ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To investigate how stressful life events and social support relate to central adiposity in Southern Brazil. METHODS: Data included information from 802 participants in the 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort that was collect in 2004-2005 and 2006. Stratifying by sex, we studied self-reported stressful life events during the year before 2004-2005 in relation to change in waist circumference between 2004-2005 and 2006 and waist-to-hip ratio in 2006, using both bivariate and multivariate linear regression models. RESULTS: In adjusted models, […]

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Evaluate the construct validity of a list of eight Stressful Life Events in pregnant women. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,446 pregnant women in São Luís, MA, and 1,364 pregnant women in Ribeirão Preto, SP (BRISA cohort), from February 2010 to June 2011. In the exploratory factorial analysis, the promax oblique rotation was used and for the calculation of the internal consistency, we used the compound reliability. The construct validity was determined by means of the […]

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To assess the influence of I mmigration on the psychological health of women after childbirth. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, immigrant and Portuguese-native women delivering in the four public hospitals of the metropolitan area of Porto, Portugal, were contacted by telephone between February and December 2012 during the first postpartum month to schedule a home visit and fill in a questionnaire. Most immigrant (76.1%) and Portuguese mothers (80.0%) agreed to participate and with the visits, thus a total […]

OBJECTIVE: To recognize the significance of fetal loss for women who have experienced it, starting from an understanding of the pregnancy process, based on their reports. METHODS: This was a qualitative analysis study based on the histories of seven women who experienced fetal loss in the town of Arujá, State of São Paulo, between July 1998 and June 1999. The women were identified from the death certificates of stillborn infants born within the study period, which were obtained from the […]

OBJECTIVE: To categorize and describe the daily sources of stress encountered by HIV-infected women. METHODS: Using a semi-structured questionnaire, 150 interviews were conducted among HIV-infected women who attended the Reference and Treatment Center for Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Aids in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, between July and December 1997. The studied variables were: demographics, family structure, risk perception, sexuality, access to health system, treatment compliance, drug use, and significant and stressful events. Stressful events are further discussed here. […]