To determine whether condom access is associated with consistent condom use among FSWs in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, between 2004 and 2006 we administered a questionnaire to 924 FSWs who reported unprotected sex with a client in the past two months. Of these women, 43% reported consistent ("often" or "always") condom use; 74% said condoms were available; and 38% reported having access to free condoms. In a logistic regression, factors positively associated with consistent condom use were condom availability (AdjOR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.32-3.03), condom affordability (AdjOR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.25-2.38) and self-efficacy (AdjOR = 2.16; 95% CI: 1.54-3.04). Factors inversely associated with consistent condom use included poor financial status (AdjOR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47-0.90), methamphetamine use (AdjOR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.40-0.83), alcohol use (AdjOR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.49-0.96), and recent injection drug use (AdjOR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.39-0.97). While increased condom availability may improve condom use among FSWs in general, interventions to broaden condom use among lower-income and drug-using FSWs are critically needed. Keywordsfemale sex workers; condom use; prevention; HIV/AIDS; behavioral interventions; Mexico According to the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), unprotected sex is the main vehicle of HIV transmission in Mexico and Latin America (Cohen, 2006;ONUSIDA, 2008). In 2008, the Mexican state of Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is located, ranked fifth nationally with an HIV prevalence of 0.5%, while Baja California, where Tijuana is located, ranked 7th at 0.4%; both rates stand well above Mexico's national prevalence of 0.3% (CENSIDA, 2008 The sex work industry thrives in many cities of northern Mexico, with female sex workers (FSWs) frequently servicing clients from both the United States and Mexico. FSWs are considered a high risk group for acquiring and transmitting HIV (Jimenez, Lara, & Rosado, 2001;, and HIV prevalence among FSWs in the Mexico-U.S. border region is increasing. In 1997, only 0.6% of FSWs tested positive for HIV (del Rio & Sepúlveda, 2002); by 2008, 6.0% tested positive . Factors such as low socioeconomic status, migration, low education levels, drug use, and knowledge and perceptions about HIV and condom use all have been linked to risky sexual behaviors among FSWs (Basuki et al., 2002;Cohen, 2006;Dandona et al., 2005;Jimenez et al., 2001;Patterson et al., 2006b;Rhodes et al., 2007;Strathdee, Lozada, Semple, et al., 2008). However, condom access also plays a role, particularly in developing countries, because FSWs must have access to condoms in order to use them consistently (Morris, Morris, & Ferguson, 2009).Consistent condom use plays a vital role in preventing sexual transmission of HIV and has consequently become the primary focus of interventions targeting vulnerable groups such as FSWs (Cohen, 1999;Kayembe et al., 2008; ONUSIDA, 2001;Zhao, Wang, Fang, Li, & Stanton, 2008). In Mexico, the Secretariat of Health, through the national HIV/AIDS program, promotes condom use and ...

Objective: To assess the prevalence of the oral lesions related to HIV-infection (HIV-OL) in HIV+/AIDS adolescents (=13 years old), and the differences with HIV+/AIDS children (=3 -<13 years old) perinatally infected. Material and methods: 25 HIV+/AIDS adolescents and 62 HIV+/AIDS children, undergoing Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, were orally examined. HIV-OL was diagnosed in accordance with EC-Clearinghouse-World Health Organization. The patients were classified with respect to their immune status in relation with the CD4+ cell counts as moderately immunodeficient; mildly immunodeficient and severely immunodeficient in accordance to the revised surveillance case definitions for HIV infection among adults, adolescents, and children aged <18 months and for HIV infection and AIDS among children aged 18 months to <13 years (CDC-USA). The virological status was established in relation to the copies of RNA-HIV-1/mL as follows: with undetectable viral load (UDVL); with low viral load and with high viral load. A chi-square test was performed (p<0.05IC95%). Results: The prevalence of HIV-OL in HIV+/AIDS adolescents was 20% while in HIV/AIDS children was 30.6% (p>0.05). Oral candidiasis was the most prevalent oral lesion in both groups. Association (p <0.05) of a high prevalence of HIV-OL and oral candidiasis with a high viral load was observed in both study groups. Conclusions: Adolescents perinatally HIV-infected have a high prevalence of HIV-OL. Oral candidiasis still is the most frequent oral opportunistic infection. Oral lesions could have association to viral failure in HIV+/AIDS adolescents undergoing HAART.

To analyze the profile, perceptions and motivations of Community Health Workers (CHWs) from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the border city of US-Mexico and to describe the type of community interventions they perform. we surveyed 121 CHWs from 9 NGOs participating in a monthly meeting between May and July of 2009. Each participating CHW answered a structured questionnaire. Furthermore, two focus groups were held, in which 10 and 8 CHWs participated, respectively. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were carried out on the data obtained. 70% of the CHWs had 9 years or less of formal education. With respect to community work, 61% volunteered between 1 and 5 h weekly; only 40% received some form of economic support. The most commonly reported activities were distribution of informational materials (59.5%) and promotion of health fairs (52.9%). Analysis of focus group discussions lead to the development of four conceptual categories: personal development, motivation, perception of their community participation and institutional relationship, some of the testimonies are "…just because the people do not respond does not mean we give up. No, we must work, persist, promote and raise awareness of the people…", "…when they compensate us, it is not really a payment. We are there because we get results, we do it happily… It is voluntary…" CHWs are an important human resource for communities. Institutions focusing on primary care should view these community players as social capital, which could improve the effectiveness of prevention strategies and achieve greater coverage of health services.

Objectives:Determine prevalence of obesity / overweight, physical activity (PA) and prediabetes in adult children of parents with type 2 diabetes; identify differences according to sociodemographic variables, and describe the relationship of obesity/overweight with fasting glucose (FG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C). Methods:Cross-sectional study in 30 Mexican families with 53 participating adult children. Obesity / overweight was determined with Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC) and body fat percentage (BFP); PA with the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and prediabetes with FG. Results:64% of participants presented obesity / overweight, 32% low PA, and 19% prediabetes. Men had higher WC than women (U= 219, p= 0.03). Women showed more BFP than men (U= 142, p <0.01). Blood glucose was related to BFP (rs= 0.336, p < 0.05), the A1C with the BMI (rs= 0.417, p <0.01), WC (rs= 0.394, p<0.01), BFP (rs= 0.494, p<0.01) and intense PA (rs= - 0.285, p<0.05). Conclusions:High prevalence of obesity / overweight and low PA were found. The FG was related only to BFP and A1C, in addition to BMI, WC and inversely with intense BP. It is recommended to modify the educational strategies of nursing at a family level.

Introduction. Between 1999-2007, the U.S. deported 4.8 million migrants to Mexico; of these, 1.1 million migrants were deported to the border city of Tijuana, Baja California. Deportees are often returned to unfamiliar communities where they may experience emotional and socioeconomic stressors that may raise their risk for engaging in unsafe behaviors. Objective. This exploratory study describes adaptation to the post-deportation environment among Mexican-born injection drug-using women. Method. In 2008, we conducted qualitative interviews in Tijuana with 12 women reporting U.S. deportation. Our analytic framework focused on acculturation stress, adaptation and social capital in relation to HIV risk, considering a gender perspective. Results. We found that the stress caused by the deportation experience and acclimating to the post-deportation community may have contributed to the women’s participation in high-risk HIV behaviors (e.g., unprotected sex, sex work). Female deportees reported limited access to post-deportation social capital resources (e.g., social support, healthy social networks). Social factors (e.g., discrimination, lack of a government identification) challenged women’s resettlement and likely contributed to economic and health vulnerabilities. Discussion and conclusion. These preliminary findings suggest that deportees may benefit from organized services at repatriation, including mental health screening. Macro-level interventions that address stigma and facilitate deportees’ economic integration may help stem engagement in risk behaviors.

Introduction. During their professional training, medical students are subject to diverse stress-causing factors such as academic demands and a highly competitive environment which may threaten their mental health. Objective. Identify the presence of depressive symptoms in medical students in a public university in Mexico. Method. Descriptive cross-sectional study of a random sample of 203 medical students at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California from February to April 2018. The PHQ - 9 scale was used, and a cut-off score of ≥ 10 was employed as positive for depressive symptoms. Basic descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze sociodemographic variables such as gender, academic advancement, stage of training (basic science vs. clinical), and the prevalence of the five different categories of the scale. Results. Of the medical students surveyed, 20.2% were found positive for depressive symptoms and 7.9% (16) had severe or moderately severe symptoms. Female gender increased the risk of presenting symptoms (OR = 3.5, 95% CI [1.6, 7.6]). Discussion. Despite the fact that the prevalence of depressive symptoms encountered was similar to that reported worldwide, it is troubling that one fifth of the surveyed students presented depressive symptoms. These results may justify implementation of preventive strategies by academic authorities to improve student mental health, and maybe even for early detection of risk of major depressive disorder.

In order to identify the presence of lead in glazed ceramic pots in a Mexico-US border city, 41 clay pots were sampled. The pots were purchased in several establishments located in different geographical areas of the city. The presence of lead was determined using LeadCheck Swabs. Most (58.5%) of the pots were from the State of Jalisco and 24.4% were of unknown origin. Only 4 pots did not contain varnish and were lead-negative. Thirty-seven (81.1%) of the glazed pots were lead positive. Among the lead-negative pots, 4 showed the label “this pot is lead-free.” Thus, if we consider the remaining 33 glazed pots without the “Lead-Free” label, 90.9% were lead-positive and only 9.1% were lead-negative. We also found that earthenware glazed utensils without the “Lead-Free” label were 1.6 times more likely to contain lead (OR: 1.6, 95% CI 1.0–2.5), P = 0.003. We concluded that lead was detected in almost all acquired food containers. Government interventions in Mexico have focused on training manufacturers to make lead-free glazed ceramics but it has been difficult to eradicate this practice. Educational interventions to make and acquire lead-free glazed ceramics should be targeted to both sellers and buyers.

Objective: To explain the e ect of the context, routines and family functioning on the health of Mexican families where a member su ers from Type 2 Diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: Cross-correlational design; after prior informed consent, recruitment and data collection were carried out between January and April 2015. e sample included 60 family dyads (n = 120), consisting of a person with 2DM and a family caregiver, between 18 and 66 years old, without gender distinction, who had lived in the same home for at least one year and attended a consultation in a health institution in Mexico during 2015.e family context was measured with a card, two scales measured routines, family functioning and health. Results: ere were more women (64.2%), aged 47.5 (± 11.5), with 7.2 years (± 4.4) of schooling; patients diagnosed 11.5 years ago (± 8.4), under treatment for 9.2 years (± 8.6). Signi cant interrelations were found between the context variables (age, years of study, diagnosis and treatment time), routines, and functioning regarding family health (all between p≤ .0001 and p ≤ .005). Functioning explained 39.1% and routines 18.8% of the family health variance (adjusted R 2 = .391; F (1.118) = 77.4 p≤ .0001; adjusted R 2 = .188; F (1.118) = 28.6 p≤ .0001). Functioning also explained the variance of routines in 19.3% (R 2 = .193; F (1.118) = 28.1 p≤ .0001). Conclusions: Family health is signi cantly related to the context, routines and functioning of family dyads living with type 2 diabetes. In addition, family health is signi cantly in uenced by routines and family functioning.