As mulheres infectadas por aids, ao engravidarem, enfrentam múltiplas dificuldades, entre elas o receio da transmissão vertical. Objetivou-se com este estudo identificar as características sócio-demográficas e as condições de vida e trabalho de mulheres com aids; identificar os significados atribuídos por elas à maternidade e conhecer as implicações de ser mãe no processo saúde-doença. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório, qualitativo, com 16 mulheres com AIDS, matriculadas num serviço especializado em DST/AIDS do município de São Paulo. Os dados foram obtidos meio de consulta aos prontuários clínicos e de entrevista com roteiro semi-estruturado e submetidos posteriormente à análise de conteúdo, sendo interpretados à luz do conceito de Vulnerabilidade. As características do grupo de mulheres estudadas são: solteiras, idade reprodutiva, baixa escolaridade e condições de vida precárias, infectadas por via sexual, souberam do diagnóstico tardiamente. Dos significados da maternidade, emergiram três categorias: a primeira “a vivência da gravidez” abrangendo os determinantes, os sentimentos e as repercussões da gravidez; a segunda categoria, “expressão da maternidade” reuniu os significados atribuídos à maternidade e as dificuldades enfrentadas. A terceira “implicações da maternidade no cotidiano” referem-se ao enfrentamento do processo saúde-doença e ao relacionamento familiar. Na análise das categorias foram identificados elementos potencializadores e protetores da vulnerabilidade à infecção, adoecimento e morte pelo HIV no contexto de transmissão vertical do HIV. Concluiu-se que a maternidade, na ótica das mulheres, constituiu-se em um evento protetor da vulnerabilidade ao adoecimento e morte por HIV, sendo assim necessária uma abordagem dessas mulheres sobre o desejo de ter filhos, pois a maternidade possibilita re-significar suas vidas. / When women who are infected by AIDS get pregnant, they face several difficulties such as the fear of vertical transmission. The objective of this study is to identify the socio-demographic and living and work conditions in the life of women who have AIDS; identify the meaning attributed by them to maternity and identify the implications of being a mother in the health-disease process. It consists of an exploratory and quantitative study with 16 AIDS infected women, enrolled in a specialized service in STD/AIDS in the city of Sao Paulo. The data collected from clinical records and interviews from semi-structured guidelines, were later submitted to the content analysis, and interpreted according to the Vulnerability concept. The characteristics of the women studied are: single, reproductive age group, low education and precarious life condition, sexually infected, with late diagnostic. From de meaning of maternity three categories stood out: the first, “the pregnancy experience”, including the determinants, the feelings and the pregnancy consequences: the second category, “maternity significance”, combined the meanings attributed to maternity and the difficulties encountered. The third “daily implications of maternity” is related to the confront of the health-disease process and family relationship. While analyzing the categories, potential elements, protectors against the vulnerability to infection, falling ill and death caused by HIV in vertical HIV transmission, were identified. We concluded that maternity, from the women’s point of view, was a protective event against the vulnerability to illness and death caused by the HIV. Therefore, it is necessary to approach these women to discuss the willingness of having children, because maternity makes it possible for them to redirect their lives.

The canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is a contagious cancer that is naturally transmitted between dogs by the allogeneic transfer of living cancer cells during coitus. CTVT first arose several thousand years ago and has been reported in dog populations worldwide. The goals of this Thesis were (1) to gain further understanding of CTVT distribution patterns and prevalence around the world, (2) to use genetics to trace the historical spread of CTVT and (3) to map the genetic as well as phenotypic diversity of CTVT tumours around the world. To understand the distribution patterns of CTVT, I obtained information from 645 veterinarians and animal health workers in 109 countries, and generated a snapshot of the locations in which this disease is found. Additionally, as preparation for further genetic analysis, I collected samples from over one thousand CTVT cases from more than 50 countries, optimised methods for high-throughput DNA extraction and quantification and optimised a qPCR-based assay for CTVT diagnosis and host contamination detection. With the goal of tracing the historical spread of CTVT and learning about the genetic diversity of this disease, I sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes of 449 CTVT tumours and their matched hosts. The analysis of the CTVT mitochondrial diversity revealed that CTVT has captured mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) through horizontal transfer events at least five times during the history of the lineage, delineating five tumour clades. CTVT appears to have spread rapidly around the world within the last 2,000 years, perhaps transported by dogs travelling along historic maritime trade routes. This work indicated that negative selection has operated to prevent accumulation of deleterious mutations in captured mtDNA, and that recombination has caused occasional mtDNA re-assortment. A histology-based screen of CTVT clades did not show any significant phenotypic differences between groups. In order to determine how the five mtDNA clades relate to each other, I analysed data from 539 CTVT exomes. This revealed that a single canine mtDNA haplogroup has recurrently and recently undergone multiple horizontal transfer events. Analysis of this haplotype highlighted a number of candidate genetic variants which may be conferring a selective advantage to this haplotype in CTVT, possibly by influencing mtDNA transcription or replication. Overall, genetic and phenotypic analysis of CTVT tumours from across the globe has broadened our understanding of CTVT diversity, and provided important insights into the biology of a unique transmissible cancer.

Prionen sind das infektiöse Agens transmissibler spongiformer Enzephalopathien von Tieren und Menschen. Prionen bestehen hauptsächlich aus einer abnormal gefalteten und aggregierten Isoform des zellulären Prionproteins (PrP). Die Replikation von Prionen findet mutmaßlich durch keiminduzierte Polymerisation des Prionproteins statt. Es existieren verschiedene Prionstämme, die unterschiedliche Eigenschaften aufweisen, aber vom selben zellulären Prionprotein abstammen können. Neben PrP scheinen Kofaktormoleküle an der Prionreplikation beteiligt zu sein. Weiterhin wird angenommen, dass Kofaktoren bei der Definition von Stammeigenschaften beteiligt sind, sowie ein Einfluss auf die Infektiosität von Prionen besteht. In dieser Arbeit wurden die Auswirkungen verschiedener Kofaktoren auf die Replikation von vier Hamster-adaptierten Prionstämmen in vitro mittels der Methode der „Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification“ (PMCA) untersucht. Es wurden stammabhängige Unterschiede bezüglich der Anforderungen an die Replikationsbedingungen in der PMCA, sowie Kofaktor-Selektivitäten festgestellt. Der Einfluss von Kofaktoren wurde durch den Vergleich ausgewählter biologischer, biochemischer und biophysikalischer Eigenschaften von in vitro erzeugten PMCA Produkten (PrPres) mit denen nativer Prionkeime untersucht. Es zeigte sich, dass Kofaktoren Stammeigenschaften, wie die biologische Keimaktivität in primären Gliazellkulturen und biochemische Eigenschaften, wie die Migration in SDS-Gelen, beeinflussen können. Um festzustellen, ob unterschiedliche Kofaktorbedingungen während der PMCA messbare Veränderungen der Proteinkonformation hervorrufen, wurde PMCA generiertes PrPres mittels FT-IR Spektroskopie in einer Pilotstudie charakterisiert. Erste Befunde zeigten spektrale Unterschiede zwischen den Proteinkeimen und deren PMCA Produkten bei allen Stämmen, unabhängig von den Kofaktorbedingungen. / Prions are the causative agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in animals and humans such as scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Prions are thought to be composed essentially of a misfolded and aberrantly aggregated isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrP) and to replicate by seeded PrP polymerization. Prions may exist in the form of distinct strains that differ in their phenotypic characteristics although they are derived from the same cellular prion protein. Cofactor molecules other than PrP may be involved in prion replication and may be a determinant of strain properties. Furthermore, cofactors may also be required for conveying infectivity. The present study examined the effects of different cofactor molecules on the replication efficacy of four hamster adapted prion agents using the method of serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) as in vitro assay for PrP misfolding and aggregation. The study revealed strain dependent differences of PMCA conditions and cofactors required for efficient in vitro replication. The impact of cofactors was assessed by comparative analyses of selected biological, biochemical and biophysical properties of PMCA products (PrPres) and native prion seeds. The biological seeding activity as monitored in a primary hamster glial cell assay, and biochemical properties such as electrophoretic migration in SDS-gels, were affected differently by different cofactors. In order to define the impact of putative cofactors on the molecular conversion of PrP in more detail, changes in the spatial structure associated with different cofactor molecule conditions during amplification of PrPres in PMCA was monitored by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic analysis. Largely preliminary data revealed spectral differences between native prion seeds and progeny PMCA generated PrPres for all prion strains, but no variations due to different cofactor conditions.

The human prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP) codon 129 (M/V) polymorphism is a susceptibility factor for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) and a major determinant of clinico-pathological phenotype in sporadic CJD. The role of codon 129 in defining susceptibility and strain transmission properties has been investigated in three lines of transgenic mice that express human PrP. The human PRNP gene has directly replaced the murine version, by gene targeting, and variation at codon 129 has given the three genotype lines (HuMM, HuMV, and HuVV). The genetics of these three mouse lines are otherwise identical, and therefore differences in transmission properties can be directly attributable to the codon 129 genotype. vCJD inoculation has shown that all three codon 129 genotype mice are susceptible with a ranking of transmission efficiency of HuMM>HuMV>HuVV. HuMM mice develop the most widespread neuropathology with features similar to human vCJD. Subclinical infection was noted in each mouse line. These data suggest that the vCJD strain is transmissible to humans of each of the three codon 129 genotypes, implying that non-MM cases of human infection with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) may exist but with long subclinical incubation periods. Inoculation of material from blood transfusion associated vCJD showed no change in transmission properties suggesting that the threat of a future epidemic of human-to-human vCJD infection has not been increased by adaptation of the vCJD strain. However the route of infection, for example via blood transfusion or surgery, may be more efficient that the original oral route of BSE infection. sCJD is classified into six subgroups according to clinico-pathological features, and defined by codon 129 genotype and electrophoretic mobility type (1 or 2) of disease associated PrPSc (MM1, MM2, MV1, MV2, VV1, VV2). Typical cases from each subgroup have shown specific transmission properties suggesting that the subgrouping is defining separate disease strains. The commonest subgroup (MM1) was the most transmissible and the HuVV mouse line the most susceptible host. These data outline the transmission risk from all sCJD types to recipients of each codon 129 genotype should an infection event occur, and show the significant role of recipient codon 129 genotype in defining the clinical or subclinical state and the success or failure of transmission. This is important for determining individual risk following known exposure, and for modelling the potential of iatrogenic infection from sCJD patients.

L'objectif de cette étude est la modélisation, l'analyse mathématique et la simulation de modèles épidémiologiques de métapopulations basées sur quelques approches modernes de la mobilité (mouvement) des individus. Ensuite d'examiner l'influence de la mobilité des humains sur la propagation de certaines maladies infectieuses. Enfin de s'attaquer à la difficile question de l'existence de la stabilité des équilibres endémiques pour des modèles de métapopulations. Nous proposons des modèles de métapopulations qui étendent sur plusieurs patches des modèles épidémiologiques déjà connus sur un seul patch pour certaines maladies infectieuses telles que le Paludisme, la Tuberculose et certaines maladies sexuellement transmissibles qui ne confèrent aucune immunité. Nos modèles sont basés sur des modèles de mobilité des humains qui prennent des formes différentes conduisant à plusieurs approches de la modélisation des métapopulations : les formulations d'Euler, de Lagrange du mouvement des particules (ici des humains) empruntés à la Mécanique des Fluides et une dernière formulation statistique plus récente prenant en compte les degrés des patches du réseau de métapopulations. Nous en donnons chaque fois une analyse mathématique rigoureuse. Le cadre théorique mathématique qur lequel nous nous appuyonspour donner une analyse complète de nos modèles est celui des systèmes dynamiques triangulaires, monotones ou anti-monotones et l'usage des techniques de Lyapunov-Lasalle est indispensable. Dans les deux premières parties de ce travail, nous prouvons que les solutions stationnaires (équilibres) des modèles obtenus sont globalement asymptotiquement stable lorsque le nombre de reproduction de base R0<ou=1 (pour l'équilibre sans maladie) et lorsque R0>1 (pour l'unique équilibre endémique). Dans la dernière partie, nous construisons un modèle de propagation de la tuberculose en s'appuyant sur les deux types forces d'infections les plus utilisées en modélisation mathématique des épidémies : la transmission fréquente-dépendante et la transmission densité-dépendante. Nous donnons pour chaque type de modèle, la formule explicite du nombre de reproduction de base. Nous montrons ensuite pour le modèle fréquente-dépendante, que l'équilibre sans maladie est globalement asymptotiquement stable lorsque R0<1. Et que pour le modèle à transmission densité-dépendante, nous prouvons l'existence d'un équilibre endémique lorsque R0>1. A la fin de chaque partie, des simulations numériques sont effectuées pour examiner l'influence des la mobilité des individus sur le nombre de reproduction de base R0, sur les solutions de nos systèmes et par conséquent sur la propagation de la maladie en étude / The objective of this thesis is first the modeling, the mathematical analysis and numerical simulations of the metapopulation models of infectious diseases based on some modern approaches of the mobility patterns of humans. Secondly to examine the influence of the mobility (movement) of people on the spread of some human infectious diseases. Finally to deal with the difficult question of the existence and stability of endemic equilibria of metapopulation models. For certain diseases such as Malaria, Tuberculosis or some Sexually Transmitted Diseases that do not confer any immunity, we give some metapopulation models that extend to multiple patches the well know epidemiological models in one patch. Our models are based on the mobility patterns of humans wich can take different forms leading to numerous approaches of modeling metapopulations : the Euler approach of the movement of particles (here humans) as in Fluid Mechanics, is used in the first part. The Lagrange approach of the movement of particles (here humans) as in Fluid Mechanics, is used in the second part. The last and more recent approach based on Statistical Mechanics, wich takes into account the degree distribution of the network of the metapopulation is used in the third and last part of this work. For each approach, we build a metapopulation model for a chosen disease, and gve its mathematical analysis. The theoretical framework we use to analyze ou models is that of triangular, monotone or anti-monotone non-linear dynamical systems. We also use some Lyapunov-Lasalle techniques. In the fisrt two parts of our work, we prove that the steady solutions (called equilibria) of the given systems are globally asymptotically stable when the basic reproduction number R0 is less than or equal to the unity (for the disease free equilibria), and when R0 is greater than one (for the endemic equilibria). In the last part, we build a model to describe the spreading of tuberculosis hinging on the two most used forces of infection in mathematical modeling of epidemics : the frequency-dependant transmission and the density-dependant transmission. For each type of trasmission model, we give the explicit formula for the basic reproduction number. We prove for the frequency-dependant transmission model, that the disease free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when R0 is less than one. And for the density-dependant transmission model, we prove the existence of an endemic equilibrium when R0 is greater than one. Numerical simulations are performed at the end of each part to examine the influence of human's mobility on the basic reproduction number, as well as on the behavior of the solutions and consequently on the spreading patterns of the diseases under study

Several functions have been attributed to the cellular prion protein, PrPc, amongst which its anti-oxidant role has rapidly been gaining interest in the recent years. We and others have previously shown, that PrPc expressing cells, of neuroblastoma or epithelial origin, seem to exhibit a higher overall viability towards paraquat toxicity than cells expressing basal or low levels of the protein. Although several studies propose a protective mechanism that involves PrPc dependent activation of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymatic machinery or an activation of its own intrinsic antioxidant function, others argue against this SOD-like role. Our objective was to investigate, at a biological and proteomic level, by which potential mechanism PrPc could protect neuroblastoma cells against paraquat induced oxidative damage. Using a biological aproach, we firstly evaluated the status of the Cu/Zn-SOD enzyme in Human neuroblastoma cells expressing different forms of PrPc following their exposure to paraquat. Next, we performed a proteomic study to investigate by which other potential mechanism(s), PrPc could protect the cell against paraquat induced oxidative stress. Our proteomic approach made use of an optimised two-dimensional liquid chromatography system, the ProteomeLab PF-2D, and reverse phase chromatography coupled with lava purple stained SDS-PAGE, both interfaced with tandem mass spectrometry. An interesting aspect of our study has been the development of an original immunoproteomic technique called immuno-PF2D-MS/MS, coupling classical immunological methods to a two-dimensional liquid chromatography proteomic tool interfaced with tandem mass spectrometry. We have proposed this technique for antigenic and serological characterization that have important implications in the study of biomarkers. Another important aspect of our study has been the detection of several candidates that could participate in PrPc-mediated protection against paraquat induced oxidative stress. Although, it was out of our scope to investigate each of these candidates in the present study, it presents an interesting perspective for future studies. We have, however, shown the implication of one such candidate: PARP-1. Complimentary tests will be necessary in the future to confirm the actual interaction of this candidate with PrPc.

Most of the blood transfusion facilities had adequate space, but lacked some of the basic equipment. Blood collected in these facilities was not adequate to meet the blood needs of the regions. These facilities lacked specialised personnel and some of those practicing blood transfusion were not conversant with blood groups, transfusion reactions and the measures to be taken if a reaction occurs. The findings of this study will be used to strengthen blood transfusion services in these hard to reach regions.

Most of the blood transfusion facilities had adequate space, but lacked some of the basic equipment. Blood collected in these facilities was not adequate to meet the blood needs of the regions. These facilities lacked specialised personnel and some of those practicing blood transfusion were not conversant with blood groups, transfusion reactions and the measures to be taken if a reaction occurs. The findings of this study will be used to strengthen blood transfusion services in these hard to reach regions.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T16:34:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Regina Celia Duarte.pdf: 261386 bytes, checksum: 48266073445c2a314a7381cb2dd7f611 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-06-25 / The Psychology of the Health has been dedicating itself to assisting the demand of the public health, mainly regarding to the prevention of diseases and promotion of the health. Referring to the epidemic of AIDS and other sexually transmissible diseases, the adolescent has been the most vulnerable public. Adolescence is considered a disturbed and disturbing phase. In this period of the life the adolescent is more susceptible to the contamination of such dieseases due to the emotional instability and his/her own position towards values and patterns of conduct. The aim of this study is to evaluate knowledge and protection/risk behaviors of adolescents' sexual practices, to identify socioeconomic and demographic data of those adolescents', to investigate the adolescents' knowledge about AIDS and other sexually transmissible dieseases and to know the protection behaviors and risks regarding these dieseases. The population of this study was constituted by 95 adolescents between 14 and 21 years old, of both sexes, with a predominance of the masculine gender and with an average family income of 4 (four) minimum wages. It is a descriptive research, in which a questionnaire composed by questions directly related to the theme was used. The collection of data took place at classroom of a state school from Guarulhos, a city nearby São Paulo, with pupils from the evening school. After answering the questionnaire, the adolescents attended a lecture about prevention and orientation about AIDS and other sexually transmissible dieseases, in which they could elucidate doubts. The results show that 67,4% of the adolescents have difficulties in defining the sexuality concept, in an almost equal proportion between feminine and masculine gender, and 84,2% know correctly the definition of sexually transmissible diseases. Most of the adolescents (67,4%) answered that they know some types of sexually transmissible diseases, standing out AIDS and the gonorrhea. The masculine gender had the beginning of the sexual life at the age of 10 and the feminine gender, at the age of 13: this represents 53,7% with active sexual life. In this study, 58,9% of them inform that they know what are the protection behaviors, however, among these, only 55,8% use the masculine preservative (condom). There are no significant differences concerning the relationship type and the constant use of the masculine preservative. It was verified that 63,1% of the adolescents obtain information and knowledge about AIDS and other sexually transmissible dieseases through the professionals of the education and of the health. In that way, the classroom turns to be a protection factor. This study confirms that part of the adolescents has knowledge and information about AIDS and other sexually transmissible dieseases, however, this knowledge is fragile when it comes to the practices for a protection behavior, what produces a risk behavior. These situations endanger the taking of protection behaviors. Therefore, a continuous program from the health and the education areas made directly inside the school, which develops interactive activities in order to transform the adolescent's behavior about information and knowledge in effective conscience of protection behaviors can improve this relation between having the knowledge and using it in the practice.(AU) / A Psicologia da Saúde vem se desdobrando para atender a demanda da saúde pública, principalmente sobre prevenção de doenças e promoção da saúde. No que se refere a epidemia da AIDS e outras doenças sexualmente transmissíveis, o adolescente tem sido o público mais vulnerável. A adolescência é considerada uma fase perturbada e perturbadora. Nesse período da vida o adolescente está mais sujeito à contaminação das DST/AIDS em razão da instabilidade emocional e sua postura frente a valores e padrões de conduta. Este estudo tem por objetivo descrever conhecimentos e comportamentos de proteção e risco de práticas sexuais de adolescentes; descrever dados sócio-econômicos e demográficos desses adolescentes, descrever o conhecimento dos adolescentes em relação as DST/AIDS e descrever os comportamentos de proteção e riscos a respeito das DST/AIDS. A população deste estudo foi constituída por 95 adolescentes de ambos os gêneros, com um predomínio do gênero masculino, faixa etária entre 14 e 21 anos e com renda familiar média de 4 (quatro) salários mínimos. Trata-se de pesquisa descritiva, para o qual utilizou-se um questionário de autopreenchimento composto por questões norteadas ao tema. A coleta de dados ocorreu em sala de aula no período noturno, de uma escola estadual do município de Guarulhos. Após o término do preenchimento do questionário, os adolescentes assistiram uma palestra de prevenção e orientação sobre DST/AIDS, onde elucidaram dúvidas. Os resultados demonstram 67,4% dos adolescentes, tanto o gênero feminino quanto o gênero masculino, tem dificuldades de definir o conceito de sexualidade e 84,2% sabem corretamente a definição de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis. A maioria dos adolescentes (67,4%) respondeu conhecer algum tipo de doença sexualmente transmissível, destacando-se aqui a AIDS e a gonorréia. O gênero masculino teve início da vida sexual aos 10 anos e o gênero feminino aos 13 anos, representando 53,7% com vida sexual ativa. Neste estudo 58,9% informam saber quais são os comportamentos de proteção, porém entre estes, apenas 55,8% utilizam o preservativo masculino (camisinha). Não há diferenças significativas quanto à modalidade de relacionamento e o uso constante do preservativo masculino. Verificou-se que 63,1% dos adolescentes obtém informações e conhecimentos sobre as DST/AIDS através dos profissionais da educação e da saúde. Portanto, a sala de aula passa a ser um fator de proteção. Esse estudo confirma que parte dos adolescentes tem conhecimento e informações sobre conceitos relativos as DST/AIDS, porém quanto às práticas para um comportamento de proteção frente às mesmas apresentam conhecimentos frágeis, gerando assim comportamentos de risco. Estas situações comprometem a tomada de comportamentos de proteção. Portanto, um programa contínuo da área da saúde e da educação dentro da escola que desenvolva atividades interativas a fim de transformar o comportamento do adolescente sobre informações e conhecimentos em consciência de comportamentos de proteção efetivas poderá melhorar essa relação entre ter o conhecimento e utilizá-lo na prática.(AU)

A densidade mineral óssea na vida adulta, um importante componente de resistência óssea, depende do pico de massa óssea adquirido até o final da segunda década de vida. Cerca de 40% da massa óssea é acumulado entre 11 e 14 anos nas meninas e entre 13 e 17 anos nos meninos. O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi avaliar a ingestão média diária de cálcio de adolescentes das escolas públicas (estaduais e municipais) e privadas do município de Chapecó-SC. Outros objetivos foram verificar se a ingestão de cálcio dos adolescentes estava de acordo com as diretrizes de referências de ingestão (DRIs), investigar fatores que pudessem interferir na ingestão diária de cálcio (fatores socioeconômicos, hábitos alimentares diversos, hábitos familiares, prática de atividade física), comparar a ingestão diária de cálcio entre os estudantes das escolas públicas (municipais e estaduais) e das escolas privadas. Foram avaliados 214 alunos, com média de idade de 14,3 ± 1,0 anos, dos quais 58% eram do sexo feminino. A maior parte dos alunos estudava em escola pública municipal ou estadual (95%) e no turno da manhã (76%). Do total de alunos, 49,3% declarou tomar café da manhã diariamente, 20% informou quase nunca fazê-lo e 30,7% não tinham este hábito. A mediana de consumo diário de cálcio por aluno foi de 540mg (IQ: 312 – 829 mg) e somente 25 alunos (11,7%) apresentaram consumo de cálcio dentro das recomendações das DRIs para a idade. A maioria dos pais, mães e irmãos consumiam leite regularmente (77%, 79% e 87% respectivamente). Quanto ao consumo regular de alimentos que pudessem estar associados à absorção do cálcio, excetuando-se leite e derivados, 41% relataram consumir refrigerantes, 79,4% informaram comer carne, 10,6% ingeriam ovos e 39,7% tinham hábito de beber chás ou café. Concluímos que o consumo de cálcio dos adolescentes do município de Chapecó é inferior às necessidades diárias de cálcio para sexo e faixa etária estudada, achado também evidenciado em outros municípios brasileiros. Portanto, medidas devem ser adotadas para mudar este hábito, aumentando a ingestão de alimentos fontes de cálcio, especialmente no escolar. / Bone mineral density in adulthood, an important component of bone strength depends on peak bone mass acquired by the end of the second decade of life. About 40% of bone mass is accumulated between 11 and 14 years in girls and between 13 and 17 years in boys. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the average daily intake of calcium in adolescents from public schools (state and local) and private Chapecó-SC. Other objectives were to determine whether the calcium intake of adolescents was in accordance with the guidelines of reference intakes (DRIs), investigating factors that might interfere with daily calcium intake (socioeconomic factors, different dietary habits, family habits, practice physical activity), compare the daily calcium intake among students in public schools (state and local) and private schools. We evaluated 214 students, with a mean age of 14.3 ± 1.0 years, of which 58% were female. Most students studying in public school or state (95%) and in the morning (76%). Of all students, 49.3% said eating breakfast daily, 20% reported almost never do so and 30.7% did not have this habit. The median daily calcium intake was 540mg per student (IQ: 312 - 829 mg) and only 25 students (11.7%) had calcium intake within the recommendations of the DRIs for age. Most parents and siblings regularly consumed milk (77%, 79% and 87% respectively). As for the regular consumption of foods that could be associated with the absorption of calcium, except for milk and dairy products, 41% reported consuming soft drinks, 79.4% reported eating meat, eggs consumed 10.6% and 39.7% had the habit of drinking tea or coffee. We conclude that calcium intake of adolescent Chapecó is less than the daily requirement of calcium for sex and age groups, a finding also evident in other municipalities. Therefore, measures should be taken to change this habit, increasing intake of foods rich in calcium, especially in school.