Percorrer por autor "Neves, Paula"
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- Environmental and ventilation assessment in Child Day Care Centers in Porto: the ENVIRH ProjectPublication . Mendes, Ana; Aelenei, Daniel; Papoila, Ana Luísa; Carreiro-Martins, Pedro; Aguiar, Lívia; Pereira, Cristiana; Neves, Paula; Azevedo, Susana; Cano, Manuela; Proença, Carmo; Viegas, João; Silva, Susana; Mendes, Diana; Neuparth, Nuno; Teixeira, João PauloChildren attending day care centers (CDCC) have been reported to be more prone to infectious diseases when compared with those cared for at home, and are exposed to conditions that may increase the risk of allergies and asthma. Several studies revealed that consequences of poor ventilation conditions include high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and many other indoor pollutants commonly detected in schools. Nine child day care centers were selected randomly to participate in this study. Fifty-two classrooms were assessed for chemical, biological, physical, and allergen parameters in spring and winter seasons in these nine CDCC located in Porto, Portugal. Outdoor measurements were also conducted for comparison. Our results indicated that (i) particulate matter (PM10) median levels were above the national reference levels, both by classroom type and by season; (ii) TVOC kindergarten peak values may raise some concern; (iii) CO2 was present at high median and maximum levels during spring and winter assessment in both nurseries and kindergartens classrooms; (iv) total bacteria concentrations were 57- and 52-fold higher in the nursery and kindergarten than outdoors, respectively, for the spring season; (v) winter and spring median predicted mean vote (PMV)indices were between “neutral” (0) and “slightly cool” (≤ –1) in the thermal sensation scale for comfort situations (−2 to 2) for both types of classrooms; (vi) there were significant differences for both PMV and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) indices by season; and vii) CO2, total bacteria, and gram-negative bacteria were associated with low airflow rates. These data will help to evaluate the effectiveness of current building operation practices in child day care centers regarding indoor air quality and respiratory health.
- GERIA - Geriatric Study in Portugal on Health Effects of Air Quality in Elderly Care Centers: da Ideia ao ProjetoPublication . Mendes, Ana; Aguiar, Lívia; Neves, Paula; Teixeira, João PauloProjeto GERIA tem como objetivos: Clarificar qual o papel desempenhado pela qualidade do ar interior (QAI) e pela ventilação no bem-estar e qualidade de vida dos idosos residentes em lares da 3ª idade.
- O impacto do ambiente interior na saúde respiratória dos idosos: resultados preliminares do projeto GERIAPublication . Mendes, Ana; Papoila, Ana Luísa; Martins, Pedro; Caires, Iolanda; Palmeiro, Teresa; Aguiar, Lívia; Pereira, Cristiana; Neves, Paula; Botelho, Amália; Neuparth, Nuno; Teixeira, João Paulo
- Indoor Allergens and Bacterial Assessment in Children Day Care EnvironmentsPublication . Mendes, Ana; Pereira, Cristiana; Aguiar, Lívia; Cano, Manuela; Mendes, Diana; Neves, Paula; Proença, Maria do Carmo; Teixeira, João Paulo
- Qualidade do ar interior em lares de idosos em Portugal, Projeto GERIAPublication . Mendes, Ana; Aguiar, Lívia; Pereira, Cristiana; Neves, Paula; Silva, Susana; Teixeira, João Paulo
- Seasonal Variability of indoor Environment Parameters in Children Day Care CentersPublication . Mendes, Ana; Aguiar, Lívia; Mendes, Diana; Pereira, Cristiana; Neves, Paula; Silva, Susana; Cano, Manuela; Proença, Carmo; Teixeira, João Paulo
- Self-Disinfecting Surfaces and Infection ControlPublication . Querido, Micaela Machado; Aguiar, Lívia; Neves, Paula; Pereira, Cristiana Costa; Teixeira, João PauloAccording to World Health Organization, every year in the European Union, 4 million patients acquire a healthcare associated infection. Even though some microorganisms represent no threat to healthy people, hospitals harbor different levels of immunocompetent individuals, namely patients receiving immunosuppressors, with previous infections, or those with extremes of age (young children and elderly), requiring the implementation of effective control measures. Public spaces have also been found an important source of infectious disease outbreaks due to poor or none infection control measures applied. In both places, surfaces play a major role on microorganisms' propagation, yet they are very often neglected, with very few guidelines about efficient cleaning measures and microbiological assessment available. To overcome surface contamination problems, new strategies are being designed to limit the microorganisms' ability to survive over surfaces and materials. Surface modification and/or functionalization to prevent contamination is a hot-topic of research and several different approaches have been developed lately. Surfaces with anti-adhesive properties, with incorporated antimicrobial substances or modified with biological active metals are some of the strategies recently proposed. This review intends to summarize the problems associated with contaminated surfaces and their importance on infection spreading, and to present some of the strategies developed to prevent this public health problem, namely some already being commercialized.
- The impact of indoor air quality and contaminants on respiratory health of older people living in long-term care residences in PortoPublication . Mendes, Ana; Papoila, Ana Luísa; Carreiro-Martins, Pedro; Bonassi, Stefano; Caires, Iolanda; Palmeiro, Teresa; Aguiar, Lívia; Pereira, Cristiana; Neves, Paula; Mendes, Diana; Botelho, Maria Amália Silveira; Neuparth, Nuno; Teixeira, João PauloBackground: persons who are 65 years or older often spend an important part of their lives indoors thus adverse indoor climate might influence their health status. Objective: to evaluate the influence of indoor air quality and contaminants on older people’s respiratory health. Design: cross-sectional study. Setting: 21 long-term care residences (LTC) in the city of Porto, Portugal. Subjects: older people living in LTC with ≥65 years old. Methods: the Portuguese version of BOLD questionnaire was administered by an interviewer to older residents able to participate (n = 143). Indoor air contaminants (IAC) were measured twice, during winter and summer in 135 areas. Mixed effects logistic regression models were used to study the association between the health questionnaire results and the monitored IAC, adjusted for age, smoking habits, gender and number of years living in the LTC. Results: cough (23%) and sputum (12%) were the major respiratory symptoms, and allergic rhinitis (18%) the main selfreported illness. Overall particulate matter up to 2.5 micrometres in size median concentration was above the reference levels both in winter and summer seasons. Peak values of particulate matter up to 10 micrometres in size (PM10), total volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, bacteria and fungi exceeded the reference levels. Older people exposed to PM10 above the reference levels demonstrated higher odds of allergic rhinitis (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.1–7.2). Conclusion: high levels of PM10 were associated with 3-fold odds of allergic rhinitis. No association was found between indoor air chemical and biological contaminants and respiratory symptoms.
- The Influence of Indoor Environment in Respiratory Health and Quality of Life of Older People Living in Elderly Care CentersPublication . Mendes, Ana; Papoila, Ana Luísa; Martins, Pedro; Bonassi, Stefanoa; Caires, Iolanda; Palmeiro, Teresa; Aguiar, Lívia; Pereira, Cristiana; Neves, Paula; Botelho, Amália; Neuparth, Nuno; Teixeira, João PauloThe mean age of the European population is rising and percentage of adults aged 65 years and older is projected to increase from 16% in 2000 to 20% in 2020. It has been estimated that older subjects spend approximately 19 to 20 h/day indoors. Older individuals may be particularly at risk for detrimental effects from pollutants, even at low concentrations, due to reduced immunological defenses and multiple underlying chronic diseases. This cross-sectional study explored environmental variables and buildings characteristics in 22 elderly care centers (ECC) out of a total of 58 institutions in Porto, Portugal.
- The interactive effect of occupational noise on attention and short-term memory: a pilot studyPublication . Monteiro, Raquel; Tomé, David; Neves, Paula; Silva, Daniel; Rodrigues, Matilde AIntroduction: Human performance is influenced by several job-related factors and workplace conditions, including occupational noise. This influence can occur at sound pressure levels lower than the ones that cause physiological damage, such as hearing loss, being mediated by the noise characteristics. However, studies concerning this issue are still scarce. Study. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of three noise conditions on attention and short-term memory: standard condition (C1), environmental noise without alarm sounds (C2), and environmental noise with alarm sounds (C3). Materials and Methods: First, noise levels were measured during a normal workweek in a fast food establishment. Second, an experiment was designed to simulate the noise normally prevailing in the workplace. The noise levels were fixed at 45 ± 0.3 dB(A) (C1), 60 ± 0.4 dB(A) (C2), and 68 ± 0.4 dB(A) (C3). The influence of noise on participants’ attention and short-term memory was assessed with the following test battery: serial recall, response inhibition, and Stroop interference. Because annoyance, stress, and discomfort perceptions during the tests can influence results, visual analog scales to assess these variables were applied in the end of each trial. Fifteen undergraduate students were included in this pilot study (20–23 years; M = 21.6; SD = 0.8; all female). Results: The results demonstrated that participants’ performance during the tests was lower in C3, that is, the number of errors was higher and the reaction time longer. Participants also experienced higher levels of discomfort, stress, and annoyance perceptions in this condition. However, task performance was not found to be influenced by these perceptions. Conclusion: This study provided important insights about the different noise conditions that workers are exposed in a fast food restaurant, and how they influence participants’ performance. Further research should involve workers, exploring how these conditions are implicated in their performance in the field.