Cynical hostility and the metabolic syndrome: A case-control study

Background: Evidence suggests that metabolic syndrome and hostility are independent risk factors for the development of coronary heart disease. Recently, the combined effect of metabolic syndrome and hostility has shown to predict the incidence of myocardial infarction. This study tested whether cynical hostility was associated with the metabolic syndrome in a sample of Italian adults. Methods: 992 subjects participated in the study. Among them, 546 participants were classified as having metabolic syndrome and 446 as controls, not having any of the risk factors that constitute the metabolic syndrome. Cynicism, the cognitive component of hostility, was measured with a self-report questionnaire derived from the Cook–Medley Hostility Scale. Metabolic syndrome was based on having the following risk factors: obesity, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and elevated arterial blood pressure. Results: The cross-sectional association of cynical hostility with metabolic syndrome was statistically significant (p <0.0001). Hostility was also associated with age (p <0.0001) and educational level (p <0.02). Predictors of having metabolic syndrome were higher cynicism (O.R. 1.12), older age (O.R. 1.39), and lower educational level (O.R. 1.05). Conclusions: The results highlight the potential importance of intervention on psychological factors (i.e. hostility) to prevent coronary heart disease

Psychological impact of carotid endarterectomy: a review of the studies.

Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA) is a surgical treatment validated to prevent cerebral ischemia, embolism and stroke in patients affected by severe stenosis of the carotid artery. A 1999 systematic review of the literature found controversial results about CEA influence on improvement of post-surgical cognitive performance. Moreover, few studies addressed the issue of the positive effects of CEA on quality of life and depression, reporting also controversial findings. The present review was aimed at considering the last 20 years studies focusing on the effects of CEA on the psychological dimensions. The purpose was to clarify the benefits, in terms of psychological well-being, offered by CEA, besides a reduction of the cardiovascular risk, as well as to have indication to lead further research in this area. Results of the 39 studies considered suggest that, although few studies show cognitive deterioration, most of them show stability with a tendency to improve both in cognitive functions and in other psychological areas. Further research is needed to clarify when it would be appropriate the use of CEA, the characteristics of eligible patients, and psychological as well as physical expected outcomes

Desenvolvimento e validação de um questionário para avaliar comportamentos agressivos e reações à agressão entre pares

This study presents the psychometric properties of the Peer Aggressive and Reactive Behaviors Questionnaire (PARB-Q), a self-report questionnaire to measure child overt aggression (PA) and reaction to peer aggression (RPA). Participants were 587 Italian elementary school children, aged 7-10 years (51.5% female). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses presented a one-factor solution for the PA scale and a three-factor solution for the RPA scale (reactive aggression, seeking teacher support and internalizing reaction), presenting adequate reliability and goodness-of-fit indexes for both scales. Criterion validity presented satisfactory evidence. The PARB-Q appears to be a psychometrically sound tool to evaluate aggressive behavior and reactions to peer aggression in elementary school children. Este estudo apresenta as propriedades psicométricas do Questionário de Comportamentos Agressivos e Reativos entre Pares (Q-CARP), instrumento de autorrelato que avalia comportamentos agressivos infantis diretos (ECA) e reações frente à agressão de pares (ERA). Participaram do estudo 587 crianças italianas, estudantes do ensino fundamental, com idade entre 7-10 anos (51,5% meninas). Análises fatoriais exploratórias e confirmatórias apresentaram uma solução unifatorial para a escala ECA e uma solução de três fatores para a ERA (reações agressivas, busca de apoio do professor e reações internalizadas), apresentando bons índices de consistência interna e de ajuste para ambas as escalas. A validade de critério apresentou índices satisfatórios. O Q-CARP apresenta-se como uma ferramenta útil para avaliar comportamentos agressivos e diferentes reações em crianças escolares

Subclinical attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours

Background Literature emphasises the importance of identifying and intervening in the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours (ULBs) during adolescence at an early stage, to mitigate their long-term detrimental effects. Among the possible associated factors contributing to ULBs, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to play an important role. However, little is known about ADHD subclinical manifestations. Aims The present study aimed to bridge the gap in the literature and shed light on the relationship between subclinical ADHD and early adoption of ULBs during adolescence. Through a clinimetric approach, prevalence of ULBs, severity of ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors (i.e. allostatic overload, abnormal illness behaviour, quality of life, psychological well-being) were investigated among adolescents. The associations between different degrees of ADHD, ULBs and psychosocial factors were also explored. Method This multicentre cross-sectional study involved 440 adolescents (54.5% females; mean age 14.21 years) from six upper secondary schools. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, ULBs, ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors. Results The most common ULBs were energy drinks/alcohol consumption and problematic smartphone use. Of the sample, 22% showed subclinical ADHD and 20.2% showed clinical ADHD. The subclinical ADHD group showed several ULBs (i.e. altered mindful eating, impaired quality of sleep, problematic technology use) and psychosocial factors, akin to those of ADHD group and different from peers without ADHD symptoms. Conclusions Since subclinical ADHD manifestation is associated with ULBs, similarly to clinical ADHD, identifying subthreshold symptoms during adolescence is crucial, as it could improve health-related outcomes in adulthood across different domains

Product Characteristics and Emotions to Bridge the Intention-Behavior Gap in Green Food Purchasing

Promoting environmentally friendly behaviors is a pivotal strategy in addressing the climate crisis. The food industry’s impact on pollution and resource consumption underscores the importance of fostering eco-sustainable food consumption, which can significantly benefit the environment. How- ever, despite the global surge in green purchase intentions, a noticeable discrepancy persists between these intentions and actual purchasing behavior. This study aimed to investigate the influence of various factors on the likelihood of purchasing green food. An online survey was administered to Italian adult consumers (n = 832, 66% female, aged 18–84 years), collecting sociodemographic data and assessing emotions related to green purchases, perceptions of green food characteristics, intention to buy green food, and frequency of green food purchases. Through cluster analysis, three distinct consumer categories emerged: Coherent Buyers (individuals willing to buy green food and actively doing so), Coherent Non-Buyers (individuals who have no intention to buy green food and do not buy it), and Non-Buyers with Favorable Intentions (individuals expressing willingness to buy green food but not following through with purchases). Results from multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that several factors influenced the likelihood of being categorized in the other two categories, as opposed to the Coherent Buyers one. These factors included younger age, a lower sense of pride associated with purchasing green products, and considering healthiness, natural content, and eco-sustainability of food less important and familiarity of green food more important. These findings provide valuable insights for marketers and policymakers, facilitating efforts to bridge the gap between green food intentions and behaviors and promote a shift toward a more eco-sustainable dietary pattern

Italian Validation of the Short Version of the Failure to Mentalize Trauma Questionnaire in Adults at Risk Due to Childhood Trauma

The impact of recurrent traumatic experiences during childhood may impede the integration of mentalization abilities and lead to psychopathology. Recently, the Failure to Mentalize Trauma Questionnaire (FMTQ), a comprehensive 29-item self-report scale aimed at identifying deficits in mentalization arising from childhood trauma, was developed. However, the length of the FMTQ may render it impractical for epidemiological studies involving multiple variables and measures. Furthermore, the initial testing revealed inadequate factor reliabilities for the two first-order factors. Therefore, this study aimed to shorten and create a unidimensional version (FMTQ-s) and investigate its psychometric properties, including internal consistency and convergent and concurrent validity, in a non-clinical Italian adult sample. The factor analysis supported a 13-item unidimensional version of the FMTQ with acceptable internal consistency (ordinal alpha = 0.88) and satisfactory convergent and concurrent validity. The FMTQ-s obtained scalar invariance between individuals with and without self-reported childhood traumas. Overall, the FMTQ-s appears to be a feasible and reliable tool for assessing deficits in mentalization resulting from childhood trauma

Editorial: Measurement in Health Psychology

Editorial on the Research Topic Measurement in Health Psycholog

How Psychophysical Stress Can Mediate the Effects of Anxiety and Depression on the Overall Quality of Life and Well-Being in Women Undergoing Hereditary Breast Cancer Screening

Background: Women undergoing genetic counseling for hereditary breast cancer often experience a high emotional burden. Distress and stress in the initial phases of genetic counseling can be significant predictors of long-term psychological health, influencing quality of life and wellbeing. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the mediating role of psychophysical stress in the relationship of anxiety and depression with quality of life and well-being in women undergoing genetic counseling for BRCA1/2 mutations. Methods: A sample of 193 women from two genetic counseling clinics was assessed using validated questionnaires measuring the psychological variables under study. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were also considered. Results: The results of path analyses indicated a mediating role of psychophysical stress on the relationship between emotional distress and mental quality of life and well-being: higher levels of anxiety and depression were associated with increased psychophysical stress, which, in turn, was linked to a reduced perceived mental quality of life and well-being. Depression was the only significant psychological predictor of physical quality of life. Conclusions: These findings indicate that addressing both anxiety and depression in genetic counseling is crucial for enhancing mental and overall wellbeing. Interventions should focus on stress management to improve the quality of life, emphasizing depression treatment to enhance physical health outcomes

Positive sexuality, relationship satisfaction, and health: a network analysis

IntroductionPositive sexuality, defined as the happiness and fulfillment individuals derive from their sexual experiences, expressions, and behaviors, has been linked to relationship satisfaction and health. However, the intricate associations between positive sexuality and relationship functioning and health indicators have rarely been explored from a network perspective. This approach, by analyzing the interconnections among these factors within a broader system, can offer insights into complex dynamics and identify key variables for targeted interventions.MethodsThe present study applied network analysis to uncover interconnections between positive sexuality, relationship satisfaction, and health indicators, highlight the most relevant variables and explore potential gender-based differences in a sample of 992 partnered individuals (51% women, aged 18–71 years). Networks were estimated via Gaussian Graphical Models, and network comparison test was used to compare men and women.ResultsResults indicated that variables related to positive sexuality were more highly interconnected than the rest of the network. There were small-to-negligible connections between positive sexuality and relationship satisfaction variables, both of which had negligible or no connections with health. The network was globally invariant across gender, though a few connections were gender-specific. The most important variables, regardless of gender, related to pleasurable feelings during sexual intercourse.DiscussionThe findings underscore the importance of enhancing positive sexual experiences within intimate relationships and have implications for research and clinical practice in positive sexuality