Validation of the Job Crafting Scale in Latin American Workers

In this study, the psychometric properties of the Spanish version (Bakker et al., 2018) of the Job Crafting scale of Tims et al. (2012), was analyzed in a Latin American population. We applied the scale to a sample of 903 employees (42.6% women & 57.4% men) from Colombia and Ecuador. Reliability and validity were examined. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed an adequate fit both in Colombia (CFI = .916, TLI = .900, IFI = .917, RMSEA = .060) and in Ecuador (CFI = .918, TLI = .903, IFI = .919, RMSEA = .064), in the four-factor structure of the original scale. Evidence of validation, related to criterion for psychological well-being for the dimensions of increasing structural resources and increasing challenging demands, was found. The Spanish version of the scale demonstrates its usefulness for research in the Latin American context. En este estudio, se analizaron las propiedades psicométricas de la versión en español (Bakker et al., 2018) de la escala Job Crafting de Tims et al. (2012) en población latinoamericana. Aplicamos la escala a una muestra de 903 empleados (42.6% mujeres y 57.4% hombres) de Colombia y Ecuador. Se examinaron la fiabilidad y la validez. Los resultados del análisis factorial confirmatorio mostraron un ajuste adecuado tanto en Colombia (CFI = .916, TLI = .900, IFI = .917, RMSEA = .060) como en Ecuador (CFI = .918, TLI = .903, IFI = .919, RMSEA = .064), en la estructura de cuatro factores de la escala original. Se encontró evidencia de validación, relacionada con el criterio de bienestar psicológico, para las dimensiones de recursos estructurales crecientes y demandas desafiantes crecientes. La versión en español de la escala demuestra su utilidad para la investigación en el contexto latinoamericano.

Body image assessment instruments in Hispanic Latin American population (Silhouettes) / Instrumentos de evaluación de la imagen corporal en población Hispano Latino Americana (Siluetas)

Desde mediados del siglo XX, la investigación focalizada en la imagen corporal ha adquirido particular relevancia, no sólo desde el punto de vista del cuerpo subjetivo, vivido o fenoménico, a partir de la visión del propio individuo, sino que también desde la repercusión profunda y holística que implica en su salud, pues se trata de una construcción que recibe aportes de lo fisiológico, lo psicológico, lo espiritual, lo social, lo cultural, lo político, lo religioso y lo histórico. Al escoger un instrumento de evaluación de variables abstractas, como es la imagen corporal, es menester considerar las limitaciones en el intento de operacionalizar dicho constructo. Por ende, en el presente capítulo se reseña el desarrollo del concepto, que aún en la actualidad carece de consenso teórico, clínico y empírico, representando ello una dificultad al momento de analizar sus diferentes alternativas de medición, tales como las medidas de siluetas corporales. Sin embargo, existe cierta coincidencia entre los modelos comprensivos de la imagen corporal, al identificar tres componentes de ella: el perceptual, el cognitivo y el actitudinal/afectivo. Entre los procedimientos empleados para la ponderación de la afectividad orientada hacia el cuerpo y sus segmentos, vale decir, la satisfacción/insatisfacción corporal, se dispone actualmente de numerosos cuestionarios que se analizan a detalle en secciones posteriores de este trabajo. El presente capítulo se centra en la descripción de los instrumentos dirigidos a estimar la distorsión en la percepción de la forma corporal, particularmente ante la exposición de siluetas estandarizadas que varían en su corpulencia y características físicas, con el objetivo de mensurar la auto-percepción y, mediante ésta, la factible discrepancia (o inexactitud) que puede existir entre la dimensión corporal real y su apreciación. Por último, se analizará el rol de este tipo de medidas en estudios clínicos, poblacionales y transculturales.

Diagnostic Agreement of Quantitative Flow Ratio with Fractional Flow Reserve in a Latin-American Population

Purpose: Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a recently proposed angiographic index that allows to assess the pressure loss in coronary arteries in a similar fashion as the accepted standard fractional flow reserve (FFR). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of QFR as compared to FFR, in a Latin-American population of patients with suspected ischaemic heart disease.Methods: QFR was retrospectively derived from coronary angiograms. The association, diagnostic performance, and continuous agreement of fixed-flow QFR (fQFR) and contrast-flow QFR (cQFR) with FFR was assessed by continuous and dichotomous methods.Results: 90 vessels form 63 patients were finally included. The study comprised coronary stenoses of intermediate severity, both angiographically (diameter stenosis: 46.6 ± 12.8%) and physiologically [median FFR=0.86 (quartile 1-3, 0.76-0.89)]. The correlation of FFR with both fQFR [ρ=0.841, (95% CI: 0.767 to 0.893), p<0.001] and cQFR [ρ=0.833, (95% CI: 0.755 to 0.887), p<0.001] was strong. The diagnostic performance of cQFR was numerically better [area under the ROC curve of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86 to 0.97, p<0.001)], with 0.80 as the optimal cQFR cut-off against FFR≤0.80. This 0.80 cQFR cut-off classified correctly 83.3% of total stenoses, with a sensitivity of 85.2% and specificity of 80.6%.Conclusions: QFR was strongly associated with FFR and exhibited a high diagnostic performance in this Latin-American population.

Abstract 1122‐000130: Prediction of Risk of Rupture of Intracranial Aneurysms in a Latin‐American Population: A Restrospective Study

Introduction : The Population, Hypertension, Age, Size, Earlier Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH), Site (PHASES) score was developed in North America, Europe, and Japan and it is a widely used model in day‐to‐day clinical practice for intracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture risk stratification. Here, we aimed to determine the predictors of aneurysm rupture and assess the components of the PHASES score in a Latin American population. Methods : Four hundred eighty‐six Peruvian patients presented at our institution with ruptured IAs between 2010 and 2020. We retrospectively collected the following variables: age, sex, a hypertension or diabetes mellitus history, previous SAH, the aneurysm size in millimeters (<5, 5–6.9, 7–9.9, 10–19.9, and ≥20), aneurysm morphology (saccular or non‐saccular), neck diameter (≤4 and >4), presence of a pseudoaneurysm, and aneurysm location. We then performed two separate multivariate analysis. For the first one, we included variables using a stepwise approach with a cut‐off p‐value of 0.2 in univariate logistic regression. For the second one, we evaluated the PHASES score components. A p‐value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results : The median age was 56 years old, and 114 females were included. One hundred seventy‐five patients had a hypertension history, 21 had a diabetes history, and 11 had a previous SAH. Seventy‐eight patients had an aneurysm with <5mm, 118 with 5–6.9mm, 125 with 7–9.9mm, 85 with 10–19.9, and 10 patients with an aneurysm >20mm. There were 372 patients with a saccular aneurysm and an associated pseudoaneurysm was found in 197 patients. The most common location was posterior communicating artery (n = 219), followed by the anterior cerebral artery (n = 125), the middle cerebral artery (MCA) (n = 58), branches from the posterior circulation (n = 33), and finally by a paraclinoid aneurysm (n = 33). In our initial multivariate analysis, only the presence of an associated pseudoaneurysm was an independent predictor for aneurysm rupture (OR 7.93; 95% CI 3.45 – 18.25). An age >70 years (OR 1.12; 95% CI 0.3 – 4.12), the male sex (OR 1.39; 95% CI 0.54 – 3.62), a hypertension history (OR 1.14; 95% CI 0.53 – 2.44), a size of 10–20mm (OR 1.46; 95% CI 0.46‐ 4.64), and location in the MCA (OR 1.07; 95% CI 0.25 – 4.57) also predicted a higher rupture risk but without statistical significance. When we performed a multivariate logistic regression of the factors making up the PHASES score, we found that only the age (OR 1.79; 95% CI 1.11‐ 2.88) and a hypertension history (OR 1.61; 95% CI 1.14 – 2.27) were independent predictors of aneurysm rupture. Conclusions : Based on our findings and its limitations, we observed that the presence of an associated pseudoaneurysm was a predictor for aneurysm rupture. Moreover, we found that only two of the five components of the PHASES score were predictors of the event in our population: the age and a hypertension history. Therefore, new research should be carried out in the Latin American population to establish predictors for the development of clinical predictive models in this field.

Cadmium pollution of water, soil, and food: a review of the current conditions and future research considerations in Latin America.

The presence of cadmium (Cd) in Latin American produced food has been in the spotlight in recent years. Regarding food safety, this element can be toxic to humans at low exposure levels, and its monitoring is a question of public health. Cadmium concentrations from different sources, such as water, soil, sediments, food and beverages were examined and discussed to address the non-occupational exposure of the Latin American population. A literature review was conducted, which considered publications from 2015 to 2020 and available in the ScienceDirect and PubMed databases. Twenty-eight papers were considered for Cd in water, forty-nine for Cd in soil and sediments, and eighty-six for Cd in food. We identify and discuss factors affecting Cd environmental behavior and bioaccumulation, the main species used in monitoring studies, and the necessity for future research. Brazil and Mexico are the countries with the most available information, whereas for some countries in Central America, no information was found. The Cd levels in food examined in these studies (mostly fish and cacao) were generally below the established maximum levels, indicating a low risk. When considering the presence of Cd in food, water, and soil, Cd fractionation and chemical speciation studies are fundamental to understand which Cd species are the most toxic. In turn, studies on bioaccessibility and bioavailability of Cd in food are also needed for more adequate risk assessment but they are currently scarce in all of Latin America.

Marital quality: parallel between the perspective of couples and measuring instruments

This study aimed to draw a parallel between instruments assessing marital quality and the way couples conceptualize their relationship quality. Twenty-five couples were interviewed to understand their ideas about a good quality relationship. The interviews were analyzed according to the topics couples presented, which were then compared with the concepts included in the instruments measuring marital quality. Five themes were identified, partially correspondent to the concepts assessed by the instruments. Cultural differences were found in the American instruments regarding the valuation of some themes to the detriment of others. Research with the Latin American population is necessary to understand its particularities and to develop measures in accordance with these specificities.

Precautionary Behaviors during the Second and Third Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparative Study in the Latin American Population

The population’s behavioral responses to containment and precautionary measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have played a fundamental role in controlling the contagion. A comparative analysis of precautionary behaviors in the region was carried out. A total of 1184 people from Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, and Guatemala participated through an online survey containing a questionnaire on sociodemographic factors, precautionary behaviors, information about COVID-19, concerns, maintenance of confinement, and medical symptoms associated with COVID-19. Cubans reported the highest scores for information about COVID-19. Colombians reported less frequent usage of precautionary measures (e.g., use of masks), but greater adherence to confinement recommendations in general, in contrast to the low levels of these behaviors in Guatemalans. Chileans reported greater pandemic-related concerns and the highest number of medical symptoms associated with COVID-19. These findings allow a partial characterization of the Latin American population’s responses during the second and third phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the importance of designing and managing public health policies according to the circumstances of each population when facing pandemics.