Acceptance towards COVID-19 vaccination in Latin America and the Caribbean: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Vaccination represents an important strategy to mitigate COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality by protecting against severe forms of the disease and reducing hospitalization and death rates. In this sense, the objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of Vaccination Intention (VI) against COVID-19 in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC). Methods: We conducted a systematic review with a comprehensive search strategy for the following databases: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. A random-effect model meta-analysis was carried out using observational studies assessing the intention to vaccines against COVID-19 in LAC countries. The Clopper-Pearson method was used to estimate 95% Confidence Intervals. The quality assessment was developed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. A subgroup analysis by study location and a sensitivity analysis were developed. Results: Nineteen cross-sectional studies were included. Five meta-analyzes were performed according to the target population of the included studies. The VI in the general population of LAC was 78.0% (95%CI: 74.0%–82.0%). The VI for non-pregnant women was 78.0% (95%CI: 58.0%–99.0%), for elderly population was 63.0% (95%CI: 59.0%–69.0%), for pregnant women was 69.0% (95%CI: 61.0%–76.0%) and for health-personnel was 83.0% (95% CI: 71.0%–96.0%). The sensitivity analysis for general population meta-analysis that included only low risk of bias studies showed a 77.0% VI (95%CI: 73.0%–82.0%) and for non-pregnant women, 85.0% VI (95%CI: 79.0%–90.0%). Conclusion: Despite the high prevalence of VI in general population found in our study, VI prevalence from elderly people and pregnant women are lower than other population groups and overall population.Revisión por pare

Animal-Assisted Therapy in Dementia: An Updated Literature Review

Non-pharmacological interventions have shown to affect the symptoms of patients diagnosed with dementia. One of these interventions is animal-assisted therapy, which has been analyzed in multiple studies. However, the results of these interventions are mixed and no consensus has been reached. An electronic search was conducted in August 2021 in 4 databases (PubMed, Ovid Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science) to identify studies evaluating the role of animal-assisted therapy in patients diagnosed with dementia. The titles and abstracts of each article were independently analyzed. Subsequently, a full text of those articles that met the selection criteria was read. The narrative review was carried out based on the articles found. The effect of animal-assisted therapy on the psychiatric, psychological, and cognitive symptoms derived from dementia remains mixed and does not allow to draw specific conclusions. On the other hand, improvements have been observed in patients at a physical level and in terms of quality of life, since the patients showed a greater capacity when it comes to socializing, better communication skills, and greater motor skills. The published literature on the effects of animal-assisted therapy in patients with dementia is contradictory. A large number of articles claim to have found significant neurocognitive, motor, and quality of life improvements, while others claim not to have this effect.Revisión por pare