Benitez, E. (Edgar)

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    Report on palliative care development in Benin based on WHO indicators
    (ATLANTES, WHO Collaborating Centre, Institute for Culture and Society, UNAV, 2023) Bastos, F.V. (Fernanda V.); Benitez, E. (Edgar); Pons-Izquierdo, J.J. (Juan José); Garralda, E. (Eduardo); Tripodoro, V.A. (Vilma A.); Centeno, C. (Carlos); Agbogandé, A. (Anthelme); Gnangnon, F. (Freddy); Montero, A. (Álvaro)
    Palliative care (PC) is increasingly seen as a global health issue. This report examines the current state of PC in Benin, Africa, and the challenges the country faces in providing accessible and effective PC to its citizens. It has been estimated that more than 62,000 Beninese people need PC every year. The report highlights the importance of PC and the efforts of organisations such as the World Health Assembly, the Lancet Commission and the Astana Declaration to encourage governments to integrate PC into their health plans and make it accessible to all. A two-day hybrid meeting was organised in Cotonou by the WHO Collaborating Centre ATLANTES with WHO-Geneva, WHO-AFRO and WHO-Benin to examine and adapt a set of indicators to cultural realities. The WHO chose Benin and involved stakeholders from the health system, secondary education, vocational training and higher education sectors, as well as the Benin PC Association. ATLANTES provided a data collection tool based on the WHO Conceptual Framework and a four-level rating system: early, intermediate, established and advanced stage. The report highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each indicator and provides a summary of the level of implementation in each area.
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    Porosity, openness, and exposure: Identification of underlying factors associated with semi-outdoor spaces’ thermal performance and clustering in tropical high-density Singapore
    (Elsevier, 2022) Benitez, E. (Edgar); Kishnani, N. (Nirmal); Monge-Barrio, A. (Aurora); Gamero-Salinas, J. (Juan); Sánchez-Ostiz, A. (Ana)
    The lack of green open spaces undermines the environmental and social quality of tropical highly-dense cities (i.e. raises urban temperatures, limits social interaction). The goal of this study, which focused on environmental aspects, was to identify underlying factors (i.e. hypothetical constructs) in semi-outdoor spaces within building forms that explain their microclimatic behaviour, thermal comfort levels, and clustering. Sixty-three semi-outdoor spaces in four high/mid-rise building forms of Singapore were studied using microclimatic data collected from field measurements and analysed via inferential statistical methods (e.g., exploratory factor analysis, multivariate regression analysis, and hierarchical clustering analysis). Findings demonstrate: (1) that spatial attributes (i.e. height, depth, void, solid, total frontage, open frontage, area, volume, perimeter, sky view factor, green plot ratio) are manifestations of three underlying factors: volume porosity (VP), perimeter openness (PO) and exposure to sky (ES); (2) that VP and PO are significantly associated with air velocity and predicted thermal comfort; and (3) that vertical breezeways appear to be the most thermally comfortable cluster due to high VP and low PO. This study sheds new light on the spatial nature of semi-outdoor spaces, which designers can consider in order to enhance wind movement for promoting thermally comfortable semi-outdoor environments in highly-dense Singapore
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    Experimental designs for controlling the correlation of estimators in two-parameter models
    (John Wiley & Sons, 2023) Benitez, E. (Edgar); López-Fidalgo, J. (Jesús)
    The state of the art related to parameter correlation in two-parameter models has been reviewed in this paper. The apparent contradictions between the different authors regarding the ability of D-optimality to simultaneously reduce the correlation and the area of the confidence ellipse in two-parameter models were analyzed. Two main approaches were found: (1) those who consider that the optimality criteria simultaneously control the precision and correlation of the parameter estimators and (2) those that consider a combination of criteria to achieve the same objective. An analytical criterion combining in its structure both the optimality of the precision of the estimators of the parameters and the reduction of the correlation between their estimators is provided. The criterion was tested both in a simple linear regression model, considering all possible design spaces, and in a nonlinear model with strong correlation of the estimators of the parameters (Michaelis–Menten) to show its performance. This criterion showed a superior behavior to all the strategies and criteria to control at the same time the precision and the correlation.
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    Palliative care stay room – designing, testing and evaluating a gamified social intervention to enhance palliative care awareness.
    (Springer Nature, 2023-04-20) Rivas-Borrell, S. (Sonia); Benitez, E. (Edgar); Olza-Moreno, I. (Inés); Centeno, C. (Carlos); Sandgren, A. (Anna); Reigada, C. (Carla); Hermida-Romero, S. (Santiago); Carvajal, A. (Ana); Gómez-Baceiredo, B. (Beatriz); Ripoll, G. (Guillem)
    The message of palliative care can be promoted using creative thinking and gamification. It can be an innovative strategy to promote changes in behaviour, promote thinking, and work on skills such as empathy. The aim of this article is to design, test and evaluate a gamified social intervention to enhance palliative care awareness among younguniversity students from non-health background.
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    Adolescents’ alcohol use: does the type of leisure activity matter? A cross-national study
    (MDPI, 2021) Benitez, E. (Edgar); Irala, J. (Jokin) de; Koning, I. (Ina); Albertos-San-José, A. (Aránzazu)
    The main objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between structured, unstructured, and family leisure activities on the frequency of adolescent alcohol intake across three different countries (Spain, Peru, and The Netherlands). The self-control of adolescents was also investigated as a moderator in the relationship between leisure activities and alcohol consumption. Methodology: This research involved 4608 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 from three countries (Spain, Peru, and The Netherlands). In Spain and Peru, data was collected through a self-report questionnaire which was part of the Your Life project. In The Netherlands, a self-questionnaire was used, collected by the University of Utrecht. A multiple logistic regression was performed for each country. Results: The results showed that participation in unstructured leisure activities increased the likelihood of drinking more frequently and more heavily in all three countries. Structured leisure activities, in general, did not have a significant predictive effect on alcohol consumption in any of the countries. Family leisure activities reduced the risk of engaging in yearly alcohol use and yearly binge drinking among adolescents, especially in The Netherlands and Spain. The protective effect of family leisure and unstructured leisure risk on yearly alcohol use applied especially to Dutch adolescents with a low level of self-control. Discussion: The article emphasizes the need for parents to engage in leisure activities with their child; participation in unstructured activities is not to be encouraged.
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    Structural empirical model of personal positive youth development, parenting, and school climate
    (2021) Fuente-Arias, J. (Jesús) de la; Benitez, E. (Edgar); Balaguer-Estaña, A.J. (Álvaro J.); Osorio, A. (Alfonso)
    This study tested an empirical model of the relationship between Personal Positive Youth Development (PPYD) and two contextual factors: Positive Parenting (PP), and Perception of the Climate and Functioning of the School (PcfS). The hypothesis tested was that a positive relationship with parents and a positive perception of the school will contribute to the prediction of PPYD. The sample was composed of 1507 adolescents recruited in 10 Spanish schools who were aged between 12 and 18 years and 52% were female. PPYD was evaluated through Dispositional optimism, Self-competence, and Sense of coherence. PP was evaluated through Affect and communication, Autonomy granting, Humor, and Self-disclosure. PcfS was evaluated through School climate, School bonds, Clarity of rules and values, and Empowerment. Previous reliability and validity analyses of the constructs were carried out, and correlational analyses and structural predictions were made. The results show that both PP and PcfS were associated with better scores in PPYD. Also, a positive correlation between those two contextual factors was found. Implications for applied research are discussed.
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    Maternal and paternal parenting styles as a whole: validation of the simple form of the Parenting Style Evaluation Scale
    (2021) Fuente-Arias, J. (Jesús) de la; Benitez, E. (Edgar); Balaguer-Estaña, A.J. (Álvaro J.); Osorio, A. (Alfonso)
    La Escala para la Evaluación del Estilo Parental (EEEP) pregunta a los adolescentes sobre los estilos educativos de sus padres por separado (“tu padre” y “tu madre”) o de forma conjunta (“tus padres”), pero solo se ha evaluado la validez en la versión por separado. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la validez de las inferencias de la versión conjunta. Se reclutó una muestra de 1507 adolescentes, de 12 a 18 años. Se realizaron análisis factoriales exploratorios y confirmatorios en dos submuestras independientes. Después se probó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales para comprobar la asociación de las subescalas de la EEEP con desenlaces de los adolescentes (optimismo, pesimismo y resultados académicos). Los resultados muestran buenas medidas de ajuste de la estructura del instrumento. Además, las subescalas mostraron asociación con los desenlaces. La EEEP puede ser usada con fiabilidad en su forma conjunta, resultando en una reducción de ítems, los cual es a menudo beneficioso para la investigación.