12 research outputs found
Going beyond “With a Partner” and “Intercourse”: Does Anything Else Influence Sexual Satisfaction among Women? The Sexual Satisfaction Comprehensive Index
The validated tools for measuring sexual satisfaction (SS) assess in fact other phenomena
such as sexual functioning, assess SS within the context of a romantic heterosexual relationship
and intercourse-type activity or were designed to be applied only in therapeutic or rehabilitation
contexts. Consequently, they offer an incomplete understanding of SS, particularly among women.
We thus developed an alternative measure of SS, the Sexual Satisfaction Comprehensive Index (SSCI),
considering both the individual and with-a-partner dimensions, as well as the actual and desired
experiences of satisfaction, along with other dimensions affecting SS, and explored its psychometric
properties. A total of 1080 young to mid-aged women with different sociodemographic, relationship
and sexual identity backgrounds voluntarily completed several measures of SS, including the SSCI.
Results showed that the SSCI is a reliable measure for assessing SS. An exploratory and a confirmatory
factor analysis confirmed the latent multidimensional structure of the SSCI, supporting its factorial
validity. In addition, the SSCI showed appropriate convergent validity with other measures commonly
used to assess SS. In sum, the SSCI was revealed to be a useful multidimensional index of SS for
research and practice contexts which allows the practitioner or the researcher to make decisions on
which dimension(s) are to be evaluated. This study focused on women’s SS, and future research with
other gender, sexual and cultural identities is necessary to support its utility in multi-identity and
multi-sexuality scenarios.Junta de Andalucia CTS-026
Optimism and social support moderate the indirect relationship between selfefficacy and happiness through mental health in the elderly
The authors are grateful to all the participants who made this
study possible.We examined the role of self-efficacy, social support, optimism, and mental health in the prediction of happiness in the
elderly. Moderated mediation analyses confirmed a full mediation in which self-efficacy, through perceived mental health
and moderated by social support, predicts happiness moderated, in turn, by optimism. When an elder is self-efficacious,
his or her mental well-being seems more likely to be improved and translated into enhanced happiness when social
support and optimism are moderate to high. We provide preliminary results on the interplay of these psychosocial
resources in improving subjective well-being that may help in designing tailored interventions for promoting happiness
in late adulthood
Psychosocial Resources for Hedonic Balance, Life Satisfaction and Happiness in the Elderly: A Path Analysis
This research was partially supported with the financial aid conceded to the "Psicologia de la Salud/Medicina Conductual" Research Group (CTS-267) by the Junta de Andalucia (Spain).We explored possible paths from physical and mental health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, optimism, and social support to happiness in older adults, considering hedonic balance and life satisfaction as mediators. A total of 154 Spanish male and female (50%) older adults (65–96 years old, M = 77.44, SD = 8.03; 64% noninstitutionalized elderly) voluntarily participated in this correlational, cross-sectional study. The participants completed self-reports on their perceived health status, self-efficacy, social support, optimism, and global subjective well-being (SWB) as well as its dimensions. Path analysis was used to examine direct and indirect relationships. The final model had an excellent fit with the data (χ2(10) = 11.837, p = 0.296, χ2/df = 1.184; SRMR = 0.050, CFI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.035), revealing the unique causal effects of all the included predictors on happiness. With the exception of self-efficacy, the psychosocial resources predicted older adults’ current happiness, and this relationship was fully mediated by hedonic balance and life satisfaction, which were found to be putative intermediary factors for SWB. Self-efficacy in turn predicted the remaining psychosocial resources. Our findings extend the existing evidence on the influences of health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, optimism, and social support on SWB. Furthermore, they support the proposal of hedonic balance and life satisfaction as dimensions of SWB, thus supporting the tripartite hierarchical model of happiness. These results may inform future interventions seeking to improve happiness in late adulthoodJunta de AndalucĂa
CTS-26
Active Coping and Anxiety Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spanish Adults
This research was funded by the financial aid conceded to the Research project "Impacto psicologico y afrontamiento del Covid-19 en personal sanitario de paises hispanohablantes" (Impacto psicologico y afrontamiento del Covid-19 en poblacion general) INV2871 by Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia. Grupo de Investigacion Estudios Sociales Interdisciplinares COD: COL0082654.The features of the COVID-19 pandemic and the social operations to contain the spread
of the virus might have limited or altered coping, including healthy habits such as exercise, this
contributing to a myriad of negative consequences for the mental health of the global population. We
explored the contribution of coping and physical activity to the management of anxiety in Spanish
adults during an active phase of the epidemic, as well as the relationship between these strategies. A
total of 200 young and adult individuals (70% women) voluntarily completed an anxiety inventory,
a coping skills self-report and a personal data section including exercise practice. The participants
reported in average a mild yet existing level of anxiety symptoms; a third reported noticeable
symptoms. At the time of the study, the participants used more adaptive than maladaptive coping
styles. Participants’ anxiety was inversely correlated with an active coping style, and positively with
an avoidant style; physical activity correlated positively with an active coping style, and regular
exercisers used more frequently active coping. Controlling for confounders, active coping, avoidant
coping and exercise during the pandemic predicted anxiety symptoms. Other findings indicated that
exercise was used as a coping strategy for dealing with emotional distress. Our results highlight
the positive impact of functional coping and exercise for the management of negative states such
as anxiety during the pandemic, and underline the importance of developing interventions aimed
at enhancing coping skills for promoting physical and mental well-being of the population during
health and social crises.Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia INV2871Grupo de Investigacion Estudios Sociales Interdisciplinares COL008265
The AHAWOMEN project: study protocol of a multi‑design research for exploring HAPA predictors of exercise in postmenopausal women
This research is funded by FEDER/Junta de AndalucĂa — ConsejerĂa de TransformaciĂłn EconĂłmica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades (I + D + I Programa Operativo FEDER de AndalucĂa 2014–2020). Research Project B-CTS-342-UGR20 (2021–23).
This research project has obtained formal ethical review by the Ethics Committee on Human Research of the University of Granada (Spain), reg. B-CTS-342-UGR20 (17/11/2021) and has undergone independent peer-review from the funding body (29/07/2021).
The funding body has no role in the design of the study, the collection, analysis and interpretation of data and the writing of the manuscript.Background
The postmenopausal period can represent an opportunity for women to improve their health and well-being. The Active and Healthy Ageing in Women during early postmenopause (AHAWOMEN) study aims to identify the key determinants of an active lifestyle among middle-aged women, with a focus on the stages and the social-cognitive variables outlined in the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model, a theoretical framework for understanding health behaviour change. We expected that HAPA factors and processes of intention creation (motivational phase) and action adoption (volitional phase) will be significant predictors of exercise initiation and maintenance, supporting both the HAPA tenets and the efficacy of HAPA-based interventions.
Methods/design
This study was approved by the authors’ Institutional Review Committee. Postmenopausal women aged between 45 and 65 years will voluntarily participate. The participants will be allocated to one of three groups: Intervention-Initiators (n = 100, random allocation), Control-Sedentary (n = 100, random allocation) or Control-Active (n = 100, non-random allocation). The intervention group will engage in a supervised exercise programme lasting at least 3 months, supplemented with a HAPA-based intervention for behaviour change. The sedentary control group will not receive any intervention to change their physical activity, while the active control group will consist of women who are already regularly adhering to an active lifestyle. Study variables will be measured at baseline and postintervention phases, as well as at 1, 3, 6 and 12-month follow-ups. The predictors of exercise behaviour in the different phases of the behavioural change process will be explored and compared within and between groups throughout the study. These analyses will help identify the factors that determine the adoption of a healthy active behaviour. Additionally, the effectiveness of the model and the intervention for changing active behaviour will be evaluated.
Discussion
This paper describes the rationale, development and methods used in the AHAWOMEN project. Supporting women who intend to become active can help them to translate their goals into sustainable action. Verifying that the HAPA predictions are applicable to postmenopausal women’s adoption of exercise would provide the basis for designing effective interventions for promoting healthy and active ageing that are also tailored to the experiences of middle-aged women.FEDER/Junta de AndalucĂa
B-CTS-342-UGR20University of Granada B-CTS-342-UGR2
Differences between U23 and older semi-professional soccer players in perfectionism and passion: exploring determinant relationship between variables
AimAbundant studies have pointed out that perfectionism and passion are interrelated and that they both can influence performance in a variety of contexts, including sports, however, research on how these variables interact and might affect performance in team sports, such as soccer, is still scarce. The aim of this study is to analyze differences in perfectionism and passion between under-23 years-old (U23) and older semi-professional soccer players, as well as to study the possible relationship between these two psychological variables.MethodsParticipants (N = 130 healthy semi-professional Spanish soccer players) were divided into two equivalent groups according to the participants age, U23 (N = 65; 21.58 ± 1.91 years) and older than 24 years (N = 65; 30.03 ± 3.72 years) and completed self-reports on perfectionism and passion.ResultsIndependent samples t-test determined significant differences between the U23 Group and the >24 Group in perfectionism global score and concern over mistakes (maladaptive perfectionism), and in time, value, and passion. Multiple regression analyses revealed that obsessive passion predicted maladaptive subdimensions of perfectionism, while harmonious passion predicted adaptive perfectionism.DiscussionU23 soccer players show higher levels of maladaptive perfectionism, time, value, and passion in relation with soccer than older players, probably because at this stage pressure to become professionals and to develop their technical, tactical, and physical skills is higher than in later stages.ConclusionIdentifying differences between different age groups can help professionals in tailoring their interventions and strategies to address the specific needs of athletes at different stages of development more effectively, and to optimize mental focus, reduce stress, to promote a healthy mindset for optimal performance in soccer players, furthermore, the study of moderating effects of factors such as team dynamics or coaching styles on these constructs is advised
Autoeficacia y otros predictores psicosociales de los comportamientos sexuales y satisfacciĂłn sexual en mujeres jĂłvenes
Esta Tesis Doctoral pretende investigar la sexualidad femenina desde el punto de vista
de la promociĂłn de la salud sexual, el bienestar y la calidad de vida. Propusimos que la
satisfacciĂłn sexual (tanto individual como en pareja) podrĂa ser considerada un indicador
de estos niveles de calidad o salud sexuales. Pretendemos analizar la influencia de
variables social-cognitivas individuales e interpersonales en los niveles de satisfacciĂłn
sexual de mujeres en su adolescencia tardĂa y adultez joven. Al analizar cuáles pueden ser
los facilitadores o predictores de la satisfacciĂłn sexual pretendemos obtener informaciĂłn
relevante para el diseño de investigaciones en el área y programas de intervención,
orientados no sĂłlo a la prevenciĂłn, sino tambiĂ©n a la promociĂłn de la salud sexual.Tesis Univ. Granada. Programa Oficial de Doctorado en: PsicologĂ
From Prevention to Promotion in Women’s Sexual Self‑Perceptions of Efficacy: The Sexual Self‑Efficacy Questionnaire
Introduction Available sexual self-efficacy (SSE) measures are mostly focused on self-perceptions of efficacy regarding
engaging in specific preventive sexual behaviors, and do not include beliefs and expectations regarding behaviors aimed at
achieving a more agentic and pleasurable sexual health in positive terms, nor do they consider the varied sexual orientations
or relationship options.
Methods This self-report-based, cross-sectional study sought to validate a new instrument to assess SSE for both preventive
and health promotion sexual behaviors: the Sexual Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SSEQ), among a non-probabilistic sample
of 1080 women aged 18–50 years old. Data were gathered from January 2015 to December 2021. For validation purposes,
reliability, factorial structure, and convergent construct validity with other well-known instruments measuring SSE were
analyzed.
Results Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a bifactorial structure of the SSEQ, with 10 items in the factor
SSE for health-promotive actions and 10 items in the factor SSE for preventive actions. Furthermore, the SSEQ showed
good reliability and convergent validity.
Conclusions Our findings support the use of the SSEQ as an alternative tool with appropriate psychometric characteristics
that assesses cognitions related to achieving a healthier sexuality through the performance of preventive behaviors aimed at
avoiding potentially negative outcomes and those promotive actions leading to more gratifying consequences for women.
Policy Implications The SSEQ can be used in research, educative, and clinical contexts to develop interventions to improve
women’s behavioral competences and perceived confidence in their skills to achieve a healthier and more pleasurable and
agentic sexuality.Universidad de Granada/CBUAJunta de Andaluci
Differences between U23 and older semi-professional soccer players in perfectionism and passion: exploring determinant relationship between variables
Aim: Abundant studies have pointed out that perfectionism and passion
are interrelated and that they both can influence performance in a variety of
contexts, including sports, however, research on how these variables interact
and might affect performance in team sports, such as soccer, is still scarce. The
aim of this study is to analyze differences in perfectionism and passion between
under-23 years-old (U23) and older semi-professional soccer players, as well as
to study the possible relationship between these two psychological variables.
Methods: Participants (N = 130 healthy semi-professional Spanish soccer players)
were divided into two equivalent groups according to the participants age, U23
(N = 65; 21.58 ± 1.91 years) and older than 24 years (N = 65; 30.03 ± 3.72 years)
and completed self-reports on perfectionism and passion.
Results: Independent samples t-test determined significant differences
between the U23 Group and the >24 Group in perfectionism global score and
concern over mistakes (maladaptive perfectionism), and in time, value, and
passion. Multiple regression analyses revealed that obsessive passion predicted
maladaptive subdimensions of perfectionism, while harmonious passion
predicted adaptive perfectionism.
Discussion: U23 soccer players show higher levels of maladaptive perfectionism,
time, value, and passion in relation with soccer than older players, probably
because at this stage pressure to become professionals and to develop their
technical, tactical, and physical skills is higher than in later stages.
Conclusion: Identifying differences between different age groups can help
professionals in tailoring their interventions and strategies to address the
specific needs of athletes at different stages of development more effectively,
and to optimize mental focus, reduce stress, to promote a healthy mindset for
optimal performance in soccer players, furthermore, the study of moderating effects of factors such as team dynamics or coaching styles on these constructs is advised.Iundenia, Centro de FormaciĂłn de TĂ©cnicos Deportivos (CIF B-18905760. CĂłdigo de Centro 18013708)Startup Football Connection (FOOC) (No. 4.073.379
Psychosocial and Diet-Related Lifestyle Clusters in Overweight and Obesity
This study explored intraindividual multidimensional profiles integrating psychosocial
factors, namely, body image and satisfaction, weight-related self-stigma, positivity, and happiness,
and behavioural-lifestyle factors, namely, adherence to a healthy diet, among Spanish adults with
overweight or obesity. We further aimed to investigate the association of excess weight (i.e., measured
body mass index, BMI) with the abovementioned multidimensional configurations. A convenience
sample of 100 adult individuals (60% females) with excessive weight (69% overweight; 31% obesity)
was recruited. They completed self-reports regarding the study variables, and their weight and height
were measured. With a perspective centered on the individual, a cluster analysis was performed.
Three distinct intraindividual psychosocial and diet-related profiles were identified: a group of
healthy individuals with excess weight (46%); a group of individuals who were negatively affected
by their excessive weight and showed the most distressed profile (18%); and a group of dysfunctional
individuals who seemed to be excessively unrealistic and optimistic regarding their excessive weight
and unhealthy lifestyles, but were troubled by their weight (36%). Furthermore, individuals in the
affected cluster had higher obesity (mean BMI ± SD = 32.1 ± 3.7) than those in the clusters of healthy
(28.0 ± 3.0) and dysfunctional individuals (28.1 ± 3.3) (p < 0.05). The results showed that there
are specific psychosocial and lifestyle profiles in the adult population with excess weight and that
there are relationships among psychological, behavioural, and body-composition factors. For clinical
application purposes, it is important to account for the heterogeneity within individuals who are
obese and to individualize the interventions, with a focus from weight change to the individual’s
overall well-being.“PsicologĂa de
la Salud/Medicina Conductual” Research Group (CTS-267)“PsicologĂa del Ejercicio, el Deporte
y la Salud” Research Group (CTS-980) by the Junta de AndalucĂa (Spain)Research
Project “Quality of life and body image in adults with obesity” (PIVA Projects, Ref. ICB2) by the
Universidad Autónoma Ciudad Juárez (Mexico