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Biomedical subjects

Ronaldo Laranjeira

Publications and source records attributed to Ronaldo Laranjeira.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

[Teenage pregnancy: Behavioral and socio-demographic profile of an urban Brazilian population].

To identify the socio-demographic behavioral profile of low-income pregnant teenagers, 1,000 adolescents admitted to a Brazilian public maternity hospital from July 24, 2001, to November 27, 2002, were interviewed. Socio-demographic and behavioral variables were assessed through a questionnaire. Over the 492 days of the study, 24.3% of admissions were adolescents (930 for childbirth and 70 for miscarriage). Mean maternal age was 17 years. Most teenagers (72.9%) lived near the hospital. 930 (93%) belonged to socioeconomic classes C, D, and E. School dropout was identified in 67.3% of the total. 80.1% of the subjects were giving birth for the first time. 81.2% had not planned the pregnancy, and 23.8% had been using some contraceptive method. 67.4% had vaginal deliveries. Some 13.3% of the newborns were premature and 15.9% had low birth weight. 17.3% of these adolescent mothers reported smoking during pregnancy, with 2.8% reporting alcohol and 1.7% illicit drugs. Teenage pregnancy is a complex phenomenon associated with various economic, educational, and behavioral factors. The study provides importance references for public policies to prevent teenage pregnancy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Smoking-associated factors in myocardial infarction and unstable angina: do gender differences exist?

The aim of this study was to investigate demographic and psychological characteristics associated with smoking in patients with acute coronary syndrome (myocardial infarction or unstable angina). Interviews were conducted with 348 consecutive hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome and included questions about demographic characteristics, coffee consumption, heart disease risk perception, economic status, alcohol consumption, depression, anxiety, and stress. Female group multivariate analysis showed that smoking in females was significantly and negatively associated with age, heart disease risk perception, and positively associated with coffee consumption. Male group multivariate analysis showed that for males, smoking was significantly and negatively associated with age, heart disease risk perception, and positively associated with coffee and alcohol consumption. Unlike studies conducted with non-heart disease patients, our results do not show an association between smoking and depression. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers with acute coronary syndrome are younger, more likely to drink coffee, and less likely to perceive smoking as a heart disease risk. Male smokers are also more likely to drink alcohol, indicating that they use more psycho-stimulants than do nonsmoking men and women who smoke.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of cocaine and marijuana use in the last trimester of adolescent pregnancy: socio-demographic, psychosocial and behavioral characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of cocaine and marijuana use during the third trimester of pregnancy in a population of 1000 teenage women of a public hospital in São Paulo, Brazil using hair analysis in order to avoid underestimation of data that could happen by the use of self-report questionnaires and describe socio-demographic, psychosocial and behavioral characteristics of the drug users. RESULTS: Hair analysis has detected use of cocaine and/or marijuana in the third trimester of pregnancy in 6% of the patients: 4.0% used marijuana, 1.7% used cocaine and 3% used both drugs. They were about 17 years old, from low-income, poorly educated, unemployed, financially dependent and they had not planned the pregnancy. 10% of miscarriages have occurred in this population. CONCLUSION: This study shows the psychosocial impairment associated to teenage pregnancy and use of cocaine and marijuana during gestation by this low-income population with reliable data of prevalence obtained through hair analysis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Teenage pregnancy: use of drugs in the third trimester and prevalence of psychiatric disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders during pregnancy, the prevalence of cocaine and marijuana use during the third trimester of gestation and the socio-demographic characteristics of a population of low-income teenagers. METHOD: One thousand pregnant teenagers were evaluated using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, and a socio-demographic and socio-economic questionnaire at the obstetric center of a public hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Hair sample was collected for analysis. RESULTS: Of the 1000 pregnant teenagers interviewed, 53.6% were poor, 90.4% were unemployed, 92.5% were financially dependent and 60.2% dropped out of school. Those using drugs during the third trimester of pregnancy were equal to 6% (marijuana: 4%, cocaine: 1.7%, both: 0.3%). Those having at least one psychiatric disorder equaled 27.6%. The most frequent diagnoses were depression (12.9%), posttraumatic stress disorder (10.0%) and anxiety disorders (5.6%). DISCUSSION: Unstructured families, dropping out of school, unemployment and a low level of professional training are all contributing factors to the maintenance of an unfavorable socio-economic environment in which there is a high prevalence of cocaine and marijuana use during the third trimester of pregnancy and an abnormally high incidence of psychiatric disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

A dopamine transporter gene functional variant associated with cocaine abuse in a Brazilian sample.

The dopamine (DA) transporter DAT1 is a major target bound by cocaine in brain. We examined the influence of functional genetic variants in DAT1 on cocaine addiction. Repeat polymorphisms, including a 30-bp variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) in intron 8 (Int8 VNTR) with two common alleles, were genotyped in cocaine-dependent abusers (n = 699) and in controls with no past history of drug abuse (n = 866) from São Paulo, Brazil. Positive association was observed with allele 3 of the Int8 VNTR and cocaine abuse (allele odds ratio = 1.2, 95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.37, P = 0.036; 3/3 homozygote odds ratio = 1.45, 95% confidence interval = 1.18-1.78, P = 0.0008). Population stratification was assessed and did not affect the results. Haplotypic analyses using additional polymorphisms indicated that the Int8 VNTR is responsible for the observed association. Functional analyses in reporter-gene constructs, demonstrated that allele 3 mediates significant (P < 0.05) but small reduced expression compared with the "protective" allele 2. This difference increased when 1 and 10 muM cocaine was added to the cell culture ( approximately 40% reduction of the 3 allele expression versus the 2 allele). The 3 allele also demonstrated approximately 3-fold-increased expression over the 2 allele in response to KCl plus forskolin challenge. We demonstrate a robust association between cocaine dependence and a VNTR allele in SLC6A3, conferring a small but detectable effect, and we show that this VNTR may be functional. This study suggests that DAT1 gene variation may play a role in cocaine dependence etiology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Concurrent crack and powder cocaine users from Sao Paulo: do they represent a different group?

BACKGROUND: Cocaine abuse is a serious and socially damaging illegal drug problem. Different routes of administration are associated with a specific progression of use, different degrees of abuse liability, propensity for dependence and treatment response. There have been relatively few studies comparing different cocaine users groups and no studies into the characterization of the group of individuals reporting concurrent use of powder cocaine and crack cocaine. METHODS: Six hundred and ninety-nine cocaine users were assessed during the period August 1997 to October 1998 in one outpatient and six inpatient clinics located in the São Paulo, Brazil. Patients were interviewed using a structured questionnaire schedule in Portuguese, designed specifically for the Brazilian population. The statistical analyses were performed using either ANOVA or a chi-squared test and focusing on their preferred form of use/route of administration and other variables. RESULTS: For 83% of the variables tested in this study, the Dual Users subgroup (using both powder and crack cocaine) demonstrated statistical differences from the single drug user subgroups. Those differences include the initiation of cocaine, the abuse of other illicit drugs, and rates of criminal history. CONCLUSION: These data suggest cocaine-dependent individuals who report use of both powder and crack cocaine are an at least partially, distinct subgroup. However, further studies will be necessary to confirm this and to determine if they also show a different treatment response.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of substance use among trauma patients treated in a Brazilian emergency room.

OBJECTIVE: Although there is a considerable amount of data in the literature regarding the association between alcohol consumption and injuries treated in emergency rooms, little is known about the relationship between such injury and the use of other substances. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of substance use in patients admitted to the emergency room for non-fatal injuries. METHOD: A prospective cross-sectional study assessing all patients admitted to the emergency room within 6 hours after a non-fatal injury was conducted over a three-month period. The following were used as measures of alcohol and drug use: a standardized World Health Organization questionnaire; a self-administered questionnaire related to drug consumption within the 24 hours preceding contact; the Drug Abuse Screening Test; urine screens for cannabis, cocaine and benzodiazepines; and determination of blood alcohol concentration. Descriptive analyses were performed and the confidence interval used was 95%. RESULTS: A total of 353 patients were included. Cannabis and cocaine screens were conducted for 242 patients and benzodiazepine screens were conducted for 166. Blood alcohol concentrations reached the level of positivity in 11% (n = 39), and 10% (n = 33) presented some degree of intoxication. Among the 242 patients screened, 13.6% (n = 33) tested positive for cannabis, and 3.3% (n = 8) tested positive for cocaine, whereas 4.2% (n = 7) of the 166 patients screened tested positive for benzodiazepines. CONCLUSIONS: Substance use was highly prevalent among these individuals. In this sample, the frequency for the use of cannabis (an illicit drug) was comparable to that of alcohol. More studies are needed in order to characterize such use among Brazilians and to develop proper approaches to such cases, with the aim of reducing substance use and its consequences.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Causes of death among crack cocaine users.

OBJECTIVE: The study accompanied 131 crack-cocaine users over a 5-year period, and examined mortality patterns, as well as the causes of death among them. METHOD: All patients admitted to a detoxification unit in Sao Paulo between 1992 and 1994 were interviewed during two follow-up periods: 1995-1996 and 1998-1999. RESULTS: After 5 years, 124 patients were localized (95%). By the study endpoint (1999), 23 patients (17.6%) had died. Homicide was the most prevalent cause of death (n = 13). Almost one third of the deaths were due to the HIV infection, especially among those with a history of intravenous drug use. Less than 10% died from overdose. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that the mortality risk among crack cocaine users is greater than that seen in the general population, homicide and AIDS being the most common causes of death among such individuals.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2005

Motivation to change drinking behavior: the differences between alcohol users from an outpatient gastroenterology clinic and a specialist alcohol treatment service.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: For some patients who have developed significant alcohol-related physical disease, total abstinence from alcohol may offer the best chance of survival. The aim of this study was to investigate motivation for treatment in two groups of alcohol users: outpatients from the gastroenterology clinic and outpatients from the specialist alcohol treatment service. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study, at a federally funded public teaching hospital. METHODS: The sample studied was 151 outpatients from the gastroenterology clinic and 175 from the specialist alcohol treatment service. The interview was conducted in the outpatient clinics at the first appointment, and consisted of demographic questions and scales for measuring quality of life, alcohol dependence, pattern of alcohol, motivation for treatment and consequences of alcohol consumption. RESULTS: The results suggested that outpatients from the gastroenterology clinic were less dependent on alcohol, had suffered fewer consequences from alcohol and had fewer emotional and mental health problems than did the outpatients from the alcohol treatment service. In relation to their stages of change, the gastroenterology outpatients presented high precontemplation scores at the beginning of treatment while outpatients of alcohol treatment service showed higher scores in contemplation, action and maintenance. CONCLUSION: The medical treatment may be a reason for the temporary alcohol abstinence behavior among the gastroenterology outpatients.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Depression and Acute Coronary Syndromes: gender-related differences].

OBJECTIVE: Investigate whether social and demographic characteristics, clinical diagnosis, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and anxiety are associated with depression in patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) stratified by gender. METHODS: Three hundred forty-five consecutive patients with unstable myocardial ischemic syndrome (206 with myocardial infarction and 139 with unstable angina) were interviewed. The interviews included questions about sociodemographics, smoking status, screening for depression (Prime MD e BDI), trait and state anxiety, (IDATE), and alcohol consumption (AUDIT). RESULTS: Diagnosis of depression has significantly correlated with female gender, age under 50 years, and higher average scores on trait anxiety and state anxiety. Depressed men (245) were usually younger than 50 years of age, smokers and had higher average score on trait anxiety and state anxiety than those non-depressed. The multivariate analysis highlights that age is negatively associated with depression (OR 0.9519 95% CI 0.9261 - 0.9784) and that higher scores on trait anxiety are positively associated (OR 1.0691 95% CI 1.0375 - 1.1017) with depression in the male gender. In the female sample (100), depressed women differ from non-depressed women in that they have a higher average score on trait anxiety and state anxiety. In the multivariate analysis of the female sample, a higher score on trait anxiety was independently associated with depression (OR 1.1267 95% CI 1.0632 - 1.1940). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that, among hospitalized patients with ACS, women, as well as men under 50 years and who suffer from anxiety are more likely to experience depression.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Habits, attitudes and beliefs of smokers in four Brazilian capitals.

UNLABELLED: Tobacco consumption is a major cause of death and disease, and quitting smoking is the most important thing smokers can do to benefit their health. As of the last census, 32.5% of the Brazilian population smoked, but little is known about how many wish to quit and which factors can influence them to make such a decision. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the habits, attitudes and believes of smokers in four major Brazilian cities and compare the results with data from 17 European countries. METHODS: A total of 800 smokers were interviewed. The interviews were conducted in person and individually, using a semi-structured questionnaire. Smokers were defined as individuals who smoke at least one cigarette per week. They were recruited by intentional sampling (confronted on the street and invited to answer the questionnaire) according to pre-established quotas based on social class, gender, occupation and age. Therefore, the number of interviews in a certain population stratum within the sample was determined according to the proportion of smokers generally represented by that stratum. RESULTS: The majority of smokers interviewed presented a low to moderate degree of dependence and wanted to stop smoking. The greater was the motivation to quit, the higher was the number of quitting attempts, as well as the probability of having received medical advice. Only 21% of the smokers had been advised to stop smoking by their doctors. The factor cited by smokers as the one that would most influence their future efforts to stop was "concern about exposing children, relatives and friends to tobacco smoke". The population of Brazil, in contrast to those of European countries, seems to have a high degree of consciousness regarding the fight against tobacco.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

[Willingness and alternatives to drunk driving among young people from São Paulo city, Brazil].

UNLABELLED: The new Brazilian Traffic Code considers drinking and driving as a traffic crime. A health behavior model suggests that much of the young people's risky behavior is not planned and that questions measuring the willingness to drink and drive are useful. In face of the importance of drinking and driving as a national health problem, the objective of the present study was to analyze the behavior willingness among youngsters about to receive their driver's licenses. METHODS: The study was carried out at the Sao Paulo Department of Traffic (DETRAN-SP) in 1998. Data were obtained from a sample of 2,166 youths, 18 to 25 years old, who took the written drivers' license examination. Data about, among other things, alcohol consumption, willingness and alternatives to drinking and driving in the following year was examined. RESULTS: In general, individuals displayed willingness to both the risky behavior (drunk driving) and to the safe behavior (alternatives as taking a cab or getting a ride). Regression analyzes were done by dividing the sample in three groups. Several significant differences were found between the groups, suggesting that the attitudes and behaviors went on a direction from safer to riskier from groups 1 to 3. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that prevention efforts presenting a spectrum of alternatives to drunk driving and the enforcement of drink and driving laws would be two useful addenda to the more severe laws created in the 1998 Traffic Code.

Accidents, Traffic↗