AC10 – Healthy ageing, fragility and chronicity. Research in Primary Care (EficAP)

Objectives

The AC10 group—”Healthy Aging, Frailty, and Chronic Disease: Primary Care Research”—conducts clinical, epidemiological, and public health research aimed at disease prevention, health promotion, and the improvement of healthcare, with a particular focus on Primary Care and issues of significant population-level importance.

Its objective is to generate knowledge applicable to clinical practice and public health by studying health determinants, as well as the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and behaviors of healthcare professionals and the general public; this is achieved through the design and evaluation of preventive, educational, and organizational interventions in settings that closely mirror actual clinical practice.

It is a multidisciplinary, applied research group that fosters collaboration among professionals in Primary Care, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Nursing, and other healthcare fields, thereby facilitating the translation of research findings into clinical practice and health prevention and promotion programs.

Lines of research

1. Healthy aging, frailty, and chronic conditions. Prevention of functional decline and promotion of healthy aging. Topics include frailty, fall prevention, physical activity, multicomponent exercise, healthy lifestyles, and the management of chronic conditions within primary care.
2. Prevention, vaccines, and public health. Research on vaccination coverage; knowledge, attitudes, and practices among professionals and the general public; barriers to and facilitators of vaccination; and the design and evaluation of interventions aimed at improving prevention and vaccination across the lifespan. This research line currently includes project PI25/01419, “Multicomponent intervention to promote vaccination in the population: a real-world cluster-randomized trial,” funded by the Carlos III Health Institute.
3. Nutrition, nutritional knowledge, and health-related behaviors. Study of knowledge regarding nutrition and food composition, dietary habits, lifestyles, and health-related behaviors, with a particular focus on the general population, students, and future healthcare professionals. Development and validation of measurement tools, as well as the identification of training needs and intervention opportunities.
4. Rational use of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance. Research on knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antimicrobial use and factors associated with inappropriate use, alongside the design of strategies to promote the rational use of antibiotics and the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance.
5. Epidemiology, health promotion, and evaluation of health interventions. Conduct of epidemiological and health services research, evaluation of preventive and educational interventions, and analysis of factors associated with health behaviors and outcomes. Special emphasis is placed on studies conducted in real-world clinical practice settings that have the potential for implementation within the healthcare system.

Leader
Vázquez Lago, Juan Manuel

Members
Formigo Couceiro, Francisco Javier
Lirola Delgado, Antonio Gustavo
López Fernández, María Dolores
Meijome Blanco, Soralla
Mirás Carballal, Susana
Pía Morandeira, Agustín
Rey Lamas, Uxía
Santos Pérez, Sofía
Soto Varela, Andrés
Vázquez Cancela, Olalla
Vences Garrido, Adrián
Yáñez Freire, Sandra

• Presa-Carrera A, Yáñez-Izquierdo EL, Adán-Failde CE, Vázquez-Lago JM. Development and preliminary validation of a multidimensional questionnaire on nutrition knowledge, food composition knowledge, and dietary habits in medical students. Nutrients. 2026;18(16):2720. doi:10.3390/nu18162720.
• Santana-Armas M, Vázquez-Cancela O, Ferreiro-Cadahía I, Peiteado-Romay C, Lorenzo-Fuente D, Fernández-Pérez C, Vázquez-Lago JM. Vaccination knowledge, attitudes and practices among healthcare students in Spain: development and psychometric validation of a life-course immunization questionnaire. Vaccines (Basel). 2026;14(1):9. doi:10.3390/vaccines14010009.
• Velázquez-López MF, García-Pérez M, Souto-Pereira M, Vázquez-Lago JM. Descriptive study of claims in primary care during the year 2022 in a health area of Spain. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2025;80:100546. doi:10.1016/j.clinsp.2024.100546.
• da Rocha-Baptista P, Santos-Miranda E, Vázquez-Lago JM. Development of the pediatric nursing specialty in Spain: a critical analysis of its history, current situation, and regional disparities: a narrative review. Nurs Rep. 2025;15(6):193. doi:10.3390/nursrep15060193.
• Lens-Perol G, Vázquez-Cancela O, Santana-Armas M, Bouzas-Rodríguez A, Tuñez-Bastida V, Domínguez-Lago A, Pérez-Freixo H, Peiteado-Romay C, Vázquez-Lago JM, Fernández-Pérez C. Serological vulnerability and active infection detection among recently arrived migrants in Spain: results from a targeted screening program. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2025;10(6):169. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed10060169.
• Bouzas-Rodríguez A, Molina-Romera G, Vázquez-Lago JM, Vázquez-Cancela O, Fernández-Pérez C. Vaccination coverage in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Vaccines (Basel). 2025;13(3):257. doi:10.3390/vaccines13030257.
• Otero-Batán P, Lens-Perol G, Vázquez-Cancela O, Salgado-Barreira A, Vázquez-Lago JM. Validity and reliability of a questionnaire on attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions of pharmacy students regarding the training received on antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance during their university studies. Antibiotics (Basel). 2024;13(9):811. doi:10.3390/antibiotics13090811.
• Vázquez-Cancela O, Lens-Perol G, Mascareñas-Garcia M, Santana-Armas M, Vázquez-Lago JM. Assessing the reliability and validity of a questionnaire evaluating medical students’ attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions of antibiotic education and antimicrobial resistance in university training. Antibiotics (Basel). 2024;13(12):1126. doi:10.3390/antibiotics13121126.