Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), defined as specific instances of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction occurring during critical developmental periods, are recognized as determinants of long-term physical and mental health. Evidence on their relationship with quality of life in Latin American populations, particularly in Mexico, remains limited. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between ACEs and self-reported quality of life among adults in Mexico. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in 2022 utilized an anonymous online survey distributed through Instagram, targeting Mexican adults aged 18 years and older. ACEs were measured using the 10-item ACE Questionnaire developed by Felitti and colleagues. Quality of life was assessed through the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), a 26-item instrument from the World Health Organization evaluating four domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment, using a 5-point Likert scale. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed to assess the relationships between total ACE scores and WHOQOL-BREF domains. In addition, four binary logistic regression models analyzed the adjusted odds of poor quality of life and dissatisfaction with personal health, controlling for ACE type (or total ACE count), age, gender, and difficulties with weekly expenses. Results: A total of 4,505 participants, including 2,888 women and 1,617 men with a mean age of 26.6 years (± 6.8), were analyzed. Eighty percent reported experiencing at least one ACE, with emotional neglect (39%) and emotional abuse (37%) as the most common types. Women had higher rates of sexual abuse and cohabitation with a mentally ill family member, while men reported more physical abuse, physical neglect, parental separation or absence, household substance use, and household incarceration. Total ACE counts exhibited significant negative correlations with all four WHOQOL-BREF domains (p < 0.001). In adjusted models, emotional neglect, emotional abuse, and physical abuse were most strongly associated with poor quality of life. Each additional ACE was associated with 1.4-fold higher adjusted odds of poor quality of life and 1.2-fold higher adjusted odds of dissatisfaction with personal health, with financial strain being the covariate most strongly associated with these outcomes. Conclusions: In this extensive convenience sample of Mexican adults, ACEs were associated with lower self-reported quality of life and greater dissatisfaction with personal health. These findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the non-probabilistic sampling approach, underscoring the need for future population-based studies to confirm these associations and inform prevention strategies.
The objective of the study was to develop and evaluate a multidisciplinary inquiry-based learning framework for microbiology education in Nigerian senior secondary schools, with a focus on enhancing teacher competencies, improving student conceptual understanding and practical skills, and fostering engagement with local health priorities. A pre/post-intervention study was conducted in twelve senior secondary schools across Abuja federal capital territory (FCT), Oyo, and Kaduna, involving 120 biology teachers and 450 SS2/SS3 students. Over 12 weeks, six inquiry-based learning modules integrating microbiology with local public health challenges were implemented. Outcomes were assessed using a 40-item pre/post-test, a 25-point teacher competency rubric, and Likert-scale engagement surveys, along with focus groups and semi-structured interviews for qualitative insights. Teacher proficiency increased significantly from 28% to 86% following the intervention (t (119) = 9.32, p < 0.001, d = 0.85). Student conceptual understanding improved from 54.2% to 83.7% (p < 0.001, d = 0.87), and practical skills rose from 42.1% to 78.9% (p < 0.001, d = 0.76). Engagement scores also increased from 3.1 to 4.6 on a 5-point scale (p < 0.001). The intraclass correlation coefficient by school was 0.08, indicating modest clustering. A contextualized, inquiry- based microbiology framework significantly enhanced teacher competencies and student learning outcomes in resource-limited tropical environments. This approach is replicable and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, and 6.
Background: Orbital tumors are rare, representing < 1% of all neoplasms, and include a variety of benign, malignant, inflammatory, vascular, and congenital lesions. Their overlapping clinical and imaging features complicate diagnosis, highlighting the importance of regional epidemiological data for improving diagnostic accuracy. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at High Specialty Medical Unit No. 25 of the Mexican Social Security Institute in Monterrey, Mexico. It included all patients diagnosed with orbital tumors based on clinical and histopathological criteria between June 2020 and June 2025. Comprehensive demographic data and confirmed diagnoses were rigorously extracted through systematic reviews of clinical records. Descriptive statistics, as well as comparative analyses, were employed to evaluate the data. The institutional ethics committee granted a waiver of informed consent, acknowledging the study’s retrospective design and the utilization of anonymized data. Results: A total of 210 patients were analyzed, with 56.7% being female and a median age of 51 years. Orbital inflammatory pseudotumor was the most common clinical diagnosis (27.6%), whereas lymphoma was the most frequent histopathological finding (16.7%). Benign tumors comprised 68.6%, and malignant tumors comprised 31.4%. A significant association was found between malignancy and older age (median 60 vs. 48 years; p < 0.001), with no sex differences observed. Conclusions: The distribution of orbital tumors in this population reflects global trends, characterized predominantly by benign lesions. Notably, the significant correlation between malignancy and older age underscores the necessity for heightened diagnostic vigilance in elderly patients.
Heterogeneity is a fundamental characteristic of the aging population and should be central to patient-centered geriatric and gerontological care. The variability amassed over the life course renders older adults the most physiologically diverse demographic, significantly impacting their health trajectories, functional capacity, cognitive function, emotional well-being, and social circumstances. This review proposes a multidimensional framework that recognizes each older adult as a unique mixture of biological, functional, psychological, and social conditions. We describe five major determinants of variability: biological/ genetic factors, cognitive and psychological factors, functional capacity and lifestyle, chronic diseases and multimorbidity, and social and environmental influences, and highlight their relevance in clinical decision-making. These dimensions shape therapeutic tolerance, clinical outcomes, and the ability to benefit from guideline-based care, underscoring the importance of comprehensive and individualized assessment. The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment serves as a clinical framework for addressing the heterogeneity of the geriatric population by integrating key dimensions of health, including cognitive function, physical performance, frailty, nutritional status, emotional well-being, sleep quality, and social support. It particularly highlights cognitive frailty, a potentially reversible state combining physical frailty and cognitive impairment for which multidomain interventions, such as the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability method, have shown promise. This narrative review aims to recognize the inherent variability in geriatrics, enabling clinicians to develop patient-centered, multimodal interventions that account for both biological age and individual circumstances.
