Multicomponent positive psychology intervention for health promotion of Brazilian retirees : a quasi-experimental study

This study evaluated the effects and impact of a multicomponent positive psychology program for health promotion of retirees. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design was used, and the baseline and end of intervention evaluations were analyzed. The intervention consisted of six weekly group sessions for 2 h each. Eighty-eight retirees (females = 72) aged 49–86 (M = 65.66, SD = 7.53) from South Brazil took part in the study, 54 (females = 48) in the experimental group (M = 66.37 years old, SD = 7.42), and 34 (females = 24) waitlist controls (M = 64.53 years old, SD = 7.68). The instruments used were a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Brazilian version of the scales: Interpersonal Reactivity Index; 12- item General Health Questionnaire; Life Orientation Test-Revised;14-item Perceived Stress Scale; Resilience Scale; and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Mixed factorial ANOVA models revealed significant decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms and perceived stress levels, whereas improvement in life satisfaction and resilience was detected in the experimental group at the end of the program. No main effect was found for empathy and optimism. Interaction effects yielded significant difference between groups for measures of empathy, optimism, depression, and anxiety symptoms after the program. There was no significant interaction effect for the other outcome variables. The usefulness and applicability of this model of intervention to aid future health practices and policies are discussed. Contextual issues in the fields of health promotion and disease prevention in Brazil are also problematized

Esquemas Iniciais Desadaptativos como Preditores de Sintomatologia entre Vítimas e Não Vítimas de Violência no Namoro

This study investigated how early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) can predict the development of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in a large sample of dating violence victims.  A total of 525 high school adolescents, aged 14 to19 years old from the metropolitan region of the city of Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, participated in the study. Participants were divided into two groups: Group of victims of dating violence (n = 396, 60.4% female, M = 16.67 years old, SD = 1.18) and non-victims (n = 129, 52.7% female, M = 16.50 years old, SD = 1.23). The Young Schema Questionnaire for Adolescents – Brief Form, the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale for Adolescents were applied. Results indicated greater endorsement of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among victims in comparison with non-victims and among girls in comparison with boys. Dating violence victims showed higher scores in Abandonment, Mistrust/Abuse, Entitlement/Grandiosity, Self-Sacrifice, Approval/Recognition seeking, Negativity/Pessimism and Unrelenting Standards/Hypercriticalness schemas, as compared to non-victims. For female adolescents, the multiple regressions pointed out that early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) explained the variance of the depressive (36%), anxiety (28%), and stress symptoms (26%). For males, the multiple regressions indicated that EMSs explained the variance of the depressive (43%), anxiety (38%), and stress symptoms (39%). The results are discussed from the assumptions of Schema Therapy. Implications for public policy and practice are considered.Este estudo investigou como os esquemas iniciais desadaptativos (EIDs) podem predizer o desenvolvimento de sintomas de depressão, ansiedade e estresse em uma aamostra alargada de adolescentes vítimas de violência no namoro. Um total de 525 adolescentes, de 14 a 19 anos de idade, oriundos da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre/RS, participaram no estudo. Os participantes foram divididos em dois grupos:  Grupo de adolescentes vítimas (n = 396 adolescentes, 60,4% do sexo feminino, M = 16,67 anos de idade, DP = 1,18 anos) e não-vítimas (n = 129 adolescentes, 52,7% do sexo feminino, M = 16,50 anos de idade, DP = 1,23 anos). O Questionário de Esquemas para Adolescentes-Forma Breve, o Inventário de Conflitos nas Relações de Namoro na Adolescência e a Escala de Depressão, Ansiedade e Estresse para Adolescentes foram aplicados. Os resultados indicaram maior sintomatologia de depressão, ansiedade e sintomas de estresse entre as vítimas, em comparação com as não vítimas, e entre as meninas vítimas, em comparação com os meninos vítimas. Vítimas de violência no namoro apresentaram significativamente escores mais altos nos EIDs de Abandono, Desconfiança/abuso, Arrogo/grandiosidade, Autossacrifício, Busca por Aprovação, Negativismo/pessimismo e em Padrões Inflexíveis, quando comparadas ao grupo de não-vítimas. Para o grupo de vítimas do sexo feminino, regressões múltiplas indicaram que os EIDs explicam a variância dos sintomas de depressão (36%), ansiedade (28%) e estresse (26%). Para os adolescentes do sexo masculino, os EIDs também explicam a variância dos sintomas de depressão (43%), ansiedade (38%) e estresse (39%). Os resultados são discutidos a partir dos pressupostos da Terapia dos Esquemas. Implicações para políticas públicas e práticas de intervenção são consideradas

Youth well-being in Brazil : an index for cross-regional comparisons

This study constructs three indices to measure how well Brazil's young people are surviving their transition to adulthood. Youth development is difficult to quantify because of the multi-dimensionality of youth behavior. Most monitoring use individual indicators in specific sectors, making it difficult to track overall progress. The study adapts to the Brazilian case a methodology developed by Duke University to measure the well-being of U.S. children and youth. It uses readily available data to construct three indices for each Brazilian state based on 36 indicators encompassing the health, behavior, school performance, institutional connectedness, and socioeconomic conditions. The indices conclude that young people in the states of Santa Catarina and the Federal District are doing particularly well and those in Alagoas and Pernambuco are the worst off. While these rankings are expected to continue into the next generation, young people in other states have a brighter (Espiritu Santo) or more dismal (Rio Grande de Sul, Tocatins) future due to underinvestment in today's children. Still others (Rio de Janeiro) are underutilizing their resources so their young citizens are in a worse situation than they could be if the state were to invest more. The hope is that the methodology can be used in Brazil as it has been used in the United States to estimate the indices annually, thus allowing policymakers, young people, and society to track the well-being of youth in each state over time.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Adolescent Health,Youth and Governance,Population Policies,Children and Youth

Butterfly learning and the diversification of plant leaf shape

Visual cues are important for insects to find flowers and host plants. It has been proposed that the diversity of leaf shape in Passiflora vines could be a result of negative frequency dependent selection driven by visual searching behavior among their butterfly herbivores. Here we tested the hypothesis that Heliconius butterflies use leaf shape as a cue to initiate approach toward a host plant. We first tested for the ability to recognize shapes using a food reward conditioning experiment. Butterflies showed an innate preference for flowers with three and five petals. However, they could be trained to increase the frequency of visits to a non-preferred flower with two petals, indicating an ability to learn to associate shape with a reward. Next we investigated shape learning specifically in the context of oviposition by conditioning females to lay eggs on two shoots associated with different artificial leaf shapes: their own host plant, Passiflora biflora, and a lanceolate non-biflora leaf shape. The conditioning treatment had a significant effect on the approach of butterflies to the two leaf shapes, consistent with a role for shape learning in oviposition behavior. This study is the first to show that Heliconius butterflies use shape as a cue for feeding and oviposition, and can learn shape preference for both flowers and leaves. This demonstrates the potential for Heliconius to drive negative frequency dependent selection on the leaf shape of their Passiflora host plants

Nomi personali femminili a Laterza. Tra vecchie e nuove identità

This paper aims to contribute to ongoing reflections on Italian onomastics. Italian names are changing. According to recent research, the most common male first names of the 1900s are still given to baby boys in the south of Italy, while for the female ones something is changing. People prefer trendier names for baby girls. With this in mind, I began a research project on personal names and naming practices in the towns of the Diocese of Castellaneta, with a special look at those that belong to the “Alta Murgia Tarantina”, starting from Laterza, without forgetting the neighboring towns of Matera and Montescaglioso. This essay presents the first data on the female first names of Laterza, focusing on names that nowadays are very uncommon or, on the contrary, have been given throughout the last century, and last but not least the names that are written in different ways. The main target of the study is to understand the impact of modernity and globalization on the traditional system of choosing a name to honor the family tradition of both parents

Behavioural and ecological interactions between Heliconius butterflies, their predators and host plants

Heliconius butterflies exhibit Müllerian mimicry, in which two or more unpalatable species share a mutual advantage from having a common conspicuous colour pattern. These tropical butterflies have impressive visual signals, which are under conflicting selection pressures, as they are used in choosing potential mates and defending against visual predators through aposematic coloration. As both selection pressures are likely to be strong, different elements of the signal might be adapted for different receivers. Here, I combine sensory ecology with behavioural ecology to explain Heliconius colours signals of different co-mimic pairs. I explore how mimicry in Heliconius is perceived both from the perspective of predators and conspecifics, using visual abilities of both butterflies and birds. The different visual sensitivities of avian predators, H. erato females and males make them to perceive Heliconius coloration in different ways. My work suggests that having the ability to see in the ultra-violet light range enables higher discrimination between co-mimics both for birds and butterflies. Heliconius warning colours transmit a consistent signal across time of the day and habitat in a tropical forest for avian vision. In contrast through Heliconius vision there is evidence that patterns are more conspicuous in their own habitats. All these traits could facilitate communication between co-mimics and reduce the cost of confusion in courtship while still maintaining the advantages of Müllerian mimicry against predation. I conducted a field experiment to show that attack rates on a novel distasteful butterfly reduced over time, suggesting that Heliconius wing colouration can enhance aversion among predators. Finally, I have shown that Heliconius butterflies use leaf shape as a cue to approach their host plants, demonstrating the potential for Heliconius to drive negative frequency dependent selection on the leaf shape of their Passiflora host plants. Overall these results highlight ecological interactions between Heliconius butterflies, their predators and host plants.CAPES Brazil Cambridge Trus