Bruna R. Gouveia

• PhD (Doutoramento)
• Sénior Researcher at Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI) - LARSyS

As the digital revolution continues to take hold in contemporary society, new technology and communications networks have provided football with new possibilities and prospects for expansion. This study provides an assessment of the published research regarding innovative digital tools designed to increase the interactivity of fans when watching a...

Tema: As barreiras arquitetónicas podem limitar a mobilidade de qualquer indivíduo, constrangendo a acessibilidade e a independência funcional. Objetivos: Caracterizar os clientes internados numa unidade de hospitalização domiciliária de um hospital do norte de Portugal, descrever o nível de independência funcional dos participantes e as barreiras...

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a powerful option for rehabilitation by providing real-time performance feedback and a safe and customized training environment. This study aimed: (1) to investigate the association between the presence in the virtual environment, the usability of the system, the intrinsic motivation, and immersion in VR gaming d...

Enquadramento: A satisfação com os cuidados de saúde prestados à pessoa, é considerada um importante indicador no domínio da qualidade dos cuidados, baseada na perceção e valorização dos cuidados que lhe são prestados, considerando as suas necessidades e expetativas. Como indicador permite monitorizar a qualidade dos serviços de saúde, com repercus...

O incumprimento das recomendações gerais para atividade física acarreta um grande impacto na qualidade de vida. Os Enfermeiros Especialistas em Enfermagem de Reabilitação, estão sujeitos às vulnerabilidades dos clientes, carga emocional e física, e podem ser, mais facilmente, influenciados pelas frustrações e desejos face à sua condição de saúde. E...

The purposes of this study were twofold: (1) to describe a new technological solution for the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries based on virtual reality (VR) gaming, and (2) to analyze the variation in rated perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate (HR) of the participants when undergoing a rehabilitation session based on different VR games...

This study aims to report what motivates individuals to be physically active, to determine whether motivating factors influence physical activity (PA) levels, and whether this differs across the lifespan. This is a cross-sectional study with 498 individuals: 117 adolescents, 306 adults, and 75 older adults. PA was assessed using Baecke’s questionna...

In this chapter we elaborate on our conceptual view on vulnerability being the result of insufficient reserve build-up across the life course in various domains (e.g., cognitive reserve and relational reserve). Specifically, we propose that certain individuals are more vulnerable (than other, less vulnerable individuals) to impairments in human fun...

This study, conducted on a large sample of older adults at elevated fall risk (1), aimed to verify statistical differences in gait stability ratio (GSR) and body balance (BB) according to sex, (2) to examine and compare GSR and BB performance between older adult fallers and non-fallers, (3) to determine an association between GSR and BB according t...

Simple Summary Experiencing a fall in old age represents a critical life event affecting physical and cognitive health and the ability to engage in physical activities and exercise. This is crucial since physical activity engagement contributes to the accumulation of the so-called cognitive reserve relevant for maintaining cognitive health at old a...

To live a long and healthy life is now considered the main challenge of geriatric medicine worldwide. Exercise, aging, and health are key research topics to maintain functional ability that has been considered one of the strongest predictors of independence in old age. Functional ability comprises the interaction between physical and mental capacit...

Arboviral diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya or yellow fever are a worldwide concern. The abundance of vector species plays a key role in the emergence of outbreaks of these diseases, so forecasting these numbers is fundamental in preventive risk assessment. Here we describe and demonstrate a novel approach that uses state-of-the-art deep l...

The present study aimed to examine whether gait speed (GS), body balance (BB), and falls mediated the relationship between physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in community-dwelling older adults. This is a cross-sectional study that included 305 men and 314 women (69.5 ± 5.6 years), residing in the Autonomous Region of...

To investigate the association between gait speed (GS), cadence (CAD), gait stability ratio (GSR), and body balance (BB) with falls in a large sample of older adults. The analysis included 619 individuals—305 men and 314 women (69.50 ± 5.62 years)—residing in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal. Mobility in GS, CAD, and GSR was assessed usin...

Worldwide, the growing digitalization process and increase in smartphone usage have contributed to promoting mobile health (mHealth) services. This study provides an overview of the research targeting the effectiveness of mHealth interventions among children and adolescents in the school environment. A systematic literature review was performed fol...

This study aimed (1) to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI), physical activity (PA), and physical function (PF) with health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and (2) to examine in-depth whether PA and PF mediate the relationship between BMI and HRQoL in older adults. We investigated 802 individuals (mean age 69.8 ± 5.6 years),...

Adequate levels of physical function (PF) are essential for vulnerable older adults to perform their daily tasks safely and remain autonomous. Our objective was to explore the mediating role of PF in the relationship between physical activity (PA) and gait speed (GS) in a large sample of older adults from the north of Brazil. This is a cross-sectio...

Objectives Previous studies have shown the importance of individual markers of cognitive reserve, such as education and occupation, for cognitive health in old age. However, there has been only little investigation so far on how this relationship varies across contexts. Methods We analyzed data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in E...

Lower extremity muscle strength (LEMS) and body balance (BB) are essential for older adults to maintain an upright posture and autonomously perform their basic activities of daily living. This study aimed to examine whether LEMS and BB mediate the relationship between physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a large samp...

Enquadramento: A satisfação dos enfermeiros de reabilitação com o trabalho contribui para o desempenho individual, a qualidade e segurança dos cuidados prestados aos clientes e para o sucesso organizacional, sendo crucial a sua avaliação. Objetivo: Analisar a satisfação dos enfermeiros de reabilitação com o trabalho, no Serviço de Saúde da Região...

Simple Summary Age and mobility are interrelated. In this context, cognitive performance (CP) and physical functions (PF) play a mediating role. However, these concepts are multifaceted, and their interrelationships need further investigations. Thus, our study aims (1) to investigate the association between CP and PF with GS and (2) to examine whet...

Background: People more socioeconomically vulnerable tend to have a poorer health- related quality of life (HRQoL). Studies are trying to analyse the factors that may condition this relationship, including physical activity (PA), which may influence the relationship between socioe- conomic status (SES) and HRQoL. This study aimed to analyse the rel...

We aimed to examine associations between cognitive vulnerability and gait speed (GS) in a large older sample. A cross-sectional study analyzed data from the “Health, Lifestyle and Fitness in Adults and Seniors in Amazonas” (SEVAAI) project. In total, 697 participants were included (mean age 70.35 ± 6.86 years). Usual and fast GS were evaluated, and...

Introduction: We investigated the mediating role of leisure activity engagement as marker of cognitive reserve in the relation between neighborhood socio-economic position (SEP) and cognitive decline over 6 years. Methods: The study analyzed longitudinal data from 897 older adults who participated in the two waves (2011 and 2017) of the Vivre-Le...

Background Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal was rapidly implemented by the National Institute of Health in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, in collaboration with more than 50 laboratories distributed nationwide. Methods By applying recent phylodynamic models that allow integration of individual-based travel history, we reco...

We investigated whether the relations of the cognitive reserve markers education and cognitive level of work to the physical and the mental component of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were mediated via cognitive functioning in a large sample of 701 older adults (mean age = 70.36 years, SD = 6.87). HRQoL was measured with the 12-item Short-F...

The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between different dimensions of physical activity (PA) (i.e., work, sport, leisure) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (i.e., overall, physical component, mental component) in an adult lifespan sample of 381 active individuals (age range: 18–88 years; 38.8% men), while...

Introduction: Sarcopenia is a progressive and widespread skeletal muscle disorder involving loss of muscle mass and function, and is associated with several outcomes, including falls, functional decline, frailty, and mortality. Therefore, this study aimed: (1) to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia, falls, and the risk of falls considering age, s...

Nota de edição: Respeitou-se a norma ortográfica seguida pelos Autores. © CDA, Universidade da Madeira O conteúdo desta obra está protegido por Lei. Qualquer forma de reprodução, distribuição, comunicação pública ou transformação da totalidade ou de parte desta obra carece de expressa autorização dos editores e dos seus autores. Os capítulos, bem c...

Metabolic syndrome has been considered a factor of vulnerability and a major public health problem because it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The present study from Amazonas, Brazil aimed to estimate the prevalence of the individual and general components of metabolic syndrome in adults and older adults and identif...

This study aimed to test an observational momentary time sampling tool to estimate in-class moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), in terms of validity, reliability and agreement between observational momentary time sampling and accelerometry, and to develop a regression equation to estimate MVPA from observational momentary time sampling....

The Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument (COGTEL) has shown to be a brief, reliable, and valid instrument to assess cognitive functioning in adults in face-to-face procedures as well as over the phone. So far, no psychometric evaluation exists on its use in adolescents. The present study set out to evaluate the psychometric properties of the fa...

Background and objectives: Regular physical exercise can attenuate age-related cognitive decline. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a physical exercise multicomponent training based on exergames on cognitive functioning (CF) in older adults. Research design and methods: This randomized controlled trial included older adults aged 61-7...

The cognitive reserve hypothesis postulates that lifelong cognitive stimulation establishes a buffer that is instrumental in maintaining cognitive health. To examine this conceptual proposition in detail, we applied a novel, more general conceptual view that included recent models of vulnerability and examined whether the longitudinal association b...

Aims: We investigated whether the longitudinal relation between cognitive reserve accumulated across the lifespan and rate of cognitive decline over 6 years differed by the individual's degree of functional impairment. Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from 897 older adults (M = 74.33 years) tested on the Trail Making Test (TMT) in 2 waves...

We investigated the longitudinal relationship between physical fitness (flexibility, functional strength, and running speed-agility components) and subsequent change in academic achievement across one school year. We also examined whether this longitudinal relationship differed as a function of pupils’ age, controlling for sex, body mass index, and...

Aims: We investigated whether the longitudinal relation between memory complaints and subsequent decline in executive functioning over 6 years differed by leisure activity engagement as major contributor to cognitive reserve in old age. Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from 897 older adults (M = 74.33 years) tested on the Trail Making Test...

Objectives From a longitudinal perspective, the direction of the relationship between cognitive functioning and well-being in old age, both conceptually and empirically, is still under debate. Therefore, we aimed to disentangle the different longitudinal relationship patterns proposed and whether those differed between young-old and old-old adults....

The extensive use of insecticides for vector control has led to the development of insecticide resistance in Aedes aegypti populations on a global scale, which has significantly compromised control actions. Insecticide resistance, and its underlying mechanisms, has been investigated in several countries, mostly in South American and Asian countries...

Aims: We investigated whether the longitudinal relationship between history of stroke and subsequent decline in executive functioning over 6 years differed by cognitive reserve. Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from 897 older adults (mean age, 74.33 years) tested on the Trail Making Test (TMT) in two waves 6 years apart. Participants repor...

Objectives: We investigated the longitudinal relationship between obesity and subsequent decline in executive functioning over six years as measured through performance changes in the Trail Making Test (TMT). We also examined whether this longitudinal relationship differed by key markers of cognitive reserve (education, occupation, and leisure acti...

Objective: To investigate the relations of balance to muscle mass (MM) and muscle strength (MS), depending on age and physical activity, which is of particular importance to functional independence in older people. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 802 volunteers (69.82 ± 5.60 years). The Fullerton Advanced Balance scale was used to a...

This study aimed to investigate the relation between students’ attitude towards Physical Education (PE) and its correlates, by simultaneously considering age, sex, enjoying physical activity (PA), self-perceived physically active lifestyle (PAL), self-perception of physical competence, PA, and cardiovascular fitness (CF). This cross-sectional study...

Aims: We investigated the mediating role of leisure activity engagement in the longitudinal relation between openness to experience and subsequent change in executive functioning over 6 years as measured through performance changes in the Trail Making Test (TMT). Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from 897 older adults (mean = 74.33 years in...

Background: Muscular strength and endurance (MSE) have been correlated to healthy physical and mental condition throughout the lifespan. Objective: The main objective of this study was to investigate how well do MSE predict cognitive function in youth, after controlling for age. Methods: The sample comprised 302 students (157 girls and 145 boys), m...

Objectives: To study the reliability/stability of the Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument (COGTEL) for the assessment of cognitive functions, and to investigate the concurrent validity (that is, the relationship between the COGTEL scores and external variables, such as level of education and MMSE results) in a pilot study of elderly persons re...

Purpose: The main purposes of this study were (a) to assess the effectiveness of the tactical games approach on students’ invasion game performance when compared to the technique-oriented approach, and (b) to investigate whether there was a difference in motor engagement time (MET) between the both pedagogical approaches. Method: The sample consist...

The aims of this study were: (i) to characterize students' opinion on Physical Education (PE) and on the School and (ii) to analyze the associations between opinion about PE, gender, age, and academic performance. The sample was composed by 599 students (264 boys and 335 girls), aged 10 to 22 years (14.76 ± 2.42). A subsample of 154 students (76 bo...

Background: Sarcopenia is a result of age-related losses of skeletal muscle function and mass, that differs in rate between individuals. This can be partly explained by unmodifiable factors, such as age, however it is necessary to better understand the contribution of other modifiable factors in order to prevent it. To identify different reliable d...

Background: Sarcopenia is a result of age-related losses of skeletal muscle function and mass, that differs in rate between individuals. This can be partly explained by unmodifiable factors, such as age, however it is necessary to better understand the contribution of other modifiable factors in order to prevent it. To identify different reliable d...

Purpose: The main purposes of this study were (a) to assess the effectiveness of the tactical games approach on students' invasion game performance when compared to the technique-oriented approach, and (b) to investigate whether there was a difference in motor engagement time (MET) between the both pedagogical approaches. Method: The sample consist...

Aims: We investigated whether the longitudinal relationship between gastrointestinal diseases and subsequent decline in executive functioning over 6 years differed by cognitive reserve. Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from 897 older adults (mean age 74.33 years) tested on TMT parts A and B in two waves 6 years apart. Participants reported...

Background: Balance and mobility impairments are important modifiable risk factors associated with falls in older people. Purpose: To investigate how different functional fitness components relate to balance and mobility, after controlling for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and different physical activity (PA) domains. Methods: This represen...

A population-based cross-sectional study aimed to examine sex differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older adults, and investigate whether the relation patterns between HRQoL and its correlates differed between sexes. A stratified proportional and representative sample included 802 volunteers, aged 60–79. HRQoL (36-item Short Form...

The objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the age-related differences in cognitive function (CF), nutritional status (MNA), physical activity (AF), quality of life (QoL), depression, social satisfaction (SS) and socioeconomic status (SES), and (2) to explore the relationships between CF and the previous variables. This cross sectional s...

It remains unclear so far whether the role of cognitive reserve for cognitive functioning in old age may differ between individuals with low, compared to those with high functional fitness status. Therefore, the present study set out to investigate the relation of education and cognitive leisure activity as key markers of cognitive reserve to mini-...

The concern of the ethics and the meaning of life in young adults became universal and are present in all contexts of human life. Such universality is due to the development of modern rationality, to establish a relationship between the intrinsic theoretical dimensions (scientific) and practical dimensions (ethical), originated that are present in...

Background: Muscle strength (MS) is a critical component of physical function in old age. Body composition and behavioural patterns have been considered important predictors affecting the age-associated declines in MS in older people. Objectives: The main purposes of this study were: (1) to analyse the relation between MS, body composition and beha...

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important health outcome in older adults. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the ProBalance rehabilitation programme on HRQoL of community-dwelling older adults with balance impairments and to investigate whether effects differ between age groups and/or HRQoL components. Methods: A...

Objectives: (1) To study the relation of physical activity (PA) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and (2) to investigate if the strength of these associations holds after adjustments for sex, age, and other key correlates. Methods: This study included 550 older adults from Amazonas. HDL-C was derived from fasting blood samples. PA...

The Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument (COGTEL) is a novel test battery that allows the assessment of performance in six cognitive domains (prospective, short-term, long-term, and working memory, verbal fluency, and reasoning). It can be applied in a face-to-face session, but also over the phone and takes only about 15 minutes. The COGTEL has...

This study aimed to assess the effect of the ProBalance rehabilitation program on strength and gait of community-dwelling older adults with balance impairments, aged 65–85. In this single-blind randomized controlled trial, the intervention included gait, balance, functional training, strengthening and endurance, flexibility, and 3D training. It was...

It remains unclear so far whether the negative relation of critically low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level to cognitive functioning in old age may be reduced in individuals with higher cognitive reserve accumulated during the life course. Therefore, the present study set out to investigate the relation of HDL-C level to cognitive...

Aims: The present study set out to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument (COGTEL) in two different samples of older adults. Methods: We assessed COGTEL in 116 older adults, with retest after seven days to evaluate test-retest reliability. Moreover, we assessed COGTEL in 868 older adults to evaluate con...

Purpose: This study aimed (1) to examine the role of potential correlates of HRQoL in a large representative sample of older adults, and (2) to investigate whether the relationships between HRQoL and potential factors differ as a function of HRQoL component (physical vs. mental) and/or age cohort (young-old vs. old-old). Methods: This cross-sect...

Background: Recently, Paggi et al. (Gerontology 2016;62:450-458) for the very first time showed in a cross-sectional sample of 259 adults aged 18 to 81 years that the relation of physical health to psychological well-being was mediated via frequency of leisure activity participation. Objective: To extend this framework, we followed theories on succ...

Aims: The present study set out to investigate the relation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level to cognitive performance and its interplay with key markers of cognitive reserve in a large sample of older adults. Methods: We assessed tests of working memory, immediate and delayed cued recall in 701 older adults from Amazonas, Brazi...

Background: It remains unclear so far whether the role of cognitive reserve may differ between physically frail compared to less frail individuals. Therefore, the present study set out to investigate the relation of key markers of cognitive reserve to cognitive status in old age and its interplay with physical frailty in a large sample of older adu...

Objective: We investigated the relation of hypertension to cognitive performance and its interplay with key markers of cognitive reserve in a large sample of older adults. Method: We assessed tests of immediate and delayed cued recall and working memory in 701 older adults. We measured systolic blood pressure and interviewed individuals on their ed...

Este estudo teve por objetivo o seguinte: investigar a associação entre o estilo de vida e a atitude positiva (EñgEFD) ou negativa (EgEFD) dos alunos sobre a Educação Física (EF). Um estudo de natureza transversal foi conduzido em 243 estudantes (15.6 ±2.5 anos). A informação demográfica, a opinião sobre a EF, e a auto perceção foram avaliados atra...

The aims of this study were to describe age- and gender related differences in total body skeletal muscle (TB-SM) mass and to determine the variance explained by physical activity (PA). This cross-sectional study included 401 males and 402 females, aged 60-79 years. TB-SM was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-DXA and PA by Baecke quest...

Uma participação ao longo da vida em atividades físicas tem um impacto positivo e significado na saúde e bem-estar. Os indivíduos menos ativos apresentam maior risco de morrer de doença do coração e desenvolver diabetes, cancro do cólon e pressão arterial elevada, comparativamente aos mais ativos. Os objetivos do presente artigo foram: (1) analisar...

BACKGROUND: The increased prevalence of obesity and function limitations associated with aging are major public health problemsconcerns in the U.S. The risk of developing obesity and functional limitations is higher in minority populations living in urban settings and previous research has shown that Tai Chi, resistance training, and diet individua...

Perante o envelhecimento populacional e a decorrente demanda para os cuidados de saúde, do ponto de vista da Enfermagem de Reabilitação importa responder às determinantes do envelhecimento que afetam a mobilidade, com estratégias fundamentadas nos resultados da investigação mais atual. A cinesioterapia constitui um recurso do enfermeiro especialist...