Moderating effect of OHS actions based on WHO recommendations to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in multinational companies.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the moderating effect of Occupational Health and Safety actions based on the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to mitigate the negative effect of COVID-19 on the operational, logistical, marketing (OLMP), and health and safety performance (OHSP) of workers in multinational industries. The development of surveys in companies was the method adopted, which had confirmatory evaluations through Structural Equations Modelling (SEM). As a result, it was confirmed that this is one of the few scientific studies that expectedly validates that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted operational, logistical, market, and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) performance. This is also one of the few research projects to assess the moderating effect of OHS practices based on WHO to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. According to our findings, those practices were able to reduce by at least 50% the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on operational, logistical, and marketing performance. However, they minimize by only 1.8% the negative effects of health and safety performance for the worker, generating absenteeism increasingly due to physical and mental problems. This number could be higher if the social distance could be provided in public transportation and if employees were more aware of the risks of COVID-19 contamination during their social activities.

Validation of the Brazilian Version of the Patient Activation Measure 13.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To assess the psychometric properties of the PAM13 Brazilian-Portuguese (PAM13-B) among outpatients with chronic diseases. METHODS: 513 adults participated, diagnosed with a chronic disease for more than 6 months, under outpatient monitoring. Reliability was tested using internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Construct validity was verified through different techniques (correlation between activation and self-esteem measures, anxiety, depression and health status), known-groups validity and dimensionality by means of confirmatory factor analysis. Significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The PAM13-B presented appropriate results for internal consistency (α = 0.83) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.81). A moderate correlation was found between activation and self-esteem only (r = 0.43, p < 0.001). The one-dimensional structure was not confirmed in the sample analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: In the study sample, the version PAM13-B demonstrated its reliability and validity, but with a two-factor structure.

Nursing practice environment, job outcomes and safety climate: a structural equation modelling analysis.

AIM: To assess correlations between the characteristics of the nursing practice environment, job outcomes and safety climate. BACKGROUND: The nursing practice environment is critical to the well-being of professionals and to patient safety, as highlighted by national and international studies; however, there is a lack of evidence regarding this theme in paediatric units. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, in two paediatric hospitals in Brazil, was conducted from December 2013 to February 2014. For data collection, we used the Nursing Work Index - Revised, Safety Attitudes Questionnaire - Short Form 2006 and the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and for analysis Spearman's correlation coefficient and structural equation modelling were used. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-seven professional nurses participated in the study. Autonomy, control over the work environment and the relationship between nursing and medical staff are factors associated with job outcomes and safety climate and can be considered their predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Professional nurses with greater autonomy, good working relationships and control over their work environment have lower levels of emotional exhaustion, higher job satisfaction, less intention of leaving the job and the safety climate is positive. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Initiatives to improve the professional practice environment can improve the safety of paediatric patients and the well-being of professional nurses.

Escala de concepçôes educativas morais (ECEM) / Scale of moral educational conceptions (SMEC)

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar o processo de construçâo e validaçâo da Escala de Concepçôes Educativas Morais (ECEM). A ECEM é um instrumento que investiga as concepçôes educativas de pais e mâes sobre os construtos obediência, respeito, justiça e autonomia, pensados na relaçâo com seus filhos. Participaram do estudo 860 pais e mâes representativos das cinco regiôes do Brasil. A análise de conteúdo descreveu e confirmou a construçâo dos itens e a referência aos seus construtos. A análise fatorial confirmatória sugeriu como aceitável a estrutura multifatorial confirmando os quatro construtos (GFI = 0.933, AGFI = 0.919 e RMSEA = 0.0702). A ECEM apresentou-se, portanto, como um instrumento de medida com características psicométricas adequadas. Em relaçâo aos instrumentos de medida de juízo e competência moral mais utilizados no Brasil, a ECEM apresenta a originalidade da possibilidade de investigaçâo das concepçôes morais dos participantes sobre os tipos de relaçôes sociais que se estabelecem no tocante aos construtos obediência, respeito, justiça e autonomia.

The purpose of this article is to present the process of construction and validation of the Scale of Moral Educational Conceptions (SMEC). The SMEC is an instrument that investigates the educational conceptions of parents in relation to the constructs of obedience, respect, justice and autonomy conceived in relation to their children. The study included 860 fathers and mothers representing the five regions of Brazil. The content analysis described and confirmed the construction of the items and the reference to the constructs. The confirmatory factor analysis suggested as acceptable to the multifactorial structure, confirming the four constructs (GFI = 0.933, AGFI = 0.919 and RMSEA = 0.0702). Therefore, the SMEC is a measuring instrument with adequate psychometric characteristics. In relation to the instruments of measurement of judgment and moral competence more used in Brazil, the SMEC presents the original possibility of investigating the moral conceptions of the participants in relation to the types of social relationships that are established with regard to the constructs of obedience, respect, justice and autonomy

Icodextrin reduces insulin resistance in non-diabetic patients undergoing automated peritoneal dialysis: results of a randomized controlled trial (STARCH).

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance is a common risk factor in chronic kidney disease patients contributing to the high cardiovascular burden, even in the absence of diabetes. Glucose-based peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions are thought to intensify insulin resistance due to the continuous glucose absorption from the peritoneal cavity. The aim of our study was to analyse the effect of the substitution of glucose for icodextrin on insulin resistance in non-diabetic PD patients in a multicentric randomized clinical trial. METHODS: This was a multicenter, open-label study with balanced randomization (1:1) and two parallel-groups. Inclusion criteria were non-diabetic adult patients on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) for at least 3 months on therapy prior to randomization. Patients assigned to the intervention group were treated with 2L of icodextrin 7.5%, and the control group with glucose 2.5% during the long dwell and, at night in the cycler, with a prescription of standard glucose-based PD solution only in both groups. The primary end-point was the change in insulin resistance measured by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) index at 90 days. RESULTS: Sixty patients were included in the intervention (n = 33) or the control (n = 27) groups. There was no difference between groups at baseline. After adjustment for pre-intervention HOMA index levels, the group treated with icodextrin had the lower post-intervention levels at 90 days in both intention to treat [1.49 (95% CI: 1.23-1.74) versus 1.89 (95% CI: 1.62-2.17)], (F = 4.643, P = 0.03, partial η(2) = 0.078); and the treated analysis [1.47 (95% CI: 1.01-1.84) versus 2.18 (95% CI: 1.81-2.55)], (F = 7.488, P = 0.01, partial η(2) = 0.195). CONCLUSIONS: The substitution of glucose for icodextrin for the long dwell improved insulin resistance measured by HOMA index in non-diabetic APD patients.

Validation of the Brazilian version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scales: a partial least squares path modeling approach.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Assessing patient satisfaction requires reliable and valid instruments. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Brazilian version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scales (B-NSNS). METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 351 adult inpatients. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) approach was used to evaluate the reliability and validity of this instrument. RESULTS: After the adjustments of model, both constructs exhibited adequate convergent and discriminant validity, showing that experiences with nursing care have a significant effect on patient satisfaction (r = .70) and account for 49.1% of the variance in patient satisfaction with the nursing care (R2 = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: The B-NSNS result in a valid and reliable measure for use in managing nursing care.

Validation of the Brazilian Version of the Newcastle Satisfaction With Nursing Scales: A Partial Least Squares Path Modeling Approach.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Assessing patient satisfaction requires reliable and valid instruments. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Brazilian version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scales (B-NSNS). METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 351 adult inpatients. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) approach was used to evaluate the reliability and validity of this instrument. RESULTS: After the adjustments of model, both constructs exhibited adequate convergent and discriminant validity, showing that experiences with nursing care have a significant effect on patient satisfaction (r = .70) and account for 49.1% of the variance in patient satisfaction with the nursing care (R2 = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: The B-NSNS result in a valid and reliable measure for use in managing nursing care.

An initial psychometric evaluation and exploratory cross-sectional study of the body checking questionnaire among Brazilian women.

Body checking is considered an expression of an excessive preoccupation with appearance. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Brazilian Portuguese version of the Body Checking Questionnaire (BCQ). Additionally, we wanted to examine the questionnaire's associations with body avoidance behaviour, body mass index, dietary habits, and the intensity, frequency, and length of physical exercise. Finally, we also examined the differences between the total BCQ score and the individual BCQ factor scores. Differences between active and sedentary persons and between non-dieters and those on weight-loss diets were also analyzed. For the psychometric study, 546 female public university students from four different courses were surveyed. Two minor samples of university students and eating disorders women were also recruited. In the second part of the study, 403 women were recruited from weight-loss programs, gyms, and a university. All participants were verbally invited to participate in the research and voluntarily took part. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit to the original model of the Brazilian BCQ that retained all 23 items. Satisfactory evidence of construct validity and internal consistency were also generated through analysis of factor loadings, t-values, Cronbach's alpha, and construct reliability tests. The results also showed associations among body checking and body avoidance, body satisfaction, social anxiety, body mass index, and the frequency and intensity of physical exercise. Significant differences were found between non-dieters and weight-loss dieters for all BCQ factors and the total BCQ score. For physically active and sedentary persons, a significant difference was only observed for idiosyncratic checking behaviour. In conclusion, the BCQ appears to be a valid and reliable scale for Brazilian research, and the associations and differences found in this study suggest that women at gyms and especially in weight-loss programs should be targeted for future body checking studies.

Solutes transport characteristics in peritoneal dialysis: variations in glucose and insulin serum levels.

BACKGROUND: Differences in small solutes transport rate (SSTR) during peritoneal dialysis (PD) may affect water and solutes removal. Patients with high SSTR must rely on shorter dwell times and increased dialysate glucose concentrations to keep fluid balance. Glucose absorption during peritoneal dialysis (PD), besides affecting glucose and insulin metabolism, may induce weight gain. The study aimed at examining acute glucose and insulin serum level changes and other potential relationships in PD patients with diverse SSTR. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used a modified peritoneal equilibration test (PET) that enrolled 34 prevalent PD patients. Zero, 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240-minute glucose and insulin serum levels were measured. Insulin resistance index was assessed by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) formula. SSTR categories were classified by quartiles of the four-hour dialysate/serum creatinine ratio (D(4)/P(Cr)). Demographic and clinical variables were evaluated, and the body mass index (BMI) was estimated. Correlations among variables of interest and categories of SSTR were explored. RESULTS: Glucose serum levels were significantly different at 15, 30, and 60 minutes between high and low SSTR categories (p = 0.014, 0.009, and 0.022). Increased BMI (25.5 +/- 5.1) and insulin resistance [HOMA-IR = 2.60 (1.40-4.23)] were evidenced overall. Very strong to moderate correlations between insulin levels along the PET and HOMA-IR (r = 0.973, 0.834, 0.766, 0.728, 0.843, 0.857, 0.882) and BMI (r = 0.562, 0.459, 0.417, 0.370, 0.508, 0.514, 0.483) were disclosed. CONCLUSIONS; Early glucose serum levels were associated with SSTR during a PET. Overweight or obesity and insulin resistance were prevalent. An association between insulin serum levels and BMI was demonstrated.