This cross-sectional study intended to determine the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and associated factors in Portuguese adolescents (N=529, 10-18 years, 53.7% male and 46.3% female). The prevalence of body dissatisfaction (estimated through Collins's silhouettes) was 58%. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the variables associated were: obesity, watch TV over 2 hours/day and practice sport activities 4 or more days/week. In male, obesity and watch TV over 2 hours/day were related to body dissatisfaction and among female only obesity had statistical significance. It is necessary to considered different public health interventions for men and women in order to reduce this high body image dissatisfaction.

Controlled study designs usually report that physical exercise improves the health of women living with breast cancer. However, many of these women are not sufficiently active to experience the benefits of exercise. The main objective was to analyze the effect of a physical exercise program on quality of life, self-esteem, and depression in breast cancer survivors. Thirteen participants (46.54 ± 6.31 years old) completed the exercise intervention. Three patient-reported questionnaires were used: Supplementary Questionnaire Breast Cancer Module (QLQ-BR23), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). All participants had significantly improved self-esteem (p = 0.004). Although there were no statistically significant changes in depression, there was a notable decrease in scores (6.39 ± 4.75 vs. 5.00 ± 4.75; p = 0.080). Regarding quality of life, significant improvements were observed in “future perspectives” (p = 0.047) and “arm symptoms” (p = 0.015). No significant changes were noted in the other variables. Our results suggest that physical exercise is an effective strategy that positively affects breast cancer survivors’ quality of life and self-esteem. The results reinforce the need for community-based exercise programs for breast cancer survivors. Healthcare professionals should promote physical exercise to improve health outcomes before, during, and after treatment.

Aging is dependent on biological processes that determine the aging of the organism at the cellular level. The Oxidative Stress Theory of Aging might explain some of the age-related changes in cell macromolecules. Moreover, exposome and lifestyle may also induce changes in cell damage induced by oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to analyze the related redox changes in lymphocyte function of healthy women over 40 years old. Three groups: young (YG: 40-49 years), middle-aged (MAG: 50-59 years) and older (OG: ≥60 years) were evaluated on anthropometric variables, blood pressure, cardiovascular fitness, lifestyle habits, perceived stress, DNA damage, malondialdehyde, catalase activity and total antioxidant capacity. Physical activity and cardiovascular fitness were significantly higher in YG and MAG as compared to the OG. Systolic blood pressure increased significantly with group age. Frequency and total amount of alcohol intake were lower in the OG and higher in the MAG. No significant differences were observed between the three groups in oxidative stress parameters. Only alcohol consumption was associated with the higher DNA FPG-sensitive sites, and only in the YG (p<0.05). Healthy lifestyle is critical to avoiding major ailments associated with aging. This may be inferred from the lack of significant differences in the various oxidative stress parameters measured in the healthy women over the age of 40 who took part in the study. Conscious lifestyle behaviors (decrease in alcohol and smoking habits) could have impaired the expected age-related oxidative stress increase.

This work addresses the importance of food and nutrition in promoting the health of the elderly population, with a specific focus on the qualitative evaluation of menus provided by a social solidarity institution in Portugal. The aim of this study is to conduct a qualitative evaluation of menus furnished by a social solidarity institution situated in the northern region of Portugal in order to prevent and/or treat malnutrition in the elderly. The methodology involves the evaluation of four weekly menus, totaling 28 complete daily menus for the elderly, using the “Avaliação Qualitativa de Ementas Destinadas a Idosos” (AQEDI) tool. This assessment tool comprises six domains: general items, soup, protein suppliers, carbohydrate suppliers, vegetable suppliers, and dessert, each consisting of various parameters. The findings reveal that all menus were classified as “acceptable,” with percentages ranging from 60.73% to 68.84%, and suggest that there exists room for improvement. This study emphasizes the necessity for coordinated efforts within the institution to enhance menu planning, taking into account both nutritional guidelines and sensory aspects of food. Effective coordination within the institution is crucial for maintaining positive aspects and rectifying inadequacies in menu planning.

The objective was to estimate the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, link with the university, behavioral, biological, and self-rated related to health, with time sitting in university students at federal institutions in the state of Bahia, Brazil. This cross-sectional study was carried out with university students from six institutions (Federal University “Recôncavo da Bahia”, Federal University of “Bahia”, Federal University of “Oeste da Bahia”, University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony, Federal University of “Vale do São Francisco” and Federal University of “Sul da Bahia”) in the state from Bahia in 2019. Time sitting in hours per day was investigated and relation sociodemographic, link with the university, behavioral, biological, self-rated of stress and health variables. Path analysis was used to apply multivariate linear regression. The significance status was 5%. A total of 1,217 university students participated of the study. The final model accounts for 6% of sitting time. Self-rated health as positive (β: -0.117; p: <0.001), increasing age (β: -0.115; p: <0.001) and physical activity practice (β: -0.113; p: <0.001) contributed to the decrease in sitting time. The increase in the amount of inadequate eating habits (β: 0.063; p: 0.032) favored the increase in sitting time. The adjustment indices were satisfactory. Concluded that self-rated health as positive, advancing age and physical activities practice were determinants of reduced sitting time, on the other hand, irregular eating behaviors favored sedentary behavior.