[pt] Devido ao tabu que se encontra ao abordar educação sexual como estratégia de prevenção ao abuso sexual, torna-se relevante entender o que crianças, adolescentes e responsáveis sabem e pensam sobre esse assunto. Nessa direção, a presente dissertação teve por finalidade identificar e analisar sentidos atribuídos por famílias atendidas no projeto Talentos do Tatame, em Petrópolis, acerca da educação sexual de crianças e adolescentes. Além disso, identificar se e como campanhas de prevenção ao abuso sexual atingem crianças, adolescentes e familiares; analisar resistências à temática da educação sexual nos espaços de socialização de crianças e adolescentes e verificar a existência de diálogo, no seio da família, sobre proteção do corpo como forma de cuidado. De abordagem qualitativa, a pesquisa adotou como instrumento de produção de dados a realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas com crianças, adolescentes e responsáveis inseridos no projeto Talentos do Tatame. Para análise do material empírico produzido, utilizou-se o método de interpretação de sentidos atribuídos. Os resultados revelaram que, apesar do tabu que perdura em torno da temática, crianças, adolescentes e responsáveis têm interesse em conhecer mais sobre educação sexual, bem como a presença de mulheres como principais responsáveis pelas informações sobre o cuidado ao corpo. A análise dos dados permitiu conhecer diversas formas de cuidado a que as famílias atribuem o sentido de ações de prevenção ao abuso sexual, conferindo-lhes importância. / [en] Due to the taboo found when addressing sex education as a strategy to prevent sexual abuse, it is relevant to understand what children, adolescents and guardians know and think about this subject. In this sense, this dissertation aimed to identify and analyze meanings attributed by families assisted in the Talents of Tatami project, in Petrópolis, about the sexual education of children and adolescents. In addition, identify whether and how sexual abuse prevention campaigns affect children, adolescents and family members; to analyze resistance to the theme of sexual education in the spaces of socialization of children and adolescents and to verify the existence of dialogue within the family about the protection of the body as a form of care. From a qualitative approach, the research adopted as an instrument for data production the realization of semi-structured interviews with children, adolescents and guardians inserted in the Project Talents of Tatami. For the analysis of the empirical material produced, the method of interpretation of assigned meanings was used. The results revealed that, despite the taboo that persists around the theme, children, adolescents and guardians are interested in knowing more about sex education, as well as the presence of women as main responsible for information on body care. Data analysis allowed us to know several forms of care to which families attribute the meaning of actions to prevent sexual abuse, giving them importance.

[pt] Diante do predomínio do número de crianças e adolescentes negros em situação de acolhimento institucional, elegeu-se como objetivo geral da pesquisa, analisar o processo de invisibilização da questão étnico-racial no contexto das unidades de acolhimento institucional para crianças e adolescentes. O campo de pesquisa se constituiu a partir da atuação em duas unidades de acolhimento do município de Itaguaí-RJ sob o seguinte aporte metodológico: 1) revisão bibliográfica, no qual identificamos as produções existentes que realizam uma análise sobre o acolhimento institucional de crianças e adolescentes, relacionando com a questão étnico-racial e englobando uma discussão Decolonial que discutem a invisibilização das questões étnico-raciais a partir de um olhar colonizador sobre os corpos negros; 2) análise documental dos prontuários das crianças e dos adolescentes acolhidos, na qual buscamos identificar a presença ou ausência da dimensão étnico-racial no espaço de acolhimento; 3) realização de grupos focais com trabalhadores das unidades de acolhimento, visando captar os sentidos atribuídos à invisibilização da questão étnico-racial. O estudo aponta para um processo contínuo e constante de invisibilização da questão étnico-racial considerando o racismo institucional e estrutural. Os profissionais ouvidos identificam que a maior parte das crianças e adolescente são negros, mas a inserção de classe sobrepõe a questão da raça, sem a compreensão que esses marcadores sociais estão intimamente relacionados. / [en] Facing the predominant number of black children and adolescents in institutional care situation, the process of invisibility of the ethnic-racial issue was chosen as a research problem. The research field was constituted from the work in two reception units in the city of Itaguaí (RJ), under the following methodology: 1) bibliographic review, in which we identified productions that carry out an analysis on the institutional reception of children and adolescents, relating to the ethnic-racial issue and encompassing a Decolonial discussion related to the invisibility of ethnicracial topics starting in a colonizing perspective on black bodies; 2) documental analysis of the medical records of children and adolescents who were sheltered, in which we sought to identify the presence or absence of the ethnic-racial dimension in the reception space; 3) holding focus groups with workers from the reception units, the meanings attributed to the invisibility of the ethnic-racial issue. The study points to a continuous and constant process of invisibility of the ethnic-racial issue, considering institutional and structural racism. The professionals consulted identify that most children and adolescents are black, but the social issue overrides the issue of race, without understanding that these markers are closely related.

There is increasing recognition of the relationship between depression and obesity in the pediatric population and recently, there has been a focus on inflammation as a potential link. Both conditions are considered to be pro-inflammatory states, and certain inflammatory markers are linked to depression in obese adults and vice versa. Leptin has also been implicated in depression as a potential mediator between inflammation and depression. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is associated with depression and obesity, is influenced by inflammation and leptin in animal models as well. Few studies have examined the interactions between depression, adiposity, and biological markers in obese youth and therefore, our objective was to explore the determinants of depression in obese youth in a clinical setting. We studied 244 youth aged 8-17 years (125 girls, 119 boys) at the time of entry to a weight management program, as part of a prospective, longitudinal study. The CES-DC depression-screening tool was used to assess depressive symptoms, and a participant was classified as having high depressive symptoms if the CES-DC score ≥15 or taking antidepressants. Questionnaires assessed socio-demographic factors and puberty while adiposity was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNFα, CRP, IL-10), leptin, and BDNF were quantified by immunoassays. Of the 244 participants, 8 were on antidepressants and 88 (36.4%) met the criteria for high depressive symptoms. We confirmed previous findings that household income and body fat were important determinants of depressive symptoms. However for the first time, it was identified that leptin levels predicted CES-DC score independent of body fat. Neither inflammatory markers nor BDNF were significantly related to depression scores. Our findings suggest that leptin may mediate the relationship of adiposity and depression but it is uncertain if this is related to direct action or to the phenomenon of leptin resistance. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Obesity has a significant impact on depression in children and adolescents. Inflammation – the body’s response to injury – is measured through markers in the blood and leptin – the marker of body fat – have shown to be related to depression. Research indicates that depression influences these factors to act on obesity. However, research on the interactions of biological and socio-demographic factors with depression in youth with obesity is lacking. Therefore, our objective was to explore the impact of these factors on depression in obese youth entering into a weight management program. Using a depression-screening tool, we studied 244 youth under 18 years and confirmed that household income and body fat were important factors of depression. However for the first time, we found leptin influenced depression regardless of the amount of fat present suggesting that depression acts on obesity through leptin but it is uncertain how this occurs and further research is warranted.

Tackling obesity among adolescents requires the optimization of existing obesity treatment strategies. For this purpose, social and personal circumstances, individual needs and behavior of therapy participants need to be analyzed to tailor aims, content and methods of therapy interventions to the target groups. A total of 432 obesity therapy participants between 11 and 17 years completed a written survey in a national multi-center study conducted in 2015. The data collection on behavior, in terms of physical activity, media use and sociodemographic variables, was based on questionnaires from the KiGGS, HBSC and JIM studies. The results show that participants were found to be physically active together with friends (75.5%), alone (41.4%) and in sports clubs (34.9%). Girls (OR 1.55) were less likely to participate in sports clubs. Social networks, especially YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, were widely used. However, differences emerged among sociodemographic groups (e.g., boys vs. girls) regarding the use of social network features. A third of participants reported that smartphone apps regularly encouraged them to exercise. The findings imply that obesity therapy approaches need to be adapted and more differentiated according to the specific needs of the target groups.

No description available.

[pt] A presente dissertação analisou os desafios e perspectivas da proteção social de crianças e adolescentes refugiadas e solicitantes de refúgio no município do Rio de Janeiro, a partir da atuação de atores governamentais e não governamentais. Para tanto, empreendeu-se uma abordagem qualitativa a partir de entrevistas com doze profissionais de instituições voltadas para o atendimento da população refugiada e das que compõem o Sistema de Garantia de Direitos da Criança e do Adolescente. Na compreensão dos dados coletados, utilizamos as normatizações nacionais e internacionais que regulam a proteção de refugiados e de crianças e adolescentes. A pesquisa permitiu debater as conexões entre integração local e acesso às políticas sociais, com foco nas ações e estratégias de inserção e nas dificuldades práticas e administrativas-jurídicas vivenciadas por esta população. Os resultados apontam para a potencialidade da intervenção das instituições junto a este público, mas revelam também que os marcos normativos por si só não são suficientes para a consolidação dos seus direitos. Concluímos que existem ainda desafios a serem enfrentados no campo das políticas sociais que atendem esse grupo social cujas especificidades devem ser reconhecidas no desenvolvimento dos seus serviços vislumbrando a reparação de mais uma das iniquidades sociais. / [en] The present dissertation analyzed the challenges and perspectives of the social protection of refugee children and adolescents and refugee applicants in the city of Rio de Janeiro, based on the actions of governmental and non-governmental actors. Therefore, a qualitative approach was undertaken based on interviews with twelve professionals from institutions focused on serving the refugee population and those that make up the Child and Adolescent Rights Guarantee System. In understanding the data collected, we use national and international regulations that regulate the protection of refugees and children and adolescents. The research allowed to discuss the connections between local integration and access to social policies, focusing on the actions and strategies of insertion and the practical and administrative-legal difficulties experienced by this population. The results point to the potential of the intervention of the institutions with this public, but also reveal that the normative frameworks alone are not sufficient for the consolidation of their rights. We conclude that there are still challenges to be faced in the field of social policies that serve this social group whose specificities must be recognized in the development of their services with a view to redressing one more of social inequities.

Barn och unga på landsbygden tenderar att bli mer stillasittande än barn som växer upp i staden. Landsbygden besitter särskilda utmaningar som gör det svårt att få barn och unga att öka sina aktivitetsnivåer. I denna studie används intervjuer och dokumentanalys för att undersöka hur Uppsala kommun arbetar med att öka den fysiska aktiviteten bland barn och unga som växer upp på landsbygden. Utifrån den socio-ekologiska modellen skapas en förståelse för hur påverkansfaktorer för fysiska aktivitetsnivåer hänger samman med synen kring hur utmaningarna ska hanteras. Resultatet från studien visar att Uppsala kommun tar itu med utmaningarna på ett holistiskt sätt, med en övergripande syn på hela kommunen. Landsbygdens utmaningar tenderar således att hamna mellan stolarna där ansvaret att hantera dem förs över mellan olika aktörer. / Children and adolescents in rural areas tend to be more sedentary than children who grow up in the city. Rural areas have specific challenges that make it difficult to get children and adolescents to increase their physical activity. In this study, interviews and document analysis are used to investigate how the municipality of Uppsala works to increase physical activity among children and adolescents who grow up in rural areas. Based on the socio-ecological model, an understanding is created of how influencing factors for physical activity levels are connected with the view of how challenges should be handled. The results from the study show that the municipality of Uppsala works with the challenges from a municipal perspective, which creates problems when the countryside has its own challenges. The challenges of the countryside thus tend to fall through the cracks where the responsibility for handling them is shifted between different actors.

This study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to investigate the experiences of African immigrant mothers living in the UK with a child diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Six mothers took part in one-off semi-structured interviews. The results indicated five themes: caring for a child we didn’t expect, the pain of stigma and rejection, making sense of our child’s difficulties and diagnosis, negotiating conflicting belief systems and faith as “key”. Many aspects of the mothers’ experiences appear related to their position as immigrants from cultures with very different belief systems regarding child development and disability. Stigma, blame and social isolation appeared to compound the difficulties they experienced. Conflicts between African cultural beliefs and a western, medical understanding of ASD, appeared to create a feeling of cognitive dissonance for the mothers. The strategies they used to negotiate this appear to map onto Berry’s (2005) acculturation strategies, suggesting the experience of having a child with ASD impacts upon the acculturation process. Implications for clinical practice and policy are discussed, including the importance of raising awareness of ASD among immigrant communities, supporting parents to integrate conflicting belief systems and facilitating the development of peer-support groups within minority communities.

I denna kvalitativa studie har enkäter insamlats från barn och unga som deltagit i stödgruppsverksamhet för barn och unga med en avliden nära anhörig i Dalarnas län. Syftet med studien har varit att beskriva deltagarnas erfarenheter av stödgrupperna. Genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys har tre kategorier identifierats; bearbetning, gemenskap och strukturens betydelse. Studien visar främst på betydelsen av att få träffa andra barn och unga i liknande situation samt indikerar till att deltagarnas KASAM (känsla av sammanhang) förhöjts genom deltagandet i stödgruppen. / In this qualitative study, questionnaires were collected from children and adolescents who had participated in a support group in Dalarnas län for children and adolescents with a deceased close relative. The purpose of this study was to enhance knowledge of children and adolescents’ experiences of participating in support groups through their descriptions in qualitative questionnaires. Qualitative content analysis was conducted and three categories were identified; kinship, processing and the significance of structure. The result highlights the importance of having the opportunity to meet other children and adolescents in similar situations, and indicates that the participants Sense of coherence enhanced through the participation in the support group.

Major depression is a serious mood disorder affecting more than 120 million people worldwide, irrespective of their race or socio-economic status. This psychiatric disorder is predicted to become the second leading cause of disability by the year 2020, second only to heart diseases in the global population, without distinguishing differences in the incidence within defined age groups. Depression is known to affect people across all age groups, including children, adolescents, adults and geriatrics, although older age is associated with an increased susceptibility to major depression and other psychiatric conditions. Until the 1970‘s depression during childhood and adolescence was thought to be uncommon or non-existent. Recent epidemiological studies have demonstrated that there is a persistent escalation in the prevalence of depression in children and adolescents. Accordingly, the number of prescriptions for drugs to treat this disorder in juveniles has escalated significantly. With our current limited understanding of the safety and long-term effects of treatment with antidepressants, the clinician is left making decisions without sound evidence of safety. In addition, psychotropic drugs may affect neurodevelopment during childhood and adolescence and may consequently modulate susceptibility to psychiatric disorders later in life. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of early-life (pre-natal and postnatal) chronic treatment with venlafaxine, a dual action serotonin-noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor, during the developmental phase of the serotonin and norepinephrine pathways in stress-sensitive rats on measures of cognition, anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviour later in life. The study also investigated which age shows optimal behavioural changes later in life, following the above mentioned administration of venlafaxine. In addition we also determined the effects that the administration of venlafaxine has on the levels of monoamines l-norepinephrine (l-NE) and serotonin (5-HT) in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. A number of translational animal models of psychiatric disorders have been described and validated, and is suitable for such investigations. For the current study we used stress-sensitive Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats and their controls, Flinders Resistant Line (FRL) rats. Pregnant dams were injected subcutaneously for 14 days with 10 mg/kg venlafaxine or saline from pre-natal day 15 (ND-15) to ND-01. New-born pups were then injected subcutaneously with 3 mg/kg venlafaxine or saline for 14 days from postnatal day 3 (ND+03) to ND+17. These doses were determined from previous studies reported in literature. Four rat treatment groups of both FSL and FRL rats received injections during pre-natal + postnatal ages as follows: saline + saline, venlafaxine + saline, saline + venlafaxine and venlafaxine + venlafaxine. Following the drug treatments, all rat groups were housed under normal conditions until the indicated time to be subjected to a battery of behavioural tests, including the novel object recognition test (nORT), locomotor activity test (Digiscan®), elevated plus maze (EPM) and forced-swim test (FST), scheduled on either ND+35, ND+60 or ND+90. Separate treatment groups were used for each age group. After the behavioural tests animals were decapitated, the brains removed and the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus dissected out. These were analysed at a later stage using an HPLC with electrochemical detection to determine the levels of the monoamines l-NE and 5-HT. All animal procedures were approved by the Ethics Committee of the North-West University (approval number: NWU-00045-10-S5), and are in accordance with the recommendations of the National Institutes of Health guide for the care and use of laboratory animals. The data from the current study suggest that in general FRL rats were not influenced by the early-life treatment with venlafaxine, as observed in the nORT, EPM or FST on ND+35, ND+60 or ND+90. There was minimal changes seen in the immobile behaviour in the FST of FRL rats that received prenatal venlafaxine. As expected, depressive-like behaviour in the FST was significantly enhanced in FSL rats relative to corresponding FRL rat groups as observed at ND+35 and ND+60, but not ND+90. Importantly, depressive-like behaviour was reversed following pre- and postnatal treatment with venlafaxine in FSL rats at ND+60, relative to the corresponding FRL rat groups. Reversal of depressive-like behaviour in FSL rats were not observed at ND+35 or ND+90, suggesting a delayed response that is reversed later in adulthood. The data from the nORT, Digiscan® or EPM did not reveal any significant differences between the various FSL treatment groups, including at ND+60. The current study therefore demonstrated that the treatment regimen employed had a transient effect on depressive-like behaviour later in life and suggested that genetic susceptibility plays an important role in the treatment of depression. This was suggested by the venlafaxine-induced decrease in immobile behaviour exhibited by FSL rats at ND+60 in the FST, and the subsequent increase in immobile behaviour at ND+90. In general, the most significant venlafaxine-induced effects were seen in FSL rats, suggesting genetic susceptibility plays an important role. / MSc (Pharmacology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014