Cortisol and IgA are Involved in the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease. A Pilot Study.

It is known that stress and immune systems are related with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the relationship of both systems in the progression of disease is not clearly demonstrated. Hair cortisol and salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) were quantified in 49 patients with mild, moderate, and severe AD. A significant change was seen in both molecules as AD progressed from mild to moderate and severe. Low levels of cortisol were observed in mild AD patients compared with moderate and severe. However, IgA showed a contrary pattern. High levels were observed in mild AD patientes but low in moderate and severe AD subjects. The secretion of cortisol and IgA seems to be very different at the start compared with posterior development of AD suggesting that neuroinflammation can be involved. Both molecules could be used as possible therapeutical tools.

Bibliometric analysis of six nursing journals from the Web of Science, 2012-2017.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to perform a bibliometric analysis of the six most important nursing journals according to the impact factor of the Science Citation Index through Web of Science® . The following journals were included: International Journal of Nursing Studies, Nurse Education Today, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Nursing Outlook, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing and the Journal of Advanced Nursing. BACKGROUND: In the nursing field, bibliometric analysis and maps have been used to analyse the production of some journals but not for the comparison of different journals. DESIGN/METHOD: Using descriptive bibliometrics, we studied scientific production of different journals and bibliometric maps were used to visualize the content of published articles. RESULTS: The six journals included showed that 3,937 articles were written by 1,1371 authors from 2,980 institutions and 84 countries from 2012 - 2017. Journal of Advanced Nursing had a greater number of publications and citations. The most prolific authors showed a tendency to publish first in Journal of Advanced Nursing and then in International Journal of Nursing Studies and Nurse Education Today. The frequency of citation was higher in International Journal of Nursing Studies followed by Journal of Advanced Nursing. The most collaborative authors and those with the most co-citations published more than half of their publications in Journal of Advanced Nursing. The topics most commonly researched by these authors were job satisfaction, collaborative practices, and nurse leaders. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis contributes to the understanding of the current state of nursing research and its evolution.

The relations of quality of life in patients with lupus erythematosus: Regression models versus qualitative comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lupus erythematosus (LE) is an autoimmune disease that can have negative repercussions on the quality of life (QL) of those who suffer from it. The QL can be influenced by socio-demographic factors are related to the disease itself. AIMS: To analyse the associative power of socio-demographic (age and sex) and medical variables (type of lupus, diagnostic time and symptomatically associated with lupus) on the QL in patients with lupus by comparing linear relations models and models based on comparative qualitative fuzzy analysis. DESIGN: This is a retrospective cross-sectional design. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 161 patients (88.4% female) diagnosed with LE between the ages of 18-66 years. METHODS: Data were collected between 2015 - 2017 using the Lupus Erythematosus Quality of Life Questionnaire. Two different statistical methodologies were used: traditional regression models and qualitative comparative analysis models of fuzzy sets. RESULTS: The results of the regression model suggest that none of the variables considered could explain the QL of these patients. On the other hand, the results of the fuzzy models suggest that being female, young and a shorter time to diagnosis explain higher levels of QL in these types of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Since nurses are the people who interact most with patients, detecting risk groups of patients with lupus respect to their QL. This can help develop intervention programs from a nursing perspective.

The role of empathy and emotional intelligence in nurses' communication attitudes using regression models and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis models.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To analyse link between empathy and emotional intelligence as a predictor of nurses' attitudes towards communication while comparing the contribution of emotional aspects and attitudinal elements on potential behaviour. BACKGROUND: Nurses' attitudes towards communication, empathy and emotional intelligence are key skills for nurses involved in patient care. There are currently no studies analysing this link, and its investigation is needed because attitudes may influence communication behaviours. DESIGN: Correlational study. METHOD: To attain this goal, self-reported instruments (attitudes towards communication of nurses, trait emotional intelligence (Trait Emotional Meta-Mood Scale) and Jefferson Scale of Nursing Empathy (Jefferson Scale Nursing Empathy) were collected from 460 nurses between September 2015-February 2016. Two different analytical methodologies were used: traditional regression models and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis models. RESULTS: The results of the regression model suggest that cognitive dimensions of attitude are a significant and positive predictor of the behavioural dimension. The perspective-taking dimension of empathy and the emotional-clarity dimension of emotional intelligence were significant positive predictors of the dimensions of attitudes towards communication, except for the affective dimension (for which the association was negative). The results of the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis models confirm that the combination of high levels of cognitive dimension of attitudes, perspective-taking and emotional clarity explained high levels of the behavioural dimension of attitude. CONCLUSIONS: Empathy and emotional intelligence are predictors of nurses' attitudes towards communication, and the cognitive dimension of attitude is a good predictor of the behavioural dimension of attitudes towards communication of nurses in both regression models and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. In general, the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis models appear to be better predictors than the regression models are. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: To evaluate current practices, establish intervention strategies and evaluate their effectiveness. The evaluation of these variables and their relationships are important in creating a satisfied and sustainable workforce and improving quality of care and patient health.

Relationships between affective states and childhood internalizing disorders.

Internalizing disorders are mainly defined as psychosomatic, anxiety and depression problems. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between dairy affective states and internalizing disorders in early adolescence (10-12 years old), considering the influence of sex. The participants of the study were 367 children aged between 10 and 12 (190 girls and 177 boys). The results showed that fear was the best predictor for all internalizing disorders, and the only common predictor for all of them. The prediction of boys' internalizing disorders was based only in fear, whereas the prediction for girls involved more variables besides fear. An early detection/regulation of these affective states (particularly fear) may be useful for the prevention and treatment of child internalizing disorders.

The importance of trait emotional intelligence and feelings in the prediction of perceived and biological stress in adolescents: hierarchical regressions and fsQCA models.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the combined effects of trait emotional intelligence (EI) and feelings on healthy adolescents' stress. Identifying the extent to which adolescent stress varies with trait emotional differences and the feelings of adolescents is of considerable interest in the development of intervention programs for fostering youth well-being. To attain this goal, self-reported questionnaires (perceived stress, trait EI, and positive/negative feelings) and biological measures of stress (hair cortisol concentrations, HCC) were collected from 170 adolescents (12-14 years old). Two different methodologies were conducted, which included hierarchical regression models and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results support trait EI as a protective factor against stress in healthy adolescents and suggest that feelings reinforce this relation. However, the debate continues regarding the possibility of optimal levels of trait EI for effective and adaptive emotional management, particularly in the emotional attention and clarity dimensions and for female adolescents.

The role of emotion awareness and mood: somatic complaints and social adjustment in late childhood.

Emotion awareness is a key concept related to different child adjustment outcomes. This relationship, influenced by mood, has been found in the preadolescent and adolescent population for somatic complaints. However, little is known in the case of younger children and when other adjustment outcomes are included. The objective of this work is to analyze the contribution of emotion awareness and mood upon different adjustment outcomes (somatic complaints, maladjustment, and peer sociometric status), in children aged 8-12 years old. Self-reported questionnaires and peer-nomination scales were administered to 1423 children (mean age = 9.8 years old). Results support the influence of emotion awareness reinforced by mood, not only upon somatic complaints, but also upon new indicators of personal and social maladjustment, within an age bracket that has not been considered previously. These results stress the importance of emotional abilities and the corresponding affective moods in children's daily life.

Influence of Emotional Skills on Attitudes towards Communication: Nursing Students vs. Nurses.

Communication in nursing is essential to the quality of care and patients' satisfaction, and personal variables such as empathy and emotional intelligence (EI) can improve it; however, no studies have to date analyzed these competencies and their relations among nursing students compared with nurses. The aims of this study are, therefore, to analyze the differences between nursing students and nurses in the means for empathy, EI and attitudes towards communication in order to assess the impact of empathy and EI on nurses' and nursing students' attitudes towards communication, and their influence on the behavioral dimension of attitude. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on a convenience sample of 961 nursing students and 460 nurses from the Valencian Community, Spain. T-test and hierarchical regression models (HRM) were used. The data was collected in the selected universities in the 2018/2019 academic year. The results showed high levels in all the variables analyzed (i.e., empathy, EI, and attitudes towards communication) in both samples. The HRM results suggested that empathy was a better predictor than EI of the attitudes towards patient communication among both the nursing students and nurses. In the behavioral dimension of the attitude, the cognitive and affective dimensions had greater weight than the emotional component (i.e., empathy and EI). Developing empathy and the cognitive dimension of the attitude in nursing students and nurses could, therefore, help improve EI and attitudes towards communication. These findings are important for developing intervention programs adjusted to real needs.

The role of psychosocial risks in burnout, psychosomatic disorders, and job satisfaction: lineal models vs a QCA approach in non-university teachers.

This study aims to assess the effect of psychosocial risks and resources on burnout, psychosomatic disorders, and job satisfaction using Hierarchical Regression Modelling (HRM) and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). METHOD: The sample consisted of 9020 non-university public education teachers (Mage = 45.33 years, SD = 9.15; 72.5% women). RESULTS: Demands variables (Workload, Emotional labour, Imbalance, and Interpersonal conflict) were better predictors than resources variables (Job autonomy, Social support, and Resources at work). Resources also significantly improved the model's predictive capacity, except in the case of Indolence. In the QCA results, none of the conditions seems to be necessary. Regarding sufficiency, the combination of the different conditions explains between 44-49% of high levels of Burnout and between 40-47% of low levels of Burnout; between 44-47% of high levels of Psychosomatic disorders and 40-47% of low levels of Psychosomatic disorders; 49% of high Job satisfaction levels and 45-56% of low Job satisfaction levels. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that QCA models have better explanatory capacity than HRM. Some variables were not significant in HRM, but they were present in combination with other QCA model variables. The findings contribute to understanding how psychosocial risks affect workers' health and job satisfaction.

Attitudes towards Communication in Nursing Students and Nurses: Are Social Skills and Emotional Intelligence Important?

The communication attitude (ACO) of nurses can significantly influence patient health outcomes. This work aims to evaluate predictor variables of communication attitude (emotional intelligence and social skills) in nurses and nursing students separately by comparing linear and non-linear methodologies. Two samples participated in this study: 312 nursing professionals and 1369 nursing students. In total, 75.60% of the professionals and 83.80% of the students were women. After signing the informed consent form, their emotional intelligence (TMMS-24), social skills (IHS) and ACO (ACO) were assessed. It was found that ACO through linear regression models in professionals was predicted by emotional repair and, in students, by attention and emotional repair, as well as by low exposure to new situations, low social skills in the academic or work area and high empathy. Overall, the comparative qualitative models show how the combination of different skills related to emotional intelligence and social skills lead to high levels of ACO. Conversely, their low levels result in an absence of ACO. Our results highlight the importance of emotional intelligence, especially emotional repair and empathy, as well as the need to consider ways to encourage the learning of these skills in a formal way.

Development and Validation of the High Performance Volleyball Self-Efficacy Scale.

In this study, we aimed to develop and psychometrically examine a self-efficacy scale for high-performance volleyball athletes. A literature review and interviews with 16 experts led to construction of item content. A preliminary version of the scale was then administered to 24 high-performing adult athletes, followed by administration of the scale to 300 Brazilian high-performing volleyball athletes (M age = 24.88, SD = 5.51 years; 55% male; 45% female). The definitive model contained 19 items, grouped into three factors (Self-Efficacy in the Game, Defensive Self-Efficacy in Volleyball, and Offensive Self-Efficacy in Volleyball). A Global Self-Efficacy score was evaluated through several statistical procedures that provided evidence of an adequate fit of the model to the data, and we showed internal reliability of the item content and invariance of the instrument for both sexes. These results support the instrument's test content, internal structure, and relation to other variables, indicating that the Volleyball Self-Efficacy Scale (VSES) can now be used to assess the self-efficacy of high performing Brazilian volleyball athletes.

Longitudinal analysis of subjective well-being in preadolescents: The role of emotional intelligence, self-esteem and perceived stress.

Subjective wellbeing has been conceptualized as a person's cognitive and affective evaluation of their life. In this line, life satisfaction and somatic complaints may be outstanding indicators of well-being. The aim of this longitudinal study was to analyze the combined contribution of trait emotional intelligence, self-esteem and perceived stress to well-being. Participants were 381 pupils aged 12-16 years (56.1% female). Hierarchical regression models and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) were conducted. Trait emotional intelligence, self-esteem and low perceived stress were related in the expected direction to life satisfaction and somatic complaints. Findings support a specific pathway to improve wellbeing in preadolescents.

Job-demand and family business resources in pandemic context: How they influence burnout and job satisfaction.

This research aims to explore how work demands and resource variables affect the burnout and satisfaction of employees of family businesses in the context of the pandemic (COVID-19) and the moderation effect of fear of COVID-19 on this relationship. A sample of 214 Chilean family business employees is used for hypotheses testing. Results indicate that the demands and resources partially explain the burnout and satisfaction of employees of family firms during the pandemic. Employees' fear of COVID-19 moderates the relationship between resources-demands and burnout-job satisfaction in family firms. This work contributes to understanding how these organizations can manage adverse scenarios to survive and continue operations.

How Much Do We Care about Teacher Burnout during the Pandemic: A Bibliometric Review.

In this study, a descriptive bibliometric analysis of the scientific production was performed in the Web of Science on burnout and/or stress in teachers in pandemic situations. The aim of the study was to analyse the scientific production on stress and burnout in teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 75 documents from 33 journals with 3947 cited references were considered, with 307 researchers from 35 countries publishing at least one article. The country with the most publications was the USA, followed by China and Spain. The USA was the country with the most collaborations. A total of 184 institutions published documents, and the universities with the most records were Christopher Newport and Columbia, although the American University of Sharjah and Cape Breton University had a higher overall citation coefficient. Of the 33 journals that have published on the subject, Frontiers in Psychology and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health stood out in terms of the number of articles, and they were also listed in this order with regard to their impact factor.

Job Insecurity in Nursing: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Nurses are a key workforce in the international health system, and as such maintaining optimal working conditions is critical for preserving their well-being and good performance. One of the psychosocial risks that can have a major impact on them is job insecurity. This study aimed to carry out a bibliometric analysis, mapping job insecurity in 128 articles in nursing, and to determine the most important findings in the literature. The search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection database using the Science Citation Index (SCI)-Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) indexes on 6 March 2020. This field of discipline has recently been established and has experienced significant growth since 2013. The most productive and widely cited authors are Denton and Zeytinoglu. The most productive universities are Toronto University, McMaster University, and Monash University. The most productive countries are the United States, Canada, Australia, Finland, and the United Kingdom. The most widely used measure was Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). The main findings report negative correlations with job satisfaction, mental well-being, and physical health. Job insecurity is a recent and little-discussed topic, and this paper provides an overview of the field. This will enable policies to reduce psychosocial risks among nurses to be implemented.

Adaptation and Validation of the Spanish Version of the Instrument to Evaluate Nurses' Attitudes Toward Communication With the Patient for Nursing Students.

Communication is essential to the quality of care and patient satisfaction. It has been linked to positive patient outcomes, increased engagement, improved health outcomes, and safe practices. Given these benefits and the association between attitudes and behaviors, as behaviors can be predicted by studying attitudes, assessing attitudes of nursing students toward patient communication is critical for future nursing professionals. For this purpose, the main aim of this study was to adapt and validate an instrument to measure nurses' attitudes toward communication (ACO) for nursing students. The ACO with patients was analyzed. Then, differences in the dimensions of the instrument (ACO) for nursing students according to an academic course and the correlations were calculated. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a convenience sample of 1,417 nursing students from five universities in the Valencian Community (Spain) during the 2018/2019 academic year and 83.8% (1,187) were women. The reliability was analyzed by using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability (CR). Analysis of construct validity was performed with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The instrument adapted from nurses to nursing students was composed of 25 items grouped in three dimensions: affective, cognitive, and behavioral. The psychometric properties suggested that the instrument ACO for nursing students was reliable and valid. The ACO of nursing students was positive with high levels in cognitive and behavioral dimensions, while scores were worst in the affective component. The second-year nursing students showed more positive attitudes in the affective dimension, while in the cognitive and behavioral dimensions, the most positive attitudes were found in the first year. In the correlations, the behavioral and cognitive dimensions showed a significant, positive, and very high correlation. These findings should be considered in developing academic plans to improve the effectiveness of the communication education process of the students to increase the quality of patient care and well-being of nursing students.

The Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (SF-40): Adaptation and Validation of the Spanish Version.

The coexistence of diverse cultures in our society indicates the need to examine the factors related to the success of multicultural interactions. The study aims were to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire short form (MPQ-SF40), in a convenience sample of 392 university students. Then, the effect of sex and age was assessed, and finally, the levels and percentiles of multicultural personality were measured. The scale's validity was assessed with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA). Reliability was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE). The final structure of the MPQ-SF40 consisted of 18 items grouped into five factors that present adequate psychometric properties. Sex-specific differences in MPQ-SF40 were statistically significant for factor 1, cultural empathy, and for factor 5, flexibility; women showed greater values. When age was analyzed, significant low correlations were obtained. The students showed medium to high levels of multicultural personality. The highest levels correspond to the personality factors of cultural empathy and open-mindedness. The use of the Spanish version of the MPQ-SF40 seems justified to determine students' multicultural personality traits, developing intervention programs to improve social support and the interpersonal relations between students.

Satisfaction with the clinical practice among nursing students using regression models and qualitative comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice is considered fundamental in nursing studies for the effective education of nurses and students' satisfaction. Both the clinical environment and the clinical educator are key factors in students´ satisfaction. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the influence of the socio-demographic variables of clinical educators and nursing students on satisfaction with the clinical practice. DESIGN: This was an observational, cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: A clinical practice course at a private university in Valencia, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 527 nursing students enrolled on the clinical practice, supervised by 187 clinical educators. METHODS: Two statistical methodologies were used for data analysis: hierarchical regression models (HRM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis model (fsQCA). RESULTS: The results indicate that sociodemographic variables such as sex, being a woman, and being in the second grade year group, influence student satisfaction in both methodologies. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, establishing specific academic plans for students in higher years (3rd and 4th) could improve nursing students' satisfaction with their clinical practice. Adequate training of students is a key factor in the provision of high-quality nursing care.

Cross-cultural validation of the Mood Questionnaire in three Spanish-speaking countries Argentina, Ecuador, and Spain.

This study validates the Mood Questionnaire for adults in three Spanish-speaking countries: Argentina, Ecuador, and Spain. It then analyzes the influence of gender and cultural differences on mood, and whether there is a relationship between mood, emotional intelligence, and the Avoidance of Responsibility. A convenience sample of 1048 adults, with a middle-class socioeconomic background, was selected from three Spanish-speaking countries (Spain, Argentina, and Ecuador). The psychometric properties of the Mood Questionnaire are adequate, which is particularly interesting given the need for transcultural tools to evaluate moods. Moreover, the mood was associated with avoidance of responsibility and emotional intelligence. In addition, differences in mood were observed according to country and gender. These findings are interesting because the Spanish version of the Mood Questionnaire has been validated for children but not for adults, and it compares three Spanish-speaking countries. The use of this diagnostic tool with Spanish adults can be justified according to these results.

Impact of BMGIM Music Therapy on Emotional State in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a high prevalence of emotional disturbances which worsen the symptoms of the disease. As a therapeutic alternative that is part of a comprehensive care alongside medication, the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM) music-assisted therapy has achieved promising emotional improvements in patients with chronic diseases. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of a treatment based on a BMGIM group adaptation on patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their emotional state, therefore analyzing state of mind, quality of life, anxiety, depression, immunocompetence as a marker of well-being, and levels of acute and chronic stress. METHODS: Longitudinal, prospective, quantitative, and experimental study including 43 patients with IBD divided into an intervention group (22 patients), who received eight sessions over eight weeks, and a control group (21 patients). A saliva sample was taken from each patient before and after each session in order to determine cortisol and IgA levels. Similarly, a hair sample was taken before the first and after the last session to determine the cumulative cortisol level. All molecules were quantified using the ELISA immunoassay technique. In addition, patients completed several emotional state questionnaires: HADS, MOOD, and CCVEII. RESULTS: An improvement was observed in the following states of mind: sadness, fear, anger, and depression. No significant effect was observed in state of mind in terms of happiness or anxiety, in the levels of cortisol in hair, and in patients' perceived quality of life. A reduction in cortisol was observed in saliva, although this did not significantly affect the IgA titer. CONCLUSIONS: BMGIM seems to improve the emotional state of patients with IBD.