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Introduction: Infant mortality is a health phenomenon directly related to the deleterious living conditions of both the infant’s home and adverse socioeconomic and sanitary factors. Objective: To characterize inequalities in infant mortality according to differential living conditions in two populations districts of Santiago de Cuba. Methods: A descriptive, exploratory ecological study was carried out in the municipality of Santiago de Cuba in 1995-1997. The units of analysis were constituted by the areas framed in two populations districts of the city. Results: Bothe population districts were stratified, according to their living conditions, in settlements with less unfavorable and more unfavorable living conditions. Higher infant mortality was estimated in the settlement with more unfavorable living conditions (8.7 deaths per 1000 live births), where asphyxia, anoxia and hypoxia predominated as clinical causes of death and clinical causes reducible for good care at birth. Conclusions: A differential profile of infant mortality, according to living conditions, was identified within the population settlements of the urban districts of Santiago de Cuba. The distinctive risks of infant death were at the expense of the neonatal component, mainly for clinical causes reducible by good care at birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To systematically map the existing evidence on self-perceived health among adults aged 60 and older in Latin America and the Caribbean, describe the use of the single-item measure of self-perceived health with this population, and identify gaps in the existing literature. Methods. Following PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, eight databases were searched for publications that were published between 2009 and 2019 and reported self-perceived health of adults over 60 years old in Latin America and the Caribbean. Data on study characteristics, sample characteristics, and the use and analysis of the self-perceived health measure were charted. Results. The database and secondary searches identified 516 articles. After removing duplicates and assessing titles and abstracts for inclusion, 263 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility using the inclusion criteria and an additional 89 articles were excluded. Ultimately, 174 articles were included in the scoping review. Studies included participants from 17 countries in the region, led in frequency by Brazil with 120 articles. The self-perceived health question most often included a five-category response scale (130), and response options were predominantly divided into two (86) or three (48) categories for analysis. Conclusions. Information on the health and social needs of people aged 60 and older across Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly their perceptions of health, is limited. We highlight the need to expand research throughout the region, include particularly vulnerable populations, utilize data from longitudinal and qualitative studies, and call for transparency in how questions and responses are worded and analyzed. This review serves to inform future studies, programs, and policies directed at this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine associated factors to self-rated health of Afro- Colombian migrants from Choco to Medellin, Colombia. It applied a telephonic survey to 392 Afro- Colombian migrants from Choco to Medellin and calculated PR with IC95% to explore the relationship between social, demographic, and self-rated health. The multivariant technique was a lineal generalized model to categoric dependent variables, reporting PR with IC95%. The results show that the prevalence of bad self-rated health is significant in those who need health attention in the last six months (PR=4.31; IC95%=2,68-6,91) and lower educational level (PR=2,05; IC95%=1,32-3,18). In conclusion, having less education and needing health attention in the last six months are related to bad self-rated health in Afro- Colombian migrants from Choco to Medellin.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scoping review article seeks to describe the health and work conditions of waste pickers worldwide from the working conditions model of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, through a review of scientific articles published between the years 1999 to 2019. The bibliographic search was carried out manually in PubMed, Taylor and Francis, ScienceDirect, and SAGE. For the article screening process, the Mendeley bibliographic manager was used. The methodological quality was based on a rigorous and serious process respecting the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. 857 records were obtained, of which 88 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies analyzed had a qualitative approach, based on the application of questionnaires, interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions. The intra-work conditions of the waste picker population are mainly related to situations that affect their work environment, while the non-work conditions that most influence the work performance of waste pickers are associated with their economic and family situation, place of residence, and relationship with the environment. The individual conditions that most affect the health and work of waste pickers are associated with sex, age, and education. From the approach to the working conditions model, this literature review identified and explained the different risk agents and effects on the health of waste pickers around the world as a consequence of their exposure to unsafe and dangerous work environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scoping review article seeks to describe the health and work conditions of waste pickers worldwide from the working conditions model of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, through a review of scientific articles published between the years 1999 to 2019. The bibliographic search was carried out manually in PubMed, Taylor and Francis, ScienceDirect, and SAGE. For the article screening process, the Mendeley bibliographic manager was used. The methodological quality was based on a rigorous and serious process respecting the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. 857 records were obtained, of which 88 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies analyzed had a qualitative approach, based on the application of questionnaires, interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions. The intra-work conditions of the waste picker population are mainly related to situations that affect their work environment, while the non-work conditions that most influence the work performance of waste pickers are associated with their economic and family situation, place of residence, and relationship with the environment. The individual conditions that most affect the health and work of waste pickers are associated with sex, age, and education. From the approach to the working conditions model, this literature review identified and explained the different risk agents and effects on the health of waste pickers around the world as a consequence of their exposure to unsafe and dangerous work environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to contribute to the study of the validity of the "Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale" (ASA scale) in older adults and to analyze its association with health-related behaviors and conditions. A questionnaire was constructed and applied to 165 elderly residents of Michoacán, Mexico. A confirmatory factor analysis of the scale's one-dimensional model was carried out, and also an analysis of internal consistency, as well as an analysis of the relationship with other variables based on group comparisons, exploring the effect of the elimination of inverse items. Overall, the reduced scale performed better although the one-dimensional model maintained a limited fit in the confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was satisfactory in both scales (α coefficient= .806 and .826, respectively). In addition, some important group comparisons were identified with anthropometric measurements. In conclusion, tests were found supporting the validity of the ASA scale in older adults, although more evidence is still needed regarding its construct and criterion validity. KEYWORDS: self-care, health promotion, behaviors, healthy lifestyle, health status, aged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of epidemiological surveys is of vital importance in monitoring the oral health status of communities in view of the high prevalence of oral diseases, such as dental caries and periodontal disease, which together with risk factors of hereditary and systemic origin, drug addiction, poor oral hygiene and psychosocial stress, deteriorate and jeopardize the quality of life of the individual. The use of questionnaires, unlike the standard clinical examination, presents several advantages that allow obtaining basic but relevant epidemiological information at a lower cost, collecting demographic information, risk factors, frequency of personal oral hygiene, use of oral health services, socioeconomic level, place of residence and frequency of sugar intake, thus helping in the prevention of oral diseases and the promotion of oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying is one of the most worrisome problems among school adolescents. Objective. This paper analyzes the prevalence of several bullying behaviors among adolescent victims and perpetrators in secondary school as well the relationship of those behaviors with alcohol use, perceived health status and the quality of family relationships. It compares the prevalence of these behaviors perpetrators who have been victims of bullying and those who have not. Method. Cross sectional descriptive comparative study. The participants were 468 students whose average age was 12.81 (SD = 0.75) and of whom 49.4% were female. Results. Among the participants 36% have been either a victim or a perpetrator of at least one of the bullying behaviors. The most frequent were insults/taunts. Victims of bullying and those who have tried alcohol are more likely to be perpetrators. In general, bullying behaviors are associated with lower perceived health status and poorer quality of family relationships. Conclusion. We consider contextualizing interventions to prevent bullying all stages of development and to extend our focus beyond the various scenarios in which children and/or adolescents participate, in order to involve families, teaching teams, students themselves and of course the community at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. It has affected millions of people and represents an unprecedented threat not only to health, but also to the economy and educational processes. In the confinement, one of the vulnerable groups is that of students of various academic degrees. The objective was to describe the manifestations of psychological discomfort and health derived from the confinement measures in students of a private university in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. A secondary objective, due to the inclusion criteria, was to evaluate the differences between undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the associated factors in social coexistence, vulnerable groups and health measures. Method: The participants were 641 students who were administered an online survey with a response rate of 77.6%. The participants were 63.1% women and 36.9% men. A total of 60.8% were undergraduate students and 39.2% graduate students. The mean age was 25.3 years. The instrument of measurement consists of 24 items, integrating Kessler's K-6 scale, with 6 specific questions on psychological distress referring to symptoms of anxiety and depression in the last month. Four questions on health aspects regarding COVID-19, 8 on healthy distance measures, and 6 on coexistence and habits at home were included. An odds ratio analysis was performed to identify the associated risk of health and coexistence with respect to psychological distress. At each stage, the ethical principles for the research were complied with and the dignity of the participants was respected, as well as the lawful treatment of personal information based on the principles of the current regulatory framework. Results: The 92.6% lived in confinement with family, and the remainder alone or with friends. The 96.2% indicated not having symptoms of COVID. The 44.7% did not have a daily routine, 27.4% went out daily in confinement and 48.3% presented moderate to high and very high levels of psychological distress. A higher risk of presenting psychological distress was identified in women, postgraduate students, belonging to the health and humanities areas, presenting obesity and concern about being infected, not following sanitary measures and presenting any physical discomfort (ORs ranging from 2.05 to 7.02). Discussion and conclusion: As in other populations, the monitoring of confinement measures is not uniform and there is a high proportion of psychological distress in undergraduate and graduate students. It is suggested to serve the population with higher risk with a comprehensive care model that incorporates the educational process, social coexistence and emotional management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Water is an essential nutrient for life and the most abundant component in the human body. However, its dietary recommendations or clinical management guidelines do not receive as much attention as they deserve. In addition, there are some obstacles to establishing optimal values, both for the amount of water the body must contain and for water ingestion. Water intake and elimination depend on unsteady factors that are difficult to measure and, at the same time, compensated by the body's ability to regulate homeostasis. Since scientific evidence is lacking for establishing recommendations, "adequate intakes" (to maintain an adequate hydration state) have been estimated using data on water intake from groups of healthy people. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also considers desirable the use of urine osmolarity to estimate the adequacy of water intake in adults. Clinical studies have generally shown the benefits of adequate hydration and the damage caused by water imbalance, whether quantitative (dehydration and overhydration) or qualitative (extracellular and intracellular water). Unfortunately, these studies are few and often have poor cross-sectional, case-control, or prospective designs, and use small samples or indirect methods to assess hydration status. This article presents up-to-date information on subjects such as: 1) compliance with water consumption recommendations and suggestions for improvement; 2) techniques available to measure hydration status and their clinical applications; 3) effects of hydration/dehydration on physical or cognitive activities and chronic diseases; and 4) existing Spanish regulations on the quality and salubrity of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerated degradation of coral formations, especially shallow water species, such as A. cervicornis, has caused great concern, leading to the implementation of different active measures to recover this ecosystem. This study evaluated the efficiency of a vertical tree nursery model with A. cervicornis fragments in San Martín de Pajarales Island (Oceanario, Center for Research, Education and Recreation [Ceiner], Corales del Rosario and San Bernardo National Park [Pnncr y Sb, in Spanish], Colombia), where 10 vertical nurseries were installed (5 morfotypes). A total of 12 fragments from each morfotype were studied, determining their growth (linear and ecological volume), survival and health status. Morfotypes evaluated behaved similarly in both growths. Likewise, the survival of fragments by morfotype was high, varying from 90 to 100%, with algal overgrowth being the most recurrent sign causing partial mortality. This demonstrates the low-cost efficiency of floating nurseries as a method for the restoration of this type of ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 18th century in New Spain, the strong link between religion and science hindered scientific growth. Conservatism and scholasticism pervaded educational institutions. Within this restricted context, a scientific community conformed mainly by creoles fulfilled their desire and need to know more as they had access to European books, which allowed erudite leading figures, such as Dr. José Ignacio Bartolache y Díaz de Posada, propel innovative ideas in medicine and pharmacy. Dr. Bartolache was considered sacrilegious and scandalous by the ecclesiastical authorities of that epoch. He favored the performance of human body dissections to improve medical education, as well as the anatomical proposals of Vesalius against Galeno's classical anatomy. He contributed to the dissemination of knowledge as he created the first medical magazine in the American continent: El Mercurio Volante (The Flying Mercury); he also printed medical pamphlets and flyers, some of which were published in Nahuatl and Spanish, as the prescriptions for martial pills, reformulated by himself. Physician ahead of his time, he was characterized by his professional humanism and the comprehensive treatment of patients; he emphasized the rational use of medications, without distinction of social class. His sensitivity allowed him to bring medical knowledge and treatment of illnesses closer to the most vulnerable. Another of his contributions, ahead of his time, was the recognition he gave women for the intelligence and ability they showed, equal to men, when accessing education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is extensive literature on the positive effects of intergenerational relationships for both older people and young people. However, in very few cases evidence of the benefits of this type of relationships beyond the integrated effect of support social networks has been presented. This study aims to elucidate the effect of the existence of family intergenerational relationships in the state of happiness of people over 65 in Spain. To do this, we used the CIS 3109 Barometer of September 2015, in order to analyze the effect of relationships and coexistence with family members under 35 years in the happiness of the elderly, both in isolation, and in combination with other variables. The results show that cohabiting or having relationships with people under 35 does not have a significant effect on the happiness of the elderly. Factors such as gender, marital status, socioeconomic status and, above all, health, have a greater impact on the scale of perceived happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a cross-sectional research aiming to determine the factors related to the use of health services in the population above 18 years old in the urban area of Cali, Colombia, during 2016. A sample probabilistic sample of a thousand usual residents was selected. They were applied a health survey and were asked whether they went to the doctor within one year from the survey date back. These data were complemented with information related to the social demographic variables, health care quality and health result variables like the health condition self-perception. The gathered data were processed with the statistical software Epi-info, 7.2. The results indicate that health services were used 82,8% during last year. Numbers of user are higher among in women, persons with private health insurance coverage, and persons above 70 years old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The environmental, educational, social and health factors must be optimal for successful aging. OBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristics involved in the process of successful aging in a group of medical specialists in Internal Medicine. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out through a survey of internists in the National Congress of the College of Internal Medicine 2016. A questionnaire was applied of 33 questions to evaluate socio-demographic factors, health, nutrition, coexistence, economy and spirituality. The descriptive analysis included frequencies and percentages; the bivariate analysis was performed with c2, considering a value of p < 0.05 statistically significant. RESULTS: We analyzed 282 questionnaires, the average age of the participants was 42.7 ± 12.8 years, 161 (57%) were men. The self-report of regular health status was 38%, with chronic-degenerative diseases 61%, smoking in 8% and alcohol consumption 24% and sedentary lifestyle in 64%. Concerning the nutritional aspects the consumption in adequate proportion of fruits and vegetables was 41%, protein 68% and close to 50% in the case of water. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for training in preventive health, economic and social areas, as well as for investigating relevant factors that may impact in the future on the aging of the population group of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A descriptive study of 80 aged patients with ages over 65 years, belonging to "Ramón López Peña" Teaching Polyclinic in Santiago de Cuba was made from January to May, 2017, for which a mixed methodology was used, with a strategy of triangulation of data in a quanti-qualitative sense, in order to determine the social representations that they built on their health. The main results indicated that the social representation of the health state in these elderly included the figurative nucleus composed by the importance that they attribute to this category, perceived as the absence or not of somatic disease, and by the emotional states, such as fear and insecurity that generates not possessing an appropriate health state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To contribute to the theoretical-methodological discussions on intersectionality, analyzing the health inequalities of the population aged 18 and over, resident in urban areas of Argentina. Materials and Methods: Logistic regressions were used to analyze the effect of gender, age, social class and region of residence on the self-perception of health status and the existence of limitations in everyday life, associated with a diagnosed chronic disease. Information was obtained from the Survey of Utilization and Expenses of Health Services carried out in 2010 in Argentina. Results: Both the self-perception of health status and the limitations in everyday life, resulting from a diagnosed chronic disease, are statistically related to social class position, age, gender and the region of residence. Logistic regressions separately for men and women show that class inequalities tend to be higher among women and lower among men, for both health indicators analyzed here. Conclusions: The worst health status of women in relation to men is not evenly distributed among the different social groups, indicating an interaction between socially stratifying factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Quality of life is a complex and multidimensional concept that usually contains a large part of subjective perception. There are factors that may have some influence on such perception, such as the appreciation of the state of health or the presence of diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension. Objective: To identify the relationship between perception of health status, presence of diseases and quality of life and their relationship according to the subject's age. Method: A cross-sectional comparative study was carried out. The perception of quality of life was compared according to the perception of one's own health and the presence of diseases. We included 221 people between 18 and 88 years of age. Participants were categorized by age groups, with 96 young adults (18 to 29 years of age); 32 mature adults (30 to 59 years old); and 93 older adults (60 and over). To assess the perception of quality of life, the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL) instrument was used. Results: The quality of life differs significantly depending on the perception of health, the presence of diseases and the age group. Older people with poor health perception and with the presence of diseases perceive a worse quality of life, compared to young people, without diseases and with a good perception of health. Conclusions: The traditional models of quality of life based on physical aspects are exceeded for their application with older adults, it is important to consider theoretical models that emphasize psychological aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The diagnosis of the frailty syndrome is essential in the planning of elderly health interventions. Objective: To assess the prevalence of frailty among older people living in rural communities and its associated factors. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 435 elderly subjects who were classified according to the frailty phenotype. The following instruments were also applied: Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Barthel Index (BI), and Lawton And Brody Instrumental Activities Of Daily Living (IADL) Scale. Association tests, mean comparison tests, and correlation analysis (p < 0.05) were used. Results: The sample (74.3 ± 7.1 years) was predominantly female (62.3%) and showed prevalence rates of 33.3% for non-frailty, 46.2% for pre-frailty, and 20.5% for frailty. Frailty was associated with self-perceived health, pain intensity, use of walking aids, and sensory problems. Frail older people were more dependent on activities of daily living. Conclusion: Stronger correlations were found between frailty and the CCI and ELB scores, age, and number of medications per day, in this order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the effects of infectious and parasitic diseases during the reproductive stage of artificially inseminated dairy herds in the municipality of Camaguey, province of Camaguey, Cuba, monthly data of death causes and number of cases (2010-2014) were collected at the Triángulo 3 Company, in the municipality and province. Significant correlations were found between the categories of the reproductive stage and the number of cases, seen as stimulus intensity (none = 0; one case = 1; about 2-4 cases = 2; five or more cases = 3). Probit regression revealed that the greater the stimulus, the fewer cows awaiting diagnostic, and the greater the number of empty cows. Hence, the cases had a negative impact on the herd's reproductive behavior. This study recommends Probit regression as a tool for association analysis of health, using the variables that define the reproductive state of the herd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the health universal covering, the importance of financing the health systems and the population's resources stands out to make the health services disposable, where there is also the influence of other aspects such as the lack of political will, knowledge, organization and training of authorities and heads of the different sectors and levels, to achieve a care in correspondence with the health social determinants. Although exogenous problems which affect the population's health and that influence in the health systems, as environment, natural disasters, among others are defined, is not stated how these systems should interact in a more active way with the phenomena that originate them and the factors that intervene, so that some proposals to such effects are described in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent literature indicates that people with Disorders of Intellectual Development (DID) experience health disparities in the pathologies that they present, and a worst access to health care. However, current evidence-based knowledge is still sparse outside the Anglo-Saxon countries. The POMONA-I and POMONA-II European projects aimed to collect information on the health status of people with DID in Europe. The POMONA-ESP project in Spain is meant to collect health information in a wide and representative sample of persons with DID. Also, there are studies that claim for the need of specialized services for people with DID at the public health system. There are also studies about the current state of the education and training about DID for students within the health sector. In this paper we review the latest evidences about the health of the persons with DID and we present the main research activities and care initiatives about this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association of frailty syndrome with socioeconomic and health variables among older adults. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational and analytical household research conducted with a sample of 1,609 urban elderly. We used: semi-structured questionnaire, scales (Katz, Lawton and shortened version of Geriatric Depression Scale) and Fragility Phenotype proposed by Fried. Descriptive analysis was performed along with a bivariate and multinomial logistic regression model (p <0.05). Results: The prevalence of pre-frailty condition was 52.0% and the fragility corresponded to 13.6%. Pre-frailty and frailty associated factors were, respectively: age range between 70-79 years and ≥80 years; one to four morbidities and five or more morbidities categories; functional disability for basic and instrumental activities of daily life and depression indicative; whilst lack of a companion or income and female gender were only associated to pre-frailty. Conclusion: The conditions of pre-frailty and frailty levels were elevated with negative effects on the health of the elderly [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: determine the relationship between quality of life, health status and sociodemographic factors among persons with rheu- matoid arthritis (RA). Materials and methods: This is an explanatory correlational study. A direct interview was conducted during the nursing consultation prior to the medical check-up concerning rheumatic diseases. A non-probability intentional sampling of type subjects included 635 individuals. Results: A higher frequency of RA was found among women (87%). There also was a positive correlation (0.596; P <0.001) between quality of life and health status. Socio-demographically speaking, women with a basic education and a low socioeconomic status have a lower perception of quality of life and health status. These variables were subjected to a test process using a Path model to analyze covariance. Conclusions: The social conditions of persons with RA are factors that determine the implementation of action for intervention aimed at solving the problem this population faces in terms of quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Describe the design methodology of the halfway health and nutrition national survey (Ensanut-MC) 2016. Materials and methods. The Ensanut-MC is a national probabilistic survey whose objective population are the inhabitants of private households in Mexico. The sample size was determined to make inferences on the urban and rural areas in four regions. Describes main design elements: target population, topics of study, sampling procedure, measurement procedure and logistics organization. Results. A final sample of 9 479 completed household interviews, and a sample of 16 591 individual interviews. The response rate for households was 77.9%, and the response rate for individuals was 91.9%. Conclusions. The Ensanut-MC probabilistic design allows valid statistical inferences about interest parameters for Mexico's public health and nutrition, specifically on overweight, obesity and diabetes mellitus. Updated information also supports the monitoring, updating and formulation of new policies and priority programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Describe the perceived health status of a group of homeless people and identify possible factors associated with perceived health. Dates and places of execution. This research was conducted in the second half of 2014, in the city of Medellin, Colombia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Information was obtained on the characteristics of demographic, social, economic, context and perceived health behaviors of homeless people. The analysis included demographic descriptions of the population, and a bivariate associations of explanatory multinomial regression type. Results: 338 street people participated in the study, of which 82% were males, with an average age of 11.5±40.3 years and a predominance of single marital status, 71.3%. When they had health problems, 31.5% consulted; 17.5% reported feeling a worse state of health and 34% better perception. Conclusions: Worse health was associated with: begging, having had STD, alcohol, accident or violence and physical pain or unspecified discomfort; not knowing the type of relationship the health system was common to both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted through a pre-experimental methodological approach with pre-test and post-test measurements. 52 workers from the Universidad de la Costa participated were invited to attend the eight-hour mindfulness and qi gong workshop for improving health, psychological well-being, life satisfaction and stress reduction. The instruments used were the Health Survey sf-11, Scale of Psychological Well-Being (Ryff & Keyes, 1995), Life Satisfaction Scale (Cortés, 2013) and Occupational Stress Numerical Scale. The combination of mindfulness and qi gong produced an improvement in the health of the workers --general health, energy, efficiency, domestic activities and diminution of pain, important changes in the psychological well-being -- adaptation, confidence, clarity, openness and self-esteem, and improvement in satisfaction-- health and productivity. No significant differences in work stress levels were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe by self-report the HRQoL among schoolchildren from Bogotá, Colombia belonging to the FUPRECOL study. Methods: A cross-sectional study in 3,245 children and 3,354 adolescents, between 9 and 17.9 years old, participated in the study. Spanish version of the EQ-5D-Y was self-assessment. Percentages of missing values and reported problems were calculated. The data was analyzed by measurement of central tendency stratified by age group, and to compare them to international references. Results: A total of 58.3%, (n= 3,848) were women. In all ages, the HRQoL was higher in boys than in girls. To compare by sex, the dimensions of the EQ-5D-Y “feeling worried, sad or unhappy” and “having pain or discomfort”, showed the highest frequency among women. Overall, our HRQoL were higher than South Africa, Germany and Italy references. Conclusion: The HRQoL was higher in boys than in girls The HRQoL. The dimensions of the EQ-5D-Y “feeling worried, sad or unhappy” and “having pain or discomfort”, showed the highest frequency. The HRQoL by age and sex may be used in the evaluation of the health perceived among schoolchildren from Bogotá. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a literature review on inequalities/inequities in health in Latin America. Scielo and Lilacs databases were reviewed between the years 2000 and 2014. The articles were classified into three categories: mortality and theoretical articles, inequalities in morbidity and self-perception of health condition, and access to health services. We carried out a critical analysis of mortality articles between the years 2007 and 2014, the period with the highest proportion of academic production. More research articles were found in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, especially in universities with emerging collaboration networks. The most used methodologies were theoretical reviews, ecological and cross-section studies, and a prevailing use of the model of social determinants of health of the WHO. The categories used were: social class, economic position, gender, ethnicity/race, and geographical unit. It was concluded that there are gaps between the theoretical discussion and the empirical research, a concentration of production in a few countries, little use of other theoretical approaches, and a need to strengthen collaboration between institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to evaluate the effect of Alchornea cordifolia leaf meal (ACLM) inclusion and exogenous enzyme supplementation on broiler chickens. Two hundred and fifty-two (252) arbour acre two weeksold broiler chicken were selected from a larger flock that had been brooded on deep litter and raised on commercial diet. These birds were balanced for weight and thereafter distributed into 18 pens of 14 birds each. These pens were randomly allotted to six dietary treatment groups in such way that 3 replicates were fed on each experimental diet. For the starter and finisher phase, six experimental diets were formulated and designated as 0-E, 5-E and 10-E for the diets without enzyme and 0+E, 5+E and 10+E for diets with enzyme. Diet 0-E and 0+E serve as positive and negative control respectively. The experiment was carried out using a 2x3 factorial experiment comprising of 2 enzyme levels (0 and 0.35 g/kg) and 3 ACLM inclusion levels (0, 5 and 10%).The final weight (FW) and weight gain (WG) were significantly affected by enzyme supplementation (p<0.05) while ACLM inclusion levels caused significant (p<0.05) decrease of 15.13% and 11.61% in the total feed intake (TFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) respectively in the broiler chickens. Enzyme supplementation significantly (p<0.05) increased the slaughtering weight, drum stick and thigh by 4.90%, 5.06 and 5.33 % respectively, while the ACLM inclusion level reduced the dressing percentage, drum stick, wing weight, thigh, breast and back significantly (p<0.05), decreasing by 17.63%, 25.95%, 10.72%, 9.85%, 21.27% and 19.41% respectively, as the ACLM level increase ranged from 0 to 10 %. The internal organs of the broilers were not significantly affected (p>0.05) by the main factors and their interactions except for the liver and proventriculus that were affected by the level of inclusion of ACLM. Red blood cells (RBC) significantly increased (p<0.05) while mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), mean cell volume (MCV) and monocytes significantly (p<0.05) decreased with an increase in the level of ACLM inclusion ranging from 0 to 10%. Enzyme supplementation caused a significant (p<0.05) increase in cholesterol and SGPT levels and a significant (p<0.05) decrease in SGOT. ACLM also significantly (p<0.05) affected the serum parameters considered, except for total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, bilirubin and SGPT in a way in which the increase of the ACLM level ranging from 0 to 5% and then to 10 % in the broiler's diets promoted the declination in the cholesterol, urea, SGOT and glucose levels. Furthermore, the interaction of enzyme levels and ACLM has a significant (p<0.05) effect on cholesterol and SGPT levels. Basing on the data obtained in this study, ACLM is a potential useful feed material for feeding monogastrics. Therefore, it is suggested that 10% ACLM inclusion level could be used in broiler production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To analyze the relationship of mental health problems in Spanish population with the economic recession (2006-2012), and find out how it affects the self-perception of health status. Materials and methods. Cross-sectional study using the National Health Survey of Spain, 2006/2007 and 2011/2012. Using logistic regression models, three indicators linked to mental health and perceived health were analyzed. Results. In 2011/2012 the consumption of antianxiety medications and sleeping pills increased in men and women. Mental dysfunction increased during the economic crisis in the male population. The perception of optimal health did not suffer significantly in either men or women. Conclusions. The economic recession showed a changing relation to the mental and general health of the population, coinciding with an increase in mental health disorders, such as anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients with myocardial infarction often express emotional states including fear of dying when suffering a cardiovascular event. Objective: To determine the relationship between most frequent emotional states post-myocardial infarction and the compensation degree of somatic health status in patients during convalescence. Method: A prospective study was carried out on 31 patients, selected by (nonprobabilistic) purposive sampling, who attended follow-up cardiology consultation at "Hospital Celestino Hernández Robau" from Santa Clara, from September 2014 to March 2015. Document review techniques, interviews, Rotter, IDARE and IDERE tests were applied. Results: Hypertension was the main cardiovascular risk factor (90.3%). There was a male predominance (64.5%) and a partially unbalanced state of somatic health (51.6%), mostly in men (60.0%). Only 25.8% of compensated patients. Generally the average indicator of anxiety and depression predominated; but we found high levels of these emotional states in decompensated and partially unbalanced patients, especially as a state. ** Conclusions: There was a predominance of partially offset somatic state of health. High levels of anxiety and depression states were identified and it was found the existence of an important relation between anxiety-depression emotional states, and the somatic state of health relating to the cardiovascular system in patients convalescent from myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To determine the clinical, functional and socio-familiar profile of seniors from a community in a district of Lima, Peru. Materials and methods. Descriptive cross-sectional study of a sample of 501 people aged 60 and over living in the San Martin de Porres district. We used a structured questionnaire in which clinical, functional and sociofamiliar variables were recorded. A physical evaluation was carried out to assess performance based measures and serum samples were taken for hematological and biochemical examination. The data were presented with descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages for categorical variables and means and standard deviations for the numeric variables. Results. A total of 501 older adults were evaluated. The mean age was 71.5 years (±8.9 years). The most common chronic disease was arterial hypertension at 40.9%, followed by rheumatic diseases with 36.9%. 27.7% had some degree of partial or total dependence in activities of daily living, 16.2% had cognitive impairment, 8% lived alone, 58.5% had or were at risk of having a social problem.61% self-rated their health as normal, while 16% rated it as bad or very bad. Conclusions. Seniors in the community of San Martin de Porres in Lima have frequent problems of functional dependence, have or are at risk of social problems, chronic illness and a high frequency of geriatric syndromes and problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: diabetes is a metabolic disease that can lead a reduction in health-related quality of life. The EQ-5D is a generic preference-based health-related quality of life questionnaire widely used in patients with diabetes.Objective: the aim of the current manuscript is to provide normative values of EQ-5D-5L for Spanish people suffering from diabetes.Methods: data from the Spanish Health Survey (2011/2012) was utilized. A total of 1 857 people suffering from diabetes participated in the survey. EQ-5D-5L scores were defined by sex, region (including the 17 Autonomous regions and 2 Autonomous cities of Spain), and 8 age groups.Results: mean EQ-5D-5L utility index for the whole sample was 0.742. It was better for men (0.826) than for women (0.673). Similar results were observed in the VAS. The ceiling effect was much higher for men (44.83%) than for women (24.41%).Conclusions: the current study provides EQ-5D-5L normative and representative data for Spanish people suffering from diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The quality of life assessment means investigating how patients perceive their disease. Malnutrition- specific characteristics make patients more vulnerable, so it is important to know how these factors impact on patients' daily life. Aim: To assess the quality of life in malnourished patients who have had hospital admission, and to determine the relationship of the quality of life with age, body mass index, diagnosis of malnutrition, and dependency. Method: Multicenter transversal descriptive study in 106 malnourished patients after hospital admission. The quality of life (SF-12 questionnaire), BMI, functional independency (Barthel index), morbidity, and a dietary intake evaluation were assessed. The relationship between variables was tested by using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: The patients of the present study showed a SF-12 mean of 38.32 points. The age was significantly correlated with the SF-12 (r= -0.320, p= 0.001). The BMI was correlated with the SF-12 (r= 0.251, p= 0.011) and its mental component (r= 0.289, p= 0.03). It was also reported a significant correlation between the Barthel index and the SF-12 (r= 0.370, p< 0.001). Conclusions: The general health perception in malnourished patients who have had a hospital admission was lower than the Spanish mean. Moreover, the quality of life in these patients is significantly correlated with age, BMI and functional independency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To compare the self-perceived health, use of health services and unmet need for health care (UNHC) among immigrants and native populations of Southeast Spain. Materials and methods. Cross-sectional study of two representative samples of 1150 immigrants, and 1303 native participants from the National Health Survey. A single database was created with specific weights for each sample, and prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated by multivariate regression. Results. Moroccans, Ecuadorians and Eastern Europeans (EE) reported poorer health than the native population (PRs [CI95%]:2.45 [1.91 -3.15]; 1.51 [ 1.28-1.79] and 1.44 [1.08-1.93], respectively). Immigrants made greater use of emergencies that natives (except for EE) and had lower use of medication. Moroccan showed the greatest difference in the frequency of UNHC (PR [CI95%]: 12.20 [5.25 - 28.37]), mainly because of working limitations (46%). Conclusions. The health status and use of health services among immigrants differ significantly from those of natives. Results highlight the higher frequency of UNHC among immigrants, especially high in Moroccans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the quality of life perceived by adults with type 2 diabetes disease health institutions belonging to the first level of care. Methodology: Descriptive, cross-sectional study; with a sample of 287 patients who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the study by verbal expression of informed consent. Diabetes Questionnaire Quality of Life to find out the quality of life of diabetic patients, by assessing subscales satisfaction with treatment, impact of treatment, social and vocational effects of future effects was used for data collection disease and overall wellness. Results: Of type 2 diabetic patients who participated in the study, 62.3% have a quality of life media, regarding perceived health status, 46.7% considered to have a state of good health. The ratio of the average scores on each of the subscales, the most affected is the impact of treatment with a direct scoring average of 41.1 and the least affected is the concern for the future effects of the disease, 9.9. Conclusion: The study shows that the 287 type 2 diabetic patients perceive the quality of life is not affected greatly by the presence of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Important biologic parameters of Melipona beecheii Bennett have been little studied in Cuba, and even less regarding health. The study of these features and their relationships with the environment favours its improvement taken into account a right maintenance, specially the artificial multiplication in rational hives. This trial, carried out in Mayabeque province during December 2010 and January 2011 had the aim of determining the amount of immature population (brood), food stores and health state of 12 natural hives lodged in tree cavies opened with a motor saw for transferring the colonies to rational hives. The mean per colony of brood combs was 10.60 and of brood cells 2803; the young brood cells were 862 (31%) and the cocoons 1 941 (69%). The honey pot mean per beehive was 108 58; the honey per pot was 7.75 ml and per colony 824 75 ml. The mean of pollen pots was 86.92; the amount of pollen per pot 7.92 g and per behive 681.58 g. Clinical signs of diseases were not observed. Strong colonies and food availability were additional evidences of good health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, empirical evidence is scarce related to assertive behavior of family caregivers of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) and to the effects related to their deficits. The aim of this study was to examine the assertiveness of 140 family caregivers of 94 patients with SMI, and to examine the relationship between assertiveness and physical and psychological health. The Assertion Inventory (Gambrill and Richey, 1975), the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Health Questionnaire SF-36 were used. 77.1% of the participants were assertive and there were no significant differences in base to socio-demographic variables. Assertiveness was related to anxiety, depression, stress, and general wellbeing as well as six (out of eight) areas assessed by the SF -36. The lack of assertiveness was a risk factor for all these variables. These findings support the importance of including assertiveness training in the treatment of the families of patients with SMI by staff at mental health units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to measure health inequality by examining unfair differences found in a group of elderly people according to the commune in which they live within the city of Medellin in 2009. Methodology: a descriptive ecological study using 11948 citizens of Medellín aged 60 and older as a source of information. Data was extracted from the survey of quality of life in 2009 for the municipality. Health status as a variable of interest was analyzed with respect to conditions such as schooling level, number of annual visits to the health services, employment and income from employment. These variables were used to measure inequity, using the (IHI) as a useful indicator to measure health inequalities. Results: 41.6% of the participants were men. The average age was 69.7 years (SD 8.03 years). 93.7% of the elderly participants can read and write more than one paragraph. One third of the sample perceived their state of health as bad or moderate. 15.3% of them work and, within this group of workers, 32.8% earn some money for the tasks performed. Similarly, out of this total, 50% earn a monthly salary up to $500,000 or less, while the other 50% earn from $501,000 to 15,000,000. Six of the sixteen communes showed the worst conditions regarding the health of the elderly. Conclusions: this study identified that 93.7% (15/16) of the communes, and 80% (4/5) of the townships in Medellín have health inequities when analyzed in terms of health status, schooling level, employment, number of annual visits to the health services and income from employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main idea of this paper is to provide, through an econometric study, the results of the probability of certain socio-economic variables influencing the perception of the individual with respect to their state of health. A Probit regression model was used to obtain these probabilities, which is useful for situations that provide dichotomoums responses or also situations that are influenced or caused by independent variables. The sample covers people older than 18 who live in Region Metropolitana de Chile. This sample was obtained by CASENS last survey 2006. The final conclusions state that socioeconomic variables such as income and years of study have an inverse relationship with how one perceives their own state of health, that is to say, the higher is your income or education level, the individual is less likely to perceive a bad state of health. While age has a direct relationship; the older you are higher will be the probability of perceiving a feeling of sickness. The previsional care system states that being part of the private health system decreases the probabilities of sickness, while that belonging to the public care system increases them. The study also suggests that males are less likely to perceive sickness than females. In terms of marital status, having one increases the chances of perceiving a bad state of health while being single decreases them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To analyze the demographic, social, economic and physical space of the resident population, households and housing in the city of Medellin in 2009, registered in the survey of quality of life, in order to apply multivariate techniques. Materials and methods. We performed a cross-sectional study using secondary data source from the data collected in the survey of quality of life in the city of Medellin in 2009, with a sample of 1025 people (585 men and 440 women), to they will be described their demographic, social and behavioral. Results. It showed differences in perceived health status, by sex, in addition, women had a higher risk of accidents, while men performed more sports. Several sex differences were corroborated by statistical evidence, mainly in doctor visits per year and perceived health status. Conclusions. The largest proportion of people of the commune's America, the city of Medellin, considered to have good health, which could be related to health behaviors and self-care measures provided at the individual level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this research is to present the results of the Microntrepreneurs's health module survey of the Metropolitan Area of Bucaramanga in 2012, seeking an approach to the measurement of health status and its importance to the actions and public policies for the productive sector of the city. Metodology: The methodological approach was the Assets, Vulnerability and Structure of Opportunities (AVSO) and health module was designed with the aid of methodologies such as the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), EuroQol 5D, and RAND, validated by authors like Foot, Roberts and Stansfeld; and Johnson and Pickard. Results: The survey allowed to measure the subjective health status of micro entrepreneurs where 30% were located in excellent condition, 17% very good, 39% in good, 12% regular, and 2% on a bad health. 25.5% of entrepreneurs said that they had to reduce the time dedicated to their work during the last month because of physical or emotional health issues. We also found that 48% of respondents mentioned that their work has affected their health overtime. Conclusion: The results indicate the need to integrate health variable in public and private policies for the productive sector, targeting the reduction of constraints to work on daily activities, prevention of occupational diseases and the treatment of long-term illness and derivatives of aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the self-reported perceived health related to socio-demographic characteristics, social health inequalities and social capital in Colombia. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional design; data was obtained from the National Health Survey of Colombia 2007. Independent variables: socio-demographic characteristics; component variables: social health inequality and social capital. Dependent variable: self-reported health. Analysis of the relationship used logistic regression through OR and its confidence interval. Results: The determinant factors for a negative health perceptions are related to being a female (OR: 0.49 [0.47 to 0.52]), and in both genders being older than 37 years of age (OR: 0.72 [0.61 to 0.85]), living without a partner, black ethnicity, indigenous women (0.80 [0.69 to 0.94] and low economic incomes. Discussion: The relationship between social determinants and social capital in the perception of health shows inequities and indirectly reflects the level of health. Given the policies and the model of health, requires a rational adjustment of the goals, programs, and national and regional strategies with the object of improving the demand and quality of services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality of life (QL) is denned as the personal perception an individual has of his or her own life situation. Among the factors that can affect QL is Cognitive Reserve (CR) which can be understood as the brain's capacity to resist the brain damage caused by pathology through pre-existing or compensatory cognitive processes. The main objective of this study is to analyze how CR affects the subjective self-perception of QL in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and to determine the existence of different profiles in terms of depressive symptoms and cognitive state. The sample comprised 112 individuals divided into two groups: one group with 74 patients diagnosed with AD, and the other with 38 healthy participants. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess QL. As regards cognitive reserve, it was found that subjects with greater CR scored higher in each of the dimensions of the SF-36. CR could be a source of influence on perception of QL in persons with AD, to the extent that its different components would lead to a more optimal functional capability and a better acceptance of one's cognitive state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Evaluate a conceptual model that suggests an association between socioeconomic status (SES), perception of neighborhood environment, physical activity behavior, and self-rated health status (SRHS) among women living in low-resource neighborhoods of Bogotá, Colombia. Methods. A secondary source analysis of the first measurement of a community cluster trial was used to evaluate a program to encourage a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables and increase physical activity levels among homemakers in Bogotá. Analyses were done using a multivariate multilevel logistic model to identify associations and confirm the mediations proposed in the conceptual model. Results. The adjusted models revealed that individual-level SES and neighborhood perception are inversely and significantly associated with suboptimal SRHS, while the association between physical activity and SRHS was not significant. Conclusions. The study findings underscore the importance of individual SES in assessment of health status and strengthen the evidence on the independent role of perception of neighborhood environment in the SRHS of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To describe the design and population coverage of the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 (NHNS 2012). Materials and methods. The design of the NHNS 2012 is reported, as a probabilistic population based survey with a multi-stage and stratified sampling, as well as the sample inferential properties, the logistical procedures, and the obtained coverage. Results. Household response rate for the NHNS 2012 was 87%, completing data from 50 528 households, where 96 031 individual interviews selected by age and 14 104 of ambulatory health services users were also obtained. Conclusion. The probabilistic design of the NHNS 2012 as well as its coverage allowed to generate inferences about health and nutrition conditions, health programs coverage, and access to health services. Because of their complex designs, all estimations from the NHNS 2012 must use the survey design: weights, primary sampling units, and stratus variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]