). Left ventricular wall thickness, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and volume (LVEDV), left ventricular mass (LVM) and LVM indexed to BSA (LVMi) were significantly lower in women (p < 0.005). LVEDD indexed to BSA and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were significantly higher in women than in men (p = 0.007), (p = 0.01), respectively. Mitral annular plane systolic excursion, LVEF by strain, and global longitudinal strain showed no gender differences. Posterior wall thickness showed a statistically significant increase in the older groups (p = 0.043). The VST, relative wall thickness, LVM, and LVMi showed no significant differences between age categories. In turn, the shortening fraction and the ejection fraction increase with age. CONCLUSION: For a more sensitive morphological and functional assessment of the left ventricle, it is necessary to take into account the gender and age of the individual.

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Angola.

Raised blood pressure (BP) is the biggest risk factor that contributes to the global burden of disease and mortality. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative aimed to improved awareness of BP and has been a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in May 2019. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension, and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. In total, 7112 individuals were screened (mean age 41.3 years; 50.4% female; 99.5% black) in 6 of the 18 Angolan provinces. In total, 99.6% of screenees provided three BP readings with an average BP of the 2nd and 3rd readings of 126/81 mmHg. After imputation, 2745 (38.6%) had hypertension of whom 1389 (59.8%) were aware of their diagnosis and 50.6% were on antihypertensive medication. Of those 1389 treated participants, 41.2% were controlled (<140/90 mmHg) and of all hypertensive individuals, 20.8% were controlled. Also, 1356 individuals had untreated hypertension and 817 were inadequately treated. Angolan MMM19 follows on from the MMM17 (n = 17481) and MMM18 (n = 14433) studies, which were the largest BP screening campaigns undertaken in Angola. The 2019 results showed a high percentage of hypertensive individuals and almost 2200 adults had either untreated or inadequately treated hypertension, demonstrating that there is work to do but also that the Angolan MMM is being effective at raising awareness at least among these individuals.

Values of left ventricular diastolic function assessed by left atrial volumes and Doppler echocardiography in healthy Angolans: Effect of age and gender: A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Studies about the reference values of conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography in African populations are limited. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of aging and gender in left ventricular diastolic function assessed by conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography in healthy Angolans. METHODS: Cross-sectional study involving healthy adult participants attending a diagnostic center in Luanda, Angola. Two-dimensional transthoracic B-mode and Doppler echocardiography were performed according to the Guidelines of the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. RESULTS: A total of 103 men (47.5%) (mean age: 39.5 ± 10.8) and 114 women (52.5%) (mean age: 43.0 ± 12.5 years) were included. Women were older (p = 0.025) and showed smaller body surface area (p < 0.001) than men. Mitral E velocity and E/e' ratio were higher in women than in men. While DT of mitral E velocity was longer in men than in women (p = 0.041), E velocity, E/A ratio, and average e' velocity showed a negative significant correlation with increasing age (r - 0.33; p ≤ 0.001; r - 0.48; p ≤ 0.001 and r - 0.41; p ≤ 0.0001, respectively). Conversely, A wave velocity showed a significant positive correlation with age (r 0.47; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In a healthy Angolan adult population, the variables of left ventricular diastolic function declined with age, reflecting a normal aging process. This must be taken into account when assessing diastolic function at different age categories.

May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Angola.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a growing burden worldwide with high prevalence in the world and with a huge impact on public health. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of high BP and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in May 2018. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. In Angola 14 433 individuals (mean age 38.6 years; 53.7% female; 99.9% black) in 6 of 18 provinces were screened. In total, 99.0% of screenees provided three BP readings with an average BP from 2nd and 3rd reading of 126/80 mmHg. After imputation, 4844 (33.6%) had hypertension of whom 54.2% were aware of their diagnosis and 46.3% were on antihypertensive medication. Of those medicated, 42.6% were controlled and of all hypertensive individuals, 19.7% were controlled. We screened 2603 individuals with untreated hypertension and 1285 with inadequately treated hypertension. Angolan MMM18 emerges as a continuation of the Angolan MMM17 study, the largest BP screening campaign undertaken in Angola, enabling us to compare the 2 years. This year's results also showed a high percentage of hypertensive individuals and almost 3900 adults with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension, demonstrating that there is still a long way to go but also that the Angolan MMM is being effective at raising awareness at least among these individuals.

May Measurement Month 2017: an analysis of blood pressure screening in Angola-Sub-Saharan Africa.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10 million deaths each year. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of high BP and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes worldwide. There is increasing prevalence of hypertension in developing countries leading to increased risk of adverse outcomes. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in May 2017. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. In Angola, 17 481 individuals were screened in six provinces with an average BP of 126/78 mmHg. After multiple imputation, 6022 (34.5%) had hypertension. Of individuals not receiving antihypertensive medication, 4080 (26.3%) were hypertensive. Of those receiving antihypertensive medication, 1159 (59.7%) had uncontrolled BP. MMM17 was the largest BP screening campaign undertaken in Angola. These results suggest that there is still a significant percentage of patients who are not medicated and possibly require medication, and more than half of the hypertensive patients do not have controlled BP demonstrating the need for a more targeted and comprehensive screening of BP and more effective treatment.

Impacto das perceções de empregabilidade num contexto de insegurança de emprego / Perceptions of employability impact on a job insecurity context

Há, no atual contexto europeu, uma profunda crise no mercado de trabalho com elevadas taxas de desemprego. A procura de Empregabilidade pode constituir para os trabalhadores uma alternativa à Segurança de Emprego. A Empregabilidade surge como um requisito fundamental, tanto para as organizações que precisam competir num ambiente em mudança, como para os indivíduos que ambicionam carreiras de sucesso. Portanto, este estudo investiga o impacto das perceções de Empregabilidade dos colaboradores nas suas Intenções de Saída da organização e avalia como as perceções de Empregabilidade podem ser relevantes em contextos de elevada Insegurança de Emprego. Participaram neste estudo 150 colaboradores de diferentes organizações na área da Grande Lisboa. Os resultados revelaram uma relação negativa entre Empregabilidade e Insegurança de Emprego e uma relação positiva entre Insegurança de Emprego e Intenções de Saída. Sendo assim, conclui-se que a promoção de uma cultura de Empregabilidade nas empresas não está diretamente relacionada com o aumento das Intenções de Saída dos seus colaboradores, mas pode antes atenuar alguns dos efeitos negativos da Insegurança de Emprego.(AU)

In the current European context of deep crisis in labor markets, with unemployment rates reaching very high values, Employability may be an alternative to Job Security for employees. Employability emerges as a fundamental requirement both for organizations that need to compete in a changing environment and individuals who aspire to succeed in their careers. This study aims to provide empirical evidence about the impact of Employability perceptions on staff Turnover Intentions and how perceptions of Employability may be relevant in times of high Job Insecurity. The results were based on a sample of 150 individuals, working in different organizations in the Lisbon area. Results indicated a negative relationship between Employability perceptions and Job Insecurity, and a positive relationship between Job Insecurity and Turnover Intentions. It is concluded that an organizational culture that promotes Employability perceptions does not have a direct impact on employee Turnover Intentions. However, it may mitigate some negative effects of Job Insecurity.(AU)

Impacto das perceções de empregabilidade num contexto de insegurança de emprego / Perceptions of employability impact on a job insecurity context

Há, no atual contexto europeu, uma profunda crise no mercado de trabalho com elevadas taxas de desemprego. A procura de Empregabilidade pode constituir para os trabalhadores uma alternativa à Segurança de Emprego. A Empregabilidade surge como um requisito fundamental, tanto para as organizações que precisam competir num ambiente em mudança, como para os indivíduos que ambicionam carreiras de sucesso. Portanto, este estudo investiga o impacto das perceções de Empregabilidade dos colaboradores nas suas Intenções de Saída da organização e avalia como as perceções de Empregabilidade podem ser relevantes em contextos de elevada Insegurança de Emprego. Participaram neste estudo 150 colaboradores de diferentes organizações na área da Grande Lisboa. Os resultados revelaram uma relação negativa entre Empregabilidade e Insegurança de Emprego e uma relação positiva entre Insegurança de Emprego e Intenções de Saída. Sendo assim, conclui-se que a promoção de uma cultura de Empregabilidade nas empresas não está diretamente relacionada com o aumento das Intenções de Saída dos seus colaboradores, mas pode antes atenuar alguns dos efeitos negativos da Insegurança de Emprego...

In the current European context of deep crisis in labor markets, with unemployment rates reaching very high values, Employability may be an alternative to Job Security for employees. Employability emerges as a fundamental requirement both for organizations that need to compete in a changing environment and individuals who aspire to succeed in their careers. This study aims to provide empirical evidence about the impact of Employability perceptions on staff Turnover Intentions and how perceptions of Employability may be relevant in times of high Job Insecurity. The results were based on a sample of 150 individuals, working in different organizations in the Lisbon area. Results indicated a negative relationship between Employability perceptions and Job Insecurity, and a positive relationship between Job Insecurity and Turnover Intentions. It is concluded that an organizational culture that promotes Employability perceptions does not have a direct impact on employee Turnover Intentions. However, it may mitigate some negative effects of Job Insecurity...

Acute myocardial infarction complication diagnosed by three-dimensional echocardiography.

Transthoracic echocardiography is the modality of choice for the bedside diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction mechanical complications. We report the case of a ventricular septal rupture occurring soon after inferior myocardial infarction, revascularized by primary angioplasty. This challenging diagnosis was elucidated by 3D-echocardiography as 2D-imaging was not conclusive. This case demonstrates the importance of 3D-echocardiography in a cardiac intensive care setting. It provided additional information to 2D-echocardiography by identifying and locating post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) septal rupture with implications for planning surgery.