Level In Chile Research Articles

Firm gender labour supply elasticities and sources of separation: evidence from Chile

ABSTRACT We exploit a national administrative dataset to estimate labour supply elasticities at the firm level in Chile, distinguishing for the first time the source of separation (quits versus layoffs), which is crucial as only the former is consistent with employees’ responses to changes in wages. Our results suggest that labour supply elasticities increase by around 18% when all separations (i.e. without identifying its source) are used instead of voluntary separations (i.e. quits). Hence, it transpires that previous literature, which due to data constraints, did not identify the source of separations, presented results which were upward biased, thus overestimating labour market competitiveness. We also find that between firm differences in the gender-specific elasticities are more relevant than within firm differences when voluntary separations are used, a result that should be considered by governments in the design of their gender gap policy agenda.

EFECTIVIDAD DEL MODELO DE SALUD FAMILIAR EN LA ATENCIÓN PRIMARIA DE SALUD CHILENA

Effectiveness evaluation of the “Comprehensive Family and Community Care Model” imple­mented at Primary Care Heatlh Care level in Chile has not been a priority for public policy. However, studies that address criteria related to this area reveal important improvements in user satisfaction, reduction in avoidable hospitalizations and health spenditures, as well.

Objective and subjective measures of air pollution and self-rated health: the evidence from Chile.

The literature exploring individual differences in self-rated health has grown fast in recent years. Self-rated health (SRH) is a good indicator of general health status. This empirical study explores the association between outdoor air pollution and SRH in Chile. This type of analysis is infrequent in Latin America. We used objective and subjective air pollution measures. The first corresponds to PM2.5, and the latter to the perception of a high level of air pollution. Drawing on data from two independent and repeated nationwide surveys over the period 2006-2017 at the individual level in Chile, we performed repeated cross-sectional analyses for each year of survey application. Ordered Logit (OL) and Logit (L) multivariate models were used to investigate the association between SRH and air pollution measures, considering other socioeconomic and demographic covariates. We found that the higher isthe level of air pollution, the lower the SRH in Chile, regardless of whether air pollution is physically measured or perceived by respondents. The results were consistent over the years in the sign and significance of regression coefficients using two surveys and two forms of the outcome variable. Our findings add evidence that air pollution is a relevant determinant of SRH. In addition, they show that subjective measures of air pollution can be as reliable as physical measures in the analysis of the association between air pollution and human health.

Inequalities in learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile: the significance of school effectiveness

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic-associated learning losses were unequal across school subjects and sociodemographic groups. This study posits that these losses are also heterogeneous based on pre-pandemic school effectiveness, that is, the value schools added above the expected students’ learning based on their socioeconomic background. Using national-scale standardized mathematics and reading test scores, we compared learning losses between 2013–2018 (pre-pandemic) and 2022 at the school level in Chile and examined how they varied according to an indicator of schools’ pre-pandemic effectiveness. Schools with high effectiveness underwent the highest pandemic-driven losses, especially in mathematics. These losses were more pronounced as schools reopened later and students’ post-pandemic attendance decreased. Educational policies should adjust to this heterogeneity. While high-vulnerability, high-effectiveness schools require support to mitigate the pandemic’s effects, low-effectiveness schools must enhance their capacity to foster student learning beyond these impacts.

Exceptional morphological and taxonomic diversity of early seals (Phocidae) from the Atacama Region, Chile

ABSTRACT Contrasting with their current ranges in the Antarctic and subantarctic zones, the fossil record reveals that phocids (true and elephant seals) inhabited widespread subtropical regions across the Southern Hemisphere in the geologic past. At least four extinct phocid taxa have been described from Miocene and Pliocene fossiliferous levels in Chile and Peru, constituting two of the taxonomically richest phocid assemblages known. Still, some Chilean remains morphologically differ from those recovered from Peru, suggesting an unprecedented phocid diversity. We examined phocid mandibular remains from the Bahía Inglesa Formation in northern Chile. We identified the occurrence of the long-snouted seal Acrophoca longirostris, a morphologically distinguishable and undescribed form of Acrophoca, and Hadrokirus martini, an extinct phocid with a robust feeding morphology, constituting the first record of this taxon outside Peru. We also recognised four other indeterminate phocids with considerable morphological differences from contemporaneous taxa. Moreover, one of these specimens uniquely combines morphological attributes distinct from all known extant and extinct phocids, likely corresponding to a new taxon. These reports significantly increase the taxonomic and morphological diversities of fossil seals from the eastern South Pacific and emphasise the substantial transformations of phocid assemblages over geologic time.

Enhancing employability through training programmes in Chile: A qualitative study of the challenges identified by local actors involved in a subnational experience

AbstractActive labour policies are globally adopted to tackle unemployment and enhance job matching. In Chile, a predominantly supply‐focused approach involves training workers, especially in vulnerable groups, as it is believed that investing in human capital will align job demand and available skills. This subnational Chilean case study in the Coquimbo region delves into the factors influencing worker training and placement programme implementation, with a specific focus on stakeholders' perceptions. Through qualitative data from interviews and focus groups, the research seeks to explore subjective challenges, including individual perspectives, governance and structural factors. Various variables affect policy implementation at different levels. On the micro level, actor motivations like personal goals and financial incentives are crucial for policy design. Regional governance levels grapple with coordination difficulties that impact programme implementation. Collaboration among stakeholders like government agencies, educational institutions and employers is essential. Structural issues within the regional economy and the target population also pose challenges to policy implementation. The study suggests that a comprehensive policy approach that considers the interconnectedness of institutions, labour markets, skills and the various stakeholders involved in the process is vital to address the complexity of active labour policies at the local level in Chile.

Analysis of territorial patterns of age population structure at the subnational level in Chile

<div><p>From the evidence obtained in the 2017 Chilean population census pyramid for the country scale, the question arises whether the population structure by age is replicated homogeneously at the subnational level or, on the contrary, it presents heterogeneous local characteristics based on age groups. For each of the third-level subnational units (n=346), the standard deviation of the different age classes was compared in relation to the national population pyramid. With these differences, the k-means method was used to identify eight groups of communes, and four demographic indicators were calculated. The results allow to affirm that the population structure by age and sex at the communal level presents heterogeneous characteristics. The analysis of territorial patterns identified groups of the aging population, households with active aging, transition to aging, adult population, men in terminal productive age, men in initial age, households with children under 15 years and households with children over 15 years.</p></div>

Tailored Informational Interventions for Reducing Surplus and Waste of Fruits and Vegetables in a Food Market: A Pilot Study.

This pilot study explored the effectiveness of tailored informational interventions to reduce the surplus and waste of fruits and vegetables at the distribution level in Chile. Stalls from a fresh food market were randomized to intervention (n = 5 selling fruits, n = 5 selling vegetables) or control (n = 4 selling fruits, n = 4 selling vegetables) groups. The causes of surplus and waste were estimated by questionnaires. Surplus, avoidable waste, and unavoidable waste were measured using direct quantification before and after the intervention, and were expressed relative to the initial stock. Before the intervention, the surplus was (median [25th-75th percentile]) 46.2% [33.3-51.2] for fruits and 51.5% [41.3-55.0] for vegetables; avoidable waste was 0.1% [0.0-0.8] for fruits and 1.8% [0.7-5.3] for vegetables; and unavoidable waste was 0.0% [0.0-1.0] for fruits and 0.0% [0.0-1.3] for vegetables. Planning and storage represented the main causes explaining surplus and waste. After the intervention, the intervention group decreased the surplus of fruits compared to the control group (-17.8% [-29.0--11.0] vs. 5.8% [-0.6-7.8], respectively; p = 0.016), without other differences. In conclusion, tailored informational interventions based on the causes of surplus and waste may reduce the surplus of fruits in a fresh food market. Interventions might also include management strategies for the surplus to improve grocers' business operations.

Territorial Infrastructure Support Index (ISIT)

Through a review of the literature on infrastructure, a study of international experiences, expert knowledge, and the elaboration of a Territorial Infrastructure Support Index (ISIT), this paper provides a comparative analysis of the development conditions -- regarding infrastructure and services -- for the location of productive economic activities, at the regional and provincial level in Chile. The results show contrasts between regions and within them, revealing the state of the current situation for each of the six dimensions: Water, Energy, Telecommunications, Roads, Logistics, and Resilience, as well as for their synthetic indicator ISIT. The results of the ISIT have been contrasted with the recent definitions made by the Government of Chile regarding the definition of lag zones, finding important coincidences at the provincial level that allow validating the ISIT as a tool for the analysis of gaps in infrastructure and equipment for development of economic and productive activities in Chile.

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in South American Most Prosperous Countries: National and Regional Level Perspectives

This paper aims to characterise the Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EE) at the national and regional (subnational) level in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay employing relevant scientific literature and the latest available data from two well-known entrepreneurial ecosystem indices. Our results show that overall, Chile offers the best national-level ecosystem conditions for productive entrepreneurship among the selected countries. Uruguay and Argentina perform relatively lower than Chile, but they still show potential for improvement by addressing their key system bottlenecks. Moreover, data at the regional level shows that the performance of subnational ecosystems within each country is not homogeneous and regional ecosystems have specific combinations of strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, in a way, these findings confirm the relevance of regional perspectives for research in EE. The data synthesised in this study may be of assistance to researchers interested in understanding entrepreneurship in South American countries and for local policymakers aiming to design context-sensitive entrepreneurship policies.

Evaluation of the overall effectiveness (OEE) of autonomous transportation system (AHS) equipment and its impact on mine design. Open pit mine case study

In recent years, the increasing demand for autonomous vehicles in the mining industry has led to a greater focus on integrating these solutions with mine design. As technology advances, mining companies are looking to maximize the benefits of automation in terms of efficiency, productivity, and safety. The adoption of autonomous vehicles in mine design allows for the optimization of planning and operation of mining activities. Autonomous equipment can work continuously, reducing downtime and improving resource utilization. This has a direct impact on the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), as availability and performance are significantly enhanced.In this research, the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of an Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) and its impact on the design of an open-pit mine were evaluated at the engineering level in Chile. Additionally, a representative month of operation (January 2034) was modeled using discrete event simulation technique with current operation and AHS philosophies. The results of this model, which were validated and calibrated based on historical information, meetings with different work groups, and understanding of the engineering level of the study, indicate that the OEE of manual operation is 14.4% lower than that of AHS operation, demonstrating an opportunity for the implementation of this technology.

Are We Putting the Money in the Right Pocket? Ascertaining the Eventual Relationship between Silvoagricultural Subsidies, Ecosystem Threats, and Ecosystem Services in Chile

Due to the Aichi targets, the international community committed to the sustainable management of silvoagricultural activities and to the elimination or reform of detrimental subsidies relative to biodiversity conservation. In this context, countries should have implemented specific actions to address these commitments. In Chile, the Instruments of Productive Promotion to Finance Field Work (IPP-FFW) framework was used to fund activities related to silvoagricultural systems, including, irrigation, plantations with exotic species, and the recovery of soils. However, concerns have been raised that are associated with the need for evaluating their effectiveness, including whether impact assessments should be carried out systematically. Considering that these subsidized activities may negatively impact nature, whether IPP-FFWs had been allocated is analyzed regardless of the threat degree of terrestrial ecosystems at the commune level in Chile using the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ecosystem risk assessment methodology; moreover, the eventual relationship between changes in land use and ecosystem service provisions in case study for the Biobio region in Chile is also examined, for which the monetary consequences of the loss of ecosystem services—via the analysis of benefit transfers—are calculated. Evidence reveals that higher amounts of IPP-FFWs are allocated in communes with higher levels of threats and that a decrease in ecosystem service provision is associated with IPP-FFW’s allocation.

Evaluation of the traditional dimensions of residential segregation by educational level in Chile

RESUMEN La segregación residencial es parte del camino causal de diferentes resultados de salud y se estudia principalmente ligada a la raza. En 1988, Massey y Denton propusieron 5 dimensiones teóricas de la segregación residencial: desigualdad, exposición, agrupamiento, concentración y centralización, que confirmaron utilizando índices de las proporciones de razas de EEUU. Estos índices son ampliamente utilizados, sin embargo, en Chile la segregación es determinada por niveles socioeconómicos y educacionales. Este estudio pretende evaluar si las dimensiones tradicionales de la segregación residencial se mantienen cuando se utilizan variables de segregación y poblaciones diferentes, tales como el nivel educacional en Chile. Replicamos la evaluación de Massey y Denton construyendo 20 índices de segregación educacional en 247 comunas chilenas. Construimos la matriz de correlaciones de los índices y realizamos un análisis factorial de ejes principales y comparamos nuestros resultados con los de esos autores. No hay una alta intercorrelación entre los índices asociados con las 5 dimensiones teóricas excepto por la dimensión de desigualdad y parcialmente, exposición. Esto se reafirma por el análisis factorial exploratorio, en que no es posible verificar de manera empírica las mismas dimensiones. Este estudio demuestra la necesidad de caracterizar localmente no solo los índices de segregación residencial, sino también las dimensiones teóricas a las que se refieren con el propósito de mejorar las interpretaciones de los efectos de la segregación residencial sobre la salud.

Work-parenthood conflicts at the operator and professional levels in Chile’s mining industry: a gender analysis

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to determine, from a gender and class perspective, how mothers who work in mining operations experience the tensions associated with motherhood in comparison with father workers, within the context of the work-family relationship in an industry with shift systems. A qualitative methodology was used to interpret perceived difficulties and strategies for dealing with maternity/paternity and work conflicts. Results show that mother workers perceive that the maternal role is socially ignored; that they have great difficulties in exercising their maternity, that their main subjective problems are frustration, anxiety, and guilt; that conflicts are less acute for female supervisors, associated with their class status, the support of paid domestic workers, and the dedication of time to individual hobbies; and that strategies for dealing with conflicts are palliative. We conclude that a perception of ‘privatization of the work-motherhood balance’ predominates, with mother workers taking responsibility for their self-integration, which they deem to be a personal rather than a social problem. All interviewees adopt a position of ‘gender neutrality’. Paradoxically, women do not prioritize demanding differential measures for working mothers, although they perceive that their motherhood is socially judged by the sexist culture of their work environment.

Serological prevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii in Zoo Mammals in Chile

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic cosmopolitan protozoan that causes a high mortality rate among zoo mammals such as New World primates, meerkats, marsupials and Pallas’ cat. It has been recently reported in Chile, mainly among wild populations, but also as the cause of death of a kangaroo and a mara. However, there has not been a T. gondii report at a Zoo population level in Chile in the last 35 years. The aim of the study was to estimate the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in mammals housed in a zoo located in the Metropolitan Region of Chile between 2011 and 2018. In this study, we analyzed 350 samples, from 324 animals, belonging to 57 species of carnivores, non-human primates, macropodids, ungulates and rodents to detect the presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies. Additionally, 20 animals were longitudinally sampled to evaluate intra-zoo infection. Using a commercial indirect Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) test, we detected T. gondii antibodies in 72 (22.2 %) samples. The overall seroprevalence estimates were 48.4 % in felines, 22.9 % in non-feline carnivores, 21.1 % in ungulates and 15.0 % in non-human primates. There were no positive samples from rodents or marsupials. Of animals sampled longitudinally, only a culpeo fox (Lycalopex cualpaeus) became seropositive along the study indicating exposition inside the facility. T. gondii seroprevalence differed significantly in taxonomic groups (p = 0.003), felines are statistically different from non-feline carnivores (NFC) (p = 0.040), ungulate (p = 0.027) and non-human primates (NHP) (p = 0.009). Annual prevalence comparison was performed showing no statistical difference (p = 0.941). A multivariable logistic regression was performed to ascertain the effect of taxonomic groups, proximity to water sources, diet, sex and type of housing on seropositivity. Only taxonomic group was statistically significant, indicating that NFC (OR = 0.35; 95 % CI = 0.15 – 0.83; p = 0.017), ungulates (OR = 0.30; 95 % CI = 0.13 – 0.69; p = 0.005), and NHP (OR = 0.25; 95 % CI = 0.09 – 0.72; p = 0.010) have lower risk of positivity to T. gondii compared to felines. Additionally, a black-faced spider monkey (Ateles chamek) and a siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) were seropositive, being the first description of T. gondii infection in these species worldwide. As seen in previous studies, the widespread presence and exposure of T. gondii in zoo mammals was confirmed, and there may be contact with the agent and transmission within the zoo, which was confirmed by one animal became seropositive over the time. This fact could be a health problem for animals susceptible to fatal toxoplasmosis.

Municipalities and democracy in Chile: Are they complying with the 20,500 Law On Citizen Participation?

This article describes and characterizes the current state of citizen participation at the municipal level in Chile, taking as reference the law 20.500. The objective is to identify the main factors that are influencing the dynamic disparate of implementation of the law, based on a study conducted in fifty-two municipalities. It is argued that there are municipalities that meet minimum participation standards, but in the great majority it has not been gravitating. Some reasons that would be influencing this dynamic, they are the low incentives of the law to incorporate citizen participation in municipal management, the excessive dependence on the political will of mayors to initiate it, the municipal financial precariousness to sustain it. The main conclusion is that the contributions of the law to municipal participatory democracy have been low, persisting a representative local democracy of low intensity and associated with exclusively procedural aspects.

The Perfect Man: The Ideal Imaginary Beauty of K-pop Idols for Chilean Fans

This paper aims to determine why Chilean fans of K-pop enjoy the incompatible aesthetics of K-pop idols. It will analyze the variation of the ideal of beauty according to socioeconomic level in Chile and fans’ perception of the beauty canons of K-pop. Hypothesizing that the relationship between race (rather skin color) and class in Chile affects K-pop consumption, this study will delve into why the canon of beauty attracts Chilean fans, despite the contrast that exists with the Chilean canon of male beauty. Latin American culture is constituted by sexual roles marked and determined by gender (Cristian Valenzuela 2015); these roles perpetuate male superiority based on the figure of the male. Specifically, the hegemonic masculinity present in the region stands out for having such characteristics as strength, rationality, seriousness, domination, heterosexuality, and sexual activity. Asians are often called Chino, and K-pop fans are considered strange. Though Chileans tend to conflate all Asian pop cultures, they are particularly suspicious of the sexual identity of K-pop fans. Based on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with sixteen upper-class and twenty middle-lower-class Chileans, this paper investigates how Chilean K-pop fans consume and negotiate with the aesthetics of K-pop in a conservative, European-oriented, oligarchic society.

A statistical analysis for the epidemiological surveillance of COVID-19 in Chile

Background: The emergence of COVID-19 so far and in the immediate future has brought significant uncertainties that negatively impact institutions and individuals in developing and planning their activities worldwide. The uncertainty of the effectiveness of vaccines has forced the authorities to adopt different protocols, the most relevant of which is the isolation of people through quarantine to avoid contagion, drastically affecting our way of life. For this reason, it is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of quarantines. Objective: To analyze the spread of the disease in Chile according to the quarantines decreed by the sanitary authority. Methods: Inferential study to estimate the trend changes in COVID-19 cases and their basic and instantaneous reproduction numbers, which allows us to evaluate the decreed measures and establish vaccination policies. Results: According to the data obtained until 03 March 2021 of confirmed COVID-19 cases disaggregated at a regional level in Chile, we observe a heterogeneous spread in most Chilean regions. When incorporating the dynamic quarantines decreed, effectiveness is detected in most regions, except in some few of them. Conclusion: Our results indicate that we are unable to identify the measures in the step-by-step protocols partly responsible for non-compliance with quarantines. However, our specific findings that can be extrapolated to daily practice and enlighten the ways of other countries are as follows. On the one hand, a measure that has been effective in curbing the spread of the disease is the strict early quarantine as detected in some Chilean regions. Therefore, indexes are needed to measure the mobility of citizens. On the other hand, as time passes without stopping infections, quarantines lose effectiveness even if the estimated instantaneous reproduction number is small and stable. In addition, other factors can cause this number to not be within the expected ranges which must be further studied. Also, we have estimated the basic reproduction number whose value confirms the suitability of the pandemic declaration.

Effectiveness of a normative nutrition intervention in Chilean pregnant women on maternal and neonatal outcomes: the CHiMINCs study

Some nutritional interventions have shown their efficacy in reducing gestational weight gain (GWG); however, their applicability in routine care is limited. We assessed the effectiveness of a low-intensity and high-coverage nutritional intervention on maternal and offspring outcomes; the intervention enhanced existing nutritional health care standards and practices at the primary health care level in Chile. This study was a cluster-randomized controlled trial of 12 primary health care centers (PHCCs) from Santiago, Chile. PHCCs were randomly allocated to either nutritional intervention [intervention group (IG), n=5] or routine care [control group (CG), n=7]. A total of 4631 pregnant women were recruited (IG, n=2565; and CG, n=2066). Primary outcomes were adequate GWG and glycemic control in mothers and birth weight, birth length, macrosomia, and large for gestational age in neonates. The intervention consisted of 4 key actions: training of health care professionals on nutritional recommendations, counseling of pregnant women on diet and physical activity recommendations, offering a physical activity program implemented in the participating PHCCs, and adequate referral to dietitians. Women randomly assigned to the CG received routine antenatal care. At baseline, the mean age was 26.1 y; 45% of women were primipara and 24% were obese. No differences were found in the percentage of women achieving adequate GWG (IG: 30.3%, compared with CG: 31.3%; OR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.81, 1.09), but women in the IG had lower GWG than those in the CG (11.3 compared with 11.9 kg; mean difference: -0.63 kg; 95% CI: -1.19, -0.08). Effects of the intervention were significantly higher in women with obesity at the begining of pregnancy (mean difference: -1.24 kg; 95% CI: -2.18, -0.30; P for interaction<0.05). No differences were found between groups regarding maternal glycemic control or neonatal outcomes. Our findings demonstrate that a low-intensity, high-coverage intervention delivered through the Chilean public health care system under standard operating conditions reduces GWG and has the potential for successful scale-up. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01916603.

Differences obesity at subnational levels in Chile and the potential for targeted interventions

Abstract Background Chile has a high prevalence of obesity (PO), and this has increased even more in recent years. Public health interventions have not impacted, probably because a geographic distribution of the cases at a lower level is unknown. We described the geographic distribution and change of obesity at a sub-regional level in Chile, and to identify targets areas/groups for interventions. Methods We did a secondary analysis of the latest two National Health Surveys (2009, 2016), using Regions and Health Service (HS) levels, which are the second and third administrative division of Chile, respectively. HSs were the smallest geographical unit possible to analyze with this data. Logistic regression models were fit to test differences between sex, age, number of children, family income, educational level, regions, and HS, using the lowest value of each variable as the reference group, adjusting by sex and age. Results At the national level, PO increased from 25% to 34% from 2009 to 2016. The southern regions have the highest PO in 2016 (Los Rios: 45%, Aysen:44%, Araucania:42%), and the lowest PO is even more than 30%. Although, the highest relative increase was in the north and central regions (Tarapacá:94%, Valparaíso:89%, Coquimbo:62%), as well as their HS. At HS level, in the Metropolitan Region, the PO varies from 21% to 46% in 2016 (OR = 3.3 IC95%1.4-7.9). Likewise, in the Valparaiso Region, it goes from 24% to 44% (OR = 2.9 IC95% 1.2-7). These differences in PO among HS levels in those regions were lower in 2009. Lower family income, educational level, and females with two or more children were associated with obesity in both surveys. Conclusions There is a high prevalence and increases in obesity in Chile at national and sub-national levels. The large variability in obesity observed among regions and Health Services suggests that lower geographical areas would be a potential target for effective interventions, complementarity to those at national levels. Key messages Analysis and intervention at a subnational level are required for preventing obesity in Chile. The high prevalence of obesity in Chile has a large variability among the subnational levels.