Evaluation of a Pilot Spanish Language Program for Student Pharmacists.

OBJECTIVE: To present findings from an evaluation of the Spanish Language Track (SLT) for student pharmacists, which assessed student outcomes and feedback. METHODS: A mixed-methods program evaluation was conducted with the first cohort of the SLT members (N = 10). Participants completed pre/post-surveys and focus groups. Quantitative data analysis employed descriptive and frequency analysis, while qualitative data was thematically analyzed. RESULTS: With a focus on qualitative themes, quantitative results support themes one, two, and three based on findings from the self-assessment of participants' ability to speak and use the Spanish Language. Five themes were identified: (1) initial involvement and motivation to engage; (2) language skill development; (3) health-focused language immersion; (4) strong relationships within the SLT cohort; and (5) opportunities for improvement. CONCLUSION: Findings demonstrate students' active engagement with SLT while enhancing language skills through immersive experiences. Their connections with other cohort members, SLT team members, Colombian pharmacists, and bi-weekly patient appointment simulations were key contributors to learning outcomes while offering suggestions for programming. The SLT provides a foundational model for health professional programs to offer students opportunities to understand and practice language-concordant healthcare delivery to promote improved health outcomes in Spanish-speaking populations.

Microbial influence in Spanish bentonite slurry microcosms: Unveiling a-year long geochemical evolution and early-stage copper corrosion related to nuclear waste repositories.

The deep geological repository (DGR) concept consists of storing radioactive waste in metal canisters, surrounded by compacted bentonite, and placed deeply into a geological formation. Here, bentonite slurry microcosms with copper canisters, inoculated with bacterial consortium and amended with acetate, lactate and sulfate were set up to investigate their geochemical evolution over a year under anoxic conditions. The impact of microbial communities on the corrosion of the copper canisters in an early-stage (45 days) was also assessed. The amended bacterial consortium and electron donors/acceptor accelerated the microbial activity, while the heat-shocked process had a retarding effect. The microbial communities partially oxidize lactate to acetate, which is subsequently consumed when the lactate is depleted. Early-stage microbial communities showed that the bacterial consortium reduced microbial diversity with Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas dominating the community. However, sulfate-reducing bacteria such as Desulfocurvibacter, Anaerosolibacter, and Desulfosporosinus were enriched coupling oxidation of lactate/acetate with reduction of sulfates. The generated biogenic sulfides, which could mediate the conversion of copper oxides (possibly formed by trapped oxygen molecules on the bentonite or driven by the reduction of H2O) to copper sulfide (Cu2S), were identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Overall, these findings shed light on the ideal geochemical conditions that would affect the stability of DGR barriers, emphasizing the impact of the SRB on the corrosion of the metal canisters, the gas generation, and the interaction with components of the bentonite.

Analysis of Spanish-Language News Reports on Schizophrenia and Psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: Stigma toward individuals with schizophrenia and psychosis has been widely studied in the general population, but research on Spanish-language news media coverage of these mental disorders in the Latinx population is limited. The authors aimed to examine how schizophrenia and psychosis are commonly presented in U.S. Spanish-language news media, focusing on stigmatizing stereotypes, recovery themes, and the use of best practices for reporting on mental health issues. METHODS: A content analysis was conducted of reports from two leading U.S. Spanish-language news outlets, Univision and Telemundo, and from the newspaper database U.S. Hispanic Newsstream. The searches included articles published from August 1, 2012, to August 1, 2022, and included keywords related to schizophrenia and psychosis. RESULTS: In total, 108 news articles were identified and coded. Several types of stigmatizing stereotypes were observed, including portraying a person with schizophrenia or psychosis as violent, suicidal, incompetent, or weak. Only 20 news articles included at least one recovery theme, with educational information about schizophrenia or psychosis being the most common. Most articles used person-first language when referring to people with these conditions, but few articles included information about treatment options or where and how to seek mental health care. CONCLUSIONS: More studies should emphasize the importance of U.S. Spanish-language news outlets offering linguistically and culturally appropriate information on treatment options and where and how to access mental health care. Studies focusing on recovery and treatment for schizophrenia and psychosis are needed to combat public mental health stigma in the Latinx population.

Challenges in the Transition from Acute Hospital Care to Home for Spanish-Speaking Latino Patients with TBI and Families: Perspectives of Healthcare Providers and Interpreters.

Language-based disparities negatively impact patient outcomes. Spanish-speaking Latino patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) transitioning home from acute hospital care and their families have poor TBI-related outcomes; further, they have significant difficulties navigating the healthcare system due to care fragmentation and limited provider support. These challenges are exacerbated by language barriers. There are disproportionately fewer bilingual providers and interpreters in the U.S. healthcare system for patients with TBI for whom English is not their primary language. Although Spanish-speaking Latino patients with TBI and their families communicate with healthcare providers using interpreters on a regular basis, limited research has explored the healthcare delivery perspective. The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of healthcare providers and interpreters regarding their experience caring for or supporting Spanish-speaking Latino patients with TBI and their families during the transition home from acute hospital care. This qualitative descriptive study included 10 bilingual (English and Spanish-speaking) participants: 7 interdisciplinary providers and 3 interpreters; findings were analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis to inform intervention adaptation. Four themes were identified: 1) language misalignment decreases health literacy and increases length of stay; 2) TBI-related cognitive impairments, coupled with language differences, make communication challenging; 3) unique social contributors to health directly decrease health equity; and 4) recommendations to improve access and justice in transitional care. There are multiple opportunities to improve transitional care support provided to Spanish-speaking Latino patients with TBI and their families in a manner that is not currently being addressed in research or in practice.

Is language translation enough in cross-cultural neuropsychological assessments of patients from Latin America?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review was to highlight the need to consider factors other than language when adapting tests across cultural groups and to offer a list of tests that have been adapted for use among patients from or descended from Latin American Countries. Despite efforts in the field through publications and workshops, the authors were aware of continued errors in cross-cultural assessment of these patients, resulting in misdiagnosis and unintentional inequitable care. Thus, we sought to reinforce the existing literature. METHOD: We reviewed the literature pertaining to cross-cultural adaptation of neuropsychological measures. Relevant papers were identified by our institution's Academic Enhanced Search Option (AcESO) Database, PubMed, and Google Scholar. RESULTS: 102 papers, articles, and other published literature were reviewed describing issues related to the adaptation of tests for groups originally from or descended from Latin American Countries residing in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: It is imperative that tests be appropriately developed or adapted for the target population with appropriate normative data available, and ideally administered by a fluent speaker trained in assessment. Inappropriate use of tests not adapted for a particular patient's language and country of origin can result in misdiagnosis, potentially resulting in harm to the individual.

The effects of explicit morphological analysis instruction in early elementary Spanish speakers.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of implicit and explicit morphological analysis instruction in Spanish, a language characterized by high morphological complexity and relatively consistent letter-sound correspondences. For 3 days, 94 Grade 3 Spanish monolingual students (43 girls; Mage = 8.9 years) were trained on target words containing experimenter-designed suffixes consistent in form and meaning (e.g., the suffix -isba refers to a factory in words such as "botisba" [a boot factory] and "cajisba" [a box factory]). Explicit and implicit instruction differed in the attention given to the co-occurrence of the suffixes in the target words. One day (immediate posttest) and 1 week (delayed posttest) after training concluded, participants were tested on their learning of the suffixes' form using a suffix identification task and meaning using a word definition and a multiple-choice task. Results of mixed-effects models showed that explicit instruction yielded better results for the learning of the form of the suffixes. Regarding meaning, across-condition differences were detected only in the word definition task; explicit instruction produced better results for both trained and transfer words. We discuss our findings in the context of the grain-size unit theory and examine the interplay between the language's orthographic and morphological characteristics, considering their impact on classroom instruction.

Identification success rates in the post-Spanish Civil War mass graves located in the cemetery of Paterna, Spain: Meta-research on 15 mass graves with 933 subjects.

Spain suffered a Civil War between 1936 and 1939 that ended with the victory of the National Forces led by General Franco. Once the Spanish Civil War ended, 2238 subjects were executed and buried in several mass graves in the Cemetery of Paterna, one of Spain's largest mass grave sites. Efforts to locate and identify all the victims of the mass graves of the Paterna cemetery are ongoing, but the actual data of the percentage of DNA identifications remains uncertain. Following this, we conducted a meta-research study including 15 mass graves and 933 subjects to determine the DNA identification rates in the mass graves of the Paterna cemetery. We found that the total proportion of identified subjects in the mass graves was 15.9 % (95 % CI: 10.0-22.9). Moreover, we found that the model between the identification success rate (ISR) and the number of relatives that donated DNA (NRTDD) in the mass graves of the cemetery of Paterna was ISR = NRTDD-0.424. Results obtained about the proportion of identified subjects and the model between the ISR and the NRTDD imply the need for a scientific reflection between all the research groups involved in the identification tasks to modify deficiencies and update identification protocols to obtain better future results.

A systematic review and narrative synthesis of health literacy interventions among Spanish speaking populations in the United States.

BACKGROUND: While many populations struggle with health literacy, those who speak Spanish preferentially or exclusively, including Hispanic, immigrant, or migrant populations, may face particular barriers, as they navigate a predominantly English-language healthcare system. This population also faces greater morbidity and mortality from treatable chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes. The aim of this systematic review was to describe existing health literacy interventions for patients with a Spanish-language preference and present their effectiveness. METHODS: We carried out a systematic review where Web of Science, EMBASE, and PubMed were queried using MeSH terms to identify relevant literature. Included articles described patients with a Spanish-language preference participating in interventions to improve health literacy levels in the United States. Screening and data abstraction were conducted independently and in pairs. Risk of bias assessments were conducted using validated appraisal tools. RESULTS: A total of 2823 studies were identified, of which 62 met our eligibility criteria. The studies took place in a variety of community and clinical settings and used varied tools for measuring health literacy. Of the interventions, 28 consisted of in-person education and 27 implemented multimedia education, with 89% of studies in each category finding significant results. The remaining seven studies featured multimodal interventions, all of which achieved significant results. CONCLUSION: Successful strategies included the addition of liaison roles, such as promotores (Hispanic community health workers), and the use of multimedia fotonovelas (photo comics) with linguistic and cultural adaptations. In some cases, the external validity of the results was limited. Improving low health literacy in patients with a Spanish-language preference, a population with existing barriers to high quality of care, may help them better navigate health infrastructure and make informed decisions regarding their health. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (available at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021257655.t ).

Forensic Assessments of Racial-Ethnic Differences in Genuine and Malingered Psychotic Presentations.

Competent forensic practice has required continued training and professional practice in differentiating between genuine and malingered presentations, especially within the spectrum of psychotic disorders. Historically, practitioners valued racial, ethnic, and cultural differences but often considered them as peripheral matters. In contemporary forensic practice, however, language and culture play preponderant roles. This commentary is focused on core features of malingering via a cultural lens. Three core, race-informed principles, such as biases against the African American Language, are highlighted and discussed. Related subjects for forensic practice include relevant clinical constructs such as malingering bias and "imposed etics," specifically, the imposition of mainstream values and discounting of cultural differences.

Development and validation of the housing instability scale.

Despite increasing attention to the importance of examining factors that impact housing instability and homelessness, the field lacks a validated scale of housing instability. The current study examined the reliability and validity of a seven-item scale that measures housing instability. Data were taken from a larger study which implemented the Domestic Violence Housing First model across five domestic violence agencies in the Pacific Northwest. A total of 406 participants were interviewed every six months over a period of two years. A Spanish version of the scale was administered to Spanish-speaking participants. Results provide an overview of the psychometric functioning of the scale and support its utility in assessing housing instability and homelessness. Specifically, the scale demonstrated concurrent and predictive validity, and showed evidence of scalar equivalence over time and across both language and locality. The current scale is therefore a succinct and psychometrically sound measure of housing instability which can be used moving forward to track housing instability in English and Spanish speakers, as well as in urban and rural settings.

Association of Spanish as a Primary Language With Retear Rates After Pediatric ACL Reconstruction.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most common knee injuries in pediatric patients in the United States. The patient's primary spoken language may affect outcomes after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in ACLR outcomes between patients whose primary, preferred spoken language was either English or Spanish. It was hypothesized that there would be a difference in retear rates between patients preferring English versus Spanish. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on pediatric and adolescent patients who underwent ACLR at a single institution. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts based on their preferred spoken language: English or Spanish. All patients underwent either hamstring tendon or bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft ACLR performed by the same surgeon with the same postoperative rehabilitation protocols. Linear regression, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine if outcomes, graft tear, revision surgery, and contralateral injury differed between groups. Results: A total of 68 patients were identified: 33 patients whose preferred language was English and 35 patients whose preferred language was Spanish. The overall mean age of the patients was 16.4 ± 1.4 years (range, 13.2-20.5 years), and the mean follow-up time was 3.26 ± 1.98 years (range, 0.53-8.13 years). Patients who preferred Spanish were more likely than those who preferred English to experience graft tears requiring revision surgery after ACLR (P = .02; odds ratio [OR] = 5.81; adjusted OR = 1.94), at a tear rate of 14.3%. Conclusion: Patients who preferred to speak Spanish experienced higher graft tear rates when compared with patients who preferred speaking English, even after adjusting for sex, sport played, graft type, type of insurance, and time to surgery.

A promising eco-sustainable wound dressing based on cellulose extracted from Spartium junceum L. and impregnated with Glycyrrhiza glabra L extract: Design, production and biological properties.

Glycyrrhiza glabra extract is widely known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can improve the wound healing process. The aim of this work was to shorten the time of the healing process by using an eco-sustainable wound dressing based on Spanish broom flexible cellulosic fabric by impregnation with G. glabra extract-loaded ethosomes. Chemical analysis of G. glabra extract was performed by LC-DAD-MS/MS and its encapsulation into ethosomes was obtained using the ethanol injection method. Lipid vesicles were characterized in terms of size, polydispersity index, entrapment efficiency, zeta potential, and stability. In vitro release studies, biocompatibility, and scratch test on 3T3 fibroblasts were performed. Moreover, the structure of Spanish broom dressing and its ability to absorb wound exudate was characterized by Synchrotron X-ray phase contrast microtomography (SR-PCmicroCT). Ethosomes showed a good entrapment efficiency, nanometric size, good stability over time and a slow release of polyphenols compared to the free extract, and were not cytotoxic. Lastly, the results revealed that Spanish broom wound dressing loaded with G. glabra ethosomes is able to accelerate wound closure by reducing wound healing time. To sum up, Spanish broom wound dressing could be a potential new green tool for biomedical applications.

Toward the European Health Data Space: The IMPaCT-Data secure infrastructure for EHR-based precision medicine research.

BACKGROUND: Art. 50 of the proposal for a Regulation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS) states that "health data access bodies shall provide access to electronic health data only through a secure processing environment, with technical and organizational measures and security and interoperability requirements". OBJECTIVE: To identify specific security measures that nodes participating in health data spaces shall implement based on the results of the IMPaCT-Data project, whose goal is to facilitate the exchange of electronic health records (EHR) between public entities based in Spain and the secondary use of this information for precision medicine research in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). DATA AND METHODS: This article presents an analysis of 24 out of a list of 72 security measures identified in the Spanish National Security Scheme (ENS) and adopted by members of the federated data infrastructure developed during the IMPaCT-Data project. RESULTS: The IMPaCT-Data case helps clarify roles and responsibilities of entities willing to participate in the EHDS by reconciling technical system notions with the legal terminology. Most relevant security measures for Data Space Gatekeepers, Enablers and Prosumers are identified and explained. CONCLUSION: The EHDS can only be viable as long as the fiduciary duty of care of public health authorities is preserved; this implies that the secondary use of personal data shall contribute to the public interest and/or to protect the vital interests of the data subjects. This condition can only be met if all nodes participating in a health data space adopt the appropriate organizational and technical security measures necessary to fulfill their role.

Centenarians, semi and supercentenarians, COVID-19 and Spanish flu: a serological assessment to gain insight into the resilience of older centenarians to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Although it is well known that the older people have been the most susceptible to COVID-19, there are conflicting data on the susceptibility of centenarians. Two epidemiological study have shown that older centenarians (> 101 years old at the time of the 2020 pandemic peak) are more resilient than the remaining centenarians, suggesting that this resilience might be linked to the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. To gain insight into this matter, specifically whether the resilience of older centenarians to SARS-CoV-2 infection is linked to the Spanish Flu they had been affected by, we conducted a retrospective serological study. This study examined serum samples from 33 centenarians, encompassing semi- (aged > 104 < 110 years, N = 7) and supercentenarians (aged > 109 years, N = 4), born between 1905 and 1922, against both SARS-CoV-2 and 1918 H1N1 pseudotype virus. RESULTS: Anamnestic and laboratory data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in 8 centenarians. The infection appeared to have been asymptomatic or mild, and hospitalization was not required, despite 3 out of 8 being between 109 and 110 years old. The levels of anti-spike antibodies in centenarians infected and/or vaccinated were higher, although not significantly, than those produced by a random sample of seventy-year-old individuals used as controls. All centenarians had antibody levels against the 1918 H1N1 virus significantly higher (almost 50 times) than those observed in the quoted group of seventy-year-old subjects, confirming the key role in maintaining immunological memory from a priming that occurred over 100 years ago. Centenarians whose blood was collected prior to the pandemic outbreak demonstrated neutralising antibodies against the 1918 H1N1 virus, but all these subjects tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSION: This retrospective study shows that older centenarians are quite resilient to COVID-19, as they are capable of producing good levels of neutralising antibodies and experiencing mild or asymptomatic disease. This could be attributed to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic through mechanisms other than the presence of cross-reactive antibodies between the 1918 H1N1 virus and SARS-CoV-2. Another possibility is that the association is purely temporal, solely correlated with the advanced age of resilient centenarians compared to those born after 1918, since older centenarians are known to have better control of immune-inflammatory responses.

Long-term annual estimation of forest above ground biomass, canopy cover, and height from airborne and spaceborne sensors synergies in the Iberian Peninsula.

The Mediterranean Basin has experienced substantial land use changes as traditional agriculture decreased and population migrated from rural to urban areas, which have resulted in a large forest cover increase. The combination of Landsat time series, providing spectral information, with lidar, offering three-dimensional insights, has emerged as a viable option for the large-scale cartography of forest structural attributes across large time spans. Here we develop and test a comprehensive framework to map forest above ground biomass, canopy cover and forest height in two regions spanning the most representative biomes in the peninsular Spain, Mediterranean (Madrid region) and temperate (Basque Country). As reference, we used lidar-based direct estimates of stand height and forest canopy cover. The reference biomass and volume were predicted from lidar metrics. Landsat time series predictors included annual temporal profiles of band reflectance and vegetation indices for the 1985-2023 period. Additional predictor variables including synthetic aperture radar, disturbance history, topography and forest type were also evaluated to optimize forest structural attributes retrieval. The estimates were independently validated at two temporal scales, i) the year of model calibration and ii) the year of the second lidar survey. The final models used as predictor variables only Landsat based metrics and topographic information, as the available SAR time-series were relatively short (1991-2011) and disturbance information did not decrease the estimation error. Model accuracies were higher in the Mediterranean forests when compared to the temperate forests (R2 = 0.6-0.8 vs. 0.4-0.5). Between the first (1985-1989) and the last (2020-2023) decades of the monitoring period the average forest cover increased from 21 ± 2% to 32 ± 1%, mean height increased from 6.6 ± 0.43 m to 7.9 ± 0.18 m and the mean biomass from 31.9 ± 3.6 t ha-1 to 50.4 ± 1 t ha-1 for the Mediterranean forests. In temperate forests, the average canopy cover increased from 55 ± 4% to 59 ± 3%, mean height increased from 15.8 ± 0.77 m to 17.3 ± 0.21m, while the growing stock volume increased from 137.8 ± 8.2 to 151.5 ± 3.8 m3 ha-1. Our results suggest that multispectral data can be successfully linked with lidar to provide continuous information on forest height, cover, and biomass trends.

[Translated article] Validated questionnaires on medication adherence and associated factors in chronic patients: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify validated questionnaires to assess medication adherence, and its associated factors, in adult patients with chronic pathologies. METHOD: A systematic review of scientific publications that describe validated medication adherence questionnaires in PubMed and Scopus was carried out during May 2022. The search strategy combined the MeSH heading "Medication adherence" with the keywords: "Questionnaire" and "Validation"; adding "Spanish" to rescue questionnaires in our language. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or scientific articles with full text available in Spanish or English were selected; published from January 2000 to April 2022; that present the application and validation of a medication adherence questionnaire in adults with chronic pathologies; and publications of the initial validation of a questionnaire, recovered through bibliographic citations of the previously identified publications, even if they are prior to the year 2000. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed to represent the search process, inclusion and exclusion of the retrieved publications. RESULTS: (97) records in PubMed and 3 adding "Spanish" were retrieved; in Scopus, 334 records were retrieved and 13 with "Spanish". 118 records were retrieved through bibliographic citations identification. From the analysis of the previous publications, 14 validated questionnaires were identified that assess medication adherence and are applied in English and/or Spanish in adult patients with chronic pathologies. For each questionnaire, the following characteristics were described: name, authors, year of publication, dimensions (barriers and facilitators factors), number and wording of the items, response scale, form of administration, language, and pathologies of the initial validation. Of the subsequent validations, only those carried out in English and/or Spanish were presented. So far, 6 questionnaires were validated in Spanish and only for certain chronic pathologies. CONCLUSIONS: (14) validated questionnaires were identified, 6 of them were validated in Spanish. They are designed to evaluate medication adherence in a comprehensive manner, being useful to be applied in hospital and community pharmaceutical services. This review provides health professionals with tools to develop and validate their own questionnaire, adapting the wording to the local language and context of the health system.

Development and psychometric testing of the nutritional and social health habits scale (NutSo-HH): A methodological review of existing tools.

Habits represent repeated patterns of behavior over time that exert a significant influence on individual health. While specific tools exist to measure individual habits, the number of instruments capable of simultaneously exploring multiple dimensions of health is limited. This research had two main objectives: 1) to examine the literature to find existing tools for evaluating health habits, especially in the Spanish population; 2) through a methodological review, to develop and validate a tool capable of measuring multiple dimensions of health habits. The Nutritional and Social Health Habits Scale (NutSo-HH) was conceived, tested, and refined through pilot testing with cognitive interviews and expert content validation. Construct validity was explored through confirmatory factor analysis and known-group validity, while criterion validity was verified in comparison with the ``Healthy Nutrition Index for the Spanish Population.'' Reliability was assessed using omega coefficients. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded satisfactory fit indices. The final model included two second-order factors (nutritional habits and health habits) and two first-order factors (Mediterranean diet and alcohol consumption). Omega coefficients ranged from 0.521 to 0.815. The NutSo-HH Scale emerges as a valid and reliable tool to assess nutritional and social habits among Spanish young adults. This novel instrument fills a gap in the field, allowing exploration of various health determinants through a single scale and providing support for decision-making in the realm of public health nutrition.

Health literacy in prostate cancer: What do Spanish men know about prostate cancer? A cross-sectional descriptive study.

INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer is the tumor with the highest incidence in Spanish men. The implementation of health literacy and therapeutic education programs adapted to the needs of the population could be a resource to minimize the sequelae derived from the treatments used to combat this pathology. To this end, it would be necessary to know the level of health literacy about prostate cancer. OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of health literacy in prostate cancer in the Spanish male population using the validated version of the PCKQ-12 for the Spanish population. METHODOLOGY: Cross-sectional, population-based, descriptive study. Spanish-speaking men of legal age were included. To carry out the study, an ad hoc questionnaire was designed on the Google Forms platform, which was distributed via WhatsApp. Previously, it was necessary to validate the PCKQ-12 to the Spanish population in two phases, a first phase for translation and cross-cultural adaptation and a second phase to test the measurement properties. RESULTS: The Spanish version of the PCKQ-12 showed good language, conceptual, semantic and content equivalence and could be used to assess health literacy in prostate cancer. Three hundred and seventy Spanish men with a mean age of 43.87 (SD 13.65) years responded to the questionnaire. The level of prostate cancer health literacy found was low (6.72 points), being 2 points higher in health men. CONCLUSION: Health literacy about prostate cancer in the Spanish male population is low.

Navigating linguistic barriers: a case for and against medical Spanish certification for medical students in border states.

Limited English proficiency poses a significant barrier to health care, particularly in US border states, exacerbated by a nationwide shortage of interpreters. This growing disparity in language-concordant care underscores the need for solutions like integrating Medical Spanish Certification (MSC) into medical school curricula, a topic of considerable debate. Various arguments exist for and against including MSC in medical education, especially considering the increasing Hispanic/Latino patient population. This paper aims to present a balanced perspective on officially including MSC in medical school curricula. After discussing the various arguments, the authors suggest a balanced approach that addresses the challenges while leveraging the potential benefits of MSC in medical education.

Validating the Spanish translation of the posttraumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL-5) in a sample of individuals with traumatic brain injury.

Introduction: There is controversy regarding the comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The present study translated the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) to Spanish and validated it in a sample of patients with TBI 6 months after the injury. Methods: The study included 233 patients (162 males and 71 females) recruited from four Spanish hospitals within 24 h of traumatic brain injury. A total of 12.2% of the sample met the provisional PTSD diagnostic criteria, and the prevalence was equal between male and female participants. Results: The analysis confirmed the internal consistency of the translated instrument (α = 0.95). The concurrent validity of the instrument was confirmed based on high correlation coefficients of 0.7 and 0.74 with the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. Exploratory factor analysis also confirmed that the items on the PCL-5 can be differentiated from the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the structural validity of the Spanish translation of the PCL-5 with three different models. CFA partially confirmed the four-factor PTSD model, whereas both the six-factor anhedonia model and the seven-factor hybrid model showed adequate fit. However, the difference between the anhedonia and hybrid models was not statistically significant; moreover, both models showed signs of overfitting. Therefore, the utility of these models should be reexamined in future studies. Conclusion: Overall, the results suggest that the Spanish translation of the PCL-5 is a reliable and valid instrument for screening PTSD symptoms among Spanish TBI patients. The Spanish translation of the PCL-5 is also presented in the manuscript.