COVID-19 Bereavement in Ten Latin American Countries: Measurement Invariance of the Pandemic Grief Scale and Its Relation to Suicidal Ideation.

The present study aimed to evaluate the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS) in ten Latin American countries. A total of 2,321 people who had lost a family member or other loved one due to COVID-19 participated, with a mean age of 34.22 years old (SD = 11.99). In addition to the PGS, a single item of suicidal ideation was applied. The unidimensional model of the PGS had adequate fit in most countries and good reliability estimates. There was evidence of measurement invariance by country and gender. Also, a one-point increase in the PGS was associated with an almost twofold increase in the odds of suicidal ideation. Scores greater than or equal to 4 on the PGS are proposed as a cut off to identify individuals with suicidal ideation. Strong evidence of the cross-cultural validity of the PGS is provided.

Network analysis of the relationships between conspiracy beliefs towards COVID-19 vaccine and symptoms of fear of COVID-19 in a sample of latin american countries.

The present study examined how conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines specifically relate to symptoms of fear of COVID-19 in a sample of four South American countries. A total of 1785 people from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru participated, responding to a sociodemographic survey, the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19 S) and the Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale-COVID-19 (VCBS-COVID-19). Network analysis identified the most important symptoms of fear and conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines (nodes) and the associations between them (edges). In addition, the robustness of the network of these indicators of centrality and the possible differences in the structure and connectivity of the networks between the four countries were evaluated. The results suggest that the nodes with the highest centrality were items 2 and 5 of the FCV-19 S and item 2 of the VCBS-COVID-19. Likewise, item 6 is the belief that most predicts conspiracy beliefs about vaccines against COVID-19; while item 6 was the symptom that most predicts fear of COVID-19. The findings strongly support cross-cultural similarities in the networks across the four countries rather than differences. Although it was expected that a higher presence of symptoms of fear of COVID-19 may lead people to compensate for their fear by believing in conspiratorial ideas about vaccines and, consequently, rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine, the results do not clearly show this relationship. This could lead other researchers to generate evidence to explain the differences between Latin American countries and countries in other contexts in terms of vaccination rates. This evidence could be useful to develop policies favoring vaccination against COVID-19 that are more contextualized to the Latin American region, characterized by social instability and economic recession during the pandemic.

Cross-cultural validation of the new version of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale in twelve Latin American countries.

The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) was recently developed to assess dysfunctional anxiety related to COVID-19. Although different studies reported that the CAS is psychometrically sound, it is unclear whether it is invariant across countries. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the measurement invariance of the CAS in twelve Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay). A total of 5196 people participated, with a mean age of 34.06 (SD = 26.54). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the measurement invariance of the CAS across countries and gender. Additionally, the graded response model (GRM) was used to provide a global representation of the representativeness of the scale with respect to the COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety construct. The unidimensional structure of the five-item CAS was not confirmed in all countries. Therefore, it was suggested that a four-item model of the CAS (CAS-4) provides a better fit across the twelve countries and reliable scores. Multigroup CFA showed that the CAS-4 exhibits scalar invariance across all twelve countries and all genders. In addition, the CAS-4 items are more informative at average and high levels of COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety than at lower levels. According to the results, the CAS-4 is an instrument with strong cross-cultural validity and is suitable for cross-cultural comparisons of COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety symptoms in the general population of the twelve Latin American countries evaluated. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02563-0.

[Scale of Concern about COVID-19 Infection in Peruvian Health Care Workers]. / Escala de preocupación por el contagio de la COVID-19 en personal de la salud peruano.

Introduction: The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has generated concern about contagion, especially among healthcare workers who are on the front line. Objective: To design and analyse the evidence of content validity, internal structure and reliability of a measure of concern about the spread of COVID-19 among Peruvian healthcare workers. Material and methods: Quantitative study and instrumental design. The scale was administered to 321 health science professionals (78 males and 243 females), whose ages ranged from 22 to 64 years (38.12 ± 9.61). Results: Aiken's V-coefficient values were statistically significant. An exploratory factor analysis was performed which indicated the existence of a single factor, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed a satisfactory six-factor model. The CFA solution obtained adequate fit indices (RMSEA = 0.079; p = 0.05; TLI = 0.967; IFC = 0.980; GFI = 0.971, and AGFI = 0.931), and showed good internal consistency based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.865; CI 95%, 0.83-0.89). Conclusions: The scale of concern for COVID-19 infection is a valid and reliable brief measure that can be used for research and professional purposes.

Scale of concern about COVID-19 infection in Peruvian Health Care Workers.

INTRODUCTION: The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has generated concern about contagion, especially among healthcare workers who are on the front line. OBJECTIVE: To design and analyse the evidence of content validity, internal structure and reliability of a measure of concern about the spread of COVID-19 among Peruvian healthcare workers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Quantitative study and instrumental design. The scale was administered to 321 health science professionals (78 males and 243 females), whose ages ranged from 22 to 64 years (38.12 ±â€¯9.61). RESULTS: Aiken's V-coefficient values were statistically significant. An exploratory factor analysis was performed which indicated the existence of a single factor, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed a satisfactory six-factor model. The CFA solution obtained adequate fit indices (RMSEA = 0.079; P = .05; TLI = 0.967; IFC = 0.980; GFI = 0.971, and AGFI = 0.931), and showed good internal consistency based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.865; CI 95%, 0.83-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: The scale of concern for COVID-19 infection is a valid and reliable brief measure that can be used for research and professional purposes.

Is the meaning of subjective well-being similar in Latin American countries? A cross-cultural measurement invariance study of the WHO-5 well-being index during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need to assess changes in well-being on a multinational scale during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus culturally valid scales must be available. METHODS: With this in mind, this study examined the invariance of the WHO well-being index (WHO-5) among a sample of 5183 people from 12 Latin Americans countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay). RESULTS: The results of the present study indicate that the WHO-5 is strictly invariant across samples from different Latin American countries. Furthermore, the results of the IRT analysis indicate that all items of the WHO-5 were highly discriminative and that the difficulty required to respond to each of the five items is ascending. Additionally, the results indicated the presence of moderate and small size differences in subjective well-being among most countries. CONCLUSION: The WHO-5 is useful for assessing subjective well-being in 12 Latin American countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, since the differences between scores can be attributed to differences in well-being and not in other characteristics of the scale.

Relationship Between Fear of COVID-19, Conspiracy Beliefs About Vaccines and Intention to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: A Cross-National Indirect Effect Model in 13 Latin American Countries.

The present study explored the predictive capacity of fear of COVID-19 on the intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and the influence in this relationship of conspiracy beliefs as a possible mediating psychological variable, in 13 Latin American countries. A total of 5779 people recruited through non-probabilistic convenience sampling participated. To collect information, we used the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Vaccine conspiracy beliefs Scale-COVID-19 and a single item of intention to vaccinate. A full a priori Structural Equation Model was used; whereas, cross-country invariance was performed from increasingly restricted structural models. The results indicated that, fear of COVID-19 positively predicts intention to vaccinate and the presence of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines. The latter negatively predicted intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. Besides, conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines had an indirect effect on the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in the 13 countries assessed. Finally, the cross-national similarities of the mediational model among the 13 participating countries are strongly supported. The study is the first to test a cross-national mediational model across variables in a large number of Latin American countries. However, further studies with other countries in other regions of the world are needed.

Cross-cultural invariance of the Spanish version of the COVID-19 Assessment Scorecard to measure the perception of government actions against COVID-19 in Latin America.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate the measurement invariance of a general measure of the perception of governmental responses to COVID-|19 (COVID-SCORE-10) in the general population of 13 Latin American countries. METHODS: A total of 5780 individuals from 13 Latin American and Caribbean countries selected by non-probabilistic snowball sampling participated. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed and the alignment method was used to evaluate invariance. Additionally, a graded response model was used for the assessment of item characteristics. RESULTS: The results indicate that there is approximate measurement invariance of the COVID-SCORE-10 among the participating countries. Furthermore, IRT results suggest that the COVID-SCORE-10 measures with good psychometric ability a broad spectrum of the construct assessed, especially around average levels. Comparison of COVID-SCORE-10 scores indicated that participants from Cuba, Uruguay and El Salvador had the most positive perceptions of government actions to address the pandemic. Thus, the underlying construct of perception of government actions was equivalent in all countries. CONCLUSION: The results show the importance of initially establishing the fundamental measurement properties and MI before inferring the cross-cultural universality of the construct to be measured.

[Validity and Reliability of the Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) in Cuban Dental Students in COVID-19 Times]. / Validez y confiabilidad de la Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) en estudiantes cubanos de Estomatología en tiempos de COVID-19.

Introduction: The pandemic produced by SARS-CoV-2 impacted on educative systems, which justifies the necessity of research about the emotional capacities of the university students to face the challenges that COVID-19 imposes. Objective: To analyze the evidences of validity and reliability of the Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) in Cuban dental students. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study with instrumental design. The scale was administered through a virtual questionnaire and later distributed by means of social networks to 307 students (81 male and 226 female). A confirmatory factorial analysis was performed and the intern consistency and the relation between the scale and other variables were evaluated. Results: Through the confirmatory factorial analysis, the model of four correlationated factors was evaluated and an adequate adjust was found, χ2(98) = 303.1, P < .001, CFI = 0.948, TLI = 0.937, RMSEA = 0.083 and SRMR = 0.064. The results of the Omega intern consistency are ωSEA = 0.84, ωOEA = 0.77, ωUOE = 0.83 and ωUROE = 0.91. With respect to the relation of WLEIS with other variables, we had correlations ranging from 0.22 and 0.51 with general well-being, and inverse correlations ranging from -1 and -0.29 of three of its dimensions with depression, showing evidences of convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusion: The WLEIS in Cuban dental students in COVID-19 times resulted be valid and reliable.

What Is the Support for Conspiracy Beliefs About COVID-19 Vaccines in Latin America? A Prospective Exploratory Study in 13 Countries.

Conspiracy theories about COVID-19 began to emerge immediately after the first news about the disease and threaten to prolong the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by limiting people's willingness of receiving a life-saving vaccine. In this context, this study aimed to explore the variation of conspiracy beliefs regarding COVID-19 and the vaccine against it in 5779 people living in 13 Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela) according to sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, educational level and source of information about COVID-19. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between September 15 and October 25, 2021. The Spanish-language COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (ECCV-COVID) and a sociodemographic survey were used. The results indicate that, in most countries, women, people with a lower educational level and those who receive information about the vaccine and COVID-19 from family/friends are more supportive of conspiracy ideas regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. In the case of age, the results vary by country. The analysis of the responses to each of the questions of the ECCV-COVID reveals that, in general, the countries evaluated are mostly in some degree of disagreement or indecision regarding conspiratorial beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines. The findings could help open further study which could support prevention and treatment efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design and Cross-Cultural Invariance of the COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (COVID-VCBS) in 13 Latin American Countries.

Aims: Over the past 2 years, the vaccine conspiracy beliefs construct has been used in a number of different studies. These publications have assessed the determinants and outcomes of vaccine conspiracy beliefs using, in some cases, pooled data from different countries, and compared the results across these contexts. However, studies often do not consider measurement invariance as a necessary requirement for comparative analyses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the cross-cultural MI of the COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (COVID-VCBS) in 12 Latin American countries. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory analysis and alignment method were applied to test measurement invariance in a large number of groups. Results: The COVID-VCBS showed robust psychometric properties and measurement invariance for both factor loadings and crosstabs. Also, a higher level of acceptance of conspiracy beliefs about vaccines is necessary to respond to higher response categories. Similarly, greater acceptance of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines was related to a lower intention to be vaccinated. Conclusion: The results allow for improved understanding of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines in the countries assessed; furthermore, they provide researchers and practitioners with an invariant measure that they can use in cross-cultural studies in Latin America. However, further studies are needed to test invariance in other countries, with the goal of developing a truly international measure of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 and diabetes: Analysis of the scientific production indexed in Scopus.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: COVID-19 has affected the world population, with a higher impact among at-risk groups, such as diabetic patients. This has led to an exponential increase in the number of studies related to the subject, although their bibliometric characteristics are unknown. This article aims to characterize the world scientific production on COVID-19 and diabetes indexed in Scopus. METHODS: Articles on the subject were retrieved using a search strategy and bibliometric indicators of production, visibility, collaboration and impact were studied. RESULTS: The total scientific production was 1956 documents, which have 35086 citations and an h-index of 67. Articles published in Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews (n = 127), as well as those by researchers from the United States (n = 498) predominated. Articles by Chinese authors (n = 314) had the highest impact according to the received citations (n = 21757). India, China and Spain are leading countries in terms of the research in which they participate. There is extensive international scientific collaboration led by China, the United States and Italy. CONCLUSION: The volume of publications on COVID-19 and diabetes and their scientific impact show the incentive that the study of these diseases represents for the scientific community worldwide.

Visibility, collaboration and impact of the Cuban scientific output on COVID-19 in Scopus.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is a disease with worldwide impact that has fully caught attention of researchers. The Cuban scientific output, after one year of confronting this pandemic, has not been studied from a bibliometric perspective. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the output of original scientific articles and review articles on COVID-19 published by Cuban authors in the journals included in the Scopus bibliographic database, the collaborations in these publications and their impact, according to the citation of the research in the world literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive and observational study was performed, using a bibliometric approach. A search strategy was used to retrieve articles on the subject and bibliometric indicators of output, visibility, leadership, collaboration and impact were studied. RESULTS: Cuba contributed 2.5% of the Latin American output and 0.2% of the world output. Of the national scientific output (133 articles, 111 original and 22 reviews), 84.2% were authored by a Cuban corresponding author (Cuban leadership). However, the majority (n = 20; 71.4%) of articles with international collaboration (n = 28; 21.1%) had foreign corresponding authors. Of the total, 33.8% (n = 45) corresponded to articles without collaboration. Only 13.5% of the articles (n = 18) were published in journals with high visibility (Q1). Of all the output, 68.4% (n = 91) was in Cuban journals. The output in English represented 29.3% (n = 39) and achieved greater impact than the articles in Spanish in terms of citations. As the visibility of the journals increased according to the quartiles where they are, the percentage of articles published in English and cited articles increased too, but Cuban scientific leadership decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The greater the leadership in Cuban research, the lower its impact, and the lower the indexes of international collaboration. Cuban researchers are not yet able to systematically generate research that has a significant impact on the international scientific community.

Scale of Concern about COVID-19 Infection in Peruvian Health Care Workers. / Escala de preocupación por el contagio de la COVID-19 en personal de la salud peruano.

INTRODUCTION: The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has generated concern about contagion, especially among healthcare workers who are on the front line. OBJECTIVE: To design and analyse the evidence of content validity, internal structure and reliability of a measure of concern about the spread of COVID-19 among Peruvian healthcare workers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Quantitative study and instrumental design. The scale was administered to 321 health science professionals (78 males and 243 females), whose ages ranged from 22 to 64 years (38.12±9.61). RESULTS: Aiken's V-coefficient values were statistically significant. An exploratory factor analysis was performed which indicated the existence of a single factor, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed a satisfactory six-factor model. The CFA solution obtained adequate fit indices (RMSEA=0.079; p=0.05; TLI=0.967; IFC=0.980; GFI=0.971, and AGFI=0.931), and showed good internal consistency based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α=0.865; CI 95%, 0.83-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: The scale of concern for COVID-19 infection is a valid and reliable brief measure that can be used for research and professional purposes.

COVID-19 contagion concern scale (PRE-COVID-19): Validation in Cuban patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: It is important to have valid and reliable measures to determine the psychological impact of COVID-19 in patients with diabetes; however, few instruments have been developed and validated for this population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to validate the Scale of Worry for Contagion of COVID-19 (PRE-COVID-19) in a sample of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 219 patients (66.2% female, mean age 58.5 SD = 18.2) participated, selected through non-probabilistic sampling. The PRE-COVID-19 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-2 were applied. Reliability analysis was performed for internal consistency, structural equation modeling and item response theory modeling. RESULTS: The results show that a unidimensional 5-item model presents satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices and excellent reliability values. Likewise, convergent validity between the PRE-COVID-19 and a measure of anxiety is evident. All items present adequate discrimination parameters, allowing for discerning between those patients with critical concern about COVID-19 contagion from those with severe concern. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the PRE-COVID-19 is an instrument with adequate psychometric properties to measure concern about COVID-19 infection and the emotional impact in patients with DM.

Cross-Cultural Validation of a New Version in Spanish of Four Items of the Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS) in Twelve Latin American Countries.

The invariance of the Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS) was evaluated in 12 Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay). A total of 5183 people from the aforementioned countries participated, selected using the snowball sampling method. Measurement invariance was assessed by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) and Multi-Group Factor Analysis Alignment (CFA-MIAL). In addition, item characteristics were assessed based on Item Response Theory. The results indicate that the original five-item version of the PCIBS is not adequate; whereas a four-item version of the PCIBS (PCIBS-4) showed a good fit in all countries. Thus, using the MG-CFA method, the PCIBS-4 achieved metric invariance, while the CFA-MIAL method indicated that the PCIBS-4 shows metric and scalar invariance. Likewise, the four items present increasing difficulties and high values in the discrimination parameters. The comparison of means of the PCIBS-4 reported irrelevant differences between countries; however, Mexico and Peru presented the highest frequency of preventive behaviors related to COVID-19. It is concluded that the PCIBS-4 is a unidimensional self-report measure which is reliable and invariant across the twelve participating Latin American countries. It is expected that the findings will be of interest to social and health scientists, as well as those professionals directly involved in public health decision making.

Factors associated to depressive symptoms in mothers with children hospitalized in pediatric and neonatology units of Peru: a case-control study. / Factores asociados a síntomas depresivos en madres con hijos hospitalizados en unidades de pediatría y neonatología en Perú: estudio de casos y controles.

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum depression has increased significantly worldwide, but in the central Peruvian mountain, there are no studies that address this problem. OBJECTIVES: To identify and to establish risk factors for postpartum depression in mothers whose children are hospitalized in pediatrics/neonatology units in Huancayo. METHODS: This is a case-control study. Medical records of mothers whose children were hospitalized in pediatrics/neonatology units during 2017 were included. The cases were defined as patients who “had symptoms of postpartum depression." This variable was crossed with other variables using logistical regression, odds ratio were obtained, their confidence intervals were set to 95%, and the p values were calculated. RESULTS: Sixty-one medical records of mothers with postpartum depression (cases) and 61 medical records of mothers without postpartum depression (control) were evaluated. In the multivariate analysis, the unemployed mothers had a bigger chance of postpartum depression (p < 0.001), as well as single mothers (p < 0.001), and those with an unplanned pregnancy (p = 0.003). Conversely, mothers who reported having serious problems with their partner had a smaller chance of postpartum depression (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Different factors were found to be related to postpartum depression: marital situation, relationship with their partners, work conditions, and having an unplanned pregnancy.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La depresión postparto ha sufrido un crecimiento significativo, pero en la sierra central peruana no existen estudios acerca de este tema. OBJETIVOS: Identificar y establecer los factores de riesgo para desarrollar depresión postparto en las madres que tienen a sus hijos hospitalizados en unidades de pediatría y neonatología en la ciudad de Huancayo. MÉTODOS: Estudio de casos y controles. Se incluyeron las fichas de recolección de datos de las madres que tuvieron hospitalizados a sus hijos en unidades de pediatría y neonatología durante 2017. Los casos fueron las que tuvieron “presencia de síntomas de depresión postparto”. Se cruzó esta variable con otras mediante la regresión logística. Se obtuvieron los Odds ratio, sus intervalos de confianza al 95% y los valores p. RESULTADOS: Se evaluaron 61 fichas de madres que padecieron depresión postparto (casos) y 61 fichas de madres sin este tipo de patología (controles). Al realizar el análisis multivariado, se encontró que aquellas madres con una condición laboral de tipo desempleada (p < 0,001), así como aquellas que fueron solteras (valor p < 0,001) y las que tuvieron un embarazo no planificado (p = 0,003); tuvieron una mayor posibilidad de depresión postparto). Por el contrario, aquellas que manifestaron tener problemas graves con su pareja tuvieron una menor oportunidad de depresión postparto (p = 0,003); ajustado por nueve variables. CONCLUSIONES: Se encontraron diversos factores relacionados con la depresión postparto: el estado civil, la relación con la pareja, la condición laboral y la no planificación del embarazo.

Tratamiento de las fracturas maxilofaciales en un hospital cubano durante la pandemia de COVID-19

Introducción: La epidemiología de las fracturas maxilofaciales varía en dependencia de los estilos de vida, el nivel cultural y el estatus socioeconómico en diferentes zonas geográficas. Objetivo: Caracterizar epidemiológica y terapéuticamente a los pacientes con fracturas maxilofaciales, atendidos en un hospital universitario cubano durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal a los pacientes atendidos en el Servicio de Cirugía Maxilofacial del Hospital General Universitario "Carlos Manuel de Céspedes" de Bayamo, provincia Granma, durante el 1 de enero y el 31 de diciembre de 2020. Se estudiaron variables epidemiológicas y terapéuticas. Resultados: Se incluyeron 85 pacientes con 220 fracturas. Los hombres fueron los más afectados (n = 74; 87,06 %) y la proporción hombre/mujer resultó de 6,73:1. El grupo etario de 41-60 años (n = 40; 47,06 %) sobresalió. En el 38,89 % de los casos el trauma se relacionó con violencia interpersonal. Cincuenta y cuatro pacientes (63,52 %) tuvieron fracturas del complejo cigomático. El ángulo mandibular constituyó la localización anatómica más afectada. Las fracturas mandibulares se trataron fundamentalmente mediante reducción cerrada. Conclusiones: El perfil epidemiológico de las fracturas maxilofaciales se destacó en los pacientes adultos masculinos debido, principalmente, a la violencia interpersonal. Las fracturas complejas del tercio medio facial se trataron por método abierto. La distribución temporal de los casos mostró el impacto de la COVID-19 en la epidemiología de estos traumas.

Introduction: The epidemiology of maxillofacial fractures varies according to lifestyles, cultural level and socioeconomic status in different geographical areas. Objective: To characterize epidemiologically and therapeutically the patients with maxillofacial fractures treated in a Cuban university hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out on patients attended at the Maxillofacial Surgery Service of the General University Hospital "Carlos Manuel de Céspedes" of Bayamo, Granma province, between January 1 and December 31, 2020. Epidemiological and therapeutic variables were studied. Results: 85 patients with 220 fractures were included. Men were the most affected (n = 74; 87.06 %) and the male/female ratio was 6.73:1. The age group 41-60 years (n = 40; 47.06 %) stood out. In 38.89 % of the cases the trauma was related to interpersonal violence. Fifty-four patients (63.52 %) had fractures of the zygomatic complex. The mandibular angle was the most damaged anatomical location. Fractures were treated primarily by closed reduction. Conclusions: The epidemiological profile of maxillofacial fractures was prominent in adult male patients mainly due to interpersonal violence. Complex fractures of the midfacial third were treated by open method. The temporal distribution of the cases showed the impact of COVID-19 on the epidemiology of these traumas.

Students’ scientific production: a proposal to encourage it. / Producción científica estudiantil: propuestas para su estímulo.

The scientific production of medical students in Latin America, is poor and below their potential. The reason for this is the low theoretical and practical knowledge of scientific writing, a low margin for new knowledge generation, a heavy academic and clinical load, and the expected profile of the medical school graduate. In the present short communication, we propose teaching courses in research methodology, scientific writing in English and Spanish, a personalized search for students and mentors with research aptitudes. Also, we propose academic and material stimuli for publishing, rewards for the best papers made by students and the development and support of scientific student journals. Other proposals are the requirement to publish a paper for graduation, and sharing the most outstanding experiences.

La producción científica hecha por estudiantes de ciencias médicas en Latinoamérica es pobre y por debajo de su potencialidad, debido al escaso conocimiento teórico y práctico en redacción científica, escaso margen de generación de nuevos conocimientos, la pesada carga docente-asistencial junto al perfil de salida del médico. En el presente estudio se propone: impartir cursos de metodología de la investigación, de redacción científica en español e inglés, la búsqueda personalizada de estudiantes y tutores con las aptitudes para la investigación. Por otro lado, se sugiere otorgar incentivos académicos y materiales en reconocimiento a las mejores publicaciones realizadas por estudiantes, el surgimiento y/o fortalecimiento de revistas científicas estudiantiles, la modalidad de graduación por artículo y la generalización de experiencias notables.

Disposición hacia la colaboración médica internacional en estudiantes de Estomatología de ocho universidades cubanas / Willingness towards international medical collaboration in dental students from eight Cuban universities

Introducción: Cuba se ha caracterizado por enviar a diversos países delegaciones de salud, llamadas "misiones médicas". Sin embargo, el interés de los futuros profesionales de formar parte de esas delegaciones no se ha investigado. Objetivos: Caracterizar la disposición hacia la colaboración médica internacional e identificar los factores asociados en estudiantes cubanos de Estomatología. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación transversal, analítica de datos secundarios, en estudiantes de todos los años del curso académico 2018-2019, pertenecientes a ocho universidades. La variable dependiente fue el reporte de la disposición de ir a misiones médicas. Se calcularon las razones de prevalencia e intervalos de confianza al 95 por ciento. Resultados: Participaron 1174 estudiantes, de los cuales 830 (71 por ciento) estuvieron dispuestos a cumplir misiones médicas. Existió una mayor disposición hacia la colaboración médica conforme aumentaba la edad (RPa: 1,02; IC 95 por ciento: 1,00-1,04; p = 0,044); así como, en los estudiantes que reportaron presión familiar para estudiar la carrera (RPa: 1,17; IC 95 por ciento: 1,09-1,26; p < 0,001). Aquellos que reportaron buenas notas antes de ingresar a la universidad (RPa: 0,83; IC 95 por ciento: 0,77-0,91; p < 0,001), los de solvencia económica (RPa: 0,90; IC 95 por ciento: 0,90-0,98; p = 0,019) y los que estaban cursando el tercer y cuarto años académicos (RPa: 0,93; IC 95 por ciento: 0,88-0,97; p = 0,003) fueron los de menor disposición para colaborar; ajustado por el sexo y la universidad. Conclusión: Existe una elevada disposición hacia la colaboración médica internacional y está asociada a múltiples aspectos sociales y educativos(AU)

Introduction: Cuba has been characterized by sending health delegations to various countries, called "medical missions". However, the interest of future professionals in joining those delegations has not been investigated. Objectives: Characterize the disposition towards international medical collaboration and identify the associated factors in Cuban students of Stomatology. Methods: A cross-sectional research and secondary data analytics was carried out in students of all years of the academic year 2018-2019, belonging to eight universities. The dependent variable was the report of the willingness to go on medical missions. Prevalence ratios and 95 percent confidence intervals were calculated. Results: 1174 students participated, of which 830 (71 percent) were willing to fulfill medical missions. There was a greater willingness towards medical collaboration as age increased (RPa: 1.02; 95 percent CI 1.00-1.04; p = 0.044); as well as, in students who reported family pressure to study the career (RPa: 1.17; 95 percent CI 1.09-1.26; p < 0.001). Those who reported good grades before entering college (RPa: 0.83; 95 percent CI 0.77-0.91; p < 0.001), those of economic solvency (RPa: 0.90; 95 percent CI 0.90-0.98; p = 0.019) and those who were in the third and fourth academic years (RPa: 0.93; 95 percent CI 0.88-0.97; p = 0.003) were those with the least willingness to collaborate; adjusted by sex and college. Conclusion: There is a high disposition towards international medical collaboration and it is associated with multiple social and educational aspects(AU)