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Resumen El objetivo de la investigación fue determinar las estrategias de afrontamiento personales y familiares en el desarrollo de la experiencia de confinamiento, por causa de la contingencia sanitaria por COVID-19, en población adulta de la zona centro-sur de Chile. El estudio fue de tipo cuantitativo, con un diseño de tipo transversal, asociativo. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 251 personas, 139 (55.4%) mujeres y 112 (44.6%) hombres, con un rango etario de 18 a 40 años. Los instrumentos aplicados fueron el Inventario de Estrategias de Afrontamiento (CSI) y la Escala de Evaluación Personal del Funcionamiento Familiar en Situaciones de Crisis (F-COPE). El análisis de los datos se realizó al emplear SPSS 22 y considerar un intervalo de confianza del 95% para el desarrollo de estadística descriptiva, pruebas de diferencias de medias t de Student, pruebas de correlación r de Pearson y ANOVA de una vía. Los resultados muestran que el afrontamiento individual se relaciona positivamente con el familiar, encontrando diferencias significativas según género y edad. Se discuten los hallazgos de acuerdo a los antecedentes teóricos y empíricos revisados.

Abstract: The aim of the research was to determine the personal and family coping strategies as the confinement experience developed, due to the COVID-19 health contingency, in an adult population of the south-central zone of Chile. The study was quantitative, with a cross-sectional, associative design. The sample consisted of 251 young adults, 139 (55.4%) women, and 112 (44.6%) men, with an age range of 18 to 40 years. The instruments applied were the Coping Strategies Inventory (CSI) and the Personal Evaluation Scale of Family Functioning in Crisis Situations (F-COPE). Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's r correlation tests, Student's t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The results show that an individual's coping is positively related to his/her family one, with significant differences according to gender and age. The findings are discussed according to the reviewed theoretical and empirical background.

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Based on the behavior of the quantum particles, it is possible to formulate mathematical expressions to develop metaheuristic search optimization algorithms. This paper presents three novel quantum-inspired algorithms, which scenario is a particle swarm that is excited by a Lorentz, Rosen-Morse, and Coulomb-like square root potential fields, respectively. To show the computational efficacy of the proposed optimization techniques, the paper presents a comparative study with the classical particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA), and firefly algorithm (FFA). The algorithms are used to solve 24 benchmark functions that are categorized by unimodal, multimodal, and fixed-dimension multimodal. As a finding, the algorithm inspired in the Lorentz potential field presents the most balanced computational performance in terms of exploitation (accuracy and precision), exploration (convergence speed and acceleration), and simulation time compared to the algorithms previously mentioned. A deeper analysis reveals that a strong potential field inside a well with weak asymptotic behavior leads to better exploitation and exploration attributes for unimodal, multimodal, and fixed-multimodal functions.

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This study aims to identify those populations that should be targeted by specific interventions. A cross-sectional design was utilized. Ordered logistic regression analysis was utilized to assess the association between ethnic identity and risk of malnutrition. Data were drawn from Ecuador's Survey of Health, Welfare and Aging (SABE). The final sample consisted of 4,572 people who were 60 years or older who were able to provide responses to the survey by themselves. Ethnic identity was categorized into four: indigenous, mestizo (Spanish and Indigenous mixed heritage), Afro-Ecuadorian/mulato, and other. Risk of malnutrition was measured using Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF). A range of covariates were selected from three groups of factors: sociodemographic, health-related, and social network. Results revealed that the indigenous ethnicity was the only group who had significantly higher risk of malnutrition compared to mestizo even after controlling for a range of covariates including socio-economic status, health related factors, and social support. Findings suggest the existence of underlaying factors hindering the risk of malnutrition among indigenous older adults. Considering the information revealed by SABE, interventions and other strategies should be targeted and designed specifically accounting for the needs, preferences, and culture of the most vulnerable population.

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BACKGROUND: Food-based interventions can reduce the prevalence of undernutrition and improve household food security, but nutritious and accessible foods may be underutilized. In Ecuador, eggs are inexpensive and widely available, but while they are a valuable source of essential nutrients for infants and young children, medical advice and community-based information have limited their inclusion in infants' diets. OBJECTIVE: A qualitative component was conducted to understand local perceptions, knowledge, and practices to complement a randomized control trial that studied the effect of introducing eggs on nutritional status and growth in infants from 6 to 9 months in rural communities in the highland province of Cotopaxi, Ecuador. METHODS: The qualitative inquiry consisted of key informant interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and structured observations in order to understand perceptions, knowledge, and practices related to household egg consumption and to the introduction of eggs in infants' diets. RESULTS: The two principal findings were that: (i) eggs are an available and culturally acceptable food source although they are not always a part of the diet; and (ii) perceptions and practices related to household consumption and the introduction of eggs into the diet of infants are shaped by local knowledge and practices, which are shaped by biomedical information and advice provided by public health professionals. CONCLUSION: Through an effective food-based intervention that includes qualitative research and a social marketing component, the behaviors of mothers and other caregivers can be modified, enabling children to realize the nutritional advantages of early introduction of eggs into their diet.

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Middle-income countries like Ecuador are in the process of demographic and epidemiological transitions, and their populations are aging. The challenges associated with providing services to growing numbers of citizens who experience the inevitable deterioration associated with aging are mirrored by the manner in which aging is perceived in a culturally heterogeneous society. This paper presents the results of qualitative research conducted among older men and women in indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian highlands in order to investigate the perceptions regarding the ability of family and community networks to provide adequate and appropriate support for older persons in the context of their perceptions of health, health care, and aging. The principal findings are that: (i) perceptions of aging are shaped by chronic illness, fatigue, deteriorating sensory capacities, and vulnerability to accidents; (ii) barriers to health care are exacerbated among aging members of indigenous communities, although in some cases they can be addressed through traditional alternatives; (iii) the sense of identity shifts as aging people are increasingly unable to work the land and participate in community activities; and (iv) family and community support networks for older adults are not as strong as is generally thought. These findings represent the context within which issues related aging in a culturally heterogeneous society can be best understood and addressed.

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