WATSU (Water-Shiatsu) increases body awareness and improves pain and mood: A randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: WATSU (Water-Shiatsu) is a body-oriented therapy in warm-water pool with passive movements, massage and breathing techniques. The present study investigated the short-term effect of a single session of WATSU on body awareness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a randomized-controlled study 60 volunteers (18-65 years) were assigned to a 20-min intervention of WATSU or to a 20-min lecture on WATSU. Immediately before and after the intervention they had to answer questionnaires. Primary endpoint of the investigation was the change of the total score of the non-verbal Awareness Body Chart (ABC). Secondary endpoints were the changes of the scores of the 14 single body parts of the ABC, of the Visual Analogue Pain Scale, of a German self-perception questionnaire (KEKS) and changes in mood scored with a German questionnaire on mood (Bf-SR). To compare groups, Mann-Whitney U tests were used. RESULTS: The WATSU group had a significantly higher increase in the ABC total score in comparison to the lecture group (WATSU: 0.3 (IQR 0 - 0.8), lecture: 0.1 (IQR -0.2 - 0.2), p = 0.014). In the KEKS no group differences were seen. In WATSU a significantly stronger improvement of pain (Visual Analogue Pain Scale: WATSU: -15 (IQR -29 to -8), lecture: -4 (IQR -9 - 2), p < 0.001) and of mood (Bf-SR: WATSU: -6 (IQR -14 to -2), lecture: -1 (IQR -5 - 1), p = 0.003) could be observed. CONCLUSION: This study showed that WATSU immediately increases body awareness and improves pain and mood.

The Value of an Informal Before-School Exercise Opportunity for Adolescent Girls Living in a Low-Socioeconomic Community.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is beneficial to physical, social, and emotional well-being, and schools are required to provide opportunities to engage in physical activity. While physical education and school sport have been extensively researched, little is known about the value of informal, unstructured, exercise opportunities. METHODS: This study involved interviews with 19 adolescent girls who attended "extra" exercise opportunities provided by their school. The 3 opportunities were: (1) informal before-school exercise sessions at school, (2) before-school sport training, and (3) externally provided exercise sessions in a community setting during school hours. RESULTS: Students perceived all opportunities as valuable with benefits to confidence, social well-being, and emotional well-being. The informal exercise sessions held greater benefits to confidence as confidence transferred from the physical activity context into the academic classroom more so than for those participating in sport. Social benefits were greater for those exercising before school as this opportunity created new relationships with teachers and with students from other classes and year groups. CONCLUSIONS: The opportunity to engage in informal exercise with peers before school widened social networks, increased confidence, changed the overall school climate, and increased attendance.

Assessment of treatment needs, barriers, and self-perception regarding oral health among female university students: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to compare the self-perceived oral health status measured through a self-administered questionnaire with clinically determined oral health status measured by decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) and community periodontal index of treatment need (CPITN) indices in university going females. In addition, access barriers to treatment related to oral healthcare were also determined. METHODS: A 3-month analytical cross-sectional study was designed for consenting university going females (aged 18-22 years) in Islamabad, Pakistan. The self-perceived oral health was recorded through a questionnaire requesting information regarding socio-demographics, self-perception of oral health, frequency of dental visits and barriers to seeking oral health. Seven independent examiners performed intraoral clinical examination and assessed the oral health status using globally standardized oral health assessment indices (DMFT and CPITN). RESULTS: A total of 400 students were included in the final sample. The study revealed a significant disparity between self-perceived oral health and clinical assessment. Although perceived oral health was considered "good" by 80.0% of the respondents, clinical examination revealed moderate DMFT scores (mean 2.95 ± 1.41) and periodontal disease requiring treatment in 89.5% of the individuals. The most common barriers in seeking dental care were lack of knowledge, dental phobia, affordability issue and false self-perception. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated a notable discrepancy between self-perception of oral health and clinically assessed oral health. These results emphasize the importance of focused educational programs and community outreach programs, especially directed towards this demographic. Prioritizing such initiatives will help individuals to recognize their actual oral health condition thus encouraging positive oral health behaviors and outcomes.

The influence of adolescents' self-perception of social relationships on personality functioning in the context of inclusive education.

Introduction: Adolescence is a special phase of life in which fundamentals of psychosocial functioning are formed. The present study investigates how adolescents' self-perception of social relationships in inclusive classes affect personality functioning. Furthermore, we examine whether the association between self-perceived social relationships and personality functioning is stronger for students with special educational needs in the domains of learning (SEN L) and social -emotional development (SED) than for students without SEN. Methods: At two measurement points questionnaire data was collected from 927 sixth- and seventh-graders from 20 primary and 20 comprehensive inclusive classes in Germany. Results: Results of longitudinal multilevel analyses show partially different results for sixth- and seventh-graders. Overall, students' perceived social relatedness predicted personality functioning. Students who perceived their social relationships more positively showed healthier personality functioning. Further, SEN SED represents a potential risk factor for personality functioning. But, we observed that differences in personality functioning between seventh-graders with SEN L or SED and those without SEN decreased over time. Furthermore, SEN does not appear to reinforce the association between low self-perception of social relationships and risky personality functioning. Discussion: The findings are discussed in the context of inclusive education and implications for future research as well as practice are given. Overall, our findings contribute to a better understanding of students' psychosocial development in inclusive learning environments.

Qualitative studies involving users of clinical neurotechnology: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The rise of a new generation of intelligent neuroprostheses, brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and adaptive closed-loop brain stimulation devices hastens the clinical deployment of neurotechnologies to treat neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, it remains unclear how these nascent technologies may impact the subjective experience of their users. To inform this debate, it is crucial to have a solid understanding how more established current technologies already affect their users. In recent years, researchers have used qualitative research methods to explore the subjective experience of individuals who become users of clinical neurotechnology. Yet, a synthesis of these more recent findings focusing on qualitative methods is still lacking. METHODS: To address this gap in the literature, we systematically searched five databases for original research articles that investigated subjective experiences of persons using or receiving neuroprosthetics, BCIs or neuromodulation with qualitative interviews and raised normative questions. RESULTS: 36 research articles were included and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Our findings synthesise the current scientific literature and reveal a pronounced focus on usability and other technical aspects of user experience. In parallel, they highlight a relative neglect of considerations regarding agency, self-perception, personal identity and subjective experience. CONCLUSIONS: Our synthesis of the existing qualitative literature on clinical neurotechnology highlights the need to expand the current methodological focus as to investigate also non-technical aspects of user experience. Given the critical role considerations of agency, self-perception and personal identity play in assessing the ethical and legal significance of these technologies, our findings reveal a critical gap in the existing literature. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the current qualitative research landscape on neurotechnology and the limitations thereof. These findings can inform researchers on how to study the subjective experience of neurotechnology users more holistically and build patient-centred neurotechnology.

A theoretical review of the Proteus effect: understanding the underlying processes.

Humans' inherent fascination for stories can be observed throughout most of our documented history. If, for a long time, narratives were told through paintings, songs, or literature, recent technological advances such as immersive virtual reality have made it possible for us to interact with storylines and characters in a completely new manner. With these new technologies came the need to study how people interact with them and how they affect their users. Notably, research in this area has revealed that users of virtual environments tend to display behaviors/attitudes that are congruent with the appearance of the avatars they embody; a phenomenon termed the Proteus effect. Since its introduction in the literature, many studies have demonstrated the Proteus effect in various contexts, attesting to the robustness of the effect. However, beyond the first articles on the subject, very few studies have sought to investigate the social, affective, and cognitive mechanisms underlying the effect. Furthermore, the current literature appears somewhat disjointed with different schools of thought, using different methodologies, contributing to this research topic. Therefore, this work aims to give an overview of the current state of the literature and its shortcomings. It also presents a critical analysis of multiple theoretical frameworks that may help explain the Proteus effect. Notably, this work challenges the use of self-perception theory to explain the Proteus effect and considers other approaches from social psychology. Finally, we present new perspectives for upcoming research that seeks to investigate the effect of avatars on user behavior. All in all, this work aims to bring more clarity to an increasingly popular research subject and, more generally, to contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between humans and virtual environments.

Self-Perception Profile, Body Image Perception and Satisfaction in Relation to Body Mass Index: An Investigation in a Sample of Adolescents from the Campania Region, Italy.

(1) Background: Body image dissatisfaction has been commonly reported in adolescents with overweight/obesity and has been related to a lack of motivation to change lifestyle behaviors. Plus, a better perception of physical fitness has been related to a higher self-perception in physical aspect and social items in youths. (2) Methods: A total of 120 (59.2% males, mean age of 12.3 ± 0.9 years) middle-school adolescents participated in the present study. Anthropometric measurements were assessed following the standard procedures. Body weight perception and body image satisfaction were assessed using the Silhouette Figure Body Images Test. Self-perception profile, perceived physical fitness, and perceived difficulties in conducting physical tasks were assessed by using structured questionnaires. (3) Results: Overweight was present in 27.5% adolescents and obesity in 32.5%. A total of 89.7% of adolescents with obesity did not have a real perception of his/her weight status and 84.6% of adolescents with obesity were not satisfied with his/her body image. The self-perception of physical appearance, perceived difficulties in running, perceived overall fitness, and perceived speed/agility were lower in adolescents who were unsatisfied with their body image. Body image satisfaction was positively associated with the self-perception of physical appearance and overall fitness and negatively associated with perceived difficulties in running, independently of sex, age, and BMI. (4) Conclusions: Adolescents with obesity did not have a real perception of their weight status and were unsatisfied with their body image. The positive association between body satisfaction, a better perception of overall fitness, and less difficulties in conducting physical tasks suggests the protective role of the components of physical activity and health-related fitness on body acceptance in a critical period of life.

Novel online enfacement illusion for investigating self-perception in mental disorders: an experimental study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Remote research methods and interventions for mental health disorders have become increasingly important, particularly for conditions like eating disorders (EDs). Embodiment illusions, which induce feelings of ownership over another person?s body or body parts, offer valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying self-perception issues in EDs and potential interventions. However, existing research using these illusions has been limited to face-to-face settings. We illustrate a novel online protocol to induce the enfacement illusion (embodiment illusion principles applied to one's face) in an ED-based sample. METHODS: Participants complete a 2-hr virtual session with a researcher. First, baseline trait/state ED psychopathology measures and a self-face recognition task occur. Second, participants experience two testing blocks of the enfacement illusion involving synchronously and asynchronously mimicking a pre-recorded actor's facial expressions. After each block, subjective and objective enfacement illusion measures occur alongside state ED psychopathology reassessment. DISCUSSION: Successfully inducing enfacement illusions online could provide an affordable, accessible virtual approach to further elucidate the mechanistic role of self-perception disturbances across psychopathologies such as EDs. Moreover, this protocol may represent an innovative, remotely-delivered intervention strategy, as 'enfacement' over another face could update negative self-representations in a cost-effective, scalable manner.

Structural associations between self-perception of support and knowledge of disability characteristics of autism spectrum disorder among staff in facilities providing after-school day services.

BACKGROUND: We constructed a hypothetical model of the knowledge of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and self-perception of support of staff working in after-school day services to clarify structural relationships. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted at 194 facilities providing after-school day services in Fukushima Prefecture (October 2020), including a basic attributes questionnaire, the Literacy Scale of Characteristics of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (LS-ASD), and a staff questionnaire. We developed a hypothetical model of the relationship between self-perception and LS-ASD total scores of after-school service staff. To obtain latent variables for structural equation modeling (SEM) to confirm factor extraction and the interrelationships among variables, exploratory factor analysis was performed. SEM was used to examine the fit of the hypothetical model to the data and the relationships among variables. RESULTS: The study included 302 staff members from 58 of 194 facilities. Four factors (Factor 1, motivation; 2, self-perception of knowledge; 3, information sharing; 4, self-confidence) were extracted. The final model showed that Factor 2 had a positive direct effect (path coefficient = 0.64) and Factor 4 had a negative direct effect (path coefficient = -0.22) on LS-ASD scores. The model goodness of fit was acceptable (Goodness-of-Fit Index = 0.890; Comparative Fit Index = 0.912; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.086; Akaike's Information Criterion = 392.7). CONCLUSION: Self-perception of knowledge contributes greatly to knowledge acquisition, while excessive confidence may hinder knowledge retention.

The effect of approach and avoidance motivation on self-perception.

This work addresses the link between motivation and self-perception by systematically studying visual self-representations. We propose that the way individuals perceive themselves may be associated with dispositional and situationally induced approach and avoidance motivation. First, we investigate how dispositional differences in approach/avoidance motivation and self-esteem relate to self-perception. Second, we investigate how state differences in approach/avoidance motivation relate to self-perception. Based on motivation literature, we predicted that self-perception would reflect psychological equanimity at the dispositional level (seeing the self in a favorable light), and motivational flexibility at the situational level (situational avoidance motivation results in a more realistic view of one's qualities). We use up-to-date face modeling methods to measure individuals' self-perceptions in a systematic, nuanced, and implicit way: Participants are repeatedly asked to indicate which of two portrait versions better represents themselves. Then we relate distortions in self-perceptions to agency and communion dimensions. We demonstrate that (1) participants low in self-esteem show more communion enhancement than participants high in self-esteem; (2) participants in an avoidance state show less agency enhancement (i.e., more realistic self-perceptions) than participants in an approach state. This research is first to demonstrate regularities in visual self-perception that are linked to approach and avoidance motivation.

Jellyfish-Inspired Visual and Sensory Bubbling Robots with Automatic 3D Morphable Films for Underwater Environmental Interactions.

Coelenterates, such as Atolla jellyfish, are capable of integrating color, communication, and motion in a sophisticated manner, thereby enabling them to function as intelligent biological systems that can adapt to the challenges of the underwater environment. Extensive efforts have been dedicated to exploiting underwater visual, sensory, actuating, or combined systems. However, current biomimetic soft systems are still limited by the lack of comprehensive, integrated functional skins that can automatically deform, dynamically sense, and further send color signals when diving into underwater conditions. Here, we propose the synthetic soft skins composed of assembled entangled carbon nanotube networks and fluorescent unit-embedded elastomers which can be applied in a suspended form to allow autonomic 3D deformation, real-time perception, and dynamic fluorescence color transformation. The capabilities of the sensory and color display thresholds were controlled through the entanglement density of carbon nanotubes and the suspended area. As a demonstration, the soft thin skin was integrated into an artificial jellyfish robot, enabling the realization of a closed-loop feedback system for dynamic sensory processing, signal processing, and further 3D morphing-induced fluorescent color change, demonstrating significant potentials in underwater visual display, danger warning, and environmental exploration.

Enfacement illusions: Filling a knowledge gap in eating disorder risk assessment, prevention, and intervention?

Body image disturbance (BID) is central to eating disorders (EDs), yet the role of self-face perception has received limited empirical attention despite rising sociocultural pressures emphasizing facial appearance through technologies such as social media. Emerging evidence suggests impairments in self-face recognition accuracy and distorted perceptions of facial appearance among individuals with EDs. Enfacement illusions, involving the experimental induction of perceived ownership over another's face, offer a novel paradigm to comprehensively investigate the perceptual multisensory integration processes underlying self-face perception disturbances in ED populations. Such an approach may hold promise for elucidating core pathological mechanisms contributing to BID and ED psychopathology. We discuss how rigorous investigation of self-face perception through the enfacement illusion paradigm represents an innovative direction of research and/or clinical application that may advance etiological models of EDs and possibly inform interventions targeting the potentially multidimensional nature of body and facial image disturbances characterizing EDs. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Body image disturbance is central to eating disorders (EDs), yet, the role of face-related disturbances remains critically under-investigated. After summarizing findings on face-related disturbances in EDs we propose how enfacement illusions (i.e., the experimental induction of ownership over another's face) may elucidate self-face perception disturbances in EDs, and their underlying mechanisms. Enfacement illusions may also offer an intervention to potentially address multifaceted face and body image disturbances characterizing EDs.

Augmented reality simulation-based training for midwifery students and its impact on perceived knowledge, confidence and skills for managing critical incidents.

PROBLEM: Emergency obstetric management is essential in midwifery training to prevent fetal and maternal morbidity. Repeating this management in practice is often not possible. Sustainable confidence in these procedures is usually achieved in the first few years of practice. BACKGROUND: Simulation training complements hands-on learning and improves practical skills, benefiting both students and patients. Research on obstetric emergency simulation training have demonstrated this, but the use of digital simulation approaches, such as augmented reality (AR), is under-researched. AIM: To investigate whether AR simulation training influences midwifery students' subjective perceptions of knowledge, confidence and practical skills in emergency situations. METHODS: A descriptive exploratory study was conducted using a pre-post design. AR scenarios were developed on the topics of 'preparing emergency tocolysis', 'preparing a pregnant woman for caesarean section' and 'resuscitation of newborns'. The AR simulation was conducted in the fourth to fifth semester of the midwifery programme. A questionnaire was developed for students (N = 133) to self-assess their competence in the categories of knowledge, confidence and practical skills. RESULTS: Students rated their competence significantly better in the post-survey than in the pre-survey (p=<0.05). Simulation has an impact on self-assessment of professional knowledge, confidence and practical skills in emergency situations. It enhances students' procedural knowledge and practical skills in complex contexts, complements subject knowledge and builds confidence. CONCLUSION: The results provide initial evidence that AR simulation is an effective learning strategy for emergency management preparedness. Future studies should validate the effect with control cohorts and measure competence through practical examinations.

Correlation of Self-Efficacy for Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise with Symptoms of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Self-efficacy for pelvic floor exercises, i.e. confidence in achieving pelvic floor contractions, may predict adherence to treatment. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating the clinical relevance of this outcome. The aim was to determine the relationship between self-efficacy for pelvic floor exercise and symptom severity, pelvic floor distress and impact on quality of life, as well as sociodemographic characteristics and pelvic floor muscle strength in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in women with SUI. The Spanish version of the Broome Pelvic Muscle Self-Efficacy Scale was used to assess self-efficacy for pelvic floor exercise. The dependent variables were: urinary incontinence symptoms using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire, short form (ICIQ-SF), pelvic floor distress symptoms using the Urogenital Distress Inventory-6, impact on quality of life using the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), leakage using the 1-h pad test, number of SUI episodes per week and pelvic floor muscle strength. RESULTS: A total of 56 women with a median age of 44.5 years were included. Self-efficacy for pelvic floor exercise correlated negatively and moderately with the ICIQ-SF (r = -0.529; p < 0.001), IIQ-7 (r = -0.442; p = 0.001), 1-h pad test (rs = -0.467; p < 0.001); and number of SUI episodes/week (rs = -0.489; p < 0.001). Correlation with the other outcomes was weak or non-existent. Linear regression with forward selection showed that the ICIQ-SF was the variable most related to self-efficacy (ß: -3.01, 95% CI: -4.03 to -1.69). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of assessing self-efficacy for pelvic floor exercise in the treatment of women with SUI. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Perceived physical literacy in children and early adolescents: Two valid and reliable versions of the PL-C Quest.

Perceived physical literacy contributes to the understanding of individuals' physical activity (PA) engagement. It is important a scale is validated in the population of interest. Also, the type of administration may affect reliability and validity. So, the aim of this study was twofold: 1) to examine evidence of validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the Physical Literacy for Children Questionnaire (PL-C Quest) in a cohort of children and adolescents and 2) to assess two versions of administering the scale. The study was conducted in two stages, depending on the administration format of the PL-C Quest (double-dichotomous, and four-point response style) in a cohort of 2004 (n1 = 916; n2 = 1088) students. In both administration forms, evidence of validity (relation with other variables, i.e., concurrent and predictive, and structural validity), invariance (between boys and girls) and reliability (test-retest and internal consistency) were examined. There was evidence of validity for both administration types, with adequate reliability and good to excellent test-retest reliability for both administration forms. Both methods of administration for the PL-C Quest can capture perceived physical literacy in Spanish 8- to 14-year-old children and early adolescents.

Subjective social status across the past, present, and future: status trajectories of older adults.

Beyond objective indicators of social status (e.g., income or education), the subjective social status (SSS; i.e., the self-assessed position in a social hierarchy) is associated with psychological well-being and physiological functioning. Existing research has focused on older adults' current status evaluations, neglecting perceived temporal stability or change in SSS which can further impact self-perception and emotional well-being. In the present study, we examined older adults' (N = 191; mean age = 73.5) SSS with regard to their past, present, and future. Examining SSS for multiple time-points allowed us to identify profiles representing trajectories of status from the past to the future by conducting latent profile analysis. Furthermore, we tested associations of the identified trajectory-profiles with aging anxiety and negative affect. Results showed that, on average, participants anticipated higher future status losses than they had experienced in the past, regardless of age. In the more nuanced profile analysis, we identified four trajectory-profiles: A high (17%), a moderate (57%), and a low perceived social status (14%) trajectory, as well as a profile representing a perceived decrease in status (12%). While a lower status was associated with more aging anxiety and negative affect, most aging anxiety and negative affect was found for profiles representing a low initial status-level and a perceived decrease in status. Findings implicate that social status comparisons with others but also status comparisons with past- and future-selves are relevant for older adults. The discussion highlights the benefits of improving or stabilizing subjective assessments of status in later adulthood.

A cohort study of self-perception of ageing and all-cause mortality among older adults in China: a multiple mediators analysis.

BACKGROUND: Positive self-perception of aging (SPA) is a well-known predictor of longevity, while how and to what extent SPA is linked with all-cause mortality among older adults is still unclear. This study aims to elucidate the relationship between positive SPA and all-cause mortality and its potential mediators among Chinese older adults. METHODS: This is a 20-year dynamic cohort study conducted among 22,957 older adults aged ≥ 65 years old from a nationally representative sample. Positive SPA was measured using a validated 7-item scale. Potential mediators including health behaviors and social participation were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards regression models were conducted to examine the association between positive SPA and all-cause mortality. A mediation analysis was conducted to determine whether health behaviors and social participation mediated the association between SPA and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Throughout follow-up (median [interquartile range], 46 [21-84] months), all-cause mortality was 87.4%. Compared with older adults with the lowest quartile positive SPA, hazard ratio(HR) of all-cause mortality among older adults with the second, third, and fourth quartile of positive SPA was 0.96(95%CI:0.93-1.00), 0.93(95%CI:0.90-0.99), and 0.92(95%CI:0.87-0.96) respectively after controlling for all potential mediators and covariates. The mediation analysis showed that regular daily vegetable intake, physical activity, and high social participation explained 41.1-48.5% of the variance in the association between positive SPA and all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort study, we found that high positive SPA was associated with decreased all-cause mortality directly, and indirectly through healthy lifestyle behaviors and social participation. These findings suggest that interventions targeted at promoting or maintaining positive SPA may contribute to healthy ageing among older adults in China.

The Relationship and Effects of Self-Esteem and Body Shape on Eating Disorder Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Chinese University Students.

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders (EDs) have become a global public health concern among adolescents and young adults. However, Chinese university students exhibit a high prevalence of eating disorders. This study aims to investigate the effects of self-esteem (SE) and body shape (BS) on ED behaviors among Chinese university students. METHODS: Using random sampling, 946 Chinese university students (aged 18 to 24, M = 19.94, SD = 1.04) participated in a survey comprising the Sick, Control, One, Fat, and Food Questionnaire (SCOFF-Q), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BS-Q), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RS-S) to assess their eating disorder or non-eating disorder (NED) behavior. RESULTS: There was a significant positive correlation between body shape and eating disorder behaviors (r = 0.19, p < 0.01), while there was a significant negative correlation between self-esteem and eating disorder behaviors (r = -0.14, p = 0.001 < 0.01). Gender was a moderating factor in the relationship between body shape and eating disorder behaviors (t = 3.14, p = 0.002 < 0.01), while parents' marital status was a moderating factor in the relationship between self-esteem and eating disorder behavior (t = 2.72, p = 0.007 < 0.01). Body shape (z = 6.47, p = 0.001 < 0.01), self-esteem (z = -2.81, p = 0.005 < 0.05), and gender (z = 3.06, p = 0.002 < 0.01) significantly influenced eating disorder behavior among Chinese university students aged 18-24 years. CONCLUSIONS: There was a direct effect between body shape and self-esteem and eating disorder behaviors among Chinese university students aged 18-24 years. Alarmingly, female university students are becoming susceptible to external influences on self-esteem and body shape, leading to eating disorder behaviors at an increasingly younger age in China.

The Association of Body Image Perceptions with Behavioral and Health Outcomes among Young Adults.

This study was conducted on 5 March 2024, by the Universidad Europea de Madrid. This study aims to explore how body image perceptions influence health behaviors and mental and physical health outcomes among a specific group of 605 young adults aged 20 to 35 engaged in strength training regimes. To measure these perceptions, the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) was employed, an advanced tool that assesses multiple dimensions of body image through its subscales, including feelings of physical attractiveness, investment in one's appearance, and satisfaction with different body areas. Participants were segmented into two groups based on a median split of their self-reported body image. The survey assessed a diverse array of variables, including demographic details, physiological data, resistance training routines, and psychological attributes. In this revision, we consistently use the term 'dietary habits' to ensure clear and uniform language when discussing eating patterns. Notable differences were observed in dietary habits and exercise engagement, influenced significantly by body image perceptions. Negative body image was linked to less healthy dietary habits, diminished physical activity, and worse psychological outcomes, such as increased anxiety and depression. Conversely, a positive body image was associated with healthier dietary habits, more frequent physical activity, and better psychological health. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving body image could be crucial for enhancing overall health within this specific demographic. Due to the non-representative nature of the study group, conclusions are cautiously presented as applicable only to similar populations engaged in strength training. This study underscores the need for holistic strategies that encourage positive body image to improve both physical and psychological health outcomes in young adults.

Educational training and nursing professional self-perception in Mongolia: A prospective observational pre-post design study.

AIMS: To determine whether professional self-perception of nurses in Mongolia improves following an educational intervention and to identify differences in scores among participant subgroups. DESIGN: A prospective observational pre-post design. METHODS: Using a convenience sample of 67 nurses in Mongolia in 2019, the Nursing Professional Values Scale-3 instrument was used pre- and post-intervention. Independent and paired sample t-tests were conducted. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS 28.0.1.1 and Stata/SE 16.1. This study complied with the STROBE checklist. RESULTS: Of the 67 nurses, 92.0% were female, mean age was 32.15 years (SD 8.96), 70.0% held a bachelor's degree, 58.0% had 5 or more years' nursing experience and 51.0% were members of a professional nursing organization. After participating in the educational training, nurses reported higher overall professional self-perception as well as across subscales: activism, professionalism and caring. CONCLUSION: Considering the nursing shortage in lower-middle-income countries, it is important to recognise the influence of nurses' professional self-perception on nursing retention. This study highlights the significant role continuing educational opportunities play in increasing nurses' professional self-perception. It is imperative to explore ways of improving this perception and focusing on subgroups of nurses to help guide the use of limited resources. Further research is necessary to include nurses in other areas of Mongolia. IMPLICATION FOR THE PROFESSION: Accurately assessing nursing professional self-perception and providing educational opportunities could improve nursing professional self-perception, nursing satisfaction, patient safety and nursing retention in lower-middle-income countries. IMPACT: What problem did the study address? This study meets the need for current study on the nursing professional self-perception of nursing from the perspective of nurses in Mongolia. It addresses the dangerous nursing shortage in Mongolia by determining if an educational intervention could improve nursing professional self-perception and thus improve nursing job satisfaction and retention. What were the main findings? Mongolian nurses in this study scored in the top quartile of the NPVS-3, indicating a baseline high NPSP. Educational intervention (including translated oral education and written clinical pathways) significantly improved the nurses' professional self-perception. Nurses were eager for training in other clinical and leadership topics. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? This research can be impactful for nurses, nurse leaders and policy makers in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Specifically for nurses in Mongolia, with increasing technologies and services such as cardiac catheterization laboratories becoming available, more education in these nursing specialty areas is imperative. Professional Nursing Organizations are poised to foster more educational offerings to their members and to increase membership. Nursing education provided by international volunteer nurses with Non-Governmental Organizations can improve NPSP in nurses in LMICs. REPORTING METHOD: This study complied with the STROBE checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.