The nurse Maider Belintxón, researcher of the School of Nursing of the University of Navarra, made a stay at the University of Los Andes (Chile) in order to document herself for the doctoral thesis that she is developing on health promotion in families of different cultures. Specifically, her work is degree scroll "Cultural encounters and the promotion of healthy lifestyles of children in the family", under the direction of Professor Olga Lopez de Dicastillo.

As she explains, she chose Chile because, being a country that receives many immigrants, it enjoys a great cultural diversity. In this context, during the two months she was in Los Andes she attended classes within the subject Comunidad I, where the Chilean reality, child health and the promotion of children's health in the family are addressed; and she met with nurses and other professionals working in the health centers (CESFAM) and with professors from the Universidad de la Frontera who develop programs aimed, above all, at the care of people belonging to the Mapuche culture. He also lived with one of these families in order to learn about their customs.

For fill in the research, the nurse, who is in her second year at doctorate, participated in the Chilean program"Chile Crece Contigo", of the Ministry of Social development , which seeks to accompany and provide personalized follow-up to the trajectory of development children, from the first gestational check-up until their entry into the educational system (around four or five years of age).

Of all her experiences, she emphasizes that getting to know another culture has allowed her to interact with these people and further develop her cultural sensitivity. "Integrating myself into the day-to-day work of the team of nurses and collaborators with whom I have worked in the country has helped me to gather information on how health promotion is approached in such culturally diverse families," says Maider.