text: ABSTRAC Introduction: The burning of solid fuels in traditional stoves, in rural homes in Peru, is an important source of exposure to toxins; however, women perceive it positively. Objectives: To characterize a rural community from a socioeconomic and sociocultural perspective to interpret the circumstances related to the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in women. Methods: Qualitative research in 60 rural homes in La Esperanza, Ancash, Peru, in which traditional stoves were used and whose housewives had a high prevalence of respiratory symptoms. To describe the environmental quality of the kitchen, carbon monoxide was measured, and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms was investigated with the participants, and forced vital capacity tests were performed. The hygienic-sanitary conditions of the dwellings were evaluated through a guide and focus groups were organized to collect information about the perceptions of the women. Results: Due to the polluting conditions and daily practices, the kitchen was an area of high vulnerability for respiratory health. A low perception of the health risk associated with the use of traditional kitchens was revealed. The persistence of respiratory symptoms was considered as something natural. Conclusions: What women believe about their respiratory symptoms is fundamental to their usual way of acting. In this sense, the findings contribute to guiding the implementation of new strategies for the prevention of respiratory symptoms, in order to modify some of the socioeconomic and sociocultural circumstances that condition them.
  ABSTRACT Introduction: Talent management as a specific activity within the processes of the comprehensive human capital management has been barely studied in the field of the Cuban health services. Objective: To assess the human talent management in a hospital area. Method: Evaluative research conducted in January 2015 at the Specialized Outpatient Service Center of Cienfuegos province. The criteria-based intentional sample was made up of 32 workers. An expert-validated ad hoc questionnaire was used to explore 68 items related to performance evaluation, motivators for work stability, successful practice predictors, organizational culture and leadership style. Some answer-based value judgments, according to a preset scale, were made. Results: Positive value judgments on the talent management prevailed. There were reserves for improvement in the knowledge management evaluation in workers and the self-fulfillment requirements. Work stability, little autonomy for decision-making, and available spare time were not stimulating. Less developing success predictors were publications and perception of recognition by peers. In the studied group, 78.1% questioned their level of intelligence. Availability of resources was a restriction for talent development. Most of them considered that the compensation for their efforts was precarious, red tape may be excessive and that the directors ‘management was aimed to the development of talent. Conclusions: Perception of the human talent management in the institution was positive but there are still reserves for improvement to be identified.
  ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a sexual education strategy targeted in university students in Ecuador. Methods Quasi-experimental before/after research study with a control group. The pre and post-test instrument as well as the evaluating scales for answers and categories of the study were designed. Through the multistage stratified sampling, 40 students from the Faculty of Public Health (study group) and 40 from the rest of faculties (control group) were selected. Results The comparisons of the study and the control groups and of the moments related to the implementation of the strategy behaved as expected. There were significant changes in students in terms of the healthy sexual behavior-generating variables in the study group before and after the strategy, and there were also significant differences between the study and the control groups after it; at the same time, homogeneity had been observed between the groups before the strategy and the before/after moments of the control group. The level of development of lifetime skills was high; even some of them were perceived as being fully attained by all the participants. From the students’ perception, the strategy was a positive enriching contribution since it encouraged the acquisition of knowledge, know-hows and skills, self/care and responsibility, sexuality diversity, desirable human conditions and values and communication about sexuality. Conclusions The sexual education strategy for university students is effective, which endorses its use under real life conditions and other similar settings, with a view to supporting changes in the healthy sexual behavior-generating factors.
  Anthropological approaches in the public health, despite their insufficient extension, are based on the need of interpreting the relationship between the health-disease-care process and culture and the society. After the Second World War, medical anthropology began playing a role and managed to take shape as both a theoretical and practical discipline, with many uses for and by the public health. The objectives of this paper were to argument and to discuss the reasons behind the relevance and applicability of medical anthropology in the public health. To this end, an analytical-critical substantiation on appropriateness and applicability of medical anthropology in the field of public health and on its potential uses was submitted. Regarding Cuba, the insertion of medical anthropology in the field of public health is still inadequate despite its many potential applications. It is then necessary to increase the presence of social sciences in general and of medical anthropology in particular into the curricular formation of the public health sciences as well as the application of its practical approaches in research studies and actions to be developed in this field.