COVID-19 Traumatic Stress Scale and Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale: psychometric properties in Portuguese male adults

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia pandemic constitutes a serious public health emergency. Besides its detrimental social and economic implications, it has generated a negative psychological impact worldwide. Several studies have been carried out concerning psychological impact and mental health related to COVID-19, with the psychological constructs most studied being anxiety, fear, phobia, stress and depression. Other psychological constructs were less studied, namely post-traumatic stress related to COVID-19, as well as preventive behaviors towards COVID-19. Thus, the aims of this study were to validate the COVID-19 Traumatic Stress (C19TSS) Scale and the Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS) with a Portuguese male adult sample and to measure their invariance across age and education. Methods: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to obtain the final factor structure of the Portuguese version of both scales. Configural, metric and scalar invariance were measured across age and education through multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA). Results: Results showed that both C19TSS and PIBS models fitted the data well. Configural, metric and scalar invariance across age as well as configural and metric invariance across education were found regarding C19TSS. Only configural invariance across education was found regarding PCIBS. Conclusions: The C19TSS and PCIBS are valid and reliable tools for researchers interested in examining post-traumatic stress related to COVID-19 and preventive behaviors towards COVID-19

The South Region Cancer Registry: an evaluation of its exhaustiveness in a cohort of lung cancer patients

Poster presented at the 2nd International Congress of CiiEM: Translational Research and Innovation in Human and Health Sciences, 11-13 June 2017, Campus Egas Moniz, Caparica, PortugalN/

Los comportamientos relativos a la salud y la calidad del sueño en los adolescentes portugueses: el efecto moderador de la edad y del sexo

Adolescence is marked by changes such as sleep and health behaviors. This study analyzed the relationships and differences on excessive daytime sleepiness, anxiety and depression symptoms, sleep habits, family sleep behaviors, sleep quality and health behaviors in adolescents including the moderating effect of adolescents’ age and gender. Method: The sample included 272 adolescents, 58% being female. Results: Girls and older adolescents reported worse sleep quality. Older adolescents reported healthier behaviors. Female gender, having a family member with sleep quality problems, coffee intake, anxiety and depression symptoms, daytime sleepiness, and family sleep behaviors contributed to worse sleep quality. Father’s alcohol consumption, anxiety and depression symptoms and family sleep behaviors contributed to adolescents’ sleep habits. Being a girl and an older adolescent were moderators in the relationship between the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness and worse sleep quality. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of health promotion programs regarding sleep quality.La adolescencia está marcada por los cambios en el sueño y comportamientos referidos a la salud. Este estudio analizó las relaciones y diferencias en la somnolencia diurna excesiva, los síntomas de ansiedad y depresión, los hábitos de sueño, los comportamientos de sueño familiares, la calidad del sueño, los comportamientos de salud en adolescentes, incluido el efecto moderador de la edad y el sexo de los adolescentes. Método: La muestra de este estudio estaba compuesta por 272 adolescentes, siendo el 58% de sexo femenino. Resultados: Las niñas y los adolescentes mayores indicaron una peor calidad del sueño. Los adolescentes mayores manifestaron comportamientos más saludables. Ser de sexo femenino, tener un familiar con problemas de sueño, consumir café, tener síntomas de ansiedad y depresión, así como somnolencia diurna y conductas de sueño familiares se asocian con una peor calidad del sueño. El consumo de alcohol del padre, los síntomas de ansiedad y depresión y las conductas de sueño familiares se asocian con los hábitos de sueño de los adolescentes. Ser niña y adolescente de mayor edad modera la relación entre la presencia de somnolencia diurna excesiva y peor calidad del sueño. Conclusiones: Los resultados resaltan la importancia de los programas de promoción de la salud en relación con la calidad del sueño

Cognitive performance in childhood: mother and urban environment make the difference

Apesar das controvérsias sobre o conceito e a avaliação da inteligência, o desempenho cognitivo assume um papel fundamental no contexto educativo e são múltiplos os fatores que lhe estão associados. Este estudo toma uma amostra aleatória e representativa de 1201 crianças do 2.º ciclo do ensino básico de escolas públicas portuguesas, com idades entre 9 e 14 anos. Discute-se o impacto das variáveis sociofamiliares (profissão da mãe e do pai, escolaridade da mãe e do pai e meio de pertença urbano vs rural). Os resultados destacam a relevância dessas variáveis para a explicação do desempenho cognitivo dos alunos, especialmente a escolaridade da mãe e o meio urbano de proveniência. Apresentam-se considerações práticas voltadas à equidade do sistema educativo.Despite the controversies over the concept and evaluation of intelligence, cognitive achievement plays a fundamental role in educational context, and multiple factors are related to it. The current study uses a random and representative sample of 1201 2nd grade children from Portuguese public schools, between 9 and 14 years old. This study aims to discuss the impact of social and familial variables (mother and father’s jobs, mother and father’s educational level, and urban or rural environment of belonging). The results highlight the importance of social and familial variables as an explanation to students’ cognitive achievement, with great relevance to mother’s educational level and urban environment of belonging. Practical considerations aiming a better equity in educational system are presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rice quality profiling to classify germplasm in breeding programs

The objective of this work was to define a quality space for assessing rice varieties. Eleven long grain varieties, seven commercial and four new advanced lines were assessed to obtain complete quality profile considering appearance, physicochemical parameters, water absorption behaviour, pasting profile and textural attributes. Commercial varieties were chosen to provide the widest variation in properties, applying the variability analysis concepts of the Taguchi method, including Japonicas, Indicas, hybrids and aromatics. Quality parameters were measured in five different dimensions of quality space (totalling 50). Variable reduction techniques were applied to chose 3 parameters in each dimension (totalling 15 quality indicators) that would describe the whole space with greatest orthogonality, accuracy and yet explaining a significant proportion of the whole variance of data. The analysis of the quality space thus defined and similarities between varieties is illustrated with the conclusion of how the 4 new advanced lines perform in terms of quality behaviour, where it is concluded that one of them is very promising as an improvement over European (Indica) towards the behaviour of a pure Guyana (Indica), whereas 3 others have significant shortcomings in various aspects of the quality space compared to all others, albeit their greater closeness to Japonicas

The reflex of the past : the role of youth victimisation trauma on the interpersonal reactivity

Abstract in proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of CiiEM: Health, Well-Being and Ageing in the 21st Century, held at Egas Moniz’ University Campus in Monte de Caparica, Almada, from 3–5 June 2019.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of youth victimization trauma on the interpersonal reactivity

Poster presented at the 4th International Congress of CiiEM – “Health, Well-being and Ageing in the XXI Century.” 2-5 June 2019, Campus Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica, PortugalN/

History-indicated transvaginal cerclage: results from a single-centre

Background: Cervical incompetence occasionally results in mid-trimester pregnancy loss, preterm labour and increased foetal morbimortality. History-indicated cerclage is proposed when obstetric history suggests cervical incompetence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the maternal-foetal outcomes following prophylactic cervical cerclage.Methods: Retrospective study reviewing data of all women undergoing transvaginal history-indicated cerclage from January 1st, 2008 to December 31th, 2017 at Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve - Faro. Primary outcome: gestational age <37weeks at birth. Secondary outcomes: neonatal morbimortality and intensive care unit (NICU) admission and maternal morbidity. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 23.Results: A total of 12 history-indicated cerclages were performed (9 women). At first cerclage, mean maternal age, gestity, parity and live children were 27.6, 2.44, 1.11 and 0.78 (87.7% preterm), respectively. At cerclage placement, mean gestational age and cervical length were 16.1 weeks and 27.5mm. Average hospital admission was 10.7 days. In all cases McDonald technique was performed. Four hospital readmissions occurred for threatened labour. Mean gestational age at cerclage removal was 36.9 weeks (83.3% in ambulatory) and 38.9 at delivery. Average time between cerclage removal and labour was 14.5 days. Spontaneous onset of labour occurred in 75% and vaginal delivery in 83.4%. There were no reports of preterm birth, foetal admission to NICU or maternal complications. Mean number of live children after procedure was 1.58.Conclusions: Prophylactic cervical cerclage seems to improve pregnancy outcome with minimal maternal risks. However, our data suggest over inclusion of women, with unnecessary procedures, emphasizing the importance of re-evaluating inclusion criteria

Sociodemographic and psychological contributors to quality of life in users of anti-aging cosmetic products and procedures

Purpose: This study assessed the contribution of sociodemographic and psychological variables to quality of life (QoL) in male and female users of anti-aging cosmetic products and procedures, and the moderator role of age and sex in those relationships. Methods: 382 participants were evaluated on appearance schemes, aging perceptions, self-esteem, psychological morbidity, perfectionism and QoL. Results: Being male, married, professionally active and having a higher household income was associated with better QoL, while the usage of cosmetic products was negatively associated with QoL. Appearance schemes, psychological morbidity, perfectionism and aging perceptions (timeline chronic and emotional representations) were associated with worse QoL, and self-esteem was associated with better QoL. Sex moderated the relationship between perfectionism and psychological morbidity in both men and women but stronger in the latter, while the relationship between chronic aging perceptions and negative QoL was only significant in men. Age moderated the relationship between perfectionism and psychological morbidity, between psychological morbidity and QoL, and between aging perceptions and QoL. Conclusions: Findings may help guide psychological interventions targeted on the adaptation to the aging experience as means of promoting QoL. Thus, psychological intervention programs should address perfectionism, psychological morbidity and aging perceptions, being differentiated according to participants’ sex and age in order to promote a better adaptation to the aging process

Do difficulties in emotion regulation impact self-esteem and adult attachment? – the role of trauma

Abstract in proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of CiiEM: Health, Well-Being and Ageing in the 21st Century, held at Egas Moniz’ University Campus in Monte de Caparica, Almada, from 3–5 June 2019.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio