Objective: To analyze the association between the behavioral profile of physical activity and sedentary time with subjective well-being and mental health in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile. Methods: Cross-sectional study in a voluntary sample of 469 university students (22.4 ± 0.19 years; 66% women). According to students’ self-reports of physical activity and sedentary time, four behavioral profiles were created to investigate their association with subjective well-being and mental health using one-factor ANOVA that was adjusted to a multifactorial model. Results: The physically inactive and sedentary behavior profile presents the lowest levels of subjective well-being (p < 0.001), positive affective experiences (p < 0.001) and general mental health (p = 0.001). When adjusting for confounding variables, it was observed that the physically active and non-sedentary profile was associated with better general mental health (p < 0.01) in contrast to those who are physically active and sedentary. Conclusions: Chilean university students with a physically inactive and sedentary profile during the pandemic presented worse well-being and mental health, with a sedentary lifestyle being one of the variables that most affects the mental health of these students. Therefore, measures should be implemented to encourage this population to maintain adequate levels of physical activity and reduce sedentary times.

The repellent capacity against Sitophilus zeamais and the in vitro inhibition on AChE of 11 essential oils, isolated from six plants of the northern region of Colombia, were assessed using a modified tunnel-type device and the Ellman colorimetric method, respectively. The results were as follows: (i) the degree of repellency (DR) of the EOs against S. zeamais was 20–68% (2 h) and 28–74% (4 h); (ii) the IC₅₀ values on AChE were 5–36 µg/mL; likewise, the %inh. on AChE (1 µg/cm³ per EO) did not show any effect in 91% of the EO tested; (iii) six EOs (Bursera graveolens—bark, B. graveolens—leaves, B. simaruba—bark, Peperomia pellucida—leaves, Piper holtonii (1b*)—leaves, and P. reticulatum—leaves) exhibited a DR (53–74%) ≥ C⁺ (chlorpyrifos—61%), while all EOs were less active (8–60-fold) on AChE compared to chlorpyrifos (IC₅₀ of 0.59 µg/mL). Based on the ANOVA/linear regression and multivariate analysis of data, some differences/similarities could be established, as well as identifying the most active EOs (five: B. simaruba—bark, Pep. Pellucida—leaves, P. holtonii (1b*)—leaves, B. graveolens—bark, and B. graveolens—leaves). Finally, these EOs were constituted by spathulenol (24%)/β-selinene (18%)/caryophyllene oxide (10%)—B. simaruba; carotol (44%)/dillapiole (21%)—Pep. pellucida; dillapiole (81% confirmed by ¹H-/¹³C-NMR)—P. holtonii; mint furanone derivative (14%)/mint furanone (14%)—B. graveolens—bark; limonene (17%)/carvone (10%)—B. graveolens—leaves.

Background: Ageism is a growing concern in aging societies and can affect future professionals’ attitudes toward older adults. Objective: To analyze the association between attitudes toward old age, self-perceptions of aging, and contact with older adults in the community among students at a private university in Chile. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 515 university students aged 18 to 42 years from 11 campuses of Santo Tomás University in Chile. Attitudes toward older adults were assessed using the Kogan’s Attitudes toward Older People Scale (KAOP), and additional data on self-perceptions of health and aging, and contact with grandparents or older adults, were collected through a self-designed questionnaire. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc comparisons. Results: A majority of students (61.2%) exhibited low-level positive attitudes toward older adults. Female students and those aged 26–42 years had significantly more positive attitudes than male and younger students (p < 0.05). Students with a healthier self-perception of aging (p = 0.011) and those who maintained contact with grandparents or older adults (p = 0.006) showed significantly more favorable attitudes toward aging. Nationality was also associated with attitudes, with Chilean students scoring higher than their foreign counterparts. Conclusions: Positive attitudes toward older adults among university students were associated with gender, age, self-perception of aging, and intergenerational contact. These findings highlight the importance of integrating educational and intergenerational programs in higher education to reduce ageism and promote respectful and inclusive perceptions of aging.

In the past few years, the level of physical fitness in children has decreased globally. According to the SIMCE test carried out in 2015, 45% of 8th year students in Chile were overweight. Moreover, international studies have shown that being overweight is associated with the development of chronic illnesses, negatively affecting cognitive mechanisms and processes. Nevertheless, there is little to no evidence that analyzes the relationship between physical fitness and executive functions in students, at a national level. The aim was to analyze the relationship between cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and motor fitness, and performance in an executive functions test, in students from a public school in the south of Chile. A qualitative, descriptive –correlational, non-experimental, and cross-sectional approach was used. In total, 100 students between 9 and 12 and 11 months of age from a public school in the south of Chile completed the physical fitness assessments through the ALPHA fitness test, and 81 students completed the executive function assessments through the ENFEN test. It was evidenced that students who achieved a longer duration of time and a later stage in the Course Navette test, more centimeters in the standing broad jump (SBJ) test, and a shorter duration in the 4 × 10 shuttle run obtained a better score in the gray trail test. Additionally, students who presented a stronger dominant handgrip scored higher in the colored trail tests. We conclude that students who show a higher level of physical fitness also present a better development of executive functions such as working memory and inhibitory control. In addition, these results suggest physical condition is a factor to consider for better cognitive and school performance.

Empathy is considered a key factor in patient satisfaction, treatment adherence, clinical outcomes, and professional fulfillment. Consequently, training health sciences students in empathy has become a priority in universities worldwide. However, empathy-focused interventions have not achieved the desired success due to the complex nature of empathy. Both internal and external factors shape and influence empathy. Resilience has been proposed as one such factor, but the association between these two concepts is poorly understood. This study aims to evaluate the association between different dimensions of resilience and empathy in health science students. A Cross-sectional analysis evaluated the levels of empathy and resilience in 993 Medical, Nursing, and Dentistry students at Universidad del Norte using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Students (JSE-HPS) and the Ecological, Engineering, Adaptation (EEA) Resilience Scale. Data were examined through univariate and multivariate normality analyses and descriptive statistics. To evaluate the theoretical structure of empathy and resilience, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on the three-dimensional models of each construct. Reliability was established using the Omega coefficient. Finally, structural equation modeling (SEM) with a robust maximum likelihood estimator was applied to analyze the association between resilience and empathy. The normal distribution assumptions were largely met for empathy scale data, its respective dimensions, and individual items. The theoretical model was well-supported for both constructs, and the data suggested acceptable reliability. SEM analysis revealed that the association between empathy and resilience dimensions vary. Ecological resilience was positively correlated with all empathy dimensions while engineering and adaptative resilience were negatively correlated with all three dimensions of empathy. There is no universal effect of resilience on empathy. Designers of empathy-focused educational interventions and researchers should consider the potential differential effects of different dimensions of resilience on different aspects of empathy. In particular, focusing on ecological resilience may create the conditions for achieved empathy to be expressed, while strategies to mitigate the potential negative impact of adaptive resilience on empathy should be further explored.

Background: Teachers are considered potential empathetic mentors who can serve as positive role models in the development of empathy skills among students in health sciences disciplines, positively influencing their relationships with healthy or ill individuals. Objective: To estimate and classify the levels of empathy among health sciences professors in Latin America and compare their distribution by gender. Methods: This was a descriptive- analytical cross-sectional study design, involving 1,128 health sciences professors from six Latin American countries. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Health Professions version (JSE-HP) was administered. Descriptive statistics were applied, along with confirmatory factor analysis (using the WLSMV estimator) and analysis of variance by gender. Empathy levels were calculated based on established cut-off points. Results: More that half of the professors showed empathy levels in the medium to very low range. Measurement invariance by gender was supported. Statistically significant but small differences were observed, with women scoring slightly higher in Perspective Taking dimension and overall empathy. Conclusion: Health sciences faculty in Latin America showed predominantly moderate empathy levels with small gender differences. These findings emphasize the need to strengthen empathy support in academic settings.