Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41541196›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in nutrition2025

Multilevel barriers to clinical and nutritional research in Latin America: a socioeconomic comparative analysis.

Evelyn Frias-Toral, Jaime Angamarca-Iguago, Isabel Calvo Higuera, Jorge Carriel-Mancilla, Guillermo Contreras, Raquel Franco-Nuñez, Rosa Larreategui Arosemena, Claudia Maza Moscoso, Javier Restrepo, Jaen Cagua-Ordoñez and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Evelyn Frias-Toral *Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón, Ecuador.
Jaime Angamarca-Iguago *Universidad UTE, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Centro de Investigación en Salud Pública y Epidemiología Clínica (CISPEC), Quito, Ecuador.
Isabel Calvo HigueraHospital General de Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico.
Jorge Carriel-MancillaSchool of Medicine, Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Guillermo ContrerasDepartamento de Emergencia, Hospital Guillermo Almenara, Lima, Peru.
Raquel Franco-NuñezFacultad de Ciencias Médicas, Hospital de Clínicas, Departamento de Nutrición, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay.
Rosa Larreategui ArosemenaHospital Quirúrgico de Alta Complejidad de Ciudad de la Salud de la Caja de Seguro Social de Panamá, Ciudad de Panamá, Panama.
Claudia Maza MoscosoDivision of Education and Research, Centro Médico Militar, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Javier RestrepoResearch and Development Pharmaceutical Products, World Health S.A.S Center, Poblado, Medellín, Colombia.
Jaen Cagua-OrdoñezEscuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Santo Domingo, Ecuador.
Alison Simancas-RacinesUniversidad Técnica de Cotopaxi, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Recursos Naturales, Carrera de Agropecuaria, Latacunga, Ecuador.
Claudia Reytor-GonzálezUniversidad UTE, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Centro de Investigación en Salud Pública y Epidemiología Clínica (CISPEC), Quito, Ecuador.
Daniel Simancas-RacinesUniversidad UTE, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Centro de Investigación en Salud Pública y Epidemiología Clínica (CISPEC), Quito, Ecuador.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical and nutritional research in Latin America faces significant challenges that limit scientific development and evidence-based healthcare. Understanding these barriers is essential for developing effective strategies to enhance research capacity in the region. This study aimed to identify multilevel barriers to clinical and nutritional research in Latin America and compare them between countries of different socioeconomic levels. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 327 healthcare professionals involved in clinical and nutritional research across Latin America. Data collection occurred via an online survey in which participants rated the importance of 16 potential barriers on a 3-point Likert scale. Analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests to compare barriers between upper-middle and lower-middle-income countries, logistic regression to identify predictors of research participation, and k-means cluster analysis to identify researcher profiles. Results: Funding (84.4%), research materials (71.6%), and time constraints (70.9%) emerged as the most significant barriers across all countries. Three barriers showed statistically significant differences between income levels: participant commitment (73.6% vs. 42.6%, Conclusion: Multilevel barriers to research in Latin America are dominated by universal resource constraints (funding, materials, time), with lower-middle-income countries facing additional challenges in participant engagement and study logistics. The relative homogeneity of most barriers across income groups suggests that regional and institutional factors may be more influential than national income levels. These findings provide a foundation for developing targeted strategies to strengthen research capacity and infrastructure across Latin America.

Indexed as

clinical research barriersglobal health equityhealth research capacityknowledge partnershipLatin Americanutrition scienceresearch inequalityscientific infrastructure

Identifiers

PMID41541196
PMCPMC12801517

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.