This thesis investigates the dual transnationalism of ancestral return migrants, that is to say people “returning” to the territory where their ancestors had once migrated from. Dispersed from their homeland in the second half of the 19th century, the Adyge-Abkhaz diaspora has been involved in a variety of transnational practices in relation to their homeland in the Caucasus; and some, with considerable effort, have been settling there especially in the last two decades. The transnational involvement of this diaspora, most of whom live today in Turkey, is motivated by their search for belonging. Many who go back and forth between Turkey and the Caucasus are involved in transnational diaspora associations and take an active role in the formation of a transnational ethno-political-cultural environment for new generations growing up in the diaspora. The majority of those who have “return migrated” to their homeland in the Caucasus, in this study to two republics, Adygeya (an autonomous republic under the Russian Federation) and Abkhazia (a republic with contested independence), develop new transnational links to their diaspora communities in Turkey. This thesis is the product of a multi-sited, multi-method research project that combines theories related to transnationalism, diaspora and return, as well as migrant adaptation. Using life-history interviews, semi-structured interviews and participant observation, fieldwork for the research took place in rural diaspora settlements and urban diaspora organisations in Turkey as well as in the Caucasus, thereby enabling the researcher to study both ends of the migration route. Existing studies on ancestral return migration focus on pull and push factors, which hitherto have focused on sending and receiving countries separately. This thesis argues that their dual transnationalism, both in the diaspora (in Turkey) looking back towards the diasporic homeland, and after return looking back towards the diaspora, turns them into the “diaspora of their diaspora”.

This thesis is based on eighteen months' fieldwork in Tissana: a bustling multi-ethnic fishing town on Sierra Leone's southern coast. It tells the story of the successive waves of young migrants who, for several decades, have been arriving on the coast from rural areas seeking an alternative to the indentured labour conditions of a farming economy still shaped by the legacy of domestic slavery. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post­‐war economy, and in an ecological context in which fish stocks are in treacherous decline, I explore the intersection between people's everyday struggles for economic survival and their taken-for-granted knowledge of the substance of the world within which those fragile livelihoods play out. In a region in which we have come to correlate ‘memory' with the collective scars of slavery and civil war, Tissana's older residents look back with nostalgia and remember the youthful energy, conspicuous consumption and seemingly easy ‘freedom' of their town's early boom years. In some respects, the pattern is familiar from accounts of resource rushes all across Africa: the convergence of large numbers of young strangers in an unfamiliar landscape far from the authority of village elders opened up a space in which a new kind of moral economy emerged. However, within just a few decades of its initial boom, the fluidity of Sierra Leone's fishing economy is already under intense pressure. Fish stocks have suffered a noticeable decline and, as catches become smaller and more erratic, people find themselves drawn once more into networks of dependency and reciprocity that offer their only viable hope of material security. A constant tension animating everyday life in Tissana is how people are able to work, through the strategic deployment of material gifts, to nurture the relationships that they rely upon for their subsistence, whilst simultaneously attempting to protect themselves from becoming entangled in other, less appealing social bonds. At its core, then, this is a work about the materiality of human relationships; of social bonds formed and lived under conditions of such stark economic uncertainty that, very often, ‘love' and ‘livelihoods' are difficult to disaggregate — and even more difficult to trust. Here relationships often have a peculiarly fleshy, ethnographically observable aspect. One can go a long way towards mapping the town's fluctuating networks of friendship, love, debt, and obligation simply by watching the gifts of fish exchanging hands on the wharf. The town also raises a quite particular set of problems for an anthropologist interested in the materiality of social life. I explore how the lived experience of poverty, and the anxiety of stretched livelihoods are entangled with quotidian discussions of blessings, swears, initiation societies, and ‘fetish' medicines: elements of social life that we might intuitively gloss as ‘ritual', but that are, in fact, integral to the everyday economic order. Here, my work builds on a long literature in Sierra Leonean ethnography. Anthropologists working in this region have often revealed how their interlocutors do not draw any sharp distinction between ‘material' and ‘immaterial' elements of the physical environment and the agencies that inhabit it (Ferme 2001; Tonkin 1979; Bellman 1984). My contribution to this literature is to explore how such apparently abstruse questions of im/materiality become relevant in people's lives through economic practice: through the everyday decisions people make, and the work they invest, in fishing, trading, and gift-exchange.

This thesis conducts empirical analysis on the intergenerational transmission of adiposity, using various types of data from various countries; the same intergenerational transmission in China and how it varies with the family socioeconomic factors and age levels; the way in which health impinges on the decision to migrate in China. In the first empirical chapter we find that the intergenerational elasticity of adiposity is relatively constant – at 0.2 per parent, and this elasticity is comparable across time and countries. Quantile estimates suggest that this intergenerational transmission mechanism is more than double for the fattest children as it is for the thinnest children. The second empirical chapter examines the intergenerational transmission of adiposity in China: we use BMI z-score as another measure of adiposity, the longitudinal structure of CHNS data (1993-2009) allows us to control for individual fixed effects or family fixed effects and focus on changes in BMI z-score over the life cycle. We report patterns of the intergenerational relationship of BMI z-score varying by family socio-economic factors and the age of the child, the magnitude of this relationship reaches the peak over the stage between childhood and later adolescence. In the third empirical chapter, which also uses the CHNS data, we examine whether migrants are healthier than those who do not migrate in the places of origin in the context of internal migration in China. Based on the relative wage rates, costs of migration and the assumption of optimization, we set up a theoretical model and estimate the effects of health on the migration probability, we find that people self-evaluating as having “good” or “excellent” health are more likely to migrate, this health effects vary with the type of occupation, we also find evidence on the indirect health effects which operates through the education attainment.

This doctoral thesis commences with a meticulous examination on whether financial, social and institutional determinants associate with the migration performance in Europe and accordingly in Greece. Motivated by the intensity, the magnitude and the financial recession, this thesis presents three empirical chapters on the examination of the determinants that affect the phenomenon of migration. Prior to these three empirical studies a chapter introduces and defines all the variables used as well as the theoretical and methodological framework of the thesis. The first empirical chapter demonstrates a comprehensive sample of 15 European countries from 1990 – 2012, which have been divided into 3 groups (Weak-EMU, Strong-EMU and Non-EMU countries) in order to investigate the behaviour of each group during these periods. It follows a quantitative analysis of the economic and social determinants on migration, in order to comprehend their relationship with the phenomenon. The chapter concludes with the discussion of our results with an analytical review of the selected variables upon migration. Results reveal that Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain are countries that are more exposed to the financial crisis, something that consequently affects negatively the behaviour of each employed economic variable. Additionally, results detect that one significant outcome is that the GDP growth rate, inflation and the imports of goods are related to migration, while on the other hand the 10-year government bond yield is not affiliated to the phenomenon. The second empirical chapter covers the financial, social and institutional determinants that motivate Greek nationals to leave their country and emigrate to wealthier destinations during the recent financial crisis. First, it reviews the theoretical explanations for the efficiency of the factors on migration. It then provides a survey on the relevant empirical studies and subsequently an analysis of the variables, which have a significant impact on labour migration. Based on the theories presented, the study develops a model to explain how financial, social and institutional factors are correlated with the economic downturn and lead to adverse financial and social shocks such as massive migration outflows of Greek nationals. More precisely, the second chapter indicates that Greece has been very exposed to the financial crisis, thus had a strong impact on the decision of Greek natives to emigrate. As conditions deteriorate, Greece was in a severe financial situation due to the financial crisis and was dependent on the monetary policy support, something that emerged the country to experience major and drastic changes on its social cohesion. Further, we can identify, that debt to GDP, exports of goods, ln of imports of goods, long term unemployment and population growth are positively related to emigration from Greece, while on the other hand cash surplus, foreign direct investment and bank capital are negatively associated to the phenomenon. Finally, we employed advanced techniques to model the factors that motivate the existing regular immigrants in Greece to abandon the country and return to their own during the economic crisis period (return-migration). The findings reveal details on the imbalances of the economic, social and political framework of Greece that consequently affected negatively the growth rate of the country and created a fragile economy with high rates of unemployment and inflation. Hence, it compares the economic, social and institutional factors, which are related to the literature of return migration. According to the estimated results, the phenomenon of return migration is neither related in a predetermined way with unemployment rates nor poverty levels, but with tax revenue, corruption and government debt. Consequently, this situation had a strong negative impact in the behaviour of each financial, social and institutional determinant, with immediate result to the migrant families who pursue an improved quality of life back to their home country.

The overwhelming focus on causal linkages between environmental stressors and the migration decision making, disagreement among stakeholders regarding the positioning of migration within CCA discourse, and the lack of empirical evidence surrounding the role of migration as adaptation have been major impediments to mainstreaming migration in adaptation policies. There is a growing consensus among migration scholars regarding the potential contribution of migration to the lives and livelihoods of the migrants and their families left behind. However, the extent to which migration can contribute to climate change adaptation (CCA) in migrant-sending households, origin communities, or origin countries is a complex issue and requires further exploration. This thesis attempts to fill some of this knowledge gap by developing a conceptual approach to understand the effects of migration in the context of adaptation to extreme events such as drought and floods. As such, it is not concerned as to why someone migrates, but purely on its effects. This thesis shifts the focus to consequences of migration outcomes. The discourse on migration and adaptation has witnessed the same contestations of structuralism, neo-classical, and pluralist viewpoints with reference to effects of migration on development of migrant-sending households and origin communities. These lessons are pertinent for migration and adaptation discourse, and I use these lessons to build the conceptual framework of this thesis. It attempts to understand how the choices on remittance usage already made by households affects the CCA to extreme events. This thesis adopts a mixed-methods and comparative approach to validate the conceptual framework, based on case studies from Baoshan County of Yunnan Province in China and Upper Assam in India. A key component of CCA is the reduction of vulnerability of a system to climate change and variability. The vulnerability concept provides a framework to unpack the constituents of vulnerability. A reduction in vulnerability to an extreme event requires a reduction in sensitivity and enhancement of capacity to adapt. This thesis analyses the vulnerability of the remittance-recipient households compared to households that do not have access to remittances. It also characterises sensitivity and adaptive capacity of the remittance-recipient households in context of duration for which a household has received remittances and distance to destination. Results suggest that remittances affect certain sub-dimensions and attributes of vulnerability and these affects vary in different contexts. The mobility patterns and its consequences within a country are shaped by a wide range of policies and institutions. The creation of an enabling condition for adaptation remains a critical function for the governments, thus migration could not be a substitute for public investment in development and adaptation in origin communities. The availability of an enabling environment and reduction in structural constrains would reduce the risks from migration and help remittance-recipient households to leverage remittances for CCA.

This thesis is formed of three separate essays. The essays are empirical in nature and use the Kagera Health and Development Survey from Tanzania. The survey spans a 19-year period offering a unique opportunity to study many long-run dynamic processes of development in rural Africa. In the first essay, a version of which was co-authored with Joachim De Weerdt, we use these data to shed light on how mass internal migration changes the nature of informal risk-sharing. By quantifying how shocks and consumption co-move across linked households, our analysis shows that migrants unilaterally insure their extended family members who remain at home. This finding contradicts risk-sharing models based on reciprocity, but is consistent with assistance driven by social norms. Migrants sacrifice three to five per cent of their consumption growth to provide this insurance, which seems too trivial to have a stifling effect on their growth through migration. The second essay studies the role of exogenous income shocks on long-term migration decisions. The results reveal that temperature shocks cause large fluctuations in household consumption and inhibit long-term migration among men. These findings suggest that liquidity constraints are binding and prevent potential migrants from tapping into the opportunities brought about by internal migration. The final essay focuses on child nutrition and examines whether under-nourished children are able to recover the height losses later in life. The essay questions the methods used in the existing empirical literature and challenges the conventional view that recovery is nearly impossible after five years of age. The empirical part of the essay documents how puberty offers an opportunity window for recovery in the case of children in Kagera.

NE Brazil is a semi-arid region influenced by the southward displacement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which is the main atmospheric system that modulates the seasonal increasing in precipitation over this region. It is well established that these wet periods correlate temporally with the Heinrich Events. However, the local oceanographic response to the fresh water pulses in North Atlantic and how it influences sediment transport along the margin off NE Brazil, is still a matter of discussion. This thesis presents a rock magnetic and element data along four marine cores collected in the south equatorial Atlantic Ocean, covering the last 85 ka BP. Moreover, it was performed an end-member analysis based on the IRM acquisition curves bringing better understanding about sediment sources. Magnetic characterization permitted us to investigate a possible relationship between river supply/longitudinal transport and precipitation enhancement caused by cold events over the North Atlantic. The results suggest a differential deposit of magnetic minerals along the coast, with highly coercive phases (hematite and goethite) further west, and gradually softer phases, like (titano)magnetite to the east. This difference is due mainly to differential oxidation over land, but secondarily we suggest a transport from W-E of coercive material, caused by weakness of NBC. / O NE do Brasil é uma região semiárida influenciada pela migração para sul da Zona de Convergência Intertropical (ITCZ), que é o principal sistema atmosférico que controla o aumento sazonal da precipitação nessa região. É bem estabelecido que esses períodos úmidos se correlacionam temporalmente com os Eventos Heinrich. Entretanto, a resposta oceanográfica local a esse input de água doce no Atlântico Norte e como isso influencia o transporte de sedimentos ao longo da margem adjacente ao NE do Brasil é ainda discutido. Este trabalho apresenta dados magnéticos e geoquímicos para quatro testemunhos coletados na parte sul do Oceano Atlântico equatorial, para os últimos 85 ka BP. Além disso, foi feito um estudo de end-members baseado nas curvas de aquisição de IRM, a partir do qual elucidamos sobre possíveis fontes de sedimento. O estudo magnético permitiu investigar uma possível relação entre input de rios/transporte longitudinal e aumento da precipitação causado pelos eventos frios do Atlântico Norte. Os resultados sugerem uma deposição diferencial de minerais magnéticos a longo da costa, com fases altamente coercivas (hematita e goethita) na parte oeste, e fases gradualmente menos coercivas, como titano(magnetita) para leste. Essa diferença é devida, principalmente, à oxidação diferencial no continente, mas secundariamente nós sugerimos um transporte W-E de material coercivo, causado pelo enfraquecimento da Corrente Norte do Brasil (NBC).

Esta tese tem como questão central investigar de que forma as propostas de legados apresentadas pelos realizadores dos megaeventos esportivos brasileiros Jogos Pan-Americanos de 2007, Copa do Mundo de Futebol de 2014 e Jogos Olímpicos Rio 2016 respondem aos interesses das políticas públicas. Para tanto, os objetivos consistiram em: a) verificar na história recente de três megaeventos esportivos ações de boas práticas ligadas aos possíveis legados dos seguintes eventos: Copa Mundo/2010 África do Sul, Jogos Sul-Americanos/2010 Medellín/Colômbia e Jogos Olímpicos/2012 Londres / Inglaterra; b) verificar, diante dos legados do evento Jogos Pan-Americanos Rio-2007, como se instituíram as relações entre Governo Federal e o órgão de administração nacional do esporte olímpico brasileiro (COB) na definição das ações do evento; c) verificar em que medida se dão as relações entre o atual Governo Federal e os órgãos de administração nacional do esporte (CBF e COB), responsáveis pela organização da Copa do Mundo de Futebol de 2014 e pelos Jogos Olímpicos do Rio de Janeiro de 2016, no que tange aos possíveis legados a serem deixados pelos referidos eventos, se eles se aproximam ou se afastam dos encontrados nos Jogos Pan-Americanos Rio-2007. O procedimento metodológico utilizado neste estudo foi realizado em quatro fases: a) revisão bibliográfica sobre o tema; b) levantamento e análise de documentos referentes aos eventos estudados; c) realização de sete entrevistas semiestruturadas, que foram gravadas, transcritas e categorizadas; d) categorização e análise dos documentos e das entrevistas levando em consideração os objetivos propostos na pesquisa. Os resultados demonstraram que as ações de boas práticas ligadas aos possíveis legados dos megaeventos verificados na história recente se posicionam no campo dos legados tangíveis para os Jogos de 2010 e 2012 e intangíveis para a Copa do Mundo de 2010. Quanto à relação entre Governo Federal e COB nas tomadas de decisão, com base nos legados, do Pan de 2007, os dados mostram que o processo se baseou em um planejamento frágil, um modelo de governança inadequado e a assinatura tardia da matriz de responsabilidade do evento. Com relação ao desenvolvimento de legados dos eventos de 2014 e 2016, observamos que o de imagem é que aparece de maneira mais relevante na pesquisa. Finalmente, para responder à questão central da presente pesquisa, chegamos à demonstração de que a base das propostas de legados do Pan de 2007 pouco se aproxima dos interesses das políticas públicas. Já para a Copa do Mundo de 2014 e para os Jogos de 2016, as propostas de legados se direcionam para ações que, se bem-executadas, podem de forma direta ou indireta atender os interesses das políticas públicas. / The objective of this dissertation was to investigate how the proposals for the legacies presented by Brazilian organizers of sports mega-events Pan American Games 2007, FIFA World Cup 2014 and Olympic Games - Rio 2016 meet the interests of public policies. The objectives of this research were: a) to identify actions of good practices linked to possible legacies of three recent sports mega-events: the FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa, the South American Games/2010 Medellin / Colombia and the Olympic Games/2012 London/England; b) to verify how the relationship between the Federal Government and the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) was devised in order to define the necessary actions for the events related to the legacies of the 2007 Pan American Games; c) to identify the relationship between the Federal Government and the private institutions CBF (the Brazilian Confederation of Soccer) and COB - both of them responsible for the organization of the FIFA World Cup 2014 and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016; d) to identify and verify how close the possible legacies left (or to be left) by the mentioned events are from those found in the Rio 2007 Pan American Games. Methodological procedures were taken in four stages: a) bibliographical review about the topic; b) analysis of documents related to the investigated events; c) seven semi structured interviews, recorded, transcribed and categorized; d) categorization and analysis of documents and interviews based on the proposed objectives. Results demonstrated that the good practices linked to the possible legacies of the referred sports mega-events in recent history are tangible for the 2010 and 2012 Games and intangible for the FIFA World Cup 2010. In terms of the relationship between the Federal Government and COB, based on the legacies of the 2007 Pan-American Games, data demonstrate that the process was based on weak planning, which caused an inadequate model of management, which resulted in the late agreement on the responsibility matrix. In relation to the development of legacies of the sports mega-events of 2014 and 2016, it was observed that the image of Brazil as a great country seems to be the main legacy to be left. Finally, it is important to mention that the response to the central question of this study is that the proposals for the legacies of the 2007 Pan-American Games did not meet the interests of public policies. As for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, the proposals for the legacies are directed to actions which, if well executed, might directly or indirectly meet interests of public policies.

Orientador: Silvia Cristina Mangagini Bocchi / Banca: Cristina Maria Garcia de Lima Parada / Banca: Rosalina Aparecida Partezani Rodrigues / Resumo: Trata-se de um estudo de natureza qualitativa, com os objetivos de: compreender a experiência de mulheres com incontinência urinária e elaborar um modelo teórico representativo da mesma. A saturação teórica se deu mediante a análise da 18ª entrevista não diretiva, segundo a Teoria Fundamentada nos Dados, conhecida internacionalmente como Grounded Theory. Deste processo, emergiram dois fenômenos: convivendo com os desafios da Incontinência Urinária (IU) e vivenciando a esperança e a desilusão de reabilitar-se da IU. Do realinhamento dos componentes (temas, categorias e subcategoria) provindos dos fenômenos emergiu a categoria central, denominada: entre o sofrimento e a esperança: o apoio e o acesso à reabilitação da IU como componente interveniente. Da análise à luz do Interacionismo Simbólico, verificou-se que a gravidez e o parto vaginal emergem como símbolos de vulnerabilidade da mulher ao sofrimento de conviver com o desafio moral e fisiopsicossocial da IU. Assim como, a inferência de que a desconsideração do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) com investimentos no processo de reabilitação da IU possa estar fragilizando os próprios programas de incentivo ao parto vaginal. Ademais, aponta a perpetuação do sofrimento da mulher com a IU, na maioria das vezes, impossibilitada de acesso ao processo de reabilitação que poderia garantir uma melhor qualidade de vida, por falta de programas incentivados pelas políticas públicas, em oferecer uma assistência voltada às reais necessidades dessas usuárias do SUS / Abstract: This qualitative study aimed at understanding the experience of women with urinary incontinence as well at developing a theoretical model of such experience. Theoretical saturation occurred by examining the 18th non-directive interview, according to the Grounded Theory. This process showed two phenomena: living with the challenges of urinary incontinence (UI) and experiencing the hope and disappointment of rehabilitating from UI. The core category emerged from the realignment of the components (themes, categories and subcategories) stemming from the phenomena and it was denominated between suffering and hope: support and access to rehabilitation from UI as an intervenient component. Analysis in light of Symbolic Interactionism showed that pregnancy and vaginal delivery emerge as symbols of women's vulnerability to the suffering of living with the moral and physio-psycho-social challenge of UI. It was also inferred that the disregard from the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) towards investments in the process of UI rehabilitation may be weakening its own programs of encouragement to vaginal delivery. Moreover, it shows the perpetuation of the suffering of women with UI, who, in most cases, are unable to access rehabilitation processes that could ensure a better quality of life due to the lack of programs sponsored by public policies and targeted at meeting the real needs of users of the public health system / Mestre

Casos de profissionais cometendo iatrogenias em relação a erros de medicação, lesões cutâneas em clientes por material cortante, entre outros, mostrados na mídia televisiva, muitas vezes com pessoas em menoridade, como as crianças, em geral causam grande impacto e empatia frente à sociedade. Dentre estes eventos adversos, estão as quedas de pacientes, uma das injúrias mais relatadas dentre as que são englobadas na segurança do paciente. Assim, este estudo objetivou aplicar uma metodologia da revisão integrativa para identificar estudos desenvolvidos sobre o tema quedas e/ ou acidentes por quedas de pacientes em instituição hospitalar. A revisão integrativa contemplou seis etapas, sendo que na quinta etapa (interpretação ou integração dos resultados) foram utilizados sete níveis de evidência para a classificação dos estudos. Foi realizada nas bibliotecas Cochrane e Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) e nas seguintes bases de dados: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), PubMed (US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health), Scopus e Web of Science, referente às publicações realizadas dos anos de 2002 a 2012, com os descritores / palavras-chave utilizados que contemplavam os termos quedas, pacientes e hospitais, em diferentes estratégias de busca. A seleção inicial contemplou 33.280 artigos, que após aplicados os critérios de inclusão e exclusão resultaram em uma amostra de 220 artigos. Deste total de artigos, os níveis de evidência baseados nos tipos de estudos, correspondentes ao total de artigos da presente pesquisa, foram o II, III, IV e VI, correspondentes a 10%, 0,9%, 39,1% e 50%, respectivamente. Assim, os estudos descritivos foram os mais presentes; seguido dos de coorte, caso-controle e quase-experimentais; dos ensaios clínicos controlados randomizados; e dos ensaios clínicos bem delineados sem randomização, respectivamente. Pode-se verificar também que os níveis de evidência dos estudos relacionados aos temas características / etiologias / fatores de risco e prevenção de quedas, e condutas pós-quedas acompanharam a mesma sequência daqueles com maior incidência no presente estudo (nível VI) para o de menor incidência (nível III). Os achados referentes às características / etiologias / fatores de risco relacionados a quedas de pacientes hospitalizados foram distribuídos em 14 subtemas, que totalizaram 24 itens, que contemplaram os achados que apresentaram associação com o tema. Em relação às medidas preventivas, encontrou-se 19 achados, dentre eles programas de prevenção de quedas; ferramentas / avaliação de risco de quedas; diretrizes / intervenções; recursos humanos / dinâmica de trabalho; acompanhante / sitter / voluntários; escalas de avaliação da funcionalidade (atividade de vida diária /dependência do cuidado) e função motora; luz de chamada; e cuidados de enfermagem. Somado a isto, das 14 condutas pós-quedas relatadas nos artigos, as mais presentes foram radiografias; administração de medicamentos / analgesia; avaliação médica / especialista; curativo simples / sutura; e observação. Logo, ao se pensar em quedas de pessoas há de ter-se em mente que um corpo desliza ou vai ao chão, devido a uma falta de sustentação do mesmo, decorrente de alguma situação intrínseca ao indivíduo ou devido a fatores externos que contribuem para que a pessoa deixe seu estado de \"equilíbrio postural\". Assim, este estudo proporcionou ter uma visão ampla sobre a diferentes contextos inerentes às quedas de pacientes hospitalizados, a fim de se conseguir desenvolver ações preventivas custo-efetivas e que proporcione uma assistência de qualidade aos indivíduos assistidos em instituições hospitalares / Cases of professionals committing iatrogenic regarding medication errors, cutaneous lesions in customers by cutting material, among others, shown in television media, often with underage people, such as children, in general cause greatly impact and empathy for society. Of these adverse events, patient falls are one of the most reported injuries among which are included in the safety of the patient. Thus, this study aimed to apply an integrative review methodology to identify studies development about the topic of falls and / or accidents from falls of patients in hospital. The integrative review included six stages, whereas the fifth step (interpretation or integration of results) seven levels of evidence were used to classify the studies. Was held in Cochrane and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) libraries in the following databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS), PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health), Scopus and Web of Science, referring to publications made the years 2002-2012, with descriptors / keywords used contemplated the falls terms, patients and hospitals in different search strategies. The initial selection included 33,280 articles, which after applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in a sample of 220 articles. Of the total articles, levels of evidence based on the types of studies, corresponding to the total number of articles of the present study were the II, III, IV and VI, corresponding to 10%, 0.9 %, 39.1% and 50%, respectively. Thus, descriptive studies were most present; followed the cohort, case-control and quasi- experimental, randomized controlled clinical trials, and well-designed clinical trials without randomization, respectively. It was also possible to verify the levels of evidence related to the themes of the characteristics / etiologies / risk factors and falls prevention, and post- falls conducts followed the same sequence of those with higher incidence in this study (level VI) to the lowest incidence (level III). The findings relating to the characteristics / etiologies / risk factors related to falls of hospitalized patients were distributed into 14 sub-themes, totaling 24 items, which contemplated the findings that were associated with the topic. Regarding preventive measures, it was found 19 findings, including programs for the prevention of falls; tools / risk assessment of falls; guidelines / interventions, human resources / labor dynamics, companion / sitter / volunteers; assessment scales of functionality (activities of daily living / dependency care) and motor function, call light, and nursing care. In addition to that, of 14 behaviors post- falls reported in the articles, the most present were radiographs, medication administration / analgesia, medical / expert review; simple curative / suturing, and observation. Therefore, when thinking about people\'s falls be borne in mind that a body slides or goes down due to a lack of support of itself, due to some intrinsic situation to the individual or due to external factors that contribute to person to leave their state of \"postural balance\". Thus, this study provided take a broad view on the different contexts inherent to inpatients falls in order to can develop cost-effective preventive actions that provides quality care to individuals assisted in hospitals