Low interest in physical activity and higher rates of obesity among rural teachers.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated the causes of physical inactivity in rural teachers from South America. Determining the causes and effects of physical inactivity in rural teachers could be the base for future intervention studies aiming to improve physical activity (PA) engagement in this population. OBJECTIVES: To examine the levels of PA in rural teachers and evaluate the associations between their jobs, interest in PA, body composition and practice of PA. METHODS: Body mass index (BMI) and body fat % (BF) of rural teachers from the Valparaiso Region in Chile were measured; interviews regarding PA habits, interests and PA practice were conducted. The relationship between BF% and interest in PA and the practice of sports was analysed stratifying by sex. RESULTS: Around 71% were overweight/obese and 80% of the teachers reported not practicing any PA. These figures are higher than the Chilean national average for adults (64.5% overweight/obese). Moreover, females presented a higher BF% than male teachers (35.98% vs. 26.44%, p < 0.05). The main causes of not performing PA were: firstly, the lack of time (51.8%), and secondly, fatigue after work and/or finishing work late. In addition, rural teachers claim that in their free time they continue to finish tasks that they were not able to complete during their working hours. CONCLUSIONS: Rural Chilean teachers show a high prevalence of obesity and low PA levels. Moreover, rural teachers have a work overload stemming from their jobs, and this could be an important link to an overall sedentary lifestyle. Further studies should focus on the relationship between teacher obesity, physical activity, nutrition and work overload.

Prácticas en enfermería para prevenir la mortalidad materna de la mujer en edad fértil / Nursing Care to Women in Fertile Age: Practices to Prevent Maternal Mortality

Introducción: En el sector salud es conocido que las enfermeras son las profesionales que mayor contacto tienen con la mujer en los momentos de atención de su vida fértil. Esta circunstancia les permite llevar a cabo diversas prácticas que buscan prevenir la muerte materna desde la preconcepción y garantizar el nacimiento seguro. Objetivo: Describir las prácticas realizadas en torno a la prevención de la mortalidad materna desde el ejercicio profesional de la enfermera, en tres instituciones de salud en Bogotá, Colombia. Métodos: Estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo transversal. El muestreo fue no probabilístico por conveniencia. Durante la recolección de la información 60 enfermeras diligenciaron un cuestionario constituido de cuatro módulos (conocimiento del sujeto de cuidado, trabajo mutidisciplinario, gestión y fundamentación normativa, y educación continuada) que fue diseñado y validado para el presente estudio. Resultados: Se identificó una correlación moderada entre el conocimiento del sujeto de cuidado y el trabajo multidisciplinario (rs=0,631, p= <0,01), el trabajo multidisciplinario y la gestión del cuidado (rs=0,648, p= <0,01), la gestión del cuidado y la educación continuada (rs=, 665, p =<0,01), y una asociación estadísticamente significativa (χ²= <0,05) entre el servicio y nivel de complejidad de la institución donde se trabaja, con respecto a la implementación de estas prácticas. Conclusiones: La ejecución de prácticas que contrarrestan la mortalidad materna es mayor cuando las enfermeras tienen un conocimiento actualizado, que las lleva a desarrollar un mejor trabajo multidisciplinario; y por ende una mayor gestión del cuidado(AU)

Introduction: Professional nurses have more contact with women during the assistance moments of their fertile life. These circumstances allow carrying on diverse practices to prevent the maternal mortality since the preconception and to guarantee a secure birth. Objective: To describe practices developed on prevention of maternal mortality from the nursing professional praxis in three health institutions in Bogotá, Colombia. Methods: It corresponds to a quantitative, descriptive, transversal design. Sixty nurses took part. We gathered information by means a questionnaire conformed in four modules (knowledge of the subject of care, multidisciplinary work, care management and normative foundation and continuing education) designed and valid for this study. Results: This study identified moderate correlation between the knowledge of the subject of care and the multidisciplinary work (rs=, 631, p=<0, 01). We also found correlation between the multidisciplinary work and the nursing care management (rs=, 648, p=<0, 01), the nursing care management and the continuing education (rs=, 665, p=<0, 01), and one meaningful statistical association (?²=<0, 05) between the service and complexity level where they work and fulfil these practices. Conclusions: The implementation of practices that counteract maternal mortality is better when nurses have updated knowledge that leads to develop better multidisciplinary work; and therefore better care management(AU)

Evidencia del aporte proporcionado desde el cuidado de enfermería a la salud materna / Evidence of contributions made by the nursing care to maternal health

Introducción: La enfermera es esencial en la detección temprana de riesgos que pueden llegar a comprometer la vida de la mujer. Objetivo: Determinar la evidencia del aporte proporcionado desde el cuidado de enfermería a la salud materna. Fuente de datos: Se revisaron las bases de datos PubMed, Science Direct y Scielo entre los años 2010-2016. Se realizó además, rastreo manual de estudios en revistas indexadas que no estaban integradas a las fuentes mencionadas. Se encontraron 110 artículos y se seleccionaron 20 que cumplían con los criterios de inclusión establecidos. Síntesis de los datos: Se identificaron tres áreas temáticas: I. Los beneficios en la salud de la mujer con el cuidado de enfermería, II. La relevancia de fortalecer la formación relacionada con la atención materna. III. Los efectos de la regulación en el ejercicio profesional. En ellas se destaca la educación y asistencia prenatal en la adolescente embarazada y las visitas domiciliarias a las mujeres con riesgo antenatal. Se enfatiza la necesidad de robustecer las competencias relacionadas con el parto y las dirigidas al entendimiento de la cultura de la mujer gestante así como la permanencia de las enfermeras en su área de trabajo para proporcionar un cuidado de calidad a las madres y la necesidad de regular su carga de trabajo. Conclusiones: Desde la enfermería se genera evidencia para el manejo de la salud materna. Es indiscutible que el cuidado especializado incide de forma positiva en la disminución de la mortalidad materna en los diversos contextos de la práctica laboral(AU)

Introduction: Nurses are essential in the early detection of risks which can affect women's life. Objective: To determine the evidence of the given contribution from the nursing care to maternal health. Data source: PubMed, Science Direct and Scielo data bases were reviewed from 2010 to 2016.In addition, it was done manual searching of studies of indexed magazines that were not integrated to the above mentioned sources. 110 articles were found and 20 articles that fulfilled the established inclusion criteria were selected. Data synthesis: Three thematic areas were identified: I. Benefits of woman's health with nursing care; II. The relevance of strengthening the training related to maternal health; III. The effect of regulation on the professional practice. In these areas are highlighted the education and the prenatal care in the pregnant adolescent, and the home visit to the women with antenatal risk. It emphasizes the need to foster the competences which has to do with the birth aimed to understand the culture of the pregnant woman; and the continuance of the nurses in their working area to provide a qualified care to the mothers, and the need to regulate their work burden. Conclusions: Nursing generates evidence to the management of maternal health. It is undeniable that the specialized care influences in a positive way in the decrease of maternal mortality in the different contexts of the professional practice(AU)

Evidencia del aporte proporcionado desde el cuidado de enfermería a la salud materna / Evidence of contributions made by the nursing care to maternal health

Introducción: La enfermera es esencial en la detección temprana de riesgos que pueden llegar a comprometer la vida de la mujer. Objetivo: Determinar la evidencia del aporte proporcionado desde el cuidado de enfermería a la salud materna. Fuente de datos: Se revisaron las bases de datos PubMed, Science Direct y Scielo entre los años 2010-2016. Se realizó además, rastreo manual de estudios en revistas indexadas que no estaban integradas a las fuentes mencionadas. Se encontraron 110 artículos y se seleccionaron 20 que cumplían con los criterios de inclusión establecidos. Síntesis de los datos: Se identificaron tres áreas temáticas: I. Los beneficios en la salud de la mujer con el cuidado de enfermería, II. La relevancia de fortalecer la formación relacionada con la atención materna. III. Los efectos de la regulación en el ejercicio profesional. En ellas se destaca la educación y asistencia prenatal en la adolescente embarazada y las visitas domiciliarias a las mujeres con riesgo antenatal. Se enfatiza la necesidad de robustecer las competencias relacionadas con el parto y las dirigidas al entendimiento de la cultura de la mujer gestante así como la permanencia de las enfermeras en su área de trabajo para proporcionar un cuidado de calidad a las madres y la necesidad de regular su carga de trabajo. Conclusiones: Desde la enfermería se genera evidencia para el manejo de la salud materna. Es indiscutible que el cuidado especializado incide de forma positiva en la disminución de la mortalidad materna en los diversos contextos de la práctica laboral(AU)

Introduction: Nurses are essential in the early detection of risks which can affect women's life. Objective: To determine the evidence of the given contribution from the nursing care to maternal health. Data source: PubMed, Science Direct and Scielo data bases were reviewed from 2010 to 2016.In addition, it was done manual searching of studies of indexed magazines that were not integrated to the above mentioned sources. 110 articles were found and 20 articles that fulfilled the established inclusion criteria were selected. Data synthesis: Three thematic areas were identified: I. Benefits of woman's health with nursing care; II. The relevance of strengthening the training related to maternal health; III. The effect of regulation on the professional practice. In these areas are highlighted the education and the prenatal care in the pregnant adolescent, and the home visit to the women with antenatal risk. It emphasizes the need to foster the competences which has to do with the birth aimed to understand the culture of the pregnant woman; and the continuance of the nurses in their working area to provide a qualified care to the mothers, and the need to regulate their work burden. Conclusions: Nursing generates evidence to the management of maternal health. It is undeniable that the specialized care influences in a positive way in the decrease of maternal mortality in the different contexts of the professional practice(AU)

More physically active and leaner adolescents have higher energy intake.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether youths who engage in vigorous physical activity are more likely to have lean bodies while ingesting relatively large amounts of energy. For this purpose, we studied the associations of both physical activity and adiposity with energy intake in adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: The study subjects were adolescents who participated in 1 of 2 cross-sectional studies, the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study (n = 1450; mean age, 14.6 years) or the European Youth Heart Study (EYHS; n = 321; mean age, 15.6 years). Physical activity was measured by accelerometry, and energy intake was measured by 24-hour recall. In the HELENA study, body composition was assessed by 2 or more of the following methods: skinfold thickness, bioelectrical impedance analysis, plus dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or air-displacement plethysmography in a subsample. In the EYHS, body composition was assessed by skinfold thickness. RESULTS: Fat mass was inversely associated with energy intake in both studies and using 4 different measurement methods (P ≤ .006). Overall, fat-free mass was positively associated with energy intake in both studies, yet the results were not consistent across measurement methods in the HELENA study. Vigorous physical activity in the HELENA study (P < .05) and moderate physical activity in the EYHS (P < .01) were positively associated with energy intake. Overall, results remained unchanged after adjustment for potential confounding factors, after mutual adjustment among the main exposures (physical activity and fat mass), and after the elimination of obese subjects, who might tend to underreport energy intake, from the analyses. CONCLUSION: Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that more physically active and leaner adolescents have higher energy intake than less active adolescents with larger amounts of fat mass.

Physical activity, fitness, and serum leptin concentrations in adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of physical activity and fitness with leptin concentrations in European adolescents, after taking into account several potential confounders including total body fat (TBF). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a school setting for the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence Cross-Sectional Study. This study included 902 (509 girls) adolescents aged 12.5-17.5 years. Weight, height, and TBF (sum of 6 skinfold thickness) were measured, and fat free mass and body mass index were calculated. Physical activity was assessed by accelerometry. Physical fitness was assessed by the handgrip, standing long jump, 4 × 10-m shuttle run, and 20-m shuttle run tests. Serum fasting leptin, insulin, and glucose concentrations were measured, and homeostasis model assessment was computed. Multiple linear regression models were used. RESULTS: Vigorous physical activity and fitness tests (all P < .05) were negatively associated with leptin, independently of several confounders including TBF and homeostasis model assessment. These associations remained significant after further controlling for each other (physical activity and fitness). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that vigorous physical activity and fitness moderate the levels of leptin concentrations, regardless of relevant confounders including TBF. Intervention programs addressed to increase high intensity physical activity and fitness as well as to assess its impact on leptin concentration are required.

Physical activity, fitness, weight status, and cognitive performance in adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of participation in physical sports activity during leisure time, sedentary behaviors, cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and weight status with cognitive performance in Spanish adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study comprised a total of 1820 adolescents (958 female) aged 13.0 to 18.5 years. Cognitive performance (verbal, numeric and reasoning abilities, and an overall score) was measured with the "SRA-Test of Educational Ability." Participation in physical sports activity during leisure time (yes/no) and time devoted to study, television viewing, and playing video games were self-reported and categorized as ≤ 3 hours/day and >3 hours/day. We assessed cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness with field-based tests. Adolescents were classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. RESULTS: Participation in physical sports activities during leisure time was associated with better cognitive performance study variables (all P < .001), independent of potential confounders including cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index. We did not observe an association of time devoted to study, television viewing, or playing video-games with cognitive performance. Likewise, cognitive performance was similar across cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness levels and body weight categories. CONCLUSION: Participation in physical sports activity during leisure time may positively influence cognitive performance in adolescents.

Are muscular and cardiovascular fitness partially programmed at birth? Role of body composition.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether birth weight is associated with handgrip strength and cardiovascular fitness in adolescence and, if so, how these associations are influenced by current body composition. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 1801 adolescents (983 females), age 13 to 18.5 years, from the AVENA (Alimentación y Valoración del Estado Nutricional de los Adolescentes Españoles [Food and Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Spanish Adolescents]) study were evaluated. Handgrip strength and cardiovascular fitness were assessed using the handgrip test and the 20-m shuttle run test, respectively. RESULTS: Birth weight was positively associated with handgrip strength in females after controlling for current age, gestational age, breast-feeding, and adolescent body mass index (P = .002), body fat percentage (P < .001), or waist circumference (P = .005), but not after controlling for fat-free mass. The associations were similar yet weaker in males. Females with high birth weight (>90th percentile) had greater handgrip strength than those with normal (10th to 90th percentile) or low (<10th percentile) birth weight, after adjusting for body fat percentage (P = .004). All of the differences became nonsignificant after adjusting for adolescent fat-free mass. Birth weight was not associated with cardiovascular fitness. CONCLUSIONS: High birth weight is associated with greater handgrip strength in adolescents, especially in females, yet these associations seem to be highly explained by fat-free mass.