Psychology, Community & Health (E-Journal - PsychOpen)
Not a member yet
138 research outputs found
Sort by
Construct Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Restraint Scale
Full text linkAim: The main purpose of this study was to adapt the Restraint Scale (RS) to Portuguese and examine its psychometric properties, specifically its construct validity. Method: In this study, 238 normal-weight adults (82% women; Mean age = 36.6, SD = 15.0) participated in an online survey containing measures of Restraint Scale, Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire, and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Thinness scales. Results: Exploratory factor analyses corroborated the two-factors structure found in previous studies, in particular when three items without clear factorial assignment and low correlation were excluded. A final two-factors version of the RS containing seven items presented a very good fit to the measurement model and good internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis of the 7-items RS in relation to a three-factor model of overeating, dieting and body dissatisfaction measures revealed that the RS was the only restraint measure loading in all three factors. Conclusion: This suggests that the 7-items Portuguese version of the RS has good psychometric properties and unique features that lend it appropriate to identify and study unsuccessful chronic dieters
Influence of Personality Traits in Self-Evaluative Salience, Motivational Salience and Self-Consciousness of Appearance
Full text linkAim: The aim of this study was to understand the possible influence of personality traits on the importance and significance of perception of body image and self-awareness of appearance in individuals. Method: 214 online recruited subjects between the ages of 17 and 64 years answered to a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Portuguese version of the instruments NEO-FFI (NEO-Five Factor Inventory), ASI-R (The Appearance Schemas Inventory – Revised) and DAS-24 (Derriford Appearance Scale – short).Results: It was found that age, Neuroticism and Agreeableness dimensions significantly influence an individual's investment in body image and self-awareness of appearance. Sexual orientations differed with regard to Self-Evaluative Salience and Self-Consciousness of Appearance. Conclusion: The performed analysis showed that neuroticism and agreeableness are related to Self-Evaluative Salience and Self-Consciousness of Appearance
Análise Fatorial da Versão Portuguesa da Escala de Avaliação da Aparência de Derriford (DAS-24)
Full text linkAim: There has been a considerable interest in research on concerns about appearance The aim of this study is to assess the factorial validity and reliability of the Derriford Appearance Scale (DAS-24) in the Portuguese population. Method: Five hundred and eight subjects participated in this research, using a convenience sample. Participants were asked to fill a set of questionnaires containing socio demographic questions, and questions related to investment schematic appearance and self-consciousness of appearance. Results: The DAS-24 presented good internal consistency (α = .91). The Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the DAS-24, presents an acceptable (χ2/df = 2.5; GFI = .912, CFI = .925, TLI = .909, RMSEA = .054, p [rmsea ≤ .05] = .130). Conclusion: The Portuguese version of the DAS-24, is psychometrically robust in evaluate self-consciousness of appearance.Objetivo: As preocupações com a aparência têm vindo a ter um crescente interesse ao nível da investigação. Pretende-se avaliar a validade fatorial e a fiabilidade da Escala de Avaliação da Aparência de Derriford (DAS-24) na população portuguesa. Método: Quinhentos e oito sujeitos, participaram neste estudo, utilizando uma amostra por conveniência. Os participantes responderam a questões sociodemográficas, questões relacionadas com o investimento esquemático da aparência e a autoconsciência da aparência. Resultados: A DAS-24 apresentou um bom índice de consistência interna (α = 0,91). Através dos resultados obtidos na análise fatorial confirmatória (AFC), apresenta um ajustamento aceitável (χ2/df = 2,5; GFI = 0,912; CFI = 0,925; TLI = 0,909; RMSEA = 0,054; p [rmsea ≤ 0,05] = 0,130). Conclusão: A DAS-24, na população portuguesa, apresenta-se psicometricamente robusta na avaliação da autoconsciência da aparência, tornando-se uma escala aplicável e aceitável da versão original
Teachers’ Pedagogical Power – A Community School Study
Full text linkAim: The aim of our work was to study the types of power preferred by teachers and students of pedagogical specialties. Method: Ivanov’s questionnaire “Teacher’s pedagogical power” was used to study the pedagogical power including Reward, Coercive, Legitimate, Expert and Referent powers. In 2012 and 2013, 46 secondary school teachers and 40 students of pedagogical specialties were part of a study in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Results: The results indicated that teachers and students of pedagogical specialties preferred making use syncretic power, more than one power. The most frequent types of power were Legitimate and Reward. The rarest was Referent power. The teachers used the different types of power less than students of pedagogical specialties did, confirming Adler’s view that humans striving for power over others was inversely proportional to the degree of education. Female teachers preferred to use Legitimate power more compared to male teachers. Conclusions: The study of teachers’ pedagogical power could contribute to clarify teachers and students’ views of the teacher’s role in schoolar education. The studied teachers and students of pedagogical specialties perceived the teacher mainly as a regulating (rewarding or coercive) legitimate figure of pedagogical power
Family-Centered Care in Pediatric Oncology in Portugal
Full text linkObjetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar as perceções parentais dos Cuidados Centrados na Família (CCF) em função de fatores sociodemográficos e clínicos no contexto da oncologia pediátrica em Portugal. Método: Participaram neste estudo 204 cuidadores de crianças com cancro acompanhadas em duas unidades de oncologia pediátrica. Os participantes forneceram dados sociodemográficos e preencheram a Medida dos Processos de Cuidados (MPOC-20), composta por duas subescalas: Serviços e Informação Geral. Os médicos oncologistas pediátricos facultaram informação clínica. Resultados: A idade de crianças e pais estava positivamente associada às perceções parentais dos CCF (Serviços e Informação Geral) como mais centrados na família. Análises multivariadas da variância revelaram que pais de crianças (vs. adolescentes), pais que concluíram o ensino superior (vs. escolaridade igual/inferior ao 12º ano) e pais de crianças em tratamento antineoplásico (vs. fora de tratamento) percecionaram os cuidados como menos centrados na família (Serviços e Informação Geral). Não se verificaram diferenças em função do tempo desde o diagnóstico, do número de internamentos e da intensidade do tratamento. Conclusão: Os resultados sugerem que os pais mais novos que concluíram o ensino superior, pais de crianças mais novas e a receber tratamento, poderão constituir grupos em maior risco de percecionar os cuidados de saúde como menos centrados na família.Aim: This study aimed at describing parental perceptions of Family Centered Care (FCC) according to sociodemographic and clinical variables in the Portuguese pediatric oncology setting. Method: The participants were 204 parents of children/adolescents with cancer followed at two pediatric oncology units. Participants provided sociodemographic data and completed the Measure of Process of Care (MPOC-20), consisting of two subscales: Services and General Information. Pediatric oncologists provided clinical data. Results: Both parents’ and children’s age were associated with higher scores on both domains of FCC (Service and General Information). Multivariate analyses showed that parents of children (vs. adolescents), parents with a higher education (vs. secondary or less) and parents of children receiving treatment (vs. completed treatment) reported lower perceptions of FCC (Services and General Information). No differences were found according to time since diagnosis, number of hospitalizations and intensity of treatment. Conclusion: Findings suggest that younger parents with higher education, parents of younger children and parents of children receiving treatment may be at higher risk for perceptions of formal care as less family-centered
The Tale of Seeking Treatment: A Qualitative Study of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients
Full text linkAim: The aims of the study were unravelling patients’ health-seeking behaviour pathways to seek medication in healthcare facilities and key factors that determined patients’ immediacy in seeking medical treatment. Method: By involving 5 pulmonary TB patients who were undertaking treatment at Pegirian Primary Health Centre, Surabaya, Indonesia, the research was carried out using an explorative qualitative research design, and the chosen data collection technique was semi-structured interview. Results: The research findings demonstrated that all participants showed five rather similar health-seeking behaviour sequences, such as: (a) defining symptoms; (b) asking laypeople opinions on symptoms; (c) undertaking non-medical treatment to reduce the symptoms; (d) taking laypeople’s suggestions to visit healthcare facilities into consideration; (e) deciding to undergo treatment process. Several barriers that caused treatment delay were inaccurate symptom definition and poor health-related risk perception. Meanwhile, reinforcing factors were relatives’ appeal to seek treatment, the existence of comorbid/previous diseases, access to healthcare facilities, and increasing perceived severity of the symptoms. Conclusion: Research findings showed that participants performed similar health-seeking pathways. Hindering factors that caused treatment delay were mostly related to cultural-based illness definition and knowledge. Research findings would be potentially beneficial to local primary healthcare for designing interventions that encourage patients to seek professional help and reduce treatment delay
Cancer Pain Management: Implications for Psychologists
Full text linkAim: Pain is a common and a complex experience among patients with cancer. The purpose of this review is to provide a rational for a psychologist’s role in cancer pain management and a guide for doing so based on an examination of the current cancer pain literature. Method: A literature review was conducted using the search terms: “cancer pain” AND “nonpharmacological interventions”, “cancer pain”, and “pain management” AND “cancer pain”. Peer-reviewed articles (published between 2000-2015) in which the authors had access to the full-linked text, books, and websites were included. Results: A total of 451 hits were returned of which 53 were relevant and considered for this review. These were then organized into the following topics: complex cancer pain syndromes, current cancer physiological therapies, the multifactorial model of cancer pain, psychosocial assessment and interventions, barriers to treatment, and clinical implications that impact the future of behavioural interventions as part of cancer treatment. Conclusion: Each patient with cancer has a unique pain experience that is shaped by biopsychosocial factors. Because of this, using a multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach is needed to optimize treatment outcomes. To maximize their role, psychologists need to help facilitate this process and to address any attitude and/or knowledge shortcomings they may have
Towards an Integrated Approach to Food Behaviour: Meat Consumption and Substitution, From Context to Consumers
Full text linkBackground: Human diet is increasingly acknowledged as a critical issue in global health and sustainability challenges. Aim: This article draws on meat consumption and substitution to illustrate how two features facilitate an integrated approach to understanding food behaviour: (1) framing such behaviour in a wider historical, sociocultural and environmental context; and (2) acknowledging the role that psychological processes play in consumer willingness and propensity to engage in a given diet. Conclusion: To mobilize large-scale changes towards healthier and more sustainable dietary choices, the article concludes with a call for developing conceptual, methodological and delivery tools that: (1) consider the context in which food habits take place; and (2) identify and engage with different groups of consumers
Mental Health Workers’ Views About Their Suicide Prevention Role
Full text linkAim: Mental Health workers bear responsibility for preventing suicide in their client group. Survey studies have indicated that staff can be seriously adversely affected when a client suicides. The aim of the current study is to describe and evaluate the effects on mental health (MH) workers of their ongoing role in managing suicidal behaviours and to identify the thoughts and feelings associated with this role. Method: A survey was administered to 135 MH workers via an on-line self-report vehicle. The survey comprised standardised measures of anxiety and burnout as well as a questionnaire developed for this study concerning perceptions and attitudes to suicide and suicide prevention. Results: Factor analysis of 12 retained items of the questionnaire identified three factors: 1) preventability beliefs (beliefs about suicide being always and/or permanently preventable); 2) associated distress (stress/anxiety about managing suicidal behaviour); and 3) the prevention role (covering views about personal roles and responsibilities in preventing suicidal behaviours). Analysis of these factors found that many MH workers experience an elevation of stress/anxiety in relation to their role in managing suicidal behaviours. This distress was associated with the emotional exhaustion component of burnout. Measures showed adverse responses were higher for outpatient than inpatient workers; for those who had received generic training in suicide prevention: and for those who had experienced a workplace related client suicide. Conclusion: There is a need for the development of appropriate self-care strategies to alleviate stress in MH workers exposed to suicide