[Mental health and stress by acculturation in immigrants from South America in northern Chile]. / Salud mental y estrés por aculturación en inmigrantes sudamericanos en el norte de Chile.

BACKGROUND: Coping with changes brought about by immigration and social circumstances that often characterize this process may cause mental health problems. AIM: To analyze the relationship between acculturation stress and mental health symptoms in South American immigrants residing in Antofagasta, Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The OQ questionnaire, which assesses mental health and the acculturation stress questionnaire from Ruiz, were answered by 431 immigrants (53.8% Colombian and 46.2% Peruvian) aged between 18 and 65 years old. RESULTS: The major source of acculturation stress was distance from origin, followed by difficulties in social relationships and perceived discrimination and rejection. About 50% of respondents had elevated levels of discomfort in their life, with mental health problems derived from their adjustment to social roles and relationships. There was a high correlation between acculturation stress levels and severity of mental health symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrants are exposed to high levels of stress resulting in a negative impact on their mental health.

[Strategies of coping with chronic illness in adolescents]. / Propuesta de evaluación de estrategias de afrontamiento ante la enfermedad crónica en adolescentes.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a tool to evaluate coping strategies for chronic illness in adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Based on a theoretical review and semi-structured interviews with adolescents, a questionnaire was prepared that was finally evaluated by judges experienced in in understanding, relevance and viability. RESULTS: A scale is proposed that consists of 60 items grouped into 12 coping families. CONCLUSION: The scale may be a useful clinical tool to provide key information about the experience and ways to cope with illness in adolescents.

[Factorial structure of WHOQoL-Bref quality of life questionnaire]. / Estructura Factorial y valores de referencia del WHOQoL-Bref en población adulta chilena.

BACKGROUND: The real value of quality of life instruments must be tested in local populations before recommending their widespread use. AIM: To assess the factorial structure of the quality of life questionnaire proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), WHOQoL-Bref. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The questionnaire was answered by 2016 individuals aged between 20 and 59 years, from diverse public and social organizations of a city in Northern Chile. The confidence and factorial structure of the instrument were evaluated. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the instrument, according to Cronbach's alpha was 0.89. The adjustment of values to a model with four factors proposed by the WHO was moderate. The root mean square (RMS) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) values of0.043 and 0.061, indicate a good adjustment of the model. CONCLUSIONS: Although an absolute adjustment for the theoretical four factor model is not supported by these results, the WHOQoL-Bref is able to discriminate the perception of quality of life and the influence of age, gender and disease on this perception.

[Factor analysis of abbreviated versions of the WHOQoL-Old in Chilean older people]. / Calidad de vida en adultos mayores: análisis factoriales de las versiones abreviadas del WHOQoL-Old en población chilena.

BACKGROUND: The increase in elderly population demands the need for new health measures that are reliable and valid. AIM: To compare the factor structure of the Quality of Life Scale WHOQoL-Old of the World Health Organization with the three proposed abbreviated versions of the scale. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed confirmatory factor analysis on data collected from 804 older people, aged 70 ± 6 years (66% females). RESULTS: One of the unifactorial models that incorporate six questions had goodness of fit values greater than 0.95 in the non-normed fit index and below .05 in the root-mean square error of approximation. CONCLUSIONS: The abbreviated version tested is a valid and reliable questionnaire to be used in Chilean older people.

[Weight of specific domains on the overall quality of life according to the assessment of participants]. / La valoración de la importancia en el autoreporte de la calidad de vida en la adultez.

BACKGROUND: Usually quality of life self-reports are standard and consider that all the areas evaluated are equally important. AIM: To explore the influence of specific domains on the overall quality of life self-assessment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The brief version of the quality of life questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization (WHOQoL bref) was applied to 1229 participants aged 19 to 60 years (53% women). The questionnaire explores four domains: physical and psychological health, social relationships and environment. At the end of each domain a new question asking the participant to assess the importance of the domain, using a scale of 1 (not important) to 5 (very important), was added. The analysis of data considered the assessment of the importance of each domain made by participants. The weight of each domain was analyzed using regression equations. RESULTS: The physical health had the best evaluation followed by the social domain. The environmental domain received the lower evaluation. Among women, social domain was the best evaluated domain and among men, the physical health domain. According to participants, physical and psychological health had the higher weight. The environmental domain had the higher weight on the overall assessment of quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: According to participants, physical and psychological health are the most important aspects that influence overall quality of life.

[Health related quality of life among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus]. / Autoreporte de la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en diabetes mellitus tipo 2.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus may affect profoundly the quality of life of patients. AIM: To assess health related quality of life among patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) questionnaire was applied to 296 patients with diabetes mellitus aged 63 ± lO years (201 women) seen in primary health care centers. RESULTS: The concern about the future effects of diabetes was the worst evaluated domain. Women perceived a lower health related quality of life than men. There was an inverse correlation between age and satisfaction with treatment, concern about vocational, social and future effects of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Type 2 diabetes affects health related quality of life, especially in some specific domains such as perception of the future.

Mental health and psychological acculturation strategies in Peruvian and Colombian immigrants in northern Chile / Salud mental y estrategias de aculturación en inmigrantes colombianos y peruanos en el norte de Chile

Abstract Using a cross-sectional, non-experimental design, the hypothesis that the mental health state of assessed immigrants differs according to the acculturation strategy used, was tested. To this end, the mean difference in physiological symptoms, social roles and relationships among participants categorized by type of acculturation strategy, i.e. bicultural integration, separation, isolation and assimilation, was evaluated. The sample consisted of 431 Peruvian and Colombian immigrants, residing in the city of Antofagasta, Chile. To evaluate acculturation, the Revised Acculturation Attitudes Scale by Basabe, Zlovina and Paez was used, and for the mental health assessment, the Self-Assessment Questionnaire OQ-45.2 was applied. Findings show that separation was the most commonly used strategy by Colombians, while in the Peruvian population it was assimilation. Similarly, the Colombian population reported a greater presence of symptoms of mental health problems in all dimensions and in the overall scale than the Peruvian population. In the overall sample, the individuals who used assimilation as their acculturation strategy tended to report more symptoms and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. The data provide evidence that the acculturation strategies used result in a greater or lesser presence of psychopathological symptoms.

Resumo Mediante um desenho não experimental de tipo transversal contrastou-se a hipótese de que o estado de saúde mental dos imigrantes avaliados difere segundo a estratégia de aculturação que utilizem. Para isso, avaliou-se a diferença média em sintomatologia, papel social e relações interpessoais entre os participantes agrupados por tipo de estratégia de aculturação (integração ou biculturalidade, separação, isolamento e assimilação) numa amostra de 431 imigrantes peruanos e colombianos residentes na cidade de Antofagasta, Chile. Para avaliar a aculturação utilizou-se a Escala revisada de atitudes com relação à aculturação de Basabe, Zlovina e Páez, e para avaliar a Saúde Mental aplicou-se o questionário de Autoavaliação OQ-45.2. Como resultado verificou-se que a estratégia mais utilizada pelos colombianos foi a separação, e pelos peruanos, a assimilação, além de que os primeiros apresentaram maior presença de sintomas de problemas de saúde mental em todas as dimensões e na escala total, em comparação com a população peruana. Na amostra total, os indivíduos que utilizaram a estratégia assimilação tiveram uma maior presença de sintomatologia e dificuldades nas relações interpessoais. Os dados contribuem com evidência com relação a que as estratégias de aculturação utilizadas incidiriam numa maior ou menor presença de sintomatologia psicopatológica.

Resumen Mediante un diseño no experimental de tipo transversal se contrastó la hipótesis de que el estado de salud mental de los inmigrantes evaluados difiere según la estrategia de aculturación que utilicen. Para esto se evaluó la diferencia de medias en sintomatologia, rol social y relaciones interpersonales entre los participantes agrupados por tipo de estrategia de aculturación (integración o biculturalidad, separación, aislamiento y asimilación) en una muestra de 431 inmigrantes peruanos y colombianos residentes en la ciudad de Antofagasta, Chile. Para evaluar la aculturación se utilizó la Escala revisada de actitudes hacia la aculturación de Basabe, Zlovina y Páez, y para evaluar la Salud Mental se aplicó el cuestionario de Autoevaluación OQ-45.2. Como resultado se encontró que la estrategia más utilizada por los colombianos fue la separación, y por los peruanos, la asimilación, además de que los primeros reportaron mayor presencia de sintomas de problemas de salud mental en todas las dimensiones y en la escala total, en comparación con la población peruana. En la muestra total, los individuos que utilizaron la estrategia asimilación presentaron un mayor reporte de sintomatologia y dificultades en las relaciones interpersonales. Los datos aportan evidencia con respecto a que las estrategias de aculturación utilizadas incidirian en una mayor o menor presencia de sintomatologia psicopatológica.

Estrategias de aculturación e identidad étnica: un estudio en migrantes sursur en el norte de Chile / Acculturation strategies & ethnic identity: a south-south immigrants study in the north of Chile

Under a not experimental, analytical cross-sectional desing, this study describes the relation between the acculturation strategies introduced by Berry, integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization, with the ethnic identity. Data was collected from 431 peruvians and colombians immigrants in the city of Antofagasta, Chile, using the acculturation scale developed by Basabe, Zlobina and Páez, (2004) and the spanish version of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). The results concludes that biculturality was the most used acculturation strategy for both groups although differences were found for sex. For ethnic identity, differences were statistically significant for both groups only between nationalities. Analysing the existent relation between the variables, the tests concludes in favor for theoretical assumptions that people who choose for a "loyalty to ingroup" acculturation strategy (biculturals and separated) has a higher positive orientation to his/her own ethnic group, instead people who use a "individualistic" strategy (assimilated and marginated)

Bajo un diseño no experimental, analítico y transversal, el estudio describe la relación existente entre las estrategias de aculturación propuestas por Berry, de integración, asimilación, separación y marginalización, con la identidad étnica. Se recogieron datos de 431 inmigrantes peruanos y colombianos en la ciudad de Antofagasta, Chile, a través de la escala de aculturación desarrollada por Basabe, Zlobina, y Páez, (2004) y la Escala de Identidad Étnica Multigrupo (EIEM) en su versión en español. Los resultados arrojaron que la estrategia de aculturación mayormente utilizada por ambos grupos fue la biculturalidad aunque existen diferencias por sexo. En cuanto a la identidad étnica, las diferencias fueron estadísticamente significativas para ambos grupos solo entre nacionalidades. Al analizar la relación existente entre las variables, las pruebas lograron ser concluyentes apoyando los supuestos teóricos de que quienes optan por una estrategia de aculturación de "lealtad al endogrupo" (biculturales y separados) tienen una mayor orientación positiva hacia su grupo étnico, a diferencia de quienes utilizan una estrategia de corte "individualista" (asimilados y marginados).

Propuesta de evaluación de estrategias de afrontamiento ante la enfermedad crónica en adolescentes / Strategies of coping with chronic illness in adolescents

Objetivo Desarrollar un instrumento destinado a evaluar las estrategias de afrontamiento ante la enfermedad crónica en población adolescente. Sujetos y método Con base a una revisión teórica y entrevistas semiestructuradas a adolescentes, se construye un cuestionario que es finalmente evaluado por jueces expertos en tanto comprensión, pertinencia y viabilidad. Resultados Se propone una escala compuesta por 60 reactivos agrupados en 12 familias de afrontamiento. Conclusión La escala puede ser una herramienta útil para un clínico al entregar información clave sobre la vivencia y las formas de afrontar la enfermedad en un adolescente.

Objective To develop a tool to evaluate coping strategies for chronic illness in adolescents. Subjects and method Based on a theoretical review and semi-structured interviews with adolescents, a questionnaire was prepared that was finally evaluated by judges experienced in in understanding, relevance and viability. Results A scale is proposed that consists of 60 items grouped into 12 coping families. Conclusion The scale may be a useful clinical tool to provide key information about the experience and ways to cope with illness in adolescents.

Salud mental y estrés por aculturación en inmigrantes sudamericanos en el norte de Chile / Mental health and stress by acculturation in immigrants from South America in northern Chile

Background: Coping with changes brought about by immigration and social circumstances that often characterize this process may cause mental health problems. Aim: To analyze the relationship between acculturation stress and mental health symptoms in South American immigrants residing in Antofagasta, Chile. Material and Methods: The OQ questionnaire, which assesses mental health and the acculturation stress questionnaire from Ruiz, were answered by 431 immigrants (53.8% Colombian and 46.2% Peruvian) aged between 18 and 65 years old. Results: The major source of acculturation stress was distance from origin, followed by difficulties in social relationships and perceived discrimination and rejection. About 50% of respondents had elevated levels of discomfort in their life, with mental health problems derived from their adjustment to social roles and relationships. There was a high correlation between acculturation stress levels and severity of mental health symptoms. Conclusions: Immigrants are exposed to high levels of stress resulting in a negative impact on their mental health.

Adherencia a la medicación antipsicótica en pacientes indígenas con esquizofrenia / Adherence to antipsychotic medication in indigenous patients with schizophrenia

Resumen: Introducción: La falta de adherencia a la medicación antipsicótica sigue siendo un problema en el tratamiento de pacientes con esquizofrenia, más aún en población indígena. Objetivo: Evaluar las diferencias en la adherencia farmacológica, medida a través de la actitud hacia los antipsicóticos, entre pacientes aymara y no-aymara con esquizofrenia. Método: La muestra estuvo compuesta por pacientes que recibían tratamiento en los Servicios Públicos de Salud Mental de Bolivia (32.8%), Perú (33.6%) y Chile (33.6%). Se utilizó el Inventario de Actitud hacia la Medicación (DAI-10); la Escala Barnes de Acatisia (EBA) como medida de efectos secundarios y la Escala para el Síndrome Positivo y Negativo de la Esquizofrenia (PANSS) para evaluar la severidad del trastorno. Resultados: Los pacientes aymara presentan una menor adherencia que los pacientes no-aymara, sin embargo, estas diferencias no fueron significativas (t = 1.29; p = 0.19). La severidad del trastorno y la edad mostraron una asociación significativa con la adherencia, observándose que pacientes más jóvenes y con mayor sintomatología presentan una actitud más negativa hacia los fármacos. Discusión y conclusión: Se discute cómo las dinámicas migratorias han promovido la pérdida de tradiciones y costumbres propias de la etnia promoviendo la adopción de estilos de vida nuevos y cada vez más interculturales, e incluso cambiando su concepción de la enfermedad mental. Los profesionales tratantes deben estar conscientes de no aplicar estereotipos en cuanto a la relación etnia-antipsicóticos.

Abstract: Introduction: Non-adherence to antipsychotic medication remains a complex problem in the treatment of schizophrenia patients, especially in indigenous population. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the differences in drug adherence, measured by the attitude towards the antipsychotics among Aymara and Non-Aymara patients with schizophrenia. Method: The sample consisted of patients receiving treatment in the Mental Health Public Services in Bolivia (32.8%), Peru (33.6%) and Chile (33.6%). We used the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10); the Barnes Akathisia Scale (BAS), as a measure of side effects, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) to assess the severity of the disorder. Results: The findings showed that Aymara patients present less adherence than Non-Aymara people; however, these differences were not significant (t = 1.29; p = 0.19). The severity of the disorder, as well as the age, showed a significant association with adherence, revealing that younger patients and with greater symptoms presented a more negative attitude toward the drugs. Discussion and conclusion: The lack of significant differences between the groups responds to three possible reasons: 1. This sample of indigenous patients is integrated on Mental Health Services that offer a clear biomedical approach where drug therapy is the primary treatment. 2. It is possible that these indigenous patients are changing their conception of mental disorder, and 3. A significant number of families have migrated to urban areas. These migratory dynamics have promoted the loss of traditions and customs of the ethnic group, which gradually adopts new and intercultural lifestyles. Professionals should be warned about applying stereotypes regarding the relationship between ethnicity and antipsychotics.

[Health related quality of life: Conceptual elements]. / Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud: Elementos conceptuales.

Health related Quality of Life is commonly used as a subjective assessment of health status. This article is a review of theoretical concepts about quality of life. Some models are proposed and general issues about it measurement are analyzed. Information about health related quality of life helps for decision making about health care both in clinical and public care settings.

Análisis preliminares de la versión adaptada en población chilena de la escala de adherencia terapéutica en diabetes mellitus tipo 2 - EATDM-III / Psychometric properties of the diabetes mellitus 2 treatment adherence scale version III (EATDM-III) adapted for Chilean patients

Background: The Diabetes Mellitus 2 treatment adherence scale version III (EATDM-III) was devised in Costa Rica. Its seven factors are family support, community organization and support, physical exercise, medical control, hygiene and self-care and assessment of physical condition. Aim: To assess the psychometric properties of the scale in Chilean patients. Material and Methods: The results of the EATDM-III scale, applied to 274 patients with Diabetes Mellitus 2 aged 59 ± 11 years (59% women), were analyzed. Reliability, item, exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses were carried out both in the initial and the proposed model. Results: We propose a version of 30 items grouped in six dimensions, improving the fit indices obtained with the original scale. The review of item factor loadings shows that all are appropriate both in magnitude and statistical significance, with values between 0.46 and 0.93. Internal consistency measured by Cronbach s alpha, was 0.85 for the total scale. Conclusions: The adapted EATDM-III scale is reliable and can be used to assess treatment adherence in Chilean patients.

Validez y confiabilidad de la versión adaptada al español de la escala de dificultades de regulación emocional (DERS-E) en población chilena / Validity and reliability of the adapted spanish version of the difficulties in emotion regulation scale in chilean population

El objetivo de esta investigación fue examinar la confiabilidad y validez de la versión adaptada al español de la Escala de Dificultades de Regulación Emocional (DERS-E), en población chilena. Este es un instrumento de auto-reporte que evalúa las dificultades en el proceso de regulación emocional en adultos. El estudio se realizó a partir de dos muestras: la primera compuesta por 1018 estudiantes universitarios y la segunda por 1161 adultos de población general. Los participantes completaron el DERS-E y una medida de ajuste socioemocional a través del Outcome Questionnaire OQ-45.2. Los índices de confiabilidad fueron adecuados en ambas muestras y la estructura factorial congruente con la versión adaptada al español. Además, hubo diferencias en las dificultades de regulación emocional en función del ajuste socioemocional. Los resultados confirmaron que el DERS-E es un instrumento confiable y válido en la evaluación de las dificultades de regulación emocional en adultos.

This study sought to examine the validity and reliability of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Spanish version (DERS-S) in chilean population. This is a self-report instrument that measures difficulties in emotion regulation in adults. Two samples were evaluated: one composed of 1018 university students and the second one composed of 1161 participants from general population. Individuals completed the DERSE and Outcome Questionnaire OQ-45.2. Reliability indices were adequate in both samples and the factor structure consistent with the spanish version adaptation. In addition, there were differences in emotional regulation difficulties according to socio-emotional adjustment. The results confirmed that the psychometric properties of the DERS-E make it a reliable and valid instrument to assess difficulties in emotion regulation.

Fortalezas y dificultades para el ajuste emocional en niños aymara desde la perspectiva de los menores, padres y profesores / Strengths and difficulties in emotional adjustment of Aymara children from the perspective of children, parents and teachers

Objective: To describe capabilities and difficulties in emotional adjustment experienced by children living in the Chilean Aymara city of Arica. Patients and Method: 610 students between 5th and 8th grade, in addition to their parents and teachers were surveyed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), comparing Aymara children to those without indigenous heritage. 25 items divided into five scales were evaluated: Emotional, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, relationship problems with peers and prosocial behaviors, classifying the respondents into three levels, Normal, Border and Abnormal. Results: There were no significant differences among the groups studied, where discrepancies in almost all cases show a slight effect (d ≥ -0.2-). Also, no relevant effects were observed regarding the type of assessor on the assessment of each dimension. Despite this, it was observed that Aymara children showed lower scores than their peers in "behavioral problems" according to their teachers, but this difference was also mild (partial η2> 0.01). Conclusions: Aymara Children showed similar strengths and difficulties than non-Aymara students in situations that require emotional adjustment.

Objetivo: Describir capacidades y dificultades en el ajuste emocional experimentadas por niños aymara residentes en la ciudad chilena de Arica. Pacientes y M étodo: Se encuestó a 610 alumnos de 5° a 8° año de Enseñanza General Básica de la ciudad de Arica, además de sus padres y profesores, mediante el Cuestionario de Capacidades y Dificultades (SDQ), comparando a niños aymara con aquellos sin ascendencia indígena. Se evaluaron 25 ítems divididos en 5 escalas: emocional, problemas de comportamiento, hiperactividad, problemas de relación con pares y conductas prosociales, clasificando a los encuestados en tres niveles, Normal, Límite o Anormal. Resultados: No hubo diferencias poblacionales relevantes en las dimensiones del SDQ entre grupos estudiados, donde las discrepancias en prácticamente todos los casos muestran un efecto leve (d ≥ -0,2-). Tampoco se observaron efectos poblacionales relevantes respecto del tipo de evaluador sobre la valoración de cada dimensión. Pese a esto, cabe señalar que niños aymara mostraron una menor puntuación que sus pares en "problemas de comportamiento" según sus profesores, pero dicha interacción poblacional también fue leve (η² parcial > 0,01). Conclusiones: Niños aymara mostraron fortalezas y dificultades similares a las de sus pares no aymara ante situaciones que requieren ajuste emocional.

Calidad de vida en adultos mayores: análisis factoriales de las versiones abreviadas del WHOQoL-Old en población chilena / Factor analysis of abbreviated versions of the WHOQoL-Old in Chilean older people

Background: The increase in elderly population demands the needfor new health measures that are reliable and valid. Aim: To compare the factor structure of the Quality ofLife Scale WHOQoL-Old ofthe World Health Organization with the three proposed abbreviated versions ofthe scale. Material and Methods: We performed confirmatory factor analysis on data collectedfrom 804 older people, aged 70 ± 6 years (66% females). Results: One of the unifactorial models that incorporate six questions had goodness offit values greater than 0.95 in the non-normed fit index and below .05 in the root-mean square error of approximation. Conclusions: The abbreviated version tested is a valid and reliable questionnaire to be used in Chilean older people.

Estructura Factorial y valores de referencia del WHOQoL-Bref en población adulta chilena / Factorial structure of WHOQoL-Bref quality of life questionnaire

Background: The real value of quality of life instruments must be tested in local populations before recommending their widespread use. Aim: To assess the factorial structure of the quality of life questionnaire proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), WHOQoL-Bref. Material and Methods: The questionnaire was answered by 2016 individuals aged between 20 and 59 years, from diverse public and social organizations of a city in Northern Chile. The confidence and factorial structure of the instrument were evaluated. Results: The internal consistency of the instrument, according to Cronbach's alpha was 0.89. The adjustment of values to a model with four factors proposed by the WHO was moderate. The root mean square (RMS) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) values of0.043 and 0.061, indicate a good adjustment of the model. Conclusions: Although an absolute adjustment for the theoretical four factor model is not supported by these results, the WHOQoL-Bref is able to discriminate the perception of quality of life and the influence of age, gender and disease on this perception.

Escala de bienestar de Ryff: análisis comparativo de los modelos teóricos en distintos grupos de edad / Ryff scale of well-being: factorial structure of theoretical models in different age groups

La escala de bienestar psicológico surge a partir del modelo multidimensional propuesto por Ryff (1989). Pese a su amplia utilización, su estructura teórica inicial no ha sido confirmada completamente, debido a que se han encontrado otro tipo de soluciones factoriales distintas a las 6 dimensiones propuestas por la autora. Estas divergencias podrían estar relacionadas al tipo de muestras y poblaciones utilizadas. Ante esto, la siguiente investigación compara el ajuste factorial de los modelos tradicionalmente aplicados de corrección en distintos grupos en edad adulta. Se describen las propiedades psicométricas de la adaptación al español realizada por Díaz et al. (2006), analizando los niveles de confiabilidad (consistencia interna y estabilidad temporal) y estructura factorial confirmatoria, en datos de 1646 personas entre 18 y 90 años de edad. Se encuentran diferencias en los indicadores de confiabilidad para la escala total y las dimensiones, así como en los indicadores de bondad de ajuste dependiendo del grupo de edad. El modelo que presenta mejores indicadores de ajuste en la mayoría de los rangos etarios evaluados fue el de seis factores de primer orden.

The scale of psychological well-being arises from the multidimensional model proposed by Ryff (1989). Despite its wide use, its initial theoretical structure has not been completely confirmed because other factorial solutions which are different from those 6 dimensions proposed by the author have been found. These differences may be related to the type of sample and population used. Given this fact, the current study compares the adjustment factor of correction models traditionally used in different groups of adults. We describe the psychometric properties of the Spanish adaptation done by Díaz et al. (2006) and analyze the levels of reliability (internal consistency and temporal stability) and confirmatory factorial structure with data from 1,646 people aged from 18 to 90 years old. Differences are found in the indicators of reliability for the total scale and its dimensions as well as in the indicators of goodness of fit depending on the age group. The model that presents the best indicators of adjustment for most age ranges evaluated was the one of six first-order factors.

Calidad de vida en la infancia: estudio comparativo entre una zona rural y urbana en el norte de Chile / Quality of life in children: a comparative study between urban and rural areas in northern Chile

Introducción: La calidad de vida infantil está asociada con las propias vivencias de los menores, la de sus familias, como con variables del entorno sociocultural donde se desarrollan. Objetivo: Identificar los componentes significativos en la evaluación de la calidad de vida desde la percepción infantil. Participantes y Método: Bajo un diseño transversal, se aplicó la Escala de Calidad de Vida Infantil a un total de 200 niños y niñas de 8 a 12 años de una comuna urbana y de una comuna rural ubicadas al Norte de Chile. Se presentaron tres preguntas abiertas sobre experiencias de satisfacción, insatisfacción y deseos de cambio, clasificando las respuestas en 6 dimensiones. Resultados: Muestran la inexistencia de diferencias en la percepción de calidad de vida en niños urbanos y rurales a partir del cuestionario; sin embargo, la evaluación del contenido de las preguntas abiertas permitió establecer algunas diferencias entre ambos grupos. Conclusión: En la comuna urbana, las mayores experiencias de satisfacción se dieron a nivel de las relaciones interpersonales, en tanto en el sector rural, en torno a las actividades de ocio y recreativas.

Background: The quality of life in children is associated with their experiences, family and their socio-cultural environment. Objective: To identify the significant components in assessing quality of life from the children's perception. Participants and Method: Using a cross-sectional design, the Child Life Quality Scale was applied to a total of 200 children aged 8-12 years, from an urban and a rural area located in northern Chile. Three open questions were presented about experiences of satisfaction, dissatisfaction and desire for change, classifying the answers in six categories. Results: No significant differences in the perception of quality of life in children from urban and rural areas were found, however, the evaluation of the content of the answers allowed us to establish some differences between the two groups. Conclusion: In the urban area, the greatest experiences of satisfaction level were associated with interpersonal relationships, while in the rural area, with leisure and recreational activities.

La valoración de la importancia en el autoreporte de la calidad de vida en la adultez / Weight of specific domains on the overall quality of life according to the assessment of participants

Background: Usually quality of life self-reports are standard and consider that all the areas evaluated are equally important. Aim: To explore the influence of specific domains on the overall quality of life self-assessment. Material and Methods: The brief version of the quality of life questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization (WHOQoL bref) was applied to 1229 participants aged 19 to 60 years (53% women). The questionnaire explores four domains: physical and psychological health, social relationships and environment. At the end of each domain a new question asking the participant to assess the importance of the domain, using a scale of 1 (not important) to 5 (very important), was added. The analysis of data considered the assessment of the importance of each domain made by participants. The weight of each domain was analyzed using regression equations. Results: The physical health had the best evaluation followed by the social domain. The environmental domain received the lower evaluation. Among women, social domain was the best evaluated domain and among men, the physical health domain. According to participants, physical and psychological health had the higher weight. The environmental domain had the higher weight on the overall assessment of quality of life. Conclusions: According to participants, physical and psychological health are the most important aspects that influence overall quality of life.