Explanatory Model on Academic Self-Efficacy in Engineering Students: Role of Anxiety, Dysthymia, and Negative Affect

Students in engineering tend to be loners, making interpersonal relationships and mental health issues more likely to arise. The COVID pandemic caused university students to experience anxi-ety and depression, which affected their academic performance and self-esteem. However, stu-dents’ mental health was rarely evaluated after the pandemic, especially engineering students, who showed higher levels of depression than students from other disciplines. The present study aims to establish an explanatory model of academic self-efficacy based on factors related to mental health, such as anxiety, depression, and negative emotions. The method used was quan-titative cross-sectional, and a structural equation modeling was used. A sample of 561 students (54.4% males and 45.6% females) was analyzed. Instruments to measure self-efficacy, negative affect, depression, and anxiety, previously validated and with adequate reliability, were applied. The results showed that a state of anxiety affects academic self-efficacy negatively and directly; depression and negative affect indirectly affect academic self-efficacy mediated by a state of anxiety. These results show that a student with depression problems and a predominance of negative emotions is vulnerable to present anxiety in an academic setting. This anxiety causes his efficacy beliefs to decrease. As a result, he does not feel capable of facing academic challenges

Effect of Self-Efficacy and Eustress on Procrastination: A Multigroup Analysis

Introducción: La autoeficacia y el eutrés son elementos motivacionales que guían al éxito académico; mientras que la procrastinación guía al fracaso. Está comprobado que la autoeficacia y eutrés afectan a las conductas de procrastinación, pero ¿en qué medida? Además, en la literatura se evidencian diferencias entre el género en relación con estas variables. No obstante, estos estudios no son concluyentes. Por ello, esta investigación tuvo por objetivo establecer un modelo explicativo e invariante del efecto de la autoeficacia hacia las conductas de procrastinación, mediado por el eutrés. Metodología: Se utilizó el diseño de regresiones estructurales con variables latentes, y se aplicó invarianza multigrupo. La muestra fue no probabilística de 1224 universitarios (61.5% mujeres) entre 18 a 35 años (M = 22.89; DE = 5.46). Resultados: Se hallaron adecuados índices de ajuste del modelo planteado (CFI = 0.951, TLI = 0.943, RMSEA = 0.041) donde se demostró el efecto directo, indirecto y total, a través del eutrés, sobre la conducta de postergación y autorregulación. El tamaño del efecto sobre la autorregulación fue largo (f 2 = 0.54) y pequeño para la postergación (f 2 = 0.14). Asimismo, el modelo resultó ser invariante entre hombres y mujeres. Conclusiones: El estudiante con alta autoeficacia y estrés positivo, será capaz de autorregular su comportamiento académico y evitar la postergación de tareas.Introduction: Self-efficacy and eutress are motivational elements that lead academic success; while procrastination leads to failure. Self-efficacy and stress have been shown to affect procrastination behaviors, but to what extent? In addition, differences between gender in relation to these variables are evident in the literature. However, these studies are not conclusive. Therefore, this research aimed to establish an explanatory and invariant model of the effect of self-efficacy toward procrastination behaviors, mediated by eutres. Methodology: The method used is structural regressions with latent variables, and multigroup invariance was applied. The sample was nonprobabilistic of 1224 university students (61.5% women) between 18 and 35 years old (M = 22.89; SD = 5.46). Results: Adequate fit indices of the proposed model were found (CFI = 0.951, TLI = 0.943, RMSEA = 0.041) where the direct, indirect and total effect was demonstrated, through the eutres, on postponement and self-regulation. The effect size for self-regulation was large (f 2 = 0.54) and small for postponement (f 2 = 0.14). Furthermore, the model turned out to be invariant between men and women. Conclusions: Student with high self-efficacy and positive stress, will be able to self-regulate his academic behavior and avoid postponement of tasks

Autoeficacia y actividad física en niños mexicanos con obesidad y sobrepeso

This is an exploratory, descriptive, research, designed as a field test before and after intervention in non-coupled groups, to work with over weight and obese children and their families (intervention group); versus working without the individual's family members, to assess the degree of self-efficacy for the physical activity Program. Therewere significative differences of self efficacy changes among two groups before and after intervention. Some difficulties related to methodology and instruments were found and practical difficulties were reported such a previous studies with similar interventions studies. Conclusions: Promoting physical requires considering to include in the future another intraindividual characteristics of the children and families such as self-steem, body image and social support environmental.El estudio es una investigación de corte exploratorio, descriptivo como experimento de campo pre y post intervención en grupos pareados para trabajar con niños que tienen obesidad y sobrepeso y sus familias (el grupo de intervención) versus la ausencia de sus familias (grupo control), para evaluar los niveles de autoeficacia en un programa universitario de actividad física. Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre ambos grupos en la pre y la post intervención. Los escasos trabajos de intervención encontrados similares a este estudio en niños con obesidad y sus familias permite comprender las dificultades prácticas reportadas en este y otros estudios tienen que ver con los instrumentos aplicados y la metodología empleada y nos llevan a la conclusión de considerar en futuros estudios variables como autoestima, auto imagen y apoyo social de los niños con obesidad y sus familias

Is poetry therapy an appropriate intervention for clients recovering from anorexia? A critical review of the literature and client report

© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Poetry therapy is an arts-based psychotherapeutic intervention, often delivered in groups. This paper argues that the process and benefits of poetry therapy may be particularly suited to clients recovering from anorexia, as an adjunct to other treatments. Poetry therapy and its history are described briefly, and the relevance of poetry therapy for clients recovering from anorexia is outlined. After one client contributes her experience of this treatment for illustration, the paper offers a review of the evidence base for poetry therapy for eating disorders, and argues that, while research is limited, further research is warranted. Finally, a description of one form of clinical application is offered, to enable replication

Boron exposure assessment using drinking water and urine in the North of Chile

Boron is an essential trace element for plants and humans however it is still an open question what levels of boron are actually safe for humans. This study, conducted between 2006 and 2010, measured exposure levels of boron in drinking water and urine of volunteers in Arica, an area in the North of Chile with high levels of naturally occurring boron. Samples were taken of tap and bottled water (173 and 22, respectively), as well as urine from 22 volunteers, and subsequently analyzed by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Boron varied in public tap water from 0.22 to 11.3mgL -1, with a median value of 2.9mgL -1, while concentrations of boron in bottled water varied from 0.01 to 12.2mgL -1. Neither tap nor bottled water samples had concentrations of boron within WHO recommended limits. The concentration of boron in urine varied between 0.45 and 17.4mgL -1, with a median of 4.28mgL -1 and was found to be correlated with tap water sampled from the homes of the volunteers (