What We Can Learn about Multiculturalism from Latin American Psychology

Latin American psychology, although greatly under-represented in international journals, can provide important lessons for international psychologists. Mexican psychologist Rogelio Díaz-Guerrero was one of the first to describe would now be labeled an indigenous psychology. Latin American theorists such as Paolo Freire and Ignacio Martín-Baró have provided frameworks for understanding diversity and multiculturalism among groups with unequal power. Only by critical thinking and critical analysis can we understand and challenge disparate conditions. Relatedly, Latin American psychology often focuses on achieving social justice and solving practical real-world problems. Thus, community and political psychology are strengths of Latin American psychology and have made contributions to the understanding of multiculturalism and activism. Finally, the high proportion of youth in Latin American countries makes their well-being a priority and innovative research has worked to identify and promote talent among young people. Examples of Latin American contributions, personal lessons learned, and suggestions for incorporating knowledge and perspectives from Latin America are highlighted

Having the Number They Want: Empowerment of Latin American Women

Empowerment, an individual’s ability to exercise authority and control over their life, can be expressed in a variety of ways. One indicator of empowerment affecting women is their ability to have their ideal number of children. However, culturally imposed gender roles may pose a barrier to women’s empowerment. In Latin American culture, machismo promotes hyper-masculinity and Marianismo encourages women to embody the Virgin Mary. This study assessed the relationship between empowerment of Latin American women and their ability to have their ideal number of children. Empowerment was measured with respect to educational, economic, social, and contraceptive domains using Demographic Health Survey data (N = 25,996) from Colombia (n = 12,458), Guatemala (n = 7,168), and Honduras (n = 6,370). A series of Analyses of Covariance (ANCOVA) tested indicators of women’s empowerment with respect to their number of living children while controlling for their ideal number. Education was a significant means of empowerment in all three countries studied, as women with higher levels of education had fewer children. Economic decision-making was significantly related to the number of children for women in Guatemala and Honduras. Colombia, the wealthiest country, had no significant findings in the economic domain. Social empowerment, however, was particularly powerful there (e.g., making healthcare decisions). Colombian and Honduran women with knowledge of contraceptives reported having fewer children. Findings can be used to empower women in country-specific programs. Educational programs would serve as a means of empowerment for women in all three countries. Programs with an emphasis on contraceptive education would benefit women from Colombia and Honduras, while social programs would be most relevant for women from Colombia. Guatemalan and Honduran women stand to benefit from both social and economic empowerment programs. Overall, the goal is to increase women’s independence and ownership of decision-making in their lives

Editorial

Presentamos aquí un espacio de discusión y reflexión en torno a los desafíos teóricos, metodológicos y epistemológicos que implican pensar las migraciones contemporáneas. Es un compromiso ético en la producción de conocimiento acercarnos de manera clara a nuevas perspectivas y posibilidades de encuentro y vínculo de las relaciones en escenarios inéditos donde las identificaciones se están erigiendo

Evidence for Equality?: Guatemalan Adolescents\u27 Views on Gender

Guatemala is known for its beautiful landscapes, delicious food, and vibrant traditional textiles. Despite the country’s many treasures, Guatemalans face many challenges including gender inequality and wealth disparity. Issues pertaining to youth are of particular importance, as approximately 56% of the population is under 25 years old (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018). Gender inequality in Guatemala may be perpetuated by traditional values of machismo and marianismo (Gibbons & Luna, 2015). Machismo refers to the expectation that men be dominant, respected, and strong providers for their family (Arciniega, Anderson, Tover-Blank, & Travey, 2008). Conversely, marianismo is the expectation that women be pure and gentle, like the Virgin Mary (Castillo, Perez, Castillo, & Ghosheh, 2010; Stevens, 1973). The Gender Intensification Hypothesis suggests gender roles become more rigid during adolescence, as young people prepare for adulthood (Hill & Lynch, 1983). Previous studies on Guatemalan adolescents’ views on the ideal man and ideal woman have revealed a series of gender differences as well. Although machismo and marianismo still characterize society’s views on gender for many Guatemalans, there is evidence that some young people’s views on gender might be changing due to globalization and adaptation of more individualistic attitudes (Ashdown & Gibbons, 2012; Flores et al., 2016). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate age and gender differences among 297 Guatemalan adolescents on the following measures: Attitudes About Women Scale-Adolescent version (Galambos, Petersen, Richards, & Gitelson, 1985), the Ideal Man and Ideal Woman questionnaire (Gibbons & Stiles, 2004), the Revised Body Image Esteem Scale (Mendelson & White, 1993/1994), and the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (Liebenberg, Ungar, & LeBlanc, 2013). Findings from this study will contribute to culturally-sensitive efforts to empower Guatemalan youth and educate adolescents about gender equality. By shifting gender ideologies of youth in the region, macro-level improvements through policy change and overarching attitudes towards women are possible

The global decline of reptiles, deja’ vu amphibians

Reptile species are declining on a global scale. Six significant threats to reptile populations are habitat loss and degradation, introduced invasive species, environmental pollution, disease, unsustainable use, and global climate change

Altered spring phenology of North American freshwater turtles and the importance of representative populations

Globally, populations of diverse taxa have altered phenology in response to climate change. However, most research has focused on a single population of a given taxon, which may be unrepresentative for comparative analyses, and few long-term studies of phenology in ectothermic amniotes have been published. We test for climate- altered phenology using long-term studies (10–36 years) of nesting behavior in 14 populations representing six genera of freshwater turtles (Chelydra, Chrysemys, Kinosternon, Malaclemys, Sternotherus, and Trachemys). Nesting season initiation oc- curs earlier in more recent years, with 11 of the populations advancing phenology. The onset of nesting for nearly all populations correlated well with temperatures during the month preceding nesting. Still, certain populations of some species have not advanced phenology as might be expected from global patterns of climate change. This collection of findings suggests a proximate link between local climate and reproduction that is potentially caused by variation in spring emergence from hibernation, ability to process food, and thermoregulatory opportunities prior to nesting. However, even though all species had populations with at least some evi- dence of phenological advancement, geographic variation in phenology within and among turtle species underscores the critical importance of representative data for accurate comprehensive assessments of the biotic impacts of climate change

Effect of Contemporary Bariatric Surgical Procedures on Type 2 Diabetes Remission. A Population-Based Matched Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of gastric banding, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy on medium to long-term diabetes control in obese participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Matched cohort study using primary care electronic health records from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Obese participants with type 2 diabetes who received bariatric surgery from 2002 to 2014 were compared with matched control participants who did not receive BS. Remission was defined for each year of follow-up as HbA1c <6.5 % and no antidiabetic drugs prescribed. RESULTS: There were 826 obese participants with T2DM who received bariatric surgery including adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) 220; gastric bypass (GBP) 449; or sleeve gastrectomy (SG) 153; with four procedures undefined. Mean HbA1c declined from 8.0 % before BS to 6.5 % in the second postoperative year; proportion with HbA1c <6.5 % (<48 mmol/mol) increased from 17 to 47 %. The proportion of patients in remission was 30 % in the second year, being 20 % for LAGB, 34 % for GBP and 38 % for SG. The adjusted relative rate of remission over the first six postoperative years was 5.97 (4.86 to 7.33, P < 0.001) overall; for LAGB 3.32 (2.27 to 4.86); GBP 7.16 (5.64 to 9.08); and SG 6.82 (5.05 to 9.19). Rates of remission were maintained into the sixth year of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Remission of diabetes may continue for up to 6 years after bariatric surgical procedures. Diabetes outcomes are generally more favourable after gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy than LAGB

ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Management of Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction—Executive Summary A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Revise the 1999 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction)

Although considerable improvement has occurred in the process of care for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), room for improvement exists (1–3). The purpose of the present guideline is to focus on the numerous advances in the diagnosis and management of patients with STEMI since 1999. This is reflected in the changed name of the guideline: “ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Management of Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.” The final recommendations for indications for a diagnostic procedure, a particular therapy, or an intervention in patients with STEMI summarize both clinical evidence and expert opinion (Table 1).To provide clinicians with a set of recommendations that can easily be translated into the practice of caring for patients with STEMI, this guideline is organized around the chronology of the interface between the patient and the clinician. The full guideline is available at http://www.acc.org/clinical/guidelines/stemi/index.htm