1,721,050 research outputs found
Development and initial validation of the Positive Sexuality Scale for female adults
Full text linkAim and objectives: To develop and initially validate the Positive Sexuality Scale (PSS) to assess adult female-positive sexuality. Background: While traditional approaches focus on negative sexual experiences and sexual dysfunctions, within the positive psychology framework positive sexuality is a subjective experience of happiness and fulfilment with one’s sexual expression, which contributes to well-being. No measure exists that specifically measures adult female-positive sexuality and can be confidently used with women of any fertility/childlessness status. Design: Two-stage cross-sectional study with a 4-week test–retest, which follows the STROBE guidelines. Methods: Participants were 912 Italian women aged 18–45 (52.74% mothers, 23.79% voluntarily childless and 23.46% primary infertile), who completed the 5-item PSS and a self-report of psychological well-being. A subsample (n = 61) completed the 4-week test–retest. Results: Factor analyses supported a one-factor model with measurement invariance across adulthood stage and fertility/childlessness status and good reliability. Younger and fertile women showed higher PSS scores, and moderate-to-high variability in infertile women’s well-being was accounted for by PSS scores. Conclusion: The PSS is a brief self-report with initial evidence of validity and reliability that could be used in sex research, practice and education. Relevance to clinical practice: The PSS could assist health professionals to identify a positive resource to which women can draw on to deal with sex-related issues. Implementing the assessment of female-positive sexuality in infertility protocols could help professionals to identify a potential resource within couples facing infertility and its treatment
Distress and demoralization of hospital nurses as a function of sources of stress and job seniority
Full text linkAim: To explore job-related factors associated with distress and demoralization among hospital nurses, using a cross-sectional mixed-method design. Background: Sources of job stress for nurses are mainly organizational or emotional care-related and can result in adverse outcomes such as distress or demoralization, but factors associated with demoralization in nurses still need to be thoroughly explored. Methods: A convenience sample of 150 nurses from three public hospitals completed an online survey on job stress, distress, demoralization, and feelings of entrapment in the caring profession. Results: Emotional job stress was linked to higher distress and demoralization, compared to no job stress, and to higher feelings of entrapment, compared to both organizational and no job stress, among senior nurses. Conclusions: This pilot study points to the study of demoralization as a promising line of research in hospital nursing, but further longitudinal studies with larger samples are needed
Screening for infertility-related stress at the time of initial infertility consultation: psychometric properties of a brief measure
Full text linkAIM: To develop and psychometrically test a brief self-report to assess the amount of infertility-related stress; to investigate how infertility-related stress was associated to socio-demographics, causes of infertility and emotional distress.
BACKGROUND: Infertility exerts a stress effect on both personal and interpersonal areas. Due to the burden of multiple assessments in fertility clinics, there is the need for very brief and easy to administer measures of the stressful impact of infertility on the intrapersonal and interpersonal life domains.
DESIGN: The study had a psychometric, cross-sectional design.
METHOD: Between January - December 2013, a total of 597 Italian infertile patients (58·6% women), recruited at the time of initial infertility consultation, completed the Infertility-Related Stress Scale. A subsample of 200 participants (50% women) also completed self-reports of anxiety and depression. A subsample of 40 patients completed again the Infertility-Related Stress Scale at a 4-week follow-up visit.
RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses supported the proposed two-factor model of infertility stress affecting intrapersonal and interpersonal life domains. Both dimensions showed good reliability and were associated in expected ways with emotional distress. Patients with above-threshold levels of anxiety and depression showed higher infertility stress in both domains and particularly in the intrapersonal area. Infertility stress was significantly higher in women than in men in the intrapersonal domain.
CONCLUSION: The Infertility-Related Stress Scale showed evidence of validity and reliability. This new, brief self-report can assist fertility clinic staff in identifying those patients who need support to overcome the stressful impact of infertility on intrapersonal and interpersonal domains
The Patient-Professional Interaction Questionnaire (PPIQ) to assess patient centered care from the patient's perspective
Full text linkObjective: To investigate how patients evaluate the provision of patient-centered care (PCC) by healthcare professionals and psychometrically test a questionnaire to assess it. A tool previously developed for self-assessment of professionals’ provision of PCC was adapted into a patient-rated form, named Patient-Professional Interaction Questionnaire (PPIQ). Methods: A sample of 1139 patients from six hospitals completed the 16-item PPIQ and the questionnaire structure, reliability, susceptibility to social desirability, and associations with other variables were tested. Results: The PPIQ confirmed the original four-factor structure (effective communication, interest in the patient's agenda, empathy, and patient involvement in care) and showed acceptable reliability and measurement invariance across both in-/out-patients and first/non-first encounter with the evaluated professional. Associations with patients’ social desirability were negligible and effective communication was rated the highest among the PPIQ dimensions. PPIQ scores varied according to patients’ educational level and type of professional evaluated, while associations between first/non-first encounter and PPIQ scores varied according to in-/out-patient. Conclusion: The PPIQ is a psychometrically sound patient-rated measure of the provision of PCC by healthcare professionals. Practice implications: The PPIQ has potential value in promoting quality patient-professional interactions in the hospital setting, as patients’ reported experience is an important dimension of the clinician's performance
To Stand or to Sit? Examining the Influence of Player Posture on Balance Alterations Associated to Immersive Virtual Reality Exposure
No full textDue to reduced cost and improved performance, immersive Virtual Reality (VR) is spreading in different fields such as education, industry, and rehabilitation. However, while considered promising for improving health and well-being, there is evidence regarding the possibility to originate adverse effects in terms of motion sickness symptoms, which can be objectively assessed by means of balance alterations. Among other factors that influence this phenomenon (i.e., exposure time, optical flow, hardware type, etc.) player's posture is particularly important especially in the case of immersive VR administration for training or rehabilitation purposes in special populations. However, empirical data on how user's posture is associated to cybersickness during immersive VR experiences are limited. To this aim, we investigated the impact of seated and standing postures on postural control, measured by postural sway, in response to immersive VR. Seventy-six healthy participants underwent pre- and post-VR assessments following a 10-minute simulated rollercoaster experience. Results revealed that postural control is differently affected by standing or sitting position only when sway analysis is performed in absence of visual cues. Both sway area and Center-of-Pressure (COP) path length significantly decreased for the sitting group, while no changes were observed for the standing position. These differences highlight the primary role of visual input in postural performance and elucidates distinct effects of VR player’s posture on the postural control system. Standing during VR exposure posed challenges to balance maintenance due to conflicting sensory inputs, leading to temporary and slight increases in postural sway. Conversely, seated posture was characterized by decreased engagement of lower limbs, facilitating enhanced postural stability post-VR session, possibly due to VR training effect. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering user’s posture in VR interventions, suggesting for customized approaches in therapeutic and training settings. Clinicians should carefully consider patients’ postures during VR interventions to improve outcomes and safety
Are we okay...Am I okay? Romantic attachment, couple relationship quality and depressive symptoms in a Chilean sample
No full textSubstantial evidence has established a connection between attachment insecurity and depressive symptoms. Although numerous mechanisms explain this relationship, the role of couple relationship quality as a mediator has received less attention, particularly within diverse cultural contexts. This study examined the direct and indirect associations between attachment insecurity and depressive symptoms through couple relationship quality, and the moderating effect of sex, and sexual orientation in Chilean adults involved in a couple relationship. 985 Chilean adults completed self-report measures of attachment insecurity, indicators of couple relationship quality (dyadic trust, emotional intimacy, positive sexuality, and relationship satisfaction), and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modelling analyses supported our proposed model, which explained 28% of the variance in depressive symptoms, and 32% of couple relationship quality. Attachment insecurity was associated with more depressive symptoms directly and indirectly, through lower couple relationship quality. The model was invariant across sex assigned at birth, and sexual orientation. This study suggests that one of the pathways through which attachment insecurity may contribute to poorer mental health is via lower couple relationship quality. For clinical practice, this study highlights that addressing attachment insecurity and couple relationship quality can be relevant in designing effective interventions for individuals with depressive symptoms
Self-perceived provision of patient centered care by healthcare professionals: The role of emotional intelligence and general self-efficacy
Full text linkObjective: This study aimed to investigate whether healthcare professionals' emotional intelligence (EI) is associated with self-perceived provision of patient-centered care (PCC), taking into account the potential mediating effect of general self-efficacy (GSE). Methods: A sample of 318 healthcare professionals, recruited in 2015 among four hospitals in Italy, completed the Provider-Patient Relationship Questionnaire, the Emotional Intelligence Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy scale. A structural equation model was tested with GSE mediating the relationship between EI and self-perceived provision of PCC. Groups of participants based on gender, profession, and work setting were also compared on the study variables. Results: EI had direct effects on the self-perceived provision of PCC dimensions. GSE partially mediated only the relationship between EI and involving the patient in care. Healthcare professionals in rehabilitation units showed higher self-perceived provision of PCC than those in acute care or ambulatory services. Conclusion: Self-perceived provision of PCC seems to have the potential to be improved by EI and to be distinguishable from GSE. Practice implications: Since EI can be developed, findings of this study have potential implications for improving PCC through continuing education interventions for healthcare professionals
Editorial: Measurement in Health Psychology
Full text linkEditorial on the Research Topic
Measurement in Health Psycholog
An Abbreviated Version of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire
Full text linkObjective To assess the psychometric properties of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). Methods A total of 15 mindfulness experts evaluated the content of the 28 items and 5 factors of the MEQ. A sample of 1,067 Italian adults (61.4% women) completed the MEQ and other measures; 62 participants completed a 4-week test-retest. Results Content analysis reduced the MEQ to 20 items. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a 2-factor model based on awareness and recognition of hunger and satiety cues. Factors showed adequate internal consistency (α = .75 and.83, respectively) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.73 and 0.85, respectively), and were associated in expected ways, although with small to moderate effect sizes, with general mindfulness, meditation experience, yoga practice, not being on a diet plan, and body mass index categories. Conclusions and Implications Findings provided evidence of validity and reliability for the 20-item MEQ and support its use by clinicians and researchers for addressing eating-related issues
Validation of the Italian version of the Eating-Related Eco-Concern Questionnaire: insights into its relationship with orthorexia nervosa
Full text linkIntroductionUrgent calls for research on the relationship between climate change concerns and eating disorder risk have been made. This study aimed to validate an Italian version of the Eating-Related Eco-Concern Questionnaire (EREC), a brief unidimensional measure of eating behaviors related to eco-concern.MethodsSix hundred and sixty-three adults (85% females, mean age 37 ± 12 years) completed the EREC, Climate Change Worry Scale (CCWS), Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Eating Habits Questionnaire for orthorexia nervosa symptoms (EHQ-21), and questions on dietary habits and motivations, and past experiences of extreme climate events.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the original one-factor model showed acceptable fit to the data after including the error covariation between two pairs of items. Internal consistency was adequate, and EREC scores correlated positively and strongly with CCWS scores. Participants scored significantly lower in EREC than in CCWS, indicating greater climate-related concerns in general terms than relating specifically to eating. While EREC was unrelated to EDE-Q scores, weak-to-moderate correlations were observed with EHQ-21 subscale and total scores. Pro-environmental and/or ethical reasons for current diet and personal experience of extreme climate events were associated with significantly higher EREC scores.DiscussionThe Italian EREC appears to be a valid and reliable tool for the screening of eating-related concerns and behaviors related to climate change. Ecological concerns may represent a healthy adaptive response, but the EREC can serve as a valuable tool to identify individuals whose eating behaviors related to eco-concern might warrant further clinical attention due to potential risks of developing rigid or unhealthy patterns
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