Validation of TMMS-24 in Three Spanish-Speaking Countries: Argentina, Ecuador, and Spain.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a fundamental skill related to different aspects of human life, such as psychological well-being or mood states. The present study has a triple objective: first, to explore the psychometric properties of the TMMS-24 in three Spanish-speaking countries (Argentina, Ecuador, and Spain); second, to examine the relation of EI with mood and avoidance of responsibility; and finally, to analyse the influence of sex, age and national differences on EI. The relevance of this study is given by the need for tools to assess EI in different cultures. A sample of 1048 adults (Mage = 21.11 years, SD = 5.84; 52.3% male) was selected by convenience sampling. The psychometric properties of the TMMS-24 were adequate, and the Spanish sample showed lower levels of EI than the Argentinian and Ecuadorian ones. EI was associated with mood and the avoidance of responsibility, with higher levels in women in all cases. Regarding the national and sex-specific differences, the Spanish sample showed significant differences in attention and repair, with men exhibiting higher scores in attention and women having higher scores in repair. In the Argentinean sample, no significant differences were found, and in the Ecuadorian one, women presented higher scores in attention than men. The TMMS-24 can be considered a useful, practical tool to assess EI in adults in different cultures and with different languages.

Cross-cultural validation of the Mood Questionnaire in three Spanish-speaking countries Argentina, Ecuador, and Spain.

This study validates the Mood Questionnaire for adults in three Spanish-speaking countries: Argentina, Ecuador, and Spain. It then analyzes the influence of gender and cultural differences on mood, and whether there is a relationship between mood, emotional intelligence, and the Avoidance of Responsibility. A convenience sample of 1048 adults, with a middle-class socioeconomic background, was selected from three Spanish-speaking countries (Spain, Argentina, and Ecuador). The psychometric properties of the Mood Questionnaire are adequate, which is particularly interesting given the need for transcultural tools to evaluate moods. Moreover, the mood was associated with avoidance of responsibility and emotional intelligence. In addition, differences in mood were observed according to country and gender. These findings are interesting because the Spanish version of the Mood Questionnaire has been validated for children but not for adults, and it compares three Spanish-speaking countries. The use of this diagnostic tool with Spanish adults can be justified according to these results.

Gasto público y salud en el mundo, 1990-2012 / A Public expenditure and world's health, 1990-2012

Introducción: La evidencia empírica dispar relacionada con el efecto del gasto público en materia sanitaria puede deberse a las importantes variaciones metodológicas de los estudios y a las diferencias significativas en la forma en que el gasto público influye dependiendo del nivel de desarrollo de los países. Objetivo: Determinar la relación entre el gasto público total del Gobierno general y la mortalidad infantil y la esperanza de vida. Métodos: Investigación realizada en una muestra de 78 países segmentada por niveles de renta, desde 1990 hasta 2012. Se constituyeron cinco submuestras de países divididos por su nivel de renta mediante un procedimiento de agrupación no jerárquico de k-medias. Se verificó la procedencia de la segmentación mediante el test de Chow. Para cada una de las submuestras construidas, se estimó el modelo correspondiente por mínimos cuadrados generales lineales y un test de cointegración. Resultados: En las submuestras superiores en nivel de renta, la salud se relacionó significativa y consistentemente con el gasto público. Sin embargo, en los países de renta inferior-baja, el coeficiente del gasto presentó un signo contrario al esperado. Conclusiones: Se demuestra un impacto positivo y de largo plazo entre el gasto público y la situación sanitaria. Sin embargo, para los países de menor renta, este parece haber superado su punto óptimo, lo que indicaría su ineficiencia en términos sanitarios. Se conjetura que lo anterior se debe a la baja capacidad institucional de estos países, lo que impide que un mayor gasto obtenga mejores resultados sanitarios(AU)

Introduction: The disparate empirical evidence related with the effect of public expenditure on health may be due to the significant methodological variations of the studies, as well as the significant differences in the way in which public expenditure influences depending on the level of development of the countries. Objective: To determine the relation among the total public expenditure of the General Government, and infant mortality and life expectancy. Methods: Research project carried out with a sample of 78 countries segmented by income levels from 1990 to 2012. By means of a non - hierarchical grouping of k - media, five sub-samples of countries were formed and divided by their income level. The origin of the segmentation was verified by means of the Chow test. Linear GLS and a cointegration test were applied on each subsample. Results: In the upper subsamples at the income level, health was significantly and consistently related to public expenditure. However, in the lower-low income countries, the expenditure coefficient showed a sign opposite to that expected. Conclusions: There is evidence of a positive and long-term impact among public expenditure and the health situation. However, for lower income countries, this seems to have surpassed its optimum point, which would indicate its inefficiency in sanitary terms. It is conjectured that this is due to the low institutional capacity of these countries, which hampers that greater expenditure obtains better sanitary results(AU)

Gasto público y salud en el mundo, 1990-2012 / A Public expenditure and world's health, 1990-2012

Introducción: La evidencia empírica dispar relacionada con el efecto del gasto público en materia sanitaria puede deberse a las importantes variaciones metodológicas de los estudios y a las diferencias significativas en la forma en que el gasto público influye dependiendo del nivel de desarrollo de los países. Objetivo: Determinar la relación entre el gasto público total del Gobierno general y la mortalidad infantil y la esperanza de vida. Métodos: Investigación realizada en una muestra de 78 países segmentada por niveles de renta, desde 1990 hasta 2012. Se constituyeron cinco submuestras de países divididos por su nivel de renta mediante un procedimiento de agrupación no jerárquico de k-medias. Se verificó la procedencia de la segmentación mediante el test de Chow. Para cada una de las submuestras construidas, se estimó el modelo correspondiente por mínimos cuadrados generales lineales y un test de cointegración. Resultados: En las submuestras superiores en nivel de renta, la salud se relacionó significativa y consistentemente con el gasto público. Sin embargo, en los países de renta inferior-baja, el coeficiente del gasto presentó un signo contrario al esperado. Conclusiones: Se demuestra un impacto positivo y de largo plazo entre el gasto público y la situación sanitaria. Sin embargo, para los países de menor renta, este parece haber superado su punto óptimo, lo que indicaría su ineficiencia en términos sanitarios. Se conjetura que lo anterior se debe a la baja capacidad institucional de estos países, lo que impide que un mayor gasto obtenga mejores resultados sanitarios(AU)

Introduction: The disparate empirical evidence related with the effect of public expenditure on health may be due to the significant methodological variations of the studies, as well as the significant differences in the way in which public expenditure influences depending on the level of development of the countries. Objective: To determine the relation among the total public expenditure of the General Government, and infant mortality and life expectancy. Methods: Research project carried out with a sample of 78 countries segmented by income levels from 1990 to 2012. By means of a non - hierarchical grouping of k - media, five sub-samples of countries were formed and divided by their income level. The origin of the segmentation was verified by means of the Chow test. Linear GLS and a cointegration test were applied on each subsample. Results: In the upper subsamples at the income level, health was significantly and consistently related to public expenditure. However, in the lower-low income countries, the expenditure coefficient showed a sign opposite to that expected. Conclusions: There is evidence of a positive and long-term impact among public expenditure and the health situation. However, for lower income countries, this seems to have surpassed its optimum point, which would indicate its inefficiency in sanitary terms. It is conjectured that this is due to the low institutional capacity of these countries, which hampers that greater expenditure obtains better sanitary results(AU)