As mental health goes beyond the simple absence of mental disorders, this paper characterized mental health components in 89 underground coal miners in southern Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study, that detected a low prevalence of depression; light or moderate anxiety in 13% of the workers; self-perception of good health; life quality and good psychological capacity in most of the participants; poor sleep quality in half of them; reverse correlations between anxiety and life quality, and anxiety and psychological capital; positive correlations between psychological capital and life quality; associations between self-perception of health, time, and sleep quality; associations between anxiety and sleep duration and quality; and between alcohol consumption and location at work (front, rear, or variable). The results suggest vulnerabilities regarding anxiety and sleep quality. However, there is a potential coping of determinants that impact on mental health.

Studies suggest a higher prevalence of unfavourable cardiovascular risk factors amongst migraineurs, but results have been conflicting. The aim of this study was to investigate traditional and newly recognized risk factors as well as other surrogate markers of cardiovascular risk in obese and normal weight women with migraine.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is characterized by phenylalanine (Phe) accumulation to toxic levels due to the low activity of phenylalanine-hydroxylase. PKU patients must follow a Phe-restricted diet, which may put them in risk of nutritional disturbances. Therefore, we aimed to characterize body composition parameters and nutritional status in Brazilian PKU patients also considering their metabolic control. Twenty-seven treated PKU patients older than 5 years, and 27 age- and gender-matched controls, were analyzed for anthropometric features and body composition by bioelectrical impedance (BIA). Patients' metabolic control was assessed by historical Phe levels. There was no effect of PKU type, time of diagnosis, or metabolic control for any analyzed parameter. About 75% of patients and controls were eutrophic, according to their BMI values. There were no difference between groups regarding body composition and other BIA-derived parameters. Brazilian PKU patients do not show differences in body composition and nutritional status in comparison with controls, regardless metabolic control. Although similar to controls, PKU patients may be in risk of disturbed nutritional and metabolic markers as seen for the general population.

Key words: Chronic Disease; Health of the Elderly; Risk Factors; Rural Population; Food Consumption