The Performative Forum: Women, Body and Memory in the Foro de Escritores Chile

This article examines the contributions of three contemporary Chilean women poets, Cecilia Vicuña, Anamaría Briede and Luna Montenegro to the UK Writers Forum and its Chilean counterpart, El Foro de Escritores. In the early 2000s, these groups produced two ongoing workshops that focused on poetic experimentation and performance and valued the oral over the written word. Entering into dialogue with Charles Bernstein’s analysis of the poetry reading, Erika Fischer-Lichte’s performative turn in the arts, and Joseph Roach theorization of performance and memory, this article unravels Chilean women’s poetics within a transnational context. It proposes that the value these women poets placed on aurality facilitated new engagement with Pre-Columbian cultures and languages as well as reconsiderations of the intimacy of the body and its linguistic representation.

Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins/Furans (PCDD/Fs) and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in Human Breast Milk in Chile: A Pilot Study

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that resist biochemical degradation, moving long distances across the atmosphere before deposition occurs. Our goal was to provide up-to-date data on the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in breast milk from Chilean women and to estimate the exposure of infants due to breast milk consumption. In Chile, we conducted a cross-sectional study based on methodologies proposed by the WHO, with a sample of 30 women recruited from three defined areas: 10 from the Arica Region (urban; Arica and Parinacota Region), 10 from Coltauco (rural; O’Higgins Region), and 10 from Molina (40% rural; Maule Region). High-resolution gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) was performed on pooled samples from each area. We calculated equivalent toxic concentrations (WHO-TEQ) based on the current WHO Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEF). The minimum and maximum values of ∑ PCDDs/Fs + DL-PCBs-TEQ were 4.317 pg TEQ/g fat in Coltauco and 6.31 pg TEQ/g fat in Arica. Molina had a total TEQ of 5.50 pg TEQ/g fat. The contribution of PCDD/Fs was approximately five-fold higher than that of DL-PCBs. The Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) of ∑ PCDDs/Fs + DL-PCBs based on the three pooled samples ranged between 6.71 and 26.28 pg TEQ/kg body weight (bw)/day, with a mean intake of 16.11 (±6.71) pg TEQ/kg bw/day in breastfed children from 0 to 24 months old. These levels were lower than those reported in international studies. Despite the fact that the observed levels were low compared to those in most industrialized countries, the detection of a variety of POPs in breast milk from Chilean women indicates the need for follow-up studies to determine whether such exposures during childhood could represent a health risk in adulthood.

The Fragility of Women’s Work Trajectories in Chile

How are the work trajectories of Chilean women? This qualitative study analyzes the female work trajectories through interviews and biograms in a sample of 50 Chilean women, professionals and non-professionals, between the ages of 24 and 88. The article proposes an original typology of female work trajectories and relates type of work trajectory with Piore’s theory of labor market segmentation. The paper discusses the challenges and weaknesses of the Chilean women’s labor outcome and presents recent data to extrapolate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable work trajectories. It considers the type of State and possible actions to achieve greater welfare and social development regarding gender equality.

Accuracy of the Resting Energy Expenditure Estimation Equations for Healthy Women

Background: There exist several prediction equations for the estimation of resting energy expenditure (REE). However, none of these equations have been validated in the Chilean female population yet. The aims of this study are (1) to determine the accuracy of existing equations for prediction of REE and (2) to develop new equations in a sample of healthy Chilean women. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 620 Chilean women. The sample showed an age range between 18 and 73 years, a body mass index average of 28.5 ± 5.2 kg/m2, and a prevalence of overweight and obesity of 41% and 33.2%, respectively. REE was measured by indirect calorimetry (REEIC), which was used as the gold standard to determine the accuracy of twelve available REE prediction equations and to calculate alternative formulas for estimation of REE. Paired t-tests and Bland–Altman plots were used to know the accuracy of the estimation equations with REEIC. At the same time, multiple linear regressions were performed to propose possible alternative equations. The analyses were carried out by age groups and according to nutritional status. Results: All the equations showed a tendency to overestimate REE, regardless of age or nutritional status. Overall, the Ireton-Jones equation achieved the highest mean percentage difference from REEIC at 67.1 ± 31%. The alternative new equations, containing variables of body composition, reached a higher percentage of classification within ±10% of REEIC. Conclusions: The available equations do not adequately estimate REE in this sample of Chilean women. Although they must be validated, the new formulas proposed show better adaptation to this Chilean sample.

Validation of a Self-Perceived Adaptive Behaviors Scale in Older Chilean Women and Percentiles for Evaluation

Healthy ageing means optimizing opportunities that allow older individuals to participate actively in society without discrimination. Learning adaptive behaviors (AB) may be extremely important for individuals for all stages of life. The goal of this study was: (a) to create a scale for self-perceived adaptive behavior, and (b) propose percentiles for evaluating AB in older adult women. A self-perception scale was created to measure adaptive behavior. Anthropometric and physical fitness variables for 192 older Chilean women (ages 60 to 88) were collected and evaluated. Content validity reflected agreement from 0.75 to 1.0. Construct validity carried out with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) resulted in 11 dimensions with 62 items in groups. Saturation oscillated between 0.62 and 0.85 with the explanation of variation as 46.27%. Cronbach’s Alpha was r = 0.83. The results indicated that the scale developed was valid and reliable for the Chilean women studied. This scale may be used to measure self-perception of AB patterns in older women. Furthermore, the percentiles allow for classification of the AB by age and anthropometric indices.