Psychometric properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) in women with breast cancer.

Breast cancer impacts the psychological well-being of women, leaving them at risk of developing depression, anxiety, and other stress-related disorders. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) is a widely used measure, although empirical evidence regarding its psychometric properties in the breast cancer population is limited. The purpose of this study was to conduct an exhaustive analysis of the psychometric properties of the DASS-21 in a sample of Spanish women diagnosed with breast cancer. Participants were 289 breast cancer patients who completed the DASS-21 and other questionnaires measuring life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, flourishing, perceived stress, and breast cancer-specific stressors. In terms of validity evidence based on the internal structure of the DASS-21, adequate fit indices were obtained for the model based on three first-order factors (depression, anxiety, stress) and one second-order factor (general psychological distress). Reliability coefficients (McDonald's omega) ranged from .84 to .95. Validity evidence based on relationships with other variables was also provided by moderate and strong correlations with well-being indicators and stress measures. The results support the use of the DASS-21 for measuring general psychological distress in the breast cancer context, where it may provide useful information for the design of psychological interventions with patients.

Measurement invariance of the Facebook intrusion questionnaire across 25 countries.

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites. However, Facebook intrusion or addiction is a growing concern as it involves an excessive attachment to Facebook, which disrupts daily functioning. To date, few studies have examined whether cross-cultural differences in the measurement of Facebook addiction exist. The aim of this study was to investigate the cross-cultural validity and measurement invariance of the Facebook Intrusion Questionnaire (FIQ), one of the most widely used measures of Facebook addiction, across 25 countries (N = 12,204, 62.3% female; mean age = 25 years). Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (MGCFA) assessed cross-cultural validity as well as invariance. Additionally, individual confirmatory factor analyses evaluated the factorial structure and measurement invariance across genders in each country. The FIQ demonstrated partial metric invariance across countries and metric (13 countries), scalar (11 countries) or residual (10 countries) invariance across genders within individual countries. A one-factor model indicated a good fit in 18 countries. Cronbach's alpha for the entire sample was .85. Our findings suggest that the FIQ may provide an adequate assessment of Facebook addiction that is psychometrically equivalent across cultures. Moreover, the questionnaire seems to be universal and suitable for studying different social media in distinct cultural environments. Consequently, this robust tool can be used to explore behaviours related to specific media that are particularly popular in any given country.

The Flourishing Scale: Psychometric Properties in Breast Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Promoting well-being is a key goal of cancer care, and it needs to be assessed using appropriate instruments. Flourishing is considered part of psychological well-being and it is commonly assessed with the Flourishing Scale (FS). To our knowledge, no studies have analyzed the psychometric properties of the FS in breast cancer patients. Our aim here was to provide validity evidence for use of the FS in this context. METHOD: Participants were 217 Spanish women with breast cancer who completed the FS and other scales assessing positive psychology constructs (life satisfaction, positive affect, resilience, self-esteem, optimism) and indicators of psychological maladjustment (negative affect, depression, anxiety, and stress). The internal structure of the FS was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). We calculated the average variance extracted (AVE) to evaluate convergent validity, and both McDonald's omega and Cronbach's alpha coefficients to estimate reliability. Item analysis was performed by computing corrected item-total correlations. Validity evidence based on relationships with other variables was obtained through Pearson correlation analysis, controlling for age and cancer stage. RESULTS: The CFA supported a single-factor structure, with adequate goodness-of-fit indices (CFI = 0.997, NNFI = 0.996, RMSEA = 0.069, and SRMR = 0.047) and standardized factor loadings ranging from 0.70 to 0.87. The value of the AVE was 0.63, and the reliability coefficient obtained with both procedures was 0.91. Corrected item-total correlations ranged from .62 to .78. Correlation analysis showed direct and strong associations between the FS score and scores on positive psychology constructs (range from 0.43 to 0.74), the strongest correlations being with positive affect and life satisfaction. The FS score was inversely correlated with scores on depression, anxiety, stress, negative affect, and pessimism (range from -0.14 to -0.52), the strongest association being with stress. DISCUSSION: The FS is a useful tool for exploring well-being in the breast cancer context, providing useful information for psychological assessment.

Validity Evidence for the Brief Self-Control Scale in the Spanish Adult Population: A Systematic Study.

The Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) has been widely studied across languages and populations. However, research examining the Spanish version is scant and limited to the adolescent population. Our aim here was to provide validity evidence for use of the BSCS with Spanish adults by analyzing and comparing the psychometric properties of different versions of the scale (13-item, 10-item, 9-item, 8-item, and 7-item). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the internal structure based on one-factor and two-factor models. Results obtained in a sample of 676 Spanish adults showed adequate fit indices for the two-factor structure of the 9-item, 8-item, and 7-item versions of the BSCS, although only the 9-item and 8-item BSCS were found to be invariant across gender. Item homogeneity and reliability of factor scores for these two versions (9-item and 8-item) were satisfactory. We also provide novel validity evidence based on relationships with indicators of psychological adjustment and wellbeing. Scores on the 9-item and 8-item BSCS correlated with life satisfaction, flourishing, self-esteem, distress, depression, and loneliness, and hence both may be suitable for use in mental health assessment contexts.

Life Satisfaction and Character Strengths in Women With Breast Cancer: Zest and Hope as Predictors.

BACKGROUND: Empirical evidence shows that life satisfaction is positively related to character strengths, and although this association has been observed in different populations, it is scarce in breast cancer patients. This study analyzes the relationship between character strengths and life satisfaction in Spanish women diagnosed with breast cancer. METHODS: A sample of 117 women completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Spanish version of the VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS). Correlation analysis and regression modeling were performed to determine which strengths predict life satisfaction. RESULTS: The results of the correlation analysis showed that 15 strengths were positively and significantly associated with life satisfaction, with the highest correlations corresponding to zest, hope, curiosity, social intelligence, love, gratitude, and judgment. Regression modeling indicated that of these, zest and hope were key strengths for predicting life satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that intervention programs based on the development of zest and hope could help to improve life satisfaction and, therefore, the psychological well-being of women with breast cancer.

Repeated measures ANOVA and adjusted F-tests when sphericity is violated: which procedure is best?

Introduction: One-way repeated measures ANOVA requires sphericity. Research indicates that violation of this assumption has an important impact on Type I error. Although more advanced alternative procedures exist, most classical texts recommend the use of adjusted F-tests, which are frequently employed because they are intuitive, easy to apply, and available in most statistical software. Adjusted F-tests differ in the procedure used to estimate the corrective factor ε, the most common being the Greenhouse-Geisser (F-GG) and Huynh-Feldt (F-HF) adjustments. Although numerous studies have analyzed the robustness of these procedures, the results are inconsistent, thus highlighting the need for further research. Methods: The aim of this simulation study was to analyze the performance of the F-statistic, F-GG, and F-HF in terms of Type I error and power in one-way designs with normal data under a variety of conditions that may be encountered in real research practice. Values of ε were fixed according to the Greenhouse-Geisser procedure (ε^). We manipulated the number of repeated measures (3, 4, and 6) and sample size (from 10 to 300), with ε^ values ranging from the lower to its upper limit. Results: Overall, the results showed that the F-statistic becomes more liberal as sphericity violation increases, whereas both F-HF and F-GG control Type I error; of the two, F-GG is more conservative, especially with large values of ε^ and small samples. Discussion: If different statistical conclusions follow from application of the two tests, we recommend using F-GG for ε^ values below 0.60, and F-HF for ε^ values equal to or above 0.60.

Immunomodulatory Effects in Healthy Individuals Following a 4-Week Taoist Qigong Intervention: A Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND Qigong, an ancient health preservation technique forming part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, combines slow body movements, breathing, and meditation. While this meditative movement system has been reported to offer various physical and psychological benefits, studies on the Taoist school of qigong are sparse. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the effects of Taoist qigong on white blood cells and other immune parameters in healthy individuals. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-eight participants were recruited for the study, with 21 assigned to the experimental group and 17 to the control group. Participants in the experimental group engaged in a four-week Taoist qigong program. Blood samples for immune parameter quantification, including leukocyte count, neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil, lymphocyte, and large unstained cell (LUC) counts, as well as concentrations of IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, and C4, were collected one day before the experiment started and one day after it ended. RESULTS Post-program, the experimental group exhibited significantly lower total leukocyte counts, and reduced numbers of lymphocytes and LUCs. Additionally, a higher percentage of monocytes was noted in this group. CONCLUSIONS Taoist qigong practice induced a distinct immunomodulatory profile, characterized by decreased counts of several white blood cell parameters and increased percentages of certain agranulocytes. This outcome presents intriguing implications from a psychobiological perspective and highlights the need for further research into the immune effects of Taoist mind-body practice.

Development and psychometric properties of the Stressors in Breast Cancer Scale.

Background: A diagnosis of breast cancer generates psychological stress, due not only to treatment and its side effects but also to the impact on different areas of the patient's daily life. Although there are instruments for measuring psychological stress in the cancer context, there is currently no tool for assessing stressors specific to breast cancer. Aims: The aim of this study was to develop the Stressors in Breast Cancer Scale (SBCS). Method: A panel of experts evaluated the clarity and relevance of scale items, providing validity evidence based on test content. Psychometric properties of the scale were then analyzed. Results: Validity evidence based on the internal structure of the SBCS was obtained through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), following a cross-validation strategy. The CFA supported a second-order factor model with five dimensions: physical appearance and sex strains, health and daily difficulties, interpersonal relationship strains, healthcare strains, and worries and concerns about the future. This structure was invariant across two groups distinguished by time from cancer diagnosis (less than 3 and 3 years or more from diagnosis). Reliability, based on McDonald's omega and Cronbach's alpha coefficients, ranged from 0.83 to 0.89 for factor scores, and reached 0.95 for total scores. Validity evidence was also provided by correlations with depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and perceived health and quality of life. Discussion: The results support the use of the SBCS for measuring stress as a stimulus in the breast cancer context. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed.

Non-normal Data in Repeated Measures ANOVA: Impact on Type I Error and Power.

BACKGROUND: Repeated measures designs are commonly used in health and social sciences research. Although there are other, more advanced, statistical analyses, the F-statistic of repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) remains the most widely used procedure for analyzing differences in means. The impact of the violation of normality has been extensively studied for between-subjects ANOVA, but this is not the case for RM-ANOVA. Therefore, studies that extensively and systematically analyze the robustness of RM-ANOVA under the violation of normality are needed. This paper reports the results of two simulation studies aimed at analyzing the Type I error and power of RM-ANOVA when the normality assumption is violated but sphericity is fulfilled. METHOD: Study 1 considered 20 distributions, both known and unknown, and we manipulated the number of repeated measures (3, 4, 6, and 8) and sample size (from 10 to 300). Study 2 involved unequal distributions in each repeated measure. The distributions analyzed represent slight, moderate, and severe deviation from normality. RESULTS: Overall, the results show that the Type I error and power of the F-statistic are not altered by the violation of normality. CONCLUSIONS: RM-ANOVA is generally robust to non-normality when the sphericity assumption is met.

Psychometric properties of the perceived stress scale (pss-10) with breast cancer patients.

Breast cancer diagnosis is one of the most difficult events that a woman can experience during her life and it usually produces high levels of stress. Global measures of perceived stress are useful for screening and for comparing stress levels between cancer patients and other clinical and nonclinical populations. One such instrument that is widely used is the Perceived Stress Scale (pss-10), but its psychometric properties have scarcely been analysed with breast cancer patients. The aim of this study was to provide validity evidence regarding the use of the 10-item version of the pss-10 as a tool for measuring perceived stress in this context. Participants were 215 Spanish breast cancer patients who completed the PSS-10 and the DASS-21, a measure of affective distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). The internal structure of the PSS-10 was examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the reliability of test scores was estimated using McDonald's omega coefficient. Validity evidence based on relationships with other variables was also obtained using correlation analysis. The CFA supported a correlated two-factor structure: perceived helplessness (six negatively worded items) and perceived self-efficacy (four positively worded items). Reliability coefficients for scores on these two factors were 0.87 and 0.73, respectively. Scores on affective distress (DASS-21) were strongly and positively correlated with perceived helplessness and moderately and negatively correlated with perceived self-efficacy. The PSS-10 is an adequate tool for measuring perceived stress in the breast cancer context and it may be useful for identifying women at risk of psychological maladjustment.

Prevalence of Child Contact Sexual Abuse in the Spanish Region of Andalusia.

The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence and characteristics of child sexual abuse (CSA) in Andalusia, Spain's most populated region. A sample of 817 adults (281 male; M age = 34.7; SD = 13.86) completed the Child Sexual Abuse Experiences Questionnaire. Because the sample was unbalanced, we performed post-stratification by gender, resulting in 562 participants (50% male). Overall, 38.8% of the sample reported at least one type of contact abuse experience, with prevalence ranging from 22% for being fondled to 3.9% for being forced to perform a sexual act involving penetration. The first episode of CSA most commonly occurred between age 6 and 11 years, except for penetration. The majority of reported experiences were repeated and perpetrated by a male. More than half of the victims did not label their experience as sexual abuse, and this apparent lack of awareness about what constitutes abuse was particularly evident among male victims. The prevalence of CSA in Andalusia is higher than for Spain as a whole, highlighting the need to raise public awareness through prevention programs.

Enhancing students' well-being with a unified approach based on contextual behavioural science: A randomised experimental school-based intervention.

A new generation of interventions has begun to move towards principles of acceptance that deal with the context and function of psychological events. The aim of this paper is to analyse the effectiveness of a brief contextual behavioural intervention to improve the psychological well-being of secondary school students. This intervention represents a unified model with key processes based on contextual behavioural science, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP). We conducted an intervention with 94 students (age range 17-19 years), randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 50) or control group (n = 44). Participants took a pretest and post-test of distress, life satisfaction, psychological flexibility and mindfulness. The intervention consisted of three sessions of 1 h each. The results showed significant differences between the groups in distress and significant differences for the interaction (group × pre-post) in all the other variables. The intervention had greater benefits for girls than for boys. These results may provide a breakthrough, thus leading to a process of evidence-based therapies, which would be responsible for inducing psychological improvements in brief periods, in a population with an increasing risk of distress.

Assessing Satisfaction With Online Courses: Spanish Version of the Learner Satisfaction Survey.

The aim of this study was to develop a Spanish version of the Learner Satisfaction Survey (LSS-S) and to analyze its psychometric properties. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1,194 university students. Validity evidence based on the instrument's internal structure and on relationships with other variables (personality and motivation) were analyzed. In addition, reliability of test scores and differences by gender and area of knowledge were examined. The results revealed a factor structure with adequate fit indices based on five first-order factors (learner-content, learner-instructor, learner-learner, and learner-technology interactions, and general satisfaction) and one second-order factor (total score for academic satisfaction). Scores on the LSS-S were positively correlated with scores on conscientiousness, intrinsic motivation, and identified regulation, and negatively correlated with scores on neuroticism and amotivation. Although the magnitude of correlations with personality traits was small, those with motivational factors were moderate or strong. Reliability of LSS-S factor scores may be considered satisfactory, with McDonald's omega ranging from 0.80 to 0.86. These results indicate that the LSS-S has satisfactory psychometric properties and that it is an adequate tool for measuring satisfaction with online courses among Spanish learners in higher education.

Measurement Invariance and Validity of the Satisfaction With Life Scale in Informal Caregivers.

BACKGROUND: The number of informal caregivers within ageing population is increasing and there is a growing research interest to promote their well-being, and therefore there is a need for adequate measurement tools. We aim to provide validity evidence of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in a representative sample of British older adults, including measurement invariance across caregivers and non-caregivers. METHOD: Data was drawn from English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The sample consisted of 3,754 caregivers and 4,036 non-caregivers. The structure and measurement invariance were tested through a confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability and validity evidence based on relationships with other variables were also analysed. RESULTS: Our results supported the one-factor structure of the SWLS, CFI = .996; NNFI = .993; RMSEA = 0.081, and measurement invariance across caregiving status. McDonald´s omega was .93. Scores on the SWLS were positively correlated with quality of life, positive social support, and self-reported health, and negatively with loneliness, depression, negative social support, difficulties in activities and instrumental activities of daily living, and number of health conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide new psychometric evidence to support the use of the SWLS in research which focuses on caregivers and on the comparison with non-caregiver samples.

The Phubbing Scale (PS-8) in the Portuguese population: psychometric properties.

Phubbing is defined as ignoring other individuals by using a mobile phone during a face-to-face conversation. The Phubbing Scale (PS) was developed to assess this practice. In this study, we analyze the psychometric properties of the 8-item version of the PS (PS-8) in the Portuguese population, providing validity evidence based on internal structure and on relationships with other variables, and examining item properties, reliability, and measurement invariance across gender. Participants were 391 Portuguese adults (132 men, 259 women) who completed a battery of questionnaires. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices for the two-factor structure (communication disturbance and phone obsession), which was invariant across gender. Item homogeneity and reliability of factor scores (McDonald's omega) were satisfactory. Validity evidence based on relationships with other variables was provided by positive associations with time spent on the Internet on weekdays and at the weekend, time spent on social networking sites, number of social networks used, Internet addiction, problematic mobile phone use, Facebook intrusion, fear of missing out, and depression. These associations show the addictive component of phubbing and its relationship with mental health. The PS-8 is a short and easy-to-administer scale with adequate psychometric properties for measuring phubbing in the Portuguese population.

Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse in Spain: A Representative Sample Study.

The prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) is difficult to assess, and rates vary widely across studies due to methodological and sample differences. In Spain, prevalence data from representative samples are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of different CSA experiences in a sample that was representative of the Spanish population in terms of gender, age, and region. The sample comprised 1,071 (539 male and 532 female) Spanish adults (Mage = 45.37; SD = 14.84). Participants completed an anonymous online survey about different types of CSA and were asked whether they had disclosed the experience at the time. Prevalence was analyzed as a function of gender and generation. Results indicated prevalence rates ranging from 2.8% to 18.5%, depending on the type of experience. The most common experience suffered during childhood was being shown pornographic material, while that with the lowest prevalence was being forced to perform a sexual act involving penetration. Prevalence was higher in females than males for eight of the ten experiences considered. Young adults from Generation Z were the most likely to report having suffered three of the CSA experiences, two of them related to technology. Only 27.5% of respondents said that they had told someone about the abuse at the time, mainly their mother (more common among females) or a friend/peer (more frequent among males). The results suggest that CSA is prevalent in Spain, with considerable rates for several types of abusive experience, especially among females and the youngest generation. The implications of the results are discussed. The findings may inform social policy and the development of effective prevention programs.

The Satisfaction with Life Scale in breast cancer patients: Psychometric properties.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), examining the reliability of scale scores and providing validity evidence for its use with breast cancer patients. We provide validity evidence based on internal structure and on relationships with positive psychological variables and other variables indicative of psychological adjustment. METHOD: Participants were 222 Spanish women with a diagnosis of breast cancer. They completed the SWLS and a battery of questionnaires measuring positive and negative affect, self-esteem, resilience, emotional intelligence, flourishing, optimism, depression, anxiety, and stress. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis supported a single-factor structure for the SWLS, S-B χ2 (5) = 7.36, p = .19, CFI = .99, NNFI = .99, RMSEA = .046. The reliability of test scores estimated with McDonald's omega yielded a value of .80. Validity evidence was provided by a positive correlation between SWLS scores and positive affect, self-esteem, resilience, emotional intelligence (specifically, clarity and repair), flourishing, and optimism (range: .24, .69), and by a negative correlation with negative affect, pessimism, depression, anxiety, and stress (range: -.25, -.59). CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the SWLS showed satisfactory psychometric properties and it is an appropriate measure for use in the breast cancer context.

ANTECEDENTES/OBJETIVO: El objetivo deestudio es examinar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida (SWLS), analizando la fiabilidad de sus puntuaciones y aportando evidencias para su uso en pacientes con cáncer de mama. Se proporcionan evidencias de validez basadas en la estructura interna y en la relación con otras variables psicológicas positivas y con otras indicativas de ajuste psicológico. MÉTODO: Han participado 222 mujeres españolas diagnosticadas de cáncer de mama, que cumplimentaron la SWLS y medidas de afecto positivo y negativo, autoestima, resiliencia, inteligencia emocional, florecimiento, optimismo, depresión, ansiedad y estrés. RESULTADOS: El análisis factorial confirmatorio indicó una estructura unidimensional, S-B χ2(5) = 7,36, p = 0,19, CFI = 0,99, NNFI = 0,99, RMSEA = 0,046. La fiabilidad de las puntuaciones estimadas con omega de McDonald fue de 0,80. Las evidencias de validez mostraron correlaciones positivas entre las puntuaciones de SWLS y afecto positivo, autoestima, inteligencia emocional (específicamente, claridad y reparación), florecimiento y optimismo (rango 0,24 0,69), así como correlaciones negativas con afecto negativo, pesimismo, depresión, ansiedad, y estrés (rango -0,25 - 0,59). CONCLUSIONES: La versión española de la SWLS muestra adecuadas propiedades psicométricas, siendo una medida apropiada para utilizarla en pacientes de cáncer de mama.

Life satisfaction and the mediating role of character strengths and gains in informal caregivers.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: The role of informal caregiver can have both negative and positive consequences for a person's well-being. The main theoretical framework for explaining these consequences is the stress process model, which considers contextual variables, stressors and mediating/moderating factors. The latter are psychosocial factors such as coping strategies, personal mastery, social support or beliefs and values which may influence caregiver well-being. The perception of gains in caregiving has also been proposed as a mediating variable since it may act as a coping strategy. However, few studies have examined values and perceived gains as mediating variables with life satisfaction as the outcome. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This study explores the role of character strengths and caregiver gains as mediators between stressors and life satisfaction in informal caregivers of persons with dementia. The results identify hope as a key character strength, its lack being one pathway through which stress may lead to low life satisfaction and low perceived gains from caregiving. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Caregivers who experience a lack of hope may be less able to generate goals and be less motivated to achieve them. Our findings are relevant to gerontological nursing based on the Senses Framework as they confirm the importance of the senses of purpose and achievement. Nursing and care staff can play an active role in helping informal caregivers to meet their goals by promoting these two senses, thereby fostering a more positive caregiving experience. ABSTRACT: Introduction Being an informal caregiver can have both negative and positive consequences for well-being. Within the framework of the stress process model, few studies have examined values and perceived gains of caregiving as mediating variables of life satisfaction. Aim To explore the role of character strengths and perceived gains as mediators in the association between life satisfaction and primary and secondary stressors in informal caregivers of persons with dementia. Method Participants were 112 informal caregivers. Hierarchical regression, correlation and mediation analyses were performed. Results Lower life satisfaction was associated with being female, unmarried, caring for someone with greater cognitive impairment, a higher level of stress, having restricted leisure time and perceiving financial difficulties. Hope mediated the associations between perceived stress and both life satisfaction and perceived gains of caregiving. Discussion Hope is a key strength and its lack is one pathway through which stress may cause low satisfaction and low perceived gains from caregiving. Implications for practice Without hope, it is difficult for caregivers to generate goals and be motivated to achieve them. Nursing and care staff should aim to promote a sense of purpose and achievement among informal caregivers so as to foster a more positive caring experience.

Cognition in informal caregivers: evidence from an English population study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The relationship between caregiving and cognition remains unclear. We investigate this association comparing four cognitive tasks and exploring the role of potential explanatory pathways such as healthy behaviours (healthy caregiver hypothesis) and depression (stress process model). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Respondents were from English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) (N = 8910). Cognitive tasks included immediate and delayed word recall, verbal fluency and serial 7 subtraction. Series of hierarchical linear regressions were performed. Adjustments included socio-demographics, health related variables, health behaviours and depression. RESULTS: Being a caregiver was positively associated with immediate and delayed recall, verbal fluency but not with serial 7. For immediate and delayed recall, these associations were partially attenuated when adjusting for health behaviours, and depression. For verbal fluency, associations were partially attenuated when adjusting for depression but fully attenuated when adjusting for health behaviours. No associations were found for serial 7. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings show that caregivers have higher level of memory and executive function compared to non-caregivers. For memory, we found that although health behaviours and depression can have a role in this association, they do not fully explain it. However, health behaviours seem to have a clear role in the association with executive function. Public health and policy do not need to target specifically cognitive function but other areas as the promotion of healthy behaviours and psychological adjustment such as preventing depression and promoting physical activity in caregivers.

The Phubbing Scale (PS-8) in the Portuguese population: psychometric properties

Phubbing is defined as ignoring other individuals by using a mobile phone during a face-to-face conversation. The Phubbing Scale (PS) was developed to assess this practice. In this study, we analyze the psychometric properties of the 8-item version of the PS (PS-8) in the Portuguese population, providing validity evidence based on internal structure and on relationships with other variables, and examining item properties, reliability, and measurement invariance across gender. Participants were 391 Portuguese adults (132 men, 259 women) who completed a battery of questionnaires. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices for the two-factor structure (communication disturbance and phone obsession), which was invariant across gender. Item homogeneity and reliability of factor scores (McDonald's omega) were satisfactory. Validity evidence based on relationships with other variables was provided by positive associations with time spent on the Internet on weekdays and at the weekend, time spent on social networking sites, number of social networks used, Internet addiction, problematic mobile phone use, Facebook intrusion, fear of missing out, and depression. These associations show the addictive component of phubbing and its relationship with mental health. The PS-8 is a short and easy-to-administer scale with adequate psychometric properties for measuring phubbing in the Portuguese population. (AU)