THE LEVEL OF IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS

OF FTP IN THE TRAINING OF POLICE OFFICERS IN SAN CARLOS CITY,

PANGASINAN (CY 2021-2022)

A Thesis
Submitted to Faculty of
St. Therese College Foundation
College of Criminology
San Carlos City, Pangasinan

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Criminology

Submitted by:

JEFF MANECLANG
KENNETH GADINGAN
MARK RYAN RESUELLO
JOHN JIRO BUIZON
BANJO MANECLANG
MHONSUR RESQUID

December 2021
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

When a person is hired to be a police officer, he or she is traditionally sent to the

classroom for basic training. This training, which is by far the most complex training
undertaken by a police agency, is aimed at providing the newly hired recruit with a basic
competency to perform the job of patrol officer. However, most recruit training programs
leave a wide gap between the classroom and the "real world of police work. The
classroom will not suffice in and of itself to adequately prepare the new officer to
understand the police role and how to fulfill it. For this and other reasons, field training
plays an important part in the effective training of new recruits. Through exposure to
actual street experience and the accompanying field problems, patrol situations,
investigations, and crime incidents, the recruit learns to apply classroom principles to
live situations. Field training takes up where the classroom leaves off. The field training
experience is also used to see if a new recruit can function effectively as a police officer.
Ideally, field training serves as a continuation of the selection process in addition to its
training functions. Field training programs, if properly designed and administered, can
result in improved police services to the community. Better trained and therefore better
qualified police officers will increase the police department's efficiency and
effectiveness. A direct result of these field training programs can be an overall
improvement in the relationship between the police and the community. Specifically,
these programs can reduce the number of civil liability complaints and lawsuits against
the police department. Field training programs are relatively inexpensive to implement
and maintain considering the dollar savings that result from a reduction in civil liability
lawsuits. These dollar savings may be better used to accomplish the agency's primary
mission--the protection of life and property. One of the most important developments in
police officer selection and training was the introduction of the first formalized field
training program in San Jose, California, in 1972. The program involved assigning
experienced, specially selected and trained police officers, known as Field Training
Officers (FTO's), to newly commissioned officers to provide tangible, on-the-street
training, evaluation, and if needed, retraining. The ultimate goal was to ensure that the
recruit police officer not only knew the law and departmental policies, but also was
capable of handling responsibilities on the street before being allowed to work alone in
the field. Another important feature of the San Jose program was the FTO's role in the
screening and selection of police recruits. Those recruit officers who completed the
academy could still be weeded out if they failed to acquire or exercise the critical
policing skills under the scrutiny of the FTO. Today, the "typicaln field training program
consists of some formalized method of training recruit officers on the job. This training,
combined with performance evaluation by the FTO, usually occurs immediately after the
recruit completes the classroom portion of the basic training. In this manner, recruits put
into practice the theories they have learned in the classroom. The field training program
usually continues until the trainee successfully makes the transition to effective patrol
officer or is dismissed for failure to meet the requirements of the job. The formal field
training program usually divides the training into segments or phases. Although the
length of the segments may vary, each program normally consists of an introductory
phase which familiarizes the recruit with the functions and duties specific to the agency,
several training and evaluation phases, and a final evaluation phase. During the training
and evaluation phases, the recruit is gradually introduced to the more complicated tasks
of law enforcement. During the final evaluation phase, which consists only of evaluation
of the recruit's performance, the FTO may act strictly as an observer and evaluator
while the recruit acts independently of the FTO. This is considered a final check or test
to see if the recruit is ready to work alone. In all phases of the field training program, the
recruit is constantly evaluated to ensure that satisfactory progress is being made.
Deficiencies are identified and remedial training occurs. Recruits who successfully
complete the program continue through the remainder of the probationary period.

FTP in the Philippines

Patrol is considered the backbone of police activities in the preservation of peace

and order. Police Officers have the duty to go around a populated area for purpose of
security and observation. They either move by foot or in motor vehicles in crime prone
areas within their respective beats to look for and apprehend criminals or to respond
to citizens under threat or those calling for assistance. The police is ready to provide
service as summarized in the acronym “SAFE”, that is, the police is Seen, Admired,
Felt and Experienced. Most often, Police Officers must be visible to the public, to let
them know that they are ready to help secure the neighborhood. In conducting patrols,
the officers intermingle and work with the general populace. The synergy between the
police and the community is a primary factor in effective crime protection. Police
Trainees (PTs) under their respective Field Training Officers (FTOs) shallengage in beat
patrol operations for a period of two (2) months. Working on-the-job in one (1) shift
lasting for eight (8) hours a day and for six (6) days a week, each PT should log a total
of 320 man hours doing patrol operations. PTs should not conduct patrol operations
without the supervision of their FTO.

Statement of the Problem

This study was undertaken to determine the level of implementation and

effectiveness of FTP in the training of PNP officers in San Carlos City, Pangasinan for
the Calendar Year 2021-2022. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:
 1. What are the essential objectives of FTP in the training of PNP officers in the
Philippines?
What is the level of implementation of the objectives of FTP in the training
of PNP officers in San Carlos City, Pangasinan for the Calendar Year 2021-
2022?
2. What is the level of effectiveness of objectives of FTP in the training of PNP
officers in San Carlos City, Pangasinan?
3. What is the degree of seriousness of some problems which prevented the
implementation and effectiveness of objectives of FTP in the training of PNP
officers in San Carlos City, Pangasinan?
4. What is the level of urgency of some recommendations to strengthen the
implementation and effectiveness of objectives of FTP in the training of PNP
officers in San Carlos City, Pangasinan?

Significance of the Study

Pursuing this study was considered significant as the findings provided some
insights and information on FTP in the training of PNP officers in San Carlos City,
Pangasinan:

Philippine National Police - The result of this study can be afforded information on their
own performance. Whatever weak points revealed in the result can be provided
remediation and transform into strengths.
This study serves as funnel and additional information about the advantages and
disadvantages as result of this study.
Through this, they will also try to reflect on the data being gathered and evaluate if what
factor is helpful to the beneficiaries for their development and this will be given more
emphasis. The fruitful success of the program lies in their hands as the one giving the
verdict of it.
Trainers – The study will help them to realize what shall the best way on giving trainings
to new field officer in the sense that they can appreciate the essence of being a
policeman

FTP Personnel – the study will help them to know what shall they do to immediately
absorb the knowledge regarding the procedures of the daily routines of being a
policeman

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study was undertaken to determine the level of implementation and

effectiveness of FTP in the training of PNP officers in San Carlos City, Pangasinan for
the Calendar Year 2021-2022. Respondents would be all from San Carlos City,
Pangasinan consisting of 25 Police Officer, 25 FTP personnel and 50 Concerned
Citizen.

Definition of terms

Operational supervision and control - shall mean the power to direct, superintend,
oversee and inspect the police units and forces. It shall include the power to employ and
deploy units or elements of the PNP, through the station commander, to ensure public
safety and effective maintenance of peace and order within the locality Conditional
Cash Transfer Program (CCT). A program implemented where may cash grant is given
to eligible beneficiaries given that these beneficiaries comply with certain conditions
such as nutrition, education and family development sessions.
Employ - refers to utilization of units or elements of the PNP for purposes of protection
of lives and properties, enforcement of laws, maintenance of peace and order,
prevention of crimes, arrest of criminal offenders and bringing the offenders to justice,
and ensuring public safety, particularly in the suppression of disorders, riots, lawless
violence, rebellious seditious conspiracy, insurgency, subversion or other related
activities Economic. Relating to a household or its management and it is based on the
production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Deploy - shall mean
the orderly organized physical movement of elements or units of the PNP within the
province, city or municipality for purposes of employment as herein defined.

Integrated Community Safety Plans – The municipal/city mayor shall, in coordination

with the local peace and order council of which he is the chairman pursuant to
Executive Order No. 309, as amended, develop and establish an integrated
area/community public safety plan embracing priorities of action and program thrusts for
implementation by the local PNP stations.It shall, likewise, be the duty of the city or
municipal mayor to sponsor periodic seminars for members of the PNP assigned or
detailed in his city or municipality inorder to update them regarding local ordinances and
legislations.

Administrative Disciplinary Powers – In the areas of discipline, city and municipal

mayors shall have the powers to impose, after due notice and summary hearings,
disciplinary penalties for minor offenses committed by members of the PNP assigned to
their respective jurisdictions, as provided in Section 41 of this Act.

Crime clock - is the most aggregate representation of unit crime rate data to convey
the annual reported crime experience by showing a relative frequency of transpiration
of crime incidents.

Aerial boundaries - landmarks”, usually classified under natural landmarks or

man-made landmarks; both are originally used to help navigation on finding direction
and/or determine area of jurisdiction.
Vital installations - those immovable properties owned and controlled by the
government, including private properties, such as schools, churches, reservoirs, towers,
resorts, irrigations, malls, etc. It is imperative that the police unit/station should be
mandated to secure vital installations situated in the area of jurisdiction, from being
attacked/harassed/destroyed by the enemy.

Friendly forces - those government agencies performing law enforcement functions. A

Police Officer must know the existence of friendly forces in the area, and coordination
must be regularly encourage, to establish smooth cooperation in combating insurgency
and criminal activities in the area.

Public Safety Operation – includes search, rescue and retrieval operation, fire drills,
earthquake drills and similar operations that promotes public safety.
Law Enforcement Operation – includes service of warrant of arrest. Implementation of
search warrant, enforcement of visitorial powers of the Chief, Pnp and unit
commanders, anti-illegal drugs operations, anti-illegal gambling operations, anti-illegal
logging operations, anti illegal fishing operations, anticarnapping operations, anti-
kidnapping operations, anti-cyber crime operations and similar other operations that are
conducted in relation to the enforcement of laws, statutes, executives orders and
ordinances.

Internal Security Operation – includes counter-insurgency operations, counter terrorist

operations and similar operations conducted to ensure internal security.

Special Police Operation – includes checkpoint operation, roadblock operation, civil

disturbance management operation, police assistance in the enforcement of demolition
eviction injunction and similar orders, police assistance in the implementation of final
court order and order from quasi-judicial bodies, hostage situation, visit board search
and seizure onboard marine vessels and similar police operations that are conducted by
police units with specialized training on peculiarity of the passion or purpose.

Intelligence Operation – includes surveillance operation, counter intelligence,

intelligence research, intelligence assessment and similar police intelligence operation
conducted to gather information related to security, public safety and order.

Investigation Operation – includes investigation of crime or incident, administrative

investigation and similar investigative work necessary to determine facts and
circumstances for filling cases criminally or administratively.
.
Patrol – is the act of moving about in an area especially by authorized and trained
persons or groups for the purpose of observation, inspection and security. It is aimed to
deny opportunities for the commission of crimes and reduce the risk of citizens
becoming victims. It can be defined also as a group of police officers assigned to “walk
the beat” which includes responding to calls for service, making arrests, resolving
disputes, taking crime reports, and conducting traffic enforcement, and other crime
prevention measures.

Area Profiling - is the systematic collection and analysis of information about the social
and economic condition of a particular area that affects the safety and security of its
constituents.

Person in Authority – any person directly vested with jurisdiction, whether as an

individual or as a member of some court or government institutions, board or
commission. i.e. Barangay Chairman, Sangguniang Bayan Member, City/ Municipal
Mayor.

Agents of a Person in Authority – any person, who by direct provision of law or by

election or by appointment by competent authority, is charged with the maintenance of
public order and the protection and security of life and property and any person who
comes to the aid of persons in authority i.e. Police Officer, Barangay Tanod.
Beat – the designated area or the route, which is a part of sector where aPolice Officer
conducts patrol.

Spot Check/Accosting – is the brief stopping of an individual, whether on foot or in a

vehicle, based on reasonable suspicion/probable cause, for the purpose of determining
the individual’s identity of resolving the officer’s suspicion concerning criminal activity.

Spot Check/Accosting – is the brief stopping of an individual, whether on foot or in a

vehicle, based on reasonable suspicion/probable cause, for the purpose of determining
the individual’s identity of resolving the officer’s suspicion concerning criminal activity.

Dragnet Operation – is a police operation sealing-off the probable exit points of fleeing
suspects from the crime scene to prevent their escape and effect arrest.
First Responder – refers to a police officer who is first to arrive at the crime scene to
provide initial police actions on the information or complaint received.

Patrol Shift – the working period of a group of patrol personnel

Patrol Personnel – refers to both the Patrol Supervisor and Patrol Officers

Patrol Supervisor – responsible for the Patrol Officers and is directly under the
supervision of the Chief of Police

Patrol Officer – personnel directly under the supervision of the Patrol Supervisor
 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter would present a summary of some related literature and studies that
have direct bearing with the present study.

I. BOOKS

A. Foreign

The attempt of the Philippine National Police (PNP) management to eliminate

corruption and misconduct within the organization and render true public service
(“Serbisyong Makatotohanan”) is in line with its newly revised vision, “Imploring the aid
of the Almighty, by 2030,” which envisions that it shall be a highly capable, effective and
credible police service, working in partnership with a responsive community towards the
attainment of a safer place to live, work and do business (Bloom, 2008).

In the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2011, the Philippines ranked 129 th out
of 182 countries. Eradicating such corruption within the bureaucracy, local governments
and private enterprises will not be easy due to weak law enforcement. Corruption varies
from minor bribes demanded by an ordinary traffic police to multimillion dollar proposals
allegedly done at the highest seats of power, which is widespread in public as well as in
private sectors in the Philippines (Gee, 2010).

Further, according to Prenzler (2002), the word “corruption” can be used broadly
– along with common terms such as “misconduct” and “deviance” – to cover any
behavior by police that is considered illegal or unethical. However,aforementioned
author also defined corruption as soliciting or accepting a bribe. An example would be a
police officer accepting money from a drug dealer in return for not charging the dealer
with trafficking (Prenzler, 2002). Misconduct may also be as simple as drinking on duty
and sleeping on duty according to Barker (1983). The Department of the Interior and
Local Government (DILG), including the PNP and various local governments, is the
number 1 among the top 10 most corrupt departments in the Philippines from 1990 to
1995 (Batalla, 2000). In fact, the former President of the Philippines, Mrs. Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, acknowledged the severe problem of corruption in the police
organization on July 17, 2003 when she was interviewed about the escape of an
Indonesian bomber, Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi who was under the custody of the PNP,
allegedly in exchange for a huge amount of money (Robles, 2003). Additionally, the
government’s failure to deal with crimes, specifically the increasing rates of kidnapping,
killing and bank robberies in Manila, capital city of the Philippines, caused so much
frustration among the rich and middle classes (Cumming-Bruce, 1996)

B. Local
 As published in a magazine news article, “As a policeman ineffectually sledge-
hammered the windows of a hijacked bus, in a desperate effort to reach 15 hostages
trapped inside, it became sickeningly clear that a rescue operation had gone dreadfully
wrong. More than an hour later the police got in by opening the emergency exit, and
found proof of their bungling: eight of the 15 hostages, all Hong Kong tourists, had been
shot dead, as had the hostage-taker, a former policeman. August 23rd thereby became
a shameful day for the PNP. Battered by criticism at home and abroad, the police
admitted "defects" in their handling of the hijack” (Asia: Manila showdown; The police in
the Philippines, 2010).

The PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) records as of November, 2013, show
that there are 19,348 administrative cases filed against PNP personnel from 1999 to
2013, which are categorized from simple neglect of duty to serious neglect of duty,from
simple misconduct to gross misconduct, from incompetency to gross incompetency and
conduct unbecoming of an officer, dishonesty, oppression and irregularity in the
performance of duty. Moreover, based on the records of the PNP Directorate for
Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) as of January 2014, there are 174
PNP personnel charged with criminal cases which are categorized as Kidnapping with
Murder, Grave Threat, Rape, Acts of Lasciviousness, Torture, Drugs, Robbery
Extortion, Illegal Possession of Firearms, Murder, Homicide, Carnapping, Physical
Injury, Obstruction of Justice, Alarm and Scandal, and Illegal Gambling

II. MAGAZINES, STUDIES, JOURNALS, NEWSPAPERS

A. Foreign
 In this connection, the researcher finds it imperative to conduct a study in the
light of correlating the recruitment and selection process with the quality of police
officers in terms of their individual performance. As stated by Karas (2002) in her article,
Predicting Misconduct Before Hiring Police, the ability to make accurate predictions of
misconduct is crucial in the area of corruption prevention and police officer recruitment
(Prenzler & Ransleys journals, 2002).

Dantzker (1999) also stated, “the emphasis for improving policing has been on
the improvement in the quality of personnel and the recruitment of the most qualified
applicants, which continues to be a challenge.”The researcher, being the former
Training Officer of the PNP Crime Laboratory, has personally observed that some of the
police trainees and even some of the police personnel do not have the necessary vital
police professional conduct to adhere to the rules and regulations of the organization
and the commitment, integrity and discipline required of every police officer in order to
carry out his/her duties effectively and efficiently. These attributes are innate and cannot
be learned within a certain period of training no matter how rigorous it is. So, from the
very moment that they apply for a job as police officers, they should possess such
character or virtue that shall only be enhanced as they perform their job with the
provision of well-equipped and effective trainings, seminars or lectures. Likewise, in the
achievement of good organizational performance, recruitment and selection of future
employees have an enormously important contribution not only in manufacturing
organizations but also in service organizations, such as law enforcement agencies,
though they differ in terms of the abilities and traits they are looking for in employees.
Some hiring agencies give more emphasis on the applicants’ “hard” technical skills
rather than on their “soft” behavioral skills, not knowing that employees can generally be
quickly trained in tools and techniques but developing their “soft” skills can take a long
time or may even be impossible, depending on the employees’ personality traits. Thus,
employers should assess the (the scientist magazine., 2016).
 Similarly, different generations have different expectations in careers and so
hiring organizations must adopt new and appropriate recruitment strategies to attract an
applicant pool qualified enough to achieve their organizational needs. “Putting the right
person in the right position” is one of the prerequisites to a successful organization.
Making the wrong decision with regard to recruiting future police officers could prove to
be a costly mistake because they will be dealing with protection of lives and properties.
Thus, police agencies must not risk attracting a lower skilled applicant pool, which could
have a severe negative impact on their organizations as a whole (the inquirer,2000).

B. Local

Moreover, there is almost no question that the quality of policing services is linked
directly to the individual behaviour of police officers and to the organizational philosophy that
supports their behaviour. However, when the organizational philosophy shifts, it calls into
question whether the traditional models that have been used to recruit and hire are sufficient to
support the requirements of the new community policing model but this can be answered by
exploring different selection models. Also, sufficient resources must be applied to marketing in
police agencies in order to highlight the service aspects of policing or the courage and bravery
of police officers rather than the common adventure side of the job such as engaging in hot
pursuits or chasing and catching bad guys, which typically come along with incidents of brutality,
corruption, ineptness, or notorious actions described as abuse of the innocent. Progressive
changes must be adopted focusing on hiring police officers who are service-oriented. Police
officers who have the orientation of balancing the enforcement activities and good police work
with humane caring for the community and values formation and trusting relationships as means
to solve security problems and control crimes. In this way, the public, whom they swore to serve
and protect, will see them as trustworthy police officers committed to their job (Scrivner news
journal, 2006)
 Lastly, police corruption in Singapore was prevented and controlled by improving
Singapore Police recruitment and selection procedures including its members’ salaries and
working conditions, training programmes and socialization (Quah notes, 2006).

III.INTERNET SOURCE

A. Foreign

Thus, from the perspective of good governance, the recognition of the potential impact of
the problems of the PNP – particularly the increasing incidences of police transgressions –
should be realized. Equally important is the effective and efficient performance of police officers,
which must always be encouraged especially within the PNP system. In this regard, solutions
and/or improvements are badly needed to address these problems in relation to recruitment and
selection process. It is therefore imperative to evaluate and analyze existing process concerning
the PNP’s recruitment and selection of uniformed personnel through the perceptions of the PNP
personnel assigned in National Headquarters (NHQ) and National Capital Region Police Office
(NCRPO) as well as its impact by taking into consideration, the perceptions of the public
(residents of Metro Manila, Philippines) on the individual performance of the police
officers(https://www.ojp.gov › ncjrs › virtual-library › abstracts)

The Philippine National Police (PNP) faces myriad challenges, spanning

governance, corruption and national security threats. Hence, securing a strong
leadership pipeline equipped not only to face these challenges, but also to strengthen
policing effectiveness and over-all security sector reforms is crucial. This study aims to
map out some of the main factors that both build or erode key leadership qualities and
performance in the PNP. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, and leveraging a
comprehensive dataset of police officers in the National Capital Region (NCR), the
study examines four main factors, namely personality traits, organizational culture,
demographic profile and professional history. The results show that personality facets of
openness, agreeableness and neuroticism, as well as number of transfers, area of
assignment, training on managerial skills, age and education level are all factors for
good performance for officers in the PNP National Capital Region Police Office. These
findings emphasize the importance of training and mentoring components in preparing
young officers and recruits for the rigors of service. It also underscores the need for a
deeper analysis of recruitment and selection policies, to ensure that the PNP
successfully attracts the strongest candidates with the right leadership characteristics
and building blocks for service.(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080)

B. Local

The Philippine National Police (PNP) faces myriad challenges, spanning

governance, corruption and national security threats. Hence, securing a strong
leadership pipeline equipped not only to face these challenges, but also to strengthen
policing effectiveness and over-all security sector reforms is crucial. This study aims to
map out some of the main factors that both build or erode key leadership qualities and
performance in the PNP. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the study
examines four main factors, namely personality traits, organizational culture,
demographic profile and professional history, as predictor of performance for officers in
the National Capital Region. It finds evidence that personality traits, specifically
openness, agreeableness and neuroticism, as well as number of transfers, area of
assignment, training on managerial skills, age and education level are all factors for
good performance for officers in the PNP National Capital Region Police Office. These
results emphasize the importance of training and mentoring components in preparing
young officers and recruits for the rigors of service. It also underscores the need for a
deeper analysis of recruitment and selection policies, to ensure that the PNP
successfully attracts the strongest candidates with the right leadership characteristics
and building blocks for service.( https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3)
 Chapter 3

RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the researcher would present the description of the research
method used, a profile of respondents, the instruments used to gather data, the data-
gathering and the statistical treatment of data.

The Research Design

The descriptive survey-method was used in this investigation with the primary
purpose of ascertaining conditions, which were common among the population of the
study. The researcher made use of the questionnaire-checklist and simple interview as
the instrument gathering the data needed for the study.

The Respondents

There are 100 persons who acted as a respondents for this study, namely:
 Table 1
Distribution of the Respondents of the study
Respondents Number of Respondents
FTP Personnel 25
Police trainer 25
Concerned Citizen 50
Sub-Total 100

The Research Instrument

The researchers formulated a questionnaire-checklist / simple interview under

the guidance and assistance of San Carlos City Police Personnel. They put into use the
information and ideas that they provided about the construction of data-gathering
instrument. Expert opinions of knowledgeable persons were also solicited.

Administration and Retrieval of the Questionnaire

To validate their questionnaire, the researchers sought advice of their College

Dean and key officials of the city who had extensive knowledge on the Effectiveness of
FTP in the training of PNP officers in San Carlos City. The researchers made a
Questionnaire to perform such survey gathering-data for the 100 respondent to answer
in San Carlos City since the City Hall has no questionnaire available for this particular
survey.
 The questionnaire was administered during operation hours of PNP in San
Carlos City on December 2021.

Retrieval of the questionnaire from the respondents was 100 percent since the
researchers administered the data-gathering instrument personally.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The data gathered through the questionnaire-checklist/ simple interview; and

their answers were then tabulated, consolidated and collated for easy interpretation in
the form of tables and textual presentation. In the statistical presentation of data,
percentage, ranking and weighted average used.

Percentage was used to denote proportion between the numbers of respondents

giving a response to a particular item to the population of the study.

Ranking was used specifically to denote the hierarchieal importance of the data
based on the number of responses or respondents.
Paradigm of the Study

I
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
Questionnaire and Tabulation Profile of the
preparation of Analysis and Respondents
interview guide Interpretation of
Data Contributing
Distribution of Factors
questionnaires and
interview of key Proposed strategies
personalities to continuously
prevent the red-tape

Figure 1: Schematic diagram showing the different variables of the study.