Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are important health problems in working populations. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of MSD among school teachers from urban and rural areas in Chuquisaca, Bolivia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 60 randomly selected schools. In total, 1062 teachers were invited to participate (response 58%). The Spanish version of the Standardized Nordic questionnaire was used assessing the 12-months and 7-days prevalence of MSD as well as the 12-months prevalence of work limiting pain. Prevalence were calculated for the different parts of the body; as summary measures, MSD in any part of the body and in ≥3 parts of the body were assessed. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, teaching level and school type. Prevalence of MSD in any part of the body was 86% during the last 12 months, 63% during the last 7 days and 15% for work limiting pain. MSD was most common in the neck (12-months prevalence 47%) and least common in the wrist/hands (26%). In the adjusted model, teachers working in rural areas presented significantly higher odds than teachers from urban schools for work-limiting pain during the last 12-months considering any part of the body (aOR 2.2; 95% CI 1.1–4.1), and for ≥3 parts of the body (aOR 3.7; 95% CI 1.3–10.6). The prevalence of MSD is high in School teachers, even more in teachers working in rural areas. It is needed to identify risk factors for MSD in teachers in order to propose appropriate strategies to control and reduce it.

A body of evidence suggests that vaccines support the development of the immune system and also improve overall health.

Asthma and allergies are world-wide common chronic diseases among children and young people. Little information is available about the prevalence of these diseases in rural areas of Latin America. This study assesses the prevalence of symptoms of asthma and allergies among children in urban and rural areas at Oropeza Province in Bolivia.

In recent years, the prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema symptoms in childhood has considerably increased in developing countries including Bolivia, possibly due to changes in lifestyle, environmental and domestic factors. This study aimed to assess the association between environmental factors and asthma, rhinoconjuctivitis and eczema symptoms in school-aged children from Oropeza Province in Chuquisaca, Bolivia.

Leishmaniasis is common in Colombia, negatively affecting the health of military personnel active in endemic areas. The disease is transmitted by sand fly bites. Therefore, during duty, use of long-sleeved uniforms and other clothes treated with permethrin and application of mosquito repellent are important personal preventive measures. The objective of this study was to assess personal and occupational factors associated with the use of personal protection in male soldiers deployed to Leishmaniasis-endemic areas. Three hundred soldiers participated in a cross-sectional questionnaire study (response 84.3%). The self-administered questionnaire contained questions about sociodemographics, duration of service, compliance with personal mosquito protection, and knowledge about leishmaniasis. Descriptive analyses were followed by multiple logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders (EpiInfo Version 7.0) FINDINGS: Overall, 23% of the soldiers reported complete use of the recommended personal protection measures. About 83% of the participants had heard about leishmaniasis. In the adjusted regression model, knowledge about leishmaniasis (adjusted odds ratio = 2.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.1-7.2) and being enrolled in the army for more than 5 years (2.2; 1.1-4.1) increased the odds of using personal protection. Improving knowledge about leishmaniasis is one measure to increase use of personal protection, thereby diminishing the risk of infection.