The relationship of spirituality, self-transcendence, and social support to morale in chronically ill elderly was the focus of this research study. The research was based upon a developmental framework of aging. Individuals answered questionnaires regarding their perspectives on the above variables to determine how significantly the variables related to feelings of morale. Findings revealed that self-transcendence and social support were significantly correlated with morale in this population. No significant relationship between spirituality and morale was found. Self-transcendence and social support together accounted for 45% of the variance in predicting morale in the chronically ill elderly. Findings also revealed existing relationships between spirituality and gender, education level and social support, and length of illness and social support.

This study briefly reviews both historical and recent conceptualizations of dependency. In particular, it focuses on this concept's applicability to patients with chronic illnesses, especially those with allergies. Type and degree of dependency were seen as an important factor in the approach to the medical and psychological treatment of clinical ecology patients. The purpose of the study was to develop an objective measure of dependency which could quickly identify patients whose dependency conflicts interfere with the treatment process. The study was divided into three phases. In the first phase test responses by 84 inpatients to the CAQ, MMPI, and the HAT as well as historical and demographic data were analyzed by a series of stepwise discriminant analysis. The 53 resulting items were examined for those which most concisely discriminated between the two identified groups (pathologically dependent and nonpathologically dependent). These 15 items were used to test 120 additional patients in phase II. Fourteen items were retained and the coefficients obtained classified the patients in phase I and II with a 98.81 percent and 94.17 percent degree of accuracy respectively. These classification coefficients were used to classify another 30 patients in phase III with a 96.67 percent rate of accuracy. These results provide exceptionally strong support for the hypothesis that group classification can be obtained through the use of an objective screening instrument. The pathologically dependent patients tend to focus on disease, frequently are unemployed, have histories of childhood illnesses, have limited emotional controls, are depressed, ambivalent, and distrustful. Additionally, they experience difficulty establishing goals or accepting personal responsibility. Those patients identified as nonpathologically dependent exemplify the more positive aspects of these traits. The pathologically dependent patients appear to be caught in a dilemma between wellness and satisfaction of dependency needs. While all patients need an organized approach to treatment, the pathologically dependent require an extremely structured repititious approach and may require long term psychological intervention in order to make positive steps toward wellness.

A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2017 / This study explores the role of the doctor-patient relationship in the management of diabetes in South Africa. The originality of this study lies in the unique manner in which the topic is approached from an explicit theoretical perspective as well as the context in which it is studied. It takes into account the biomedical aims of diabetes management as well as the socio-cultural context of the environment in which communication occurs. Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease of lifestyle (CDL) and one of the most prevalent chronic diseases, both globally and within South Africa. In South Africa, although statistics vary across provinces and within different demographic and socio-economic groups, it is estimated that about 5.5% of the population over the age of 30 years, has diabetes. The disease has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality in the country, as well as on socio-economic development. The need to improve diabetes education and awareness, in addition to the need to address patient adherence to management plans and the prevention of complications, are vital in order to effectively manage this rising epidemic. Current management of diabetes favours an individualised approach to risk reduction. This involves patient adherence to a negotiated (between doctor and patient) management plan, as well as modifications in the patient’s lifestyle behaviours. International literature on adherence to the management plans of all CDLs suggests that there are many challenges. Furthermore, most studies have shown that there are shared common barriers inherent to all chronic diseases, where the complexity and chronicity of treatment are major factors in adherence. Despite the large number of studies and the identification of many influencing factors, few direct and replicable causal links to adherence have been found. Models of adherence from other chronic diseases in South Africa have highlighted the importance of patient motivation to change behaviour as being linked to their perceptions and beliefs, formed by the attitudes of those with whom they interact. A review of the literature on health communication in various fields of medicine identifies the need for a firm perspective and justification of the methodology employed in the study. Various theoretical stances are examined but it is ultimately the interaction between doctor and patient within the sociocultural context of the consultation that is seen to be most relevant. A social constructionist perspective is justified as the basis from which a disease such as diabetes, which requires complex therapeutic manipulation and lifestyle adaptations, can be studied. A brief overview of medical education is also discussed as it pertains particularly to the teaching of communication skills and behaviours. This becomes relevant as it is medical training that ultimately informs clinical practice. In recent years, medical education has been called upon to be more socially relevant and incorporate a multitude of supporting competencies into training. These models are described and interrogated with relevance to the study aims. The research was conducted in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in South Africa within the diabetes clinics of two district level public health care institutions; one was located in the eThekwini metropolitan area (Durban) and the second at a rural site in northern KZN. These hospitals were purposively selected because of their contrasting locations, reflecting diverse socio-economic, ethnic, racial and language groups, thus providing a rich set of data. In keeping with the social constructionist perspective of the study, natural consultations at both sites were the primary source of data aimed to focus on the communication between doctor and patient. A total of 24 routine diabetes follow-up consultations provided the data source. Consultations between patients and doctors were audio- and video-recorded and ethnographic observations were made by the researcher, who was an observer in all consultations. All consultations were transcribed, translated into English if necessary, and analysed using elements of conversational analysis transcription conventions. In order to understand the contextual environment of the study, ethnographic observations made by the researcher during the consultations and other site visits are also included in the data set. These observations are presented and contrasted with the experiences of doctors and patients as explored in interviews and focus group discussions at each site. Participants were asked to comment on their experience of their clinical care as well as the interaction with their doctor and their ability to manage their diabetes. By using multiple data sources and contrasting the findings, the study provides a robust framework from where communication in diabetes can be examined. By analysing the data from a socio-constructionist viewpoint it became evident that the relationship between doctor and patient was a strong influential factor on disease management. Furthermore, the manner in which various communication behaviours were interpreted was seen to be able to transcend the superficial socio-cultural environment should other interpersonal factors mitigate the relationship. Not only was the process by which communication content delivered important, but also the underlying attitudes, past experiences and broader context of the consultation. If patients and doctors found themselves in the position to internalise the behaviours experienced in the consultation, their feelings, ideas and beliefs towards one another and diabetes was seen to change. Over time, it was suggested that these new attitudes would feedback either positively or negatively on future interactions. This study also showed how cultural norms cannot be part of a checklist but that they are dynamic over time and are influenced by a multitude of factors, including past experiences and mutual respect, which need to be understood from an interactional and relational perspective. A new model that incorporates existing knowledge coupled with integration of clinical, scientific diabetes management and the art of communication is also described. The findings from this study should be used to guide and inform clinical practice in order to improve health outcomes for those living with diabetes. By extension, they should also be used to inform medical education models where communication is being incorporated into clinical skills training. As was found by observing and analysing clinical practice behaviours for the purpose of this study, the author believes that by internalising experiences, students may be able to forms new ideas and attitudes towards communication which will enhance their clinical practice. The methods utilised in this study have also highlighted the fact that previous methods have not been sensitive enough to the human dynamics that occur in health communication in diabetes and future research should be developed with a strong theoretical perspective that guides an appropriate methodological approach. This study depicts the pivotal role communication plays within each unique consultation and how the manner in which the interaction is perceived and interpreted will have a strong influence on behavioural decisions. However, it is not merely the words that are spoken or the language in which they are spoken but rather the internalisation and adaptation to the context that will ultimately will guide behavioural change. / XL2018

Le vieillissement de la population est une tendance mondiale. Selon les estimations, en 2050, 2,1 milliard de personnes seront âgés de 60 ans ou plus. Les logiciels d’aide aux soins de santé à domicile (ou en anglais Healthcare Supportive Home- HSH Systems) ont été proposés pour répondre à la forte demande de soins de santé à distance pour les personnes âgées vivant seules. Étant donné que les équipes de professionnels de la santé ont besoin de collaborer pour continuellement surveiller l’état de santé des patients souffrant de maladies chroniques, il est nécessaire de faire coopérer les systèmes logiciels d’e-santé préexistants. Cependant, les systèmes de HSH actuels sont propriétaires, monolithiques, fortement couplés et coûteux ainsi que la plupart d’entre eux ne considèrent pas les interactions dynamiques avec systèmes de e- Health fonctionnant à l’intérieur du domicile (e.g., des robots compagnons interactifs ou moniteurs d’activité) ni à l’extérieur de la maison. Ces systèmes sont parfois conçus et fondés sur des législations locales, des configurations des systèmes de santé spécifiques (e.g., publique, privé ou hybride), des plans nationaux de soins de santé, et des ressources technologiques disponibles ; leur réutilisation dans d’autres contextes est donc souvent limitée. De ce fait, les systèmes de HSH fournissent une vue limitée de l’état de santé des patients, sont difficiles à évoluer en fonction de l’évolution de la santé des patients et ne permettent pas la surveillance constante des patients. Ils ont des limites sérieuses pour aider l’autogestion des multiples maladies chroniques. En réponse à ces problématiques, cette thèse propose HomecARe, une architecture de référence pour permettre le développement des systèmes logiciel de HSH de qualité. HomecARe considère les systèmes HSH comment Systèmes-de-Systèmes (en anglais Systems-of- Systems - SoS) (i.e., systèmes complexes à grande échelle qui sont composées de systèmes hétérogènes, distribués, et avec indépendance opérationnelle et managériale), qui réalisaient leurs missions (e.g., l’amélioration de la qualité de vie des patients) grâce aux comportements qui émergent des collaborations entre les différents systèmes constitutifs. Pour établir HomecARe, un processus systématique pour la conception des architectures de référence a été adopté. HomecARe représente la connaissance du domaine et des solutions architecturales (e.g., patrons et stratégies d’architecture) en utilisant les points de vue architecturales des concepts, missions, et qualité. Pour évaluer HomecARe, un cas d’étude a été mené. Dans cette étude, HomecARe a été utilisé dans la conception de l’architecture logicielle du DiaManT@Home, un système de HSH pour l’assistance aux patients diabétiques. Les résultats montrent qui HomecARe est une solution viable pour guider le développement des systèmes de HSH réutilisables, interopérables, fiables, sécurisés, et adaptatifs. Cette thèse apporte d’importantes contributions dans les domaines d’e-santé, architectures logicielles, et architectures de référence de SoS. / Population ageing has been taking place all over the world, being estimated that 2.1 billion people will be aged 60 or over in 2050. Healthcare Supportive Home (HSH) Systems have been proposed to overcome the high demand of remote home care for assisting an increasing number of elderly people living alone. Since a heterogeneous team of healthcare professionals need to collaborate to continually monitor health status of chronic patients, a cooperation of pre-existing e-Health systems, both outside and inside home, is required. However, current HSH solutions are proprietary, monolithic, high coupled, and expensive, and most of them do not consider their interoperation neither with distributed and external e-Health systems, nor with systems running inside the home (e.g., companion robots or activity monitors). These systems are sometimes designed based on local legislations, specific health system configurations (e.g., public, private or mixed), care plan protocols, and technological settings available; therefore, their reusability in other contexts is sometimes limited. As a consequence, these systems provide a limited view of patient health status, are difficult to evolve regarding the evolution of patient’s health profile, do not allow continuous patients monitoring, and present limitations to support the self-management of multiple chronic conditions. To contribute to solve the aforementioned challenges, this thesis establishes HomecARe, a reference architecture for supporting the development of quality HSH systems. HomecARe considers HSH systems as Systems-of-Systems (SoS) (i.e., large, complex systems composed of heterogeneous, distributed, and operational and managerial independent systems), which achieve their missions (e.g., improvement of patients’ quality of life) through the behavior that emerges as result of collaborations among their constituents. To establish HomecARe, a systematic process to engineer reference architectures was adopted. As a result, HomecARe presents domain knowledge and architectural solutions (i.e., architectural patterns and tactics) described using conceptual, mission, and quality architectural viewpoints. To assess HomecARe, a case study was performed by instantiating HomecARe to design the software architecture of DiaManT@Home, a HSH system to assist at home patients suffering of diabetes mellitus. Results evidenced HomecARe is a viable reference architecture to guide the development of reusable, interoperable, reliable, secure, and adaptive HSH systems, bringing important contributions for the areas of e-Health, software architecture, and reference architecture for SoS.

Chronic Diseases are the major cause of mortality around the world, accounting for 7 out of 10 deaths each year in the United States. Because of its adverse effect on the quality of life, it has become a major problem globally. Health care costs involved in managing these diseases are also very high. In this thesis, we will focus on two major chronic diseases Asthma and Diabetes, which are among the leading causes of mortality around the globe. It involves design and development of a predictive analytics based decision support system which uses five supervised machine learning algorithm to predict the occurrence of Asthma and Diabetes. This system helps in controlling the disease well in advance by selecting its best indicators and providing necessary feedback. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Introdução. O automanejo em saúde pode ser entendido como a habilidade da pessoa em conseguir resolver problemas e ser a protagonista, nas tomadas de decisão relacionadas à sua vida e à sua saúde. Este conceito tem sido associado com resultados positivos, tanto para o indivíduo como para as instituições de saúde. A escala Partners in Health (PIH) avalia o automanejo em saúde por meio do engajamento da pessoa com doença crônica na execução de ações que protegem e promovem a saúde. Objetivos. Este estudo metodológico teve como objetivos adaptar culturalmente a PIH e avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da versão adaptada em uma amostra de indivíduos adultos com doenças crônicas. Método. O estudo foi aprovado pelos Comitês de Ética das instituições envolvidas. O processo de adaptação cultural ocorreu como segue: tradução do instrumento original, avaliação e síntese das traduções pelo Comitê de Juízes, retrotradução, avaliação semântica dos itens, avaliação pelo autor do instrumento original, pré-teste e avaliação psicométrica. Os dados foram coletados entre janeiro e maio de 2016, em seis ambulatórios (nefrologia, gastroenterologia, cardiologia, imunologia, endocrinologia e oncologia) do Hospital de Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto. Participaram do estudo 176 indivíduos adultos de ambos os sexos, com diagnóstico de doenças crônicas há, pelo menos, seis meses e que estavam em acompanhamento clínico regular em um dos ambulatórios referidos. A PIH é respondida em uma escala ordinal com nove pontos, na qual menores valores indicam melhor automanejo, em um intervalo possível de zero a 96 pontos. A validade de constructo da PIH foi avaliada pelas correlações entre a medida de automanejo com as medidas de autoestima (Escala de Auto-Estima de Rosenberg), ansiedade e depressão (Escala Hospitalar de Ansiedade e Depressão- HADS). A confiabilidade foi avaliada pela consistência interna (alfa de Cronbach). O nível de significância adotado foi de 0,05. Resultados. A média de idade dos participantes foi 54,1 anos (DP=15,1, variação 21-87) e 51,6% eram do sexo feminino. O tempo médio de ensino formal relatado foi de 7 (DP=4,80, variação 0-21) anos. Eles apresentaram diversificadas doenças crônicas, e 80,3% tinham mais de dois anos de diagnóstico. O escore médio da PIH foi de 24,5 (DP=15,1). Em 75% dos itens, foi verificada a presença de efeito chão (itens 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 e 12). O alfa de Cronbach foi de 0,78. A correlação entre as medidas de automanejo e autoestima apresentou valor negativo e de moderada intensidade (r = - 0,344; p < 0,001). As correlações entre as medidas de automanejo e sintomas de ansiedade (r = 0,360; p<0,001) e sintomas de depressão (r = 0,363; p < 0,001) apresentaram valores positivos e de moderadas intensidades. As propriedades psicométricas da versão adaptada da PIH foram consideradas adequadas. Conclusão. A versão brasileira da PIH apresentou propriedades psicométricas aceitáveis para medir o automanejo da saúde, entre os participantes do estudo. A versão adaptada da PIH deverá ser testada em outros grupos de indivíduos com doenças crônicas, com diferentes características sociodemográficas / Introduction. Self-management in healthcare can be understood as people\'s skill to manage to solve problems and play the leading role in making decisions related to their life and health. This concept has been associated with positive results both to the individual and to healthcare institutions. The Partners in Health (PIH) scale assesses self-management in health by means of the engagement of a person with a chronic disease in the execution of actions that protect and promote health. Aim. The objectives of this methodological study were to culturally adapt the PIH and to assess the psychometric properties of the adapted version in a sample of adult individuals with chronic diseases. Method. The study was approved by the ethics committees of the institutions involved. The process of cultural adaptation took place as follows: translation of the original instrument, evaluation and synthesis of the translations by a board of experts, back-translation, semantic evaluation of the items, evaluation by the author of the original instrument, pre-test, and psychometric evaluation. Data were collected between January and May 2016, in six outpatient clinics (nephrology, gastroenterology, cardiology, immunology, endocrinology and oncology) of the Clinics Hospital at the University of São Paulo - Ribeirão Preto/SP. Study participants were 176 adults, both male and female, with a diagnosis of chronic disease for at least six months, and who were undergoing regular follow-up at one of the aforementioned clinics. The PIH is answered in an ordinal scale with nine points, in which lower values indicate better self-management, in a possible range from 0 to 96 points. The construct validity of the PIH was assessed by correlations between the measures of self management and self-esteem (Rosenberg\'s Self-Esteem Scale), and anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - HADS). Reliability was assessed by internal consistency (Cronbach\'s alpha). Significance was set at 0.05. Results. Mean age of the participants was 54.1 years (SD=15.1, variation 21-87) and 51.6% were women. The mean length of formal education reported was 7.08 years (SD=4.80, variation 0-21). Participants presented varied chronic diseases and 80.3% had been diagnosed for more than two years. The mean self-management score of the PIH was 24.5 (SD=15.1). Floor effect was found in 75% of the items (items 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12). Internal consistency was ?= 0.78. The correlation between the measures of self-management and self-esteem presented a negative value and moderate intensity (r = - 0.344; p < 0.001). The correlation between the measures of self management and anxiety (r = 0.360; p<0.001) and depression symptoms (r = 0.363; p < 0.001) presented positive values and moderate intensity. The psychometric properties of the adapted version of the PIH were considered adequate. Conclusion. The Brazilian version of the PIH was considered adequate and its psychometric properties acceptable to measure the self management of the study participants. The adapted version of the PIH must be tested in other groups of individuals with chronic diseases, with different sociodemographic characteristics

OBJETIVO: No Brasil, a prevalência de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNT), especialmente obesidade, tem aumentado dramaticamente, constituindo-se em grave problema de saúde pública. Paradoxalmente, no país ainda são observadas altas taxas de desnutrição crônica em crianças de baixa renda, o que tem sido, recentemente, apontada como fator de risco para desenvolvimento de DCNT na vida adulta. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a prevalência de síndrome metabólica (SM) e sua relação com a baixa estatura, marcador de desnutrição pregressa na infância, em população adulta. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal em população adulta, com idades entre 20 e 64 anos, residente em município da região metropolitana de São Paulo. A amostra foi composta por 287 indivíduos, sendo 214 (74,6%) do sexo feminino e 75 (25,4%) do sexo masculino. Foram obtidos dados antropométricos e clínico-bioquímicos através de exame físico e coleta de material biológico, respectivamente. Os dados socioeconômico-demográficos e de hábitos de vida foram obtidos por meio de entrevista. Para classificação da síndrome metabólica utilizou-se o critério do International Diabetes Federation e para o ponto de corte da baixa estatura utilizou-se o padrão do National Center for Health Statistics (homens <165cm e mulheres <154cm). RESULTADOS: A prevalência padronizada por sexo e idade para a síndrome metabólica foi de 40,0% no sexo feminino e 10,0% no sexo masculino e a de baixa estatura 30,0% entre as mulheres e 23,0% entre os homens. Em análise univariada, a baixa estatura demonstrou associação com a SM em ambos os sexos (Odds Ratio=1,308; p<0,001). Em análise multivariada, ajustada por sexo, idade, escolaridade, renda, tabagismo, etilismo, atividade física, antecedentes familiares e índice de massa corpórea, a baixa estatura mostrou-se associada a SM (Odds Ratio=1,299; IC95%:1,288-1,310). CONCLUSÃO: No presente estudo foi demonstrada possível associação entre SM e baixa estatura em adultos. / OBJECTIVE: In Brazil, the prevalence of chronic diseases, especially obesity, has increased dramatically, thus becoming a serious problem of public health. There are, however, high rates of undernutrition and stunting in low-income children, which have been appointed as risk factor to cause chronic diseases in later life. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its relationship to short stature, as evidence of stunting in early life in adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of adult population (age 20 to 64 years old) living in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo. The sample comprehended a total of 287 individuals, 214 (74,6%) were women and 73 (25,4%) were men. The anthropometric and clinical-biochemical data were collected through the physical exam and the biological material, respectively. The socio-economic-demographic data and life habit conditions were obtained through interview. The metabolic syndrome was defined by the criteria of International Diabetes Federation and the cut-off point for short stature was based on the standard given by National Center for Health Statistics (male <165cm and female <154cm). RESULTS: The standard prevalence for sex and age to metabolic syndrome was 40,0% among women and 10,0% among men and the prevalence of short stature were 30,0% in women and 30,0% in men. In univariate analyses the metabolic syndrome showed to be associated to short stature (Odds Ratio=1,308; p<0,001). The multiple regression analyses, adjusted by sex, age, education, income, smoking, alcohol consumption, family history and body mass index showed association between the metabolic syndrome and short stature (Odds Ratio=1,299; IC95%:1,288-1,310). CONCLUSIONS: In this study was demonstrated association between metabolic syndrome and short stature in adults.

Este estudo objetivou compreender os significados de viver com o vírus da imunodeficiência adquirida/síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (HIV/aids) sob a perspectiva de pessoas vivendo com HIV (PVH), acompanhadas no Serviço de Atendimento Especializado em doenças infectocontagiosas (SAE) de São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo. Estudo com abordagem qualitativa, edificado no referencial teórico-metodológico da Análise de Discurso de matriz francesa. A população de estudo foi constituída por 11 sujeitos, os quais foram admitidos no SAE no ano 2000 e estavam em seguimento clínico ambulatorial no referido serviço em 2015. A geração de dados foi realizada entre os meses de maio e agosto de 2015. Aplicou-se a técnica de entrevista semidirigida norteada por roteiro de entrevista e utilizou-se, ainda, formulário de coleta de dados que considerou dados secundários (prontuário individual) e os relatos dos sujeitos. As entrevistas foram áudio-gravadas, transcritas na íntegra e armazenadas no software Atlas ti 7.0. Os gestos interpretativos possibilitaram a elaboração de dois blocos discursivos (BD): Sentidos de incorporação e (re)produção do discurso biomédico; e Da normalização à resistência: processos de experienciar o HIV/aids em cronicidade. No primeiro BD, os sujeitos adoecidos incorporaram o discurso biomédico, pautando suas experiências no cientificismo e na patologia. Com efeito, reproduziram o discurso dominante reverberando sentidos de seguimento ininterrupto da terapêutica medicamentosa, bem como de práticas e de comportamentos legitimados como salutares (alimentação saudável, higiene pessoal). No segundo BD, foram analisados os sentidos de normalização discursiva do HIV/aids, de modo que os sujeitos relacionaram as experiências de adoecimento às atividades do cotidiano que, sobretudo, deveriam minimizar exposição a situações de risco à saúde. Observou-se, porém, que tais sentidos de normalização estão envoltos em contextos fragilizadores, tais como o preconceito, o estigma e a discriminação ante ao HIV. Aspectos que pareceram estar na base de um discurso de resistência dos sujeitos adoecidos que, por sua vez, pareceu justificar momentos/períodos de interrupção do tratamento medicamentoso. Concluiu-se que o cuidado às PVH em cronicidade requer, entre outros, a constituição de reflexões (outras) que favoreçam uma relação dialógica proximal entre os profissionais de saúde e os sujeitos adoecidos. De tal sorte que se compreenda a dinamicidade de uma condição de adoecimento em constante devir, balizada pelo modo de ser e de estar de cada sujeito em seu meio / The goal of this study was to understand the meanings of living with the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) by the perspective of people living with HIV (PLH), assisted by the Specialized Service of infectious diseases (SS), São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo. Study through a qualitative approach, based on the theoretical-methodological referential of french Discourse Analysis framework. The study population consisted of 11 subjects, who were admitted to the SS in the year 2000 and were in an outpatient clinical follow-up in the same medical facility in 2015. Data were generated between May and August 2015. The semi-guided interview technique was applied guided by interview script. In addition, data collection form was used which considered secondary data (individual records) and the subjects\' reports. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed in full and stored in the software Atlas ti 7.0. The interpretative gestures allowed the elaboration of two discursive blocks (DB): Sense of incorporation and (re)production of the biomedical discourse; and From normalization to resistance: processes of experiencing HIV/AIDS in chronicity. In the first DB, the sick individuals incorporated the biomedical discourse, guiding their experiences in scientism and pathology. In fact, they reproduced the dominant discourse reverberating meanings of uninterrupted follow-up of drug therapy, as well as practices and behaviors legitimized as healthy (healthy eating, personal hygiene). In the second DB, the meanings of discursive normalization of HIV/AIDS were analyzed, so that the subjects related the experiences of illness to daily activities that, above all, should minimize exposure to health risk situations. It has been observed, however, that such meanings of normalization are embedded in fragilizing contexts, such as prejudice, stigma and discrimination against HIV. Aspects that seemed to be the basis of the sick subjects\' resistance discourse, which, in turn, seemed to justify moments/periods of interruption of drug treatment. It was concluded that care for chronical PLH requires, among other things, the constitution of reflections (others) that favor a proximal dialogical relationship between health professionals and those who are ill. So that the dynamicity of a condition of illness in constant becoming can be understood, distinguished by the way of being and being of each subject in its environment

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo exploratório do tipo transversal sobre a relação das doenças crônicas e o uso da tecnologia nuclear. O aumento na prevalência das doenças crônicas nos países em desenvolvimento é preocupante e devem ser avaliados cuidadosamente dentro das sociedades, organizações e seus indivíduos. Os avanços tecnológicos vivenciados nas últimas décadas, em especial, na área da tecnologia nuclear criam expectativas para lidar com o desafio das doenças de modo mais eficiente. Entretanto, pouco foi explorado sobre esse tema por um prisma dos agentes médicos que compõem esse sistema de relações entre a doença e a tecnologia. A necessidade de planejamentos públicos e privados para lidar com essa problemática podem se beneficiar de uma avaliação inicial sobre um tema ainda emergente, mas que deverá compor a agenda de planejamento em saúde e tecnologia nos próximos anos. Por meio de uma metodologia mista, composta por abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa buscou-se configurar e revelar as importantes dimensões sobre o tema dessa pesquisa. A pesquisa de campo foi composta tanto de entrevistas analisadas através de técnicas da teoria fundamentada e também de questionários enviados via web analisados estatisticamente através da análise fatorial exploratória. Tais empreendimentos permitiram revelar dimensões que compõem a percepção entre a doença crônica e o uso da tecnologia nuclear. Essas dimensões apresentadas na forma de um constructo teórico foram então discutidas de um ponto de vista da teoria social e de inovação tecnológica. / This research is an exploratory cross-sectional study about the relationship of chronic disease and the use of nuclear technology. There is a concern over the increase of the prevalence of chronic disease in developing countries and it should hence be carefully evaluated in the context of societies, organizations and individuals. The technological advances experienced in the last decades especially in the nuclear technology area have created expectations to deal more efficiently with the challenge of chronic diseases. However little has been explored in this area under the point-of-view of medical doctors as agents who make this system of relations between disease and technology. The necessity for public and private planning to deal with this set of problems can benefit through an initial evaluation about the forthcoming theme, but should incorporate the agenda of health and technology planning for the following years. Using mixed methodology, made up of qualitative and quantitative approach, this research sought to reveal and configure important dimensions around the theme of this study. The field research was made up of interviews analyzed using techniques of fundamental theory and also of questionnaires sent by web analyzed statistically using exploratory factor analysis. These ventures allowed dimensions to be revealed that make up the perception of chronic disease and the use of nuclear technology. These dimensions presented in a form of a theoretical construct that were then discussed under the point of view of social theory and technological innovation.

Introdução: As mudanças ocorridas nas últimas décadas nos perfis de morbimortalidade da população, com destaque para o grande aumento na prevalência de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNT), estão diretamente relacionadas a fatores de riscos modificáveis como tabagismo, prática insuficiente de atividade física, alimentação inadequada e consumo de álcool. Objetivo: Descrever a tendência temporal da prática de atividade física no lazer nas capitais brasileiras e no Distrito Federal no período entre 2006 e 2013. Métodos: Dados do Sistema de Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas Não Transmissíveis por Entrevista Telefônica (Vigitel) foram utilizados. No Período em estudo, 2006 a 2013, o Vigitel realizou uma média anual superior a 50 mil entrevistas junto a indivíduos adultos idade 18 anos) residindo em domicílios com ao menos uma linha de telefone fixo. As principais qestões do Vigitel de interesse desse estudo tratam da frequência, intensidade e tipo de atividade física realizada no lazer. A tendência temporal da atividade física no lazer e seus componentes foi analisada para o conjunto completo da população estudada pelo Vigitel e também segundo estratos de sexo, idade e escolaridade. Resultados: No período entre 2006 e 2013 verificou-se aumento significativo (p<0,05) tanto no percentual de indivíduos que feriram ter praticado atividade física no lazer nos três meses que antecederam a entrevista (44,0 a 47,2 por cento , 0,53pp/ano) quanto entre aqueles que referiam praticar atividade física ao menos uma vez por semana (40,8 a 45,1 por cento , 0,61pp/ano). Quanto aos componentes da atividade física no lazer, verificou-se uma maior presença (p<0,05) das atividades de intensidade moderada, assim como uma tendência de aumento da frequência semanal e da duração dos episódios de prática. Como resultado disso, o percentual de indivíduos atingindo as recomendações internacionais de prática de atividade física aumentou (p<0,05) de 30,3 a 33,8 por cento entre 2009 a 2013 (0,99pp/ano). De forma geral, os aumentos foram mais frequentes entre as mulheres, os indivíduos adultos jovens e entre aqueles de maior escolaridade. Conclusão: Verificou-se aumento dos níveis de prática de atividade física no lazer em grande parte das situações investigadas. Ainda que esse aumento tenha reduzido as diferenças vislumbradas entre homens e mulheres, ele acentuou as diferenças entre indivíduos mais jovens e mais velhos e entre aqueles nos níveis extremos de escolaridade. / Introduction: Changes in recent decades in the populations morbidity and mortality profiles, highlighted a large increase in the prevalence chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) directly related to modifiable risk factors such as smoking, insufficient physical activity, unhealthy diet and alcohol consumption. Objective: To describe trends in physical activity during leisure time in Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District between 2006 and 2013. Methods: Data from the Telephone Surveilance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases (Vigitel) were used. During the study period, from 2006 to 2013, the Vigitel held an annual average of 50,000 interviews with adults (age 18 years) living in households with at least one fixed telephone line. The Vigitel information of main concern of this study is the frequency, duration and intensity of physical activity performed during leisure time. Time trends in physical activity during leisure time and its components were studied for the complete set of the population studied by Vigitel and also according strata of sex, age and education. Results: Between 2006 and 2013 there was a significant increase (p<0.05) in both the percentage of individuals who reported having practiced physical activity during leisure time in the three months preceding the interview (from 44.0 to 47.2 per cent 0,53pp/year) and among those who reported physical activity at least once a week (40.8 to 45.1 per cent , 0.61pp/year). As for the components of physical activity during leisure time, there was an increase in the presence (p<0.05) of low or moderate-intensity activities as well as a tendency to increase the weekly frequency and duration of episodes of practice. As a result, the percentage of individuals reaching the international recommendations for physical activity increased (p<0.05) from 30.3 to 33.8 per cent between 2009 and 2013 (0.99pp/year). Overall, the increases were ore frequent among women, young adults and among those with higher education. Conclusion: An increase of the levels of practice of physical activity during leisure time was verified in most of the investigated situations. Although this increase has reduced the differences in the level of practice between men and women, he emphasized the differences between younger and older individuals and among those in extreme levels of education.