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Introduction: Isolation of people needs significant support, potentially impacting their mental well-being for future assignments. Objective: This study aimed to examine whether the military institution or other factors were associated with changes in the mental health of Peruvian navy and army personnel in Antarctica. Methods: The exploratory study employed a prospective cohort design, conducting surveys at two different points during the trip. Various factors such as stress, anxiety, depression (measured using DASS-21), and post-traumatic stress (measured using SPRINT-E) were assessed, alongside other variables. Results: The outcomes indicated noteworthy changes in the participants' scores. Specifically, stress scores increased among navy personnel but decreased in the army. Moreover, anxiety scores decreased among those with previous trips and increased among those without. Additionally, anxiety scores remained stable in the navy but decreased in the army. Furthermore, depression scores increased in the navy and decreased in the army. The study also found that older age was associated with higher post-traumatic stress scores. Additionally, post-traumatic stress scores decreased among those with technical studies and increased among those with university studies. Conclusion: The exploratory findings suggest that the institution to which the personnel belonged and other characteristics of the delegations may be linked to changes in the scores of the evaluated mental health factors. These findings could offer valuable insights for future delegations facing similar conditions. Future studies should increase the sample size to allow for a more detailed analysis of the effects and to enhance the generalizability of the findings.

El propósito de la presente investigación fue determinar la correlación entre la comprensión lectora y el pensamiento crítico de estudiantes universitarios a través del texto Los siete saberes necesarios de la educación del futuro, de Edgar Morin. Los estudiantes corresponden a la asignatura de Comunicación oral y escrita de una universidad privada de Lima-Perú. Con respecto a la muestra empleada, esa fue no probabilística, compuesta por 125 participantes. Asimismo, la investigación es básica, cuantitativa,de diseño no experimental-transeccional; y, por el nivel, es descriptivo-correlacional. Los datos se recolectaron mediante un cuestionario de Pensamiento Crítico (CPC2), tipo Likert, que comprende dos dimensiones: sustantiva y dialógica. Los resultados reflejan que el 76,8% de estudiantes alcanzó un nivel de comprensión lectora aceptable y el 57, 6% logró un nivel óptimo de pensamiento crítico. Del mismo modo, se comprobó mayor influencia de la comprensión lectora en la dimensión sustantiva del pensamientocrítico, capacidad de pensamiento expresado a través de la información, frente a la dimensión dialógica, capacidad para examinar el propio pensamiento en relación a otros, aunque con mínima diferencia. De todo ello, se concluye que la comprensión lectora de Los siete saberes necesarios para la educación del futurose relaciona significativamente con el pensamiento crítico de los estudiantes, tanto académico como social.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered a rise in the global phenomenon of self-medication. The use of medicines with unsubstantiated claims of benefit for the prevention and/or treatment of infected people has been widely adopted. Objective: To determine the factors associated with the use of medicines and self-medication by Latin American populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted via an analysis of secondary data collected from 8777 responses from 12 Latin American countries obtained from a survey on the use of medicines and self-medication during the pandemic. Results: Respondents who reported using Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, or antibiotics (ABx) disclosed this as self-medication in 26.9%, 16.6%, and 9.7% of cases respectively. In our multivariate analysis, significant associations were found between: self-medication by individual choice and the use of Hydroxychloroquine, ABx, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (p = 0.026, = 0.003, and

Introducción: Durante la pandemia de la COVID-19, la educación superior ha enfrentado la transición a la educación no presencial, con importante repercusión tanto en el rendimiento académico como en otros aspectos de la vida de los estudiantes. Objetivo: Aportar validez a la escala ACAD-COVID-19 y evaluar la percepción de los universitarios limeños acerca de las repercusiones académicas originadas por la pandemia de la COVID-19. Métodos: El estudio fue de diseño descriptivo y transversal, durante el año 2021. Se obtuvo una muestra conformada por 608 estudiantes del primer año académico de diferentes carreras, de 5 universidades de Lima. Se aplicó la escala ACAD-COVID-19 de 8 ítems y alternativas en escala Likert. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos y factoriales, utilizando SPSS versión 26.0. Resultados: Se evidenció que el instrumento es confiable. Se determinaron 3 factores, que pueden asociarse a las dimensiones académica, económica y el temor propio hacia enfermedad o muerte generada por la COVID-19. El 61,3 % de los estudiantes limeños manifiestan indiferencia respecto a la percepción sobre el impacto académico generado por el coronavirus, con un promedio general de los ítems de 3,21. La mayor media fue de la pregunta 5(3,47). Conclusiones: Se aportó validez a la escala ACAD-COVID-19 con su aplicación a la población universitaria limeña en un período de cuarentena durante el 2021. Los estudiantes, en general, manifestaron indiferencia en su percepción sobre el impacto académico generado por el coronavirus, aunque dentro de las repercusiones percibidas, predomina el miedo a enfermar al volver a las clases presenciales.

To translate and validate the WHO-5 General Well-being Index for the people of the Peruvian South, a cross-sectional instrumental study was carried out with the voluntary participation of 186 people of both sexes between the ages of 18 and 65 years (M = 29.67 years old; SD = 10.94) living in the south region of Peru. The validity evidence was assessed based on the content using Aiken's coefficient V according to the internal structure through a confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability was calculated through Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The expert judgment was favorable for all items (V > 0.70). The unidimensional structure of the scale was confirmed (χ2 = 10.86, df = 5, p = 0.05; RMR = 0.020; GFI = 0.980; CFI = 0.990; TLI = 0.980 y RMSEA = 0.080), and it presents a suitable reliability range (α = > 0.75). This shows that the WHO-5 General Well-being Index for the people of the Peruvian South is a valid and reliable scale.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the spread of abundant misinformation by the media, which caused fear and concern.ObjectiveTo determine the association between the pathologies of the mental sphere and the perceptions of fear and exaggeration transmitted by the media with respect to COVID-19 in Latin America.MethodologyThe present study has an analytical cross-sectional design that is based on a validated survey to measure fear and exaggeration transmitted by the media and other sources (Cronbach's α: 0.90). We surveyed more than 6,000 people, originally from 12 Latin American countries, who associated this perceived exaggeration with stress, depression, and anxiety (measured through DASS-21, Cronbach's α: 0.96).ResultsSocial networks (40%) or television (34%) were perceived as the sources that exaggerate the magnitude of the events. In addition, television (35%) and social networks (28%) were perceived as the sources that generate much fear. On the contrary, physicians and health personnel are the sources that exaggerated less (10%) or provoked less fear (14%). Through a multivariate model, we found a higher level of global perception that was associated with whether the participant was older (p = 0.002), had severe or more serious anxiety (p = 0.033), or had stress (p = 0,037). However, in comparison with Peru (the most affected country), there was a lower level of perception in Chile (p < 0.001), Paraguay (p = 0.001), Mexico (p < 0.001), Ecuador (p = 0.001), and Costa Rica (p = 0.042). All of them were adjusted for gender and for those having severe or major depression.ConclusionThere exists an association between some mental pathologies and the perception that the media does not provide moderate information.

IntroductionKnowing a disease is crucial for being able to fight it, especially in a region in which COVID-19 caused so many deaths, such as Latin America.ObjectiveTo determine the association between basic knowledge of COVID-19 and education level according to country of residence in Latin America.MethodologyThis is an analytical cross-sectional study. Basic level of knowledge was measured through nine close-ended questions (scale validated in Peru). The score obtained was analyzed through performing a crosstab vs. gender, age, education level, and country of residence.ResultsOf a total of 9,222 respondents, almost all of them knew the common symptoms (99%), modes of transmission (93%), and knew how to recognize which was not a specific symptom (93%). Through the multivariate model, we found that there was no association with gender (p = 0.716) or age (p = 0.059), in comparison with those who had primary or a lower education level. All the other higher education levels had statistically significant scores (all p-values p < 0.001). When comparing knowledge according to countries, and using Peru as reference for comparison, Chile, Paraguay, Mexico, Bolivia, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Colombia had a better level of knowledge (all p-values < 0.001); however, only El Salvador had a lower level (p < 0.001).DiscussionThere was lack of knowledge of some topics, difference according to academic degree and country. As Peru was one of countries that obtained the lowest level of knowledge, it could have influenced the fact that it was the most affected country in the world.

Introduction: The pandemic has caused fear, especially due to the daily disseminated news; however, there is not an instrument to measure this fear in multiple realities. Objective: To validate a scale for Latin American perception of fear and concern transmitted by the media during the pandemic. Methodology: This is an instrumental study. The survey was based on an instrument which was pre-validated in Peru and submitted to 15 experts in almost 10 countries. Subsequently, thousands of people were surveyed in 13 Latin American countries, whose answers were used for descriptive statistics for validation. Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) generated two re-specifications, where four items were eliminated from the original scale. With these changes, the global goodness of fit (absolute and incremental) were satisfactory (CFI = 0.978; TLI = 0.964; GFI = 0.976; AGFI = 0.949; RMSEA = 0.075 and RMR = 0.029). The first factor measures the media exaggeration (three questions); the second, the fear transmitted by the media (three questions); and the third, the fear transmitted by others different from the media (two questions). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was higher than 0.70 for the scale and its factors. Conclusion: The MED-LAT-COVID-19 scale reported a good adjustment. It has eight items in three factors, which could be measured in an isolated way, or along with other tests that assess mental health in the current pandemic context.

Abstract Introduction Resentment towards the Chinese population was perceived during the first months of the pandemic because the pandemic/disease started in that country. Objective To determine the factors associated with the perception of resentment towards the Chinese in Latin America during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology Analytical cross-sectional study conducted during the second semester of the pandemic in more than a dozen countries. Four questions were asked about the perception of resentment towards the Chinese (Cronbach's Alpha: 0.88); those with the highest scores on the sum of the four questions were considered to have "more resentment towards the Chinese," and descriptive and analytical statistics were obtained. Results Of the 7721 respondents, in the multivariate analysis, it was found that there was a difference according to the country; compared to Peru, those who had more resentment towards the Chinese were those residing in Paraguay (aPR: 1.29; 95%CI: 1.17–1.42; p-value

The irruption of electronic devices in all spheres of society, with screens of all sizes and with multiple features, is increasing, the rapid automation of most processes, including educational ones, has generated or re-emerged different myths, in the form of fabulous stories and epistemological assumptions lacking empirical evidence and contrast with reality. In the literature, the existence of recurring myths around technology that contain promises that cannot be achieved is proposed precisely because they originate in myths. These myths cease to be so when technology, after a new stage, enters the realm of the common and then its full use is possible. This work aims to analyze and comment on evidence that supports or rejects some of the myths generated by ICT in education. In particular those related to the existence of multitasking, digital natives, learning styles, video games, and connectivism as a supposed new theory.

Los agentes conversacionales (CAs) han recorrido un largo camino desde su primera aparición en la década de 1960. Avances tecnológicos continuos, como la informática estadística y los grandes modelos del lenguaje, vienen logrando una interacción cada vez más natural y sin esfuerzo entre humanos. El presente estudio realizó una revisión bibliométrica sobre el uso de los chatbots en el contexto educativo, recopilando los documentos científicos de la base de datos Scopus. Los resultados destacan los vacíos de conocimiento de la investigación; asimismo, se evidencian múltiples direcciones para futuras investigaciones basadas en aprendizaje colaborativo (collaborative learning), agentes conversacionales encarnados (embodied conversational agents), agentes conversacionales pedagógicos (pedagogical conversational agents), procesamiento del lenguaje natural (natural language processing) y agentes racionales (rational agents). La investigación contribuye a la teoría científica sobre los chatbots y su incidencia en la educación al establecer un repaso bibliométrico del tema y mostrar implicaciones prácticas al resaltar las oportunidades de investigación y vacíos de conocimiento