OBJECTIVE: to identify salient behavioral, normative, control and self-efficacy beliefs related to the behavior of adherence to oral antidiabetic agents, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. METHOD: cross-sectional, exploratory study with 17 diabetic patients in chronic use of oral antidiabetic medication and in outpatient follow-up. Individual interviews were recorded, transcribed and content-analyzed using pre-established categories. RESULTS: behavioral beliefs concerning advantages and disadvantages of adhering to medication emerged, such as the possibility of avoiding complications from diabetes, preventing or delaying the use of insulin, and a perception of side effects. The children of patients and physicians are seen as important social references who influence medication adherence. The factors that facilitate adherence include access to free-of-cost medication and taking medications associated with temporal markers. On the other hand, a complex therapeutic regimen was considered a factor that hinders adherence. Understanding how to use medication and forgetfulness impact the perception of patients regarding their ability to adhere to oral antidiabetic agents. CONCLUSION: medication adherence is a complex behavior permeated by behavioral, normative, control and self-efficacy beliefs that should be taken into account when assessing determinants of behavior.

OBJECTIVE: to identify the relationship between different presentations of acute coronary syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors among hospitalized individuals. METHOD: cross-sectional study performed in a teaching hospital in São Paulo, in the State of São Paulo (SP). Socio-demographic, clinical and anthropometric data of 150 individuals hospitalized due to acute coronary syndrome were collected through interviews and review of clinical charts. Association between these data and the presentation of the syndrome were investigated. RESULTS: there was a predominance of ST segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. There was significant association of systemic hypertension with unstable angina and high values of low density lipoprotein with infarction, without influence from socio-demographic characteristics. CONCLUSION: arterial hypertension and high levels of low-density lipoprotein were associated with different presentations of coronary syndrome. The results can provide support for health professionals for secondary prevention programs aimed at behavioural changing.

OBJECTIVE: to identify the prevalence of arterial hypertension and its association with cardiovascular risk factors among adults. METHOD: cross-sectional, population-based, descriptive study conducted with 408 adult individuals. Data were collected through a questionnaire and measurements of weight, height and waist circumference. Person's Chi-square and multiple logistic regression were used in the data analysis. RESULTS: 23.03% of the individuals reported hypertension with a higher prevalence among women. Odds Ratio indicated that smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia were positively associated with arterial hypertension. CONCLUSION: high self-reported hypertension and its association with other cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia show the need for specific nursing interventions and the implementation of protocols focused on minimizing complications arising from hypertension, as well as to prevent the emergence of other cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: develop the cultural adaptation and validation of a Portuguese version of the Self-confidence Scale. Method: descriptive and exploratory methodological research for the adaptation and validation of a measuring instrument. The translation, synthesis, back-translation, revision, pretest and semantic evaluation phases were accomplished. The evaluation involving 178 students from a Teaching Diploma Program in Nursing. The ethical principles were complied with. Results: the internal consistency analysis of the scale reveals good Alpha coefficients (0.92 for the global scale and superior to 0.83 for the different dimensions). The factor analysis presents a three-factor solution with rational meaning. Conclusion: The scale is easy to answer and understand. Based on the obtained results, it can be affirmed that the scale reveals good psychometric properties, with great potential to be used in future research.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze determinant factors for the immediate survival of persons who receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation from the advanced support units of the Mobile Emergency Medical Services (SAMU) of Belo Horizonte. METHOD: this is a retrospective, epidemiological study which analyzed 1,165 assistance forms, from the period 2008 - 2010. The collected data followed the Utstein style, being submitted to descriptive and analytical statistics with tests with levels of significance of 5%. RESULTS: the majority were male, the median age was 64 years, and the ambulance response time, nine minutes. Immediate survival was observed in 239 persons. An association was ascertained of this outcome with "cardiac arrest witnessed by persons trained in basic life support" (OR=3.49; p<0.05; CI 95%), "cardiac arrest witnessed by Mobile Emergency Medical Services teams" (OR=2.99; p<0.05; CI95%), "only the carry out of basic life support" (OR=0.142; p<0.05; CI95%), and "initial cardiac rhythm of asystole" (OR=0.33; p<0.05; CI 95%). CONCLUSION: early access to cardiopulmonary resuscitation was related to a favorable outcome, and the non-undertaking of advanced support, and asystole, were associated with worse outcomes. Basic and advanced life support techniques can alter survival in the event of cardiac arrest.

OBJECTIVES: to measure the pain intensity, identify the disability and depression levels in people with chronic back pain and to correlate these variables. A cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study was undertaken at the Pain Treatment Clinic of the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto Hospital das Clínicas, between February and June 2012, after receiving approval from the Ethics Committee at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing. METHOD: sixty subjects with chronic back pain participated. The instruments used were: the 11-point Numerical Category Scale, the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory. To analyze the data, the arithmetic means, standard deviations and Spearman's correlation coefficient were calculated. RESULTS: the findings show that the participants presented high pain, disability and depression levels. The correlation between pain intensity and disability and between pain intensity and depression was positive and weak and, between disability and depression, positive and moderate. CONCLUSION: the study variables showed moderate and weak indices and the mutual correlations were positive.

OBJECTIVES: to compare the quality of life of patients with chronic venous disease with and without ulcer and to identify the most affected aspects. METHOD: cross-sectional study with a sample of 204 patients with chronic venous disease. The quality of life was assessed with the help of the SF-36 questionnaire. To compare the scores between the groups, the Mann-Whitney test was used, considering a statistically significant difference when p<0.05. RESULTS: the quality of life score of patients with ulcer was lower when compared to that of patients without ulcer, in all domains and dimensions of the SF-36, particularly in the domains physical aspect and functional capacity, with very low scores. CONCLUSION: all aspects of quality of life were more compromised in people with ulcers. These findings can contribute towards a better understanding of the effects of chronic venous disease on the quality of life and towards a better orientation of therapeutic interventions in this population.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the relationship of sociodemographic and health dimensions with the quality of life of people living with the human immunodeficiency virus. METHOD: descriptive and quantitative study. The subjects were 131 seropositive people treated in a specialized center of the Norte-Fluminense municipality, Brazil. A form with sociodemographic and health data was applied, as well as the World Health Organization instrument for the assessment of the quality of life of people with the human immunodeficiency virus. RESULTS: the statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in the assessment of the various dimensions of quality of life by the subjects for gender, education, employment, personal income, medical condition, self-perception of sickness, history of hospitalizations, and bodily alterations due to the antiretroviral drugs. CONCLUSION: professional nursing and health care, as well as public policies in the area, should valorize the quality of life approach, considering the conditions related to its configuration.

OBJECTIVE: to present the cultural adaptation of the questionnaire Costs of caring for children with cancer, offering a valid and reliable tool to assess the economic repercussions of childhood cancer for Brazilian families. METHOD: it is a methodological research with a cross-sectional design. The methodological framework to validate the questionnaire was a combined process that included seven steps: translation to Portuguese; first translated consensus version; evaluation by Expert Committee; consensus on the Expert Committee version; back-translation; consensus of back-translated versions; semantic validation. The study was conducted in two phases: phase one was the translation and back-translations process, with five expert committee members. Phase two was the semantic validation, with 24 participants, who answered an instrument about their impressions of the questionnaire and suggested modifications. RESULTS: in phase one, items were included, excluded, and replaced to make the content equivalent and valid for use with Brazilian context. In phase two, the majority of the participants were mothers, who made suggestions about the relevance and clarity of the items in the questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: the authors discussed these recommendations and made adaptations, turning the questionnaire into a valid and reliable tool for application.

OBJECTIVES: to assess the construct validity and reliability of the Pediatric Patient Classification Instrument. METHODS: correlation study developed at a teaching hospital. The classification involved 227 patients, using the pediatric patient classification instrument. The construct validity was assessed through the factor analysis approach and reliability through internal consistency. RESULTS: the Exploratory Factor Analysis identified three constructs with 67.5% of variance explanation and, in the reliability assessment, the following Cronbach's alpha coefficients were found: 0.92 for the instrument as a whole; 0.88 for the Patient domain; 0.81 for the Family domain; 0.44 for the Therapeutic procedures domain. CONCLUSIONS: the instrument evidenced its construct validity and reliability, and these analyses indicate the feasibility of the instrument. The validation of the Pediatric Patient Classification Instrument still represents a challenge, due to its relevance for a closer look at pediatric nursing care and management. Further research should be considered to explore its dimensionality and content validity.

OBJECTIVE: to characterize the maternal care for children under one year of age with a view to child health promotion at home. METHOD: exploratory study with qualitative data analysis, thematic mode, based on the conceptual framework of the essential needs of children, based on interviews recorded with 16 mothers. RESULTS: the analysis of the maternal narratives showed elements that facilitate the promotion of child safety: presence and involvement of the parents, constant surveillance for physical and emotional protection, experiences to stimulate child development, support networks for childcare at home; and inhibiting elements of child safety: limited perception of characteristics of child development and of children's singularities, overprotection and difficulties to set limits. CONCLUSION: the study enhances the understanding of home care in child health promotion, directing professional actions to guarantee ongoing nurturing relationships, protection, respect for individual differences, experiences appropriate to child development, limit setting and construction of stable and supportive social networks. In addition, the relevance of considering the maternal perspective in child health care is considered, as a strategy to apprehend aspects related to the attendance of the growth and development needs, particularly for child health promotion at home.