Background: The death of a loved one increases the mortality risk of the bereaved, a phenomenon popularly known as "dying of a broken heart". Demographic changes, particularly those related to child survival, have altered the age at which parents, especially women, experience child loss over their lifetimes. This study investigates how these changes have affected White-Mestizo, Indigenous, and Afro-descendant women in Colombian society. Methods: We analysed births from the 2017 Colombian Vital Statistics and deaths from the national Census. We modelled child survival and death frequency using the matrix formulation of kinship network estimation. This framework considers kin for each sex and ethnic group within age-classified populations, with time-invariant rates (fixed mortality and fertility schedules). Results: Three distinct offspring mortality patterns were identified. White-Mestizo women show the lowest probabilities of experiencing child loss, followed by Afro-descendant women, with Indigenous women presenting the highest probabilities. An Indigenous woman has, on average, 2.6 living children at the age of 45; but by the age of 90 this number declines to two. Afro-descendant women have a higher number of living children at age 45 (2.2) than White–Mestizo women (1.9). By age 90, however, both groups have the same average number of surviving children (1.7). This indicates that Afro-descendant women experience greater cumulative child loss throughout their lives. Conclusions: Marked ethnic differences in maternal bereavement reflect profound social inequalities, mirroring disparities typically observed between high- and low-income countries. Contribution: This is the first national study to analyse maternal bereavement by ethnicity in Colombia, providing evidence to inform targeted interventions that address persistent health inequalities in marginalised populations.
OBJECTIVE:Numerous population-level surveys support willingness to use new male contraceptives (MC) among men and their female partners across a range of cultures and geographies, despite unproven efficacy and uncertain risk. Whether such willingness is related to attitudes about gender equity and/or key reproductive experiences warrants further exploration. We explore socio-behavioral factors linked to variations in willingness to use new MCs in Colombia, Ghana, Morocco, and Togo. STUDY DESIGN:We conducted approximately two thousand surveys examining new MC attitudes with sexually active, reproductive age (18-50 years) men and their female sexual partners, recruited from both clinic and community settings from July-September 2023. We additionally collected socio-demographics, reproductive histories, and contraceptive attitudes and behaviors, examining their associations with willingness to use new MCs via regression modeling. RESULTS:Nearly 75% (72.3% male, 76.2% female partners; n = 1444/1945) of survey respondents reported willingness to use new MCs. Willingness ranged from 69.4% in Togo to 82.2% in Colombia. Factors independently linked to willingness to use new MCs among men included having multiple current sex partners and having been involved in an unintended pregnancy; those for female partners included wanting to avoid pregnancy, and current use of or desire for contraception. For both partners, willingness to use new MCs was linked to increasing gender equitable attitudes. CONCLUSIONS:Regardless of gender, geography, class, culture, and reproductive experience, the significant association of gender equitable attitudes on willingness to use new male contraceptives suggests a potential role for gender equity initiatives to increase their uptake when available. IMPLICATIONS:Our findings both broaden and deepen published support for new MC development worldwide. Regardless of variations in culture and social norms across populations, our findings emphasize the influence of the individual's desire to avoid an unwanted pregnancy and gender-equitable attitudes.
IntroductionGender-based violence (GBV) is a major public health concern affecting adolescents across Latin America. Yet, little is known about how parents, as key figures in adolescents' social environments, understand these risks. This study explored parental perspectives on adolescent GBV in Colombia.MethodsBetween February to April 2024, we conducted 28 semi-structured interviews with parents of adolescents aged 10-19 in the metropolitan area of Medellín, Colombia. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsTwenty-eight parents participated; most were women (79%), and collectively they were caregivers to 35 adolescents with a median age of 14. Parents consistently described GBV as an urgent and pervasive threat to adolescent well-being, particularly in relation to sexual abuse, dating violence, and the normalization of harm. Machismo emerged as a central cultural and structural determinant shaping gender norms and adolescents' vulnerability. Family-level dynamics - including silence, fear, and modeled behaviors - were perceived as contributing to cycles of violence. Parents also emphasized prevention through early child education on abuse, active communication with adolescents, and clear guidance on boundaries and respectful relationship practices.ConclusionParents' perspectives highlight the need for culturally grounded, caregiver-centered public health interventions to address GBV among adolescents in Colombia.
La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar la influencia de las metodologías activas en la inclusión educativa y el fortalecimiento del aprendizaje significativo. De acuerdo con lo señalado por Díaz y Hernández (2019), las metodologías activas permiten que el estudiante asuma un rol protagónico en la construcción del conocimiento, promoviendo la reflexión, la colaboración y la autonomía en el proceso de aprendizaje. El estudio adoptó un enfoque mixto, combinando técnicas de observación y encuestas aplicadas al personal docente para identificar percepciones y prácticas relacionadas con estas estrategias. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el 100 % de los participantes considera que las metodologías activas favorecen la inclusión educativa, mientras que el 90 % destaca que promueven en gran medida el trabajo en equipo y el respeto por la diversidad. Estos hallazgos concuerdan con lo expuesto por Prieto (2020), quien afirma que la participación activa del alumnado contribuye significativamente al desarrollo de competencias sociales y emocionales esenciales para la convivencia escolar. No obstante, se identificó como principal limitante la falta de tiempo y la escasez de recursos didácticos para su adecuada implementación. En consecuencia, se concluye que la formación continua del profesorado resulta fundamental para optimizar la aplicación de metodologías activas, ya que estas transforman la enseñanza tradicional en experiencias dinámicas e inclusivas (González & Mora, 2021). Por ello, se recomienda que las instituciones educativas fortalezcan los espacios de capacitación docente y promuevan políticas que garanticen la sostenibilidad de estas prácticas pedagógicas innovadoras en el aula.
Telemedicine represents an important strategy to facilitate access to medication abortion (MAB) procedures, reduces distance barriers and expands coverage to underserved communities. The aim is evaluating the self-managed MAB (provided through telemedicine as the sole intervention or in comparison to in-person care) in pregnant people at up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane (Central Register of Controlled Trials and Database of Systematic Reviews), LILACS, SciELO, and Google Scholar. The search was based on the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Study Design (PICOS) framework, and was not restricted to any years of publication, and studies could be published in English or Spanish. Study screening and selection, risk of bias assessment, and data extraction were performed by peer reviewers. Risk of bias was evaluated with RoB 2.0 and ROBIS-I. A narrative and descriptive synthesis of the results was conducted. Meta-analyses with random-effects models were performed using Review Manager version 5.4 to calculate pooled risk differences, along with their individual 95
