Rural Areas In Spain Research Articles

Regeneration, predatory inclusion, and migrant experiences in declining rural areas in Spain and Germany

ABSTRACT Declining rural areas have become central sites for migrant settlement. In the hope that migration will counteract rural shrinkage, migrants are increasingly portrayed as catalysts to revitalize communities. This article critically examines migration to declining rural areas vis-à-vis rural reception and regeneration policies. Drawing on qualitative research including interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations, we compare migrants’ settlement experiences and their positions in rural revitalization processes in northeast Spain and eastern Germany. Our research illustrates that local reception and regeneration policies do not only sideline the role of newcomers as rural place-makers, who contribute to the sustainment (or expansion) of local services and infrastructures. They also result in conditions of ‘predatory inclusion’, in which migrants’ settlement is shaped regarding their potential ‘use’ for revitalizing local economies and housing markets in exploitative terms and along racialized lines. Facing precarious labor and housing conditions, migrants tend to reside only temporarily in our investigated areas. This article contributes to a growing body of migration research in rural areas and explains that attempts at regeneration through migration can run the risk of ignoring migrants' structural conditions, needs, mobility aspirations and life plans, thereby reinforcing racial and class-based inequalities present in rural areas.

Social work research from a gender perspective into intimate partner violence against older women in Spain

ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence against older women is a hidden problem in Spain, which needs the involvement of institutions, professionals and families. This research aimed to shed light on social workers’ practices, and how they propose to perform ethical, efficient social work with older women who have been victims of intimate partner violence. In this descriptive, qualitative and exploratory study, we have compiled the expert voices of various social workers from urban and rural areas of Spain using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The results reveal the role of the family and social workers in early detection, together with the need to provide a more efficient professional response, and to create specific resources and devices to provide comprehensive, individualised solutions for each woman.

Emotional attachment and philosophical worldviews explain human connectedness to nature in abandoned rural Spain

Land abandonment and rural depopulation are escalating worldwide, presenting sustainability dilemmas for both rural and urban regions. However, there remains a dearth of research on the sociocultural dimensions of abandonment from a local standpoint. This investigation focuses on a case study conducted in southeastern Spain, wherein a social survey was used to evaluate the perspectives of local communities concerning human–nature interconnectedness, land abandonment, and their impacts on quality of life. A survey campaign was administered in the case study region during the spring of 2021, and 122 surveys were collected. The findings identify, in the context of the progressive abandonment of rural lands in Spain, key factors that explain the desire of local people to inhabit and not abandon rural regions in southeastern Spain. Our results also show a strong connection between people and nature in rural Spain, which is explained by the capacity of locals to form relational values in rural environments and the existence of philosophical worldviews and emotional attachments to rural lifestyles. However, barriers to not abandoning rural environments were also identified, including a lack of professional and economic opportunities. Our results suggest that the mitigation of depopulation in rural areas in Spain requires actions to foster land stewardship and address socioeconomic imbalances.

Rural–urban disparities in the reduction of avoidable mortality and mortality from all other causes of death in Spain, 2003–2019

Abstract Aim This study aims to evaluate the trend of avoidable mortality and of mortality from all other causes of death in urban and rural areas in Spain, throughout the first 2 decades of the twenty-first century. Methods Data deaths and population by age and sex, according to the area of residence, were obtained from the National Institute of Statistics. Avoidable mortality refers to premature deaths (≤ 75 years old) for which there is reasonable scientific consensus that they should not occur in the presence of timely health care. In large urban, small urban, and rural areas, annual age-standardized mortality rates from avoidable causes and from all other causes of death were calculated from 2003 to 2019. The annual percentage change (APC) in the mortality rate in each area was estimated using linear regression models and taking age-standardized mortality rates as dependent variable. Results Mortality rates decreased between the beginning and the end of the period analysed. Large urban areas and rural areas showed the largest and smallest reduction in mortality rate respectively. The APC in avoidable mortality was −3.5% in men and −3.0% in women in large urban areas, and −2.7% in men and −2.6% in women in rural areas. The APC in the mortality rate from all other causes of death was −2.4% in men and −1.2% in women in large urban areas, and −1.4% in men and −1.0% in women in rural areas. Conclusion In Spain, avoidable mortality and mortality from other causes of death in rural and urban areas show similar trends, which suggests the presence of a common factor responsible for such findings.

SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies in Free-Ranging Fallow Deer (Dama dama) and Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) in Suburban and Rural Areas in Spain

Effective control of zoonotic infectious diseases requires identifying the animal species involved in the infectious cycle as transmitters or reservoirs where the pathogen could persist and evolve, increasing the risk of reintroduction of new variants in humans and animals. Multiple surveillance studies have detected the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) or specific antibodies in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in North America, being the wild mammal species with the most reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, so far, all attempts to detect the infection in European cervids have been unsuccessful. In this study, we demonstrated the presence of specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in European fallow deer (Dama dama) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Spain. However, all samples of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), taxonomically related to the American white-tailed deer, were seronegative for the virus. We tested 215 serum samples from roe deer (n = 116), red deer (n = 63), and fallow deer (n = 36) collected in eight provinces of central-southern Spain between 2017 and 2022. We first screened sera by a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) ELISA based on the binding of the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and then confirmed positive samples by a conventional virus neutralization test (cVNT) against the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants. Four fallow deer and two red deer samples were seropositive in both neutralization assays. Four samples of fallow deer and one of red deer, collected in a suburban park near Madrid in February 2022, had antibodies against the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants, while a seropositive sample of red deer, collected in a rural area in February 2021, was specific for the Delta variant. All samples collected before the start of the pandemic in Spain were seronegative for sVNT, which also indicates that there are not cross-reactive antibodies potentially elicited by other viruses antigenically related to SARS-CoV-2. The results indicate probable human-to-deer transmission of SARS-CoV-2, but do not clarify whether there was subsequent spread within herds.

Public policies and social responsibility regarding gender policies in rural areas of Spain: Do men and women agree on its necessity and relevance?

Public social responsibility includes the implementation of policies to reduce gender differences in employment. This responsibility is even more essential in rural areas facing serious socioeconomic and demographic sustainability challenges. Using data from a survey on inhabitants of the so-called “depopulated Spain”, this study find gender-related differences as regards the factors conditioning the desire to emigrate. The intention to leave their regions of origin is stronger in women than in men, with this intention being affected by demographic and socioeconomic variables. Young and middle-aged women are mainly employed in the service sector, and those with a higher level of education have a clear desire to emigrate to larger, more populated municipalities. In addition, different male and female profiles characterise the prioritisation of a series of public policies that the public administration could promote to enhance equality, in economic terms, in the field of social protection and to incentivise the presence of women in company representative bodies.

Ad hoc emotional regulation intervention program for a group of Spanish social workers

ABSTRACT On several occasions, social workers experience symptoms of an anxious depressive nature, due to their work and the stress derived from it. For this reason, we aimed to design an ad hoc emotional management intervention program to evaluate its impact, combining quantitative and qualitative information. The study developed a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, performing T-tests on related sample. The ad hoc intervention program was developed for a group of social workers living in a rural area of Spain. The study also included a control group that did not receive any intervention. The Bar-On ICE, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the BCSQ-36 were used to evaluate the Emotional Intelligence factors, the Burnout syndrome and the Empathy processes. Most of the emotional intelligence and empathy factors showed statistically significant differences between the pretest and the posttest, in favor of the latter for the participants of the training. The control group’s T2 results worsened, as they had not received any form of intervention. This paper will discuss how these participants have incorporated the key takeaways of the intervention program in their emotional management at work.

Diagnosis of Rural Development Processes Based on the Stock of Social Capital and Social Networks: Approach from E-I Index

Europe’s rural areas have suffered a continuous loss of human and economic capital from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. In an attempt to alleviate the effects of this dynamic, the European Union has implemented the LEADER rural development programme since the 1990s (Liaisons Entre Actions de Développement de L’Economie Rurale). Among the many objectives of this policy, the social articulation of its populations stood out as a way of strengthening development processes. This article aims to provide a methodological approach to analyse and quantify the stock of social capital (SC) present in the social networks of rural areas after more than thirty years of European rural policy. Based on 160 interviews with stakeholders linked to rural development processes in rural areas of Spain and England from institutional, economic, social and technical sectors. The methodological approach of Social Network Analysis (SNA) has been used, and within this, the study of SNA indicators and the analysis of the E-I index have been integrated in order to analyse the stock of internal (bonding) and external (bridging) SC. The conclusions of this study clarify the role of stakeholders and their contribution to the stock of SC. The studied rural areas present a balance in internal and external relations, which shows a high stock of SC and an encouraging scenario for the development processes and, thus, for the success of the LEADER programme. Nevertheless, the participation of the actors in the LEADER programme in Spain still shows a worrying project class.

Evaluation of Patient Experience With A Model of Coordinated Telematic Pharmaceutical Care Between Hospital and Rural Pharmacies in Spain: A Proof of Concept.

To determine the usefulness of a coordinated pharmaceutical care model between the specialized hospital setting and the rural community care setting, based on the incorporation of telepharmacy based on Capacity-Motivation-Opportunity (CMO) methodology to improve patient experience with hospital medication prescriptions. Prospective cohort study in outpatients receiving telepharmacy based on CMO-based pharmaceutical care in rural areas in Spain between January and November 2021, conducted by the pharmacy department of four hospitals and 29 rural communities' pharmacy. Each patient was followed for 48 weeks on both face-to-face and telematic visits, scheduled and unscheduled at the patients' request. Patient experience (IEXPAC questionnaire), and satisfaction (EVASAF) were determined. Secondary variables included pharmaceutical care interventions, care coordination and clinical variables (compliance with pharmacotherapeutic objectives according to the clinical conditions of each patient), additionally measurement of individual holistic results (EQ5D-5L score) was evaluated. A new telepharmacy tool (called Telemaco) was developed for a multidisciplinary healthcare team (available at: https://inteligeniapps.com/telemaco/) that includes seven different functionalities. We evaluated the first 20 patients (50% women) were included. Their median age was 66.0 years (IQR=14). A total of 215 visits were made (adding 150 video calls). A total of 64 visits were unscheduled (29.7%). The patient´s experience showed improvement (7.4 vs 9.5, p<0.005). The results of the EVASAF questionnaire were also higher (44 vs 48, p<0.001). Overall, 573 pharmaceutical interventions were performed. A difference was observed in patients who achieved the intended pharmacotherapeutic objectives: 48.5 vs 88.2 (p< 0.001). The mean EQ-5D-5L score was 74.7 ± 3.3 at baseline and 80.6 ± 3.6 points at the end (p>0.05). Telepharmacy based on the CMO-PC model, using the "Telemaco" tool, has improved the patient experience, satisfaction, and offered other advantages over the traditional model, including more pharmaceutical interventions adapted to the needs of each patient.

Territories in Transition: how social contexts influence wildland fire adaptive capacity in rural Northwestern European Mediterranean areas

BackgroundRural and semi-rural areas are complex and dynamic social-ecological systems, many of which have experienced profound impacts from wildland fires, particularly this decade. Under uncertain climate change conditions, these areas require new adaptive strategies to support landscape and community resilience. While these areas vary widely, some patterns of local social context have become apparent through wildland fire research. These patterns can help decision-makers better understand what influences communities’ abilities to adapt to fire. We focused our study on a northwestern European Mediterranean context, where communities are adapting to wildland fire and other climate change impacts through varied programs and policies. This area is composed of diverse landscapes, cultures, histories, languages and governance structures, but it also shares fire-based learning networks and collaborations, providing a sound indicator of shared elements of social context. Our study analyzed local social contexts in rural areas of Spain, Italy and France and assessed how these may inform adaptive capacity to wildland fire. A two-step process achieved this: (1) a targeted literature review of local social context elements as they relate to wildland fire in Mediterranean Europe; and (2) conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 key experts in rural Mediterranean areas, including fire managers, foresters, local administrators and technicians.ResultsResults illustrate numerous shared patterns in rural social contexts that influence local fire adaptive capacity. Dynamic local relationships among residents, local fire knowledge and environmental movements, the role of fire managers and administrators, and embeddedness in broader sociopolitical trends all interconnect to influence local fire adaptive capacity. Some key elements of context can act as primary enablers or barriers to this process, such as the presence (or lack) of local fire knowledge, and the opportunity (or lack thereof) for sustainable local economic development. Results also demonstrate high diversity in terms of governance structures and development trajectories.ConclusionsWe argue the need for deepened empirical transdisciplinary research to connect fire and land management tailored to local characteristics. Centering these local perspectives and diverse cultural values is necessary to foster long term adaptive wildland fire management strategies in rural Mediterranean communities and globally.

Childhood exposure to non-persistent pesticides and pubertal development in Spanish girls and boys: Evidence from the INMA (Environment and Childhood) cohort

This study assessed cross-sectional associations between urinary metabolites of non-persistent pesticides and pubertal development in boys and girls from urban and rural areas in Spain and examined effect modification by body mass index (BMI). Four metabolites of insecticides (TCPy, metabolite of chlorpyrifos; IMPy, metabolite of diazinon; DETP, non-specific metabolite of organophosphates; 3-PBA, metabolite of pyrethroids) and the metabolite of ethylene-bis-dithiocarbamate fungicides (ETU) were quantified in urine collected in 2010–2016 from 7 to 11-year-old children (606 girls, 933 boys) participating in the INMA Project. Pubertal development was ascertained by Tanner stages and/or parent-reported Pubertal Development Scale (PDS). Associations between pesticide metabolites and odds of being in stage 2+ for breast development (girls), genital development (boys), pubic hair growth (girls and boys), and/or overall puberty onset, gonadarche, and adrenarche (PDS for girls and boys) were examined by mixed-effect logistic regression. Effect modification by BMI was explored by interaction terms and stratified analysis. In girls, DETP and ETU concentrations>75th percentile (P75) were associated with higher odds of overall puberty development (OR [95%CI] = 1.86 [1.07–3.24] and 1.71 [1.03–2.83], respectively, for > P75 vs. undetected concentrations), while ETU > P75 was also associated with higher odds of breast development (OR [95%CI] = 5.55 [2.83–12.91]), particularly in girls with underweight/normal weight (OR [95%CI] = 10.08 [2.62–38.76]). In boys, detection of TCPy (40%) and 3-PBA (34%) was associated with higher odds of genital development (OR [95%CI] = 1.97 [1.08–3.57] and 2.08 [1.15–3.81], respectively), and the association with 3-PBA was observed in boys with overweight/obesity alone. In addition, ETU > P75 was associated with higher odds of genital development in boys with underweight/normal weight (OR [95%CI] = 2.89 [1.08–7.74]) but higher DETP with lower odds of puberty in boys with overweight/obesity (OR [95%CI] = 0.94 [0.89–0.99] per log-unit increase in concentration). Results suggest an association of childhood exposure to ETU and certain insecticides with earlier puberty in girls and boys that may be modified by child BMI.

Evolution of the public problem of depopulation in Spain: longitudinal analysis of the media agenda

According to the sociology of public problems, the construction, visibility, and stabilization of a public problem require the mobilization of collectives of citizens interested in the issue, which act as an active entity in demanding actions and policies. One such issue is the depopulation of rural areas in Spain, which has shifted from a geographically localized problem to a matter of state policy. This article investigates the influence of framing in this process, analyzing a corpus of 5,980 headlines from newspapers in the Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, and Castile and Leon regions of Spain as well as from two national media outlets, corresponding to the period 2012–2021. Through the application of statistical analyses of lexical frequency in stages, the most significant terms in the evolution of the media’s coverage of the issue have been identified, which has made it possible to observe the appearance and displacement of concepts and their relationship to the most important milestones of social and political mobilization. In addition, its power to stir up sentiment in socio-political discourse has been explored. The consolidation of depopulation as a stable element in the Spanish media agenda, going beyond the regional sphere and having a presence dissociated from specific events through time, in contrast to what occurred some years ago, stands out. Finding a media-friendly frame -empty Spain [España vacía] and emptied Spain [España vaciada]- may have been a key element in this.

Recover Old Geographical Materialities in Rural Areas: Key Politics and Processes of (Dis)assemblages

The current rural geography is at a crossroads of theoretical options. Geographical studies on processes of rural change usually have a social perspective, based on the loss of traditional populations and the immigration of new populations, and on the analysis of social-territorial conflicts between the locals and the newcomers. Rematerializing rural studies through experimental materiality is an interesting option to revitalize rural geography. The experimental process of recovering rural houses generates a fluid hybridization process between human-materiality realities, but it can also lead to a disassemblage process between people and materiality (rural house). In this contribution, various types of disassemblage processes of recovered material realities (rural houses) and the people who carried out the experimental recovery of the house are reviewed. The methodology is qualitative and is based on the examination of six case studies in rural areas of Spain. The disassemblage process generates new pluralities and material realities in peripheral rural communities. Keywords: materiality, rural, geography, artifacts

Measuring Rural Teachers’ Digital Competence to Communicate with the Educational Community

Teachers’ communication with the educational community (students, families and teachers) may be different depending on the place where they reside. We ask ourselves whether teachers in rural areas are sufficiently prepared to carry out this communication through digital media. Thus, this study had as its aims to: (1) ascertain teachers’ digital competence self-assessment about the utilisation of ICT resources to communicate with other teachers, students and families, according to gender, type of school, age and years of teaching experience; (2) analyse comparatively if significant differences exist in terms of digital competence level between the internal categories of each variable; (3) identify which digital resources are significant predictors. A non-experimental design was used with 847 rural teachers from different rural areas in Spain. The results showed an integrating attitude of every teacher-expert in their digital skills, regarding communication both with students and their families and with the other colleagues at the educational centre. We found differences in teachers’ scores when comparing by gender and type of centre. Furthermore, we checked those applications such as Blogs, TikTok, Twitter and Moodle served were relevant predictors.

Social Innovation in Rural Areas of the European Union Learnings from Neo-Endogenous Development Projects in Italy and Spain

Within the framework of the LEADER approach to rural development applied in rural areas of the European Union, a high degree of social innovation (SI) has been achieved with the support of public–private partnerships. This research analyzes the different forms of SI achieved in specific projects in marginal rural areas facing depopulation. These initiatives make important, sometimes intangible, contributions to rural society, which are not sufficiently valued in rural development practice. Using an exploratory qualitative methodology, we made a selection of projects carried out in rural areas of Spain and Italy by searching for specific keywords (“innovation”, “entrepreneurship”, and “LEADER”) in the European Network of Rural Development database. According to the typology of promoters, we considered Transnational Cooperation Projects promoted by various Local Action Groups (LAGs), by public sector initiative and by private promoters. In-depth interviews were also conducted. The main findings include: the crucial role played by local leaders, social enterprises and LAGs in overcoming resistance and reluctance amongst the local community to participate in and support rural development projects; the importance of creating collective learning processes; the complexity of the network affects the number of contributions; the need for long-term continuity of processes and projects, and the importance of combining exogenous and endogenous development and knowledge.

The Role of Actors in Social Innovation in Rural Areas

Social innovation is gaining momentum in academia, policy and practice, as a process by which local communities generate new social relations and become more capable of addressing social needs and opportunities. However, there is significant ambiguity about the role of the different types of actors involved in social innovation, particularly in rural areas. This article aims to examine which actors make social innovation in rural areas possible, and the roles they play in these processes. Drawing on 33 interviews carried out with key informants of three socially innovative initiatives developed in rural areas of Spain and Scotland, this paper illustrates the scale, role and logic of the actors involved. The findings of the study clarify the central role of local processes and local actors, the impact of facilitators and perceived neutrality. They also show the contribution of social economy organizations as an arena for coordinating plural networks and civil society initiatives. The way the public sector and LEADER participate in social innovation processes in rural areas are also reflected in the results.

Hiking accommodation provision in the mountain areas of Valencia Region, Spain: a tool for combating the depopulation of rural areas

ABSTRACT Rural areas in Spain are currently suffering from a serious problem known as depopulation. One of the strategies to reverse the depopulation process is the rise of sports tourism. The main objective of this research is to analyse the offer of hiking accommodation in order to be able to propose sports products and services adapted to the clients. We intend to text whether the accommodation offer meets the needs and expectations of hikers and, therefore, whether the area is attractive and generates a tourist product with added value. A qualitative methodology was used through interviews. The profiles interviewed are made up of the different interest groups that revolve around sports tourism in both the private and public spheres. A total of 16 semi-structured interviews were carried out, lasting between 40 and 70 min. The results indicate that the different hiking lodgings have been adapting their offer to make it more competitive, as indicated by previous research on attraction factors. However, it could be interesting to combine the efforts of the different accommodations in order to improve the destination. The implications of this study are various: they describe the current situation in terms of sports tourism in the inland area of Castellón, laying the foundations for setting possible short and medium-term objectives. On the other hand, they provide a larger corpus of information on the idiosyncrasy of the area studied, which translates into a transfer of knowledge that can be used by public administrations and by private companies.

Developing a framework for radical and incremental social innovation in rural areas

Social innovation (SI) has been championed as an integral feature of community-led rural development. However, the choice of the term “innovation” prompts a number of questions about the intensity and novelty of SI initiatives. In this paper, these issues are examined through the lens of radical and incremental innovation theory. By analysing features of radical and incremental SI, we can better understand the different social reconfigurations that can respond effectively to a range of rural needs and opportunities. The article aims at explaining the meaning and operationalisation of radical and incremental SI in rural areas. A multiple case study method was adopted for the research. Empirical data was gathered from two initiatives located in rural areas of Spain and Scotland and the main methods used were semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis. The findings illustrate how radical and incremental SIs can lead to sustainable development and social change. However, they imply social reconfigurations of different intensity that respond to the different attitudes and aspirations of the actors involved. The paper shows three diverging development trajectories for SI initiatives and discusses the role of conflict, skills and planning in these processes. Further, the more fluid nature of SI compared to technological innovation is clarified. In the conclusion we argue that public actors should identify the different aspirations of local actors and set the stage for the activation of the local society. In radical SI processes, conflict management mechanisms and new skills need to be promoted.

Modelling Critical Innovation Factors in Rural Agrifood Industries: A Case Study in Cuenca, Spain

The agrifood industry contributes to sustaining the population and the economic growth in rural areas of Spain. Innovation in the agrifood sector has therefore become a necessity as a means of improving the competitiveness of companies and the territory, thus promoting sustainable rural development in areas currently characterised by social issues such as depopulation. Meeting this need requires the generation of specific knowledge on innovation in the rural agrifood industry to strategically steer the business management of innovation. This study aims to contribute to further improving the competitiveness of the agrifood industry through the interrelation of critical innovation factors in small and medium-sized agrifood enterprises, thus shedding light on the innovation environment of differentiated local products in depopulated rural regions. The qualitative Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology was used with the participation of entrepreneurs and experts from the sector. The ISM was applied to a case study in Alcarria Conquense, a Spanish region that embodies the current problems of many rural territories. The results show four factors (cooperation, managerial skills, absorptive capacity, and market orientation) are binding variables with a high power of influence and dependence, and a fifth factor, funding, is the most dependent on the others. The work contributes to the literature by revealing the needs and opportunities for a potential strategic planning of rural development that can positively influence the problems of the region through innovation management in this industry.

Identification of Fungi Involved in Onychomycosis in Patients of a Spanish Rural Area.

Onychomycosis is one of the most frequent reasons for visiting podiatrist clinics. Complementary tests and the accurate identification of the infectious agents are key issues for a successful treatment of onychomycosis. This is particularly important when lifestyle, age and immunodepressed patients increase the prevalence of non-dermatophyte fungal infection. In this paper, we describe issues related to onychomycosis prevalence in a population of patients, mostly with rural lifestyles, visiting a podiatry clinic in a rural area of Spain. A total of 51 cases were studied with an average age of 65.96 ± 21.28 years (the youngest being 16 years and the oldest being 95 years). Fungal agents were isolated using conventional sampling and microbiological culture techniques. The results obtained with these techniques were compared with the results obtained with a direct methodology using molecular biology, by PCR and nucleotide sequencing of the ITS-5.8S rDNA fragment. The classical culture methodology confirmed the infection in 76.5% of the samples (n = 39), while the PCR confirmed the infection in 84.3% (n = 51) of the nails, although the difference between these results did not show statistical significance (p = 0.388). We found a high variability in agents, with more yeasts than dermatophytes as etiological agents of onychomycosis. However, only among individuals older than 65 years, was the difference between yeasts (82%) and dermatophytes (18%) was statistically significant (p = 0.004). Among the agents of non-dermatophyte onychomycosis, we found predominantly fungi (yeasts) of the Candida genus, interestingly with no isolates of Candida albicans, and moulds of the Aspergillus genus.