Performance on Verbal Fluency Tests Conducted in Virtual versus In-Person Settings Among Lactating Postpartum Women in Córdoba, Argentina

BARRAL PE; QUISPE CE; MASCHERINI VA; BESI SA; SORIA EA; FARRE A; MIRANDA AR; CORTEZ MV

Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Congreso; 17th International Cognitive Linguistics Conference; 2025

Introduction: New technologies enable patient care by overcoming barriers like disease-related isolation or mobility issues. They offer benefits such as cost reduction, intervention continuity, and focused care. Virtual environments have proven to be a promising medium but lack essential in-person experiences, such as physical interaction and subtle non-verbal cues (e.g., eye contact, gestures). Evidence on their effectiveness remains limited (Alonso et al., 2021; Mbunge et al., 2022). Postpartum women, due to hormonal, physical and cognitive changes and breastfeeding, are particularly vulnerable and require frequent follow-ups, where virtual tools can play a key role (Sheikh et al., 2024). This study aims to compare verbal fluency test (VFT) performance in in-person versus virtual settings among lactating postpartum women in Córdoba, Argentina. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 and 2024. The sample included 40 participants assessed in a virtual setting and 40 in an in-person setting. Participants were categorized by age (