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Eco-Anxiety in Latin American Citizens: Description and Factors Associated With Concern About Climate Change
Background: Climate change is an undeniable reality that is increasingly discussed globally. While eco-anxiety has been extensively studied in Europe and other developed countries, there is a lack of data from Latin America. Aims: To identify and describe the factors associated with eco-anxiety in Latin America. Method: A cross-sectional, multicenter study used a validated scale to measure eco-anxiety, adjusted for sex, age, education level, and country of residence. Descriptive and analytical statistics were employed to interpret the data. Among 3,320 participants, a significant portion expressed eco-anxiety, particularly when it was mentioned to affect an important place, interfere with concentration, disrupt work or studies, or cause difficulty sleeping (12%, 5%, 3%, and 3% strongly agreed with these statements, respectively). Results: Multivariate analysis revealed higher scores of eco-anxiety in Argentina (aRP: 2.06; 95% CI [1.45, 2.94]; p < 0.001), Colombia (aRP: 1.66; 95% CI [1.21, 2.29]; p = 0.002), and Ecuador (aRP: 1.40; 95% CI [1.01, 1.94]; p = 0.042). Conversely, eco-anxiety was lower among men (aRP: 0.88; 95% CI [0.81, 0.96]; p = 0.003) and those with postgraduate education (aRP: 0.72; 95% CI [0.59, 0.88]; p = 0.001), after adjusting for age. Conclusions: This is the first large-scale study to report significant eco-anxiety in Latin America, which is linked to factors such as country of residence, sex, and educational level.
Validation of the CONSULT-PSYCHIATR Scale: reasons for reluctance to seek psychiatric consultation among workers in Peru
Introduction: Workers may be reluctant to attend psychiatric consultation because of stigma, interpersonal concerns, and practical barriers. In Peru, brief instruments specifically designed to assess these reasons in working populations are limited. This study examined the content validity, internal structure, and internal consistency of a Peruvian scale assessing reasons why workers are reluctant to attend consultations with a psychiatrist.Methods: An instrumental study was conducted in Peru. Item development was informed by a literature review and expert input. An initial 10-item version was evaluated by 20 experts for relevance, representativeness, and clarity using Aiken’s V. After a pilot test, the questionnaire was administered to 3001 workers from several Peruvian departments using non-random sampling. Item distribution was examined using descriptive statistics, skewness, excess kurtosis, floor and ceiling effects, and constant-response patterns. The sample was randomly divided into exploratory and confirmatory subsamples. A polychoric exploratory factor analysis was conducted in the exploratory subsample, followed by confirmatory analyses in the independent confirmatory subsample. Internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha, ordinal alpha, and ordinal omega total.Results: Most Aiken’s V coefficients were 0.70 or higher, with only one lower value for the representativeness of item 9. The 10-item version showed adequate item distributions, although 46.95% of participants provided constant responses across all items, prompting sensitivity analyses. Exploratory factor analysis supported a one-factor structure, explaining 80.96% of the variance, with factor loadings ranging from 0.8425 to 0.9365. This structure remained stable after excluding constant-response patterns. In the confirmatory subsample, the 10-item one-factor model showed high standardized loadings and favorable CFI, TLI, and SRMR values, although RMSEA was less favorable and was interpreted jointly with the remaining indices. Reliability estimates were high in both the main and sensitivity analyses.Discussion: The CONSULT-PSYCHIATR is a brief 10-item instrument with evidence of content validity, internal structure, and internal consistency for assessing perceived reasons why workers in Peru may be reluctant to attend psychiatric consultation. Although the findings are encouraging, further studies are needed to examine its performance in other populations and settings and to assess additional sources of validity evidence.
Development of the Semi-Implicit Self-Report to assess Attitudes Toward Immigration (SISRATI): Psychometric properties and convergence
Attitudes toward immigration in Spain represent a pressing social concern, particularly in the context of increasing reports of racism and public rejection and concern. However, assessing these attitudes is complicated by social desirability bias inherent in self-report measures. This study aimed to develop and validate a semi-implicit instrument using news headlines—half pro-immigration and half anti-immigration—which participants (N = 616, divided into two sub-samples) judged as true or false. Psychometric properties were evaluated through Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses, revealing a two-factor structure comprising 12 items: “Pro-Immigration Statements” and “Anti-Immigration Statements.” Based on these dimensions, participants were clustered into four groups: “Favorable to Immigration,” “Unfavorable to Immigration,” “Non-Discriminant Believers,” and “Non-Discriminant Unbelievers.” These groups were then compared on emotional responses (valence and intensity) to immigration-related content, Big Five personality traits, and reflective cognitive style. Significant differences in emotional responses across groups supported the tool’s convergent validity. The results highlight the utility of semi-implicit measures in capturing nuanced attitudes toward immigration and avoiding the biases of traditional self-report methods. Implications for future research and social intervention are discussed, along with study limitations and potential improvements for the proposed tool.
Oral Microbiota, the Oral–Brain Axis, and Neurodegeneration: Mechanisms and Dietary Modulation
The oral microbiota represents a complex and dynamic microbial ecosystem that plays a critical role in preserving both oral and systemic homeostasis. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in oral microbial milieu (dysbiosis) may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD), through the oral–brain axis. This review synthesizes current evidence on the pathways linking oral microbiota to cognitive decline, integrating microbial, immunological, and vascular perspectives. Oral pathogens may access the central nervous system via hematogenous dissemination or neural routes, including the trigeminal nerve, while simultaneously promoting systemic inflammation, immune activation, and blood–brain barrier disruption. These processes converge on key neurodegenerative mechanisms, including chronic neuroinflammation, amyloid-β accumulation, and tau pathology. In parallel, alterations in oral microbial composition have been linked to disease severity, supporting a potential role of dysbiosis in both initiation and progression of cognitive impairment. Diet emerges as a critical modifiable determinant of oral microbial ecology. Diets rich in refined sugars may promote dysbiosis and inflammatory signaling, whereas (poly)phenols, probiotics, and prebiotics may support microbial eubiosis and exert neuroprotective effects through modulation of host–microbe interactions. Although current evidence remains largely observational and mechanistic, the diet–oral microbiota–brain axis represents a promising target for preventive and therapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating cognitive decline and promoting healthy aging. Future longitudinal and interventional studies are required to establish causality and translate these insights into clinical practice.
Consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with cognitive status in elderly patients
Background: Emerging evidence suggests that there might be an association between excess consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on cognitive health. UPF intake could promote systemic inflammation, oxidative stress phenomena, and metabolic dysregulation, contributing to neurodegeneration onset and cognitive decline in elderly population.Aim: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relation between UPF dietary pattern on MCI status in elderly patients taking into account the contribution of inflammatory markers.Design: The dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire in ninety-two participants. All reported food items were categorized according to the NOVA system, classifying foods on the basis of the extent and purpose of industrial processing. Plasmatic concentrations of TGF-β1 and TNF-ɑ were measured by ELISA assay at the time of baseline neuropsychological evaluation. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were administered to evaluate the cognitive function in all participants. Non-parametric tests, correlation analysis, and logistic regression models were performed to assess the relations between variables of interest.Results: No significant associations were observed for unprocessed/minimally processed foods, culinary processed foods, or processed foods across the different regression models. In contrast, higher consumption of UPF was associated with increased odds of MCI (adjusted OR = 4.24, 95% CI: 1.05–17.13). However, after additional adjustment for inflammatory biomarkers (TGF-β and TNF-α), the association was attenuated and no longer statistically significant (OR = 4.79, 95% CI: 0.73–31.24), although the direction of the association remained positive.Conclusion: UPF consumption may be associated with increased likelihood of MCI, and inflammatory status may potentially play a role in this association.