[Psychosomatic symptoms as an expression of the deterioration of the health-related quality of life in adolescents]. / Síntomas psicosomáticos como expresión del deterioro de la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en adolescentes.

AIM: To analyze, in a population of adolescents in school, the relationship between psychosomatic symptoms and the perception of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), differentiating by gender and age group. DESIGN: Transversal study. LOCATION: Five Secondary Schools. PARTICIPANTS: Eight hundred and forty four adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18 in secondary school. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: HRQoL using KIDSCREEN-52 and psychosomatic symptoms with the psychosomatic problems scale (PSP). RESULTS: Girls and adolescents aged 17-18 years presented significantly higher psychosomatic symptoms, both groups also scored worse in all dimensions of HRQoL, although only the dimensions related to physical and mental wellness, mood and stress reached significance. All psychosomatic symptoms were inversely associated with the ten dimensions of KIDSCREEN-52. The regression models showed that sadness, concentrating difficulties and sleeping difficulties were the predictors of worse HRQoL in both sexes and age groups and these variables explained between 30 and 41% of the HRQoL variance of the adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosomatic symptoms are frequent especially in girls and in older adolescents and predictors of worse HRQoL. It is important to distinguish them from medical conditions to avoid unnecessary interventions. As expressions of emotional discomfort they must be evaluated and treated in an integral way because they interfere with daily life and increase the vulnerability proper of adolescence.

Validation to the Spanish of the Jefferson empathy scale health professions students version and its psychometric properties in nursing students.

The ability to empathize with patients has a positive effect on health outcomes and quality of care. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Student version (JSE-HPS) in a sample of 422 nursing students and to compare their factorial structure with that of the original scale. In this study, the Cronbach α value was 0.828. These analyses showed that the scale has a factorial structure with three dimensions and all the items loaded adequately (>0.36) except for item 18 (0.266). The main factor, ̔Perspective taking̕ grouped 10 items; the second factor, ̔Compassionate care̕, grouped 6 items, and the third factor, ̔Standing in the patient's shoes̕, grouped 3 items; 42.2% of the variance was explained. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis suggest that the Spanish version of the JSE-HPS is a valid and reliable way to evaluate the empathic capacity of nursing students.

Influence of resilience on health-related quality of life in adolescents. / Influencia de la resiliencia sobre la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en adolescentes.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the influence of resilience on the different dimensions of health-related quality of life in a group of adolescents in Cuenca. METHOD: A descriptive, cross-sectional, multicentre and multistage study was carried out in 5 secondary schools during the 2015-2016 school year. INSTRUMENTS: A self-administered questionnaire, which included sociodemographic characteristics and the CD-RISC 10 scale to assess resilience together with the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire to measure health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Data were obtained from 844 students, of whom 54% were girls and the mean age was 16.36±1.05 years. Higher resilience scores were observed in boys. Health-related quality of life was lower in girls (except in the dimension of social acceptance) and in the oldest group. Resilience was significantly associated with all KIDSCREEN-52 dimensions and proved to be a relevant predictor, especially in the dimensions related with mental health and all those that measure social relationships. CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence on the synergy between health-related quality of life and resilience in adolescents. Resilience is associated with higher levels of quality of life in adolescents and as the scores are lower in girls, it could be one of the explanatory factors for their poorer health-related quality of life.

[Validity of the Connor-Davidson resilience scale (10 items) in a population of elderly]. / Validez de la escala de resiliencia de Connor-Davidson(10 ítems) en una población de mayores no institucionalizados.

AIMS: To examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the CD-RISC 10-items in a sample of the elderly population of Cuenca, Spain; and to assess if the Spanish version preserves the same factorial structure as the original one. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in five health centres in the province of Cuenca. The study included a random sample of 500 people aged 60-75 years who lived within the community. MEASUREMENTS: The sociodemographic variables, CD-RISC-10 (resilience), PSS (perceived stress), SF-12v2, Pfeiffer Short Portable Mental Status questionnaire, GDS (geriatric depression), and MOS (social support), were all used to gather data. The number of factors underlying the CD-RISC 10 items was analysed using exploratory factor analysis. Furthermore, this factor structure was tested by confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS: A single underlying factor was found in the CD-RISC 10 items. The factor structure was tested using confirmatory factor analysis and it was found that a single factor model showed acceptable goodness of fit values for both men and women. Convergent validity was performed to test whether the mean scores of the variables were significantly associated with resilience. The Cronbach's α coefficient for the CD-RISC 10 items scale was 0.81. The overall scores of the Spanish version of the CD-RISC-10 items correlated directly with MOS and the physical and mental components of SF-12, and inversely with the PSS and GDS. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the CD-RISC-10 showed good psychometric properties. Thus, it can be used as a valid and reliable instrument to measure resilience in the non-institutionalized older population.

[Factors associated with health-related quality of life in the institutionalised elderly: differences between men and women]. / Factores asociados con calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en mayores institucionalizados: diferencias entre hombres y mujeres.

AIM: To examine the relationship between co-morbidity, functional capacity, mood and perception of social support, and the physical and mental dimensions of the Health-Related Quality of Life and assess the differences between institutionalised elderly men and women without severe cognitive impairment in Cuenca, Spain. METHODS: A cross sectional, descriptive and multicentre study was conducted in 16 nursing homes. A representative sample of 281 elderly patients was randomly selected. MEASURES: demographic, clinic variables and standardised tools: SF12 health questionnaire, Mini-Mental State Examination, Barthel Index, Geriatric Depression Scale and Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. Data analysis was performed using multiple lineal regression models for physical and mental dimension of SF12, differentiated for gender. RESULTS: The sample included 55% elderly women with an mean age of 82.6 years, and 45% men with a mean age of 81.2 years. Comorbidity was higher in women (1.96), but in the linear regression this was not associated with the physical dimension of HRQOL. We found an association with disability (ß=313), depressive symptoms (ß=-.164) and perceived social support (ß=158). The worst HRQOL in women was found in the mental dimension associated with depressive symptoms (ß= -.422) and in the low perceived social support (ß=154). CONCLUSIONS: Biological and functional factors were only associated with the physical dimension, while depression was associated with both dimensions (physical and psychological). The differential factor that could explain the lower HRQOL in institutionalised women could be explained by a more negative experience of the disability and loss of social support.