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The objective of this study was to verify whether residential density and connectivity between streets are mediators on the association between perceived environmental factors and active commuting to school (ACS) in Brazilian adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study with a random sample of 1,130 adolescents (52.7% girls) aged between 14 to 20 years, from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Adolescents' self-reported their usual mode of commuting to and from school using a questionnaire and the perceived environmental attributes by Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth (NEWS-Y). Residential density and connectivity between streets were measured by gographic information systems (GIS), within 1km road network buffers around the participant's residential address. Regression models were fitted according to mediation analyses procedures. The results showed that residential density is a mediator on the association between ACS and perceived environmental factors, including land-use mix diversity (IE = 0.114; 95%CI: 0.130, 0.311; 32% mediation), neighborhood recreation facilities (IE = 0.064; 95%CI: 0.034, 0.105; 15% mediation), and access to services (IE = 0.045; 95%CI: 0.006, 0.104; 14% mediation). Connectivity between streets did not correlate with ACS, thus it was not tested in the mediation model. In conclusion, residential density is a mediator on the relationship between perceived environmental factors and ACS.

We sought (i) to evaluate the associations of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular fitness (MF) and Southern European Atlantic Diet (SEADiet) with atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and (ii) to investigate de combined association of MF, CRF and SEADiet on AIP in adolescents. A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted on 493 adolescents (285 girls and 208 boys) aged 15-18 years, from the Portuguese Azorean Archipelago. CRF was measured by shuttle run test and MF by curl up and push up tests. Adherence to SEADiet was assessed with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The AIP was estimated as log (TG/HDL-C). Measures of pubertal stage and socioeconomic status were assessed. Linear regression showed a significant inverse association between MF (standardized β = -0.165; p < 0.001), CRF (standardized β = -0.081; p < 0.030) and SEADiet (standardized β = -0.081; p < 0.045) with AIP, after adjustments for age, sex, pubertal stage and parental education. Furthermore, participants classified with an optimal as well as those with low adherence to a SEADiet but with LowMF/LowCRF had on average the highest AIP (F(7.482) = 3.270; p = 0.002). Moreover, optimal SEADiet with HighMF/HighCRF group showed the lowest AIP when compared with those with low adherence to a SEADiet with HighMF/HighCRF group (p = 0.03). AIP is inversely associated with MF, CRF and SEADiet. The low MF combined with a low CRF levels seems to overcome the potential healthy effect of having an optimal adherence to the SEADiet on AIP. However, an optimal adherence to SEADiet seems to improve the AIP in those adolescents with high fitness levels.

A systematic review was conducted, focusing on the relationship between depression during pregnancy and increased risk of low birth weight. The review covered articles published in PubMed, SciELO, and ISIWEB using the key words 'depression', 'pregnancy', 'birth weight' and 'low birth weight'. Ninety-nine studies were located, but after reading the abstracts only 10 articles were selected. According to criteria proposed by Downs & Black (1998) to assess the quality of the selected studies, only one was considered excellent, since it reached the maximum score of 20. Depression during pregnancy was associated with low birth weight in seven studies. Contradictions in the findings are due to differences in the scales used to evaluate depression, sample size, and insufficient control of important limiting factors for evaluating the results. Carefully designed studies are thus needed to elucidate the association between intra-gestational depression and low birth weight.

This study characterizes the women receiving precarious prenatal care according to socio-demographic variables, mother's reproductive history, family support, satisfaction with pregnancy, and risk behavior during pregnancy. A total of 1,967 adolescents were interviewed in the immediate post-partum in public and outsourced maternity hospitals in the City of Rio de Janeiro. The dependent variable was the number of prenatal appointments (0-3; 4-6; 7 or more). The statistical analysis aimed to test the hypothesis of homogeneity of proportions, including bi- and multivariate analysis, using multinomial logistic regression, in which the reference category for the response variable was 7 or more prenatal visits. Higher (and statistically significant) proportions of insufficient number of prenatal visits (0-3) were associated with: precarious sanitation conditions; not living with the child's father; attempted abortion; and smoking, drinking, and/or drug use during pregnancy. The results strongly indicate that mothers with worse living conditions and risk behavior during pregnancy were the same who lacked access to prenatal care.

This study aimed to describe the socioeconomic and psychosocial characteristics of a sample of teenage mothers classified according to marital status and age group. A sample of 1,228 adolescent mothers was interviewed in the immediate post-partum, selected from public and private hospitals in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The chi-square test (chi2) was used to verify the hypothesis of homogeneity of proportions. Comparing the groups, we found that single and younger adolescents were at increased risk of unwanted pregnancy, less family support, and more abortions. Fathers of the infants also tended to be adolescents and unemployed. Adherence to prenatal care was influenced by the adolescent's marital status. The results showed that the most disadvantaged socioeconomic and psychosocial conditions were found among single and younger adolescents.

This study analyzed the association between early pregnancy and negative emotional repercussions for adolescents, according to socio-demographic and psychosocial variables. The study interviewed 1,228 adolescents in maternity hospitals in the City of Rio de Janeiro. Emotional repercussions were evaluated with negative self-assessment variables, showing little or no expectation towards the future, as well as psychological distress. The chi2 test and odds ratio were used to analyze the data. Adolescents who reported a negative reaction by the family felt less valued (OR 1.8), with little expectation towards the future (OR 2.3), and presented major psychological distress (OR 1.5). Those not enrolled in school when they became pregnant also showed worse self-esteem (OR 1.9) and fewer expectations towards the future (OR 2.2). Greater psychological distress was inversely related to frequency of prenatal care (0.7). The article concludes that family support, regardless of original social conditions, was identified as the principal factor for minimizing negative emotional repercussions of pregnancy during adolescence.