Self-report personality tests and medical school selection

Background: There has been a growing interest on the assessment of personality when selecting medical students. However, how faking may affect its usefulness has been poorly addressed. Therefore, we aimed to assess the faking effect on self-report personality tests in the selection process of graduates to a medical school. Methods: Sixty-seven graduates admitted as medical students completed the 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability short-form scale at the stage of applying (baseline assessment) and after they had already been admitted (follow-up assessment). Reliability was assessed by the intra-class correlation coefficient and means of the personality traits compared by two paired sample t tests. Results: At baseline assessment, the participants showed higher scores on the conscientiousness and lower scores on the neuroticism traits, respectively, 40.3 vs. 38.5 (p = 0.026) and 17.0 vs. 18.5 (p = 0.089). Also, at the follow-up assessment, the participants with low social desirability scored higher on the traits of openness to experience (−1.63 vs. 1.12, p = 0.036), conscientiousness (−3.09 vs. 0.03, p = 0.022), and neuroticism (3.88 vs. −0. 69, p = 0.012). Conclusions: Our study does not suggest the use of self-report personality assessment in medical student’s selection as it can be faked particularly among applicants with low social desirability. Research is required to evaluate the faking effect on indirect personality assessment, namely through the tools that aim to select non-academic characteristics. © The Author(s). 2016

Patterns of childhood adversity and health outcomes in early adolescence: Results from the Generation XXI cohort

This longitudinal population-based birth cohort study aims to identify childhood adversity patterns over the first 13 years of life and to examine its association with health-related behaviours and outcomes in early adolescence. Using data from the Portuguese birth cohort Generation XXI, we performed latent class analysis to explore the underlying patterns of adversity from birth to early adolescence, using 13 adversity items assessed in five time points. Health-related behaviours and outcomes were evaluated at 13 years. Adjusting for parental unemployment, logistic regression models were performed to determine the association between adversity patterns and outcomes. Among 8647 participants, three adversity patterns were identified: low adversity (56.1%), household dysfunction (17.2%) and multiple adversities (26.7%). For the household dysfunction pattern, girls and boys showed associations with increased odds of alcohol/tobacco use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32-2.40; AOR:1.84; CI:1.38-2.46, respectively) and depressive symptoms (AOR:2.34; CI:1.58-3.48; AOR:5.45; CI:2.86-10.38, respectively). Boys also presented low consumption of fruits/vegetables (AOR:1.51; CI:1.04-2.19). For the multiple adversities pattern, both girls and boys showed an increased probability of alcohol/tobacco use (AOR:1.82; CI:1.42-2.33; AOR:1.63; CI:1.30-2.05, respectively) and depressive symptoms (AOR:3.41; CI:2.46-4.72; AOR:5.21; CI:2.91-9.32, respectively). Boys also revealed increased odds of low consumption of fruits/vegetables (AOR:1.67; CI:1.24-2.23). Childhood adversity patterns are associated with unhealthy behaviours and depressive symptoms in early adolescence. Public policies and early interventions targeting vulnerable children, families and communities can potentially reduce the detrimental effects of adversities on health and promote individual and community resilience.This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalisation and national fundingfrom the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education [POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029567; PTDC/SAU-PUB/29567/2017; 2022.06837.PTDC; UIDB/04750/2020; LA/P/0064/2020; CEECIND/01516/2017; SFRH/BD/144503/2019]; Administracao Regional de Saude Norte (Regional Department of Ministry of Health); Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian

Life course path analysis of total and central adiposity throughout adolescence on adult blood pressure and insulin resistance

Background and aim: We aimed to study whether the effect of adolescent adiposity on adult blood pressure and insulin resistance was mediated by adult adiposity. Methods and results: Data from the EPITeen cohort at 13, 17 and 21 years was used (n = 2211). Sex- and age-specific body mass index z-scores (BMIz) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were used as indicators of total and central adiposity, respectively. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), glucose and insulin were assessed at 21 years and the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) was used as a marker of insulin resistance. Path analysis was applied to evaluate direct and indirect effects of adiposity (13, 17 and 21y) on adult SBP and HOMA-IR, separately for total and central adiposity and for each outcome. Results are presented as standardized regression coefficients [β (95%CI)]. The total effect of BMIz at 13 years on SBP at 21 years was 0.211 (0.178; 0.244), totally mediated by adult BMIz. Total effect of BMIz 13y on HOMA-IR was 0.248 (0.196; 0.299). Although this effect was mostly mediated by BMIz 21y, an additional direct effect from BMIz 17y was found [β = −0.240 (−0.315; −0.164)]. Central adiposity was also positively associated with SBP and HOMA-IR at 21 years, and the effect of adolescent WHR was totally mediated by adult WHR for both outcomes. Conclusions: The effect of adolescent adiposity on adult SBP and HOMA-IR was mostly mediated by adult adiposity. However, for HOMA-IR an additional direct effect from total adiposity at 17 years was found.This study was supported by national funding from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) within the Epidemiology Research Unit e Institute of Public Health, University of Porto (UID/DTP/047507/2013). Individual grants to JA (SFRH/BD/78153/2011) and to SS (SFRH/BD/81123/2011) by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology e FCT are gratefully acknowledged

Trajectories of sleep quality during the first three years after breast cancer diagnosis

Objective: To identify trajectories of sleep quality up to three years after breast cancer diagnosis and to assess differences in characteristics of patients across distinct trajectories. Methods: A total of 458 breast cancer patients underwent a neurological evaluation before treatment and at one and three years after diagnosis. Clinical data were obtained throughout the follow-up. Anxiety and depression were evaluated at baseline, using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. In all sessions of follow-up, sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Model-based clustering was used to identify groups of patients with homogeneous variation in sleep quality. Results: We identified three trajectories of variation in sleep quality, named “low” (LSQ), “medium” (MSQ), and “high sleep quality” (HSQ). Women in the HSQ trajectory presented good sleep quality during the three years. LSQ and MSQ trajectories were characterized by poor sleep quality during the whole period, although during the first year the latter depicted a significant deterioration of sleep quality and the former a significant improvement. Patients included in the LSQ trajectory were more likely to have clinically significant anxiety and depression at baseline. The two trajectories with worse sleep quality were associated with neuropathic pain three years after cancer diagnosis. Conclusions: This study provides a model for describing the variation in sleep quality during the first three years after breast cancer diagnosis, based on three main trajectories. Further studies are needed understanding the heterogeneity of the individual trajectories within each of these major patterns of variation.This study was funded by FEDER through the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016867) and national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) (PTDC/DTP-EPI/7283/2014) under the Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit) (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006862; Ref.UID/DTP/04750/2013); the PhD Grant SFRH/BD/92630/2013 (Filipa Fontes) co-funded by the FCT and the POPH/FSE Program. Data management activities up to the first year of follow-up were supported by the Chair on Pain Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto and by the Grünenthal Foundation – Portugal

Avaliação da severidade do falso-carvão, Ustilaginoidea Virens (Cooke.) Takah, em cultivares de arroz irrigado de diferentes ciclos biológico e de épocas de semeadura.

bitstream/item/43843/1/boletim-131.pd

Do reciprocal relationships between academic workload and self-regulated learning predict medical freshmen's achievement? A longitudinal study on the educational transition from secondary school to medical school

One of the most important factors that makes the transition from secondary school to medical school challenging is the inability to put in the study time that a medical school curriculum demands. The implementation of regulated learning is essential for students to cope with medical course environment and succeed. This study aimed to investigate the reciprocal relationships between self-regulated learning skills (SRLS) and academic workload (AW) across secondary school to medical school transition. Freshmen enrolled in medical school (N = 102) completed questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of their academic year, assessing AW (measured as study time hours and perceived workload), SRLS (planning and strategies for learning assessment, motivation and action to learning and self-directedness) and academic achievement. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a longitudinal path analysis were performed. According to the EFA, study time and perceived workload revealed two factors of AW: students who had a high perceived workload also demonstrated increased study time (tandem AW); and those who had a low perceived workload also demonstrated increased study time (inverse AW). Only a longitudinal relationship between SRLS and AW was found in the path analysis: prior self-directedness was related to later tandem AW. Moreover, success during the first year of medical school is dependent on exposure to motivation, self-directedness and high study time without overload during secondary school and medical school, and prior academic achievement. By better understanding these relationships, teachers can create conditions that support academic success during the first year medical school

Migrant and native women's perceptions of prenatal care communication quality: the role of host-country language proficiency

BackgroundDespite the potentially significant impact of women-prenatal care provider communication quality (WPCQ) on women's perinatal health, evidence on the determinants of those perceptions is still lacking, particularly among migrant women.MethodsWe aimed to examine the effect of women's host-country language proficiency on their perceived WPCQ. We analyzed the data of 1210 migrant and 1400 native women who gave birth at Portuguese public hospitals between 2017 and 2019 and participated in the baMBINO cohort study. Migrants' language proficiency was self-rated. Perceived WPCQ was measured as a composite score of 9 different aspects of self-reported communication quality and ranged from 0 (optimal) to 27.ResultsA high percentage of women (29%) rated communication quality as optimal. Zero-inflated regression models were fitted to estimate the association between language proficiency and perceived WPCQ. Women with full (aIRR 1.35; 95% CI 1.22,1.50), intermediate (aIRR 1.41; 95% CI 1.23,1.61), and limited (aIRR 1.72; 95% CI 1.45,2.05) language proficiencies were increasingly more likely to have lower WPCQ when compared to natives.ConclusionsFacilitating communication with migrant women experiencing language barriers in prenatal care could provide an important contribution to improving prenatal care quality and addressing potential subsequent disparities in perinatal health outcomes

The trajectories of free sugar intake during childhood, their main sources and its association with socio-economic factors: generation XXI birth cohort

The study aimed to describe trajectories of free sugar (FS) intake, its main sources and the associations with socio-economic status (SES) in Portuguese children/adolescents evaluated at 4, 7, 10 and 13 years of age from Generation XXI birth-cohort. Dietary intake was assessed through 3-day food diaries (n 5268). Added sugar intake was estimated following a systematic methodology, and FS was based on the WHO definition. A mixed-effects model with linear and quadratic terms for time was used to estimate FS trajectories and its association with SES, adjusting for children's sex, age, BMI and SES. The FS mean intake (g/day) was 37, 47, 51 and 48 at 4, 7, 10 and 13 years, respectively. FS intake increased 4·6 g/year (CI 95 %: 4·20, 5·04), but velocity decreased by 0·3 g/year2 until 13 years. At all ages, the main food source was sweets. Some item's consumption declined (sweets 25-21 % and yoghurts 22-7 %) as children grew older. Inversely, soft drink intake increased (9-18 %). Boys and children from younger mothers had higher FS intake, whereas higher maternal-SES was associated with lower children's FS intake: occupational status (β = -3·5; 95 % CI: -4·97, -1·94), years of education (β = -3·7; 95 % CI: -4·93, -2·40) and household income (β = -4·9; 95 % CI: -6·50, -3·27). The FS trajectories were similar by SES categories but different by obesity status (interaction term β = -1·04; CI 95 % (-1·50, -0·59)). An increasing FS trajectory during childhood is mainly driven by an increasing intake of soft drinks and nectars. The FS trajectory pattern did not change according to SES categories, but children's FS intake was always higher when their mothers had a lower SES."The authors gratefully acknowledge the families enrolled in Generation XXI for their kindness, all members of the research team for their enthusiasm and perseverance and the participating hospitals and their staff for their help and support. The authors acknowledge the support from the Epidemiology Research Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto. Generation XXI was funded by the Health Operational Programme – Saúde XXI, Community Support Framework III and the Regional Department of Ministry of Health. It was supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, by FEDER from the Operational Programme Factors of Competitiveness – COMPETE and through national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science) under the ‘Stimulus of Scientific Employment program– Individual Support’ by the PhD grant UI/BD/152796/2022 (SS). S. S. was responsible for the study design, interpretation of the data and draft of the manuscript. M. S. was responsible of the analysis and interpretation of the data. A. R. M. was involved in data definition and interpretation of data. C. L. takes part on the conceptualisation of the study and interpretation of results as well as supervised the collection of dietary data. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript. The authors declare none. This study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki, and all procedures involving research study participants were approved by the National Data Protection Authority and the Ethics Committee of Sāo Joāo Hospital. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects/patients.

Association between bisphenol A exposure and cardiometabolic outcomes: A longitudinal approach

Increased cardiometabolic risk is associated with abnormalities in blood biomarkers profile and adiposity measurements. Some substances found in the food matrix and the environment, called endocrine-disrupting chemicals, may impair cardiometabolic health in the early and later stages of life. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a food contaminant that migrates from food contact materials and may act as an endocrine disruptor, negatively affecting human health. The present work aims to longitudinally assess the association between BPA exposure and cardiometabolic outcomes, considering data from Portuguese population-based birth cohort Generation XXI. Blood insulin (0.06stdβ; 95 %CI:0.03,0.09) and insulin resistance (0.05stdβ; 95 %CI:0.02,0.08) presented a significant longitudinal association with BPA daily exposure after adjustment for important variables and energy. The same findings were observed for fat mass (0.03stdβ; 95 %CI 0.01,0.06) and waist circumference (0.06stdβ; 95 %CI:0.04,0.08). For z-BMI, a significant cross-sectional (0.03stdβ; 95 %CI:0.01,0.04) and longitudinal (0.02stdβ; 95 %CI:0.00,0.04) association was found. This was the first study assessing the association between BPA exposure and health outcomes from childhood to adolescence. We found an association between BPA exposure and increased blood insulin level, insulin resistance, fat mass percentage, waist circumference and z-BMI. Our results point to the need to reduce exposure to BPA in the early stages of life. © 2024 The AuthorsThe researchers acknowledge all the participants, institutions, research teams and staff involved in all phases of the GXXI. The cohort was funded by the Health Operational Programme – Saúde XXI, Community Support Framework III and the Regional Department of the Ministry of Health. It was supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, by FEDER from the Operational Programme Factors of Competitiveness – COMPETE and through national funding from the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. (Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science). This particular study was supported through FEDER from the Operational Programme Factors of Competitiveness – COMPETE and through national funding from the FCT under the project “FOCAcCIa: Exposure to food additives and contaminants from food processing and packaging: Defining patterns and their effects on adiposity and cognitive function from childhood to adolescence” (POCI-01–0145-FEDER-031949); and the FCT doctoral grant (DOI 10.54499/UI/BD/150785/2020) (SAC). This work was supported by FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. through the projects with references UIDB/04750/2020 and LA/P/0064/2020 and DOI identifiers https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/04750/2020 and https://doi.org/10.54499/LA/P/0064/2020. The funding institutions had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article