In a comparative assessment of the pre‐pandemic living conditions of migrants and refugees in six South American countries, we analyse the structural and contingent challenges imposed by the COVID‐19 ...pandemic on these populations. We argue that they are particularly exposed to the harmful effects of the pandemic, given their segmented incorporation into labour markets and their limited and fragmented access to and exercise of health, housing, and other social rights. The evidence points to a significant deterioration in their livelihoods and social inclusion, and potential profound changes in (im)mobility regimes caused by pandemic‐induced restrictive measures.
Data from social media have emerged as an auxiliary source for real-time information on migrant populations. Facebook users' tagged 'expat' data--an 'expat' being someone who lived in country x but ...now lives in country y--has been used to estimate immigrants and its quality assessment has relied on household surveys and UNDESA migration estimates. Using the census as the gold standard and six definitions of migration, we examine differences between the 2020 Mexican Census and Facebook data by national origin, age, and sex. We also examine internet penetration among migrants. We estimate migration stocks by sex, age, and country of origin for nine Latin American countries, using six definitions of migration available within the census. To evaluate biases of Facebook data, we estimate a series of linear regression models on migrant stocks where our key independent variable is 'expat,' and we control for age, sex, and origin, as well as internet penetration rate. CONTRIBUTION
Extant research on international migration in English overwhelmingly focuses on migration to and in Europe and North America. Yet major migration movements occur outside of these regions. This ...mismatch leads to a neglect of the multi-faceted migration dynamics beyond the global North. Uruguay is a case in point for two reasons. First, the country has become both a significant destination for inter-regional movements and a crucial albeit unexpected stop along an extended international route. Second, both the country's migration policies and research agenda have promptly responded to the surge in migration by examining recent migrants’ quality of life and issues of social inclusion. In this country report, we use the hitherto understudied case of Uruguay as an illustrative example to showcase potential policy and scholarship lessons for international migration. We argue that Uruguay constitutes an important case for future migration scholarship and policy outlook, because it enhances our understanding of how host countries can promote migrants’ social inclusion and well-being, even in the face of significant structural inequalities affecting both native and migrant populations. Hence, Uruguay's experiences against the backdrop of recent migration in-flows have implications for migration scholarship and policy in regional (Latin America and Caribbean) and global contexts.
Given the growing diversity in the United States, responsiveness to the needs of diverse communities is paramount. Latinx communities in the United States often state mistrust in outside institutions ...because of adverse experiences. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is considered a trust-building process and is one approach to understand disparities. However, the conceptualization and evaluation of trust as a CBPR outcome are understudied. This article summarizes a community-engaged research process conducted for the cultural and linguistic refinement of a partnership trust survey tool to assess partnership trust as an outcome of CBPR (CBPR-PTS), by using Perinatal Awareness for Successful Outcomes (PASOs) as a case study and cross-cultural cognitive interviewing (CCCI) methodology. The participants were 21 diverse stakeholders of PASOs, a community-based health organization that serves the Latinx population in South Carolina. A modified version of the multidimensional measure of trust model informed instrument development. The team analyzed the CCCI data using compiling informal analysis to identify which survey items’ wordings must be changed or adapted based on the participants’ accounts. Sixteen of 28 questions subjected to CCCI required modifications due to translation errors, culturally specific errors, or general cognitive problems. The new survey instrument has 19 scales and 195 items categorized into nine dimensions of the modified multidimensional measure of trust model. CCCI was a useful tool to address the cross-cultural understanding issues of the CBPR-PTS. Measurement instruments should be able to capture the socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic/environmental variability of community stakeholders to help understand the diversity of the comprehension and views of the communities involved in disparities’ reduction efforts.
The COVID-19 health crisis has put to the test Latin America’s already precarious social protection systems. This paper comparatively examines what type of social protection has been provided, by ...whom, and to what extent migrant and refugee populations have been included in these programmes in seven countries of the region during the COVID-19 pandemic, between March and December 2020. We develop a typology of models of social protection highlighting the assemblages of actors, different modes of protection and the emerging migrants’ subjectification in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay in relation to Non-Contributory Social Transfer (NCST) programmes and other actions undertaken by state and non-state actors. The analysis is based on 85 semi-structured interviews with representatives of national and local governments, International Organisations, Civil Society Organisations, and migrant-led organisations across 16 cities, and a systematic review of regulatory frameworks in the country-case studies. The proposed typology shows broad heterogeneity and complexity regarding different degrees of inclusion of migrant and refugee populations, particularly in pre-existing and new NCST programmes. These actions are furthering notions of migrant protection that are contingent and crisis-driven, imposing temporal limitations that often selectively exclude migrants based on legal status. It also brings to the fore the path-dependent nature of policies and practices of exclusion/inclusion in the region, which impact on migrants’ effective access to social and economic rights, while shaping the broader dynamics of migration governance in the region.
La incorporación de los inmigrantes recientes en el mercado de trabajo uruguayo se ha caracterizado por una mayor concentración en ocupaciones de media y alta calificación, con importante incidencia ...de la sobreeducación. Este proceso ocurre en un mercado de trabajo ya segmentado por distintos ejes de desigualdad por clase ocupacional, género y ascendencia étnico-racial. Este artículo examina si la condición migratoria introduce un nuevo eje de segmentación. Los resultados derivados del análisis de los ingresos por trabajo con base en la Encuesta Continua de Hogares del período 2013-2017, muestran que efectivamente esto es así. La condición migratoria y la duración de la estancia en Uruguay se entrelazan con otras capas de segmentación del mercado laboral uruguayo, pero de manera variable a lo largo de la distribución del ingreso.
This paper develops a comparative assessment of the state of asylum in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay. It argues that an accelerated weakening of refugee protection, exacerbated during the ...pandemic, has taken place across the region. Faced with growing mixed flows, the region’s refugee framework has either been used as an ad hoc regularization mechanism or not been broadly used. Also, pandemic mitigation measures have further weakened access to asylum, through militarization and border closures, and a platitude of deterrence practices. These regressive practices may result in the undermining, abandonment and/or replacement of the region’s widely praised refugee governance.
Introduction: The Informed Health Choices (IHC) project has developed learning resources to teach primary school children (10 to 12-year-olds) to assess treatment claims and make informed health ...choices. The aim of our study is to explore both the students' and teachers' experience when using these resources in the context of Barcelona (Spain).
Methods: During the 2019-2020 school year, we will conduct a pilot study with 4
th and 5
th-year primary school students (9 to 11-year-olds) from three schools in Barcelona. The intervention in the schools will include: 1) a workshop with the teachers, and 2) lessons to the students. The data collection will include: 1) assessment of the IHC resources by the teachers before the lessons, 2) non-participatory observations during the lessons, 3) semi-structured interviews with the students after a lesson, 4) assessment of the lessons by the teachers after a lesson, 5) treatment claim assessment by the students at the end of the lessons, and 6) assessment of the IHC resources by the teachers at the end of the lessons. We will use
ad hoc questionnaires and guides to register the data. We will perform a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data to explore understandability, desirability, suitability, usefulness, facilitators and barriers of the resources. The most relevant results will be discussed and some recommendations on how to use, how to adapt (if needed), and how to implement the IHC resources to this context will be agreed. The findings of the contextualization activities could inform the design of a cluster-randomised trial, to determine the effectiveness of the IHC resources in this context prior to scaling-up its use.
Ethical considerations: The study protocol has obtained an approval exemption from the Ethics Committee of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona, Spain).
Introduction
Lipedema (meaning edema in fat) and Dercum Disease (DD) are fat disorders in which accumulation of painful subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) affects more females than males, especially ...at times of female hormone change. Patients with both fat disorders are often misdiagnosed as obese. The purpose of this study was to determine if estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) are different in lipedema versus DD in SAT and skin versus controls. These receptors are on mast cells that produce histamine causing leakage from blood vessels inducing hypoxia and angiogenesis. Progesterone is known to activate histamine release from mast cells. We aim to determine levels of ER and PR in SAT and if blood vessels replicate at a higher rate in lipedema and DD versus controls to help further understand these conditions and work towards finding a cure.
Materials and Methods
Immunohistochemistry (San Diego Pathology, San Diego, CA) was used to test for the presence of PR, ER, Ki67 (marker of replicating cells), and CD117 (marker of mast cells).
Results and Discussion
Mast cell numbers were similar in control, DD and lipedema SAT (Figure). ER were not different in control, DD and lipedema SAT. PR were significantly lower in lipedema SAT. There was no difference in Ki67 in lipedema or DD blood vessels compared to controls.
Conclusion
Lower numbers of PR in our data suggest mast cell secretions (histamine and others) could be higher inducing leakage from vessels and fluid collection in SAT. Fluid in the tissue should induce hypoxia and growth of more blood vessels. Despite higher PR on mast cells, lipedema blood vessels did not appear to be replicating at a higher level. With further research and additional samples, the relevance of elevated PR in lipedema tissue may become apparent.
Support or Funding Information
Research reported in this poster was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under linked Award Numbers RL5GM118969, TL4GM118971, and UL1GM118970. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Special acknowledgement to the Minority Health Disparities summer research program at the University of Arizona, the College of Medicine Tucson Treatment, Research, and Education of Adipose Tissue Program.
This is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this published in The FASEB Journal.
Introduction: The Informed Health Choices (IHC) project has developed learning resources to teach primary school children (10 to 12-year-olds) to assess treatment claims and make informed health ...choices. The aim of our study is to explore both the students' and teachers' experience when using these resources in the context of Barcelona (Spain).
Methods: During the 2019-2020 school year, we will conduct a pilot study with 4
th and 5
th-year primary school students (9 to 11-year-olds) from three schools in Barcelona. The intervention in the schools will include: 1) assessment of the IHC resources by the teachers before the lessons, 2) non-participatory observations during the lessons, 3) semi-structured interviews with the students after a lesson, 4) assessment of the lessons by the teachers after a lesson, 5) treatment claim assessment by the students at the end of the lessons, and 6) assessment of the IHC resources by the teachers at the end of the lessons. We will use
ad hoc questionnaires and guides to register the data. We will perform a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data to explore understandability, desirability, suitability, usefulness, facilitators and barriers of the resources. The most relevant results will be discussed and some recommendations on how to use, how to adapt (if needed), and how to implement the IHC resources to this context will be agreed. The findings of the contextualization activities could inform the design of a cluster-randomised trial, to determine the effectiveness of the IHC resources in this context prior to scaling-up its use.
Ethical considerations: The study protocol has obtained an approval exemption from the Ethics Committee of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona, Spain).
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