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Background: - The investment in personal life made by elders to get the best quality of life as well as to keep their functional autonomy is a very important factor that contributes to a successful aging process. Objective – To identify the perception of the elders about their investment in personal life, to assess the level of functional autonomy and to analyze associations between social/demographic psychosocial and clinical variables and the personal investment and functional autonomy. Material and Method - A transversal, analytical and correlational study of quantitative nature and descriptive profile has been done, with a non-probabilistic sample, constituted by 103 elders. To measure the variables a questionnaire has been applied including a clinical, social and demographic characterisation, the Familiar Apgar Scale, the Barthel Index and the Personal Investment Scale. Results - Our sample presents high levels of functional autonomy (40,8%) and investment in personal life (89,3%). The variables that are associated with functional autonomy in a significant way are the gender, the place of institutionalization and physical exercise. The ones that are associated with the personal investment are the marital status, the home place, the physical activity and the familiar functionality. Conclusion - In spite of the high age average of our elders, they show much functionality and moderate investment in personal life, however, the variables significantly associated with these constructs are: being male gender, being married or living in union of fact, reside in the home itself, practice regular physical exercise and perceive functional families. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Aims: To assess the level of emotional intelligence of older adults; to verify if sociodemographic variables and life satisfaction are related to emotional intelligence and its dimensions (empathy, self-motivation, self-awareness, self-control and sociability). Methods: Cross-sectional study, correlational-descriptive of quantitative characteristics. Location: Portuguese older adults resident in the district of Viseu. Participants: 1040 older adults, aged between 65 and 96 years, with an average of 74.14 years. All of them are resident in the Viseu district, retired and participated voluntarily in the study. Main scales: Emotional Intelligence Measuring Scale (EIMS), Life Satisfaction Rating Scale and a sociodemographic characterization record. Results: Of the surveyed older adults population, 39.7% have high emotional intelligence and 37.4% low emotional intelligence. Life satisfaction is related to the level of emotional intelligence. More than half (55.9%) of the population have high emotional intelligence and high life satisfaction. For the dimensions of Emotional Intelligence (Empathy, Self Motivation, Self-Awareness and Sociability) and Life satisfaction (Health and physical ability, Mental and social engagement capacity) it was shown a statistical significance in the results. Conclusions: The high emotional intelligence of older adults is related to a better life satisfaction. These two aspects should be considered when healthcare professionals are handling with older adults and this study contributes to procedures that should be regarded during the aging process in order to provide a better quality of life and well-being to the older adults. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Resumo Enquadramento: O cancro da mama, constitui uma patologia altamente lesiva para a mulher com consequências emocionais e psicológicas que podem afetar a sua qualidade de vida. As intervenções precoces e estruturadas da enfermagem de reabilitação, podem ser fundamentais na recuperação funcional do membro superior e no próprio bem-estar das doentes. Objetivo: Avaliar a eficácia dos programas de reabilitação funcional do membro superior, iniciados no pós-operatório imediato, na mulher submetida a mastectomia radical. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura. Após estabelecimento de critérios de inclusão, de exclusão e análise dos investigadores foram selecionados seis estudos primários pesquisados através dos motores de busca: PubMed; The Cochrane Library; Repositórios Institucionais; PEDro. Utilizaram-se diferentes combinações com os descritores “reabilitação”, “neoplasia da mama”, “membro superior”, “mastectomia radical modificada” e “complicações pós-operatórias” nos idiomas portugueses e inglês. A pesquisa decorreu entre o mês de Janeiro e Abril de 2014, seguindo os princípios propostos pelo Cochrane Handbook1. Resultados: Os estudos sugerem benefícios clínicos estatisticamente significativos quando existe uma intervenção de reabilitação precoce, com efeitos na diminuição da dor, na prevenção do linfedema, na recuperação das amplitudes articulares e consequentemente maior independência nas atividades de vida diária. Conclusão: Programas estruturados e sistematizados de enfermagem de Reabilitação geram benefícios na funcionalidade e qualidade de vida das mulheres com ganhos substantivos em saúde. Keywords: Reabilitação funcional. Neoplasia mamária. Mulher. Mastectomia, Membro superior. Abstract Introduction: Breast cancer is a highly harmful pathology in women’s lives. It has emotional and psychological consequences that can affect their quality of life. Early and structured interventions performed by elements of rehabilitation nursing can be essential to the functional recovery of the upper-limb and to the patients’ well-being. Objectives: To assess the eficiency of functional rehabilitation programs in the recovery of the patients’ upper-limb and that began in early post-surgery of women who have undergone a radical mastectomy. Methods: This is an integrative review of literature. After we had established the inclusion and exclusion criteria, after we had analyzed the researchers, six primary studies were selected. Those studies were searched through some browsers like PubMed; The Cochrane Library; some Institutional Repositories and PEDro. We used different set of keywords like “rehabilitation”, “breast cancer”, “upper-limb”, “modiied radical mastectomy” and ”post-surgery complications” in Portuguese and in English. The search took place between June and April 2014, following the principles suggested by the Cochrane Handbook.1 Results: The studies suggest the existence of clinical beneits that are statistically signiicant when there is an early rehabilitation intervention. This early action will help ease the patients’ pain, prevent the lymphedema, recover joint amplitude and will allow patients to perform daily tasks in an independent way. Conclusion: Structured and systemic Rehabilitation Nursing Programmes generate beneits in women’s functionality and quality of life and will greatly improve their health. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Background: Fibromyalgia is a disabling disease. One of the characteristics of FM is the absence of swelling associated with the pain. The other is the existence of tender points. A deep understanding of what is this painful and debilitating condition is therefore essential. Objective: to characterize the pain in patients with fibromyalgia. To realize the impact this pain has on the lives of patients who suffer from fibromyalgia. Material and method: It is a descriptive correlational study. The sample consists of 221 individuals, 4 males and 217 female(98,2%). Hypothesis: The perception of pain intensity, the way pain manifests itself, the evolution of pain intensity and widespread pain index influence FM patients. The instruments used were the Visual Analogue Scale for pain (VAS), the Manifestation of Pain and the Generalized Pain Index questionnaire. Results: The sample is mostly formed by females (98.2%), with an average age of about 45 (± 10,587), who live in urban areas (79.6%), who are married or living with a partner (71.9%), are living with relatives or others (89.1%), have completed secondary education (49.3%) and are currently employed (42.1%). Pain intensity displayed by fibromyalgia patients has an average value of 7.59, the Generalized Pain Index shows an average value of 11.84. The intensity of pain perception and the manifestation of pain condition the way a patient with FM will be able to live. Conclusion: The intensity of perceived pain by this study patients is, on VAS’s average ratings, equal to 7.59. Most subjects with FM reported moderate or severe pain.The Generalized Pain Index has an average value of 11.84, the majority of these individuals feel pain in approximately 12 to 19 corporal regions and their pain is long-lasting. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Background: The social and human sciences have enormously contributed to the study of health and well being of populations as well as to the risk factors and individual resilience that are associated to them. Thus, it is a general thought that one of the main functions of health professionals is to promote healthy behaviours in people. Aim: To verify if some psychological characteristics (Self-Esteem, Locus of Control, Internal Sense of Coherence) are associated to health(lifestyle, health state, general health perception) in higher education students. Method: The sample was made up by 548 students, men and women, who were attending Nursing School (n= 322) and other graduations without any health studies- Management, Languages, Secretarial and Administration (n=226). The protocol included: Inventory “My Lifestyle” Scale “State of Health”; To measure psychological variables: Sense of Coerence Questionnaire; Self-Esteem Clinical Inventory; Self-Esteem Physical Inventory; and Locus of Control Questionnaire. Results: There is an association, statistically significant between health variables and psychological variables, in the expected sense. Also, the results suggest that the Internal Sense of Coherence factors - understanding(ß= .336) and generalised significance(ß= .294)- are, in interaction with General Health Perception, predictors in a positive and highly significant way, for Health State, specifically in Nursing School Students. Conclusion: We believe this study points to a growing need of a bigger participation of psychologists (along with other health professionals) in the development of programs related to public health. Apart from an involvement in primary health care it will also be important for these professionals to participate in differentiated care. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion