Costa Rican consumer perceptions of gene-editing.

Costa Rica's rice production, a large determinant of the country's food security, is being negatively impacted by frequently increasing periods of intense drought. Costa Rican scientists have applied CRISPR/Cas9 to develop drought resistant rice varieties they believe the country's rice producers could benefit from. However, would Costa Ricans consume gene edited rice or products derived from this crop? A three-part, 26-question survey administered in-person to 1096 Costa Ricans uncovers their attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions of gene editing technology and crops. Multiple regressions were built where the independent variables were age, gender, education level, and subjective economic situation. No statistically significant relationships were found in the regression coefficients. Moreover, the k-means procedure (cluster analysis) was used to categorize respondents according to their attitudes on the consumption of gene-edited foods: negative, neutral, and positive. Results show that overall, Costa Rican consumers are open to the application of gene editing in agriculture and would consider consuming products derived from the application of the technology. They are also open to gene editing technology being used to address human and animal health issues. However, Costa Rican consumers are not open to gene editing being used to "design" human traits. This study adds evidence to the emerging literature on the acceptance of gene-edited food. It also highlights the importance of informing societies of just how vulnerable agriculture, and therefore food security, is to the increasingly adverse effects of climate change.

Adult Perception Toward Videogames and Physical Activity Using Pokémon Go.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine perception of videogames and the use Pokémon Go in Costa Rica. Materials and Methods: A national representative sample (n = 1059) of adults aged 18 years and older was chosen to complete a face-to-face survey on videogame perceptions and the use of Pokémon Go. Statistical analyses included 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) around the estimate, multiple regression, cluster, and factor analysis. Results: The 85.2% of the population (n = 866) were familiar with videogames, especially those in the 18- to 29-year age group (96.3%) and college education (94.8%). Perceptions about videogames were negative (Addictive = 89.6%, Violence = 75.5%, Bad for health = 51.3%) and positive (Stimulate mental abilities = 59.6%, Relaxing = 55.2%, Improve family communication = 49.4%); and 28.4% perceived that people without responsibilities played videogames. Perceptions were different by age group and educational level. Age and gender were significant predictors of attitudes toward videogame playing. Pokémon Go was played by 3.9% of those respondents who knew or had heard about videogames, who reported spending 6.7 h/week (95% CI = 3.9-9.5) playing the game, walking 24.7 km (95% CI = 12.5-36.9), and covering 70.4 km (95% CI = 45.3-95.5) by other transportation means. Conclusions: Positive and negative perceptions toward videogames mediated by age and education level were found in a Costa Rican sample. Age and gender predicted attitudes toward videogame playing. A small number of participants played Pokémon Go, which might suggest that this videogame was not engaging in this population.