RESUMO
BACKGROUND: "Freshman's week" (FW) is a Norwegian initiation ritual to higher education. Previous research has suggested that FW-participation is associated with better social adjustment to the student setting, as well as heavy alcohol use both during and after the event. In this study, we aimed to identify characteristics associated with participation in FW and characteristics associated with experiencing adverse effects of alcohol use during FW. METHODS: Students in the city of Bergen, Norway participated in a survey during fall 2015, shortly after FW. The current sample consisted of the first-year students (N = 4, 401, estimated response rate: 49%). The sample's mean age was 24 years (range: 17-73 years), 65% were females, and the majority were born in Norway (93%). Logistic regressions were conducted to identify characteristics associated with participation in FW and experiencing adverse effects. RESULTS: A total of 64% of the first-year students reported participation in FW, and 27% of these reported experiencing at least one adverse alcohol-related effect during FW. Participation in FW was positively associated with being single (OR = 1.29), extroversion (OR = 1.18), and alcohol use (OR = 1.28), and inversely associated with age (OR = 0.70), and having children (OR = 0.36). Several characteristics (e.g., alcohol use (OR = 1.84), extroversion (OR = 0.60), symptoms of depression (OR = 1.60)) were associated with an increased risk of experiencing adverse effects of alcohol use during participation. CONCLUSION: The current results suggest that initiatives for increasing the participation rate in FW, reducing alcohol use during FW, and decreasing the occurrence of adverse alcohol effects during FW are warranted. Aiming to reduce the focus on alcohol use during FW, and seeking to make FW more available and enjoyable for students with other priorities, students who do not match the stereotype of the typical first-year student, and less sociable students, might both increase participation rate and prevent the occurrence of adverse alcohol effects. Future studies should aim to develop and assess interventions designed to increase participation in FW and reduce the occurrence of adverse effects related to participation.
Assuntos
Consumo de Álcool na Faculdade/psicologia , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/efeitos adversos , Comportamento Ritualístico , Estudantes/psicologia , Universidades , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Noruega , Fatores de Risco , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Research into problematic tanning (or 'tanning addiction') has markedly increased over the past few years. Although several instruments exist to measure excessive tanning, most of these are psychometrically poor, are not theoretically anchored, and have been used mainly on small samples. OBJECTIVES: To develop a new tanning addiction scale based on a specific theoretical approach utilizing core addiction criteria. METHODS: A scale comprising seven items (salience/craving, tolerance, mood modification, relapse/loss of control, withdrawal, conflict and problems) was administered online to a cross-sectional convenience sample of 23 537 adults (mean ± SD age 35·8 ± 13·3 years). There was also assessment of demographic factors, the five-factor model of personality, and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression. RESULTS: A confirmatory factor analysis showed that a one-factor model gave an optimal fit with the data collected [root mean square error of approximation = 0·050, 90% confidence interval (CI) 0·047-0·053; comparative fit index = 0·99; Tucker-Lewis index = 0·99]. High factor loadings (0·78-0·91, all P < 0·001) and coefficient omega indicator of reliability (ω = 0·94, 95% CI 0·94-0·94) were also found using the new scale. In a multiple linear regression analysis, tanning addiction was positively associated with being female, not being in a relationship, extraversion, neuroticism, anxiety and obsessive-compulsiveness. It was also found that educational level, intellect/openness and depression were inversely associated with tanning addiction. CONCLUSIONS: The new scale, the Bergen Tanning Addiction Scale (BTAS), showed good psychometric properties, and is the first scale to conceptualize tanning addiciton fully within a contemporary addiction framework. Given this, the BTAS may potentially assist future clinical practice in providing appropriate patient care, prevention and disease management.
Assuntos
Escala de Avaliação Comportamental , Comportamento Aditivo/diagnóstico , Banho de Sol/psicologia , Adulto , Comportamento Aditivo/psicologia , Estudos Transversais , Estudos de Viabilidade , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Noruega , Psicometria , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Sexual abuse contributes to the development of multiple forms of psychopathology, including anxiety and depression, but the extent to which genetics contributes to these disorders among sexual abuse victims remains unclear. In this translational study, we first examined gene expression in the brains of rodents exposed to different early-life conditions (long, brief or no maternal separation). Hypothesizing that genes revealing changes in expression may have relevance for psychiatric symptoms later in life, we examined possible association of those genes with symptoms of anxiety and depression in a human sample of sexual abuse victims. Changes in rodent brain gene expression were evaluated by means of correspondence and significance analyses of microarrays by comparing brains of rodents exposed to different early-life conditions. Tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of resulting candidate genes were genotyped and tested for their association with symptoms of anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) in a sample of 361 sexual abuse victims, using multinomial logistic regression. False discovery rate was applied to account for multiple testing in the genetic association study, with q-value of 0.05 accepted as significant. We identified four genes showing differential expression among animals subjected to different early-life conditions as well as having potential relevance to neural development or disorders: Notch1, Gabrr1, Plk5 and Zfp644. In the human sample, significant associations were observed for two NOTCH1 tag SNPs: rs11145770 (OR=2.21, q=0.043) and rs3013302 (OR=2.15, q=0.043). Our overall findings provide preliminary evidence that NOTCH1 may be implicated in the susceptibility to anxiety and depression among sexual abuse victims. The study also underscores the potential importance of animal models for future studies on the health consequences of early-life stress and the mechanisms underlying increased risk for psychiatric disorders.
Assuntos
Transtornos de Ansiedade/genética , Transtorno Depressivo/genética , Expressão Gênica/genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença/genética , Receptor Notch1/genética , Delitos Sexuais/psicologia , Alelos , Animais , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Humanos , Acontecimentos que Mudam a Vida , Masculino , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/genética , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único/genética , Ratos Wistar , Pesquisa Translacional BiomédicaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To further develop and validate a Dutch prognostic model for high sickness absence (SA). METHODS: Three-wave longitudinal cohort study of 2,059 Norwegian nurses. The Dutch prognostic model was used to predict high SA among Norwegian nurses at wave 2. Subsequently, the model was updated by adding person-related (age, gender, marital status, children at home, and coping strategies), health-related (BMI, physical activity, smoking, and caffeine and alcohol intake), and work-related (job satisfaction, job demands, decision latitude, social support at work, and both work-to-family and family-to-work spillover) variables. The updated model was then prospectively validated for predictions at wave 3. RESULTS: 1,557 (77 %) nurses had complete data at wave 2 and 1,342 (65 %) at wave 3. The risk of high SA was under-estimated by the Dutch model, but discrimination between high-risk and low-risk nurses was fair after re-calibration to the Norwegian data. Gender, marital status, BMI, physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, job satisfaction, job demands, decision latitude, support at the workplace, and work-to-family spillover were identified as potential predictors of high SA. However, these predictors did not improve the model's discriminative ability, which remained fair at wave 3. CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic model correctly identifies 73 % of Norwegian nurses at risk of high SA, although additional predictors are needed before the model can be used to screen working populations for risk of high SA.
Assuntos
Absenteísmo , Modelos Teóricos , Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros/estatística & dados numéricos , Licença Médica/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Humanos , Satisfação no Emprego , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Noruega , Prognóstico , Estudos Prospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Inquéritos e Questionários , Local de TrabalhoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Sickness absence is high in healthcare and contributes to nursing staff shortages reducing the efficiency and quality of patient care. Assessing the risk of sickness absence in working nurses opens opportunities for preventive strategies. Job satisfaction has attracted much attention in healthcare research and has been associated with sickness absence among nurses. OBJECTIVES: To investigate if job satisfaction scores are useful to identify working nurses at risk of future sickness absence. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with a baseline period from November 2008 to March 2009 and 1-year follow-up. SETTINGS: Hospitals, nursing homes, and ambulant care settings in Norway. PARTICIPANTS: 2059 Norwegian nurses, of whom 1582 (77%) could be followed-up. METHODS: Nurses received a questionnaire at baseline and after 1-year follow-up. The questionnaire contained the Job Satisfaction Index (JSI), a 5-item scale measuring overall job satisfaction, and asked for sickness absence in the last 12 months. Baseline JSI scores were included in a logistic regression model with self-rated sickness absence at 1-year follow-up as outcome variable. Predictions of sickness absence were calibrated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. The ability of JSI scores to discriminate between nurses with and without sickness absence was examined by receiver operating characteristic analysis and expressed as area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: Low job satisfaction was associated with higher odds of sickness absence (odds ratio [OR]=1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.09) and high (≥ 31 days) sickness absence (OR=1.10; 95% CI 1.06-1.14). Calibration was acceptable, but job satisfaction neither discriminated between nurses with and without sickness absence (AUC=0.54; 95% CI 0.51-0.58) nor between nurses with and without high (≥ 31 days) sickness absence (AUC=0.58; 95% CI 0.54-0.63). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that job satisfaction was associated with sickness absence, though job satisfaction scores as measured with the JSI did not identify working nurses at risk of sickness absence.
Assuntos
Satisfação no Emprego , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem/psicologia , Licença Médica , Adulto , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Noruega , Fatores de Risco , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
AIMS: To examine differences between children with obesity and normal weight children (aged 7-13 years) in terms of physical activity, screen time, food intake and blood parameters indicative of cardio-metabolic risk. Further, to explore the relationship between physical activity, screen time and food intake with cardio-metabolic parameters. METHODS: Forty-three children with obesity were compared with 43 normal weight peers. Physical activity was monitored by accelerometers and screen time and food intake by diaries. Blood parameters indicative of cardio-metabolic risk were analysed. RESULTS: The group of children with obesity had significantly less vigorous activity (p = 0.013), more daily screen time (p = 0.004) and consumed more fat (p = 0.04) than the group of normal weight children. The former group also demonstrated higher values of triglycerides (p = 0.001), HbA1c (p = 0.009), C-peptide (p = 0.001), had a higher HOMA-R score (p = 0.001), and lower levels of HDL (p = 0.001). After controlling for weight category, regression analyses revealed that screen time was significantly and positively related to the HOMA-R score and C-peptide levels independent of physical activity and intake of fat and sugar. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that screen time is an important behavioural factor related to obesity and cardio-metabolic risk indicators in children.
Assuntos
Estilo de Vida , Microcomputadores , Atividade Motora , Obesidade/epidemiologia , Televisão , Jogos de Vídeo , Adolescente , Doenças Cardiovasculares/epidemiologia , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Doenças Metabólicas/epidemiologia , Fatores de Risco , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Fifty-five insomniacs, 60 years or above, participated in a behavioral treatment program, comparing two interventions (sleep hygiene+stimulus control vs sleep hygiene+relaxation tape). Half of the subjects were randomized to a waiting-list condition prior to treatment. No significant changes were observed during the waiting-list period. During the treatment period however, the subjects improved on several sleep parameters, and treatment gains were maintained at a 6-month follow-up. The effects of treatment were greater for nocturnal measures (e.g. sleep onset latency and total sleep time) as compared to daytime measures (e.g. life satisfaction, daytime alertness) and not-targeted behavior (medication use). There were no differences in treatment effects for the two interventions.
Assuntos
Terapia Comportamental/métodos , Distúrbios do Início e da Manutenção do Sono/terapia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Relaxamento/psicologia , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
A representative adult sample (18 years and above) of the Norwegian population, comprising 2001 subjects, participated in telephone interviews, focusing on the one-month point prevalence of insomnia and use of prescribed hypnotics. Employment of DSM-IV inclusion criteria of insomnia yielded a prevalence rate of 11.7%. Logistic regression analysis performed on the different insomnia symptoms revealed that somatic and psychiatric health were the strongest predictors of insomnia, whereas gender, age, and socioeconomic status showed a more inconsistent relationship. Use of prescribed hypnotic drugs was reported by 6.9% and was related to being female, elderly, and having somatic and emotional problems. Sleep onset problems and daytime impairment were more common during winter compared to summer. Use of hypnotics was more common in the southern (rather than the northern) regions of Norway. For sleep onset problems a Season x Region interaction was found, indicating that the prevalence of sleep onset problems increased in southern Norway from summer to winter, while the opposite pattern was found in the northern regions. The importance of clinically adequate criteria and seasonal variation in the evaluation of insomnia is briefly discussed.