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Objective. To determine the concordance between five diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome (MS) among teenagers from a Peruvian high Andes region. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out with secondary data from an intervention study in two public schools in 2019. We included 397 teenagers who lived in the city of Cajamarca, in the Andean region of Peru. We applied the criteria from the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) modified by Cook, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the American Heart Association (AHA), Ferranti, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The point prevalence and interval prevalence were estimated with the five criteria. The Kappa concordance coefficient with an 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was estimated. Results. The Ferranti criterion identified 17.1% (95%CI: 13.4 to 20.8) of teenagers with MS, followed by the ATP-III criterion with 4.3% (95%CI: 2.3 to 6.3); the other criteria identified a lower frequency. The best concordance was found between the AHA and ATP-III criteria (k = 0.905); the WHO and IDF criteria had a coefficient of 0.628. The five criteria coincided in classifying six adolescents (1.5%) as MS. Conclusions. The AHA and ATP-III criteria modified by Cook had almost perfect concordance, which was also found for both sexes. The ATP-III, Ferranti, IDF, AHA and WHO criteria agree in less than 2% when identifying MS in the same group of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetives: To measure the scientific production of the Peruvian National Institute of Health (INS) through bibliometric indicators of production, collaboration and impact. Materials and methods: Bibliometric study of original publications from journals indexed in Scopus and Scielo Peru in the period between 1998 and 2018. The production indicators were: the number of publications per year and per subperiod (1998-2008 and 2009- 2018), by theme, and by journal. The collaboration indicators were: the co-authorship index, the number of institutional signatures, the national and international collaboration rate, the proportion of first-time authorship with INS affiliation. The impact indicators were: the number of citations per year, citation/document index, the proportion of documents ever cited and the citation speed. Results: A total of 618 publications had at least one author with INS affiliation. From these, 55.9% (346/618) were published in Peruvian scientific journals and 30 INS authors were major producers. From the publications total, 49.0% (303/618) had a first author with INS affiliation. Regarding the subject of investigation, 132 (21.4%) publications were on vector-borne diseases; 9.7% (60), on tuberculosis; and 9.5% (59), on zoonoses. The international collaboration rate was 38.8%. The ratio of citations/documents was 12.8 for the entire period. The H index of publications with INS participation was 37. Conclusions: In the last two decades, the contribution of the INS was focused on infectious diseases. On the other hand, it is required to strengthen the productivity indexes of INS authors, as well as consolidating the new thematic lines that they have developed in the last decade. This effort will allow the INS to improve its function as a public research institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific institutions and their achievements are built on people and their stories. In this case, Dr. César Náquira Velarde constitutes a prominent figure in Peru's public health, to which he contributed until days before his departure at 85 years of age. Dr. Náquira actively participated in the founding of the Daniel A. Carrión Institute of Tropical Medicine of the National University of San Marcos from where - through research and teaching - he has trained doctors and specialists in the field of parasitology and tropical medicine. However, his greatest contribution was in the study of Chagas disease. He also served as a public official and decision maker, as he was head of the National Institute of Health of Peru and permanent technical advisor of the Ministry of Health of Peru, in the areas of his specialty. We highlight his role as a teacher for many generations of doctors and his authority as an expert in the field of medical parasitology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Peruvian Journal of Experimental Medicine and Public Health (RPMESP) was first published in 1942 under the name Journal of Experimental Medicine. Since then, it has been the official scientific dissemination vehicle of the Peruvian National Institute of Health, which was founded in 1936. Telémaco Battistini Sánchez was directly involved in both historical events. Based on some passages of his personal history and on the historical juncture of global and Latin American science between 1865 and 1950, we can understand why the term "experimental medicine" is used in the name of said journal. The aim of this article is to describe a series of events in the history of science which started off in Europe and continued in Peru and triggered the decision to give the name 'Journal of Experimental Medicine' to a journal that since its inception has published observational studies--more so in recent decades--, especially in the field of public health, while the number of publications of studies in experimental medicine has drastically decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To characterize, by means of bibliometric indicators, the scientific publications of the Peruvian Experimental Medicine and Public Health Journal, 2010-2017. Materials and Methods. A bibliometric study in which the publications were retrieved from the data base of Scopus. The bibliometric production indicators were: number of publications per year and type of publication. Brief original and original articles were considered as units of analysis based on number of authors, institutional affiliation, and country of corresponding author, type of research and study design. The impact indicators were: number of citations by publication according to Scopus, metric of impact, such as CiteScore, Scimago Journal & Country Rank (SJR), and SciELO Public Health. Results. A total of 1,045 publications were made by the RPMESP: 40.1% of publications corresponded to original articles and original briefs; 1,837 authors contributed with these publications; 134 institutional affiliations were declared by the corresponding authors; 48,0% were research works on determinants of a health problem; on the other hand, 90.5% corresponded to observational studies. The publications analyzed received 945 citations, of which 78.5% were for publications for the 2010-2013 period. Conclusions. Four of ten publications of the RPMESP correspond to brief original or original articles. According to diverse formulas of calculation, the impact metric of the RPMESP shows an ascending trend; however, their magnitude is lower versus other regional journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, research institutions have focused their efforts on generating scientific knowledge and disseminating it through traditional mechanisms such as scientific publications. Recently, several Latin American countries, through entities dedicated to the promotion of Science, Technology, and Innovation, are promoting the development of scientific culture in the general population, through various strategies of dissemination, popularization, or scientific appropriation. The National Institute of Health has implemented strategies of scientific divulgation, such as programs of educational visits in museums, divulgation in social networks and events of scientific divulgation. Scientific dissemination requires the development of new strategies or the adaptation of models implemented in countries of the region. It is important to implement new spaces and technologies that bring science closer to the community, such as new thematic museums or open laboratories, as well as the improvement of capacities in researchers and scientists for the adequate dissemination and effective communication of their research results [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inequalities in terms of access and quality of healthcare persist, especially among Andean populations, such as the community of Chopcca. Here, we describe the perception of healthcare provided in medical facilities as well as the practices linked to health care in residents of settlements in the Huancavelica region. We carried out a cross-sectional study by means of a structured questionnaire administered to 775 residents of urban and rural towns of the Yauli and Paucará districts. 68.7% refer always using medicinal plants to cure themselves; 86.7% never made a "payment" to Mother Earth; 81.4% has not practiced coca qaway or sara qaway. 88.5% of respondents visit the medical facility when they fall ill. 57.4% refer that the healthcare staff always transmits confidence and security, this proportion is higher in rural vs. urban areas (64.6% versus 28.8%). The communities under study demand the healthcare services offered by the formal system; nevertheless, traditional cultural practices persist, being the most important one the use of medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a gap between human resources and technical-operational education that limits the Peruvian health system's ability to implement public health interventions. The Peruvian Ministry of Health, through the National Health Institute and the Ministry of Defense, implemented a Public Health Training Program addressed to young full-time military servicemen, on the basis of the competency profile of a public health technician. The program consists of seven thematic units given in 390 hours, 200 of which correspond to classroom and field practices. Between July 2014 and December 2015, the program has been carried out in 10 venues of the three armed forces, training and certifying 405 young servicemen. The intervention provides the military service with an additional educational benefit, making it more appealing as a chance for development and opens up a line of work in the public health sector for young people in more remote areas. This experience seeks to increase public health-trained human resources to a technical-operational level. In collaboration with regional governments, graduates are expected to be welcomed and included in the public health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of chronic neck pain (CNP) among the adult population in Peru during the post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restriction period compared with that during the pre-pandemic period and evaluate its association with prolonged digital devices connected to the internet (DDCI) screen viewing. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a representative sample of adults living in Peru in November 2022. A structured survey was employed to identify CNP, and the exposure variable was set as the duration of DDCI screen viewing. The McNemar test was used to compare CNP prevalence pre- and post-COVID-19 restrictions, and ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate its association with prolonged screen viewing. Results: A total of 1,202 individuals participated, with 52.8% females and 79.9% residing in urban areas. Following the restrictions, the prevalence of CNP occurring daily or almost daily and at least once a week was 14.8% and 27.8%, respectively (95% confidence Interval [95% CI], 12.6–17.3 and 24.9–30.9), representing a significant increase (p<0.001) compared with pre-pandemic estimates. Notably, among those viewing DDCI screens for ≥8 hours, the odds ratio for CNP frequency escalation compared with those who did not or rarely view screens was 1.61 (95% CI, 1.04–2.50; p=0.033). Conclusion: Approximately 4 of 10 adults in Peru experienced CNP following the lifting of COVID-19 social restrictions, more than double the pre-pandemic prevalence. Furthermore, prolonged viewing of DDCI screens increased the risk of having this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of symptomatic respiratory (SR) cases in the Peruvian population aged 15 years and over between 2013 and 2015. A secondary analysis of the Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) was carried out. The subjects of the study were people aged 15 years and over who answered these interview questions: Do you currently have a cough with phlegm? How long have you had a cough with phlegm? People who had had a cough and phlegm for 15 days or more were defined as having SR. The prevalence of SR was 3.3% in 2013 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.8-3.9%), 3.8% in 2014 (95% CI: 3.5-4.1%), and 3.3% in 2015 (95% CI: 3.0-3.6%). The prevalence of SR was greater than 5% in people aged 60 years and over, in people in the poorest quintile, and in residents of rural areas. We conclude that 3-4% of Peruvian people aged 15 years and over report cough with phlegm for =15 days. The proportion with SR varies according to the region of the country. It is recommended that the expected number of symptomatic SR cases be assessed and that Peruvian healthcare be adjusted as necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The association between intimate intimate partner violence against women and chronic malnutrition in children has not been clearly established. Many conceptual frameworks of child malnutrition do not considered domestic violence as a determinant. Objective: To evaluate the association between intimate intimate partner violence against women and chronic malnutrition in children under 5 years of age. Methods: We conducted a study of secondary data based on the Demographic and Family Health Survey 2020 of Peru. We estimated the odds ratio crude and adjusted with a binary logistic regression that considered as exposure to intimate intimate partner violence and dependent variable to chronic malnutrition, also we included 16 covariates of interest selected from the relevant literature. Results: We included data from 8980 women and their children. The chronic malnutrition prevalence in children under 5 months of age was 10.7% (95% CI 9.8 to 11.7). We found no association between chronic malnutrition in children and emotional violence (aOR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.72 to 1.32), severe physical violence (aOR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.62 to 1.68), and sexual (aOR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.50 to 1.77) against mothers. Conclusions: These results add to the evidence that supports the absence of association between the three types of intimate partner violence as risk factors of chronic malnutrition in children under 5 years of age and highlight the importance of other variables such as the mother's educational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To estimate the impact of a school-based nutritional and healthy lifestyle intervention to increase the proportions of adolescents free of components of the metabolic syndrome. Materials and methods. We performed a pre-experimental study in a representative sample of adolescents from two schools in a high Andean district of Peru (Cajamarca city); 388 students completed the intervention and the baseline and post-intervention measurement. The intervention had nine thematic modules; each module was developed in an educational session of 45 minutes every two weeks. We used the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel and Adult Treatment Panel III criteria to identify metabolic syndrome. We used paired proportions comparison (McNemar test) to determine the impact of the intervention. Results. At baseline, 20.4% (95% CI: 16.2 to 24.5) students had no metabolic syndrome components, post-intervention this proportion increase to 32,5% (95% CI: 27.7 to 37.3), the difference in proportions was 12.1% (95% CI: 7.5 to 16.8; p<0.001). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 4.6% (95% CI: 2.4 to 6.9) at baseline, while post-intervention was 2.3% (95%CI: 0.7 to 3.9). In the analysis of components, the greatest reduction was in the proportion of hypertriglyceridemia (difference proportions: 21.9%, 95%CI: 16.9 to 26.9, p <0.001), also we found a significant reduction in arterial hypertension (difference proportions: 3.1%, 95% CI: 0.6 to 5.6, p=0.025). In the other components, there were no significant differences. Conclusions. The school-based intervention increased in 59.3% the proportion of students free of any component of the metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To calculate the frequency of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its associated characteristics in selected populations residing in the urban areas of two districts in the Cajamarca region. Materials and methods. Cross-sectional study performed in 2014, obtaining randomized samples from three target study populations: high school students, university students, and schoolchildren mothers. In adults, MetS was defined by means of Third Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III) criteria, and in teenagers, the modified Cook criteria were used. A structured survey on healthy practices and unhealthy habits was implemented. MetS estimations were carried out for each study population, and stratified by sex. A bivariate analysis was performed to identify MetS-related characteristics. Results. We enrolled 1,427 participants (586 high school students, 305 university students, and 536 schoolchildren mothers) The estimated frequency of MetS in high school students was 3.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.7-4.8%), 1.6% (95% CI = 0.5-3.8%) in university students, and 23.5% (95% CI = 19.8-27.2%) in mothers. The most prevalent components were low HDL levels (37.0%, 60.5%, and 72.4%) and hypertriglyceridemia (46.4%, 29.9% and 38.4%), in high school students, university students, and mothers, respectively. Conclusions. MetS frequency was higher in the mothers of schoolchildren (adult women). The MetS phenotype profile in adult women was characterized by an elevated frequency of abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia (hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL cholesterol), while dyslipidemia was prevalent in teenagers and university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An operational study was conducted to evaluate the tuberculosis detection indicators established in the Technical Standard for Comprehensive Care of Persons Affected by Tuberculosis. Three networks of first level of care facilities with very high risk of tuberculosis transmission from the Tacna region were selected. Using the registry of respiratory symptomatic patients, we analyzed 14,595 respiratory symptomatic subjects (RSS), of which we examined (ExRSS) 14,486 (99.3%). Of the total of ExRSS, 1.5% were BK (+).The average direct smears per RSS was 2.0 and search intensity (ratio between RSS and number of health care visits in more than 15 years) was 2.8%. Males were more likely to have at least one positive smear compared to women, OR 2.0 (95% CI: 1.5 to 2.6). It is concluded that the diagnostic performance of direct smears in respiratory symptomatic subjects is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]