This study aimed to identify variables associated with the appropriate recall of indications and the drug classes that represented the most unmatching medications (i.e., when the individual who used it had not reported any illness that matched its indications). Community-dwelling individuals aged ≥60 years using ≥1 medication, from Santa Cruz da Esperança-SP, Brazil, were home-interviewed. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between the appropriate recall of the indications for all medications in use and the following: gender, age, education, individual income, living arrangement, self-perceived health, and medication number, administration, payment, and identification. Medications whose indications were inappropriately recalled were classified as matching or unmatching. One hundred seventeen individuals used an average of 5.1 (standard deviation, 3.3) medications. Sixty-one (52.1%) appropriately recalled all indications. The appropriate recall of all indications was negatively associated with the number of medications in use (e.g., individuals taking 5-6 medications were 25 times less likely to appropriately recall all indications than those taking 1-2). Antithrombotic, acid-related disorder and psychoanaleptic classes showed greater frequencies of unmatching than matching medications. Therefore, counseling the elderly about drug indications should focus on those using ≥3 medications and/or antithrombotic, acid-related disorder, and psychoanaleptic agents.

BACKGROUND: In July 2004, the Brazilian Ministry of Health through the National Health Surveillance Agency made the fortification of wheat flour and cornmeal (maize flour) with iron and folic acid mandatory, with the intention of reducing the rate of diseases such as neural tube defects.OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of the folic acid fortified wheat flour and cornmeal on serum and red blood cell folate levels and on the reduction of neural tube defects in different Brazilian studies.METHODS: In order to compare folate concentrations in the Brazilian population prior to and following the implementation of mandatory fortification of wheat and cornmeal, studies that involved blood draws between January 1997 and May 2004 (pre-fortification period), and from June 2004 to the present (post-fortification period) were chosen. The data search included PubMed and Scopus databases as well as the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. The following keywords were employed for the query: folate, folic acid, fortification, Brazil, healthy population, the elderly, children and pregnant women.RESULTS: A total of 47 Brazilian studies were selected; 26 from the pre-fortification period and 22 after the fortification implementation. The studies were classified according to the cohort investigated (pregnant women, children, adolescents, adults and the elderly). After the implementation of flour fortification with folic acid in Brazil, serum folate concentrations increased in healthy populations (57% in children and adolescents and 174% in adults), and the incidence of neural tube defects dropped.CONCLUSION: Folic acid fortification of wheat flour and cornmeal increased the blood folate concentrations and reduced the incidence of neural tube defects.

O estado nutricional antes e durante a gestação foi avaliado prospectivamente em 372 gestantes através do índice de massa corporal e ou gráfico de Rosso. Metade das mulheres apresentou peso pré-gestacional normal, porém 17,7% estava abaixo e 31,3% acima do peso normal. No terceiro trimestre, 18,8% tinha peso abaixo e 28,2% acima do normal. O peso ao nascer aumentou de acordo com o melhor provimento nutricional da gestante. Estes resultados indicam que um controle antropométrico adequado permite monitorar nutricialmente as gestantes, prevenindo e/ou controlando a ocorrência de condições materno-fetais indesejáveis, fato que reafirma a importância da execução desta atividade como rotina no controle pré-natal.

Nutritional conditions in the pre-gestacional period and during pregnancy were evaluated in 372 pregnant women based on the body mass index and Rosso's Graph. Approximately half (51%) the pregnant women presented normal pre-gestacional weight; however, 17.7% were underweight and 31.3% overweight. In the third trimester, 18.8% were underweight and 28.2% overweight. The weight at birth increased as nutritional conditions during pregnancy improved. These results show the importance of appropriate anthropometric control in order to prevent a bad neonatal prognosis and reaffirms the importance of such activity during the whole routine of pre-natal control.

El estado nutricional pregestacional y durante el embarazo fue evaluado en 372 gestantes, a través del indice de masa corporal y la Gráfica de Rosso, prospectivamente. Mitad de las mujeres presentó peso pregestacional normal, aún así 17,7% tenía bajo peso y 31,3% sobrepeso. En el tercer trimestre, 18,8% tenía bajo peso y 28,2% sobrepeso. El peso al nacer aumentó conforme la gestante fue nutricionalmente mejor natada. Estos resultados señalan que un control antropométrico adecuado posibilita monitorear nutricionalmente las embarazadas, preveniendo y/o controlando la ocurrencia de condiciones materno-fetales indeseables, hecho que reafirma la importancia de la ejecución de esta actividad como rutina en todo el control prenatal.

Nutritional conditions in the pre-gestacional period and during pregnancy were evaluated in 372 pregnant women based on the body mass index and Rosso's Graph. Approximately half (51%) the pregnant women presented normal pre-gestacional weight; however, 17.7% were underweight and 31.3% overweight. In the third trimester, 18.8% were underweight and 28.2% overweight. The weight at birth increased as nutritional conditions during pregnancy improved. These results show the importance of appropriate anthropometric control in order to prevent a bad neonatal prognosis and reaffirms the importance of such activity during the whole routine of pre-natal control.

El estado nutricional pregestacional y durante el embarazo fue evaluado en 372 gestantes, a través del indice de masa corporal y la Gráfica de Rosso, prospectivamente. Mitad de las mujeres presentó peso pregestacional normal, aún así 17,7% tenía bajo peso y 31,3% sobrepeso. En el tercer trimestre, 18,8% tenía bajo peso y 28,2% sobrepeso. El peso al nacer aumentó conforme la gestante fue nutricionalmente mejor natada. Estos resultados señalan que un control antropométrico adecuado posibilita monitorear nutricionalmente las embarazadas, preveniendo y/o controlando la ocurrencia de condiciones materno-fetales indeseables, hecho que reafirma la importancia de la ejecución de esta actividad como rutina en todo el control prenatal.

O estado nutricional antes e durante a gestação foi avaliado prospectivamente em 372 gestantes através do índice de massa corporal e ou gráfico de Rosso. Metade das mulheres apresentou peso pré-gestacional normal, porém 17,7% estava abaixo e 31,3% acima do peso normal. No terceiro trimestre, 18,8% tinha peso abaixo e 28,2% acima do normal. O peso ao nascer aumentou de acordo com o melhor provimento nutricional da gestante. Estes resultados indicam que um controle antropométrico adequado permite monitorar nutricialmente as gestantes, prevenindo e/ou controlando a ocorrência de condições materno-fetais indesejáveis, fato que reafirma a importância da execução desta atividade como rotina no controle pré-natal.