Northwest Mexico Research Articles

Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from River Water and Farm Animal Feces near an Agricultural Region in Northwestern Mexico

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic enteric pathogens linked to human gastroenteritis worldwide. To aid the development of pathogen control efforts, the present study characterized the genotypic diversity and pathogenic potential of STEC recovered from sources near agricultural fields in Northwest Mexico. Samples were collected from irrigation river water and domestic animal feces in farms proximal to agricultural fields and were subjected to enrichment followed by immunomagnetic separation and plating on selective media for the recovery of the STEC isolates. Comparative genomic analyses indicated that the recovered STEC with the clinically relevant serotypes O157:H7, O8:H19, and O113:H21 had virulence genes repertoires associated with host cell adherence, iron uptake and effector protein secretion. Subsequent phenotypic characterization revealed multidrug resistance against aminoglycoside, carbapenem, cephalosporin, fluoroquinolone, penicillin, phenicol, and tetracycline, highlighting the need for improved surveillance on the use of antimicrobials. The present study indicated for the first time that river water in the agricultural Culiacan Valley in Mexico is a relevant key route of transmission for STEC O157 and non-O157 with a virulence potential. In addition, feces from domestic farm animals near surface waterways can act as potential point sources of contamination and transport of diverse STEC with clinically relevant genotypes.

The Use of Innovative Techniques to Decodify Early Anthropic Activity in the Sonoran Desert (NW Mexico)

The Early Agriculture Period (EAP) in the southwest of USA and northwest of Mexico began just after the Altithermal period (7500–4500 years BP). During the EAP, agricultural societies cultivated corn and constructed canals for irrigation; however, searching for the sites of this period and reconstruction of the ancient activities surrounding them meets difficulties and requires the development of geoarchaeological indicators. The present study aims to identify anthropic processes from three paleosols in the arid Northwest Mexico using physical, micromorphological and biogeochemistry characteristics. In addition, the physical and biogeochemical variables were analysed by redundancy analysis. Results show that the combination of physical, micromorphological-micromorphometric and biogeochemistry analyses are an accurate indicator of agriculture during the Early Agriculture Period (4500 years BP); additionally, the soil organic P (Po ) fraction extracted by HCl (HCl-Po ) is also a good indicator of soil changes induced by human fire management. The integrated analyses of these methods thus had a higher potential for determining the human activities effect on paleosols from the Late Holocene.

First Report of rattail cactus necrosis-associated virus Infecting Prickly pear (Opuntia macrocentra) in the United States.

Black-spined prickly pear (Opuntia macrocentra Engelmann; Cactaceae) is a cactus native to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and northwest Mexico. The plant is often grown for ornamental purposes in the United States. In February 2023, virus-like symptoms such as concentric ringspots and chlorotic spots were observed on O. macrocentra plants grown at the vicinity of Maricopa County Cooperative extension, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ (33°24'24.6"N, 111°59'15.3"W). Total RNA was extracted from two samples (YPHC-60-A and YPHC-60-B), following the protocol by Tzanetakis et al. (2007). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed with degenerate tobamovirus, TobamodF/TobamodR (Li et al. 2018) and potexvirus, 1RC, Potex 2RC, and Potex 5 (van der Vlugt and Berendsen 2002) primers. An expected amplicon of ~880 bp was obtained from both samples using TobamodF/TobamodR primers, while no amplification was observed with potexvirus primers. Further, RT-PCR was carried out using species-specific primers to detect cacti related tobamoviruses: cactus mild mottle virus (CMMoV), rattail cactus necrosis-associated virus (RCNaV) (Park et al. 2018) and Opuntia virus 2 (Salgado-Ortiz et al. 2020). Amplicons of ~540 bp were amplified from both samples using RCNaV specific primers, whereas no amplification was obtained using CMMoV and Opuntia virus 2 specific primers. Then, the amplicons from both YPHC-60 (A-B) isolates (~540 bp) were Sanger sequenced and shared 99.22% nucleotide identity to each other. A BLAST search revealed 93% nucleotide identity with RCNaV CP sequences (KY581586.1, JF729471, and MT130378.1). The sequences were submitted in the GenBank (accessions no. OQ914798 and OR828526). Furthermore, complete RCNaV- RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) gene was amplified using primers 3490-s-5'GTAGGTGGTACCGCATAGCA-3'; 3490as 5'AAACGCAAGTCMRYGACYGA-3' (designed in this study from accession no. JF729471.1, position 3490-3509 and 4905-4925). The expected amplicons of ~1,500 bp were obtained from both YPHC-60 (A-B) samples and sequenced (GenBank: OQ914799 and OR823954) showing 87.5 % identity with RCNaV sequences (JF729471.1 and NC_016442.1). The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree clustered YPHC-60 (A-B) isolates in a single clade with other RCNaV isolates. RCNaV virus particles were isolated from YPHC-60 (A-B) and submitted for RNA extraction, testing positive for RCNaV by RT-PCR. Sap extract of YPHC-60 (A-B) prepared in 0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH =7.0) was used to mechanically inoculate 3 indicator plant species (n=10): Phaseolus vulgaris, Medicago sativa, and Cucumis melo. Also, infected tissue was used to graft Opuntia sp. plants. Symptoms such as local lesions were observed on M. sativa and vein thickening on P. vulgaris 14 days post-inoculation, while Opuntia sp. showed chlorosis 30 days after grafting. RCNaV infection in mechanically inoculated P. vulgaris, M. sativa, and Opuntia sp. was also confirmed through RT-PCR. C. melo and non-inoculated control plants did not show any symptoms, nor tested positive through RT-PCR. RCNaV has been reported earlier to infect cactus species in South Korea (Park et al. 2018) and O. albicarpa in Mexico (De La Torre-Almaráz et al. 2016), where it was found in several orchards. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of RCNaV infecting O. macrocentra in the United States. This study highlights that RCNaV is easily transmitted mechanically or by grafting, which could impact the nursery industry as most cacti are clonally propagated.

Seasonal quantification of Zn2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ in urban dusts in a semiarid city in northwest Mexico

Arid and semi-arid cities are of especial interest due to the high amount of dusts that are deposited daily. Dust particles contain heavy metals that are considered potentially toxic elements (PTEs). High concentrations of PTEs in dust particles can result in risks to human health. Few studies have documented accumulation rates of atmospheric deposition and the influence of the North American Monsoon (NAM) in the movement of PTEs. Precipitation and urban runoff derived from the NAM play an important role in the deposition and resuspension of PTEs on urban surfaces. In this work, we quantified spatial and temporal patterns of Zn2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ in an urban-rural gradient using ion-exchange resin (IER) collectors. Three monitoring periods were chosen and the samplings were carried out during the dry and rainy season in a city influenced by the NAM. Results from the IER collectors during the first monitoring period estimated 4.6 gZn2+ha−1 15 wk−1, 3.3 gPb2+ha-115 wk−1 and 3.7 gCu2+ha-115 wk−1. During the second period, the deposition rates were 5.6 gZn2+ha−1 37 wk−1, 1.1 gPb2+ha−1 37 wk−1 and 1.5 gCu2+ha−1 37 wk−1. Finally, in the third period 7.0 gZn2+ ha-117 wk−1, 0.6 gPb2+ha−1 17 wk−1 and 0.9 gCu2+ha−1 17 wk−1 were found. The central area of the city exhibited the highest deposition rates of PTEs influenced by precipitation and flood areas. Results of this work demonstrate the importance of the NAM in the movement of PTEs caused by precipitation and winds that promote the movement of particles in an urban area.

Hermaphroditism and the impact of environmental variables on atresia prevalence in the pen shell Pinna rugosa

The pen shell fishery in northwest Mexico is based on reproductive quota, but the reproductive biology of Pinna rugosa, an economically valuable species, has not yet been documented in its main fishery area. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproductive cycle of P. rugosa, determine the prevalence of atresia and hermaphroditism, and estimate the effect of environmental variables on its reproduction during 2015. Atresia is part of the reproductive cycle in which the cells undergo degeneration. It generally occurs after spawning to reabsorb compounds but it can also occur from the early stages of gametogenesis, affecting fertilization and recruitment. Gonad samples and environmental parameters were collected monthly from a commercial bank at Laguna Ojo de Liebre (Baja California Sur, Mexico) from January to December 2015. Shell height, sex, gonadal development stages, and atresia prevalence were recorded. The results showed that 14% of the individuals were females, 19% were males, and 67% were hermaphrodites, with 3 forms of functional hermaphroditism. Gonadal inactivity occurred in January, February, November, and December, coinciding with lower temperatures and higher chlorophyll a concentrations. Most individuals spawned in June and July. Calculation of a monthly gonad index revealed that gonad development was positively related to environmental variables (R2 = 0.54). Atresia was observed from March to October and was positively related to environmental conditions (R2 = 0.81). The high prevalence of atresia during periods of high temperature and food scarcity suggests that these environmental parameters can affect the reproductive activity of P. rugosa, and have recruitment and fishery productivity implications.

Self-governance mediates small-scale fishing strategies, vulnerability and adaptive response

As global change accelerates, natural resource-dependent communities must respond and adapt. Small-scale fisheries, essential for coastal livelihoods and food security, are considered among the most vulnerable of these coupled social-ecological systems. While previous studies have examined vulnerability and adaptation in fisheries at the individual, household, and community level, these scales of organization are inconsistent with many of the legal and regulatory frameworks that function in practice to mediate behavior, decision-making, and adaptation. Here, we use cooperative- and privately-owned fishing enterprises in Northwest Mexico as a case study to examine how different forms of marine self-governance experience and respond to climate shocks. Leveraging social-ecological network methods to examine changes in fisheries participation and vulnerability during a recent period of pronounced regional oceanographic change, our analysis suggests that: 1) different forms of SSF self-governance (and the fishing strategies and harvest portfolios with which they are associated) help determine the impacts of and response to environmental change; and 2) that there may be important trade-offs between short-term responses which function to prevent or mitigate lost fishing revenue and long-term changes in climate vulnerability. In particular large fishing cooperatives, predicted to be highly vulnerable on the basis of network theoretic metrics, exceeded expectations (maintaining or increasing resource revenues) while demonstrating a degree of path dependency that may function to increase sensitivity and undermine resilience as climate change progresses. In providing an empirical evaluation of how self-governance arrangements characterized by different group sizes, access regimes and levels of cooperation respond to system perturbation, we aim to advance common pool resource theory while offering targeted guidance for the development of more nuanced and equitable climate adaptation policies.

Total and Bioaccesible Metal Concentrations in Surficial Sediment Affected by a Mining Spill: Case of Sonora River, Northwest of Mexico

ABSTRACT Metals and metalloids are persistent contaminants that are associated with many anthropogenic activities and mining in particular. On August 6, 2014, approximately 40,000 m3 of toxic acid mining waste was spilled from the Buena Vista del Cobre Copper Mine. The spill affected 220 km of the Sonora River Basin (SRB) over a surface area of ~ 30,000 km2. This study evaluated the total and bioaccessible concentrations of six metals and their enrichment in surficial sediments in spill and no-spill sites in the SRB. All metal concentrations showed significant seasonal and spatial variation (p < .05) in surficial sediments, with a general distribution of Al > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb. The total and bioaccessible concentrations of the elements in this study were similar between spill and no-spill sites. Variations in element levels were associated with re-suspension and advection related with rain run-off, and the element concentrations were associated with the high natural concentrations in surficial sediments found throughout the SRB (considering the predominant soil types). The enrichment factor (EF) indicated minor to moderate-severe enrichment of Fe and Mn, minor to severe enrichment of Pb and Zn, and moderate-severe to very severe enrichment of Cu. The bioaccessible percentages of metals with respect to the total concentrations varied from 0.23 to 69.9%. The Sediment Quality Guidelines criteria indicated that adverse effects on biota that are mainly due to Cu levels are potentially present. Chronic exposure to metals may produce intermediate and long-term effects on the metabolic responses of biota.

Spatial correlation of dengue with socioeconomic status and land temperature in northwest Mexico

Objective. To characterize the geographic distribution of dengue and to evaluate the spatial autocorrelation with social and climatic determinants at the census-tract level in two medium sized cities in northwestern Mexico. Methods. In this work we apply spatial analysis ecological tools, such as the Moran’s Index and the Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA) method, to examine global and local spatial correlation between incidence of dengue, and socioeconomic and climatic factors at the census tract-level. For the analysis of the spatial clustering, the Getis-Ord method was used to find statistically significant hot spots in each city. Results. Overall, a global spatial autocorrelation could not be identified, although local clusters of a high dengue incidence, soil surface temperature ≤ 31 °C and high degree of social marginalization coincide. Discussion. We found that at the census-tract level in urban settings, socially disadvantaged populations showed higher clusters of dengue when compared to areas with better socioeconomic conditions. In the two study sites, a similar spatial pattern was observed when considering public health conditions and its aggregation with physical attributes using spatial analysis techniques, supporting the application of this technique for a better understanding about the dengue distribution in urban areas.

Machine-learned actual evapotranspiration for an irrigated pecan orchard in Northwest Mexico

Accurate field-scale estimates of the actual evapotranspiration (ETact) based on readily available input data is indispensable to optimize irrigation in (semi-)arid regions. In this study, at an irrigated pecan orchard in Northwest Mexico we explored the potential for three different machine learning algorithms to improve upon the 30-min ETact estimates provided by the FAO Penman-Monteith method (FAO-PM) when trained and tested on multi-year eddy-covariance measurements. We found that all three machine learning algorithms performed well (R2>0.9), with the Random Forest (RF) giving the best overall performance. RF consistently outperformed FAO-PM on sub-daily scales in the growing season, showing its potential to further improve sub-daily ETact estimates. In addition, RF 1) shows a clear improvement (R2 increase up to 0.168) compared to a typical FAO-PM estimate based on the procedures described in FAO report 56, and 2) mostly performed similar as FAO-PM with a highly accurate locally fitted crop factor on the seasonal scale. The latter highlights its ability to infer the correct seasonal trend through input variables that reflect the underlying physical processes, giving potential for application at other similar fields in the region with limited local tuning. To assess whether incorporating existing (semi-)physical parameterizations could improve the performance, we additionally combined our machine learning models with FAO-PM both with and without locally fitted crop factor. Overall, we found this resulted in a modest improvement in performance in most cases (R2 increase up to 0.01). Notably, incorporating the locally calibrated crop factor and FAO-PM each reduced the errors made by the RF in the second half of the growing season. This implies that it is still useful to incorporate FAO-PM and a crop factor in the machine learning model, especially when the crop factor can be determined with high accuracy.

Assessing the quality of raw GNSS observations and 3D positioning performance using the Xiaomi Mi 8 dual-frequency smartphone in Northwest Mexico

Assessing the quality of raw GNSS observations and 3D positioning performance using the Xiaomi Mi 8 dual-frequency smartphone in Northwest Mexico

The pandemic lockdown affected nutritional status and dietary patterns including ultra-processed foods of semi-marginalized schoolchildren in Northwest Mexico

Objective: The aim was to compare dietary patterns and nutritional status of medium-marginalized schoolchildren in Hermosillo, Mexico, pre- and post-pandemic. --- Materials and Methods: Diet of 100 schoolchildren pre-pandemic and 100 post-pandemic were evaluated using 24-hour recalls. Principal components analysis was performed to identify dietary patterns. Anthropometric measurements were taken to calculate Z BMI-for-age. In the post-pandemic period, labels of ultra-processed foods were analyzed to identify sweeteners. --- Results: Prevalence of overweight and obesity increased (p &lt; 0.05) from 37% pre-pandemic to 54% post-pandemic, along with energy intake (1610 to 1816 kcal/d). There were 3 dietary patterns: Ultra-processed, Healthy, and Poor. Proportions of children in each pattern were comparable pre-pandemic, but the Poor pattern increased (p &lt; 0.05) post-pandemic (34% vs. 42%). Protein intake was lower in children in the Ultra-processed pattern pre-pandemic, but post-pandemic, protein and fat intake were lower in children in the Poor pattern, increasing (p &lt; 0.05) their overweight and obesity prevalence (9% vs. 21%). The most consumed ultra-processed products included 36 types of sweetened beverages, 33 types of candy, 20 different types of chips, and 15 varieties of cookies, most of which contained non-caloric sweeteners such as acesulfame K, aspartame, and sucralose. --- Conclusions: The pandemic reduced the diet quality and increased the prevalence of overweight and obesity in medium-marginalized schoolchildren in Northwest Mexico, with high consumption of ultra-processed foods containing non-caloric sweeteners Key words: Dietary patterns, schoolchildren, nutritional status, ultra-processed food.

Prevalence of Hospital Bacterial Resistance from 2016 to 2018 in Northwest Mexico

In Mexico, antimicrobial resistance, a public health problem, is difficult to address because of the absence of a regulatory body to effectively control the use and sale of antimicrobials; the low surveillance of prescription and self-medication; and the lack of information. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of resistance to antibiotics in bacteria isolated from hospital clinical samples in northwest Mexico. This study consisted of collecting the information from the logs of the cultures that were carried out in the Microbiology area of ​​the Clinical Analysis Laboratory and its resistance to antibiotics, from December 2016 to January 2018, in Hospital in Northwest Mexico. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus infections were the most common among patients from all care services. Klebsiella pneumonia Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, S. aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and E. coli showed antibiotic resistance up to 90 and 100%. Benzylpenicillin was the antibiotic to which a high resistance was observed in the intensive care unit service (100%). High bacterial resistance to antibiotics was found from December 2016 to January 2018 in the present study and, in comparison with few Mexican studies, it has remained unchanged.

Bacterial resistance status in a level 2 hospital in Northwest Mexico in 2016

Bacterial infections can be serious and require antibiotic treatment. However, the overuse of antibiotics has led to the development of antibacterial resistance, which can make infections more difficult to treat. This is a serious problem in Mexico, where published research on antibiotic resistance is limited. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections at the Hospital General del Estado in Hermosillo, Mexico. Information was collected from 2,205 biological samples registered in logs belonging to the hospital microbiology area, on bacterial cultures with antibiograms from patient samples. These data were obtained from the VITEK system, which provided information for the identification of the bacteria, their resistance, and sensitivity to antibiotics. Escherichia coli (28.8 %), Staphylococcus aureus (11.5 %), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.8 %) were the most isolated bacteria. The highest prevalence of resistance was found against beta-lactam antibiotics. This study revealed that antibiotic resistance is a serious problem at the Hospital General del Estado. These findings highlight the need for further research and publishing information on antibiotic resistance in Mexico to design or redesign strategies to prevent and control this problem.

Obesity in Mexican Children and Adolescents: Association to Pubertal Alterations and Muscular Strength

Objectives: Interventional strategies aiming to prevent obesity in children do not always consider how obesity influences the process of pubertal maturation and its implications. Additionally, maturation status could play a vital role in performing specific physical capabilities. This study aims to analyze the association of obesity, pubertal timing and tempo, and muscular strength in children and adolescents from a developing country.&#x0D; Methods: We measured height, weight, sitting height, estimated leg length, and waist circumference (WC) and estimated the age at peak height velocity (APHV) of 125 children (58% girls, 8.9 ± 0.4 years) and 82 adolescents (45% girls, 12.8 ± 0.3 years) from public schools in Northwest Mexico. We also collected data on physical activity, handgrip strength, and socioeconomic and demographic information.&#x0D; Results: Waist circumference (WC) was associated with early APHV (β = 0.006, p = 0.010) but not with a faster height gain (β = -0.012, p = 0.146). Earlier APHV and higher WC were both associated with higher handgrip strength (β = 3.86, p &lt; 0.001; β = 0.098, p = 0.005, respectively).&#x0D; Conclusions: Results suggest that higher WC was related to pubertal maturation patterns and results in better muscular strength performance. This data could improve the design and implementation of interventional strategies and public policies to decrease childhood obesity.

Training in Skills and Local Economic Development: Impact on restaurants in Playa Las Glorias in Northwestern Mexico

The purpose of this work is to review an object of study: the restaurants of Playas Las Glorias, a tourist place located in the northwest of Mexico, in Guasave Sinaloa. To this end, a literature review on local economic development, skills training and tourism was carried out. The mixed design of the research allowed the collection of data through surveys and interviews with key informants and were processed through the R software. The data was collected from the total number of restaurants that exist in the said seashore. The results show the need to have better tools for the administration of the production units to continue attracting local, national and international tourism, coupled with the fact that it was evidenced that they impact the local economic development due to employment and wages generated for the population that lives close to this beautiful beach.

Strength from the Waters. A History of Indigenous Mobilization in Northwest Mexico. By James V. Mestaz The Three Deaths of Cerro de San Pedro. Four Centuries of Extractivism in a Small Mexican Mining Town. By Daviken Studnicki-Gizbert

<i>Strength from the Waters. A History of Indigenous Mobilization in Northwest Mexico</i>. By James V. Mestaz <i>The Three Deaths of Cerro de San Pedro. Four Centuries of Extractivism in a Small Mexican Mining Town</i>. By Daviken Studnicki-Gizbert

Rethinking the Huatabampo Archaeological Tradition of Northwest Mexico

The Huatabampo tradition was first defined by Gordon Ekholm, in 1938, and refers to those sites in the coastal plain in northern Sinaloa and southern Sonora lacking architecture but containing well-manufactured plain ceramics with complex shapes. Recent investigations in the region are helping to refine the chronology, geographical extension, cultural attributes, and ethnicity. With 20 radiocarbon dates, we can place this tradition as spanning from 200 BC to AD 1450. The maximum geographical extension ranges from the Middle Rio Yaqui in the north to the Rio San Lorenzo in Sinaloa. The associated sites of this complex are represented by dispersed houses, indicative of ranchería-type settlements, funerary mounds, shell middens, and petroglyph sites. At about AD 1150, Aztatlán pottery and other commodities from southern Sinaloa were incorporated mostly as mortuary offerings. We also provide evidence that the Huatabampo archaeological tradition is a local culture representing the occupation of the Cahitan-speaking groups, Yoremem/Mayos and Yoemem/Yaquis, of the coastal plain.

Deep convection, lightning activity and population impact over northwest Mexico: Coastal hotspots from 2009 to 2018

AbstractNorthwest Mexico (NWM) is an extensive region with a humid and unstable environment leading to atmospheric convection during the North American monsoon. Occasionally, extreme events are associated with severe weather, including deep convection, heavy rainfall and frequent lightning. Based on the period from July through September 2009–2018, the present study investigates general characteristics of convection. Geostationary satellites were used to document three‐dimensional cloud cover structures over the mainland, Gulf of California (GOC) and Baja California Peninsula (BCP). The convection developed over the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) mountains with a distinct cloud top structure over the southern GOC. In contrast, reduced cloud cover was observed over the peninsula and eastern Pacific Ocean. An active (2014) and inactive (2010) season are examined in more detail; the former had a more favourable environmental setting to support above‐normal convection and rainfall with respect to the 10‐year average. A regional‐scale analysis of lightning was computed with data from a ground‐based sensor network, including date, time and location of more than 16 million records. Major findings include: (1) lightning enhancement occurred in conjunction with deep convection, west of the SMO from the afternoon through the evening, while the gulf entrance became a well‐defined hotspot close to the mainland coastal plains overnight; (2) most lightning‐related deaths were in specific areas near the coastal plains or within isolated regions of the SMO foothills; (3) high exposure is expected in areas with considerable lightning and population located within 100 km from the gulf coastline. These findings are valuable for monitoring monsoon thunderstorms and for improving the ability to provide timely warnings of severe weather.

P11-021-23 Iodine Nutritional Status of Lactating Mother-Infant Pairs From Northwest Mexico: A Pilot Study

P11-021-23 Iodine Nutritional Status of Lactating Mother-Infant Pairs From Northwest Mexico: A Pilot Study

Functional Capacity of Noninstitutionalized Older Adults from Northwest Mexico: Reference Values.

Physical capacity (PC) is a strong determinant of health, quality of life, and functional independence in older adults. Having reference values for PC specific to a particular region allows for a contextual interpretation of an individual's level. The objectives of this study were to describe the evolution of key aspects of PC during the aging process and provide reference values for the major components of health-related PC for the older adult population in Northwest Mexico. A total of 550 independent older adults (60-84 years, 70% women) from the city of Hermosillo (Sonora, Mexico) were included between January and June 2019. PC was assessed using the Senior Fitness Test Battery (SFTB) and grip-strength test. Reference values were established for 5-year age groups, providing percentile values at 10, 25, 50, 75, and 90. The percentage decrease in functional capacity with aging was determined via a linear regression analysis of age against the percentage value of each subject relative to the average value of 60-year-old individuals of the same sex. Statistically significant differences in the results between men and women within the same age group were few and inconsistent, except for handgrip strength, which was lower in women across all age groups. The functional level, with respect to reference values for each age and sex group, was similar between men and women. The most pronounced functional decline during the aging period occurs between 70 and 80 years of age. The various tests generally show an annual percentage loss of approximately 1% from 60 years of age. This is the first study in Mexico that provides reference values for physical capacity using the Senior Fitness Test Battery. In general, older adults-both men and women-show similar functional levels with respect to their respective reference values. In general, an annual decline of 1% from the age of 60 years occurs.