The way to relieve college students' academic stress: the influence mechanism of sports interest and sports atmosphere.

BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: Given the enduring popularity of higher education, there has been considerable attention on the correlation between college students' engagement in sports and their academic stress levels. This study seeks to delve deeply into how university physical education fosters academic performance by influencing students' sports interests, particularly in enhancing their psychological resilience to mitigate academic pressure. Through this investigation, the aim is to offer both theoretical underpinnings and empirical evidence to support the holistic enhancement of higher education. RESEARCH METHODS: Initially, this study undertakes an analysis of the fundamental relationship between college students' physical activities and their experience of academic stress. Subsequently, utilizing a structural equation model, specific research models and hypotheses are formulated. These are then examined in detail through the questionnaire method to elucidate the mechanism by which college sports interests alleviate academic stress. RESEARCH FINDINGS: The study reveals a significant positive correlation between psychological resilience and academic stress, indicating that a robust psychological resilience can effectively diminish academic pressure. Furthermore, both the sports atmosphere and sports interest are found to exert a notable positive impact on academic stress, mediated by the variable of psychological toughness. This underscores the pivotal role of physical education in fostering positive psychological traits and enhancing academic achievement. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the central importance of cultivating and nurturing college students' sports interests, as well as fostering a conducive sports atmosphere, in fortifying psychological resilience and mitigating academic pressure. By offering novel perspectives and strategies for alleviating the academic stress faced by college students, this study contributes valuable theoretical insights and practical experiences to the broader development of higher education.

The association between health behaviours and academic performance moderated by trait mindfulness amongst university students: an observational study.

Objectives: To target health communication at less health-conscious groups, evidence on health behaviours' effects on non-health-related outcomes - such as academic performance - is necessary. Recent research has highlighted the associations of various health behaviours on academic performance of university students. However, there is a lack of research investigating the most predominant health behaviours simultaneously and their association with academic performance, as well as the factors that potentially influence the direction or strength of these associations. Therefore, this study investigated (I) which of the predominant health behaviours (physical activity, healthy diet, sleep, sedentary behaviour, alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use) are most associated with academic performance and (II) whether the personal resource of trait mindfulness moderates these associations. Methods: An online survey was conducted amongst university students during the 2021 summer semester. Group differences in academic performance regarding health behaviours were analysed using ANOVA (N = 1,049). A first linear regression model (N = 571), considering all selected health behaviours simultaneously, assessed their association with academic performance. A second model (N = 540) assessed interaction effects of health behaviours and trait mindfulness. Separate regressions assessed each interaction's association with academic performance. Results: Sleep, fruit and vegetable consumption, and gender were significantly associated with academic performance. The second model showed no significant interaction effects. Conclusion: Targeting sleep and fruit and vegetable consumption might be the most promising strategies for elevating students' academic performance, thereby enabling health communication strategies to reach groups driven by performance improvements rather than health benefits.

Investigating learning burnout and academic performance among management students: a longitudinal study in English courses.

This study aims to move away from the cross-sectional approach related to burnout and conduct a longitudinal study to explore the factors influencing learning burnout among management students. The study primarily adopts a questionnaire survey, with students majoring in business management. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) are used to analyze the data and validate the hypotheses. The findings are: (1) There is a significant negative relationship between English anxiety and self-efficacy and a significant positive relationship between past English learning performance and self-efficacy. (2) The changes in self-efficacy are negatively related to the changes in burnout, while the changes in workload are positively related to the changes in burnout. Additionally, there is a positive relationship between English anxiety and learning burnout. (3) There is a significant negative relationship between English learning performance and burnout. The direct impact of self-efficacy on English learning performance is not supported, but it has an indirect effect through the mediating role of burnout. The study proposes strategies to improve student outcomes and well-being: (1) making English courses more engaging to boost performance and confidence, reducing learning burnout; (2) encouraging and supporting students to enhance self-efficacy and motivation; (3) assigning tasks seen as useful and interesting to lessen perceived workload and emotional exhaustion; (4) and considering English anxiety in admissions to decrease learning burnout, especially as schools gain more autonomy in their policies.

Assessing the association between parents' math talk and children's math performance: A preregistered meta-analysis.

The home math environment has gained considerable attention as a potential cause of variation in children's math performance, and recent research has suggested positive associations between parents' math talk and children's mathematical performance. However, the extent to which associations reflect robust causal effects is difficult to test. In a preregistered meta-analysis, we assess the association between parents' math talk and children's math performance. Our initial search identified 24,291 potential articles. After screening, we identified 22 studies that were included in analyses (k = 280 effect sizes, n = 35,917 participants). A multilevel random effects meta-analysis was employed, finding that parents' math talk is significantly associated with children's math performance (b = 0.10, SE = 0.03, p = .002). We tested whether associations differ as a function of sample characteristics, observation context, observation length, type of math talk and math performance measured, and modeling approaches to math talk variable analysis. In addition, we tested whether associations are robust to the inclusion of strong baseline covariates and found that effects attenuated when children's domain-general and/or prior math abilities are included. We discuss plausible bounds of the effects of parents' math talk on children's mathematical performance to inform power analyses and experimental work on the impact of parents' math language on children's math learning.

Social skills, behavioral problems, and academic competence of students with intellectual disabilities / Habilidades sociais, problemas de comportamento e competência acadêmica de alunos com deficiência intelectual / Habilidades sociales, problemas de conducta y competencia académica de estudiantes con discapacidad intelectual

This study had as general objective to characterize and associate social skills, behavior problems, and academic competence of students with intellectual disabilities in school inclusion and; as specific objectives to verify predictive values for social skills and differences between groups diagnosed with intellectual disability and other associated diagnoses. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational, predictive, and comparative study. Forty-four students with intellectual disability participated (11 of them presented other associated diagnoses), who were evaluated by 42 guardians and 34 teachers. The instruments used were Social Skills Rating System (SSRS-BR) and the Parental Educative Social Skills Interview Script (RE-HSE-P). The evaluation from guardians and teachers were different. Social skills were negatively associated with behavior problems and positively associated with academic competence; behavior problems and diagnosis were negative predictors to social skills. There were significant differences in the groups. The results highlight the importance of intervention programs to develop social skills.(AU)

O estudo teve como objetivo geral caracterizar e associar habilidades sociais, problemas de comportamento e competência acadêmica de alunos com deficiência intelectual em inclusão educacional e; como objetivos específicos verificar valores preditivos para habilidades sociais e diferenças entre grupos com diagnóstico de deficiência intelectual somente e com outros diagnósticos associados. Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo, transversal, descritivo, correlacional, preditivo e comparativo. Participaram 44 alunos com deficiência (11 apresentavam outros diagnósticos associados), que foram avaliados por 42 responsáveis e 34 professoras. Os instrumentos utilizados foram Social Skills Rating System (SSRS-BR) e Roteiro de Entrevista de Habilidades Sociais Educativas Parentais (RE-HSE-P). A avaliação de responsáveis e professores foi diferente. Habilidades sociais foram negativamente associadas aos problemas de comportamento e positivamente associadas a competência acadêmica; problemas de comportamento e diagnósticos associados foram preditores negativos de habilidades sociais. Houve diferença significativa entre grupos. Resultados evidenciam a importância de programas para promoção de habilidades sociais.(AU)

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo general caracterizar y asociar las habilidades sociales, los problemas de conducta y la competencia académica de estudiantes con discapacidad intelectual en la inclusión escolar; y como objetivos específicos verificar los valores predictivos de las habilidades sociales y las diferencias entre grupos diagnosticados con discapacidad intelectual y otros diagnósticos asociados. Se trató de un estudio cuantitativo, transversal, descriptivo, correlacional, predictivo y comparativo. Participaron 44 estudiantes con discapacidad intelectual (11 de ellos presentaban otros diagnósticos asociados), quienes fueron evaluados por 42 tutores y 34 docentes. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el Sistema de Evaluación de Habilidades Sociales (SSRS-BR) y el Guion de Entrevista de Habilidades Sociales para Educación de los Padres (RE-HSE-P). Las evaluaciones de los tutores y docentes fueron diferentes. Las habilidades sociales se asociaron negativamente con problemas de conducta y positivamente con la competencia académica; los problemas de conducta y el diagnóstico fueron predictores negativos de las habilidades sociales. Hubo diferencias significativas entre los grupos. Los resultados destacan la importancia de los programas de intervención para desarrollar habilidades sociales con la población estudiada.(AU)

Emotional intelligence weakly predicts academic success in medical programs: a multilevel meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Emotional intelligence (EI) is a predictive factor of academic success in undergraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) programs. Although some research suggests a positive association between EI and academic success in MD programs, other research reports neither an association nor a negative correlation between the two variables. The current study aimed to resolve these contradictory findings by conducting a systematic review and a meta-analysis using research from 2005 to 2022. METHODS: Data were analyzed using a multilevel modeling approach to (a) estimate the overall relationship between EI and academic success in MD programs and (b) determine whether the mean effect size varies according to country (United States vs. non-United States countries), age, EI test, EI task nature (ability-based vs. trait-based), EI subscales, and academic performance criteria (grade point average vs. examinations). RESULTS: Findings from 20 studies (m = 105; N = 4,227) indicated a positive correlation between EI and academic success (r = .13, 95% CI [.08, - .27], p < .01). Moderator analyses indicated that the mean effect size significantly varied according to EI tests and EI subscales. Moreover, three-level multiple regression analyses showed that between-study variance explained 29.5% of the variability in the mean effect size, whereas within-study variance explained 33.5% of the variability in the mean effect. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the current findings show that EI is significantly, albeit weakly, related to academic success in MD programs. Medical researchers and practitioners can therefore focus on integrating EI-related skills into the MD curriculum or target them through professional development training and programs.

Estrategias de aprendizaje y estudio, perspectiva temporal y rendimiento académicoen estudiantes universitarios de Buenos Aires / Learning and study strategies, temporal perspective and academic performance in university students of Buenos Aires

La investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar la relación entre estrategias de aprendizaje y estudio, perspectiva temporal y rendimiento académico en estudiantes universitarios de Buenos Aires. Se trató de un estudio correlacional ­de diferencias entre grupos, con un diseño no experimental, de corte transversal. Participaron 334 sujetos (68.6% mujeres, 31.4% hombres; Medad=25.90, DEedad= 8.23). Los instrumentos de recolección de datos fueron: una encuesta sociodemográfica y de datos académicos, el Inventario de Perspectiva Temporal de Zimbardo, y el Inventario de Estrategias de Aprendizaje. En los análisis de diferencias de medias se hallaron diferencias según rendimiento académico. Se encontró que los alumnos con mejor rendimiento académico presentaron mayores puntajes en Motivación, Competencias para el Manejo de la Información, Futuro Neutro y menores en Pasado Negativo, Presente Fatalista AU

The aim of the research was to analyze the relationship between learning and study strategies, time perspective and academic performance in university students from Buenos Aires. A correlational study ­of differences between groups, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design was conducted. Participants were 334 subjects (68.6% women, 31.4% men; Mage=25.90, SDage= 8.23). The data collection instruments were: a sociodemographic and academic data survey, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, and the Learning Strategies Inventory. In the analysis of differences in means, differences were found according to academic performance. It was found that the students with the best academic performance presented higher scores in Motivation, Information ManagementCompetences, Neutral Future and lower scores in Negative Past, Fatalistic Present AU

The link among academic stress, sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, academic performance, and the moderating role of resourcefulness in health professions students during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The rapid shift to virtual learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to high academic stress among health profession students. High academic stress was associated with impaired psychosocial well-being and decreased academic performance. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between academic stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, academic performance, and the moderating effect of resourcefulness among undergraduate health profession students. METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study included undergraduate health profession students. The primary investigator distributed the study link to all students through the university's Central Messaging Centre, Twitter account, and WhatsApp. The study variables were measured using the Student Life Stress Inventory, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire, the Centre for Epidemiology Scale of Depression, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Resourcefulness Skills Scale. Pearson R correlation and linear regression analysis were utilized for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Our sample included 94 undergraduate health profession students, 60 % of which were females with a mean age of 21, and the majority were nursing and medicine students. High academic stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, and resourcefulness were reported among 50.6 %, 43 %, 79.6 %, 60.2 %, and 60 % of the participants, respectively. However, no effect of resourcefulness was found on any of the study variables. Instead, academic stress and sleep disturbances were the strongest predictors of depressive symptoms regardless of the level of resourcefulness. CONCLUSION: Adequate academic support during virtual learning and tools to early detect subtle signs of high academic stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance should be routinely utilized by educational institutions. In addition, incorporating sleep hygiene and resourcefulness training in health professions education is highly indicated.

Autonomy-relatedness Patterns and their Association with Academic and Psychological Adjustment among Chinese Adolescents.

Establishing autonomy and maintaining relatedness with parents are two of the most crucial goals for adolescents and meeting these goals can be critical for academic and psychological adjustment. A two-dimensional framework was proposed for exploring the integrative synthesis of autonomy and relatedness, but its cultural applicability was limited. To better account for the situations associated with non-Western cultural context, this study extended the prior framework to three dimensions (volition, functional independence, and relatedness) and utilized latent profile analysis to explore the configurations and their concurrent and longitudinal (one year later) associations with adjustment (academic engagement, academic buoyancy, depressive symptoms, and externalizing problems). The study collected data from 3992 Chinese adolescents (51.33% girls, Mage = 15.41, SD = 0.55). Latent profile analyses identified five profiles: High, High Functional Independence, Moderate, Low Functional Independence, and Extremely Low Functional Independence. The High profile was the robust optimal pattern for academic and psychological adjustment, while the Low Functional Independence and Extremely Low Functional Independence were risk patterns over time. The High Functional Independence profile was only conducive to academic areas but not to psychological areas. Findings demonstrated the necessity of the three-dimensional framework in this field.

When new talent scores: The impact of human capital and the team socialization context on newcomer performance in professional sports teams.

This study integrates research on newcomer socialization and work teams to examine how the team environment facilitates or hinders the translation of human capital into newcomer performance in professional sports teams. Using large, multiyear and multilevel data from the top five European professional football leagues, we examine how individual-level newcomer human capital and the team-level characteristics (prior team performance, number of newcomers) influence individual newcomer performance during two different socialization contexts (when more vs. less time for socialization is provided). We found that individual human capital was positively related to newcomer performance across socialization contexts while the direct relationships between team variables and performance were conditional on the socialization context. Prior team performance was positively related to newcomer performance when more time for socialization was provided, but prior team performance as well as the number of newcomers were negatively related to newcomer performance when less time for socialization was provided. Beyond the direct relationships, our results show that human capital was less positively related to newcomer performance when newcomers joined higher performing teams across socialization contexts. These findings extend our understanding of the complex relationships between individual human capital and the team's socialization environment on newcomer performance and advance new knowledge regarding conditions that facilitate the success of newcomers who join existing (operating) teams. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Prevalence of depressive symptoms among dental students is influenced by sex, academic performance, smoking exposure, and sexual orientation: cross-sectional study

Aim: To estimate the prevalence and associated factors of self-reported depressive symptoms in undergraduate and graduate dental students. Methods: The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was applied, and only the depression domain was verified. A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic, behavioral, and COVID-19 pandemic-related fear variables. Academic performance was assessed based on academic records, ranging from 0 (worst possible grade) to 10 (best possible grade). Respondents included 408 regularly enrolled dental students. Bi- and multivariate analyses were performed using Poisson regression with robust variance to verify the association between at least moderate depressive symptoms and independent variables. Results: The prevalence of at least moderate depression was 40.5% among undergraduate students and 26% among graduate students. The prevalence of fear and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic was 96.1% among undergraduate students and 93.5% among graduate students. In the final multivariate analysis, being female (prevalence ratio [PR]:2.01; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]:1.36­2.96) was associated with a higher PR for depression. Conversely, no exposure to smoking (PR:0.54; 95%CI:0.36­0.82) and a final academic performance average ≥7.0 (PR:0.56; 95%CI:0.41­0.76) was associated with a lower PR for depression. Finally, among graduate students, a non-heterosexual orientation was associated with a higher PR for depression (PR:6.70; 95%CI:2.21­20.29). Conclusion: Higher rates of depression symptoms were observed in female undergraduates, students with lower academic performance and smoking exposure, and graduate dental students with a non-heterosexual orientation

Impact of Internet Addiction on Academic Performance of Undergraduate Dental Students of Bhubaneswar, India

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the level of internet addiction and its impact on the academic performance of undergraduate dental students of Bhubaneswar. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was steered among 814 undergraduate dental students (representing first year through internship) in Bhubaneswar, India. Internet addiction was assessed with the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) developed by Young, which consisted of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Google Forms were used to collect the data. Statistical tests like Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to analyze the qualitative and quantitative variables, respectively, with the significance level set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: The prevalence of Internet Addiction was found to be 27.5%. Interns showed the highest mean Internet Addiction (57.91±10.71) score. The proportion of addicted students was higher in males, 74 (31.4%), than in females, 150 (26%). The mean scores for individual domains were overuse (16.31±3.64), non-restraints (7.77±2.66), inhibiting the flow of life (9.52±3.05), emotional state (11.25±2.86), and dependence (10.47±2.53). A correlation coefficient (Spearman's rho value of -.167) indicates a negative correlation between internet addiction and academic scores, which was statistically significant (p=0.001). Conclusion: This study revealed that internet use for varying purposes eventually leads to addiction and affects students' academic performance. The affected students need early intervention and control over internet usage.

Escala de bienestar académico vía aplicación web para estudiantes universitarios en Brasil / Academic wellbeing scale via web application for university students in Brazil / Escalade bem-estar acadêmico via aplicação web para universitários no Brasil

Este es un estudio de desarrollo tecnológico en la elaboración de un instrumento computarizado para evaluar la autopercepción del bienestar académico, basado en la teoría del bienestar subjetivo de la Psicología Positiva. Tuvo como objetivo construir un instrumento y buscar evidencias de validez vía aplicación web como tecnología para evaluar el constructo bienestar académico en estudiantes universitarios. Investigación de campo, descriptiva y exploratoria, cuantitativa, con 702 académicos voluntarios de Universidades de diferentes regiones geopolíticas de Brasil Se identificó que la mayoría de los encuestados son del sexo femenino con un 76,9% (540), y se obtuvo un promedio de 23,79 para su edad, con una desviación estándar de 6,7. En la construcción del instrumento se obtuvieron factores relacionados con el contenido de bienestar académico, se definió un valor propio igual o superior a 0,44. Así, fueron evidenciados 03 Factores: Factor 01 -Autoconfianza y rendimiento académico profesional, con 27 ítems; Factor 02 -Apoyo social con 2 ítems; y Factor 3 -Limitaciones de desempeño autopercibidas, con 11 ítems. La escala total tuvo un Alfa de 0,90, con una versión final de 40 ítems. Las condiciones de validez están garantizadas, así como la fiabilidad de las tres subescalas y la escala completa. Tales aspectos de la evaluación del bienestar académico pueden ser utilizados en verificaciones posteriores al regreso de las actividades universitarias, identificando posibilidades de cambios en el escenario académico y estrategias de intervención y readaptaciones conductuales(AU)

It is a study of technological development in the elaboration of a computerized instrument to evaluate the self-perception of academic well-being, based on the theory of subjective well-being of Positive Psychology. It aimed to build an instrument and seek evidence of validity via web application as a technology to assess the academic well-being construct in university students. Field research, descriptive and exploratory, quantitative, with 702 volunteer academics from Universities from different geopolitical regions in Brazil. It was identified that the majority of respondents are female with 76.9% (540), and the average age of these was 23.79, being standard deviationde 6,7.In the construction of the instrument, factors related to the content of academic well-being were obtained, with an Eigenvalue equal to or greater than 0.44 was defined. Thus, 03 Factors were evidenced: Factor 01 -Self-confidence and professional academic achievement, with 27 items; Factor 02 -Social support with 2 items; and Factor 3 -Self-perceived limitations in performance, with 11 items. The total scale had an Alpha of 0.90 with 40 items in its final version. The validity conditions are guaranteed,together with the reliability of the three subscales and the full scale. Such aspects of the assessment of academic well-being can be used in subsequent verifications after the return of university activities, identifying possibilities for changes in the academic scenario and intervention strategies and behavioral readaptations(AU)

Trata-se de um estudo de desenvolvimento tecnológico na elaboração de um instrumento informatizado para avaliação da autopercepção do bem-estar acadêmico, com base na teoriado bem-estar subjetivo da Psicologia Positiva. Teve como objetivo construir um instrumento e buscar evidências de validade via aplicação web como tecnologia para avaliação do construto de bem-estar acadêmico em estudantes universitários. Investigação de campo, descritiva e exploratória, quantitativa, com 702 acadêmicos voluntários de Universidades de diferentes regiões geopolíticas no Brasil. Identificou-se que os respondentes em sua maioria são dosexo feminino com 76,9% (540), e obteve-se sobre a idade destes a média de 23,79, sendo desvio padrãode 6,7. Na construção do instrumento, obteve-se fatores relacionadas ao conteúdo do bem-estar acadêmico, com Eigenvalue igual ou superior a 0,44 foi definido. Assim, foram evidenciado 03 Fatores: Fator 01 -Autoconfiança e realização acadêmica profissional, com 27 itens; Fator 02 -Apoio social com 2 itens; e o Fator 3 -Limitações autopercebidas no rendimento, com 11 itens. A escala total apresentou um Alfa de 0,90, com versão final de 40 itens. Estando as condições de validade garantidas, juntamente com a confiabilidade, das três subescalas e da escala total asseguradas. Tais aspectos da avaliação do bem-estar acadêmico, podem ser empregados em verificações subsequentes ao retorno das atividades universitárias, identificando possibilidades de alterações no cenário acadêmico e estratégias de intervenções e readaptações comportamentais(AU)

The impact of COVID-19 induced emergency remote instruction on students' academic performance at an HBCU.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic early in 2020 forced universities to shut down their campuses and transition to emergency remote instruction (ERI). Students had to quickly adapt to this new mode of instruction while dealing with all other distractions caused by the pandemic. This study integrates extensive data from students' institutional records at a large Historically Black College and University (HBCU) institution with data from a students' survey about the impact of COVID-19 on learning during the Spring 2020 semester to examine the impact of the transition to ERI on students' performance and identify the main factors explaining variations in students' performance. The main findings of our analysis are: (a) students' university experience was positively correlated with performance (continuing students who spent at least one academic year at the university prior to the outbreak had better performance than freshman and new transfer students), (b) students' perceived change in performance after the transition was positively associated with actual performance (students who perceived a decline in their performance after transition to ERI had significantly worse performance than other students), and (c) students' prior online learning experiences and students' emotional experiences with the COVID-19 disease were not significantly associated with performance. These results suggest that the approaches adopted by higher education institutions to support students during times of crisis should pay special attention to certain groups of students.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 decreases subjective academic stress in healthy adults: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Psychological stress negatively affects the intestinal barrier function in animals and humans. We aimed to study the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 on intestinal permeability and stress-markers during public speech. Healthy students were randomized to L. rhamnosus-containing (test) or acidified (placebo) milk consumed twice daily for 4 weeks, with 46 subjects per treatment group. Small intestinal permeability was quantified by a 2 h urinary lactulose-mannitol ratio (LMR, primary outcome), fractional excretion of lactulose (FEL) and mannitol (FEM). Salivary cortisol, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Perceived Stress scores (PSS) were collected. No between-treatment differences were found for LMR (p = .71), FEL or FEM. Within-treatment analyses showed similar LMR and FEL but a stress-induced increase of FEM with the placebo (p < .05) but not test product. Despite a similar increase in salivary cortisol, the stress-induced increase in STAI was significantly lower with the test product vs. placebo (p = .01). Moreover, a stress-preventative effect of the probiotic was found for PSS and more pronounced in subjects with high stress-induced cortisol (p = .01). While increased FEM was mediated by salivary cortisol levels, the effect of the test product on subjective stress was not mediated by changes in FEM. No serious adverse events occurred. In conclusion, we demonstrated that L. rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 prevented stress-induced hyperpermeability to mannitol. Subjective but not objective stress-markers were reduced with L. rhamnosus vs. placebo, suggesting anxiolytic effects, which were independent of barrier stabilization and attractive for the reduction of stress in both health and disease. Clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT03408691.

Potential risk groups and psychological, psychosocial, and health behavioral predictors of pharmacological neuroenhancement among university students in Germany.

Aiming to develop and implement intervention strategies targeting pharmacological neuroenhancement (PN) among university students more specifically, we (1) assessed the prevalence of PN among German university students, (2) identified potential sociodemographic and study-related risk groups, and (3) investigated sociodemographic, psychological, study-related psychosocial, general psychosocial and health behavior related factors predicting the 12-month prevalence of PN. Therefore, a cross-sectional online survey was administered to students of the University of Mainz, Germany. A binary logistic regression with stepwise inclusion of the five variable groups was performed to predict PN. A total number of 4351 students out of 31,213 registered students (13.9%) participated in the survey, of which N = 3984 answered the question concerning PN. Of these, 10.4% had used one substance for PN at least once in the past 12 months. The regression analysis revealed 13 variables that were significantly related to the 12-month prevalence of PN. Specifically, the group of health behavior related variables showed the strongest relationship with PN. Therefore, an approach to the prevention of PN should be multifactorial so that it addresses social conditions, as well as education on substance use and healthy behaviors in terms of non-pharmacological strategies as alternatives of PN.

Método trezentos na disciplina de Fisiologia para ocurso de Odontologia: aprendizagem colaborativa / Three hundred method in the discipline of physiology in the Dentistry course: collaborative learning

Trezentos é um método de ensino e aprendizagem que procura despertar o olhar do estudante para o colega com dificuldades de aprendizagem, promovendo a colaboração entre os estudantes. O objetivo desse estudoé relatar a aplicação do método trezentos na disciplina de Fisiologia e comparar o desempenho dos estudantes, antes e depois do método. Participaram 13estudantes que foram divididos, mediantesorteio, em 3 grupos. Os grupos eram compostos de um estudanteque possuía notas acima da média, em uma avaliação prévia, e 3 ou 4 estudantes que apresentaram notas abaixo da média. Esses grupos se encontraram em horários extraclasse duas vezes por semana durante três semanas. Nesses encontros os estudantes com maiores médias auxiliavam os demais em atividades que eram direcionadas pelo professor da disciplina. Ao final dos encontros uma nova avaliação foi realizada. Os dados foram tabulados e analisados por meio do teste t pareado. Foi verificado que todos os estudantes conseguiram aumentar suas médias em comparação com as notas da primeira avaliação. Dessa forma, conclui-se que o método pode apresentar benefícios no desempenho dos estudantes, bem como estimular a aprendizagem colaborativa (AU).

Three Hundred is a teaching and learning method that seeks to awaken the eyes of the student towards the colleague with learning difficulties, promoting collaboration between students. The objective of this work is to report the application of the Three Hundred method in the discipline of physiology and to compare the performance of students before and after the method. Thirteen students participated in the study and were divided, by lot, into 3 groups. The groups were composed of one student who had above-average grades in a previous assessment and 3 or 4 students who had below-average grades. These groups met in extra classes twice a week for three weeks. In these meetings, students with higher averages helped others in activities that were directed by the discipline's teacher. At the end of the meetings, a new evaluation was carried out. The data were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS version 16. It was found that all students were able to increase their averages compared to the grades of the first assessment. Thus, it is concluded that the method can have benefits in the performance of students, as well as stimulate collaborative learning (AU).

Academic Performance and Emotional Intelligence with Age and Gender as Moderators: A Meta-analysis.

Emotional intelligence has been considered an important construct by schools and universities because of its theoretical importance and practical implications. Considerable resources and time have been spent by the educational institutions to develop the emotional skills of their students. The present meta-analysis aimed at studying the relationship of emotional intelligence, including its three theoretical models, with academic performance while accounting for age and gender as moderators. "Robumeta" package was used for the meta-analysis of multilevel random effects with robust variance estimation (RVE) in R version 4.0.3. Effect sizes were calculated and meta-regression analysis with RVE was used to assess the relationship with the moderator variables. A positive and significant overall relationship was found between emotional intelligence and academic performance (ρ = 0.19). The moderating effect of emotional intelligence with gender streams on emotional intelligence and academic performance's relationship was examined through meta-regression with robust variance estimation and sub-group analyses. Whereas the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic performance was not found to be moderated by age, it was found to be partially mediated by gender.

General and specific stress mindsets: Links with college student health and academic performance.

The goal of this cross-sectional, correlational study was to evaluate (a) whether beliefs about stress as enhancing versus debilitating (i.e., stress mindsets) vary across sources of stress that differ in duration (acute vs. chronic) and controllability, and (b) how general and source-specific stress mindsets relate to health and academic performance. College students (n = 498) self-reported their general and source-specific stress mindsets, perceived distress, health, coping, and GPA. Stress mindsets varied as a function of duration and controllability, and general stress mindsets were only weakly associated with source-specific mindsets. Consistent with previous research, general stress mindsets were associated with health, but some source-specific mindsets were more predictive of health than others-viewing stress from chronic controllable sources as debilitating was most predictive of poor mental and physical health. Measures of stress were also associated with health, and this association was moderated by stress mindsets, suggesting that viewing stress as enhancing can provide a psychological "buffer" against the negative effects of stress. Approach coping and perceived distress were examined as potential mediators of the links between stress mindset and health. Viewing stress as enhancing was related to greater use of approach coping and lower perceived distress, which in turn was related to better health. This research suggests that stress mindset interventions may benefit students' health, and that interventions targeting mindsets for chronic controllable sources of stress may be more effective than general stress mindset interventions.

Screen time and early adolescent mental health, academic, and social outcomes in 9- and 10- year old children: Utilizing the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development ℠(ABCD) Study.

In a technology-driven society, screens are being used more than ever. The high rate of electronic media use among children and adolescents begs the question: is screen time harming our youth? The current study draws from a nationwide sample of 11,875 participants in the United States, aged 9 to 10 years, from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study®). We investigate relationships between screen time and mental health, behavioral problems, academic performance, sleep habits, and peer relationships by conducting a series of correlation and regression analyses, controlling for SES and race/ethnicity. We find that more screen time is moderately associated with worse mental health, increased behavioral problems, decreased academic performance, and poorer sleep, but heightened quality of peer relationships. However, effect sizes associated with screen time and the various outcomes were modest; SES was more strongly associated with each outcome measure. Our analyses do not establish causality and the small effect sizes observed suggest that increased screen time is unlikely to be directly harmful to 9-and-10-year-old children.