Clinical Evaluation and Experience in Treatments Performed with Fractional CO2 Laser on Latin American Skin: An Observational Retrospective Study.

Background: The carbon dioxide (CO2) laser is an ablative system that evaporates, remodels, and coagulates tissues, becoming therefore a gold standard piece of equipment for the treatment of dermatological pathologies and esthetic imperfections. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of CO2 laser treatments in different patients' skin pathologies. Methods: A total of 705 patients with an age range between 18 and 70 years, with phototypes on the Fitzpatrick scale III, IV, V, and VI, were enrolled from October 2021 to May 2022, and were treated using the CO2 laser system. Results: Ninety-six patients were treated with fractional CO2 laser, used for skin rejuvenation and stretch marks. One patient presented reactivation of herpes simplex, 10 postinflammatory hyperpigmentation that resolved after 3 months with depigmenting agents, 6 with persistent erythema. A total of 13 patients with rhinophyma were treated, and no complications were observed; a total of 64 patients with wrinkles were treated. They improved in 6 months. A total of 340 patients were treated for seborrheic keratosis, papulosa nigra dermatosis, fibropapillomas, sebaceous hyperplasias, verruca vulgaris, and condylomata acuminata. One patient presented with a complication hypopigmented macule. A total of 136 patients underwent treatment for laser ablation of intradermal nevi and verrucous epidermal nevi, without complications. A total of 56 patients were treated with keloids and hypertrophic scars. One patient presented with ulceration of a keloid that resolved with the application of clostridiopeptidase A and chloramphenicol after 2 weeks. Conclusions: The use of the CO2 laser in any phototype and race, which are factors with a high incidence in Latin America, provides a safe and effective result for different dermatological pathologies.

Depression and anxiety in peruvian military personnel during the pandemic context: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased workload and stress could have increased mental health problems (anxiety and depression) in military personnel. However, the number of studies in military members is scarce, especially in regard to mental health. The objective of this study was determine the prevalence and factors associated with depression and anxiety in Peruvian military personnel. METHODS: We undertook an analytical cross-sectional study. The survey was distributed face to face between November 02 and 09, 2021, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among the military personnel. We used some instruments to measure depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD-7), insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI), food insecurity (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, HFIAS), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaires, IPAQ-S), resilience (abbreviated CD-RISC), and fear of COVID-19 scale. The exclusion criteria included those who did not completely fill out the evaluation instruments. RESULTS: We analyzed the data of 615 military personnel that participated in the survey. Of them, 93.7% were male and the median age was 22 years old. There was a prevalence of 29.9% and 22.0% in regard to depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. In addition, it was found that being married (PR: 0.63; 95% IC: 0.42-0.94), having a relative with mental health problems (PR: 2.16), having experienced food insecurity (PR: 1.48), insomnia (PR: 2.71), fear of COVID-19 (PR: 1.48), and a high level of resilience (PR: 0.65) were factors associated with depression. In regard to anxiety, the factors associated were working for more than 18 months since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (PR: 0.52), a high level of resilience (PR: 0.50; 95% IC: 0.33-0.77), insomnia (PR: 3.32), fear of COVID-19 (PR: 2.43). CONCLUSION: We found a prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety of 29.9% and 22.0%, respectively. In regard to the factors that attenuate depression, we can mention being married and having resilience; and among the aggravating factors, having a relative with mental health problems, food insecurity, insomnia, and fear of COVID-19. Finally, anxiety increased through working time, insomnia, and fear of COVID-19.

Food Sources of Shortfall Nutrients among Latin Americans: Results from the Latin American Study of Health and Nutrition (ELANS).

Increased consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods can lead to inadequate intakes of shortfall nutrients, including vitamin A, D, C, and E, dietary folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. The objective was to examine the prevalence of inadequate intake of shortfall nutrients and identify food sources of shortfall nutrients in eight Latin American countries. Data from ELANS, a multi-country, population-based study of 9218 adolescents and adults were used. Dietary intake was collected through two 24 h Recalls from participants living in urban areas of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Foods and beverages were classified using the adapted version of the NHANES "What We Eat in America" system. Nutrients inadequacy was estimated using the Institute of Medicine recommendations and descriptive statistics were calculated. Prevalence of inadequacy was above 50% for most of the nutrients, which the exception of vitamin C with a prevalence of inadequacy of 39%. Milk, cheese, seafoods, breads, and fruit juices/drinks were among the top 5 sources for each of the 10 shortfall nutrients examined. Many food categories were top contributors to more than one dietary component examined. Understanding the nutrient intake and food sources can help inform dietary guidance and intervention approaches.

Contribution of food groups to energy, grams and nutrients-to-limit: the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health/Estudio Latino Americano de Nutrición y Salud (ELANS).

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the energy, nutrients-to-limit and total gram amount consumed and identify their top food sources consumed by Latin Americans. DESIGN: Data from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS). SETTING: ELANS is a cross-sectional study representative of eight Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. PARTICIPANTS: Two 24-h dietary recalls on non-consecutive days were used to estimate usual dietary intake of 9218 participants with ages between 15-65 years. 'What We Eat in America' food classification system developed by United States Department of Agriculture was adapted and used to classify all food items consumed by the ELANS population. Food sources of energy, added sugars, SFA, Na and total gram amount consumed were identified and ranked based on percentage of contribution to intake of total amount. RESULTS: Three-highest ranked food categories of total energy consumed were: rice (10·3%), yeast breads (6·9%), and turnovers and other grain-based items (6·8 %). Highest ranked food sources of total gram amount consumed were fruit drinks (9·6%), other 100% juice (9·3%) and rice (8·3%). Three highest ranked sources for added sugars were other 100% juice (24·1 %), fruit drinks (16·5%), and sugar and honey (12·4%). SFA ranked foods were turnovers and other grain-based (12·6 %), cheese (11·9%), and pizza (10·3%). Three top sources of Na were rice (13·9%), soups (9·1 %) and rice mixed dishes (7·3 %). CONCLUSION: Identification of top sources of energy and nutrients-to-limit among Latin Americans is critical for designing strategies to help them meet nutrient recommendations within energy needs.

Imputation Performance in Latin American Populations: Improving Rare Variants Representation With the Inclusion of Native American Genomes.

Current Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) rely on genotype imputation to increase statistical power, improve fine-mapping of association signals, and facilitate meta-analyses. Due to the complex demographic history of Latin America and the lack of balanced representation of Native American genomes in current imputation panels, the discovery of locally relevant disease variants is likely to be missed, limiting the scope and impact of biomedical research in these populations. Therefore, the necessity of better diversity representation in genomic databases is a scientific imperative. Here, we expand the 1,000 Genomes reference panel (1KGP) with 134 Native American genomes (1KGP + NAT) to assess imputation performance in Latin American individuals of mixed ancestry. Our panel increased the number of SNPs above the GWAS quality threshold, thus improving statistical power for association studies in the region. It also increased imputation accuracy, particularly in low-frequency variants segregating in Native American ancestry tracts. The improvement is subtle but consistent across countries and proportional to the number of genomes added from local source populations. To project the potential improvement with a higher number of reference genomes, we performed simulations and found that at least 3,000 Native American genomes are needed to equal the imputation performance of variants in European ancestry tracts. This reflects the concerning imbalance of diversity in current references and highlights the contribution of our work to reducing it while complementing efforts to improve global equity in genomic research.

Differences in Eye Health, Access to Eye Care Specialists and Use of Lenses among Immigrant and Native-Born Workers in Spain.

Latin American immigrants make up 49% of the total immigrant population in Spain, yet little is known about their eye health. The aim of this study is to determine if there are differences in self-perceived eye health, access to eye care specialists, and use of lenses between a sample of Latin American immigrant workers from Colombia and Ecuador, and native-born workers in Spain. We used data from the PELFI cohort (Project for Longitudinal Studies of Immigrant Families). The sample consisted of 179 immigrant workers born in Colombia or Ecuador, and 83 Spanish-born workers. The outcome variables were self-perceived eye health, access to eye specialists, and use of lenses. A descriptive analysis of the sample was carried out, and the prevalence of the three outcome variables in immigrants and natives was calculated and adjusted for explanatory variables. Random effects logistic regression models examined eye health outcomes by workers' country of birth. Immigrants are less likely to report poor self-perceived eye health than native-born (ORc 0.46; CI 95%, 0.22-0.96). Furthermore, they have less access to specialists (ORc 2.61; CI 95%, 1.32-5.15) and a higher probability of needing lenses but not having them (ORc 14.14; CI 95%, 1.77-112.69). This latter variable remained statistically significant after adjusting for covariates (ORa 34.05; CI 95%, 1.59-729.04). Latin American immigrants may not value the use of lenses, despite eye care specialists indicating that they need them. Eye health education is required to recognize the importance of using lenses according to their visual needs.

Associations between active commuting to school, sleep duration, and breakfast consumption in Ecuadorian young people.

BACKGROUND: Daily behaviours such as active commuting to school (ACS) could be a source of physical activity, contributing to the improvement of youth cardiovascular health, however, the relationship between ACS and other aspects of a youth's health, such as sleep duration and breakfast consumption, require further clarification. The aims of this study were therefore: 1) to analyse the prevalence of modes of commuting to school, sleep duration, and breakfast consumption by age groups and gender, and 2) to analyse the association between ACS, sleep duration recommendations, and breakfast consumption by age groups and gender. METHOD: This cross-sectional study included 732 school-aged students of low-middle socioeconomic status, categorised into children (10-12 yr), young adolescents (13-15 yr), and older adolescents (16-18 yr). Modes of commuting to/from school, sleep duration, and breakfast consumption were self-reported. Logistic regression models were fitted to examine the association between ACS, sleep duration and breakfast consumption, analysed according to age groups and gender. RESULTS: The percentage of students meeting sleep duration and daily breakfast recommendations was lowest in older adolescents, and highest in children (6.3% versus 50.8% p < 0.001, and 62.1%, versus 76.8%, p = 0.001, respectively). Young adolescents and girls who met the sleep duration recommendations were more likely to be active commuters than their counterparts (OR = 4.25; 95% CI = 1.81 to 9.92, p = 0.001 and OR = 2.89; 95%CI = 1.01 to 8.27, p = 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSION: Young adolescents (13-15 yr) and girls who met the sleep duration recommendations during school days displayed a positive association with ACS. There was no association between ACS and breakfast consumption for any of the age groups or gender. Children (10-12 yr) were those that best meet with the adequate sleep duration and breakfast consumption recommendations.

Fat-to-Muscle Ratio: A New Anthropometric Indicator as a Screening Tool for Metabolic Syndrome in Young Colombian People.

Fat-to-muscle ratio has been proposed as an alternative approach for assessing body fat. The objective of this study was to explore fat-to-muscle ratio thresholds in metabolic syndrome (MetS) diagnosis; it was hypothesised that the fat-to-muscle ratio is a good predictive indicator of MetS in a large population of young Colombian adults. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 1416 subjects (66.6% female), aged from 18.1 to 25.1. As part of the study, measurements of the subjects' anthropometric indicators, serum lipid indices, blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose were taken. Body composition was measured through bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). A new variable (ratio of fat mass to muscle mass, in kg) was calculated. Following the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition, MetS includes three or more metabolic abnormalities. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression determined the discriminatory ability of the fat-to-muscle ratio to predict MetS. According to the IDF, the best fat-to-muscle ratio cut-off point for detecting MetS in men was 0.225 kg, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83, sensitivity of 80%, and specificity of 70%. For women, the fat-to-muscle ratio cut-off point was 0.495 kg, the AUC was 0.88, and the sensitivity and specificity were 82% and 80%, respectively. In conclusion, our results showed that the fat-to-muscle ratio cut-off points from ROC analyses demonstrate good discriminatory power for detecting MetS in young Colombian adults.

Aculturación, involucramiento parental y autoeficacia materna: Un estudio cualitativo con mujeres latinoamericanas en los Estados Unidos / Acculturation, parental involvement, and maternal self-efficacy: A qualitative study among Latin American women in the United States

La inmigración a los Estados Unidos conlleva para las familias latinoamericanas una serie de desafíos y adversidades así como múltiples oportunidades y beneficios. Desde esta perspectiva, el objetivo de la investigación que se informa fue analizar el impacto que tiene este proceso de adaptación en el involucramiento parental y la autoeficacia materna de las mujeres inmigrantes latinoamericanas que residen en los Estados Unidos. En este estudio participaron 14 mujeres provenientes de cinco países latinoamericanos. Los principales hallazgos muestran que las participantes tuvieron que adaptarse a las tradiciones, leyes y normas de convivencia imperantes en los Estados Unidos. Con respecto a sus expectativas, las participantes describieron el deseo de obtener un trabajo bien remunerado para poder satisfacer las necesidades básicas de su familia así como proveer a sus hijos de una buena educación. Entre las principales adversidades se encuentran el idioma, el estatus migratorio y la separación de sus familiares. En contraste, diversos beneficios tales como la educación de los hijos y la información profesional que recibieron han sido determinantes en su involucramiento parental. De la misma manera, las participantes enfatizaron la importancia de diversos recursos que han encontrado en el país de residencia entre los que se encuentran el apoyo recibido del gobierno norteamericano, los cursos en los que han participado y el apoyo social brindado por otras familias latinoamericanas. Los resultados de la investigación permiten concluir que a pesar de los muchos obstáculos a los que se enfrentan, todas las participantes mencionaron contundentemente que el haber inmigrado a los Estados Unidos ha enriquecido su experiencia como madres.

The process of immigration involves multiple challenges and barriers as well as benefits and opportunities. Each year, innumerable Latin American families immigrate to the United States of America seeking employment, medical care, or education for their children. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the effects of the process of acculturation in the parental involvement and maternal self-efficacy among Latin American immigrant mothers living in the United States. In order to achieve this objective, four research questions were formulated: (1) Whatis the description that Latin American immigrant women express about their own process of acculturation? (2) What are the changes these women have experienced during their acculturation process to the United States of America? (3) How Latin American immigrant mothers are involved in the academic, emotional, social, and behavioral development of their children (4) What are the perceptions that Latin American immigrant women have about their abilities and resources as mothers? In the present study, 14 women from five different Latin American countries participated in qualitative interviews. Participants' narratives were analyzed using the Consensual Qualitative Research method proposed by Hill, Thompson and Williams. After having analyzed all transcripts, five main themes were identified: (1) Adaptation, (2) Expectations, (3) Challenges, (4) Benefits, and (5) Resources. Results shows that participants had to adapt their behavior and ideas to the current American traditions, laws, and norms. Regarding participants' expectations, they talked about how one of their main expectations was to obtain an employment with which they could satisfy their basic needs and provide a good educational level to their children. Immigrants experience multiple obstacles; for instance, lack of employment and health services, legal status, changes in family functioning, separation from family, discrimination, fear of deportation, intergenerational conflicts, and language proficiency. Besides these external barriers and challenges, Latin American immigrants are affected by internal challenges with possible negative consequences, such as intimate partner violence, despondent moods, loneliness, feeling of inadequacy, gender inequality, stress, anxiety, and alcoholism. In this study, the main barriers these participants had to cope were their immigration status, separation from their families, and language proficiency. In contrast, these participants had several benefits as a result of their decision to immigrate to the United States of America such as economic resources, their children's education, and professional information they received that helped them improve their maternal skills. In consequence, they have been able to develop their maternal skills and spend quality time with their children. All participants in this research emphasized that these benefits have been determinant for their parental involvement. The last factor related to their maternal experience was the resources they have found in the United States of American. Participants talked about the support they have received from the American government, formal and informal knowledge about how to become a better mother, and the social support provided by other Latin American families. In general terms, immigrants experience better life conditions when they have a network of relatives and friends previously established in the receiving country. Consequently, they have more opportunities for a successful relocation in the new region. The importance of social support is related to the presence of these networks which provide any kind of support when necessary. In particular, due to this support, these participants have had a better adaptation to their new life. In conclusion, this research reveals that in spite of multiple challenges Latin American immigrants have to cope, all participants concluded that after immigrating to the United States of America their competence and involvement as mothers have increased.

Palliative Care Needs in an Acute Internal Medicine Ward in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Palliative care is an evolving but underdeveloped practice in Mexico. OBJECTIVE: The primary end point of this prospective observational study was to identify internal medicine inpatients fulfilling advanced criteria within a second-level hospital. Secondary end points were symptom burden, treatment, resource utilization, and one-year survival. DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS: The 390-sample size calculation was based on previous studies where 15% of inpatients fulfilled palliative care needs. Consecutive admissions were assessed to identify patients with any of the following: cancer, cardiac, renal, hepatic insufficiency, COPD, AIDS, stroke, or fragility until sample size was completed. After obtaining informed consent, interview to patient, attending physician, and chart review was completed to identify any of the following advanced disease criteria in each patient: (1) Surprise question to attending physician of the possibility of the patient dying in the following year, (2) Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) <50, and (3) Advanced disease specific criteria. Interview also included presence of symptoms, functional capacity, and previous resource utilization. Treatment offered was analyzed only on day of admission. One-year follow-up to assess survival was done through the state death certificates. RESULTS: Out of 390 patients, 131 (34%) had any of the diseases studied. Out of 131 patients, 86 (66%) had at least one of the three inclusion criteria for advanced disease. Out of 86 patients, 70 (81%) advanced disease patients died after one-year follow-up. Comparison between patients with no advanced disease (no criteria) versus advanced disease (at least one criteria) showed a significant difference in mean PPS, nutrition status, survival days, inhospital death, weight loss, dependency on activities of daily living, and previous multiple emergency room visits. Advanced disease patients with no death at one year follow-up had significantly more new admissions to that hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The number of patients requiring palliative care in internal medicine wards may be excessive to the current palliative care structures available.

Identity management strategies among HIV-positive Colombian gay men in London.

This study set out to explore the social-psychological aspects of living with HIV among a group of HIV-positive Colombian gay men in London, and the strategies that they deployed to manage ensuing threats to their identities. Focus group and individual interview data were collected from 14 Colombian gay men living with HIV, and were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis and identity process theory. The following themes are discussed: (1) identity struggles and conflicts in Colombia, (2), managing multiple layers of social stigma in England, and (3) changing interpersonal and intergroup dynamics, which highlight the inter-connections between sexual prejudice, sexual risk-taking and HIV stigma. Identity may be chronically threatened due to the multiple layers of stigma, which can limit the coping strategies available to individuals. Findings strongly support the need for action and programmes to highlight and tackle both racism and HIV stigma on the gay scene and to fund more specific resources for sub-communities of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, which employ appropriately trained and culturally competent staff.

El consumo abusivo de alcohol en inmigrantes latinoamericanos participantes en programas de intervención para maltratadores: importancia de la adherencia al tratamiento / Alcohol Abuse in Latin American Immigrants Participating in Intervention Programs for Abusers: the Import ance of Adherence to Treatment

En este estudio, se analizan las tasas de abandono del tratamiento en hombres inmigrantes latinoamericanos con problemas de consumo de alcohol (PCA) derivados a programas de intervención con maltratadores, y se explora si aquellos que consiguen finalizar la intervención se diferencian de los que no tienen PCA en variables resultado de la intervención. La muestra la componen 107 hombres latinoamericanos condenados por violencia contra la mujer. Al contrario de lo esperado, no se confirman mayores tasas de abandono entre los participantes con PCA. Independientemente de tener o no PCA, los participantes que finalizaron el programa mostraron mejoría en todas las variables objetivo de la intervención analizadas, incluida la reducción del consumo de alcohol entre aquellos participantes con PCA.

This study analyzes dropout rates among Latin-American immigrants with alcohol abuse problems (AAP) participating in a batterer intervention program, and whether those perpetrators who finalize the intervention benefit the same as those participants without AAP in a number of program outcomes. The sample was 107 Latin-American immigrants convicted for intimate partner violence perpetration. Contrary to what was expected, there were not higher dropout rates among participants with AAP. Participants who finalized the intervention program, however, showed improvements in all outcomes variables explored regardless of whether they had AAP, including a reduction of alcohol abuse among participants with AAP.

Intimate Partner Violence and Depression Among Latin American Women in Toronto.

Research from the United States suggests that Latin American immigrant and refugee women are one of the groups most greatly impacted by intimate partner violence (IPV) and associated mental health consequences including higher rates of depression than women from other ethno-racial groups. In Canada, little is known about the experience of IPV and mental health among this population. Even in the broader North American context, how Latin American women themselves perceive the connection between IPV and depression is unknown. This paper presents the findings of a pilot study that examined the perceived relationship between IPV and depression among Spanish-Speaking Latin American Women in Toronto, Canada. The theoretical framework guiding this qualitative study combined an ecological model for understanding gender based violence and mental health with critical intersectionality theory. Using a convenience and snowball sampling method, semi-structured interviews (n = 12) were conducted and thematic content analysis was completed supported by Nvivo9(®) qualitative data management software. All participants had experienced some form of IPV in their adult lives, with psychological violence being the most common. Women perceived a powerful connection between IPV and depression, a link made stronger by the accumulation of other adverse life experiences including childhood abuse, war traumas and migration. The results suggest that IPV is just one of the challenges experienced by Latin American refugee and immigrant women. IPV is experienced in the context of other traumatic experiences and social hardships that may work to intensify the association of IPV and depression in this population.

Validación transcultural de la Escala de Inteligencia Emocional de Schutte / Cross-cultural validation of the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale

El objetivo del estudio fue adaptar la Escala de Inteligencia Emocional de Schutte para su empleo con adolescentes y jóvenes. Se efectuó la equivalencia conceptual, semántica y operacional de la versión prototípica del instrumento. La versión definitiva fue administrada a una muestra de 1.890 jóvenes y adolescentes (730 mexicanos, 664 argentinos y 497 brasileros). El análisis de la validez factorial mostró una estructura de dos factores que explicaron el 63.9% de la varianza total. La validez convergente quedó demostrada a partir del análisis correlacional efectuado. La confiabilidad del instrumento alcanzó niveles satisfactorios. Se efectúan sugerencias para futuras investigaciones.

The aim of this study was to adapt the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale with Latinamerican adolescents and youth adults. The conceptual, semantic, and operational equivalence of the prototype version was analyzed. The final version was administered to a sample of 1.890 students (730 Mexicans, 664 Argentineans, and 497 Brazilians). The analysis of factorial validity showed two orthogonal factors which explained 63.9% of the total variance. Convergent validity was demonstrated through the correlation analysis performed. The reliability of the adapted instrument reached satisfactory levels. In light of the results, we offer some suggestions for future research in the area.

Latin-American Special Olympics athletes: evaluation of oral health status, 2010.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oral health status and dental needs of the athletes with intellectual disabilities from Latin-American and Caribbean countries who were participating in the II Latin-American Special Olympics games held in Puerto Rico, February 2010. METHODS: There were 930 athletes who participated in the games, of whom 445 received a dental examination, including 367 from Latin-American and 78 from Caribbean countries. Forty-four trained and standardized dental professionals performed dental screenings of athletes with intellectual disabilities, following Special Olympic Special Smiles and CDC protocols. These criteria were used to record untreated caries, missing and filled teeth, and gingival status. Socio-demographics, existence, and severity of pain and oral hygiene habits were assessed by questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using EPI-INFO and SPSS Statistical Program to produce descriptive statistics and chi-square test. RESULTS: Untreated dental caries was recorded for more than half of the examined athletes. Missing teeth were noted in more than one-third of the athletes. More than half of the participants had signs of gingival disease and half needed preventive mouth guards. Statistics for each Latin-American country suggests a dissimilar trend of dental decay and treatment needs among nations. CONCLUSIONS: While the Special Olympic athletes may not be representative of the entire population of individuals with intellectual disabilities in their specific country, the general consistency of the oral health status of these athletes from the 31 countries supports the certainty of the need for increased dental services for individuals with intellectual disability in the respective countries.