Impact of an Educational Intervention for Healthy Eating in Older Adults: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

The elderly population in Ecuador is increasing rapidly, with an increasing incidence of diet-related diseases. The elderly living in the community seek alternative and complementary methods to improve their diet and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the impact of an educational intervention on knowledge related to healthy eating among older adults. This intervention is rooted in the principles of meaningful learning and incorporates culturally adapted materials. A quasi-experimental study design was employed using a pre-test-post-test control group. Study participants were a total of 109 elderly (intervention: n = 51, control: n = 58) people in Cuenca, Ecuador. The educational intervention based on Ausubel's theory of significant learning and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory was programmed to be carried out for one session per week, over 24 weeks, with a duration of 120 min per session. The measures were the general characteristics of the study participants and knowledge about necessary amounts, food sources and the consequences of deficits or excesses in the consumption of macro- and micronutrients. Data were collected from August 2018 to February 2019. Statistically significant differences were observed between the intervention group (IG) and the control group (CG) in terms of knowledge about healthy eating for older adults following the educational intervention. The outcomes of this study strongly suggest the efficacy of the program in improving knowledge related to healthy eating among older adults. Healthcare providers should prioritize food education based on meaningful learning, utilizing culturally adapted materials for the elderly individuals residing within the community.

Human Papillomavirus Prevalence and Associated Factors in Indigenous Women in Ecuador: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study.

Cervical cancer (CC) is the second leading cause of death from malignancy in women in Ecuador. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main causative agent of CC. Although several studies have been conducted on HPV detection in Ecuador, there are limited data on indigenous women. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the prevalence of HPV and associated factors in women from the indigenous communities of Quilloac, Saraguro and Sevilla Don Bosco. The study included 396 sexually active women belonging to the aforementioned ethnicities. A validated questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data, and real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests were used to detect HPV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These communities are located in the southern region of Ecuador and face geographical and cultural barriers to accessing health services. The results showed that 28.35% of women tested positive for both types of HPV, 23.48% for high-risk (HR) HPV, and 10.35% for low-risk (LR) HPV. Statistically significant associations were found between HR HPV and having more than three sexual partners (OR 1.99, CI 1.03-3.85) and Chlamydia trachomatis infection (OR 2.54, CI 1.08-5.99). This study suggests that HPV infection and other sexually transmitted pathogens are common among indigenous women, highlighting the need for control measures and timely diagnosis in this population.