Analysis of cognitive variables and sexual risk behaviors among infected and HIV-uninfected people from Spain.

The wider availability of anti-retroviral treatment has brought about an improvement in the immunological situation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals, which in turn has led to significant reductions in AIDS-related morbidity and mortality and better quality of life for patients. However, the rate of diagnosis of new cases of HIV among the adult population is on the increase due to high-risk sexual behavior practices, particularly not using condoms, sexual relations with a large number of partners and starting sexual relations at a younger age, with unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. For this reason, public health managers have invested considerable effort in recent years in creating STI and HIV prevention programs. Yet, in spite of the implementation of measures for reducing the rates of infection, few studies have been published in Spain comparing individuals living with HIV with the general population about cognitive variables and the link between these variables and high-risk sexual behavior. The objective was to compare a group of individuals living with HIV with another group from the general population in terms of cognitive variables (knowledge about STIs and HIV, concern about STI/HIV and pregnancy, self-efficacy to refuse sexual relations and resilience) and sexual behavior. The sample consisted of 318 adults, 159 were from the general population and 159 were individuals living with HIV. Individuals living with HIV had higher scores for concern about HIV/AIDS, STIs, pregnancy and knowledge of STI/HIV compared with the general population. We concluded that uninfected people who had low and high level of concern about HIV/AIDS began having anal sex at a younger age than those with a medium level of concern. Overall, results indicate that the concern about HIV/AIDS should be addressed in preventive health interventions to minimize the risks of sexual behavior.

Analysis of resilience and sexual behavior in persons with HIV infection

Abstract The main objective of this study was to evaluate ex post facto resilience in persons with HIV infection and its relationship to socio-demographic and sexual behavior variables. Participants included 159 persons with HIV infection, of both sexes, aged between 19 and 55 years. Fifty-one percent of patients were infected through homosexual means. Sixty-seven percent were in the asymptomatic phase of infection. Assessment instruments used were the following: a questionnaire on socio-demographic data and sexual behavior and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The evaluation was individual, voluntary, and anonymous. The results showed that 49.05% of patients had average resilience, 27.68% had high resilience, and 23.37% had low resilience. They found that heterosexual patients infected with HIV, diagnosed between 1985 and 1990 (23 and 28 years of diagnosis) and those who had disclosed their HIV status to more than 30 people, had greater resilience than homosexual patients, diagnosed between 1996 and 2000 (13 and 17 years of diagnosis) and those who had disclosed their HIV status to 1-5 people. Finally, resilience was not a predictor of sexual risk factor. It is suggested that health interventions take into account the resilience and psychological variables that may be beneficial to improve coping with the disease.

Resiliencia en adultos: una revisión teórica / Resilience in adults: a theoretical review

El objetivo de este estudio es hacer una revisión teórica entre los años 2000 y 2011 sobre la resiliencia en adultos. Se trata de un estudio teórico. Para ello se realizó una búsqueda de artículos en las bases de datos Scopus, PsycInfo, Psicodoc, Web of Science y Dialnet y en los sumarios ISOC (Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades). En total, se localizaron 412 artículos que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión establecidos. Se concluye que en los estudios publicados entre los años 2000 y 2011 sobre resiliencia en personas adultas prevalecen las publicaciones con diseño transversal, en lengua inglesa, de tipo cuantitativo, con muestras estadounidenses y relacionando la resiliencia con los trastornos psicopatológicos. Se hace énfasis en la necesidad de incluir la resiliencia en programas educativos en salud, para mejorar las formas de afrontamiento en el contexto del riesgo y la adversidad.

The objective of this study is to make a theoretical review on resilience in adults between the year 2000 and 2011. A search of papers published in the databases Scopus, PsycInfo, Psicodoc, Web of Science and summaries Dialnet and ISOC (Social Sciences and Humanities) was performed. In total, 418 items were found that met the inclusion criteria. We conclude that in the studies published between 200 and 2011 on resilience in adults prevail cross-sectional studies, published in English, quantitative, and using samples from USA. Resilience is related psychological disorders. It is emphasized the need to include resilience in health education programs to improve ways of coping in the context of risk and adversity.

Influencia de variables sociodemográficas sobre los estilos de afrontamiento, el estrés social y la búsqueda de sensaciones sexuales en adolescentes / Influence of sociodemographic variables on coping styles, social stress, and sexual sensation seeking in adolescents

El objetivo del presente estudio es evaluar el efecto del sexo, la edad y el tipo de centro educativo (público/ privado) sobre los estilos de afrontamiento, el estrés social y la búsqueda de sensaciones sexuales en adolescentes. Participaron 4.456 adolescentes. Los instrumentos de evaluación fueron las Escalas de Afrontamiento para Adolescentes, la Escala de Búsqueda de Sensaciones Sexuales y la subescala de Estrés Social del Sistema de Evaluación de la Conducta de Niños y Adolescentes. Se utilizó un muestreo aleatorio estratificado con afijación proporcional, siendo los estratos la comunidad autónoma y el tipo de centro. La muestra es representativa a nivel nacional con un nivel de confianza del 95,5%. Los resultados pusieron de manifiesto que los varones tenían unas puntuaciones más elevadas que las mujeres en búsqueda de sensaciones sexuales y estrés social. Las mujeres puntuaban más alto que los varones en los estilos de afrontamiento en relación con los demás y de evitación. Los adolescentes de centros privados presentaban unas puntuaciones superiores en los estilos de afrontamiento solución de problemas y relación con los demás en comparación con los adolescentes de centros públicos (AU)

The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of gender, age, and type of high school (public/private) on coping styles solve the problem coping style, reference to others coping style and nonproductive coping, social stress, and sexual sensation seeking in adolescents. A total of 4.456 adolescents participated. The following measures were used: Adolescent Coping Scale, Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale, nd the Social Stress subscale of the Behavior Assessment System for Children. This is a cross-sectional study that used a stratified random sampling considering Spanish regions and type of high school (public/private) to select participants. The sample is representative of the national level at a 95.5% confidence interval. Results showed that males had higher scores in sexual sensation seeking and social stress compared to females. Female adolescents scored higher in reference to others coping style and non-productive coping. Compared to adolescents of public high schools, adolescents who attended to private high schools scored higher in solve the problem coping style and reference to others coping style. Associations among sexual sensation seeking, coping styles, social stress, and health risk behaviors in adolescents are discussed (AU)

Ranking de 2008 en productividad en investigación de las universidades públicas españolas / Ranking 2008 of research productivity in Spanish public universities

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la productividad científica en investigación de las universidades públicas españolas utilizando criterios acordes con la evaluación de la investigación en España. Para ello, en primer lugar se realizó un estudio para establecer el peso de los indicadores. La muestra está compuesta por 1.341 profesores universitarios, de los cuales el 68% son Profesores Titulares de Universidad y el 32% Catedráticos de Universidad. La selección se realizó por afijación proporcional por áreas de conocimiento y al azar dentro de cada área. La muestra es representativa con un nivel de confianza del 97%. En segundo lugar, se analizó la producción científica en función del tamaño de la universidad para cada uno de los indicadores. Por último, se ponderó la producción en función del tamaño de la universidad y del peso de cada indicador. Los resultados de este estudio permiten obtener rankings específicos por cada uno de los criterios: Tesis doctorales, Proyectos de I+D, Becas de formación de profesorado universitario, Artículos en revistas incluidas en el JCR, Tramos de investigación y Doctorados con Mención de Calidad, y también un Ranking global. Los resultados permiten analizar las fortalezas y las debilidades de cada universidad en función de cada criterio (AU)

The aim of this study is to analyze research scientific productivity of Spanish public universities by means of using criteria related to research assessment in Spain. Firstly, a study to establish the weight of the indicators was developed. A representative sample of 1,341 university teachers participated in this study. Of them, 68% are senior lecturers and 32% are professors. A stratified random sampling procedure within each area of knowledge was used. The sample is representative with a 97% confidence interval. Secondly, the scientific productivity according to the size of university in each indicator was analyzed. Finally, the scientific productivity according to size of university and weight of each indicator was weighted. Results of the survey make possible to get a specific ranking in each criterion: Doctoral dissertations, Research projects + development, Grants for training university teachers, Articles included in JCR, Research periods and Doctorate programs with Quality Mention, as well as a global ranking. Results allow analyzing strengths and weakness of each university according each criterion (AU)