Critical route for development of medical student leadership competencies in 35 Pan American Health Organization member states: A scoping review and thematic analysis.

The Pan American Health Organization has been committed to training physicians in leadership competencies since 2008. However, four reviews on teaching leadership using competency-based education in undergraduate medical education (UME) identified only two of 35 MS: Canada and the USA. Previous reviews did not use a systemic approach or qualitative methodology to explore factors influencing leadership education.

Divergence and Convergence of the Public Health Leadership Competency Framework Against Others in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Scoping Review.

The following scoping review is aimed at identifying leadership competency frameworks in Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) by analyzing the thematic scopes, target audiences, and methods involved. A further objective is to compare the frameworks against a standard framework. The authors extracted the thematic scope and methods of each framework based on the original author's formulations in each selected paper.

Leadership Competencies for Knowledge Translation in Public Health: A consensus study.

Background: In 2010, 240 billion US dollars was invested worldwide to conduct research for health; unfortunately, 200 billion was misused in the production and reporting of the evidence researched. Universities could facilitate students to acquire leadership competencies to move well-conducted research findings into practical use; this could be an essential move to reduce the misuse of investment.

Methods: A literature review was done based on the Equator Network and Cochrane guidelines, followed by three Delphi rounds to select competencies.

Where Latin Americans are physically active, and why does it matter? Findings from the IPEN-adult study in Bogota, Colombia; Cuernavaca, Mexico; and Curitiba, Brazil.

Latin America (LA) has a unique structural, political, cultural and social environment. This study aimed to identify the places where Latin American adults are physically active; and to determine the association of using public- and restricted-access places with physical activity (PA). We used data from the International PA Environment Network study in Bogota, Colombia (n=1000, accelerometry=249); Cuernavaca, Mexico (n=677, accelerometry=652); and Curitiba, Brazil (n=697, accelerometry=331) (2010-2011).

Accelerometer-based physical activity levels among Mexican adults and their relation with sociodemographic characteristics and BMI: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The objectives of this study were to describe the accelerometer based total and bout-specific PA levels for a representative sample of adults from Cuernavaca, Mexico, and to examine the relationships with sociodemographic characteristics and BMI status.

Methods: Cross sectional study of adults from Cuernavaca, Mexico (2011, n = 677). Participants wore Actigraph GT3X accelerometers for seven days and sociodemographic data was collected through a survey.

Overcoming the challenges of conducting physical activity and built environment research in Latin America: IPEN Latin America.

Objective: There is evidence linking the built environment (BE) with physical activity (PA), but few studies have been conducted in Latin America (LA). State-of-the-art methods and protocols have been designed in and applied in high-income countries (HIC). In this paper, we identify key challenges and potential solutions to conducting high-quality PA and BE research in LA.

Outreach to internally displaced persons in Bogotá, Colombia: challenges and potential solutions.

Programs that provide services for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Colombia, South America face challenges when attempting to engage and enroll the target population of forced migrants they intend to serve. Innovative multi-strategy outreach approaches must be used in order to effectively seek, recruit, provide services, monitor, and retain IDPs.

Can population levels of physical activity be increased? Global evidence and experience.

Physical inactivity is one of the most important contributors to the global burden of disease and has become a global public health priority. We review the evidence on physical activity (PA) interventions, actions, and strategies that have the greatest potential to increase PA at the population level. Using the socio-ecological framework to conceptualize PA interventions, we show that PA can be targeted at multiple levels of influence and by multiple sectors outside the health system.

Obesity prevention lessons from Latin America.

This is an invited commentary for the Active Living Research (ALR) special issue. The commentary focuses on the lessons that can be learned from Latin America regarding obesity prevention. Examples from Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia that may inform US policy are described.

Internal displacement in Colombia: Fifteen distinguishing features.

This commentary aims to delineate the distinguishing features of conflict-induced internal displacement in the nation of Colombia, South America. Even as Colombia is currently implementing a spectrum of legal, social, economic, and health programs for "victims of armed conflict," with particular focus on internally displaced persons (IDPs), the dynamics of forced migration on a mass scale within this country are little known beyond national borders.   The authors of this commentary are embarking on a global mental health research program in Bogota, Colombia to define best practices for reaching the displaced population and implementing sustainable, evidence-based screening and intervention for common mental disorders.