Health-related Behavior over the Course of Life in the Czech Republic

AbstractThis study presents partial results of an extensive research project (Grant Agency n. 13-19808S). The aim is to map health-related behaviour over the course of life in the Czech Republic and to examine how four age groups (20 – 35, 36-50, 51 – 65, 65 and older) differ in components of their health-related behaviour. The research sample consisted of 1,268 respondents (69% women) between 20 and 93 years of age. For rating, our research used the Health-related Behaviour Scale (Dosedlová, Slováčková, Klimusová, 2013). Via Principal Component Analysis (with Varimax rotation), we extracted five factors of health-related behaviour. The means of factor scores of health-related behaviour in the individual age groups were compared via General Linear Model.The five factors explaining 44% of the total variance of the 34 initial items of health-related behaviour are as follows: healthy diet, mental health, daily regimen, physical activity, and avoidance of addictive/harmful substances. The four age groups (20 – 35, 36 – 50, 51 – 65, 65+) differ significantly in all health-related behaviour factors with the exception of mental hygiene. With increasing age, individuals tend to increase their healthy food intake, keep daily regimen and avoid addictive substances; however, the amount of physical activity decreases with age

Současné konstrukty optimismu/pesimismu ve výzkumu

Příspěvek se věnuje třem současným konstruktům optimismu a pesimismu: dispozičnímu optimismu (Carver, Scheier, 2002), optimismu jako explanačnímu stylu (Seligman, 1990) a defenzivnímu pesimismu (Cantor, Norem, 1989). Ověřuje konstrukt defenzivního pesimismu a dále posuzuje vztahy mezi jednotlivými typy optimismu/pesimismu. Kromě teoretického zakotvení autorky nabízejí rekapitulaci výsledků dvou studií, z nichž jedna byla podporovaná GA ČR (projekt č. 406/09/0611). Závěry obou studií potvrzují, že jednotlivé konstrukty optimismu/pesimismu jsou na sobě do značné míry nezávislé.The exploratory study contributes to clarifications on relation among dispositional optimism/pessimism (Carver, Scheier, 2002), optimism/pessimism as a explanatory style (Seligman, 1990) and defensive pessimism (Cantor, Norem, 1989). Two studies (N1=1617, N2=106) are presented (one of them was supported by Czech Grant Agency, no. 406/09/0611). The results confirm that the presently existing leading constructs of optimism/pessimism are independent in large measure. The subsequent aim is to create a model of optimism based on the presented concepts

Mental Well-Being of Czech University Students: Academic Motivation, Self-Compassion, and Self-Criticism

University students in the Czech Republic suffer from a low level of mental well-being. Research in other university student populations suggests that academic motivation, self-compassion, and self-criticism are strongly related to mental well-being. Students who are motivated to study, are kind toward themselves, and are less judgmental of themselves tend to have a high level of mental well-being. These relationships had not been evaluated in Czech students. Accordingly, this cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the relationships between mental well-being, academic motivation (intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation), self-compassion (self-reassurance) and self-criticism (self-inadequacy and self-hate). Of 130 students approached, a convenience sampling of 119 psychology students at a university in the Czech Republic completed a survey regarding these constructs. Correlation, regression, and path analyses were conducted. Mental well-being was positively associated with intrinsic motivation and self-compassion, and negatively associated with amotivation and self-criticism. Self-compassion was identified as the strongest predictor of mental well-being. Lastly, intrinsic motivation mediated the pathway from self-compassion to mental well-being, but not the one from self-inadequacy to mental well-being, and the one from self-hate to mental well-being. Our findings can help educators to identify effective means to protect students’ mental well-being. Cultivating students’ self-compassion may be helpful to protect their mental well-being. University staff and educators in the Czech Republic need to consider ways to embed self-compassion training into their students’ programmes or university life