Os objetivos deste estudo foram estimar a prevalência da deficiência intelectual aos 7-8 anos de idade em uma coorte de nascimentos, através de investigação genética clínica e laboratorial e, também, investigar a etiologia da mesma e os fatores associados. Os participantes faziam parte de uma coorte acompanhada desde o nascimento e foram incluídos neste estudo por apresentar, em acompanhamentos anteriores, suspeita de atraso no desenvolvimento segundo o Teste de Rastreamento de Battelle, QI abaixo de 70 segundo a escala WPPSI e/ou problemas no comportamento observados durante entrevista. Das 4231 crianças da Coorte de 2004 de Pelotas, 214 foram selecionadas para a avaliação genética que constou de: anamnese, exame físico e dismorfológico e coleta de sangue e urina quando indicado. Criou-se um banco de dados incluindo variáves desta avaliação e dos acompanhamentos anteriores da Coorte, tais como: variáveis da gestação e do nascimento, sociodemográficas e relativas à saúde e estimulação da criança. Os dados foram processados no pacote estatístico Stata 13.0 e foi utilizada análise de variância (ANOVA). Foi considerada como tendo deficiência intelectual a criança que, além de apresentar um QI abaixo de 70, apresentava também problemas no comportamento adaptativo. Cento e setenta crianças das duzentas e quatorze selecionadas no início do estudo foram diagnosticadas com deficiência intelectual e classificadas em cinco grupos etiológicos. A maior parte das crianças (44,4%) foi classificada como tendo deficiência intelectual devida a causas não-biológicas, ou seja, ligada a fatores ambientais. O segundo maior grupo (16,6%) foi o grupo de crianças com deficiência intelectual genética que incluiu crianças com síndrome de Down, microdeleções e patologias autossômicas dominantes e patologias multifatoriais. A seguir, crianças com sequelas neonatais (13,3%) e deficiência intelectual associada a outras doenças (13,3%), como epilepsia e TDAH. O menor grupo foi o idiopático, constituído por crianças que, mesmo após investigação clínica e laboratorial, permaneceram sem diagnóstico definido. A prevalência de deficiência intelectual foi de 4,5% e a prevalência de deficiência intelectual genética de 0,66%. Apesar de algumas limitações como a identificação e seleção dos casos aos 4 anos para uma avaliação aos 7-8 anos, é importante considerar que, por ser um estudo de base populacional, com alta taxa de acompanhamento (92,0%), isto minimiza o viés de seleção. O fato dos dados serem colhidos no momento ou em um curto intervalo de tempo, considerando os diversos acompanhamentos, minimiza o viés de memória. Fora do mundo desenvolvido, são raros os estudos de coorte que avaliaram deficiência intelectual, seus fatores de risco e sua etiologia. Grande parte destes estudos, mesmo os conduzidos em países de renda alta, avaliaram a prevalência, mas não a etiologia. Os dados sugerem que boa parte destes casos poderia ser prevenida, principalmente considerando uma etiologia não-biológica, caso existissem, além do rastreamento de problemas no desenvolvimento, estratégias de intervenção educacional e de saúde. / The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence and etiology of intellectual disability at 7-8 years of age in a birth cohort through clinical and laboratory investigation and associated factors. Participants were part of a cohort followed from birth and were included in this study due to suspected developmental delay according to the Battelle Screening Test, IQ below 70 according to WPPSI scale and / or behavior problems observed during the interview in previous follow-ups. Of the 4231 children in the 2004 Pelotas birth cohort, 214 were selected for genetic evaluation which included anamnesis, physical and dysmorphological examination and collection of blood and urine when indicated. A dataset including variables from this evaluation and the previous cohort of follow-ups such as variables of pregnancy and birth, social demographic and health-related and stimulation of the child. Data were analyzed using Stata version 13.0. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. To be considered as having intellectual disability the child that presenting an IQ below 70 and problems in adaptive behavior. One hundred and seventy children from two hundred fourteen selected at baseline were diagnosed with intellectual disability and they were classified into five etiologic groups. Most children (44.4 %) were classified as having intellectual disability due to no biological causes, i.e., linked to environmental factors. The second largest group (16.6%) was the group of children with genetic intellectual disability which included children with Down syndrome, microdeletions and autosomal dominant and multifactorial diseases. Children with neonatal sequelae accounted for 13.3% and intellectual disability associated with other diseases such as epilepsy and ADHD also accounted for 13.3%. The smallest group was idiopathic composed of children who even after clinical and laboratory investigation remained without a definite diagnosis. The prevalence of intellectual disability was 4.5 % and the prevalence of genetic intellectual disability 0.66 %. Despite some limitations such as the identification and selection of cases to four years for an assessment at 7-8 years it is important to consider that it is a population-based study with high follow-up rate (92.0 %) which minimizes selection and information bias. As data were collected in time or in a short period of time considering the several follow-ups minimize recall bias. Outside the developed world few cohort studies assessed intellectual disabilities, their risk factors and etiology. Most of these studies even those conducted in high-income countries assessed the prevalence but not the etiology. The data suggest that part of these cases could be prevented specially considering the non-biological etiology if there were screening of developmental delay and intervention strategies on health and educational bases.

O parto cesariano tem sido usado de forma abusiva no Brasil. Fatores socioeconômicos, culturais e de organização dos serviços de saúde colaboram para a grande proporção de partos cirúrgicos, muitas vezes sem indicação médica que a justifique. Objetivo: avaliar a associação independente de variáveis socioeconômicas e demográficas maternas, características da assistência à gestação e parto e características do parto com o tipo de parto (vaginal e cirúrgico) e também com a causa da cesariana, classificada como terapêutica (doença ou condição materna ou fetal) e eletiva (sem causa médica expressa), em comparação ao parto vaginal. Método: Foram utilizados dados coletados de todas as puérperas do município de Ribeirão Preto, SP, em 2010, 7568 mães de recém-nascidos vivos de parto único. Na análise descritiva utilizou-se o teste de qui-quadrado e a associação dos fatores descritos com tipo de parto (vaginal e cirúrgico) foi testada por análise de Poisson com ajuste robusto da variância. A associação entre cesariana terapêutica ou eletiva e parto vaginal com as variáveis de interesse foi testada em análise de regressão logística multinomial. Resultados: Cesárea ocorreu em 58,4% dos partos, dos quais 58,3% foram terapêuticas e 41,7% eletivas; de todos os partos, 33,8% foram cesáreas terapêuticas e 24,3% foram eletivas. Após ajuste, cesárea foi mais frequente que parto vaginal nas gestações terminadas antes de 39 semanas, em mães adolescentes, com 9 a 11 anos de estudo, que realizaram partos no setor privado, depois de 12 horas decorridas entre internação e parto e internaram sem trabalho de parto; foi menos frequente de madrugada, às sextas-feiras, sábados e domingos, entre três e cinco horas da internação, em mães não brancas, que não realizaram pré-natal e parto com o mesmo médico e primíparas. Cesárea terapêutica foi mais frequente que o parto vaginal em gestações terminadas prematuramente; foi menos frequente que o parto vaginal de quinta-feira a domingo, entre três e 11 horas de internação, em gravidez não planejada e em multíparas. Cesáreas eletivas foram mais frequentes nas gestações entre 37-38 semanas, entre mães com 5 a 11 anos de estudo e multíparas com 2 a 4 partos; foram menos frequentes em mães idosas, nas classes menos favorecidas e com tempo de internação até o parto maior que três horas. Tanto as terapêuticas como eletivas foram mais frequentes do que parto vaginal em mães adolescentes, parto ocorrido no setor privado e fora do trabalho de parto. Ambas foram menos frequentes do que parto vaginal em mães, não brancas, partos realizados de madrugada e de quinta-feira a domingo e quando não foi o mesmo médico do pré- natal e parto. Conclusão: A taxa de cesárea em Ribeirão Preto apresentou valores expressivos, sendo 1/4 deles eletivos. Cesárea foi associada a características socioeconômicas da população estudada e também a fatores não clínicos, como assistência privada ao parto, dia e hora do nascimento. Algumas dessas características são comuns à cesárea terapêutica e eletiva, sugerindo que, mesmo com razões biológicas definindo a cesárea como terapêutica, fatores não clínicos podem ser mais importantes para decidir sobre a realização da cirurgia. / The caesarean section has been overused in Brazil. Socioeconomic, cultural and organization of health services factors contribute to the high proportion of surgical deliveries, often without medical indication to justify it. To assess the independent association of socioeconomic and maternal demographic variables, assistance features to pregnancy and labor and delivery characteristics of the type of delivery (vaginal and surgical) and also to the cause of cesarean section, classified as therapy (disease or maternal condition or fetal) and elective (without medical cause expressed) compared to vaginal delivery. We used data collected from all the mothers of Ribeirão Preto, SP, in 2010, 7568 mothers of live births of single birth. In the descriptive analysis was performed using the chi-square test and the combination of the factors described in the type of delivery was tested by Poisson analysis with robust adjustment of the variance. The association between therapeutic or elective cesarean section and vaginal delivery with the variables of interest was tested in multinomial logistic regression analysis. Cesarean occurred in 58.4% of births, of which 58.3% were therapeutic and 41.7% elective; of all births, 33.8% were therapeutic cesarean and 24.3% were elective. After adjustment, cesarean sections were more frequent than vaginal birth pregnancies ending before 39 weeks in teenage mothers, with 9 to 11 years of study, who underwent births in the private sector after 12h elapsed between admission and delivery and interned without labour; It was less frequent at dawn on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, between three and five hours of hospitalization in non-white mothers, who did not undergo prenatal and delivery with the same doctor and gilts. Cesarean therapy was more common than vaginal delivery in prematurely terminated pregnancies; It was less frequent than vaginal delivery Thursday to Sunday from 3 to 11 hours of hospitalization in unplanned pregnancies and multiparous. Elective cesareans were more common in pregnancies between 37- 38 weeks between mothers with 5 to 11 years of study and multiparous with 2-4 deliveries; They were less common in older mothers in the lower classes and length of stay to the higher birth than three hours. Both therapeutic and electives were more common than vaginal delivery in teenage mothers, birth occurred in the private sector and outside labor. Both were less frequent than vaginal delivery in mothers, not white, carried out early morning deliveries and from Thursday to Sunday and when it was not the same doctor\'s prenatal care and childbirth. The rate of cesarean delivery in Ribeirão Preto presented significant values, and 1/4 of them elected. Cesarean section was associated with socioeconomic characteristics of the population studied and also the non-clinical factors, such as private delivery care, day and time of birth. Some of these features are common to therapy and elective caesarean section, suggesting that even with biological reasons defining cesareans as a therapeutic, nonclinical factors may be more important to decide on the surgery.

Objetivo: Avaliar a prevalência, a gravidade e os fatores de risco associados à sibilância recorrente em crianças nos primeiros dois anos de vida em uma coorte de nascimentos. Métodos: Estudo de coorte prospectivo de 3167 crianças nascidas em Ribeirão Preto, SP, no ano de 2010 e avaliadas para esse estudo entre 12 e 24 meses. Os responsáveis pelos lactentes participantes responderam a questionários padronizados com questões referentes às características maternas, condições gestacionais, perinatais e pós-natais, antecedentes pessoais e familiares de doenças alérgicas, ocorrência e número de episódios de sibilância, ida a serviços de emergência, uso de medicações, diagnóstico de pneumonia e internações. O estudo das associações entre os desfechos e as variáveis independentes de interesse foi feito por meio de análise univariada e por modelos log-binomiais ajustados, obtendose medidas de risco relativo (RR) e seus intervalos de confiança (IC). Resultados: A prevalência de pelo menos um episódio de sibilância nos dois primeiros anos de vida foi de 56,3% (1785/3167), sendo que 35,8% (1136/3167) lactentes apresentaram sibilância ocasional (até dois episódios) e 20,1% (639/3167) apresentaram sibilância recorrente (três ou mais episódios). Sibilância recorrente grave (mais de 6 episódios) foi relatada em 8,7% lactentes (277/3167). Os fatores de risco independentes para apresentar de 3 a 6 episódios de sibilância foram: prematuridade (RR=1,46), tabagismo passivo (RR= 1,72, se menos de 10 cigarros/dia e RR=2,04. se mais de 10 cigarros/dia), frequentar a creche após os 6 meses (RR= 1,31), diagnóstico médico de rinite alérgica (RR= 1,52) e presença de carpete no domicílio (RR= 1,59). Os principais fatores de risco associados à sibilância grave foram: tabagismo passivo (RR= 2,89 para mais de 10 cigarros/dia), frequentar creche (RR= 2,43, se início até os 6 meses e RR: 1,49, se início após os 6 meses), resfriados nos 3 primeiros meses de vida (RR= 2,17), asma (RR= 1,50) e dermatite atópica na família (RR= 1,49) e diagnóstico de rinite alérgica (RR= 1,93). Lactentes brancos apresentaram prevalência menor de sibilância recorrente não grave (RR=0,68). Não houve associação entre o tempo de aleitamento materno e sibilância recorrente. Conclusões: Crianças nascidas em Ribeirão Preto apresentam alta prevalência de sibilância recorrente nos dois primeiros anos de vida. Nessa fase precoce da vida, medidas ambientais visando a diminuição da exposição à fumaça do cigarro e a prevenção de infeções virais poderiam resultar na redução dos casos de sibilância recorrente grave nesta população. / Objective: To evaluate the prevalence, severity and risk factors associated with recurrent wheezing in children in early years of life. Methods: Prospective cohort study of 3167 children born in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, in 2010, and evaluated for this study at 12-24 months of age. A standardized questionnaire with questions regarding maternal characteristics, gestational, perinatal and postnatal conditions, family and children allergy, occurrence of wheezing, number of wheezing episodes, daycare attendance, visits to emergency, medication use, diagnosis of pneumonia and hospitalizations was applied to caregivers . Associations between outcomes and the independent variables of interest were done through univariate analysis and adjusted log-binomial models. Relative risks (RR) and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: The prevalence of at least one episode of wheezing in the first two years of life was 56.3% (1785/3167), 35.8% (1136/3167) infants had occasional wheezing (up to two episodes) and 20,1% (639/3167) had recurrent wheezing (three or more episodes). Severe recurrent wheeze (more than 6 episodes) was reported in 8.7% infants (277/3167). The independent risk factors for presenting 3 to 6 episodes of wheezing were prematurity (RR = 1.46), passive smoking (RR = 1.72 for less than 10 cigarettes / day, RR = 2.04 for more than 10 cigarettes / day), daycare attendance after 6 months (RR = 1.31), medical diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (RR = 1.52) and the presence of carpet at home (RR = 1.59). The main risk factors associated with severe wheezing were passive smoking (RR = 2.89 for more than 10 cigarettes / day), daycare attendance (RR = 2.43 if was started before 6 months and RR=1.49, if started after 6 months), acute upper respiratory infections during the first 3 months of life (RR = 2.17), asthma (RR = 1.50) and atopic dermatitis in the family (RR = 1.49) and diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (RR = 1.93). White infants have a lower prevalence of non-severe recurrent wheezing (RR = 0.68). There was no association between duration of breastfeeding and recurrent wheeze Conclusions: Children born in Ribeirão Preto have a high prevalence of recurrent wheezing in the first two years of life. In this early stage of life, environmental measures to reduce the exposure to cigarette smoke and prevention of viral infections could result in the reduction of severe recurrent wheezing in this population.

By operationalizing Gordon's definition of structural assimilation, I examine occupational prestige, income, and educational attainment across four immigrant groups: 1.5 generation, 2nd generation, 3rd generation, and 4th generation. Additionally, I analyze the effect of religious affiliation, frequency of attendance, religious conversion, context of reception, and selective acculturation on each of the three measures of structural assimilation. Ethnic origin, gender, and age are implemented as control variables. Results provide evidence that religion does affect measures of structural assimilation. While impacts on occupational prestige and income seem minimal to non-existent, the effect of religion on educational attainment is more substantial. Religion indirectly affects occupational prestige and income outcomes due to their strong relationship to educational attainment.

Background: Posttraumatic-Stress Disorder (PTSD) is less common in older adults than in younger adults, and little is known about specific risk factors for PTSD in older adults. We investigated the association between self-esteem in late adolescence and PTSD in older adults. Method: Using a cohort design, 1,436 individuals who had been assessed approximately 40 years earlier in their junior and senior year of high school with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were evaluated for PTSD using the PTSD Checklist (PCL-17). Results: Fully controlled logistic regression models indicated that lower self-esteem in late adolescence predicted PTSD in the overall sample of older adults but not in the veterans-only subgroup. Limitations: The main limitations include self-completed measures to estimate PTSD diagnosis and lack of specific information on traumatic events. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that lower self-esteem from a young age may be a risk factor for PTSD in older age.

My dissertation consists of three essays that study the college premium in China and how it has been affected by China’s higher education expansion. In the first essay, I utilize the high education expansion as exogenous source to estimate the college premium. The rapidly changing access to college provides a rare opportunity to estimate a local treatment effect (LATE) of college education on earnings by utilizing the drastic increase in college admission rate in 1999. I also utilize the yearly admission rate as an instrumental variable for the endogenous college education. Using China Household Income Project 2013, the two IV estimates of college premium are 75.7 and 57.5 log points respectively. The second essay examines the trends of the college earnings premium by age groups from 1995 to 2013 in China. Specifically, based on China Household Income Projects, the college premium for the younger group (age 25-34) stagnated, while the college premium for the older group (age 45-54) increased substantially. I attribute the stagnation for the younger group to the fast-growing relative supply of younger college workers due to China’s higher education expansion. Holding the age cohort and survey year constant, a one unit increase in log relative size of college workers leads to 10.3 log points decrease in college premium. The third essay further explores the channel through which the cohort size affects the college premium. Using Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, I find that, for all survey years and age groups, the differential of the higher-skilled occupations share between college and non-college educated workers only explains a small part of college premium, 10%-30%. The part due to the higher-skilled occupational premium is negligible. Over 70% of the college premium is contributed by the college premium among the workers with lower-skilled occupations.

The roles and responsibilities of teacher leaders change as schools, districts, and states adopt new policies, procedures, and initiatives. However, little qualitative research has been conducted about how teachers develop leadership skills, particularly during preservice preparation programs. The purpose of this single case study was to explore how a community of practice prepared college graduates to be teacher leaders. The conceptual framework was based on the concepts of situated learning, communities of practice and legitimate peripheral participation. Four graduates from a state teaching program were purposefully selected as participants. Data were collected from multiple sources, including initial and follow-up interviews with program graduates, observations of their leadership activities in public schools, archival data, and program documents. Analysis consisted of multilevel coding, category construction, and determination of emergent themes and discrepant data to inform key findings. Findings suggested that the Southern State Teaching Program prepared its graduates to serve as teacher leaders through situated learning opportunities and the development, practice, and refinement of skills necessary for leading others. The program also offered peripheral participation in the program and the teaching profession. Implications for positive social change include the potential for including teacher leader development programs at the preservice level, which may ultimately improve teacher retention and student achievement.

Suicide is one of the major health issues and causes of mortality in modern societies. A global morality rate of suicide is 16 persons per 100,000 according to the World Health Organization report. Fortunately, the rates in most OECD countries have shown a dramatic decrease over the last 20 years. There are, however, two important exceptions, Japan and South Korea. The suicide rates in these two countries have been on an increasing trend. Because the two neighboring countries share similar socio-demographic contexts, I investigated the effects of the three time-related demographic variables (age, period, and cohort) on suicide rates in Japan and South Korea. The Age-Period-Cohort Intrinsic Estimator model was operated using data of vital statistics and population census from the Statistics Bureau and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan, and cause of death data and population census from Statistics Korea in South Korea. Even though the two countries are neighboring countries that have had some similar socio-demographic contexts, the factors contributing to increasing suicide rates vary in each country. The result showed age effects in Japan greatly contributed to suicide compared to period and cohort effects, and the age effects were highest during the fifties age bracket. On the other hand, South Korea turned out to have more compound reasons, showing pronounced age effects in the elderly population, increasing period effects, and the strong cohort effects of the current elderly and middle-aged populations. From this result, although Japan and South Korea are neighboring countries with shared histories, industrial structures, social systems, and some similar demographic characteristics, the cause of increasing suicide rates in the two countries clearly varies and the efforts for preventing suicide must also vary depending on the social contexts of each country.

The current study was designed to test the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in a retrospective group of 43 failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) patients. A medical record review was conducted on study participants to capture · relevant presurgical biopsychosocial variables deemed to be of potential prognostic value. In addition, a multidimensional approach to outcome assessment was undertaken along three general domains: general health status, disease specific outcomes, and surgical outcomes. Descriptive statistics of presurgical variables and outcome measurements are provided as well as a model of outcome prediction based on these prognostic variables. Results suggest that the use of neurostimulation may help to reduce low back and/or leg pain in some patients with FBSS; however, a large number of patients reported continuing pain, physical disability, and inability to work despite treatment. The current study calls into question the efficacy of SCS for FBSS. Recommendations for future studies are presented.

[pt] Evidências mostram que existe um determinado período na vida dos indivíduos onde certas preferências são desenvolvidas. Essas preferências parecem ser levadas por toda a vida, influenciando nos gostos desses indivíduos a longo prazo. Esse fenômeno vem a ser o que chamamos de Efeito Coorte. Este estudo a avalia se, conforme a teoria dos efeitos do coorte até então estudada, existe um período mais sensível da vida do indivíduo, no qual a preferência pelas tendências da moda é formada. O estudo investiga, ainda, alguns desdobramentos desta teoria, procurando identificar se existe um ponto máximo onde esta preferência ocorre. Os resultados mostraram ser compatíveis com a teoria até então estudada, fato que vem a ser de extrema relevância no trabalho de profissionais de marketing no setor da moda, além de sugerir estudos futuros mais extensivos no assunto. / [en] There is evidence that in certain period of an individual s life they develop preferences that remain unchanged throughout a lifetime. Therefore, these preferences may influence their tastes in the future. This phenomenon is called the cohort effect. This study investigates if there is a critical period in an individual s life, substantiating the cohort theory, where fashion preferences are developed. Other implications of this theory is explored in this study by trying to identify if there is a specific period, where these preferences occur. The results seem to be consistent with the existing cohort theory, which is extremely relevant for marketing professionals in the fashion business, and highlights the need for future studies for further investigation.