Cirilo Humberto García Cadena

Effect of Tai Chi Practice on Stress, Self-Esteem, and Perceived Life Expectancy and a Structural Model of Relation Among These Variables Taking Into Account Age

The aims of this article were to (a) investigate whether practicing Tai Chi has an effect on stress, self-esteem, and perceived life expectancy and (b) contrast a structural model of relation between the three latter variables taking into account age. One scale to assess stress, another scale to assess perceived life expectancy, and the 10-item Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale were administrated to a nonprobability sample of 86 Tai Chi practitioners and 91 sedentary persons. Tai Chi practitioners had a lower level of stress, a greater self-esteem, and a greater perceived life expectancy than sedentary persons. Self-esteem had an effect on stress and perceived life expectancy, and stress had an effect on perceived life expectancy in both Tai Chi practitioners and sedentary persons. Age was correlated to self-esteem among sedentary persons, but not among Tai Chi practitioners. Age had a direct effect on perceived life expectancy among Tai Chi practitioners, but not among sedentary persons. It is concluded that Tai Chi practice has a beneficial effect on stress, perceived life expectancy, and self-esteem.The aims of this article were to (a) investigate whether practicing Tai Chi has an effect on stress, self-esteem, and perceived life expectancy and (b) contrast a structural model of relation between the three latter variables taking into account age. One scale to assess stress, another scale to assess perceived life expectancy, and the 10-item Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale were administrated to a nonprobability sample of 86 Tai Chi practitioners and 91 sedentary persons. Tai Chi practitioners had a lower level of stress, a greater self-esteem, and a greater perceived life expectancy than sedentary persons. Self-esteem had an effect on stress and perceived life expectancy, and stress had an effect on perceived life expectancy in both Tai Chi practitioners and sedentary persons. Age was correlated to self-esteem among sedentary persons, but not among Tai Chi practitioners. Age had a direct effect on perceived life expectancy among Tai Chi practitioners, but not among sedentary persons. It is concluded that...

POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS EN MATERIA DE SALUD EN MÉXICO, CON ESPECIAL ÉNFASIS EN EL PERIODO 1994-2000

En el presente ensayo teorico se analiza la evolucion de las politicas publicas en materia de salud en Mexico, con especial enfasis en las propuestas formuladas por el gobierno federal del Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon en el periodo 1994-2000. Se discute si esas politicas se tradujeron en una mejora en la condicion de salud de los mexicanos o en un incremento en las tasas de mortalidad, en particular las relacionadas con las enfermedades cronicas no transmisibles (i.e., del corazon, tumores malignos y diabetes, principalmente).In the current theoretical essay we analyze the evolution of public health policies in Mexico, with special emphasis on the proposals put forward by the federal government of Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon during the period 1994-2000. We discuss whether these health policies brought about an improvement the health of Mexicans, or whether they produced an increase in the mortality rate, especially from deaths caused by non-communicable diseases (principally, heart diseases, malignant tumors and diabetes)

Validación de la escala de ansiedad en la interacción social en estudiantes universitarios mexicanos

Objective . The purpose of this research was to validate the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS-20; Mattick & Clarke, 1998) with a student population of a Mexican university. In particular, the intention was to validate the unidimensional structure of the SIAS-20, calculate its internal consistency, describe its distribution, compare differences in averages between genders, prove its criterion validity with the social phobia factor of the anxiety and social phobia inventory ([SPAI] of Turner, Beidel, Dancu & Stanley, 1989) and its convergent validity with the Self-Statements During Public Speaking Scale ([SSPS] of Hofmann & DiBartolo, 2000), as well as studying its relationship with a social desirability inventory (Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding [BIDR]; Paulhus, 1998). Method . A probabilistic sample of college students stratified by sex was collected. Results . Excluding the three negatively-keyed items of the SIAS-20, the single-factor model showed a good fit. Also, the internal consistency of the SIAS-17 was high, and its distribution was positively skewed. The averages were statistically equivalent between men and women. The scale showed criterion validity with the SPAI and convergent validity with the SSPS. The correlation with social desirability was low. Conclusion . In conclusion, the scale is valid for use with the Mexican university student population. It is recommend that future studies focus on its standardization by percentiles in Mexico, as well as in other Spanish-speaking countries.

Modelos Predictivos de Homonegatividad Internalizada en Estudiantes de Ciencias de la Salud

The aims of this paper were to describe and predict the level of internalized homonegativity, considering variables on socio-demographic data, sexual life, social life, and clinic aspects. An interview questionnaire and the Internalized Homonegativity Scale were applied to a non-probability sample of 231 students of health sciences; 121 were women and 103 men. Ordinal regression models were calculated. Low internalized homonegativity was found in 38% of participants, ambiguity in 45%, and rejection in 17%. The HNI-16 total score correlated with sexual orientation, religion, and having gay friends. The factor of rejection toward the public manifestation of homosexuality correlated with having gay friends, gender, self-defined sexual orientation, religion, and number of sexual partners. The factor of rejection toward own homosexual feelings, desires, and identity correlated with self-defined sexual orientation, religion, number of sexual partners, and sexually active years. The factor related to the qualification of homosexual persons as promiscuous persons correlated with self-defined sexual orientation, having started couple sexual life, religion, and sexually active years. The variables that predicted lower internalized homonegativity were nonheterosexual orientation, religious adscription different from Christian and Catholic, and having gay friends. Additionally, female gender predicted greater acceptance toward the public manifestation of homosexuality, and having started couple sexual life predicted greater stigmatization of homosexuals as promiscuous persons. It is discussed that in these relationships are involved aspects of congruence with constructed personal identity, positive experience with the stigmatized object, and a cultural attitude that stigmatizes male homosexuality more than female homosexuality. Among these university students, once they have started their couple sexual life, their greater certainty on the opinion of that homosexual persons are promiscuous and incapable of intimacy might respond to a projective defense mechanism triggered by heterosexist values, which put sexuality at the service of reproduction and parenting, and not at the service of experimentation and pleasure. It is concluded that the rejection level is considerable, and thus it is suggested working on these variables in the workshops of acceptance toward sexual diversity.