Representational Structure of AIDS for Evangelical Religious Leaders / Estrutura Representacional da Aids para Líderes Religiosos Evangélicos

Abstract This study aims to analyze the social representation structure of AIDS for religious leaders of evangelical Pentecostal churches. It is a qualitative and descriptive study based on the structural approach of the Theory of Social Representations, developed with 120 religious leaders. The data were collected through free evocations and analyzed with EVOC software. The terms in the possible central nucleus are sadness, death, and disease. The term sin is an element present in the representational structure of AIDS. It is concluded that the social representation of AIDS for evangelical religious leaders is predominantly negative, similar to that of the emergence of the epidemic.

Resumo Este estudo objetiva analisar a estrutura das representações sociais da aids para os líderes religiosos de igrejas evangélicas pentecostais. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo e descritivo baseado na abordagem estrutural da Teoria das Representações Sociais, realizado com 120 líderes religiosos. Os dados foram coletados por meio de evocações livres e analisados com o auxílio do software EVOC. Os termos localizados no provável núcleo central são tristeza, morte e doença. O termo pecado é um elemento presente na estrutura representacional da aids. Conclui-se que a representação social da aids para líderes religiosos evangélicos é predominantemente negativa, semelhante à do aparecimento da epidemia.

Vaccine hesitancy and religiosity in a sample of university students in Venezuela.

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has made it difficult to satisfactorily manage the COVID-19 pandemic in that nation. A vaccination program has begun, but its pace has been slow, as compared to vaccination in other countries. One considerable obstacle faced by vaccination efforts in Venezuela is vaccine hesitancy. Differences across religious groups regarding vaccine hesitancy in Venezuela have not been sufficiently explored. The present study consists of a sample of 230 university students in Venezuela, assessing their intention to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Their responses are compared across religious affiliations, and correlated with three variables: belief in vaccine conspiracy theories, religiosity, and acceptance of the theory of evolution. Results come out showing that Protestants are the religious group most hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine, followed by Catholics and the non-religious. Results also show that vaccine hesitancy is correlated with vaccine conspiracy theories and acceptance of the theory of evolution, but not with religiosity itself.

Prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en protestantes evangélicos de una localidad del Caribe colombiano / Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Evangelic Protestants from a Community in the Colombian Caribbean

Introducción: La obesidad es un problema de salud pública. En comunidades cristianas protestantes existen pocas investigaciones que dan cuenta de su prevalencia, por lo que se requiere estudiar este tema teniendo en cuenta sus consecuencias para la salud cardiovascular, calidad de vida y mortalidad de la población. Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en adultos pertenecientes a una comunidad protestante evangélica del Distrito de Barranquilla. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo, transversal. Se estudiaron 282 adultos pertenecientes a la Iglesia Cuadrangular del barrio La Paz de Barranquilla. Se aplicaron los criterios de International Diabetes Federation, American Heart Association-Adult Treatment Panel III para obesidad abdominal y de índice de masa corporal para obesidad general. Se compararon los valores encontrados, según sexo. Resultados: El 64,5 por ciento de los participantes eran mujeres. La prevalencia de obesidad/sobrepeso fue mayor en hombres con diferencia significativa (p < 0,05), sin embargo, la obesidad abdominal fue predominante en mujeres (p < 0,05). Conclusiónes: La población evangélica no está exenta de sobrepeso y obesidad, con énfasis en el sexo masculino, a pesar de no tener hábitos como el consumo de alcohol y que se proscriba la gula y el ingerir algunos alimentos dañinos a la salud(AU)

Introduction: Obesity is a public health problem. In Protestant Christian communities, there is little research that shows the prevalence of this condition, so it is necessary to study this topic by taking into account its consequences for cardiovascular health, quality of life, and mortality of the population. Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults belonging to an evangelical Protestant community in the Barranquilla District. Methods: Descriptive and cross-sectional study with 282 adults belonging to Iglesia Cuadrangular in the neighborhood La Paz in Barranquilla. We applied the criteria of International Diabetes Federation, American Heart Association-Adult Treatment Panel III for abdominal obesity, and body mass index for general obesity. The values found were compared based on sex. Results: 64.5percent of the participants were women. The prevalence of obesity or overweight was higher in men, with significant difference (p <0.05); however, abdominal obesity was predominant in women (p<0.05). Conclusions: The evangelical population is not exempt from overweight and obesity, especially the male sex, despite not having habits such as alcohol consumption, while some habits are forbidden such as gluttony and eating some harmful foods(AU)

Prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en protestantes evangélicos de una localidad del Caribe colombiano / Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Evangelic Protestants from a Community in the Colombian Caribbean

Introducción: La obesidad es un problema de salud pública. En comunidades cristianas protestantes existen pocas investigaciones que dan cuenta de su prevalencia, por lo que se requiere estudiar este tema teniendo en cuenta sus consecuencias para la salud cardiovascular, calidad de vida y mortalidad de la población. Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en adultos pertenecientes a una comunidad protestante evangélica del Distrito de Barranquilla. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo, transversal. Se estudiaron 282 adultos pertenecientes a la Iglesia Cuadrangular del barrio La Paz de Barranquilla. Se aplicaron los criterios de International Diabetes Federation, American Heart Association-Adult Treatment Panel III para obesidad abdominal y de índice de masa corporal para obesidad general. Se compararon los valores encontrados, según sexo. Resultados: El 64,5 por ciento de los participantes eran mujeres. La prevalencia de obesidad/sobrepeso fue mayor en hombres con diferencia significativa (p < 0,05), sin embargo, la obesidad abdominal fue predominante en mujeres (p < 0,05). Conclusiónes: La población evangélica no está exenta de sobrepeso y obesidad, con énfasis en el sexo masculino, a pesar de no tener hábitos como el consumo de alcohol y que se proscriba la gula y el ingerir algunos alimentos dañinos a la salud(AU)

Introduction: Obesity is a public health problem. In Protestant Christian communities, there is little research that shows the prevalence of this condition, so it is necessary to study this topic by taking into account its consequences for cardiovascular health, quality of life, and mortality of the population. Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults belonging to an evangelical Protestant community in the Barranquilla District. Methods: Descriptive and cross-sectional study with 282 adults belonging to Iglesia Cuadrangular in the neighborhood La Paz in Barranquilla. We applied the criteria of International Diabetes Federation, American Heart Association-Adult Treatment Panel III for abdominal obesity, and body mass index for general obesity. The values found were compared based on sex. Results: 64.5 percent of the participants were women. The prevalence of obesity or overweight was higher in men, with significant difference (p <0.05); however, abdominal obesity was predominant in women (p<0.05). Conclusions: The evangelical population is not exempt from overweight and obesity, especially the male sex, despite not having habits such as alcohol consumption, while some habits are forbidden such as gluttony and eating some harmful foods(AU)