Mexican State Research Articles

Height growth of Mexican boys by geographic region: an evaluation based on nationally representative data of ENSANUT 2012 and 2018.

Existing research on human growth in Mexico is regionally focused, creating a gap in the understanding of growth patterns of children and adolescents at national level and regional variation. The objective of the present study was to characterize the height growth curve of the Mexican population by geographic area and to cluster the states of the Mexican Republic according to their somatic maturation characteristics, based on a national representative sample of boys. Data on age, height, socioeconomic level, and geographic area of 18,219 boys were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 (ENSANUT) and ENSANUT 2018, carried out in 32 Mexican states. Both surveys had representative samples. Preece-Baines 1 model was applied to fit height growth curves. Biological parameters were estimated; principal component analysis and cluster analysis were performed to group Mexican states based on these biological parameters. The estimated age at peak height velocity (PHV) was 12.3 years in the sample. Significant regional differences in the timing and tempo of PHV among Mexican boys were observed. Boys in the northern region experienced PHV at an earlier age and had a shorter duration of growth compared with boys in the central and southern regions. Boys in the central region had a longer duration of growth and a later age of PHV compared with the boys in the southern region. The cluster that included the southern states of the country showed estimated lower adult height and earlier somatic maturation. A lower height was found in the low and low-middle socioeconomic levels compared with the medium-high and high socioeconomic levels. Future research in Mexico should focus on longitudinal studies to analyse the timing and tempo of growth and maturation, considering the impacts of environmental and genetic factors. Public health strategies should account for geographic variations.

Public cultural institutions in Mexico and precarisation of creative labour

The Mexican state has been an active agent in the construction of cultural institutions and infrastructure for more than a century. But the symbolic and political currency of the cultural sector is not reflected in stable conditions for creative workers who exist precariously. In this article, we explore a manifestation of the simultaneous state of prominence and precarity in procurement regimes implemented by federal government agencies before the Covid-19 crisis, and support programmes from the federal and local government of Mexico City to employ creative workers during the early phases of the pandemic. We examine the content and arguments of these programmes to highlight how cultural policies and institutional structures developed by the government are a continuation, and even a deepening, of the already precarious work opportunities in the cultural sector. Through policy analysis and qualitative interviews, we contrast the officially stated goals of government institutions with the lived experiences of creative workers.

Dynamic interaction between permanent and temporary employment across manufacturing labor markets in the Mexican states: A structural panel VAR approach

México’s implementation of several labor market reforms aimed to stimulate the flexibilization of labor relationships have brought long-standing concerns among scholars and governmental authorities about a displacement process of permanent by temporary jobs. In this regard, this manuscript aims to respond whether the dynamic interaction between permanent and temporary employment across Mexican states describe a substitution or complementary relationship. By means of implementing a structural panel vector autoregressive model, our estimation results demonstrate that a combination of both types of interaction, substitutive and complementary ones, prevail across manufacturing labor markets at state level. Moreover, a marked heterogeneity among estimated dynamic responses suggests that incentivizing permanent employment would induce stronger substitution effects on its temporary counterpart than, for example, substitution of permanent job positions arising when incentivizing temporary employment.

Description of Xiphinema ficusi sp. n. (Nematoda: Longidoridae) and molecular characterisation of some Xiphinema species from Mexico

Summary In 2018-2022, during nematological surveys in several Mexican states, a new species, Xiphinema ficusi sp. n., two known species, X. basiri and X. luci, and four unidentified Xiphinema species, Xiphinema sp. A, sp. B, sp. C, and sp. D, were collected and characterised. Xiphinema ficusi sp. n. was found in a tropical forest in the La Mancha Ecological Reserve of the Ecology Institute of Jalapa, Veracruz state. The new species is characterised by a body length of 2.82-3.79 mm, slightly offset lip region, odontostyle 93-105 μm long, guiding ring at 51-96 μm from anterior end, an elongate conical tail 41-50 μm long with digitate terminus, didelphic-amphidelphic reproductive system, with both gonads equally developed without Z differentiation in females. Males have one pair of adanal and four ventromedial supplements. The seven Xiphinema species were molecularly characterised and the phylogenetic relationships of these species with other representatives of this genus were reconstructed using the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA and COI gene sequences. Molecular analysis revealed the presence of a parasitic oomycete of the genus Lagenidium in X. ficusi sp. n. and endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Candidatus Xiphinematobacter in X. luci and Xiphinema sp. D. belonging to the Xiphinema americanum group. It has been suggested that valleys surrounded by ridges of Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico might be one of the world centres of diversity for the genus Xiphinema.

Functional transgenes in Mexican maize: benefits and risks for insect pest management in Mexico and the United States

Abstract Corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) are major migratory pests of maize (Zea mays) in the United States and Mexico. They are primarily controlled in the United States with genetically engineered (GE) maize, while the 25-yr moratorium on cultivating GE maize in Mexico has forced growers to control these pests with insecticides, where maize productivity remains 35% below the world’s average. The United States annually exports 5% of its maize grain to Mexico, where it provides human food and animal feed. This seed is often sown by smallholder growers, leading to plantings of GE transgene-expressing maize and potential hybridization with local landraces. As a result, transgenes are now present in Mexican maize products and landraces. In this study, we examined the F1 offspring of GE maize to better understand the frequency of different transgenes expressed in maize seeds exported to Mexico. We show that exported seed contains numerous transgenes, including an estimated ~68% epsps expressing resistance to the herbicide glyphosate; ~80% pat and bar expressing resistance to the herbicide glufosinate; and ~82% Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes that effectively protect maize plants from several insect pests. We tested 134 samples, including landraces from 10 Mexican states, and found that 35% expressed resistance to glyphosate and 33% to glufosinate. Many samples containing herbicide resistance also expressed 11%–100% functional Bt transgenes, which can effectively reduce the refuge area provided by Mexican maize and increase the Bt-resistant allele frequency. We discuss ways that the introgression of transgenes could provide pest management benefits to Mexican growers but, at the same time, accelerate the development of Bt-resistance in corn earworm and fall armyworm. Our cost-effective screening methods can be used to determine the introgression of functional herbicide resistance and Bt transgenes in maize.

Institutional arrangements in the promotion of sustainable livestock: an approach from the case of beef and dairy cattle production chains in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche

This study focuses on a policy and practice review of existing institutional arrangements within the beef and dairy cattle production sectors in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche. Acknowledging the critical role of robust governance frameworks in transitioning towards sustainable livestock agriculture, a collaborative governance approach is employed to holistically address environmental and production challenges. This approach underscores the importance of active participation, stakeholder collaboration, and contextual adaptation in decision-making processes. Classified as explanatory research, the study is grounded in a qualitative approach, covering a synchronous period from 2017 to 2022. Secondary sources such as public policies, international climate commitment reports, sector-specific reports, and databases were utilized to provide context and data regarding the analyzed institutional arrangements. Additionally, semi-structured information-gathering protocols were developed and, in conjunction with participant observation, administered to approximately 30 key stakeholders from public, private, academic, research centers, international cooperation, and civil society sectors involved in institutional arrangements in the aforementioned states. The findings highlight the significance of collaborative governance as a valuable alternative for addressing governance challenges in the livestock sector, particularly when hierarchical or market-oriented approaches are less effective. The diversity of identified institutional arrangements, ranging from hierarchical to polyarchic, emphasizes the need to acknowledge the specificities of the context in which they operate and adapt strategies accordingly. This analysis contributes to the growing discussion on sustainable livestock farming and the fundamental role of institutional arrangements in promoting responsible practices and mitigating environmental impacts. As demands for natural resources and environmental awareness increase, understanding and strengthening these arrangements become essential to balance livestock production and environmental conservation.

Correlation between tobacco control policies and tobacco prevention in Mexico: a sub-national analysis.

This study aims to determinate the correlation between tobacco control policies (TCP) and the prevalence of tobacco use in the 32 Mexican states during the 2016-2017 period. This is an ecological study that measured TCP by the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) which assigns a score (0-100) based on the level of these component's implementation: price, prohibition in public spaces, expenditures of public information campaigns, publicity prohibitions, health warnings, and treatments. We analyzed the associations between the TCS scores and prevalence of tobacco use extracted from the National Survey of Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption using Spearman correlations. Prevalence of daily smokers is negatively correlated with global TCS scores for adolescents (p = 0.026). Price showed similar negative correlations with daily prevalence in adolescents (p = 0.003), adults (p = 0.040), men (p < 0.006), and women (p = 0.040). Many Mexican states need to improve on tobacco control policies, especially targeting a key population: adolescents.

Integrated fire management in a tropical biosphere reserve: Achievements and challenges

Wildfires are among the most critical threats to tropical rainforests. In the Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve in the Mexican state of Chiapas, vast rainforest areas suffered destruction by fires in 1998 and 2003. However, there have been no more widespread fires, and previously burnt areas have been recovering. The present study analyses the integrated fire management processes implemented in the reserve. It includes 19 expert interviews and a survey applied to 274 inhabitants of local communities. It argues that the successful prevention of further adverse wildfire events is related to a fire management approach, which emphasizes cultural and physical fire prevention and incorporates strong participation by local communities. The communities have established internal agreements to mitigate wildfire risk. Thus, the reserve might serve as an example of how integrated and cultural fire management can be applied in practice. However, these achievements face challenges, mainly due to budget cuts, changing governmental priorities, and the crisis of the rule of law in Mexico. An event that particularly impacted fire management practices in the area in recent years was the implementation of the federal government's Sembrando Vida (“Planting Life”) program. First, it led to deforestation and the provocation of wildfires but afterwards it seems to have induced the abandonment of agricultural burning by a considerable percentage of local farmers.

Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi among children from Veracruz, Mexico: Epidemiological baseline for a control model based on Chagas disease active transmission

Introduction. In 2021, the Secretaría de Salud de México and the Pan American Health Organization launched an initiative to interrupt intra-domiciliary vector transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi based on the prevalence of Chagas disease in children. The Mexican State of Veracruz was leading this initiative. Objective. To estimate the seroprevalence of T. cruzi infection among children under 15 years of age from rural areas of Veracruz, México. Materials and methods. We identified eight localities of high priority from the Municipality of Tempoal, Veracruz, for baseline serology. Blood samples were collected on filter paper from 817 individuals between June and August 2017, for screening with a third-generation enzyme immunoassay. Reactive cases were confirmed by indirect hemagglutination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and indirect immunofluorescence tests on peripheral blood serum samples. We calculated seroprevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results. We confirmed Chagas disease cases in children under 15 years of age with a seroprevalence of 1,9% (95 % CI = 1,12-3,16) in the localities of Citlaltepetl, Cornizuelo, Cruz de Palma and Rancho Nuevo. Conclusions. These results indicate recent transmission of T. cruzi in these communities and allow to establish an epidemiological baseline for the design and implementation of a model focused on geographical areas with active transmission to advance toward the elimination of intra-domiciliary vector transmission of this parasite in Mexico.

Filantropía comunitaria en México: Narrativas emergentes de lo común, el territorio y la memoria

In the relationships between foundations and communities, resources of different types are mobilized and those who receive them are seen in an asymmetrical position; this study seeks to identify and interpret the narrative elements that characterize the perceptions about philanthropic practices among communities in Mexico; as well as to characterize the narrative elements that question the hegemonic definitions of philanthropy. Based on three workshops, with the participation of 70 people from 19 Mexican states, we analyzed knowledge and perceptions regarding the definition of community philanthropy, the recognition of differentiated contributions between men and women, and the recognition of the types of resources and how they are mobilized. The people participating in the workshops do not identify with a generalized definition of Community Philanthropy, but rather different philanthropic practices were made visible related to the work carried out in the private and public spheres, the processes of memory recovery and attachment to the territory. It is concluded that the visibility of the resources contributed by the communities, mainly the intangible ones, promotes symmetrical relationships; as well as recognizing that external donations enhance the processes that are already taking place within the communities.

A Comparative Analysis of Key Integration Blocks

Why is integration progressing successfully in some parts of the world but not in others? Why are only some integration blocks hugely important for member countries? And why this is not the case globally? This article provides a comparative analysis of international economic structures, aiming to identify the factors that contribute to the validity and effectiveness of integration.&#x0D; The article examines eight economic blocks: the European Union, the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States and Canada, the Southern Common Market, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Euroasian Economic Union, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the African Union, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. We take into account five stages of integration: free trade area, customs union, single market, economic union, and monetary union. To understand the progress of integration, one must consider a number of developments and indicators. The coefficient of economic gravity, which we describe in this paper, is a convenient method to find out how important integration structures are for contracting states.

Well-being and contexts of development of U.S. citizen children in Mexico following parental deportation or voluntary relocation.

When undocumented immigrant parents are deported from the United States, they must decide whether or not to take their U.S.-born and undocumented immigrant children with them, often to countries the children have never visited or know little about. Other parents do not wait to be deported by the government and decide to relocate to their home countries with or without their children. Both sets of families experience relocation but under different circumstances. These differences deserve exploration to understand the psychological and emotional effects on children's well-being. In this cross-sectional study, we explored differences in self-concept, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, as well as the perception of the home, school, and neighborhood contexts of 178 U.S. citizen children (USCC) whose parents returned to Mexico forcibly and voluntarily. Through snowball sampling, we recruited the sample from two bordering Mexican states, Michoacán and the State of Mexico. Significant estimated marginal mean differences in internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, unhappiness, as well as parent-child conflict and support were found between USCC who relocated due to a parental deportation and those USCC whose parents relocated to Mexico voluntarily. Implications for clinicians in Mexico and the United States include recognizing the reasons, timing, decisions, events, and contexts of relocation. Findings can help inform immigration policies, practices, and future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Variations in anxiety and emotional support among first-year college students across different learning modes (distance and face-to-face) during COVID-19.

College students with more emotional support experience lower levels of anxiety and other psychosocial and behavioral problems. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the emotional well-being of college students was additionally challenged by an abrupt shift to distance learning followed by a return to face-to-face classes. In this exploratory study, we compared the levels of perceived emotional support and anxiety among incoming first-year undergraduate students, prior to starting classes, which included different learning modes in five semesters of instruction from 2021-2023 (three distance semesters and two face-to-face semesters). Data from 8659 undergraduate students were extracted from a Mexican state university database, corresponding to students' responses collected during new student orientation week. Participants were students in the arts and humanities (9.7%), social and legal sciences (38%), life and health sciences (28.9%), and engineering and architecture (23.4%). Anxiety levels were measured with the GAD-7 scale, and emotional support was measured using a subscale of the PERACT-R (To go through with resilience) inventory. Comparisons of emotional support and anxiety scores among semesters revealed highly significant differences with small effect sizes. Anxiety levels increased significantly with mean average of 6.65 SD(5.52) during the baseline measure to the highest in 2022-2 to 7.53 SD(5.3) and Emotional Support decreased systematically each semester from baseline mean = 8.03 SD(2.0) to the lowest 7.52 SD(1.8) in 2022-2. The results show that a return to face-to-face classes was associated with increased anxiety levels, whereas levels of emotional support systematically decreased across the five semesters. MANOVA analysis revealed significant differences in anxiety and emotional support scores between semesters, with peaks during the learning mode semester that students returned to face-to-face classes after distance learning even after adjusting for gender. Given that the effect of emotional support on anxiety may be related to success in future educational and professional activities, it is important to develop interventions to restore and increase college students' emotional support levels and develop anxiety management strategies.

¡Viva Cristo Rey!: Militant Catholic Devotion and the Creation of the National Votive Sanctuary of Christ the King in Revolutionary Guanajuato, 1914–1928

Abstract: This article examines the role of the Catholic ideology of Cristo Rey during the Cristero Conflict, which lasted from 1926 to 1929. This conflict was an armed rebellion led by militant Catholics who opposed the Mexican government's enforcement of anti-clerical provisions in the Mexican Constitution of 1917. This article argues that the creation of the Cristo Rey devotion in Guanajuato, Mexico as well as the statue dedicated to that devotion in 1923 demonstrate the early role the Mexican clergy played in escalating tensions between the Church and the Mexican State in the years before the armed phase of the Cristero rebellion. Additionally, this examination provides an important insight into the unification of lay Catholic organizations surrounding the expulsion of the Papal Nuncio, Eugenio Filippi in 1923. This article further demonstrates that the militant Catholic interpretation of Cristo Rey was impactful outside of Mexico, especially through the official Papal adoption of Christ the King as Catholic doctrine in 1925.

Subnational public debt sustainability in Mexico: Is the new fiscal rule working?

In 1997, after a costly bailout, the central government of Mexico passed legislation intending to improve subnational finances through fiscal decentralization. As a result, many states rapidly began to accumulate debt during the following decade. Subnational public debt grew threefold between 1996 and 2006. The global financial crisis only aggravated the debt accumulation problem, which increased by 320% between 2006 and 2016. In response, a new law with a set of fiscal rules for subnational governments was enacted in 2016, namely, the Law of Fiscal Discipline (LDF) for states and municipalities. This study evaluates the impact of the fiscal rule alert system on the levels of debt accumulation across Mexican states. Using a quarterly panel dataset comprising the period 2013–2020 and employing difference-in-differences techniques, we observe a significant reduction of 4% in public debt between treated and untreated states and 5.8% in debt per capita. Moreover, we document that even after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new fiscal rule effectively reduced the pace of subnational public debt in Mexico.

A new Mexican endemic species of yellow-eared bat in the genus Vampyressa (Phyllostomidae, Stenodermatinae)

Abstract Bats from the genus Vampyressa Thomas, 1900 are known from a relatively small number of individuals in Mexico. Through recent collecting efforts in southwestern Mexico, we detected several previously unknown populations of Vampyressa, which appeared to represent a lineage independent from but closely related to V. thyone. Here, we describe this lineage as a new species of the genus Vampyressa from the Mexican states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. The new species is currently known from at least 8 collected specimens and 3 released individuals from 8 localities, and can be differentiated from V. pusilla and V. thyone based on pelage and skull characters, size, mitochondrial Cytochrome b, and nuclear Recombination-activating gene 2 sequence data. The new species has been captured mainly in the lowlands but occurs along a wide altitudinal range from 150 to 2,200 m above sea level. Most of the records of the new species are from west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which evidences a new case of a phylogenetic break at this biogeographic barrier. The genus Vampyressa now includes 6 species, and Mexico expands its position as the country with the largest number of endemic bats in the Neotropics, totaling 20 endemics.

Low quality of maternal and child nutritional care at the primary care in Mexico: an urgent call to action for policymakers and stakeholders

BackgroundMaternal and child malnutrition represents a public health problem in Mexico Primary care (PC) is responsible for introducing women and children under five to the health system, detecting diseases on time, and providing medical services, including pharmacological treatment if necessary. Providing these services with quality is essential to improve maternal and child health. This study evaluated the quality of nutritional care during preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, infancy, and preschool age at the PC health units across six Mexican states between 2020 and 2021.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study with a mixed approach in units of the Secretary of Health to assess the quality of nutritional care during preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, childhood, and preschool age. The level of quality was calculated by the percentage of compliance with 16 indicators that integrated a Quality Index of Maternal and Child Nutritional Care (ICANMI, by its Spanish acronym). Compliance by indicator, by life stage, and overall was categorized using the following cut-off points: poor quality (≤ 70%), insufficient quality (71-89%), and good quality (≥ 90%). The perceptions of the barriers and facilitators that affect maternal and child nutrition were evaluated through semi-structured interviews with health professionals (HP) and users. All qualitative instruments were developed with a gender and intercultural perspective.ResultsConsidering the whole sample studied, maternal and child nutritional care quality during the five life stages evaluated was bad (compliance: ≤12%), reflected in the ICANMI, which had a compliance of 8.3%. Principal barriers identified to providing high-quality nutritional care were the lack of knowledge and training of health professionals, shortages of equipment, medicine, personnel, and materials, the disappearance of the social cash transfer program Prospera, the absence of local indigenous language translators to support communication between doctor and patient, and the persistence of machismo and other practices of control over women.ConclusionsThese findings underscore the need for initiatives to improve the quality of nutritional care in PC facilities across Chihuahua, State of Mexico, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Yucatan. It is necessary for government and health authorities, along with various stakeholders, to collaboratively devise, implement, and assess intercultural and gender-oriented policies and programs geared towards ensuring the health infrastructure and enhancing the training of health professionals to diagnose and treat the prevalence and occurrence of diverse forms of malnutrition in both maternal and child populations.

Teachers’ Experiences of Online/Distance Teaching and Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mainstream Classrooms with Vulnerable Students in Cyprus

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school lockdowns in many countries forced teachers to deliver lessons online to ensure that students continued their studies. This shift, which caused major challenges for school systems worldwide, significantly affected the Cypriot education system, which is highly centralised and in which teacher-centred practices are widely used. In many countries, teachers and students were unfamiliar with the new teaching and evaluation methods, and learners in the most marginalised groups were deemed to be at risk of falling behind. For these reasons, an online survey was undertaken in Cyprus from March to September 2020 as part of an international online survey initiated by a university in the Northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. The survey examined teachers’ perspectives on the new online pedagogical practices; the challenges they faced; and the impact of these practices on the learning progress of all students, including two vulnerable groups, i.e., individuals with learning disabilities and immigrant students aged 6–18 years. Key findings suggest that the teachers were unprepared to design inclusive student-centred digital activities and deliver online lessons and that distance teaching may have negatively affected students’ learning experiences, especially in the vulnerable groups.

POPULAR CONSULTATION IN MEXICO

The aim of this work is to analyze the shift from a representative democracy to a participatory democracy, allowing citizens to have a greater involvement in decisions corresponding to the State through mechanisms such as the popular consultation. Additionally, the constitutional framework and secondary laws are examined to scrutinize the arguments put forth by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, as well as by legislators, regarding the popular consultation. Key arguments linked to various articles, particularly those related to Human Rights, established in the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, are unraveled in the cited examples of attempts to carry out the popular consultation, concerning issues such as the energy sector, political matters, or labor. In conclusion, this inquiry addresses the legal complexity for the first-time implementation of the constitutional framework of the popular consultation, reflections that contribute to a better understanding of the background and current situation of this participatory democracy mechanism in Mexico.

Interruption of pregnancy in México within the framework of human rights

The Mexican State is part of the inter-American system, it safeguards the human rights of both the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States and the International Treaties, particularly in the interruption of pregnancy it protects the human rights to life, health, reproductive rights and non-discrimination. These human rights are analyzed in the resolutions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, to aknowledge both the international and national interpretation, which has served as a legal basis in the interruption of pregnancy in Mexico. Based on these human rights and resolutions, ten states have legislated to allow the interruption of pregnancy, due to which the legal framework of the former Federal District (D.F.), Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Baja California, Veracruz, Colima, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Baja is studied. California Sur and Quintana Roo, highlighting that they have reformed their Penal Codes and Health Laws, standardizing most of their criteria. Likewise, a legal comparison is made at an international level to highlight differences and similarities between Mexico and other countries. This issue continues in Mexico, the states continue to discuss the interruption of pregnancy