Consumer populations and nutritional transition in Spain in the 20th century: A methodology for their reconstruction

One feature of the modern nutrition transition is the growing consumption of animal proteins. The most common approach in the quantitative analysis of this change used to be the study of averages of food consumption. But this kind of analysis seems to be incomplete without the knowledge of the number of consumers. Data about consumers are not usually published in historical statistics. This article introduces a methodological approach for reconstructing consumer populations. This methodology is based on some assumptions about the diffusion process of foodstuffs and the modeling of consumption patterns with a log-normal distribution. This estimating process is illustrated with the specific case of milk consumption in Spain between 1925 and 1981. These results fit quite well with other data and indirect sources available showing that this dietary change was a slow and late process. The reconstruction of consumer population could shed a new light in the study of nutritional transitions.

Health intervention and decline in infant mortality rates. Milk depots in Spain (1900-1936)

The role of public health has been a central topic on the classical debate about the historical mortality decline in Europe. One of these health initiatives were the Milk Depots. Spain set up those centres from the late 19th century until the beginning of the Civil War. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the effect of this health intervention on the infant mortality decline during this period. This study works out three kinds of sources: Statistical Yearbooks, Official documents and local records produced by the same Milk Depot. It analyses data available for all the country and one local case such as the Barcelona’s Milk Depot (1904-1935). The main methodological issue deals with the measurement of the effect of the Milk Depot activities on the pattern of changes of infant mortality. Results suggest that Milk Depots have a positive but quite moderate effect on the improving of overall levels of child survival.

Fluctuaciones de precios y dinámina demográfica en Cataluña (1600-1850)

Editada en la Fundación Empresa PúblicaEn el contexto de la demografía histórica regional española, la población catalana se ha caracterizado por aunar los tempranos smtomas de la modernización económica y social con los cambios demográficos. Este artículo pretende evaluar la interrelación entre ambas dinámicas a lo largo del período 1600-1850. Con este objetivo reúne series parroquiales y de precios de un conjunto de localidades catalanas y cuantifica la magnitud de la respuesta en el corto plazo de las series demográficas a las fluctuaciones en los niveles de vida. Los resultados muestran: a) La persistencia secular de un mayor efecto de las variaciones en los niveles de vida sobre la mortalidad que sobre la fecundidad, b) La presencia, en primer lugar, de la nupcialidad en el siglo XVIII y, en segundo, de la fecundidad, en la primera mited del XIX, como aqueUas variables a través de las que la población catalana intentará ajustar, en el corto plazo, la tensión entre población y recursos producida en el proceso de crecimiento económico.A common view in the Spanish population history has been to show the variety of its regional demographies. In this regional setting the population of Catalonia has been characterized by its early connection between economic and social modemization and demographical change. This article aims to evalúate these connections between economic and demographical dynamics in Catalonia in the pre-industrial era (1600-1850). Series of vital events and prices from a sample of Catalan villages have been collected and demographical responses to short run fluctuations in standards of living evaluated through lag time series models. The main results show: a) Leveis of mortality responses to fluctuations in standards of living are higher than levéis of fertility throughout two and a half centuries. b) Nuptiality, in the XVIII th century, and fertility, in the first half of XIX th century, are the demographical mechanisms applied by the Catalan population in order to avoid tensions between population and resources during the process of economic growth.Publicad

Nivel de dominio de las habilidades psicológicas en Jóvenes jugadores de tenis de mesa, bádminton y fútbol

The objective of this study was to establish the level of control over psychological skills possessed by young table tennis, badminton and football players in different categories of sports for young people and to study its possible association with their experience in sport and competition (years playing and years competing). 12 table tennis players from the beginners category (age: M= 11.09, sd= 1.38), 4 badminton players from the juniors category (age: M= 16.25, sd= 0.5) and 25 football players, 13 from the beginners category (age: M= 11.31, sd= 0.48) and 12 from the juniors category (age: M= 17.00, sd= 0.85), all of whom belong to sports federations, participated in this study. The participants answered the Questionnaire on Psychological Skills and Behaviours in Young Children's Sport Competitions Scale (Godoy-Izquierdo et al., 2006 a, b). Young athletes' level of control over psychological skills is generally deficient, and no significant differences were found between racquet-sport athletes and football players, although significant differences in some psychological skills did exist in the case of lower-ranking categories. No significant differences were found as regards experience with sport and competition. The results indicate the appropriateness of considering psychological training so as to complete players' preparation in order to improve the psychological skills that allow them to adequately tackle the increasing demands of participating in a sport as their level of involvement progresses in both individual and group sports

La tecnificación en deportes individuales versus deportes colectivos

Tradicionalmente se identifica la tecnificación en el deporte como un proceso de perfeccionamiento que comprende diferentes etapas en la vida de un deportista, desde su detección como talento deportivo, hasta su llegada al alto rendimiento. Sin embargo, el concepto de tecnificación, tanto en los deportes individuales como en los deportes colectivos, es una noción más amplia que va más allá del mero conocimiento del deporte y del entrenamiento de los deportistas. En esencia, la auténtica tecnificación se efectúa sobre los técnicos deportivos, como piezas clave en el entrenamiento deportivo, dotándoles de conocimiento y de soportes técnicos y tecnológicos de calidad. Una rigurosa cualificación de los entrenadores, acompañada de la incorporación de tecnología y fundamentada en el método científico, son aspectos imprescindibles para beneficiar el rendimiento de los deportistas, dotándoles de un mayor y mejor conocimiento de su propia especialidad deportiva. El concepto de tecnificación viene asociado en muchas ocasiones al proceso de detección, selección y entrenamiento de talentos deportivos, siendo considerado este contenido como una de las grandes áreas de investigación en el deporte. Para finalizar, en este artículo se presenta el modelo de tecnificación que se ha desarrollado en los últimos años en la Real Federación Española de Tenis de Mesa, gracias al Programa Nacional de Tecnificación Deportiva del Consejo Superior de Deportes

Consumer Populations and Nutritional Transition in Spain in the Twentieth Century

Une des caractéristiques de la transition nutritionnelle moderne est la consommation croissante des protéines animales. La démarche la plus habituelle dans l’analyse quantitative de cette transition est l’étude des moyennes de consommation des aliments par habitant. Cependant, ce type d’analyse reste incomplet du fait de la méconnaissance du nombre de consommateurs. Cet article présente une stratégie méthodologique pour la reconstruction de la population des consommateurs, fondée d’une part sur des hypothèses concernant le processus de diffusion des aliments et, d’autre part sur la modélisation des distributions de la consommation. Ce processus d’estimation est illustré dans le cas spécifique de la consommation du lait en Espagne de 1925 à 1981. Les résultats concordent avec d’autres données et de sources indirectes qui montrent que ce changement de régime alimentaire a été lent et tardif. La reconstruction de la population consommatrice peut apporter de nouvelles perspectives d’études sur les transitions alimentaires.One feature of modern nutritional transition is the growing consumption of animal proteins. Previously, the most common approach in the quantitative analysis of this change was the study of food consumption averages. This mode of analysis, however, seems to be incomplete unless the number of consumers is also known, and data on consumers are not usually published in historical statistics. This article introduces a methodological approach for reconstructing consumer populations, based on assumptions about the diffusion process of foodstuffs and on the modeling of consumption patterns. The specific case of milk consumption in Spain between 1925 and 1981 is used to illustrate the approach. The results correlate reasonably well with other data and with the sources available, which show that this dietary change was a slow and belated process. The reconstruction of consumer populations could shed new light on the study of nutritional transitions

La implantación de las Gotas de Leche en España (1902-1935): un estudio a partir de la prensa histórica

Milk Depots were health care institutions involved in fighting against high levels of child mortality in Spain in the first third of 20th century. They promoted the improvement of food hygiene of the newborn. This article reconstructs the trajectory of its implementation until the Spanish Civil War. Given the limited number of statistical sources available, it has been used as documentary source digitized historical newspapers. Analysis of these documents and other published studies leads to the estimation that this institution was deployed in 79 cities between 1902 and 1935. Milk Depots were settled mostly in provincial capitals, in all regions, including the Spanish protectorate in Morocco. Before 1936, a complete sequence of expansion and stabilization took place in the opening of these centers. This opening seems to respond most to influence of existing medical and charitable institutions that infant mortality levels prevailing at that time. Examination of the news shows as setting up a Milk Depot was not the outcome of a simple decision process, implemented quickly. The management was not exempt from difficulties. They came mainly from the lack of financial support or they were consequence from greater demand for their services.Las Gotas de Leche eran instituciones sanitarias que intervinieron en la reducción de la mortalidad infantil en España promoviendo la mejora en la higiene alimentaria de los recién nacidos. Este artículo reconstruye la trayectoria de su implantación hasta la Guerra Civil. Dada la limitada información estadística disponible, se ha empleado como base documental las hemerotecas históricas digitalizadas. El análisis de la misma y de otros estudios permite estimar que el despliegue de esta institución entre 1902 y 1935 involucró, al menos, a 79 localidades. Se establecieron mayoritariamente en capitales de provincia, en todas las regiones, incluido el protectorado español en Marruecos. Antes de 1936 tuvo lugar una secuencia completa de expansión y estabilización en la apertura de estos centros. La creación de Gotas de Leche parece que respondió más a la influencia de las instituciones médicas y benéficas existentes en una localidad que a los niveles de mortalidad infantil. El examen de las noticias de prensa muestra como la creación de una Gota de Leche no acostumbró a ser fruto de un proceso de decisión ágil ejecutado rápidamente. La gestión tampoco estuvo exenta de dificultades. Una parte relevante de las mismas eran de origen financiero o derivadas de una mayor demanda de sus servicios

Estatura y condición nutricional de la población infantil en una ciudad industrial española: el caso de Barcelona (1900-1969)

Because of urban and sanitary reforms implemented in Barcelona from the second half of 19th century mortality declined. Biological changes in the population under 15 years were a relevant explanatory factor. This article analysis published anthropometric statistics with the aim of reconstructing the trajectory of the biological development of that population and diagnosing its nutritional status over seven decades of the 20th century. The main results show (a) Children born before the Spanish Civil War increased their heights (7 to 13 years) less than one centimeter per decade as an average. However, those who were born from the early fifties overcame the two centimeters per decade. b) Malnutrition was mostly moderate (around twenty percent) and showed a significant reduction from the 1950s onwards c) Differences in heights according to gender, social class and residential place remained throughout those decades, although children population experienced a general trend of increase in heights in all ages.Como consecuencia de un conjunto de reformas urbanas y sanitarias a partir de la segunda mitad del siglo XIX la mortalidad de Barcelona descendió. Los cambios biológicos en la población menor de 15 años son relevantes para explicarlo. Este artículo los analiza en base a estadísticas antropométricas publicadas. Se reconstruye la evolución secular de su crecimiento y se diagnostica su estado nutricional a lo largo de siete décadas del siglo XX. Los resultados muestran: a) Entre los nacidos antes de la Guerra Civil los incrementos medios de estatura (de 7 a 13 años) por decenio eran menores de un centímetro. Aquellos que lo hicieron a partir de los cincuenta superaron los dos centímetros. b) Los niveles de malnutrición fueron principalmente moderados (en torno al 20%) con una reducción significativa a partir la década de los cincuenta. c) Las diferencias de género, sociales y residenciales persistieron a lo largo de las siete décadas, aun participando toda la población infantil en el incremento general de las tallas en todas las edades

Variables modificadoras de la asociación expresividad emocional familiar-recidivas en pacientes esquizofrénicos.

RESUMEN Se trata de un estudio de intervención que analiza las variaciones en los perfiles de la Expresividad Emocional familiar y en la tasa de recidivas de una cohorte de pacientes esquizofrénicos y sus cuidadores principales a los que se han administrado, en el marco de la asistencia sanitaria pública, dos formatos terapéuticos distintos de intervención psicoeducativa de 12 meses de duración. Como objetivo general se analiza si los cambios en los niveles de la Expresividad Emocional y sus subescalas asociados a la realización de una intervención familiar reducen el riesgo de recaídas a corto y medio plazo. Como objetivos específicos determinar qué subescalas de la Expresividad Emocional son más sensibles al cambio y si la realización de formatos terapéuticos distintos de intervención familiar (formato grupal o formato centrado en la unidad familiar) se asocian a perfiles diferentes de Expresividad Emocional o distintas tasa de recaída. Como objetivos secundarios, describir el perfil de la Expresividad Emocional de los familiares remitidos a un programa de intervención familiar y analizar si estos perfiles se asocian a variables clínicas o sociodemográficas. Se realizan 3 evaluaciones. Una basal, previa a la intervención, otra inmediatamente tras concluir ésta y una última evaluación tras 5 años de la finalización de la intervención. No se encontró asociación de la Expresividad Emocional ni de sus subescalas con ninguna variable clínica o sociodemográfica en la evaluación basal, si bien se encontró un perfil de Expresividad Emocional similar al de otros países de base cultural latina y distinto al encontrado habitualmente en los estudios anglosajones, revelando la importancia de las diferencias transculturales. Tras la realización de la intervención, se redujeron significativamente los niveles de la Expresividad Emocional y sus subescalas, siendo la subescala más susceptible de cambio la sobreimplicación emocional y la más resistente la hostilidad. La tasa de recaídas también se redujo significativamente durante el período de intervención. Aunque ambos formatos de intervención se mostraron eficaces en la reducción de la Expresividad Emocional y las recidivas, produjeron diferentes perfiles de resultados. A los 5 años de la finalización de la intervención, los niveles de la Expresividad Emocional y sus subescalas se mantuvieron mayoritariamente estables en los alcanzados tras la intervención. Las variaciones en los perfiles de la Expresividad Emocional no se asociaron ya a las recaídas sino al funcionamiento social y la gravedad de la clínica productiva del paciente. Las recidivas volvieron a aumentar progresivamente una vez concluida la intervención, a pesar de la reducción de la Expresividad Emocional. Una intervención psicoeducativa de 12 meses de duración no es suficiente para mantener en el tiempo los beneficios obtenidos durante su realización sobre la tasa de recaídas. Los datos de esta tesis orientan a un modelo interactivo complejo de la asociación Expresividad Emocional y recidivas en las que la Expresividad Emocional tendría tanto atributos de rasgo como de estado. Los atributos de rasgo habrían sido modificados de forma duradera por la intervención, emergiendo entonces la asociación de los atributos de estado con la gravedad de la clínica psicótica o de ajuste social. __________________________________________________________________________________________________This is an study about intervention which analyzes the variations in familiar Expressed Emotion (EE from now) profiles, and in the relapse rate in a cohort of schizophrenic patients and their main carers, who have been given, in the frame of public health system, two different 12-month therapeutical programs of psychoevolutive intervention. The main objective is to analyse whether the changes in EE levels and its subscales, associated to the family intervention reduce the risk of relapses in a short and middle term. As specific objectives, to determine which Expressed Emotion subscales are more sensitive to change, and whether the application of different therapeutical programs of family intervention (groupal format or that centred in family unit) are associated to different levels of EE or to different relapse rates. As secondary objectives, to describe the profile in EE of the relatives sent to a family intervention program, and to analyse whether these profiles are associated to clinical or demographical variables. Three interventions take place: at baseline, previous to intervention, another one, straight after this, and a final assessment after 5 years of finishing the intervention. No association was found between EE -nor any of its sub-scales- and any clinical or socio-demographic variable in baseline assessment, although it was found a similar level of EE in countries of latin roots, different to that found in anglo-saxon studies, revealing the importance of trans-cultural differences. After the assessment, levels of EE and its subscales were reduced significantly, being emotional overinvolvement the subscale more prone to change, and hostility the more resistant. The relapse rate was also significantly reduced during the intervention period. Although both intervention formats proved efficient in reducing EE and relapses, they produced different levels of results. Five years after the finishing of the intervention, EE levels and its subscales were kept mainly stable in those reached after intervention. Variations in EE levels were then not associated to relapses, but to social behaviour and severity of the patients productive clinic. Relapses turned to progressively increase once the intervention finished, despite the lowering of EE. A 12-month psycho-educative intervention is not enough to keep in time the benefits obtained during its realization over the relapse rate. This thesis data lead to a complex interactive model of the association between EE and relapses, in which EE would have attributes of trait as much of state. Trait attributes would have been modificated in a long-lasting way by intervention, then emerging the association of state attributes with the severity of the psycotic clinic or of social adjustment

Analysis of the spatial distribution of the serve and the type of serve-return in elite table tennis. Sex differences

Serve and return of the serve are among the most critical technical-tactical factors influencing performance in table tennis (TT). The present study aimed to analyse sex differences in the spatial distribution of serve and serve-return in elite TT players. A total of 48 elite TT players (men: n = 24; women: n = 24) participated in the investigation. A total of 24 matches were recorded and examined, analysing 1,177 plays and 5,319 strokes in the men’s competition and 950 games and 5,097 strokes in the women’s competition. Technical actions were analysed using an observation tool validated by two expert TT coach with a high level of agreement (K > 0.80). Men distributed their serves over zones 1 and 2 of the table, while women more frequently selected zone 5 (p < 0.05). In men, 30.1% of the serves were near the net, 63.6% in the middle zone of the table and 6.2% in the end zone of the table, while in women, these values were 10.9%, 67.2%, and 21.8%, respectively. As for the technique of the serve-return depending on the zone of the service, in men the action of the cut from zone 1 and 2 predominated, while in women this technique was more frequent from zone 5 (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the serve-return with the flip technique in zone 1, 3 and 4 was more frequent in men (p < 0.05). As for the return of the serve with the topspin technique, there were differences in zone 3, being more frequent in men (p < 0.05). Finally, the serve return with cut and defensive serve-return techniques in zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 were more frequent in women (p < 0.05). There are differences between sexes in service and return of serve actions during a match in elite players