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This study examined the extent, source, and individual, microsystem, exosystem, and macrosystem-level (Heise's Ecological Model) predictors of help-seeking behaviors among women of different age groups in Colombia. Data on 12,915 married or cohabitating women who had experienced diverse forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) were obtained from the Colombia Demographic Health Survey 2015. More than half of the Colombian women who reported some form of IPV experience did not seek any help. Women aged 25–39 were less likely to seek help. Type of violence and experience of IPV and education were the strongest predictors of help-seeking among women in all age groups. Implications for research and programming are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the relationship between discrimination and falling among older people. Methods: A cross-sectional nationwide population-based face-to-face survey, 2015. The SABE (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento) Colombia Study, 19,004 community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years. Recurrent falling was defined as ≥2 falls during the prior year. Main independent variable was discrimination. Results: Multivariate logistic regression models showed that recurrent falling was significantly associated with a number of reasons for experiences of everyday discrimination (due to racial, socioeconomic status, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or disability) (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.21–1.33), childhood discrimination score (never = 0 to many times = 3) (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.13–1.33), and number of situations for discrimination during the last 5 years due to skin color (group activities, public places, inside the family, or health centers) (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.08–1.17). Discussion: Discrimination experiences were associated with higher odds of recurrent falling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombia endured 70 years of internal conflict, but despite a peace agreement, violence continues to be significant in the post-conflict era. Violence degrades the health and well-being of affected populations and it engenders psychological distress. Little is known about the impact of violence on the mental health of sexual and gender minority populations in Colombia. This study aimed to examine the frequency and sources of violence among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women and their association with depressive symptoms and substance use. We administered a survey to 942 MSM and 58 transgender women recruited using respondent-driven sampling. We estimated the relationship between mental health indicators and experiences of violence using stepwise logistic and linear regressions, controlling for income, education, age, race, and mistreatment for being effeminate when younger. Respondent-driven sampling adjusted prevalence of any type of violence was 60.9% for the total sample, 59.8% for MSM, and 75.1% for transgender women. Experiences of violence were significantly related to depressive symptoms, binge drinking and drug use for the MSM sample. Violence perpetrated by family members or acquaintances was associated with greater depressive symptoms, and violence perpetrated by partners and strangers was associated with increased binge drinking and drug use. These results provide significant evidence of the negative association of experiences of violence and the mental health of sexual and gender minority people, a vulnerable population in Colombia. This study addresses issues of diversity regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in a Latin American middle-income country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Craniofacial growth is a dynamic and unpredictable process influenced by genetic and environmental factors, presenting phenotypic and gender differences. Objective: Evaluate the differences in craniofacial growth and development in a group of Colombian individuals with complete unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate (CLP) and without CLP, classified by gender and age. Setting and Sample Population: Five hundred forty-one profile radiographs of 126 patients with unilateral CLP, 126 with bilateral CLP, and 289 without CLP. All patients of affected groups had a history of CLP correction surgery without nasoalveolar molding with orthopedic and orthodontic treatments. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed comparing 8 cephalometric measurements on radiographs, 5 linear/3 angular. Analysis was performed by median and interquartile range for all cephalometric measurements. Comparison between the groups was performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U, with a 95% confidence. Results: Significant differences between the groups of patients with and without CLP, between types of clefts and genders. The skeletal structures of patients with CLP were smaller than those of control but improved with growth. Patients with unilateral CLP presented flat profiles and predominant class III malocclusions, while patients with bilateral CLP, at early ages, were class II and in the prepubertal stage, the values were progressively negative until the end of the growth period, suggesting class III. Patients with CLP presented posteroinferior rotation of the mandible, vertical measurements increased, and deflection of the cranial base. Conclusion: Given their growth alterations, patients with CLP benefit from orthopedic and orthodontic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crime victimization is one of the most pressing public health concerns in Latin America. Young people in the region are at particularly high risk of victimization. The present study examined exposure to crime victimization as a risk factor for depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, and the protective effects of familism and social support in a community sample of Colombian college students. Data (N = 424) came from the Juventud Project (The Emergent Adults Project), a cross-sectional study of college students, 18 to 29 years old (M = 20.8, SD = 2.5; 63% female; 75.5% lived with their families), attending an urban public university in Southern Colombia. Data were collected between March and June of 2014 through anonymous, self-administered surveys. Conditional process analysis was used to test a model in which crime victimization was directly and indirectly associated with suicidal ideation via depressive symptoms, with familism and social support as moderators of this association while controlling for gender, age, and socioeconomic status. Overall, 58.9% of participants reported at least one crime victimization event in the past year. The most common types of victimization were being robbed without the threat of harm (29.8%) and being robbed with a weapon (24.8%). Male participants reported more instances of crime victimization than female participants. Levels of depressive symptoms that could be clinically significant were reported by 30.2% of participants, and suicidal ideation was reported by 31% of participants. The association between crime victimization and suicidal ideation was fully mediated by depressive symptoms. Social support, but not familism, moderated this association; social support weakened the link between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Findings suggest that crime victimization may be a significant risk for depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among college students in Colombia, and that social support may protect from the harmful mental health effects of crime victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]