RESUMEN

Partner preferences are an important differential in relationship formation and evolutionary fitness, and vary according to individual, ecological, and social factors. In this study, we evaluated the variation in preference for intelligence, kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and socioeconomic level among individuals of different sexes and sexual orientations in a Brazilian sample. We analyzed the preference scores of 778 heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual men and women in three budgeted mate design tasks (low vs. medium vs. high budget) and their association with sociosexuality, attachment styles, homogamy, and willingness to engage in short- and long-term relationships. Results indicated a global trait preference order, with intelligence ranking first, followed by kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and lastly by socioeconomic status. Typical sex differences were observed mostly within the heterosexual group, and specific combinations of sex and sexual orientation were linked to variation in preference for physical attractiveness, kindness, and socioeconomic status. We also found unique associations of the other variables with partner preferences and with willingness to engage in short- or long-term relationships. By exploring the partner preferences of non-heterosexual individuals from a Latin American country, an underrepresented group in evolutionary psychology research, our results help understand the universal and specific factors that guide partner preferences and human sexual behavior.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption is associated with overweight and obesity, which are important drivers for the increasing healthcare and other social costs. If expenditures on SSB decrease expenditures on other goods and services, such as education and healthcare, this "crowding-out" may have a lasting effect. The main objectives of this article are, first, to estimate the statistical association between the decision of spending in SSB and several households' sociodemographic characteristics; and second, to estimate the association between the decision of buying SSB and budget allocation across categories in Jamaica. METHODS: Using the Jamaican Household Expenditure Survey 2004-2005 a generalized ordered probit model was estimated to examine the association between socioeconomic variables and the decision to spend on SSB. Seemingly Unrelated Regression Equations (SURE) of all the expenditure groups (except the SSB group) were used to estimate the association between the decision of buying SSB and budget allocation on other goods and services. RESULTS: Expenditures on SSB are negatively affected by the size of the household and the area of residence (rural households spend more on SSB than urban ones), while having a larger proportion of children (15 or younger) and having a larger total budget is associated to more expenditures on SSB. Households with positive expenditure on SSB allocate significantly less budget to "Healthcare" and "Education", when compared to those who did not buy SSB. CONCLUSIONS: SSB expenditures may displace expenditures in necessary goods and services, which implies that decreasing the proportion of budget spent on SSB may have important present and future consequences on poorer households' human capital accumulation and future incomes.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Introducción: el valor de los servicios ofrecidos por el sector de la salud pública retribuye el peso sustancial de sus asignaciones presupuestarias y el nivel de inversión en este sector del producto interno bruto, cuestión que repercute en los resultados económicos de la nación. Objetivo: describir la relación entre los resultados de la economía cubana y el aporte del sector de la salud. Métodos: estudio longitudinal de las asignaciones presupuestarias, nivel de inversión del producto interno bruto al sector de la salud y el aporte de la salud a este producto en el período 2004-2013. Resultados: durante el periodo estudiado, la economía cubana mantuvo un discreto crecimiento asociado, entre otros elementos, al aporte del sector de la salud a la formación del producto interno bruto según la metodología de cálculo establecida; de la misma manera, se comportaron los niveles de asignación presupuestaria a ese sector. Conclusiones: la existencia de una estrecha relación entre los resultados del producto interno bruto, el presupuesto total y su asignación al sector de la salud y el aporte de este sector, refleja la complementariedad que existe entre estos aspectos. La brecha entre los niveles de asignación presupuestaria y los aportes del sector de la salud a la economía, pueden explicar la capacidad de incremento de los niveles presupuestarios al sector, de forma tal que le permita perfeccionar los servicios prestados. El sector de la salud es uno de los líderes en la economía cubana actual(AU)

Introduction: the value of services offered by the public health sector repays the substantial weight of the budget allocations and the level of investment from the gross domestic product; this is an issue that affects the economic outcomes of the nation. Objective: to describe the relationship between the results of the Cuban economy and the contribution made by the health care sector in the 2004-2013 period. Methods: a longitudinal study of budgetary allocations, level of investment of the gross domestic product into the health care sector and the contribution of this sector to the said product from 2004 to 2013. Results: during the study period, the Cuban economy kept a modest growth associated, among other elements, to the contribution of the health care sector to the formation of the domestic gross product under the set estimation methodology, whereas the level of budget allocations to health have behaved the same. Conclusions: the close relationship among the results of gross domestic product, the total budget allocation to health and the contribution of the health care sector shows that these aspects complement each other. The gap between the levels of budget allocation and the contributions of the health sector accounts for the increased capacity of budget allocations to the sector in order to improve the rendered services. The health care sector is one of the leading areas in the present Cuban economy(AU)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Introducción: los resultados alcanzados por la economía cubana y el logro de altos índices de desarrollo social, están relacionados estrechamente con las políticas fiscales y de gestión presupuestaria llevadas a cabo. La prioridad de la salud pública se demuestra, entre otros aspectos, por el nivel que alcanzan las asignaciones presupuestarias a este sector. Objetivos: describir el comportamiento del presupuesto cubano en salud y el de indicadores de servicios y resultados sanitarios seleccionados, durante el periodo 2004-2010. Métodos: estudio observacional descriptivo sobre la tendencia del presupuesto del sector de la salud. Se empleó información secundaria que se obtuvo de la revisión bibliográfica y documental y de las estadísticas de la Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información. Resultados: en el período estudiado existió una estrecha relación entre el presupuesto del Estado y la asignación al sector de salud pública. En el 2010 se produjo una contención de las cifras presupuestarias asignadas a salud sobre la base de un uso más racional, no obstante se mantuvo en valores elevados. Los indicadores de servicio y de salud mejoraron. Conclusiones: la tendencia entre 2004 y 2009 resultó ascendente con una caída en el 2010 que es expresión de la política económica nacional de mejor aprovechamiento de los recursos presupuestarios, vinculada a las transformaciones implementadas en el Sistema Nacional de Salud y como respuesta a la actualización del modelo económico cubano. Estos aspectos apuntan a una disminución del gasto en el sector pero sin afectar a los indicadores del nivel de actividad y de salud estudiados, lo que pudiera ser un reflejo de las reservas de eficiencia existentes al interior del Sistema Nacional de Salud cubano

Introduction: the results achieved by the Cuban economy and the high social development indexes are closely related to fiscal and budget management policies. The public health priority is evidenced among other things, by the level of budget allocation to this sector. Objective: to describe the behavior of the Cuban health budget and of selected indicators of health services and outcomes over the period of 2004 to 2010. Methods: a descriptive study of the tendency of the health sector budget was conducted. Secondary information was obtained from the literature review and documentary review and from the statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics and Information. Results: in the above-mentioned period, there was a close relationship between budget and the allocation to the public health sector. In 2010, there was some restriction of the budget figures allocated to health on the basis of a more rational utilization of resources, but they remained high. In turn, the health and service Indicators were better. Conclusions: the trend between 2004 and 2009 was upward, with some downward tendency in 2010 as a reflection of the national economic policy of better utilization of budgetary resources, all this linked to the changes implemented in the National Health Service (NHS) and in response to the Cuban economic model transformations. The above-mentioned shows a decline in health spending, without having effects on the service and health indicators. This could also be an example of the existing efficiency reserves within the Cuban health care system

Asunto(s)