Optimization of Mediterranean Rainfed Pasture Systems in Portuguese Conditions, Based on a Linear Programing Model

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Similarities amid the difference: Caregiving burden and adaptation outcomes in dyads of parents and their children with and without cerebral palsy

This study had two main objectives: first, to examine the direct and indirect effects, via social support, of caregiving burden on the adaptation outcomes of children/adolescents with cerebral palsy and their parents; and second, to assess the invariance of such models in clinical vs. healthy subsamples. Participants were 210 dyads of children/adolescents and one of their parents (total N=420), divided in 93 dyads of children/adolescents with cerebral palsy and 117 dyads of children/adolescents with no medical diagnosis. Data on caregiving burden, social support and adaptation outcomes were obtained through self-report questionnaires. Caregiving burden was linked to parents and their children's psychological maladjustment and quality of life both directly (except for children's quality of life) and indirectly through social support. Findings were invariant across clinical and healthy subsamples. Caregiving burden may influence adaptation outcomes of children/adolescents with CP and their parents both directly and via their social support perceptions. These patterns are similar to those observed in typically developing children/adolescents

Encontro Sobre o Ensino da Matemática

Educação ou instrução? que formação/formadores temos e queremos? o uso da tecnologia... Discussão em torno das metas e programas dos ensinos básicos e secundári

Editorial: Application of the Third Generation of Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches to Parenting

Editorial on the Research Topic Application of the Third Generation of Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches to Parentin

Are patients at risk for psychological maladjustment during fertility treatment less willing to comply with treatment? Results from the Portuguese validation of the SCREENIVF

Item does not contain fulltextSTUDY QUESTION: Do patients at risk for psychological maladjustment during fertility treatment present lower intentions to comply with recommended treatment than patients not at risk? SUMMARY ANSWER: Patients at risk of psychological maladjustment present similar high intentions to comply with recommended fertility treatment to those not at risk but their intentions are conditioned by the degree of control they perceive over their fertility and its treatment and their capacity to accept a future without biological children. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Infertile couples refer to the psychological burden of treatment as one of the most important reasons for withdrawal from recommended treatment. The SCREENIVF can be used before treatment to screen patients at risk for psychological maladjustment by assessing five risk factors: anxiety, depression, helplessness and lack of acceptance cognitions and social support. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Cross-sectional study. First, we investigated the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the SCREENIVF. Secondly, we investigated associations between risk for psychological maladjustment and intentions to comply with treatment. PARTICIPANTS/ MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Two hundred and ninety-one women and 92 men undergoing any stage of fertility treatment at Portuguese infertility clinics were recruited online or in the clinical setting (55% response rate). Participants completed questionnaires that assessed their emotional adjustment, quality of life and compliance intentions. MAIN RESULTS AND ROLE OF CHANCE: The confirmatory factor analysis for the SCREENIVF indicated good fit [chi(2) = 188.50, P /= 0.70, except depression for men: alpha = 0.66). Fifty-two percent of women and 30% of men were at risk for maladjustment. Women and men at risk and not at risk for maladjustment reported similar intentions to comply with treatment (P > 0.05). Cognitive risk factors moderated negative associations found between distress and compliance intentions. Higher anxiety was associated with lower compliance intentions for patients with lower helplessness cognitions (beta = -0.45, P = 0.01) and men with higher acceptance cognitions (beta = -0.60; P = 0.03), but not for patients with higher helplessness cognitions (beta = 0.25, P = 0.13) and men with lower acceptance cognitions (beta = 0.38; P = 0.21). Higher depression was associated with lower compliance intentions for patients with higher helplessness cognitions (beta = -0.33, P = 0.02), but not for patients with lower helplessness cognitions (beta = 0.19, P = 0.30). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Few men participated and thus only medium-to-large effect sizes could be detected for them. Forty-eight percent of participants were recruited online and this could have resulted in higher rates of patients at risk. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The SCREENIVF is not useful to identify patients at risk for non-compliance. However, the clinic staff should be aware that patients who score high on helplessness cognitions and low on acceptance may need additional decisional aid to make autonomous and satisfying decisions about uptake of treatment. The Portuguese version of the SCREENIVF is valid and reliable and can be used with women undergoing any type of fertility treatment. STUDY FUNDING/ COMPETING INTEREST(S): S.G. received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT-SFRH/BPD/63063/2009). There are no conflicts of interest to declare

The indirect effect of contextual factors on the emotional distress of infertile couples

Few studies were dedicated to study the role of contextual factors, such as the socioeconomic status and urban or rural residence in emotional distress of infertile couples. This study aimed to explore the impact of contextual factors on emotional distress, either directly or by affecting the importance of parenthood in one's life, which in turn affects emotional distress. In this cross-sectional study, 70 couples recruited during hormonal stimulation phase prior to in vitro fertilisation completed clinical and sociodemographic forms and self-report questionnaires assessing representations about the importance of parenthood and emotional distress. Path analysis using structural equation modelling was used to examine direct and indirect effects among variables. Results indicated that socioeconomic status and place of residence had an impact in emotional distress by affecting the representations about the importance of parenthood in one's life. Gender differences were found regarding model paths, suggesting that the social context may have a stronger influence on women's emotional distress than on their partners’ distress. When delineating psychological interventions, health care providers should consider that cultural values about children and parenthood contribute to shape the infertility experience

Grape composition during ripening, in two cultivars and different sites of "Beira Interior" region

Grape composition during ripening, in two cultivars and different sites of "Beira Interior" regionCENTRO-04-3928-FEDER-000028info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio