THE FACTOR STRUCTURE OF MENTAL HEALTH: EXPLANATORY & CONFIRMATORY FACTOR STRUCTURE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING MEASURES

Psychological distress (PD) is usually based on the level of anxiety and depressive symptoms while psychological well-being (PW) is usually conceptualized as some combination of positive affective states such as happiness, optimism, satisfaction with life, and hope. This paper addresses the question of whether psychological distress and psychological well-being are the opposite poles of the same axis of mental health or independent constructs that should be measured on two independent axes. Methods: The sample consisted of (510) Kuwait University students, (240) males with a mean age of (24.08 ±5.10) and (270) females, with a mean age of (21.68 ±2.70), (f=46.77, p\u3c 0.001). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered to participants to assess Psychological Distress. In addition, the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI), the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Adult Hope Scale (AHS) were administered to participants to assess Psychological well-being. Results: The explanatory factor analysis (PCA) extracted one bipolar factor with the following loading: (.88) for OHI, (.84) for LOT-R, (.81) for SWLS, (.74) for AHS, (-.70) for BDI-II, and (-.53) for BAI which explains 56.16% of the total variance. The Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) extracted one bipolar factor with the following loading: (.70) for OHI, (.81) for LOT-R, (.77) for SWLS, (.69) for AHS, (-.72) for BDI-II, and (-.44) for BAI which explains 48.88% of the total variance and was labeled psychological well-being vs. psychological distress. Factor Structural analysis confirms that these 6 scales can be viewed as components of two-dimensional latent constructs (psychological distress and well-being) which reflects a higher-order concept of mental health. Conclusions: We conclude that assessment of mental health in general populations should use concomitant measures of psychological distress and well-being

Municipalities Collaborating in Public Health: The Danish Smoking Prevention and Cessation Partnership

This study explored the Smoking Prevention and Cessation Partnership (SPCP) which builds upon a collaboration between two Danish municipalities targeted at the prevention of tobacco smoking. The aim of the study was to describe the processes of SPCP, to examine the difficulties this collaboration faced, and to assess how these experiences could be used to improve future partnership collaboration. We employed qualitative methodology comprising 12 semi-structured one-to-one interviews with SPCP’s stakeholders and an analysis of the partnership documents and reports. The findings suggested that the main potentials of the partnership were the personal relations between the members and stakeholders with the possibilities of the creation of new connections with other actors. Barriers to successful partnership building were the implementation of the new Local Government Reform as a competing task, and that the two municipalities were heterogenic in respect to organizational issues and working methods. Other impediments included the lack of continuity in leadership, the lack of clarity regarding the form of collaboration and roles, as well as different expectations of the stakeholders. We conclude that four factors remain critical for partnerships. The first is the clarity of the collaborative effort. Second, partnerships need to take into account the structural circumstances and culture/value systems of all stakeholders. Third is the impact of contextual factors on the development of the partnership; and the fourth factor is the bearing of personal/individual factors on the partnership e.g., personal engagement in the project. Early attention to these four factors could contribute to more effective partnership working

Factors Associated With Smoking, Quit Attempts and Attitudes towards Total Smoking Bans at University: A Survey of Seven Universities in England, Wales and Northern ireland

Objectives: This study assessed the associations between socio-demographic, health and wellbeing variables (independent variables) and daily smoking, attempts to quit smoking, and agreement with smoking ban (dependent variables). Methods: Data from 3,706 undergraduate students were collected from seven universities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland using a standardised questionnaire. Results: About 15.8% of the whole sample reported daily smoking, while 12% were occasional smokers. Smoking was significantly more prevalent among males, but the difference was due to a higher rate of occasional smokers. About every second smoker (55%) had attempted to quit smoking. Almost 45% of the whole sample agreed or strongly agreed with implementing a total smoking ban on campus. Daily smoking was more likely among students with not sufficient income, students whose fathers had at least a bachelor degree; and, students who reported binge drinking. Conversely, daily smoking was less likely among students who rated their health as very good/ excellent, those who ate ≥5 portions of fruit or vegetables, and those who had never taken illicit drugs. Previous attempt/s to quit smoking were more likely among students who have never taken illicit drugs and those who agreed with a total smoking ban; and less likely among those with not sufficient income. Daily smokers were less likely to report quit attempts as compared to occasional smokers. An agreement with smoking ban was more likely among students who rated their health as very good/ excellent, those who ate ≥5 portions of fruit or vegetables daily, and those who had never taken illicit drugs, but less likely among daily smokers. Conclusion: Favourable health practices and positive attitudes towards smoking ban were associated with each other. Interventions would need to comprise multi-component programmes that do not solely focus on smoking prevention/cessation, but also on other health promoting practices as well

Patients diabétiques de type 2 hypertendus: préfèrent-ils traiter le diabète ou l’hypertension artérielle?

Les diabétologues sont confrontés à des diabétiques le plus souvent hypertendus et polypathologiques, les rendant peu observants des différentes thérapeutiques prescrites. Le but de notre étude est d'évaluer l'observance au traitement chez les patients diabétiques hypertendus. Il s'agit d'une étude descriptive prospective transversale. La population est faite de patients diabétiques de type 2 hypertendus vus aux urgences, à la consultation ou hospitalisés au service d'Endocrinologie. L'échantillon est non probabiliste. La population est faite de 61 patients, d'un âge moyen de 48,9 ans avec une hypertension (HTA) de type systolique dans 59%, diastolique dans 16% et systolo-diastolique dans 25% des cas. Les patients sont équilibrés sur le plan glycémique dans 65% des cas, alors que l'équilibre tensionnel n'est atteint que dans 41% des cas. En ce qui concerne l'observance thérapeutique, 24% des patients sont observant  totalement au traitement prescrit, 33% ne sont pas observant au traitement et 43% ont une observance partielle au traitement dont 73.68% préfèrent le traitement destiné au diabète et 26,32% prennent le traitement anti hypertenseur. Les facteurs altérant l'observance au traitement médicamenteux sont un surcoût du traitement un nombre élevé de médicaments prescrits, un nombre important de prises  quotidiennes de médicaments, une intolérance au traitement et une mauvaise information du patient sur la justification du traitement. Enfin, les patients diabétiques hypertendus sont classés comme patients à haut risque cardiovasculaire ce qui impose l'application de stratégies thérapeutiques parfois lourdes. Cette polymédication entrave la qualité de l'observance thérapeutique des patients ayant une pathologie chronique dont la compliance au traitement constitue la pierre angulaire de la prise en charge, et ce pour plusieurs raisons en particulier d'ordre économique.Key words: Observance thérapeutique, HTA, diabète, antihypertenseurs, antidiabétiques oraux, insulinothérapie

Relationship Between Attainment of Recommended Physical Activity Guidelines and Academic Achievement: Undergraduate Students in Egypt

Introduction: We assessed and compared by gender, students’ achievement of recommended guidelines of four PA forms, and the association between guideline achievement of each of the four PA forms and students’ academic performance. Methods: Data (2009-2010) comprised 3,271 students (11 faculties) at Assiut University, Egypt. A self-administered questionnaire measured: moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), muscle-strengthening PA; five socio-demographic variables (gender, age, year of study, father’s education, living arrangements during semester); self-rated health; and, academic performance. We compared the levels of four PA forms, socio-demographic variables, and academic performance by gender. Binary logistic regression examined the factors associated with achieving the guidelines of the four PA forms. Linear regression examined the association between frequency of four PA forms and level of academic performance. Results: Nearly equal proportions of males and females (37%, 36%) achieved the MPA guidelines. Significantly more males achieved the VPA, MVPA, and muscle strengthening PA guidelines. Father’s education was positively associated with achieving all four PA guidelines (with each increasing educational achievement of the father, student’s odds of achieving PA guidelines increased by 7-9%). Students living with their parents or room mates off campus were more likely to achieve the VPA and MVPA guidelines. Students who achieved VPA and MVPA guidelines were more likely to report better academic performance. For all PA forms (except MPA), increasing academic achievement was positively associated with increasing frequency of PA, but standardised Beta (0.05-0.07) suggested a modest correlation between academic achievement and PA frequency. Conclusion: The linear association between frequency of PA and academic achievement, and the finding that the proportions of students who achieved the recommended levels of several forms of PA were below half of the sample call for higher engagement of universities in fostering PA and active lifestyle among students

Engagement and Action for Health: The Contribution of Leaders’ Collaborative Skills to Partnership Success

A multi-site evaluation (survey) of five Kellogg-funded Community Partnerships (CPs) in South Africa was undertaken to explore the relationship between leadership skills and a range of 30 operational, functional and organisational factors deemed critical to successful CPs. The CPs were collaborative academic-health service-community efforts aimed at health professions education reforms. The level of agreement to eleven dichotomous (‘Yes/No’) leadership skills items was used to compute two measures of members’ appreciation of their CPs’ leadership. The associations between these measures and 30 CPs factors were explored, and the partnership factors that leadership skills explained were assessed after controlling. Respondents who perceived the leadership of their CPs favourably had more positive ratings across 30 other partnership factors than those who rated leadership skills less favourably, and were more likely to report a positive cost/ benefit ratio. In addition, respondents who viewed their CPs’ leadership positively also rated the operational understanding, the communication mechanisms, as well as the rules and procedures of the CPs more favourably. Leadership skills explained between 20% and 7% of the variance of 10 partnership factors. The influence of leaders’ skills in effective health-focussed partnerships is much broader than previously conceptualised

Body image concerns: levels, correlates and gender differences among students in the United Kingdom

AIMS: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the socio-demographic, lifestyle and well-being variables that are associated with body image concerns (BIC) and whether these associations differed between female and male students.\ud METHODS:\ud A cross-sectional survey; 3,706 undergraduate students (2,699 females, 765 males) from seven universities in the UK completed a self-administered questionnaire that assessed socio-demographic, lifestyle, well-being and BIC based on the Body Shape Questionnaire developed by Cooper et al. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis examined the odds ratios for the association between four increasing levels of BIC as the dependent variables (no BIC, mild BIC, moderate BIC and marked BIC) on the one hand, and the socio-demographic (gender, age, year at university), lifestyle (physical activity, nutrition) and mental well-being variables (quality of life, perceived stress, perceived health, depressive symptoms) on the other.\ud RESULTS:\ud More females (35%) than males (8%) reported being moderately or markedly concerned with their body image. For both genders, BIC was associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms and to variable extents, with nutrition and year at university. Females' BICs were exclusively associated with low perceived health, higher perceived stress, studies in general as a stressor, and low physical activity. In contrast, males' BIC were found to be exclusively associated with low quality of life and with older age.\ud CONCLUSIONS:\ud Health promoting strategies and activities should address the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and BIC and should moreover pay attention to the gender-specific correlates of BIC for tailoring evidence based interventions for females and for males

Sorting Out the Myths from the Facts: Commentary on Yasemen Adali et al. (2018) article " The Relationship Between Histopathologic Findings and Body Mass Index in Sleeve Gastrectomy Materials "

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