Little has been studied in Peru on the mental health repercussions after a major earthquake. We aimed to explore the factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms in people who experienced a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Piura, Peru, on 30 July 2021. A preliminary cross-sectional study was conducted in the general population between August–September 2021. An online questionnaire was provided using PHQ-9, GAD-7, and other relevant measures. Generalized linear models were applied. Of the 177 participants, the median age was 22 years, the majority were female (56%), and many experienced depressive (52%) or anxiety symptoms (52%). Presence of depressive symptoms was associated with a personal history of mental disorder, moderate housing damage, social/material support from politicians, moderate food insecurity, and insomnia. Presence of anxiety symptoms was associated with physical injury caused by the earthquake, mild food insecurity, and insomnia. The development of depressive and anxiety symptoms following the 2021 earthquake experienced in Piura depended on multiple individual and socioeconomic factors. Additional studies should reinforce the factors identified here given the methodological limitations, such as the study design, sampling method, and sample size. This would lead to effective intervention measures to mitigate the impact of earthquakes on mental health.

In Peru, major disasters like the 2007 Pisco earthquake have produced high rates of post-traumatic stress. However, evidence is still needed to strengthen interventions. In 2021, a major earthquake struck Piura, in northern Peru. In this context, we aimed to assess the prevalence of PTSD and its associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted during August–September 2021 in people who experienced the 6.1 Piura earthquake on 30 July 2021. The questionnaire included the PCL-C, CD-RISC, ISI, HFIAS, and additional demographic data. Generalized linear models were used. The prevalence of PTSD was 20.3%. Household income was between PEN 2001 and 3000 (PR = 4.26, 95% CI: 1.08–16.75), smoking (PR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.03–6.01), experience of a nervous breakdown (PR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.09–3.09), moderate food insecurity (PR = 2.91, 95% CI: 1.10–7.73), and severe insomnia (PR = 8.25, 95% CI: 2.22–30.71) increased the prevalence of PTSD. One out of five individuals experienced post-traumatic stress symptoms after the 2021 earthquake in Piura, which varies depending on socioeconomic, psychosocial, and individual factors. Further research should strengthen these findings to ensure a fair and early mental health intervention against new seismic events in this and other Peruvian regions.

IntroductionPiura, located in a seismic zone, faces challenges related to food security. The aim of this study was to analyze aspects related to food insecurity in the region following the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that occurred in 2021, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA secondary analysis was performed in 177 people exposed to the earthquake in Piura. Food insecurity was assessed with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Its association with insomnia, resilience, anxiety/depressive symptoms, and general variables were determined using generalized linear models.ResultsFood insecurity was observed in 31.1% (95% CI: 24.3–38.4) of participants. This prevalence was higher in people with mild (PR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.12–2.70) and moderate (PR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.09–2.22) anxiety symptoms, severe depressive symptoms (PR: 2.74, 95% CI: 1.24–6.03), and previous exposure to the El Niño Phenomenon (PR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.06–2.81). An income higher than 5000 Peruvian soles (approximately 1300 US dollars) was associated with a lower prevalence of food insecurity (PR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.13–0.40).ConclusionsOverall, three out of 10 individuals experienced food insecurity after the 2021 earthquake in Piura. Food insecurity may be aggravated by mental disorders, previous exposure to the El Niño phenomenon, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study contributes to the field by exploring a range of variables related to food insecurity in a unique context: post-earthquake and during the COVID-19 health emergency in Peru. These findings enhance our understanding of food insecurity at the regional level and highlight the need for preventive food security programs in seismic events.

Information on the prevention of earthquakes in Peru, a high-risk country, is still emerging. We determined the frequency and factors associated with knowledge of evacuation routes and the use of emergency backpacks in people affected by a major earthquake. A cross-sectional study using secondary data was conducted from August–December 2021 on people that experienced the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Piura, Peru on 30 July 2021. The outcome was self-reported knowledge of evacuation routes and the use of emergency backpacks. The association with self-reported earthquake preparation training, use of sources of information on earthquakes, and sociodemographic variables was investigated. A total of 69.5% of participants knew evacuation routes, and 46.3% had an emergency backpack. A higher frequency of knowledge of evacuation routes was associated with previous training (PR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.15–1.87), use of the media (PR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.06–1.72), having received information from the COEN (PR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.02–1.40), and with a greater number of household members (PR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01–1.06). There is a high frequency of knowledge of evacuation routes among participants. However, basic notions of prevention culture are still needed. This research contributes to policy development on earthquake preparation at the community level.

BACKGROUND The Peruvian National Licensing Medical Examination (ENAM) is an important milestone for Peruvian medical doctors. However, the failure rate almost reaches 60%. Access to high-quality medical education is inequitable. The recent growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses an opportunity to close this breach and improve Peruvian medical education. OBJECTIVE To evaluate ChatGPT 3.5 performance in the Peruvian National Licensing Medical Examination and assess the usefulness of the explanation provided for each correct answer. METHODS The dataset consisted of 180 multiple-choice questions from the 2022 Peruvian National Licensing Medical Examination (ENAM). ChatGPT performance on these questions was evaluated with three prompts: open-ended (OE), multiple-choice questions without justification (MCQ-NJ), and multiple-choice questions with justification (MCQ-J). The quality of the explanations was evaluated by two independent raters. The performance of ChatGPT was compared with the score of 1025 Peruvian junior doctors who took the ENAM in 2023 as a progress test and with the historical mean of Peruvian medical doctors from 2009-2019. RESULTS ChatGPT passed the ENAM on the three prompts with the highest accuracy on the MCQ-J, scoring 77% (139/180). Surpassing the mean score of historical junior doctors (55%) and from junior doctors of 2023 (54%). Among correct answers on MCQ-J, 64% (89/139) provided explanations of good quality. CONCLUSIONS ChatGPT not only passed the ENAM but also outperformed the mean score of Peruvian examinees, raising concerns about the current state of Peruvian medical education. The variable performance across different prompts emphasizes the need for further research on prompt engineering. Although ChatGPT provided good-quality explanations in 64% of correct answers, its use to aid medical education still requires a review process. We anticipate continuous improvement in AI performance, potentially closing the barrier to access to high-quality medical education in the future. CLINICALTRIAL None