Randomized community trial to assess nutritional, socioeconomic, and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador: a study protocol.

Malnutrition is an escalating concern in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), including Ecuador, particularly within rural settings. To address this issue, food forests emerge as a promising intervention. This research protocol outlines a controlled intervention in the province of Santa Elena, aiming to evaluate the efficacy of a food forest in enhancing nutritional outcomes, with potential implications for broader replication.

Effects of personalized music listening on post-stroke cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled trial.

Background And Purpose: Previous studies have suggested that music listening has the potential to positively affect cognitive functions and mood in individuals with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), with a preference for self-selected music likely to yield better outcomes. However, there is insufficient clinical evidence to suggest the use of music listening in routine rehabilitation care to treat PSCI. This randomized control trial (RCT) aims to investigate the effects of personalized music listening on mood improvement, activities of daily living (ADLs), and cognitive functions in individuals with PSCI.

The Effects of Mobile Primary Health Teams: Evidence from the Strategy in Ecuador.

Starting in 2017, Ecuador gradually expanded its primary healthcare access program nationwide using mobile traveling healthcare teams through the (EMB) [or Neighborhood Doctor Strategy]. EMB teams, composed of a primary care physician, a nurse, and a community health worker, made home visits in marginalized areas. We estimate the impact of the EMB on health and utilization outcomes using nationally representative household surveys for 2006 (N=55,666), 2012-13 (N=92,500) and 2018-19 (N=168,747).

Maternal sexual empowerment and sexual and reproductive outcomes among female adolescents: Evidence from a cross-sectional study in Ecuador.

Background: A vast literature has demonstrated that several mother-related variables are positively associated with their daughters' sexual and reproductive outcomes. One underexplored variable is sexual empowerment--a subdimension of empowerment. In this study, we explore if maternal sexual empowerment is predictive of adolescent daughters' outcomes like early sexual initiation, teenage pregnancy, and contraception use.