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1.
PLoS Biol ; 22(2): e3002497, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38358955

ABSTRACT

Online digital data from media platforms have the potential to complement biodiversity monitoring efforts. We propose a strategy for integrating these data into current biodiversity datasets in light of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.


Subject(s)
Biodiversity , Conservation of Natural Resources
2.
Eur Eat Disord Rev ; 32(1): 66-79, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37581422

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to explore the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and deficits in inhibitory control, and the role of these processes in eating psychopathology in a non-clinical sample. We also explored the specificity in which deficits in inhibitory control may underlie eating psychopathology, namely whether they can be conceptualised as context specific or more extensive in nature. METHOD: Participants were 107 healthy individuals recruited at a major Portuguese university, aged between 18 and 43 years-old (M = 21.23, SD = 4.79). Two computerised neuropsychological tasks (i.e., emotional go/no-go and food go/no-go tasks) were used to assess response inhibition in the presence of general versus context-specific stimuli. A set of self-report measures was used to assess variables of interest such as emotion regulation and eating psychopathology. RESULTS: Results indicated higher response inhibition deficits among participants with higher difficulties in emotion regulation comparing to those with lower difficulties in emotion regulation, particularly in the context of food-related stimuli. In addition, the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and eating psychopathology was moderated by inhibitory control deficits in both the context of food and pleasant stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings highlight inhibitory control as an important process underlying the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and eating psychopathology in non-clinical samples. Findings have important implications for clinical practice and the prevention of eating psychopathology in healthy individuals and individuals with eating disorders.


Subject(s)
Emotional Regulation , Feeding and Eating Disorders , Humans , Adolescent , Young Adult , Adult , Emotions/physiology , Psychopathology , Self Report
3.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38516875

ABSTRACT

Dear Editor, According to GINA, severe asthma is defined as uncontrolled asthma, despite therapy adherence with an optimized high dose of inhaled corticosteroid plus long-acting ß2-agonist coupled with management of modifiable factors/comorbidities, that worsens when this treatment is decreased. It affects a significant portion of asthmatic patients and imposes a high risk of exacerbations and mortality, which are associated with significant healthcare costs and psychosocial impact...

4.
Eur Eat Disord Rev ; 30(6): 760-771, 2022 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35501947

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Difficulties in emotion regulation are thought to play a transdiagnostic role across eating disorders (ED). In the current study, we explored with a path analysis the mediating role of self-criticism, experiential avoidance and negative urgency on the relationship between ED-related symptoms and dimensions of difficulties in emotion regulation. METHOD: Participants were 103 female outpatients recruited at a Portuguese ED hospital unit, diagnosed with an ED, aged 14-60 years old (M = 28.0, SD = 10.5), body mass index (BMI) ranging from 11.72 to 39.44 (M = 20.1, SD = 5.4). RESULTS: The path analysis resulted in a model with an adequate fit to the data (SRMR = 0.05; RMSEA = 0.07 [0.00, 0.12], PCLOSE = 0.269; TLI = 0.97; IFI = 0.99; GFI = 0.95). A final model in which the relationship between ED-related symptoms and dimensions of difficulties in emotion regulation was mediated by self-criticism, experiential avoidance and negative urgency, accounted for a variance of 71% for strategies, 57% for non-acceptance, 62% for impulses, 56% for goals and 20% for clarity. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that self-criticism, experiential avoidance and negative urgency, combined, are relevant in the relationship between ED-related symptoms and difficulties in emotion regulation. ED treatment and emotion regulation skills may be enhanced through the inclusion of specific components that target self-criticism, experiential avoidance and negative urgency, as they become prominent during the therapeutic process.


Subject(s)
Emotional Regulation , Feeding and Eating Disorders , Adolescent , Adult , Body Mass Index , Eating , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Self-Assessment , Young Adult
5.
Clin Psychol Psychother ; 29(1): 222-229, 2022 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34048623

ABSTRACT

The Committed Action Questionnaire (CAQ-8) is an instrument developed to measure committed action, an adaptive psychological process. The main goal in the current study was to confirm the factorial structure of the Portuguese version of the CAQ-8 in a transdiagnostic clinical sample of participants diagnosed with an eating disorder (ED). Participants were 102 female outpatients (Mage = 28.1, SD = 10.6; MBMI = 20.0, SD = 5.5) recruited from a clinical setting specialized in the treatment of ED. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the CAQ-8's factorial structure. Both first- and second-order models revealed adequate goodness-of-fit indices (e.g. χ2 /df = 1.545, p = .06; SRMR = 0.049; RMSEA = 0.073; CFI/TLI > 0.95). A moderation model revealed that the conditional effect of weight, shape and eating concerns on experiential avoidance was significantly moderated by increased levels of committed action, F(3, 97) = 23.79, p < .001, accounting for 42% of the final variance. The present study supports the usefulness of the CAQ-8 as a measure of levels of committed action with patients diagnosed with an ED.


Subject(s)
Feeding and Eating Disorders , Adult , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Feeding and Eating Disorders/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Portugal , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and Questionnaires
6.
Eat Weight Disord ; 27(1): 179-188, 2022 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33713336

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the early associations between the experienced psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis during lockdown, depressive symptomatology, anxiety/stress levels, and disordered eating behaviors in adults during a first COVID-19 lockdown period. METHODS: This was a community-based cross-sectional study assessing 254 Portuguese adults (82.7% women; 35.82 ± 11.82 years) 1 week after the end of the first mandatory COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal. An online survey was conducted to evaluate psychological distress, disordered eating, and psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pearson correlations and Structural Equation Modeling were performed. RESULTS: Participants reported the presence of meal skipping (52.8%), grazing eating behavior (80.9%), overeating (81.0%), loss of control over eating (47.2%), and binge eating episodes (39.2%) during lockdown. Structural equation modeling analyses, controlling for age and sex, indicated that there was a significant indirect effect of the experienced psychosocial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on disordered eating behaviors mediated through psychological distress. CONCLUSION: The psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis may lead to disordered eating, and this relation may occur through the elevation of psychological distress. These findings can be used to inform interventions, to enhance mental health and manage disordered eating during similar future situations. Level of evidence V: cross-sectional descriptive study.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Feeding and Eating Disorders , Psychological Distress , Adult , Communicable Disease Control , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2
7.
BMC Cancer ; 21(1): 682, 2021 Jun 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34112100

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the effects of different therapeutic options to prevent the evolution of vaginal stenosis after pelvic radiotherapy in women with cervical cancer. METHODS: open-label randomized clinical trial of 195 women, stage I-IIIB, aged 18-75 years, using topical estrogen (66), topical testosterone (34), water-based intimate lubricant gel (66), and vaginal dilators (29) to assess the incidence and severity of vaginal stenosis after radiotherapy at UNICAMP-Brazil, from January/2013 to May/2018. The main outcome measure was vaginal stenosis assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) scale and percental changes in vaginal volume. The women were evaluated at four different times: shortly after the end of radiotherapy, and four, eight, and 12 months after the beginning of the intervention. Statistical analysis was carried out using Symmetry test, Kruskal-Wallis test and multiple regression. RESULTS: the mean age of women was 46.78 (±13.01) years, 61,03% were premenopausal and 73,84% had stage IIB-IIIB tumors. The mean reduction in vaginal volume in the total group was 25.47%, with similar worsening in the four treatment groups with no statistical difference throughout the intervention period. There was worsening of vaginal stenosis evaluated by CTCAE scale after 1 year in all groups (p < 0.01), except for the users of vaginal dilator (p = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: there was a reduction in vaginal volume in all treatment groups analyzed, with no significant difference between them. However, women who used vaginal dilators had a lower frequency and severity of vaginal stenosis assessed by the CTCAE scale after one year of treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials, RBR-23w5fv . Registered 10 January 2017 - Retrospectively registered.


Subject(s)
Brachytherapy/adverse effects , Chemoradiotherapy/adverse effects , Radiation Injuries/epidemiology , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Vaginal Diseases/epidemiology , Administration, Topical , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Brazil/epidemiology , Chemoradiotherapy/methods , Constriction, Pathologic/diagnosis , Constriction, Pathologic/epidemiology , Constriction, Pathologic/etiology , Constriction, Pathologic/prevention & control , Dilatation/instrumentation , Dilatation/methods , Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)/administration & dosage , Female , Humans , Incidence , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Staging , Radiation Injuries/diagnosis , Radiation Injuries/etiology , Radiation Injuries/prevention & control , Severity of Illness Index , Testosterone Propionate/administration & dosage , Treatment Outcome , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/diagnosis , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/pathology , Vagina/drug effects , Vagina/pathology , Vagina/radiation effects , Vaginal Diseases/diagnosis , Vaginal Diseases/etiology , Vaginal Diseases/prevention & control , Young Adult
8.
Exp Cell Res ; 395(2): 112209, 2020 10 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32739211

ABSTRACT

Astrocytes are major contributors of motor neuron (MN) degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We investigated whether regional and cell maturation differences influence ALS astrocyte malfunction. Spinal and cortical astrocytes from SOD1G93A (mSOD1) 7-day-old mice were cultured for 5 and 13 days in vitro (DIV). Astrocyte aberrancies predominated in 13DIV cells with region specificity. 13DIV cortical mSOD1 astrocytes showed early morphological changes and a predominant reactive and inflammatory phenotype, while repressed proteins and genes were found in spinal cells. Inflammatory-associated miRNAs, e.g. miR-155/miR-21/miR-146a, were downregulated in the first and upregulated in the later ones. Interestingly, depleted miR-155/miR-21/miR-146a in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs/exosomes) was a common pathological feature. Cortical mSOD1 astrocytes induced late apoptosis and kinesin-1 downregulation in mSOD1 NSC-34 MNs, whereas spinal cells upregulated dynein, while decreased nNOS and synaptic-related genes. Both regional-distinct mSOD1 astrocytes enhanced iNOS gene expression in mSOD1 MNs. We provide information on the potential contribution of astrocytes to ALS bulbar-vs. spinal-onset pathology, local influence on neuronal dysfunction and their shared miRNA-depleted exosome trafficking. These causal and common features may have potential therapeutic implications in ALS. Future studies should clarify if astrocyte-derived sEVs are active players in ALS-related neuroinflammation and glial activation.


Subject(s)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/genetics , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/pathology , Astrocytes/metabolism , Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism , Phenotype , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/metabolism , Animals , Astrocytes/pathology , Cells, Cultured , Disease Models, Animal , Mice , Mice, Transgenic , Motor Neurons/metabolism , Motor Neurons/pathology , Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism , Up-Regulation
9.
Pediatr Nephrol ; 36(12): 3993-4001, 2021 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34105013

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with worse outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients. The renal angina index (RAI) has been proposed as an early prediction tool for AKI development. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to evaluate outcomes of RAI-positive patients and to compare RAI performance with traditional AKI markers across different patient groups (medical/post-surgical). This was an observational retrospective study. All children admitted to a tertiary hospital PICU over a 3-year period were included. Electronic medical records were reviewed. Day 1 RAI was calculated, as was the presence and staging of day 3 AKI. RESULTS: A total of 593 patients were included; 56% were male, the mean age was 55 months, and 17% had a positive RAI. This was associated with day 3 AKI development and worse outcomes, such as greater need for kidney replacement therapy, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, vasoactive support and PICU stay, and higher mortality. For all-stage kidney injury, RAI presented a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 88.1%. Prediction of day 3 all-stage AKI by RAI had an AUC=0.878; its performance increased for severe AKI (AUC = 0.93). RAI was superior to serum creatinine increase and KDIGO AKI staging on day 1 in predicting severe AKI development. The performance remained high irrespective of the type of admission. CONCLUSIONS: The RAI is a simple and inexpensive tool that can be used with medical and post-surgical PICU patients to predict AKI development and anticipate complications, allowing for the adoption of preventive measures.


Subject(s)
Acute Kidney Injury , Critical Illness , Acute Kidney Injury/diagnosis , Acute Kidney Injury/epidemiology , Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric , Male , Retrospective Studies , Severity of Illness Index
10.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(11)2021 Jun 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34200161

ABSTRACT

miRNA(miR)-124 is an important regulator of neurogenesis, but its upregulation in SOD1G93A motor neurons (mSOD1 MNs) was shown to associate with neurodegeneration and microglia activation. We used pre-miR-124 in wild-type (WT) MNs and anti-miR-124 in mSOD1 MNs to characterize the miR-124 pathological role. miR-124 overexpression in WT MNs produced a miRNA profile like that of mSOD1 MNs (high miR-125b; low miR-146a and miR-21), and similarly led to early apoptosis. Alterations in mSOD1 MNs were abrogated with anti-miR-124 and changes in their miRNAs mostly recapitulated by their secretome. Normalization of miR-124 levels in mSOD1 MNs prevented the dysregulation of neurite network, mitochondria dynamics, axonal transport, and synaptic signaling. Same alterations were observed in WT MNs after pre-miR-124 transfection. Secretome from mSOD1 MNs triggered spinal microglia activation, which was unno-ticed with that from anti-miR-124-modulated cells. Secretome from such modulated MNs, when added to SC organotypic cultures from mSOD1 mice in the early symptomatic stage, also coun-teracted the pathology associated to GFAP decrease, PSD-95 and CX3CL1-CX3CR1 signaling im-pairment, neuro-immune homeostatic imbalance, and enhanced miR-124 expression levels. Data suggest that miR-124 is implicated in MN degeneration and paracrine-mediated pathogenicity. We propose miR-124 as a new therapeutic target and a promising ALS biomarker in patient sub-populations.


Subject(s)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/pathology , Biomarkers/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Motor Neurons/pathology , Superoxide Dismutase-1/physiology , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/genetics , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/metabolism , Animals , Female , Humans , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Transgenic , MicroRNAs/genetics , Mitochondria/metabolism , Mitochondria/pathology , Motor Neurons/metabolism , Signal Transduction
11.
Arch Orthop Trauma Surg ; 141(1): 99-104, 2021 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33136213

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Ankle malleolar fractures are one of the most common surgical fractures. The literature about ankle fracture sport related is reduced. Severe fractures, fractures-dislocations, syndesmosis lesions, associated osteochondral lesions, postoperative complications, as well as age are associated in several studies with worse functional results and may, therefore, also be associated with a lower rate of sports return. This study aims to retrospectively assess the return to physical activity at the level prior to injury in individuals undergoing surgical treatment of unstable malleolar ankle injuries and to identify risk factors associated with a non-return. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated between January 2008 and December 2017, patients with an unstable malleolar fracture of the ankle surgically treated, recreational or competitive sportsman with a minimum follow-up of one year. Demographic data, fracture classification according to AO classification, presence/absence of osteochondral lesion, presence/absence of unstable syndesmosis lesion, associated dislocation, type of surgery, postoperative complications, functional outcome evaluation with the AOFAS score and sports return. RESULTS: 92 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean AOFAS score observed was 90.93 (67-100). 69.7% of patients returned without limitations in performing physical activity. 21.75% returned with limitations and 8.7% did not return to physical activity. No association was observed between age, sex, syndesmosis lesion and greater risk of not returning to physical activity. Patients with bimalleolar or trimalleolar fractures, osteochondral injury, or associated dislocation presented an increased risk of inferior functional score and non-return sporting activity. CONCLUSIONS: Bimalleolar and trimalleolar fractures, associated presence of dislocation and osteochondral lesions are associated with worse clinical outcome and lower return onset.


Subject(s)
Ankle Fractures/epidemiology , Return to Sport/statistics & numerical data , Ankle Fractures/physiopathology , Fracture Dislocation , Humans , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors
12.
Curr Psychol ; 40(12): 6275-6281, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33679113

ABSTRACT

This study aims to characterize the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 lockdown for post-bariatric surgery (≥ 36 months) women and its association with disordered eating and psychological distress. The medium to long-time follow up is a period of increased susceptibility for poorer weight outcomes which might be triggered by the lockdown. Twenty-four participants responded to an online questionnaire and a telephone interview. About half (n = 14; 58.3%) reported perceived weight gain during the lockdown, 13 (54.1%) limited access to social support, and 12 (50%) limited access to medical care. Co-habiting with a higher number of persons during lockdown was associated with fewer difficulties in dealing with emotionally activating situations, less fear of gaining weight, less fear of losing control over eating, and less disordered eating. The global perceived psychosocial impact of lockdown was significantly correlated with difficulties in dealing with emotionally activating situations and stress symptoms. Results highlight the need to monitor post-bariatric patients, facilitate health care access, and promote social support during the lockdown period. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01529-6.

13.
Vet Res ; 51(1): 124, 2020 Sep 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32988417

ABSTRACT

Many studies report age as a risk factor for BoHV-1 infection or seropositivity. However, it is unclear whether this pattern reflects true epidemiological causation or is a consequence of study design and other issues. Here, we seek to understand the age-related dynamics of BoHV-1 seroprevalence in seasonal calving Irish dairy herds and provide decision support for the design and implementation of effective BoHV-1 testing strategies. We analysed seroprevalence data from dairy herds taken during two Irish seroprevalence surveys conducted between 2010 and 2017. Age-dependent seroprevalence profiles were constructed for herds that were seropositive and unvaccinated. Some of these profiles revealed a sudden increase in seroprevalence between adjacent age-cohorts, from absent or low to close to 100% of seropositive animals. By coupling the outcome of our data analysis with simulation output of an individual-based model at the herd scale, we have shown that these sudden increases are related to extensive virus circulation within a herd for a limited time, which may then subsequently remain latent over the following years. BoHV-1 outbreaks in dairy cattle herds affect animals independent of age and lead to almost 100% seroconversion in all age groups, or at least in all animals within a single epidemiological unit. In the absence of circulating infection, there is a year-on-year increase in the age-cohort at which seroprevalence changes from low to high. The findings of this study inform recommendations regarding testing regimes in the context of contingency planning or an eradication programme in seasonal calving dairy herds.


Subject(s)
Herpesvirus 1, Bovine/physiology , Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis/epidemiology , Vaccination/veterinary , Age Factors , Animals , Cattle , Dairying , Female , Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis/virology , Ireland/epidemiology , Prevalence , Seroepidemiologic Studies
14.
Int J Eat Disord ; 53(6): 937-944, 2020 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32282096

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The Eating Disorder Examination - Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is a widely used self-report measure of eating-disordered behaviors and attitudes. Recent studies utilizing confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) have proposed alternative and shorter forms. The aim of this study was to compare the full-length version of the EDE-Q and several proposed short forms (7-item, 8-item, and 18-item) in terms of their psychometric properties, including concurrent, convergent and discriminant validity, factor structure, and sensitivity to change. METHODS: Participants from two eating-disorder clinical samples (N = 175 and 38) and from a nonclinical sample (N = 3,413) completed a battery of measures, including the Portuguese version of the EDE-Q. Analyses compared psychometric properties of the available short forms of the EDE-Q among each other. RESULTS: All forms of the EDE-Q showed good internal consistency values, correlated highly among each other (r > .90) and with different measures of eating psychopathology (r > .80). All EDE-Q forms were able to distinguish between cases and controls with moderate-to-high accuracy and were sensitive to change. CFA failed to support the proposed factor structure for all the EDE-Q forms, except for the 7-item form. DISCUSSION: The present study provides empirical background for choosing between different forms of the EDE-Q. Findings indicate that for nonclinical and for clinical research, including studies of treatment change and outcome, the short forms of the EDE-Q can be used. A shorter version is a viable alternative when less time-consuming alternatives are needed, such to quickly screen for eating-disorder psychopathology or to perform session-by-session treatment monitoring.


Subject(s)
Feeding and Eating Disorders/diagnosis , Psychometrics/methods , Psychopathology/methods , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
16.
Eur Eat Disord Rev ; 28(4): 423-432, 2020 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32246543

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the utility of DSM-5 indicators of loss of control (LOC) eating in adult bariatric surgery patients who presented with binge-eating episodes. METHODS: Participants (all women) were 40 preoperative and 28 postoperative bariatric surgery patients reporting objective binge eating (OBE), 46 preoperative and 52 postoperative with subjective binge-eating (SBE), 53 bulimia nervosa (BN) controls, and 34 binge-eating disorder (BED) controls. Face-to-face Eating Disorder Examination interviews and questionnaires were administered. ANOVA, T-test, χ 2 , and regressions compared the groups in terms of LOC indicators endorsed and to explain disordered eating psychopathology. RESULTS: The indicator most commonly reported by bariatric patients with OBE was "feeling disgusted" (90% and 75% of pre- and postoperative groups), and the least endorsed was "eating alone" (40 and 28.6%). These indicators were reported by >84.9% of the BN and BED. Bariatric patients (pre- or post-surgery) with OBE only reported a higher number of indicators than patients with SBE only (t(150) = 2.34, p = .021). A higher number of indicators reported were associated with increased eating-related psychopathology (F(1,134) = 31.06, p < .001), but only for the post-surgery patients. CONCLUSIONS: The LOC indicators proposed by DSM-5 need to be refined or revised for the bariatric population. Highlights Bariatric patients endorse fewer LOC indicators than BN or BED during a binge-eating episode. Some of the DSM-5 LOC indicators may not be suited to assess episodes of loss of control eating among bariatric patients. The Higher the number of LOC indicators reported, the higher the eating-related psychopathology.


Subject(s)
Bariatric Surgery , Bulimia/psychology , Internal-External Control , Adult , Binge-Eating Disorder/psychology , Bulimia Nervosa/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
17.
Eat Weight Disord ; 25(3): 627-635, 2020 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30838511

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA) in eating disorders (ED) patients. METHOD: The CIA is a 16-item brief self-reported instrument developed to assess psychosocial impairment secondary to EDs. The CIA was administered to a clinical sample of 237 women with EDs and a college sample of 196 women. The clinical sample completed the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Outcome-45 Questionnaire. Reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, validity, and clinically significant change were calculated. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis validated the original 3-factor structure showing an adequate model fit. CIA showed good psychometric properties with high internal consistency, good convergent validity with the EDE-Q, the OQ-45, and the BDI. For divergent validity, participants CIA scores in the clinical sample were significantly higher than in the non-clinical sample. ROC curve analysis provided a cutoff of 15. For known-groups validity participants' scoring above CIA cutoff reported significantly higher CIA scores. In addition, non-underweight participants and participants reporting the presence of dysfunctional ED behaviors had significantly higher CIA scores. Finally, for clinically significant change, a reliable change index of 5 points was obtained to consider a reliable change in the CIA global score. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the validity and clinical utility of the CIA as a good self-report measure to be used in both clinical and research settings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V. Cross-sectional descriptive study.


Subject(s)
Feeding and Eating Disorders/diagnosis , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adolescent , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Portugal , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of Results , Translations , Young Adult
18.
Eat Weight Disord ; 25(3): 679-692, 2020 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30859467

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Engaging in a healthy lifestyle after bariatric surgery is essential to optimize and sustain weight loss in the long term. There is promising evidence that social support of patients who undergo bariatric surgery plays an important role in promoting a better quality of life and adherence to the required behavioral changes and medical appointments. This study sought to investigate: (a) if post-operative patients experience different levels of perceived social support compared to pre-operative patients; (b) correlations between perceived social support, depression, disordered eating, and weight outcomes; (c) if social support is a moderator between psychological distress, and disordered eating behavior and weight outcomes. METHODS: A group of 65 patients assessed pre-surgery and another group of 65 patients assessed post-surgery (M = 26.12; SD 7.97 months since surgery) responded to a set of self-report measures assessing social support, eating disorder psychopathology, disordered eating, and depression. RESULTS: Greater social support was associated with lower depression, emotional eating, weight and shape concerns, and greater weight loss in pre- and post-surgery groups. Social support was found to be a moderator between different psychological/weight variables but only for the post-surgery group: the relation between depression and eating disorder psychopathology or weight loss was significant for patients scoring medium to high level is social support; the relation between grazing and weight regain was significant for patients scoring medium to low levels of social support. CONCLUSIONS: The associations found between perceived social support and depression, disordered eating and weight outcomes highlight the importance of considering and working with the social support network of patients undergoing bariatric surgery to optimize treatment outcomes. Level of Evidence  Level III: case-control study.


Subject(s)
Bariatric Surgery/psychology , Depression/psychology , Feeding Behavior/psychology , Feeding and Eating Disorders/psychology , Obesity, Morbid/surgery , Social Support , Weight Loss , Adult , Anxiety/psychology , Case-Control Studies , Feeding and Eating Disorders/complications , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Obesity, Morbid/complications , Obesity, Morbid/psychology , Quality of Life , Self Report , Treatment Outcome
19.
World Dev ; 122: 675-692, 2019 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31582871

ABSTRACT

With growing commitment to women's empowerment by agricultural development agencies, sound methods and indicators to measure women's empowerment are needed to learn which types of projects or project-implementation strategies do and do not work to empower women. The Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), which has been widely used, requires adaptation to meet the need for monitoring projects and assessing their impacts. In this paper, the authors describe the adaptation and validation of a project-level WEAI (or pro-WEAI) that agricultural development projects can use to identify key areas of women's (and men's) disempowerment, design appropriate strategies to address identified deficiencies, and monitor project outcomes related to women's empowerment. The 12 pro-WEAI indicators are mapped to three domains: intrinsic agency (power within), instrumental agency (power to), and collective agency (power with). A gender parity index compares the empowerment scores of men and women in the same household. The authors describe the development of pro-WEAI, including: (1) pro-WEAI's distinctiveness from other versions of the WEAI; (2) the process of piloting pro-WEAI in 13 agricultural development projects during the Gender, Agriculture, and Assets Project, phase 2 (GAAP2); (3) analysis of quantitative data from the GAAP2 projects, including intrahousehold patterns of empowerment/disempowerment; and (4) a summary of the findings from the qualitative work exploring concepts of women's empowerment in the project sites. The paper concludes with a discussion of lessons learned from pro-WEAI and possibilities for further development of empowerment metrics.

20.
J Environ Manage ; 229: 10-26, 2019 Jan 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30077400

ABSTRACT

Human perceptions of nature and the environment are increasingly being recognised as important for environmental management and conservation. Understanding people's perceptions is crucial for understanding behaviour and developing effective management strategies to maintain, preserve and improve biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being. As an interdisciplinary team, we produced a synthesis of the key factors that influence people's perceptions of invasive alien species, and ordered them in a conceptual framework. In a context of considerable complexity and variation across time and space, we identified six broad-scale dimensions: (1) attributes of the individual perceiving the invasive alien species; (2) characteristics of the invasive alien species itself; (3) effects of the invasion (including negative and positive impacts, i.e. benefits and costs); (4) socio-cultural context; (5) landscape context; and (6) institutional and policy context. A number of underlying and facilitating aspects for each of these six overarching dimensions are also identified and discussed. Synthesising and understanding the main factors that influence people's perceptions is useful to guide future research, to facilitate dialogue and negotiation between actors, and to aid management and policy formulation and governance of invasive alien species. This can help to circumvent and mitigate conflicts, support prioritisation plans, improve stakeholder engagement platforms, and implement control measures.


Subject(s)
Introduced Species , Ecosystem , Humans , Perception
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