Población y Salud en Mesoamérica is an academic electronic journal, published biannually and of continued publication by the Centro Centroamericano de Población in collaboration with the Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud (INISA) and whose publisher is the University of Costa Rica. The main objective of this publication is the dissemination of research on population from demographic perspective, and public health. This journal is registered and indexed in important international indexes. E-mail contact: revista.ccp@ucr.ac.cr URL OAI-PMH: https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/psm/oai
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Epidemiological and conjunctural characterization of violence in Brazil from 2011 to 2020
Introduction: Violence is a complex phenomenon that affects individuals of different genders, ages, ethnicities and social classes, being considered an important public health problem in Brazil and in the world. Methodology: Study with a quantitative, epidemiological and analytical approach, whose objective was to characterize the main indicators and the way they are associated with violence in Brazil according to their forms, means and circumstances of occurrence, from 2011 to 2020. A dendrogram was produced through the combined application of Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering techniques, characterizing the main profiles associated with violence in Brazil. Results: Violence is established as a complex and multicausal phenomenon, which results not only in high public expenditures, but mainly in the reduction of social cohesion due to the immeasurable damage caused to the population involved. In the present study, the violence is mostly of the physical type, affecting adult females, with low schooling and white or brown. Recurrence occurs mainly when the violence is psychological and sexual. As for the aggressor, they are usually adults, male, and the use of alcohol is common. An important participation of the Southeast region was observed in the notifications of all forms of violence. Conclusions: The magnitude and severity of the problem is brought into question, which must be investigated regionally and in a segmented manner, according to the type of violence. Thus, it infers that spending on violence prevention can mitigate economic, social and psychological problems in Brazil.
Copyright (c) 2023 Marcos Vinicius Teixeira Martins, Veronica Perius de Brito, Alice Mirane Malta Carrijo, Stefan Vilges de Oliveira https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
COVID-Inconfidentes - SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in two Brazilian urban areas in the fourth quarter 2020: study protocol and initial results
Objective: To describe study protocol and initial results of research project COVID-Inconfidentes. Method: This paper described the methodological procedures adopted and the prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population. A household survey was conducted between October and December 2020, in two historic cities of Brazil's mining region. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody was detected using the Wondfo® rapid test. The face-to-face interview consisted of administration of a questionnaire containing registration data, sociodemographic and economic variables, living habits, general health condition, mental health, sleep habits, and eating and nutrition. Results: We evaluated 1,762 residents, of which 764 (43.4 %) were in Mariana and 998 (56.6 %) in Ouro Preto. For both cities, 51.9 % of the interviewees were female, with a predominance of the age range 35 to 59 years old (47.2 %). The prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection was 5.5 % in both cities, 6.2 % in Ouro Preto, and 4.7 % in Mariana (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: The study was effective to estimate the seroprevalence of infection by the virus and its findings will enable further analyses of the health conditions of the population related to social isolation and the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2.
Renata Cristina Rezende Macedo Nascimento
Copyright (c) 2023 Adriana Lúcia Meireles, Luciano Garcia Lourenção, Luiz Antônio Alves de Menezes-Júnior, Hillary Nascimento Coletro, Irene Carolina Sousa Justiniano, Samara Silva de Moura, Amanda Popolino Diniz, Thaís da Silva Sabião, Ana Maria Sampaio Rocha, Aline Priscila Batista, Nara Nunes Lage, Bárbara dos Santos Simões, Carolina Ali Santos, Raquel de Deus Mendonça, Amanda Cristina de Souza Andrade, Keila Furbino Barbosa, Cássio Zumerle Masioli , Júlia Cristina Cardoso Carraro, Mariana Carvalho de Menezes , Renata Cristina Rezende Macedo Nascimento , Leonardo Roever, Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa , George Luiz Lins Machado-Coelho https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
“Raise as if we were not working and work as if we were not having children” reflections on the labor integration of migrant mothers raising in Chile
The childrearing practices deployed by migrant mothers are influenced by the precariousness of their subsistence spaces, as well as the mothers´ knowledge and experiences. From the theoretical assumptions of intersectionality that reveals the imbricated networks based on gender, ethnicity-race and class that establish relations of inequality between social superstructures and mothers-migrants, it is proposed to respond to the general objective of analyzing the influence of precariousness work of migrant mothers in raising their sons and daughters in Chile. From a Latin American perspective, it is hoped to open the discussion regarding a local phenomenon as a manifestation of situated knowledge and, in turn, make visible the discrimination, subordination and submission of migrant women mothers, which explains the general dismissal of their vulnerable integration into the country and in which the upbringing of their sons and daughters take place. Through a qualitative methodology based on symbolic interactionism, 39 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Venezuelan, Peruvian and Haitian migrant mothers, which were subjected to thematic analysis and theorized according to the defined research objectives. As a result, it is obtained that migrant mothers tend to access precarious and informal jobs against which they deploy different strategies that range from job abandonment, renouncing their maternity rights, acceptance of double presence and the formation of chains. care packages to make the childrearing compatible with work. The conclusions show that the labor integration of migrant mothers in Chile outlines the practices of childrearing from a permanent negotiation between subsistence, the maintenance of ties and their cultural heritage, where the dimensions of gender, race and class outline the intensity of these transactions that make manifest the social location of subalternity of migrant mothers, and that is intensified in the case of Haitian mothers since the greater representation of otherness is embodied in them.
Copyright (c) 2023 Lucia Odette Castillo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Sociocultural factors influencing breastfeeding practice and maternal feeding in a semi-urban community in Mexico
Objective: To analyze the sociocultural factors that influence the practice of breastfeeding and maternal nutrition. Method: It is a qualitative exploratory study, with non-probabilistic sampling using the snowball technique, in women aged 18 to 50 years, conducting a semi-structured interview with prior signature of informed consent. Results: Twenty-one women in the last trimester of pregnancy or breastfeeding were interviewed, 12 first-time mothers and 9 non-first-time mothers; most of them with an age range of 20 to 29 years. The sociocultural categories identified about breastfeeding beliefs and breastfeeding practice were emotion, knowledge, attachment, difficulty, inequality; they referred that breastfeeding is a unique experience that creates a mother-child bond, which provides security and protection to their children. In addition, myths/beliefs about maternal feeding were identified, such as the use of beverages that favor milk production. Conclusion: The environment in which mothers find themselves is determinant for the initiation, duration and success of breastfeeding, hence the importance of knowing the mothers' point of view. Breastfeeding can be influenced by cultural discourses or practices that sometimes turn out to be contradictory, some of them lacking scientific foundations, so it is important to continue carrying out this type of studies, where it is possible to determine in depth what are the difficulties or obstacles that arise in order to carry out a good promotion and encouragement of breastfeeding.
Copyright (c) 2023 Perla Patricia Romero Morales, María Guadalupe Zúñiga Torres, Marcela Sánchez-Delgado https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Child mortality and infant mortality in Catalonia (1700-1860)
There are very few studies on infant mortality in Catalonia. That is why is intended to study infant mortality (deaths under 12 years of age) and infant mortality (under 1 year of age) based on a systematic collection of mortality data from 243 parish series of baptisms and deaths in Catalonia between 1700 and 1860. The study is quantitative and territorialised to explore differential mortality. The result is that this type of mortality was particularly high in the second half of the 18th century and began to decline in the first half of the 19th century. It is also concluded that it was less intense in the smaller towns and that the reduction was more pronounced in the coastal towns. Finally, an approach is made to the evolution of infant mortality (0 to 1 years) in Catalonia, which corroborates the data on infant mortality.
Copyright (c) 2023 Llorenç Ferrer-Alós https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Social determinants of Chagas disease in Costa Rica
Introduction: Among the main diseases associated with the social determinants of health, lifestyles and healthy environments, is Chagas disease, which is linked to poverty and infrastructures whose conditions promote the permanence of the vector. Therefore, the objective of this article was to carry out an exploratory ecological analysis of the social determinants of health related to the prevention and control of Chagas disease, for the generation of relevant epidemiological knowledge and the formulation of public policy guidelines, which help to improve the approach to this public health problem and fulfill the national commitment to eliminate this neglected disease. Methodology: an ecological and geographical study was designed considering social determinants to the prevention and the regulation of the Chagas disease. To this end, this study is based on primary data by the Ministerio de Salud (MINSA) and the Instituto de Estadística y Censos (INEC), the information was analyzed by generating maps using GIS, in addition to a negative binomial linear regression and a spatial neighborhood analysis by calculating the Moran Index. Results: From the sample analyzes, it can be drawn that the most influential factors regarding the contagion rate for Chagas disease are the percentage of canton-level urban slums, the percentage of poor homes, and the percentage goods and services missing. Conclusions: The results obtained imply a relationship between Chagas disease and the social determinants of health, especially linked to inequity and inequality, which is why this document proposes public policy guidelines that allow the recording of information related to social determinants of health. that facilitate the surveillance of the disease and that lead to the identification or elimination of a possible underreporting of cases derived from the lack of analysis of indicators of social determinants of health.
Copyright (c) 2023 Ana Maria Ramirez Solano, Horacio Alejandro Chamizo García https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Covid-19 and social isolation: the mental health of higher education students
The objective was to analyze the relationship between the teaching-learning process and the mental health of higher education students in Ceará State, Brazil, during social isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. An exploratory, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted with 3,691 university students in 2020. The variables concerned with the continuity of the course in person, internet access conditions, and satisfaction regarding participation in pedagogical activities during isolation were analyzed. There were positive (r>0) and statistically significant (p<0.001) relationships between the MHI-38 Global Scale, the Positive well-being and Distress dimensions, the primary dimensions, and better internet access conditions and satisfaction with the pedagogical activities of the institution. On the other hand, negative (r<0) and statistically significant (p<0.001) relationships were found between the assessed dimensions and the concern with continuing the course in person. The primary dimensions tended to increase with increasing satisfaction with pedagogical activities and internet access conditions. On the other hand, the primary dimensions decreased with the increase in the concern with the continuity of the in-person course. The results suggest that the change in the teaching-learning model significantly impacted the students' mental health and that better conditions of access to activities tend to optimize the picture, while the intense scenario of concern makes the psychic illness more expressive. Therefore, it is up to the institutions to create and strengthen mental health policies for students.
Copyright (c) 2023 Eliany Nazaré Oliveira, Emília Nascimento Silva, Leticia Mara Cavalcante Lima, Isabelly Oliveira Ferreira, Caio San Rodrigues, Gleisson Ferreira Lima , Ravena Silva do Nascimento, Lídia Cristina Monteiro da Silva, Francisco Rosemiro Guimarães Ximenes Neto https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-Cov-2 among adults from a municipality in the Buenos Aires suburbs, República Argentina
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-bodies against SARS-CoV-2. Between November twenty-one and December twelve of two thousand and twenty year, a cross-sectional study was carried out in 1182 samples from residents of a Buenos Aires town in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. IgG was measured by ELISA in samples obtained by acupressure. The global prevalence was 12.2 % (n = 144; 95 % CI: 10.3 - 14.0) with a ratio of 1: 3.8, between cumulative incidence and observational values. Prevalence in women and men were 13.0 % (95 % CI: 10.2 - 15.7) and 10.5 % (95 % CI: 7.6 - 13.3), respectively (p = 0.21). By age, the observed values were: 17.8 % (95 % CI: 12.0 - 23.6) in 18 and 30 years old group; 12.2 % (95 % CI: 9.3 - 15.1) in 31 to 60 years old group, 9.9 % (95 % CI: 6.9 - 13.9) in people over 61 years old (p = 0.02). According the socioeconomic tertiles (for Unsatisfied Basic Needs) the prevalence values were 7.7 % (95 % CI: 4.7 - 10.7) for Tertile I (best tertile), 12.5 % (95 % CI: 8.7 - 16.4) for Tertile II, and 15.2 % (95 % CI: 11.6 - 18.8) for Tertile III (p = 0.002). There were also differences between the neighbourhoods and between self-reported clinical variables. Specific IgM antibodies were detected in 12 samples, which represented 1% of the total. Seroprevalence studies provide useful information that can be apllied to fit modeling.
Copyright (c) 2023 Ezequiel Consiglio, Carlos Freytes, Leandro Facal, María José Dus Santos, Magdalena Radgty Caffera, Marina Mozgovoj, Iris Celeste Robledo, Marcela Pilloff, Adriana Fernandez Souto, Juan Pedrosa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Building a culture of peace in northern Mexico: the case of the Mantente REAL prevention program
For decades, Mexico's northern border has been the center of national and international attention for the level of violence generated by organized crime, human trafficking and illicit activities linked to drug trafficking. Due to the economic and social impact of insecurity and violence, there is a need to develop educational actions that promote the construction of a culture of security and peace among adolescents. This study analyzes the role of Mantente REAL in the construction of norms and values that promote inclusive school relationships, conflict resolution, values oriented to selfcare, and the common good among students. Methodology: This study analyzes qualitative information that was collected in 2018 in the context of the implementation of the substance use prevention program Mantente REAL. Information from 10 focus groups with students (n=8) and teachers (n=2) who participated in the program was analyzed. Result: Findings indicate that learning life skills, and using the strategies of the acronym REAL -Refuse, Explain, Avoid and Leave- foster peace and citizenship students participating in the program. Conclusions: Participants engaged in individual and collective efforts to prevent problems such as substance use, bullying and other forms of violence. Recommendations highlight the need to investigate further the potential benefits of implementing school-based interventions with multiple outcomes.
Copyright (c) 2023 María Hilda García-Pérez, Flavio F. Marsiglia, Stephen Kulis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Factors associated with life satisfaction in Costa Rican residents aged 60 and over
Introduction: Satisfaction with life is an important indicator of the quality of life of the elderly. The purpose of the study was to identify factors associated with life satisfaction in Costa Rican residents aged 60 and over. Methods: Information from a cross-sectional sample that includes 2032 participating in Costa Rica: Longevity and Healthy Aging Study was analyzed. A logistic regression model was estimated and the effect of sociodemographic variables, health status, economic situation, and support on life satisfaction was determined. Results: Life satisfaction is associated with having a partner, insomnia, the presence of more than one disability in activities of daily living, self-rated health, and the perception of the economic situation. Conclusions: Identifying factors that influence life satisfaction in people aged 60 or over, could contribute elements in the issue of generating policies aimed at establishing actions that allow improving the quality of life of this population.
Copyright (c) 2023 Eduardo Aguilar Fernández, Ana Maricela Carballo-Alfaro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Prescription of psychotropic drugs to women in situations of violence: perspectives of professionals in support services in the Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica
Introduction: several sources confirm the overrepresentation of women in the consumption of psychotropic drugs, as well as specific differences in the patterns of prescription to women who experience violence. This is a public health issue that deserves an interdisciplinary analysis that integrates the gender approach. Objective: to explore the perspective of institutional officials regarding the prescription of psychotropic drugs to women treated for situations of violence. Methodology: an exploratory-descriptive study was developed based on qualitative research methods that integrated documentary sources and consultation with experts through the semi-structured interview technique. Results: the use of antidepressants and anxiolytics is frequent in this population, whose main routes of access are prescription at the first level of health care and self-medication. There are various nuances about the role of psychotropic drugs in the critical path of women affected by violence, but there is a consensus that this should be only one of the possible health interventions. Conclusions: the findings suggest that in addressing the impact of violence against women by the sector, a traditional paradigm prevails, whose main response is pharmacological intervention. Gender-based violence must be considered within the social determinants of mental health, recognizing the risks posed by its medicalization.
Copyright (c) 2023 Adriana Rodríguez Fernández https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Level of child development in children under six years of age assessed with the EDIN-II screening test in Costa Rica
Introduction: The General Test for the Evaluation of the Integral Development of the Child (EDIN-II) created and validated in Costa Rica, classifies the child population with normal or age-appropriate development (green), with a developmental lag (yellow), or else, with a risk of significant delay (red). However, the results of its application at the population level are not known. The aim of this article is to report the level of development of the infants evaluated during the validation processes of the EDIN-II test. Methodology: A secondary analysis of descriptive and correlational scope is carried out; the EDIN-II test was applied by nursing professionals, during the years 2016 - 2020. A total of 438 children aged 1 to 72 months in different zones of the metropolitan area of the country. Results: 78.5 % (n= 344) have an adequate development for their age and 21.5 % (n= 94) present a delay or risk of delay in their development. Conclusions: The prevalence of risk of developmental delay was 21.5%, with a higher proportion between 12 and 36 months of life.
Copyright (c) 2023 Ana María Quezada Ugalde, Melisa Edith Valverde-Hernández, Sunny González-Serrano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Costa Rican households of the 20th and 21st centuries: socioeconomic context and public policies
This article aims to reconstruct the socioeconomic context and public policies around Costa Rican households during the 20th and 21st centuries through primary and secondary sources: laws, national development plans, and bibliographic documents. For this, the different documents were carefully read, identifying the use of the keywords home, homes, family, families, and household heads, in their context and relationship with the text. The change in the economic model, in the form and objectives of the State, implied a process of impoverishment. During the 1990s, this impoverishment tried to be counteracted through reforms to the essential macro components of the country, for example, the health sector reform, while households developed strategies to survive, one of them being the desertion of the educational system, especially from high school. Public policies, from actions with a demographic approach, show interest in studying changes in fertility and the various related aspects. The laws analyzed show the search to help the poorest households; However, they implied a biased view of their protection, as the members were considered the most vulnerable: infants, adolescents, and women, who sought to be protected. In the national development plans, the concern revolved around households in poverty, headed by women and in rural areas of the country.
Copyright (c) 2023 Natalia Carballo Murillo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Muscle strength: development of predictive equation for handgrip strength in older adults on the primary health care
Introduction: Monitoring the functional capacity of older adults is fundamental, and Handgrip Strength (HGS) is a consolidated marker of functional status in this age group. This study aimed to develop equations for predicting HGS in community-dwelling older adults in Primary Health Care (PHC). Methods: It is a cross-sectional study conducted with 316 older adults, in which a Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) was performed for the right hand (R-HGS) and left hand (L-HGS). The variables sex, age, weight, knee height (KH), arm circumference (AC), triceps skinfold (TSF), and calf circumference (CC) were considered predictors because they were easily obtained in PHC and significantly related to HGS. Results: In the final models, the variables sex, age, and KH together explained more than 50 % of the HGS variation. There was agreement between the estimated and measured HGS measurements, both for right and left side. Conclusions: It is concluded that the variability of HGS can be explained by age, sex, and KH, which are parameters simple and routinely used to evaluate older adults.
Copyright (c) 2023 Maria Luiza Amorim Sena Pereira, Marília Conceição de Souza Caceres, Marlus Henrique Queiroz Pereira, Carolina Cunha de Oliveira, Bruno Klécius Andrade Teles, Elizabete Regina Araújo de Oliveira https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Gender inequality, and adolescent fatherhood in two indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico
Introduction: Teenage paternity has been considered an important social problem that has been recently studied from the sociocultural construction of masculinities and gender inequality. This work contributes to documenting the experience of adolescent fatherhood in two Ch'ol and Tseltal indigenous rural communities in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Methodology: The study was conducted through a qualitative approach, the data collection technique consisted of semi-structured interviews and the selection of participants was through the linear snowball technique. Twenty-five complete interviews were carried out in two stages, 13 in each locality, of which 16 were with children under 20 years of age who were fathers and mothers in adolescence, five with men between 24 and 40 years old, and four with men aged 50 and over. Results: Adolescent fatherhood is associated with the construction of masculinities, supported by traditional sociocultural norms such as payment for the bride, polygyny, and the traffic of women. Teenage pregnancy is associated with the importance of fatherhood for men despite the resistance of women to unite and get pregnant early. Conclusions: There are some conditions that facilitate the occurrence of adolescent fatherhood, but not as an individual, isolated phenomenon, but rather in the context of (economic) production, family structures and the subordination of women, which have remained despite some generational social changes.
Copyright (c) 2023 Ezequiel Vázquez-Solís, Austreberta Nazar-Beutelspacher, Dulce Karol Ramírez-López, Ernesto Benito Salvatierra-Izaba, Erín Ingrid Jane Estrada-Lugo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Psychosocial aspects experienced by international university students during the Covid-19 pandemic
Objective: To analyze the psychosocial aspects experienced by international university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An exploratory quantitative study was conducted in 2022 with 117 international students from the University for International Integration of the Afro-Brazilian Lusophony. Data were collected in person using a structured questionnaire based on the SRQ-20 and adapted to the pandemic context. Analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 21 with descriptive statistics and association tests (p<0.05). Results: High prevalence of anxiety (57.3%), sleep disturbances (60.7%), fear of infection (72.6%), and loneliness (62.3%) was identified. The pandemic affected the socioeconomic conditions of 80.3% of the participants and the academic performance of 79.5%. Additionally, 65.2% reported needing psychological support, but only 19.4% accessed such services. Conclusion: The pandemic intensified emotional, social, and economic vulnerabilities among international students, highlighting the need for institutional strategies to enhance psychosocial support, mental health promotion, and assistance networks.
Copyright (c) 2026 Elias et al. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Epidemiological profile of tuberculosis in the prison population of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Introduction: Tuberculosis is the major cause of health problems among communicable diseases and predominates as an etiology in cases of death from a single infectious agent. In the prison environment, this is even more evident, as overcrowding, poor nutrition, drug consumption and the coexistence of other diseases, associated with the precariousness of the health service, favors the spread of the disease within the walls and to the families of inmates. Currently, it is estimated that the incidence of tuberculosis in the population deprived of liberty corresponds to approximately 11.2% of new cases in the country, and this group represents only 0.3% of the Brazilian population. Methods: In this context, the present study aims to carry out an epidemiological analysis of tuberculosis in the prison population of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, based on secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), in addition to identifying the main factors related to this type of involvement using measures of dispersion, central tendency and frequency, as well as Student’s T tests for independent samples and Mann-Whitney U tests in cases where the assumptions for parametric tests were not met, considering a 95 % confidence interval. Results: 1880 cases of tuberculosis were registered, with a monthly average of 22.38 notifications. The proximity of the factors brown ethnicity, male sex, age between 20 and 29 years to the center of case density and between the use of alcohol, other drugs and the abandonment of treatment was notable. Conclusion: Thus, the need for new prevention strategies in this context is highlighted due to the high incidence of tuberculosis, often related to negligence and misinformation.
Copyright (c) 2022 Marcos Vinicius Teixeira Martins, Márcio Cesário Cunha Sobrinho, Gabriel Machado de Souza, Stefan Vilges de Oliveira https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Ethical-methodological notes for research in conflict territories: learning's of a bachelor's thesis in Sociology
This essay offers a series of methodological reflections for research in conflict contexts. The text takes as a reference the experience of a sociology thesis from the University of Costa Rica developed together with the recovery movement of the Indigenous Territory of Salitre, located in the southern region of Costa Rica. The essay focuses on the ethical and methodological implications of scientific research in a territory marked by serious territorial disputes. An outline of the context in which the research was developed and some notes on the work of sociology in the face of socio-territorial conflicts are also presented.
Copyright (c) 2022 Jimmy Jesus Vargas Alvarado https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Social vulnerability factors in immigrant Nicaraguan impoverished population in Costa Rica, 2019
Introduction: Nicaraguan immigrant population is the most representative in Costa Rica, and when a comparison is established, it is observed that there are higher levels of poverty in migrant households compared to those of the native population, in such a way that the purpose of this investigation is to know what factors produce vulnerability in these dwellings. Methodology: This is a quantitative approach study using the ENAHO 2019 database used to measure poverty, first, in a descriptive scope through characterizations of contingencies between the population of Nicaraguan and autochthonous origin and later, in an explanatory one using regression logistic models, to find significance and reinforce the findings. Results: There are factors that put the impoverished Nicaraguan immigrant population in serious situations of vulnerability, in which factors such as labor exploitation coupled with the lack of access to health insurance were seen. In other words, these would be the main factors of social vulnerability. Conclusions: It was evidenced that the Nicaraguan immigrant population has shortcomings in better working conditions and access to health insurance, in addition it is subjected to labor marginality, in fact this function as vulnerability factors, and that they serve to obtain and exploitation of cheap labor in the capitalist dynamics of people in households headed by Nicaraguan immigrants.
Copyright (c) 2022 Jason Hernandez Murillo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Types and circumstances of marital union in the occurrence of physical intimate partner violence in Chiapas, Mexico, 2016
Violence against women in heterosexual couples is not only a very complex issue, but also a public health problem. The work contributes to the study not only in the type of conjugal union (cohabitation and marriage) but also taking into account the circumstances in which the union occurs, to explain both in indigenous and non-indigenous women their relationship with the magnitude and severity of the expressions of physical violence against women in Chiapas. The study was conducted through a quantitative approach taking as a basis data from the National Survey on the Dynamics of Household Relationships 2016 (ENDIREH); 2604 women aged 15 to 49 years, currently in union, indigenous and mestizo were included. The results show that free union is more frequent in indigenous women and that this type of union is significantly associated with a higher probability of occurrence of physical violence in its different expressions. Additionally, the circumstances in which the union is established provide evidence of differences in the frequency of physical violence in them, particularly when women are forced to join. The social disadvantage of women underlies the type and circumstances in which the union occurs, highlighting the participation or not of women in the decision to join and the normative aspects that govern unions in Chiapas, Mexico. Results are discussed in light of reproductive change and male involvement in the establishment of the union as elements underlying both cohabitation or marriage and intimate partner violence.
Copyright (c) 2022 Ana Laura Suárez Muñoz, Dominga Austreberta Nazar Beutelspacher, Ernesto Benito Salvatierra-Izaba, Georgina Sánchez Ramírez, Arturo Torres Dosal https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
COVID-19 in Costa Rica: longitudinal analysis of the transmission and death rates from the social inequality approach
Introduction: this article addresses the relationship between the gross rates of transmission and the net death rates from COVID-19 -study variables-, with socioeconomic and health indicators -contrast variables- at four moments of observation during the first year of the syndemic in Costa Rica. The objectives of the research work are: a) identify the moments of observation based on the number of accumulated cases per epidemiological week; b) establish the statistical correlation between the crude rates of transmission and the contrast variables; c) establish the statistical correlation between the net death rates and the contrast variables; d) describe the development of transmission and death rates at the cantonal level, and e) socioeconomically characterize the cantons with very high values in those rates. Methodology: a study with a quantitative approach is developed through the statistical method and the application of hypothesis tests at a bivariate level, namely, Pearson and Spearman correlations. Results: the main results indicate that transmission is closely related, mostly, to socioeconomic factors -population density; Social Development Index (IDS); Human Development Index (HDI) and crime rates against property-, while deaths they are related to biological factors such as the rates of diseases -hypertension and respiratory-. Conclusions: the study demonstrates the relationship between disease and social inequalities, that is, how social inequality is reproduced in the field of health.
Copyright (c) 2022 Anthony García Marín, Raúl García Fernández https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Amenable mortality analysis in Mexico during the period 1998-2019
Background: The Mexican health system divides the population into people with and without social security. This organization generated health differences between both groups. Amenable mortality is an impact that if is studied between groups and territories it indirectly measures health inequities. Objective. Analyze the amenable mortality among Mexican population with and without social security from 1998 to 2019. Materials and methods. An ecological investigation was realized, obtaining standardized mortality rates of amenable mortality and two inequity measures for the population with and without social security, using an amenable mortality list adapted to Mexico. Results. At national level, the population with social security concentrates the greatest general, no amenable and amenable mortality. Looking at each category of amenable mortality we found that the mortality rates of Medical Services, Diabetes, Isquemic Hearth Diseases and Residual Causes were higher in social security population; while in Homicides, Acquired human Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Suicide and Intentional Injuries the opposite happens. At state level exist heterogeneity, but in 28 of 32 states the mortality rates were higher in social security population. It's the same in the ratio rates. The concentration index values reflect a little inequity between states. Conclusions. The population with social security had the greatest mortality. This doesn’t mean that an inequity exist in them, rather it reflect the influence of other variables (social determinants), and it's evidence with the concentration index.
Copyright (c) 2022 Héctor García Hernández, Claudio Alberto Dávila Cervántes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Participatory selection of children as health promoters for obesity prevention in times of COVID-19
Background. Childhood obesity is a major worldwide public health problem. To face this epidemic, society requires strategies developed from the structures and possibilities of the community local context and from a holistic approach. Community participation in the development of strategies is necessary to promote a healthy lifestyle. Objective. Select child promoters through online tools during COVID-19 pandemic using a participatory approach. Methods. Puppet theater was used as a tool to select health promoters using a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methodology; five acts regarding the characteristics of a health promoter (Sympathy, Empathy, Solidarity, Responsibility) were presented to children from four elementary schools in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lock down and the work-at-home modality implemented since March 2020 in Mexico, the strategy was developed using on-line platforms. Results. Through the CBPR practice, the classmates of four schools selected 79 students whom they considered met the characteristics to be a health promoter and then carry out a health promotion program aimed at the entire school community in a later study phase. Conclusions. The election participation process was adequately developed through online communication and CBPR principles, using the puppet theater tool.
Copyright (c) 2022 Karla Alejandra Bon Padilla, María Isabel Ortega Vélez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Mortality and causes of death: a comparative study between indigenous and non-indigenous areas in Costa Rica
Introduction. In most countries of the American and Oceanic continents, indigenous people have worse health indicators than the rest of the population. The objective of this study is to analyze the differences in mortality and causes of death between people living in indigenous areas, and people living in the rest of Costa Rica, between 2010 and 2018. Methodology. The study population is based on the 2010 National Electoral Rolls. The Registry of the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) allowed knowing the cause of death (ICD-10). 2,747,616 people for 23,985,602 person-years of follow-up were included. Results. No differences in mortality in men were observed between both populations. In women, mortality was slightly higher in indigenous areas. In indigenous areas, mortality was higher in people who were under 50 years of age at the beginning of the follow-up, compared to the rest of the population, in particular mortality due to Diseases of the digestive system and External causes of morbidity and mortality. Mortality was lower in indigenous areas in people over 70 years of age, particularly mortality due to Tumors and Diseases of the circulatory system. Conclusions. The results of this study do not confirm the hypothesis of systematically higher mortality in populations living in indigenous areas.
Copyright (c) 2022 Romain Fantin, Cristina Barboza Solís https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Spatial Bayesian modeling of household structure and fertility in municipalities of Mexico
This paper seeks to model the effect that different patterns of household composition have on the observed levels of fertility in the municipalities of Mexico in the year 2020; it is a quantitative cross-sectional cohort research based on the application of spatial Bayesian methods. The hypothesis is that the presence of a higher percentage of family households should have an impact on higher municipal fertility rates. The methodology involves the implementation of two latent Gaussian models. One null model, which seeks to determine whether the observed fertility patterns were generated by some socio-demographic mechanism or, on the contrary, arose randomly, and two, a model with covariates whose objective is to replicate the behavior of fertility by evaluating the effect of the proportion of nuclear, extended and compound households present in municipalities. The results obtained from estimation of null model confirm the existence of a direct relationship between increase in the proportion of nuclear and extended households and the increase of municipal fertility. However, it can be concluded that the level of replacement fertility reached by Mexico in the year 2020 is the product of marked differences between municipalities; differences originated by the presence of a heterogeneous typology of households immersed in disparate geographic, social and cultural contexts.
Copyright (c) 2022 Gerardo Núñez Medina https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Chronic non-communicable diseases in Argentina: Model and Forecast by sex and age
Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) are diseases that are not transmitted from person to person and that are characterized by their generally slow evolution. In Argentina, NCDs are the main cause of death and disability, only two groups of causes (cardiovascular and cancer) are responsible for half of all deaths and 27 % of years of life potentially lost (YPLL). The general objective of this work, a quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive study, is to describe and analyze the profile by age and sex of the mortality rates due to NCD in men and women in Argentina, based on the implementation of the model for functional data (MDF) by Hyndman and Ullah (2007). This model also makes it possible to forecast the behavior of mortality rates for both sexes, taking into account the changes related to age and the trend observed over time during the period 1985-2014. The relative difference in mortality between the beginning of the study period and the forecast for the year 2025 indicates that, if the prevailing behavior in rates continues, decreases of around 50 % would be achieved for men between 30 and 50 years of age. While for women the greatest decreases (of around 20 %) would be observed between the ages of 20 and 35. These results would indicate, in a more general way, that the behavior of the mortality rates of the age groups under 70 years, whose deaths are called “premature”, is of a clear decrease for both sexes, highlighting that, in the case of men, although they have higher NCD mortality rates, this decrease is more marked.
Copyright (c) 2022 Joana María del Luján Tosello, Lucia Andreozzi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Comparative study of cytogenetic biomonitoring in veterinary personnel occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation by cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay
Introduction: Ionizing radiation (RI) can induce the formation of micronuclei (MN). The formation of MN is used as a biomarker of radiation-induced genetic damage. Objective: assess DNA damage resulting from occupational exposure to RI in veterinary personnel. Methodology: the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay (MNBC) was used to compare the observed frequency of MN in 40 individuals occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation with respect to a control group of 32 participants, both groups belonging to veterinary personnel. In addition, demographic, lifestyle and occupational variables that could influence the formation of MN were recorded. Results: univariate analysis did not show significant differences in the frequency of MN between the study groups (p=0.118). Using multivariate analysis, it was found that approximately 27% (adjusted R2= 0.269) of the variability in the frequency of MN can be explained by the joint influence of age, sex and the number of radiographic images performed by the participant. Age is the variable with the greatest relative importance (β = 0.504), followed by the sex of the participant (β = -0.316) and the number of X-rays performed per day (β = 0.214). Conclusions: the frequency of MN tends to increase in women, as the participant's age increases and as the number of radiographic images performed increases.
Copyright (c) 2022 Fabio Andrés Chaves-Campos, Alejandra Vargas Gamboa, Vanessa Ramírez Mayorga, Patricia Mora Rodríguez, Melissa Abarca Ramírez, Luisa Valle Bourrouet https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Labor force participation during COVID-19 economic crisis in Mexico: care work demands and differential recovery between men and women
The COVID-19 pandemic not only has had an impact in public health field, but it has also lead to a profound social and economic crisis. Attending to the demands generated by the virus has meant an economic standstill almost everywhere in the world. Mexico wasn’t the exception and the measures implemented in the country had important consequences in the economy and the labor market, carrying to a strong reduction of employment and withdrawals from the labor force. Thus, this article looks to understand the observed differences in this process, taking a point of view which prioritizes household care demands as a factor that can explain the dissimilar behaviour by gender. To follow this objective a quantitative analysis is performed using data from the ECOVID-ML, through a logistic regression model. This shows that the effect of the care variables is relevant in understanding differences in labor force participation between men and women, and also confirms the lower reincorporation into the labor market of women, even though recovery has concentrated on feminized sectors.
Copyright (c) 2022 Lía Carnes Borrajo, María Stephanie Valenciano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of probable cases of congenital Zika syndrome and dengue antibody levels, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico.
A case series of suspected cases of congenital Zika syndrome in a maternity hospital in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico was assembled to assess why they were not reported and explore the hypothesis of dengue antibody dependent Zika disease. Clinical and imaging records, and interviews of a total of 13 of the cases revealed that only one of them was laboratory confirmed because appropriate specimens were not collected from the newborns as required by the case definition. 1) Microcephaly, 2) hypoplasia/hypogeneses, thinning or absence of brain structures, 3) multiple birth defects, 4) calcifications, and cysts, 5) meningocele/encephalocele and 6) hydrocephalus were found in 100%, 76.9%, 38.5%, 38.5%, 30.8%, and 23.1%, respectively. They clustered geographically, and 77% occurred within May 2016 to March 2017, and recalled or were told by a doctor they Zika fever. Using as referent a group of mothers who delivered normal newborns in the same hospital, and an 80% plaque reduction neutralization test for dengue virus 1 and 2, there was a four-fold increased risk of congenital Zika syndrome among those with dengue 1 antibody as compared to those with dengue 2 antibody (odds ratio = 3.6; 95% confidence interval: 0.7, 20.5), reaching only borderline statistical significance. The case definitions of congenital Zika syndrome used during the pandemic probably needed to be simpler to gain sensitivity.
Zika Virus Infection (C01.920.500.990); Epidemiologic studies (E05.318.372.500); Congenital Abnormalities (C16.131); Dengue Virus (B04.820.578.344.350.270)/immunol
Copyright (c) 2022 Victor Manuel Cardenas, Jazmin Moreno-Perez, Karla Cabrera-Besares, Iris F Moreno-Lara, Sabino Morales-Arias, Benito Ernesto Salvatierra-Izaba, Victor De Dios Gomez, Pedro Palermo, Jeanette Obergozo, Douglas M. Watts https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
An empirical analysis of homicides in Mexico through Machine Learning and statistical design of experiments
Homicide is one of the most important mortality causes that has reduced the Mexican life expectancy. That is why the aim of this work is to identify some sociodemographic and economic factors that can help explain homicides in Mexico and measure their impact, assuming the current conditions prevail. To do that, several Machine Learning (ML) methods were evaluated. The C5.0 model is best suited for the data at hand. After fine-tuning the algorithm, we used the estimated model to identify the main factors that explain homicides. Among these factors, eleven were selected that can be influenced by direct changes in domestic public policy, laws and/or regulations. These were used as input in a two-level fractional factorial Statistical Design of Experiments (DOE) to estimate their main effects and possible interactions. Although several of these factors had statistically significant effects on homicide rate, the one that had the biggest and direct impact from a practical perspective, was the Rule of Law Index (RLI). In fact, if we assumed that all states had the median RLI of 0.37, implementing domestic policies and procedures to move them all to the best RLI level could significantly reduce homicide rates.
Copyright (c) 2022 Jose Eliud Silva Urrutia, Miguel A. Villalobos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0