Latin America And The Caribbean Research Articles

A Systematic Review of Financial Literacy Research in Latin America and The Caribbean

Several well-known studies have remarked on the low financial literacy (FL) levels in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), which represent a problem in an economic context of change and uncertainty. This fact gives us the opportunity to evaluate the current state of literature related to FL in the region. The main list of identified keywords allowed the PRISMA methodology to guide the systematic literature review and analysis procedure. During 2016–2022, the FL search yielded around 4500 FL manuscripts worldwide, but only 65 articles were related to the scope of our analysis (which involved looking at LAC countries). Being the first review from an LAC country about all LAC countries, the findings highlight a lack of FL research focus on regional needs, gender gaps affecting women, and conceptual frameworks used to develop efficient educational program interventions. Most studies in this review build on the OECD definition of FL, but the financial attitude dimension often seems to be omitted from the analyses. These findings open the discussion about efficient policy design concerning FL development in LAC.

Have public policy and family farming been an unhappy marriage for the past 20 years?

The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have made progress in creating and implementing public policies on family farming (FF) by developing their own concepts, which converge in the fact that the family labor force is the most important link. However, this also appears to be their weakness for the future, since the exodus from the countryside to the city is affecting work in this sector, and restrictive policies in this regard could end up denying the resources needed for FF to achieve greater development. This document aims to review the existing policies, official figures, and regulations that have been created over the years to recognize and strengthen family farming (FF) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). To achieve our goals, we carried out a systematic search for technical documents (books, reports, and papers with official figures), policies, and legislation related to FF in LAC. Several countries have developed concepts to make policies focused on family farmers. Nonetheless, all converge in that the family workforce is the most critical link in this conceptualization. However, it also seems to be its Achilles’ heel for the future since the field-city exodus is affecting this sector, and restrictive policies could reduce the necessary resources for FF to achieve more significant development. Furthermore, the most significant challenges are found in conducting research on crops and animal species that mainly affect FF, such as corn, beans, rice, cassava, vegetables, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and milk. Finally, efforts need to focus on studying changes in family composition, the quality of land, the role of family farmers as guardians of ancestral and native crops, excluding FF export crops. Unpaid women must not be forgotten as a vital part of FF because domestic and production units are closely related.

Do financial incentive policies for renewable energy development increase the economic growth in Latin American and Caribbean countries?

ABSTRACT This investigation approached the impact of financial incentive policies for renewable energy development on economic growth using panel data with seventeen countries from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) from 1990 to 2016. The fixed-effects model (FE) and the quantile via moments (QvM) models were used to accomplish this investigation. The FE and the QvM models showed that the financial incentive policies for renewable energy development and consumption of green energy, public and private capital stock, and globalisation increase economic activity in the countries from the LAC region, while gender inequality reduces it. Indeed, the positive impact of financial incentive policies for renewable energy development and consumption of green energy on economic growth could be related to the possible capacity of these policies to encourage investments in green energy technologies and the consumption of green energy.

Global Economic and Diet Transitions Drive Latin American and Caribbean Forest Change during the First Decade of the Century: A Multi-Scale Analysis of Socioeconomic, Demographic, and Environmental Drivers of Local Forest Cover Change

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) contain more tropical high-biodiversity forest than the remaining areas of the planet combined, yet experienced more than a third of global deforestation during the first decade of the 21st century. While drivers of forest change occur at multiple scales, we examined forest change at the municipal and national scales integrated with global processes such as capital, commodity, and labor flows. We modeled multi-scale socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental drivers of local forest cover change. Consistent with LAC’s global leadership in soy and beef exports, primarily to China, Russia, the US, and the EU, national-level beef and soy production were the primary land use drivers of decreased forest cover. National level gross domestic product (GDP), migrant worker remittances and foreign investment, along with municipal-level temperature and area, were also significantly related to reduced forest cover. This challenges forest transition frameworks, which theorize that rising GDP and intensified agricultural production should be increasingly associated with forest regrowth. Instead, LAC forest change was linked to local, national, and global demographic, dietary and economic transitions, resulting in massive net forest cover loss. This suggests an urgent need to reconcile forest conservation with mounting global demand for animal protein.

Multidimensional Clinical Assessment in Frontotemporal Dementia and Its Spectrum in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Narrative Review and a Glance at Future Challenges.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the third most common form of dementia across all age groups and is a leading cause of early-onset dementia. The Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) includes a spectrum of diseases that are classified according to their clinical presentation and patterns of neurodegeneration. There are two main types of FTD: behavioral FTD variant (bvFTD), characterized by a deterioration in social function, behavior, and personality; and primary progressive aphasias (PPA), characterized by a deficit in language skills. There are other types of FTD-related disorders that present motor impairment and/or parkinsonism, including FTD with motor neuron disease (FTD-MND), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). The FTD and its associated disorders present great clinical heterogeneity. The diagnosis of FTD is based on the identification through clinical assessments of a specific clinical phenotype of impairments in different domains, complemented by an evaluation through instruments, i.e., tests and questionnaires, validated for the population under study, thus, achieving timely detection and treatment. While the prevalence of dementia in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is increasing rapidly, there is still a lack of standardized instruments and consensus for FTD diagnosis. In this context, it is important to review the published tests and questionnaires adapted and/or validated in LAC for the assessment of cognition, behavior, functionality, and gait in FTD and its spectrum. Therefore, our paper has three main goals. First, to present a narrative review of the main tests and questionnaires published in LAC for the assessment of FTD and its spectrum in six dimensions: (i) Cognitive screening; (ii) Neuropsychological assessment divided by cognitive domain; (iii) Gait assessment; (iv) Behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms; (v) Functional assessment; and (vi) Global Rating Scale. Second, to propose a multidimensional clinical assessment of FTD in LAC identifying the main gaps. Lastly, it is proposed to create a LAC consortium that will discuss strategies to address the current challenges in the field.

Characterising COVID-19 empirical research production in Latin America and the Caribbean: A scoping review.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID19) pandemic has struck Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) particularly hard. One of the crucial areas in the international community's response relates to accelerating research and knowledge sharing. The aim of this article is to map and characterise the existing empirical research related to COVID-19 in LAC countries and contribute to identify opportunities for strengthening future research. In this scoping review, articles published between December 2019 and 11 November 2020 were selected if they included an empirical component (explicit scientific methods to collect and analyse primary data), LAC population was researched, and the research was about the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of publication status or language. MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, Scielo, CENTRAL and Epistemonikos were searched. All titles and abstracts, and full texts were screened by two independent reviewers. Data from included studies was extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second independent reviewer. 14,406 records were found. After removing duplicates, 5,458 titles and abstracts were screened, of which 2,323 full texts were revised to finally include 1,626 empirical studies. The largest portion of research came from people/population of Brazil (54.6%), Mexico (19.1%), Colombia (11.2%), Argentina (10.4%), Peru (10.3%) and Chile (10%), while Caribbean countries concentrated 15.3%. The methodologies most used were cross-sectional studies (34.7%), simulation models (17.5%) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (13.6%). Using a modified version of WHO's COVID-19 Coordinated Global Research Roadmap classification, 54.2% were epidemiological studies, followed by clinical management (22.3%) and candidate therapeutics (12.2%). Government and public funds support were reported in 19.2% of studies, followed by universities or research centres (9%), but 47.5% did not include any funding statement. During the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic, LAC countries have contributed to the global research effort primarily with epidemiological studies, with little participation on vaccines research, meaning that this type of knowledge would be imported from elsewhere. Research agendas could be further coordinated aiming to enhance shared self-sufficiency regarding knowledge needs in the region.

Food Parenting Practices and Feeding Styles and Their Relations with Weight Status in Children in Latin America and the Caribbean.

While a growing body of literature looks at the associations between food parenting practices, and feeding styles, and child’s weight status in developed countries, little is known for less developed countries, in general, and the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, in particular. This study systemically reviews and synthesizes existing evidence on the associations between child caregivers’ food parenting practices and feeding styles and 2 to 12-year-old child weight status. Keywords were used to search in PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Among the ten eligible articles, all of them reported significant associations between food parenting practices and feeding styles and child weight status. Existing studies have limitations, mainly related to cross-sectional convenience samples, which limit the generalization of the results. Additionally, small sample, heterogeneous feeding measures and weight related outcomes were other limitations. Future research is needed to understand caregiver–child interactions in the food situation and its link to child weight status in 2 to 12-year-old children in areas of LAC with diverse forms of malnutrition and contextual factors of countries.

The Economic and Psychosocial Effects of COVID-19 on Alcohol Use in Grenada during Lockdown: A Discussion on Policy Solutions to Prevent Harmful Alcohol Consumption

In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, there has been an increase in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The institution of lockdowns and consequent alcohol misuse has been associated with economic challenges and worsening psychosocial conditions. Stress-inducing changes in interpersonal, financial, and broader social dynamics have resulted in increased reports of depression, interpersonal abuse, aggressive behaviours, anxiety, and even suicidality, leading those affected to more frequent and more heavy alcohol use as a coping mechanism. This review focused on trends of alcohol use during the pandemic in Grenada, and it also explored the economic and psychosocial factors that contributed to adverse outcomes of alcohol use. In response to the destructive coping strategies associated with deteriorating mental health, the paper also proposed vigorous policy changes to mitigate the ongoing misuse of alcohol, particularly during future crises. Library databases, webpages of various governments and international agencies, and peer-reviewed journal sources were searched for data on global alcohol consumption during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 lockdown periods, focusing on Grenada. A total of 64 sources published between 1979-2021 were included based on their relevance. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of building resilient public health systems and addressing public health concerns such as excessive alcohol consumption.

Mortality attributable to type 2 diabetes mellitus in Latin America and the Caribbean: a comparative risk assessment analysis

IntroductionWe quantified the proportion and the absolute number of deaths attributable to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) using an estimation approach.Research design and...

HIV and COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Purpose of ReviewLatin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has been hit hard by COVID-19 due to political instability, flawed health systems, and structural inequalities. The repercussion of the pandemic on vulnerable populations, like people living with HIV (PLWH), is complex. This review aims to explore the interactions between the HIV and COVID-19 pandemics in this region.Recent FindingsData regarding the interactions of HIV and COVID-19 in LAC is scarce. Only case reports or small case series have been published regarding the clinical course of COVID-19 in PLWH and regarding the clinical course of COVID-19 in PLWH, which appears to be similar to the general population. The pandemic has disrupted prevention and treatment of PLWH. However, there have been country efforts to counteract those effects. There are some lessons from the HIV response which have been effectively applied in the region to address COVID-19.SummaryCOVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on the cascade-of-care among PLWH in LAC. There is a need for longitudinal studies that assess clinic implication of these pandemic interactions in LAC.

Impact of COVID-19 on electricity demand of Latin America and the Caribbean countries

Governments worldwide have adopted different public health measures in order to slow down the spread of COVID-19. As a result, the electricity demand has been impacted by the changes in human activity. Many of the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have adopted different approaches to control the COVID-19 pandemic, including severe shutdown of most social and economic activities. This paper analyzes how this pandemic has influenced, from its appearance until the fall of 2020, the demand of ten LAC countries (Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay). The approach is based on the concepts of size and shape impacts, which have been proposed in order to decompose the problem for a better understanding of the impact. The size impact accounts for the observed variations on the daily demand, whereas the shape impact focuses on the variations observed on the standardized hourly demand profiles for each day. To calculate both impacts, the observed demand is compared to the expected one if the COVID-19 crisis had not happened. To obtain reliable estimations in the scenario without COVID-19, machine learning techniques have been used. Peru and Bolivia are the two countries where the pandemic has had the greatest impact during 2020, with a size impact in April 2020 of around -30%. At the opposite extreme would be Chile and Uruguay, with a maximum monthly size impact of -6%. The other considered countries have maximum monthly impacts in the range of -11% to -17%.

The impact of renewable energy policies on deaths from outdoor and indoor air pollution: Empirical evidence from Latin American and Caribbean countries

This investigation analysed the effect of renewable energy policies (e.g., economic instruments-fiscal/financial incentives policies, such as feed-in tariffs/premiums, grants and subsidies, loans, tax relief, taxes, and user charges) on deaths caused by outdoor and indoor air pollution in fifteen countries from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region from 1990 to 2017. The results from the panel quantile model regression showed that in the 0.10, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 0.90 quantiles, the variables carbon dioxide emissions, electricity consumption from new renewable energy sources, economic instruments-fiscal/financial incentives policies to enable renewable energy deployment and use, economic growth, and social globalisation reduces the air pollution deaths. In contrast, the variables electricity consumption from non-renewable energy sources, urbanisation, and economic globalisation encourages the increase of these deaths caused by outdoor and indoor air pollution in the LAC region.

Cervical cancer mortality among young women in Latin America and the Caribbean: trend analysis from 1997 to 2030

BackgroundCervical cancer continues to show a high burden among young women worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Limited data is available describing cervical cancer mortality among young women in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The purpose of this study was to examine the mortality trends of cervical cancer among young women in LAC and predict mortality rates to 2030.MethodsDeaths from cervical cancer were obtained from the World Health Organization mortality database. Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 women-years were estimated in women aged 20–44 years using the world standard population for 16 countries (and territories) in LAC from 1997 to 2017. We estimated the average mortality rates for the last 4 years (2014–2017). Joinpoint regression models were used to identify significant changes in mortality trends. Nordpred method was used for the prediction of the mortality rates to 2030.ResultsBetween 2014 and 2017, Paraguay and Venezuela had the highest mortality rates of cervical cancer, whereas Puerto Rico had the lowest rates. Overall, most of the LAC countries showed downward trends of cervical cancer mortality over the entire period. Significant decreases were observed in Chile (Average annual percent change [AAPC]: − 2.4%), Colombia (AAPC: − 2.0%), Cuba (AAPC: − 3.6%), El Salvador (AAPC: − 3.1%), Mexico (AAPC: − 3.9%), Nicaragua (AAPC: − 1.7%), Panama (AAPC: − 1.7%), and Peru (AAPC: − 2.2%). In contrast, Brazil (AAPC: + 0.8%) and Paraguay (AAPC: + 3.7%) showed significant upward trends. By 2030, mortality rates are not predicted to further decrease in some LAC countries, including Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela.ConclusionsMortality trends of cervical cancer among young women have large variability in LAC countries. Cervical cancer screening programs have a high priority for the region. Primary and secondary prevention in the community are necessary to accelerate a reduction of cervical cancer mortality by 2030.

Assessment of port efficiency within Latin America

The Panama Canal expansion has influenced the development of ports within the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, intending to capitalise on economic opportunities through seaborne trade. Examining port performance is essential to ascertain the PCE impact on port efficiency within the LAC region. Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) was used to determine the technical efficiency of the 19 major ports within the LAC from 2010 to 2018. The result indicates that, among the four (4) port performance indicators (berth length, port area, the number of cranes (STS gantry and mobile), and the number of berths), the number of STS gantry cranes and berth length had the largest and most significant impact. Some ports with high technical efficiency experienced TEU losses despite port infrastructural development and privatization. The findings also revealed that the increased competition among regional and US East and Gulf Coast ports has negatively impacted some LAC ports’ TEU volumes due to port proximity. The dynamism of the maritime sector, especially containerization, requires ports to implement value-added services and logistics centers in tandem with port performance indicators to remain sustainable and competitive in the maritime industry.

Current Panorama, Practice Gaps, and Recommendations to Accelerate the Transition to a Circular Bioeconomy in Latin America and the Caribbean

The rampant use of resources and the increasing risk of scarcity have been contributing to greater awareness regarding the need for maintaining resources in use for longer and the shift to renewable alternatives, in which perspective the concept of a circular bioeconomy (CBE) has been permeating the most diverse sectors. Therefore, the study’s aims were manifold: identify (i) existing practices and initiatives, (ii) barriers and potential opportunities and (iii) existing gaps for advancing a circular bioeconomy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and (iv) provide recommendations aiming at the development of a circular bioeconomy (CBE) in the region. To that end, a systematic review of the existing academic literature was done, and reports from relevant non-peer reviewed sources were also consulted. CBE practices in LAC are concentrated in only a few of the countries in the region and very much revolve around recovering value from by-products and waste streams. There are a range of economic, technological, environmental, and social barriers. Opportunities for a CBE are mainly related to the use of waste as raw material (found abundantly in the countries being investigated) and the use of new techniques/technologies. The gaps between the current state and a successful CBE are related to policy, scaling-up, collaborations, and establishing efficient business models. Recommendations for a successful CBE in the region include greater engagement of public actors, investing and developing the local economy, establishing biorefineries and industrial parks, and finding new technological routes for bioresources.

Латиноамериканский сегмент китайского “Пояса и Пути”

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, is a strategy of China’s entry into international markets through the building of land and sea trade corridors with the necessary infrastructure. According to the Chinese government’s statements, any State and any international organization can join the project that creates an inclusive cooperation platform. The aim of this article is to analyze the implementation of BRI in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), as well as to identify changes that occur in this process under the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic. The primary sources are statistical data, government documents, papers of international organizations and forums, think tank reports, speeches by officials, media publications, etc. In the course of the study, the following results are obtained: recent scientific works on the topic are systematized, the issues considered in them are highlighted; the main documents related to the BRI and China-LАС cooperation are listed and briefly characterized; the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on the implementation of BRI in the region is identified. The author comes to the conclusion that, on the one hand, the BRI is a kind of rebranding of China’s policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean. On the other hand, this initiative strengthens China’s presence in the region. It has become especially noticeable in the COVID‑19 pandemic context. In addition, there is a strategic expansion of the project itself and its goals, which may lead to a significant increase in tension between China and the USA.

Do governments stick to their announced fiscal rules? A study of Latin American and the Caribbean countries

This paper introduces a dataset that gathers information on whether and how Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have complied with or deviated from implemented fiscal rules. It provides annual data on fiscal rules for 14 LAC countries from 2000 to 2020, and it considers the design features of the rules and information about numerical compliance. It provides descriptive statistics reflecting the panorama of the fiscal rules implemented in LAC countries. Additionally, it calculates compliance rates across countries, years, and rules. On average, this study finds that compliance with rules aiming to constrain debt ratios and structural balances is the highest, while compliance with fiscal balance and expenditure rules is the lowest. Furthermore, the data collection process revealed that LAC countries still have room for discretion even when they subject their fiscal policy to rules. To address this problem, the paper proposes an adjusted compliance index that considers different elements that add degrees of discretion to the rule. The study finds that the numerical compliance rates of each country are likely to be over-estimated once discretionary actions are accounted for.

One Consideration of “Diplomatic Policy with a Panoramic Perspective on the Terrestrial Globe” and Partnership with Nikkei (Japanese Descendant) Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): Towards Universal Solutions

One Consideration of “Diplomatic Policy with a Panoramic Perspective on the Terrestrial Globe” and Partnership with Nikkei (Japanese Descendant) Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): Towards Universal Solutions

Systemic Tensions in the MOOC Design Cycle: An Activity Systems Analysis upon Implementing edX for Latin America and the Caribbean

This report presents the activity systems analysis of the general MOOC design process adopted by a multidisciplinary team for delivering edX courses to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This report builds on Freire’s (2020) exploratory case study, which applied work-based learning theory and activity systems theory to determine whether and how 20 participants selected from the Hemispheric Development Fund’s MOOC design team (HDFx) experienced work-based learning through their collaboration during the MOOC program’s initial professionalization period. Activity systems models are developed to identify systemic tensions for each of the five phases in the MOOC design cycle: Needs Assessment, Instructional Design, Production, Implementation, and Evaluation. Such contradictions are further analyzed to formulate three main system-wide tensions that acted as triggers for the work-based learning reported by participants: 1) skill gaps for implementing the edX platform, 2) edX’s limited techno-pedagogical affordances, and 3) organizational structures inhibiting multidisciplinary collaboration among participants and limiting the professionalization of the HDFx MOOC program. The report concludes by integrating the theoretical underpinnings of the case study with its four primary findings.

Influence of Climatic Factors on Human Hantavirus Infections in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Systematic Review.

Background: With the current climate change crisis and its influence on infectious disease transmission there is an increased desire to understand its impact on infectious diseases globally. Hantaviruses are found worldwide, causing infectious diseases such as haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS)/hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in tropical regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). These regions are inherently vulnerable to climate change impacts, infectious disease outbreaks and natural disasters. Hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses present in multiple rodent hosts resident in Neotropical ecosystems within LAC and are involved in hantavirus transmission. Methods: We conducted a systematic review to assess the association of climatic factors with human hantavirus infections in the LAC region. Literature searches were conducted on MEDLINE and Web of Science databases for published studies according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. The inclusion criteria included at least eight human hantavirus cases, at least one climatic factor and study from > 1 LAC geographical location. Results: In total, 383 papers were identified within the search criteria, but 13 studies met the inclusion criteria ranging from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Panama in Latin America and a single study from Barbados in the Caribbean. Multiple mathematical models were utilized in the selected studies with varying power to generate robust risk and case estimates of human hantavirus infections linked to climatic factors. Strong evidence of hantavirus disease association with precipitation and habitat type factors were observed, but mixed evidence was observed for temperature and humidity. Conclusions: The interaction of climate and hantavirus diseases in LAC is likely complex due to the unknown identity of all vertebrate host reservoirs, circulation of multiple hantavirus strains, agricultural practices, climatic changes and challenged public health systems. There is an increasing need for more detailed systematic research on the influence of climate and other co-related social, abiotic, and biotic factors on infectious diseases in LAC to understand the complexity of vector-borne disease transmission in the Neotropics.