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Qualidade de vida materna durante distanciamento social da pandemia da covid-19

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Objetivo: avaliar a qualidade de vida materna durante a pandemia da Covid-19. Método: estudo transversal exploratório, quantitativo, com amostra definida com o método de Bola de Neve virtual. A coleta ocorreu de modo on-line entre junho e setembro de 2021. Utilizou-se um formulário semiestruturado sobre questões socioeconômicas e o instrumento abreviado de avaliação de qualidade de vida da Organização Mundial da Saúde. A análise de dados incluiu estatística descritiva, testes de Qui-Quadrado de Pearson, Exato de Fisher e Regressão Logística Múltipla. Para todas as análises, considerou-se p-valor <0,05. Resultados: 305 respostas de mulheres com média de 1,6 crianças. A inequidade de gênero esteve presente. Houve significância estatística entre raça/cor parda (58,3%; p=0,045), renda de até um salário-mínimo (67,9%; p<0,001) e baixa qualidade de vida. Maior probabilidade de baixa qualidade de vida em mães que não dividiam responsabilidades sobre os cuidados dos filhos (OR 3,18) e para as que não cuidavam da saúde mental (OR 2,45). Conclusão: o bem-estar emocional e a qualidade de vida das mães de crianças, em distanciamento social, durante a pandemia, foram baixos. A rede de apoio é fator protetor da saúde mental e qualidade de vida dessa população. Discussões sobre gênero e atribuições com os filhos se fazem necessárias.
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http://www.periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/CiencCuidSaude
ISSN on-line1984-7513
DOI: 10.4025/ciencuidsaude.v23i0.69744
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Cienc Cuid Saude. 2024;23:e69744
*Nurse. Federal University of Paraíba, Jo Pessoa, PB, Brazil. E-mail: enf.laysdantas@gmail.com. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3432-9499
**Nurse. Master's student in Nursing. Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil. Email: vanessacarlabrito@gmail.com. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0569-9888
***Nurse. PhD in Nursing. University Center of João Pessoa, Jo Pessoa, PB, Brazil. Email: carlabrazevangelista@gmail.com. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7063-1439
****Nurse. PhD in Nursing. Federal University of Alfenas, School of Nursing, Alfenas, MG, Brazil. Email: cliciagradim@gmail.com. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1852-2646
*****Nurse. PhD in Health Sciences. Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil. Email: jaqueline.queiroz@professor.ufcg.edu.br. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1330-3460
MATERNAL QUALITY OF LIFE DURING SOCIAL DISTANCING FROM THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Lays Tamara Dantas-Silva*
Vanessa Carla do Nascimento Gomes Brito**
Carla Braz Evangelista***
Clícia Valim Cortes Gradim****
Jaqueline Queiroz de Macedo*****
ABSTRACT
Objective: to assess maternal quality of life during the covid-19 pandemic. Method: Exploratory, quantitative,
cross-sectional study with a sample defined with the virtual Snowball method. The collection took place between
June and September 2021, online. A semi-structured form on socioeconomic issues and the World Health
Organization's abbreviated quality of life assessment instrument were used. Data analysis included descriptive
statistics, Pearson's Chi-Square, Fisher's Exact, and Multiple Logistic Regression tests. For all analyses, p-value
<0.05 was considered. Results: 305 responses from women with a mean of 1.6 children. Gender inequality was
present. There was statistical significance between race/brown color (58.3%; p=0.045) and income of up to one
minimum wage (67.9%; p<0.001) and low quality of life. Higher probability of lower quality of life in mothers who
did not share responsibilities for child care (OR 3.18) and for those who did not take care of mental health (OR
2.45). Conclusion: The emotional well-being and quality of life of mothers of children in social distance during the
pandemic was low. The support network is a protective factor for the mental health and quality of life of this
population. Gender discussions and assignments with children are necessary.
Keywords: Mothers. Quality of life. Covid-19. Gender equality.
INTRODUCTION
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, caused by the
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2), humanity experienced a serious
global health crisis, since the high transmissibility of
covid-19 caused a number of deaths greater than the
sum of the epidemics caused by the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV)
and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)(1-2). Because it is a
respiratory transmission virus, prevention occurs
through collective pacts such as the adoption of
respiratory etiquette and the use of masks, as well as
social distancing measures(3-4).
Although extremely effective in controlling the
pandemic, social distancing measures result in the
confinement of part of the population, generating
several health impacts, being particularly significant
in mental health, such as anxiety, depression,
irritability, sleep disorders, fatigue and cognitive
impairments(5-7).
In the pandemic context, women, especially
mothers, experienced additional disadvantages
compared to men. The relationship between work,
gender and motherhood can generate personal and
professional conflicts due to the sexual division of
labor, in which women are socialized to be
responsible almost exclusively for the care of the
home and children(8-9).
In the context of women's health, the impacts of
the pandemic ranged from domestic work overload
and an increase in domestic violence to job loss and
income reduction, exposing women to greater
emotional and psychological stress, leading to
anxiety crises and physical illness(8-10).
The situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, by
itself, was a stressful event. Fear of falling ill and
uncertainty about maintaining the source of income
generated feelings of insecurity and anxiety, and
made it difficult to focus on other aspects of life,
such as work, studies and family relationships(11-12).
2 Dantas-Silva LT, Brito VCNG, Evangelista CB, Gradim CVC, Macedo JQ
Cienc Cuid Saude. 2024;23:e69744
The reality of the woman-mother is even more
critical, since they had to make adaptations to ensure
survival, with the intensification of working hours
associated with the home office regime and the
reduction of the support network due to the
suspension of sending their children to schools and
daycare centers, unfeasibility of rest time and
accumulation of activities, resulting in exhaustion
and psychological suffering(10-13).
Faced with so many changes and uncertainties
arising from the pandemic scenario, families had to
reorganize themselves, in an attempt to reconcile all
the daily demands in the confinement scenario.
However, the unequal division of responsibilities
with the care of children and the home overloads
and disrupts the routine and way of life of women
mothers, leading them to exhausting situations that
can affect the quality of life (QoL) of mothers of
children, contributes to a potentially toxic
environment, aggravates the negative effects of
confinement, and especially in single-parent
families and with a low socioeconomic profile(5,14-15),
highlighting the need for studies that investigate the
QoL of mothers of children in the face of the
pandemic.
According to the World Health Organization's
Quality of Life Group, The WHOQOL Group(16),
QoL refers to the way a person perceives his
position in life, taking into account his culture,
values and expectations, standards and concerns.
This is a complex concept because it considers
physical and mental health, personal beliefs, social
relationships, and the relationship of individuals
with the environment.
Therefore, this study is justified due to the
importance of reflecting on gender inequality and
sexual division of labor, which exposes women-
mothers to situations of vulnerability and may
contribute to a decrease in their QoL. As well as the
relevance of knowledge about maternal QoL for the
direction of preventive actions and promotion of
self-care and emotional well-being of mothers,
directly influencing family well-being, including
children health, by their positioning as the main
caregivers and managers of the family environment
and children.
Given the above, this study aimed to: evaluate
the quality of life (QoL) of mothers of children
during the covid-19 pandemic.
METHOD
This is a cross-sectional, exploratory study with
a quantitative approach, which followed the
recommendations of the STROBE checklist to
guide the research. The study population was
formed by mothers of children (considering "child"
the person up to twelve years of age incomplete,
according to the definition of the Statute of the Child
and Adolescent - Law 8.069/1990), in social
distance with their children, with a sample defined
through the virtual Snowball method(17), using the
temporality of three months of data collection to
limit the n sample (n = 305).
The selection criteria for the sample of the target
audience were: women over 18 years of age;
literate; living with a child or children from 0 to 12
years of age (child). Those who were in work
activity in the face-to-face modality (outside the
domestic environment) were excluded.
The link with the invitation was published on the
researchers' social media; it contained the
specification of the selection criteria and access to
the study form; it was also published at the research
institution, participants referred to components of
health care services, in addition to virtual groups of
mothers, users of the unified health system, groups
of schools and daycare centers and religious
communities. As the sample was self-generated, and
not probabilistic, the research had the collaboration
of these initial and subsequent members in
disseminating the research to other participants who
met the established selection criteria and accepted to
answer it. This process persisted until the metric,
data collection deadline, was reached.
Data collection took place between June 15,
2021 and September 12, 2021. The following
instruments were used: one to collect
sociodemographic data (age, number of children,
race/color, marital status, education, work, monthly
income, division of responsibility for the care of the
child (children), help from neighbors/family
members in the care of the child (children), maternal
health problem associated with limitation for the
care of their children, and care for their mental
health) and the abbreviated World Health
Organization quality of life assessment instrument
(WHOQOL-BREF), in the public domain and
validated in Brazil, which contains 26 questions,
two on general quality of life and the others
encompassed in 4 domains: 1- Physical; 2-
Psychological; 3- Social Relations and 4-
Environment. The WHOQOL-BREF scores are
Maternal quality of life during social distancing from the Covid-19 pandemic 3
Cienc Cuid Saude. 2024;23:e69744
obtained by facets, from a Likert-type scale, with
five points (1 to 5). Scores are measured in a
positive direction, that is, the higher the score, the
better the quality of life(18).
The collection was conducted online through the
virtual tool Google Forms, with an estimated mean
duration of 15 minutes, whose dissemination and
recruitment took place through virtual social
networks, such as email, WhatsApp and Instagram.
Data were tabulated from Excel 2013 and
transferred for analysis in SPSS Statistics, using
descriptive statistics, with measures of central
tendency and dispersion; and inferential statistics,
with Pearson's Chi-Square, Fisher's Exact and
Multiple Logistic Regression tests. Fisher's exact
test was used in situations where at least 20% of the
cell values (cells) had a frequency of less than five.
The entry criterion of the variables in the
multiple logistic regression model was established
for p<0.2 in the bivariate analysis. Based on the
median total score of the scale, low quality of life
and, above this, high quality of life were defined.
The hierarchical regression model was chosen, in
which the variables with the highest p-value were
gradually removed, keeping in the final model only
those with p<0.05. It is noteworthy that, for all
analyses, the 95% confidence interval and the
significance level of 5% (p-value< 0.05) were used.
It was possible to identify the main outcome of the
study, in this case the correlation between social
distancing due to the pandemic and the decrease in
the quality of life of mothers of children.
The study was submitted to the Research Ethics
Committee of the Health Sciences Center, Federal
University of Paraíba, obeying the requirements of
CNS Resolution 466/2012, and approved under
CAAE 45856621.9.0000.5188 (Opinion:
4.740.107). Study participants agreed to the
Informed Consent Form (ICF), which was at the
beginning of the Google Forms form, and received a
copy of the agreed term by email. The form did not
require personal identification and all data were
stored according to the regulations of research with
human beings and the General Law for the
Protection of Personal Data.
RESULTS
Based on the 305 completed forms, the mean
age of the mothers was 34.7 years (SD ± 5.9), with a
mean of 1.6 children, 48.5% were white, 82.5%
were married, 56.1% had graduate degrees
(complete and incomplete), 66.6% had paid work
and 35.4% received an income between two and
five minimum wages.
As for child care, 86.6% of the participants
received help from third parties, 41.6% from the
child's father. In addition, 75.7% answered that they
shared the responsibility for child care, considering a
mean of 75.5 (SD ± 21.4) points for their own share
of responsibility; 90.8% said they had access to the
necessary food for themselves and their children and
79.4% of mothers denied having any health
problems.
Regarding quality of life (QoL) results, 50.2%
presented low overall QoL. As for the QoL facets,
56.7% presented low domain of social relationships,
56.1% low psychological domain, 54.8% low
physical domain, 51.1% low domain of
environment, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Frequency of information regarding quality of life (N=305). João Pessoa-PB, Brazil, 2021.
Variables
N (%)
Quality of Life Domains
Physical Domain
Low
167 (54.8)
High
138 (45.2)
Psychological Domain
Low
171 (56.1)
High
134 (43.9)
Social Relations Domain
Low
173 (56.7)
High
132 (43.3)
Environment Domain
Low
156 (51.1)
High
149 (48.9)
Quality of life
Low
153 (50.2)
High
152 (49.8)
4 Dantas-Silva LT, Brito VCNG, Evangelista CB, Gradim CVC, Macedo JQ
Cienc Cuid Saude. 2024;23:e69744
Regarding the association of sociodemographic
variables with quality of life (table 2), the variables
that presented statistical significance were
race/brown color (58.3%; p=0.045) and income of
up to one minimum wage (67.9%; p<0.001), both
with low QoL.
Table 2. Relationship between sociodemographic variables and quality of life of mothers (N=305). João
Pessoa-PB, Brazil.
Quality of life
Low QoL
n (%)
High QoL
n (%)
33 (52.4)
30 (47.6)
95 (53.7)
82 (46.3)
24 (38.7)
38 (61.3)
1 (33.3)
2 (66.7)
0.180**
65 (43.9)
83 (56.1)
77 (58.3)
55 (41.7)
11 (44.0)
14 (56.0)
0.045*
13 (54.2)
11 (45.8)
121 (48.0)
131 (52.0)
17 (63.0)
10 (37.0)
2 (100.0)
0 (0.0)
0.229**
2 (50.0)
2 (50.0)
24 (60.0)
16 (40.0)
51 (56.7)
39 (43.3)
76 (44.4)
95 (55.6)
0.135**
36 (67.9)
17 (32.1)
69 (63.9)
39 (36.1)
48 (33.3)
96 (66.7)
<0.001*
Note: * Pearson's Chi-Square Test; ** Fisher's Exact Test.
In the analysis of quality of life and aspects of
child care, it was observed that low quality of life
was present in mothers who had a child (53.3%) and
who did not receive help in care (65.9%). Regarding
the support network, those who received help from
family members (53.1%) and who did not have help
from the parent (55.1%), spouse (54.5%), babysitter
(52.3%), friends/neighbors (50.8%), school
(49.8%), who did not share responsibility for the
care of the child (71.6%) and who had children with
health problems (58.3%) also had a low quality of
life index. Of these variables, there was significance
for the absence of help in care (p=0.031), absence of
support network from the parent (p=0.043) and
spouse/partner (p=0.036), and absence of division of
responsibilities (p<0.001).
Regarding the analysis between the emotional
and physical variables of mothers with quality of
life, most presented low quality of life in the
presence of some health problem (76.2%), which
led to limitation in the care of their own children
(60.3%), demonstrating the "terrible" feeling in the
last week (88.5%), without taking care of mental
health (61.4%), and using medication for some
psychological issue (66.1%). All variables were
statistically significant (p<0.001; p=0.006).
Table 3 shows the Multiple Logistic Regression
Model of quality of life, which expresses that there
was a 3.18 times greater probability of having a
poor quality of life for women who did not share
responsibilities for child care; 14.34 times for those
who did not receive help from neighbors/family
members; 5.19 times for those who believed that
having a health problem limited the care of their
own children; and 2.45 times for those who did not
do something to take care of mental health.
Maternal quality of life during social distancing from the Covid-19 pandemic 5
Cienc Cuid Saude. 2024;23:e69744
Table 3. Variables associated with quality of life through adjusted logistic regression. João Pessoa-PB, Brazil,
2021.
Variables
OR
CI
p-value*
Division of caregiving responsibility for the child (children)?
Yes
1.00
-
-
No
3.18
[1.73 5.85]
<0.001
Help from neighbors/family in caring for the child (children)?
Yes
1.00
-
-
No
14.34
[1.27 161.46]
0.031
Maternal health problem brings some limitation to the care of your child (children)
Did not answer
1.00
-
-
Yes
5.19
[2.65 - 10.15]
<0.001
No
4.45
[1.36 14.54]
0.013
Do you take care of your mental health?
Yes
1.00
-
-
No
2.45
[1.47 - 4.07]
0.001
Note: Adjusted R²: 0.261; OR = Odds Ratio; CI = Confidence Interval; * Test significance.
DISCUSSION
Quality of life can be affected by several
structural axes of society, such as racial and income
inequalities, due to the restriction of opportunities
and access to legal rights. With the pandemic, these
inequities were potentiated, leading socially
disadvantaged groups, such as non-white and low-
income women, to even more vulnerable situations
(19-20), corroborating the results of the significant
associations between low QoL and mixed race/color
and income of up to a minimum wage. It is
conjectured that if the sample of this study was
composed of a high number of brown and black
mothers with low income, an even more expressive
frequency of low QoL could be found.
In addition to racial and economic issues,
women also deal with the consequences of social
construction based on gender, in which men are
socialized for life outside the home and to be
providers, and women to take care of children and
the home as an obligation, devotion, manifestation
of love, instinct or natural consequence of the choice
for reproduction (13,21), which may be related to the
high share of responsibility of mothers in cases
where they claimed to share responsibility for child
care.
Thus, even when there is a companion, there is
no guarantee of a fair division of household tasks.
Investigations(22-23) show that even when fathers
increase their involvement with housework and
childcare, mothers also increase such involvement,
following an unequal division of responsibilities.
It is important to note that the pandemic
heterogeneously affected people of different
genders, with an impact especially among women,
exposing their social vulnerabilities. The role of
women as caregivers brought greater risks, both of
contracting covid-19 and of physical and emotional
overload, with impacts on mental health. In addition
to social distancing, situations of violence increase,
as the home is an unsafe place for many women and
children(8-10).
Allied to these dynamics, the absence of a
support network for mothers of children resulted in
the accumulation of functions and a negative impact
on the lives of these women. This fact, in the context
of the pandemic, was called "The COVID
motherhood penalty"(9).
In addition to the overlapping functions being
directly related to the development of suffering and
mental disorders in mothers, the pandemic is an
aggravating factor for mental health, due to
increased anxiety, stress, frustration and boredom,
loneliness, irritability, sadness and various fears (of
contamination, lack of supplies and decreased
income)(5,8,11,24-25), which justifies the results about
the “terrible” feeling reported by mothers and lack
of care for maternal mental health.
The presence of these stressors leads to changes
in physical health, social well-being, and excessive
consumption of alcohol and other drugs, including
medications such as psychotropics, directly
influencing quality of life(5,11,24).
The influence of mental health on the quality of
life of mothers, in a patriarchal system, is related to
the centralization of child care in the maternal figure
and the social imposition of an ideal motherhood,
and it is up to women to take care of and take
responsibility for their children despite the situation,
6 Dantas-Silva LT, Brito VCNG, Evangelista CB, Gradim CVC, Macedo JQ
Cienc Cuid Saude. 2024;23:e69744
even in the face of their own illness(13,26-27). In this
context, the regression results of our study showed
that not receiving social support, especially from
family members and neighbors, is associated with
14.34 times more chances of low maternal QoL.
Thus, receiving support from people in social life is
a mediating and moderating factor of parental stress
and life satisfaction, which corroborates studies (28-30)
on social support.
In view of the results about the absence of a
support network, it is suggested that society reflect
on the role and operationalization of social support
in the face of maternal needs, including in pandemic
contexts such as covid-19, in which many mothers
needed to reconcile home office and child care
without external support.
Knowledge about the quality of life of mothers
of children during social distancing from the
pandemic by covid-19 contributes to the planning of
health and nursing care in view of the impacts of
emotional well-being on the basic human needs of
the woman-mother as well as contributing to the
direction of public policies that promote the
improvement of the quality of life of this public.
It is necessary to recognize the intrinsic
limitations of the study design, as it is a data
collection carried out online through a form filled
out by the participants themselves and disseminated,
in general, among people with similar demographic
characteristics. Thus, the study did not include
people without internet access, without computer
skills and with no level of education that would
allow reading and interpretation of text. In addition,
because the study is cross-sectional, causality cannot
be inferred.
CONCLUSION
The results expose the vulnerabilities regarding
the repercussions on the quality of life of women
mothers of children during the covid-19 pandemic
and indicate that emotional well-being and QoL was
low, especially among those with mixed race/color
and income of up to a minimum wage and lack of
social support, with the domains of social
relationships and the psychological being the most
affected.
Mothers report assuming unequal loads of
attributions with their children, a fact that exposes
the consequences of social construction based on
gender. Knowing that the existence of a support
network acts as a protective factor for the mental
health and QoL of mothers of children, the results of
this study can be used as theoretical support for
preventive actions. Further studies focusing on the
analysis of maternal burden are recommended.
QUALIDADE DE VIDA MATERNA DURANTE DISTANCIAMENTO SOCIAL DA PANDEMIA
DA COVID-19
RESUMO
Objetivo: avaliar a qualidade de vida materna durante a pandemia da covid-19. Método: estudo transversal
exploratório, quantitativo, com amostra definida com o método de Bola de Neve virtual. A coleta ocorreu de modo
on-line entre junho e setembro de 2021. Utilizou-se um formulário semiestruturado sobre questões
socioeconômicas e o instrumento abreviado de avaliação de qualidade de vida da Organização Mundial da
Saúde. A análise de dados incluiu estatística descritiva, testes de Qui-Quadrado de Pearson, Exato de Fisher e
Regressão Logística Múltipla. Para todas as análises, considerou-se p-valor <0,05. Resultados: 305 respostas
de mulheres com média de 1,6 crianças. A inequidade de gênero esteve presente. Houve significância
estatística entre raça/cor parda (58,3%; p=0,045), renda de até um salário-mínimo (67,9%; p<0,001) e baixa
qualidade de vida. Maior probabilidade de baixa qualidade de vida em mães que não dividiam responsabilidades
sobre os cuidados dos filhos (OR 3,18) e para as que não cuidavam da saúde mental (OR 2,45). Conclusão: o
bem-estar emocional e a qualidade de vida das mães de crianças, em distanciamento social, durante a
pandemia, foram baixos. A rede de apoio é fator protetor da saúde mental e qualidade de vida dessa população.
Discussões sobre gênero e atribuições com os filhos se fazem necessárias.
Palavras-chave: es. Qualidade de vida. Covid-19. Equidade de gênero.
CALIDAD DE VIDA MATERNA DURANTE EL DISTANCIAMIENTO SOCIAL DE LA
PANDEMIA DE COVID-1
RESUMEN
Objetivo: evaluar la calidad de vida materna durante la pandemia de Covid-19. Método: estudio transversal
exploratorio, cuantitativo, con muestreo por el método de Bola de Nieve virtual. La recolección se realizó de
forma online entre junio y septiembre de 2021. Se utilizó un formulario semiestructurado sobre cuestiones
Maternal quality of life during social distancing from the Covid-19 pandemic 7
Cienc Cuid Saude. 2024;23:e69744
socioeconómicas y el Instrumento para la Medición de la Calidad de Vida de la Organización Mundial de la
Salud. El análisis de datos incluyó estadística descriptiva, pruebas de Chi-Cuadrado de Pearson, Exacto de
Fisher y Regresión Logística Múltiple. Para todos los análisis, se consideró p-valor <0,05. Resultados: 305
respuestas de mujeres con un promedio de 1,6 niños. La desigualdad de género estuvo presente. Hubo
significación estadística entre raza/color pardo (58,3%; p=0,045), ingresos de hasta un salario mínimo (67,9%;
p<0,001) y baja calidad de vida. Mayor probabilidad de baja calidad de vida en madres que no compartían
responsabilidades sobre el cuidado de los hijos (OR 3,18) y para las que no cuidaban la salud mental (OR 2,45).
Conclusión: el bienestar emocional y la calidad de vida de las madres de niños, en distanciamiento social,
durante la pandemia, fueron bajos. La red de apoyo es factor protector de la salud mental y calidad de vida de
esta población. Las discusiones sobre género y asignaciones con los hijos se hacen necesarias.
Palabras clave: Madres. Calidad de vida. Covid-19. Equidad de género.
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Corresponding author: Jaqueline Queiroz de Macedo. Federal University of Campina Grande, Center for Biological
and Health Sciences, Nursing Academic Unit, Av. Juvêncio Arruda, 795 Bodocongó, Campina Grande - PB, CEP:
58429-600. E-mail: jaqueline.queiroz@professor.ufcg.edu.br
Submitted: 25/09/2023
Accepted: 02/10/2024
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
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