Submitted by PPG Psicologia (psicologia-pg@pucrs.br) on 2018-01-29T17:22:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MATEUS_LUZ_LEVANDOWSKI_DIS.pdf: 8338894 bytes, checksum: 3552e80d2ab07794efd004f518518133 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Caroline Xavier (caroline.xavier@pucrs.br) on 2018-02-05T12:59:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MATEUS_LUZ_LEVANDOWSKI_DIS.pdf: 8338894 bytes, checksum: 3552e80d2ab07794efd004f518518133 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-05T13:02:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MATEUS_LUZ_LEVANDOWSKI_DIS.pdf: 8338894 bytes, checksum: 3552e80d2ab07794efd004f518518133 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-01-12 / We aimed this thesis to explore biological mechanisms of childhood maltreatment exposure in two articles. The first article is an extensive meta-analysis assessing basal and dynamic levels of cortisol in children and adults who have experienced early life stress. We found that children during early childhood exhibit lower basal cortisol levels and lower activation of the HPA axis during stress exposure. Also, we found a biological ecophenotype within individuals with mental disorder and history of childhood maltreatment. In the second article we evaluated children and adolescents in a longitudinal study to assess the impact of early life stress on biomarkers of cell aging. We found that children exposed to maltreatment presented a greater number of behavioral problems, a higher rate of psychiatric diagnosis and accelerated cellular aging compared to children without traumatic exposure. Accelerated cell aging was identified through Telomere Length, Mitochondrial DNA copy number and ND4, being the first study with children to report these variables in association with traumatic experiences. / Esse trabalho buscou compreender mecanismos biol?gicos da exposi??o aos maus-tratos na inf?ncia em dois artigos. O primeiro artigo ? uma extensa meta-an?lise avaliando n?veis basais e din?micos de cortisol em crian?as e adultos que passaram por estresse precoce. Evidenciou-se que crian?as durante a primeira inf?ncia exibem n?veis basais de cortisol mais baixos e menor ativa??o do eixo HPA durante exposi??o ao estresse. Tamb?m foi verificado que indiv?duos que compartilham o mesmo diagn?stico apresentaram diferentes n?veis de cortisol se tiverem ou n?o sido expostos a maus-tratos durante a inf?ncia, revelando um ecofen?tipo biol?gico nestes indiv?duos. No segundo artigo foram avaliadas crian?as e adolescentes em um estudo longitudinal para avaliar o impacto do estresse precoce em marcadores de envelhecimento celular. Foi encontrado que crian?as expostas a maus-tratos apresentam maior n?mero de problemas comportamentais, maior taxa de diagn?stico psiqui?trico e envelhecimento celular acelerado em compara??o com crian?as sem exposi??o traum?tica. O envelhecimento celular acelerado foi identificado atrav?s de importantes biomarcadores de envelhecimento, tais como comprimento de tel?mero, n?mero de c?pias de DNA mitocondrial e ND4, sendo o primeiro estudo com crian?as a relacionar estas vari?veis com a exposi??o traum?tica.

Submitted by PPG Gerontologia Biom?dica (geronbio@pucrs.br) on 2018-04-11T11:15:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ESTRELA_ANDR?_LUIZ_TESE.pdf: 1897914 bytes, checksum: bc738b6c1a1424f1afbfa49e4d8acac1 (MD5) / Rejected by Caroline Xavier (caroline.xavier@pucrs.br), reason: Devolvido devido ? data de defesa cadastrada na publica??o (21/02/2017) estar diferente da data de defesa que consta na folha de aprova??o da banca (26/01/2017) no arquivo PDF, e o ano que consta na ficha catalogr?fica (2016) est? diferente do restante do arquivo PDF (2017). on 2018-04-26T16:32:53Z (GMT) / Submitted by PPG Gerontologia Biom?dica (geronbio@pucrs.br) on 2018-04-27T16:45:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ESTRELA_ANDRE_LUIZ_TESE.pdf: 2000480 bytes, checksum: 0cf023323652932ee9da95b8b9900817 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sheila Dias (sheila.dias@pucrs.br) on 2018-05-09T18:34:07Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ESTRELA_ANDRE_LUIZ_TESE.pdf: 2000480 bytes, checksum: 0cf023323652932ee9da95b8b9900817 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-09T18:55:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ESTRELA_ANDRE_LUIZ_TESE.pdf: 2000480 bytes, checksum: 0cf023323652932ee9da95b8b9900817 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-21 / INTRODUCTION: To verify if there are differences in the hormonal, immunological, redox, chronotropic and physical performance thresholds between two levels of active elderly training induced at two maximum and consecutive sessions in the short term. METHODS: Forty marathon runners were divided based on training load: a higher volume group (n = 19, training ~ 480 min / week) and a smaller group volume (n = 21, training ~ 240 min / week). Inflammatory proteins (PRC, TNF-?, IL-6) and plasma oxidative stress biomarkers (protein carbonyls, total thiols), plasma antioxidant enzyme activity (superoxide dismutase, SOD, glutathione peroxidase, GPx) and testosterone and salivary cortisol, Were evaluated at rest (baseline) and in response to the cumulative effect of the two maximal exercise tests, separated by four hours of rest. RESULTS: Most of the parameters were similar between the groups at the beginning of the study, except the lower volume group exhibited higher CRP (+ 60%, p <0.05), higher protein carbonyls (+ 23%, p = 0, 07) and lower SOD activity (-4%, p = 0.06) compared to the higher volume group. TNF-? decreased in response to the cumulative effect of similar acute exercise in both groups (ie, baseline vs. one sample collected after the second exercise session), whereas CRP increased differently (+ 60% % Higher group volume, interaction effect p <0.05). IL-6 did not change in any of the groups. Protein carbonyls decreased and total thiols increased similarly in both groups in response to exercise (p<0.05), but SOD activity differentially declined (-14% lower volume, -20% of the higher volume group, Interaction effect p <0.05). GPx did not change in either group. Salivary testosterone decreased in response to exercise was similar in both groups (p <0.05), whereas cortisol did not change. CONCLUSION: Individuals involved in higher volume training have a lower inflammatory response induced by exercise, and a greater decline in the activity of some antioxidant enzymes in post-exercise plasma, compared with individuals engaging in low volume exercise. / INTRODU??O: Conhecemos muito pouco sobre os efeitos fisiol?gicos do treinamento pesado em atletas idosos. Nesse estudo, verificamos se h? diferen?as nos limiares hormonais, imunol?gicos, redox, cronotr?picos e de desempenho f?sico entre dois n?veis de treinamento de idosos ativos induzidos a duas sess?es m?ximas e consecutivas em curto prazo. M?TODOS: Quarenta maratonistas foram divididos com base na carga de treinamento: um grupo de maior volume (n = 19, treinamento ~ 480 min / semana) e um grupo menor volume (n = 21, treinamento ~ 240 min / semana). Prote?nas inflamat?rias [prote?na C reativa (PCR), fator de necrose tumoral (TNF)-?, interleucina (IL)-6] e biomarcadores de stress oxidativo plasmaticos (carbonilos proteicos, ti?is totais), a atividade da enzima antioxidante plasm?tica (super?xido dismutase, SOD; glutationa peroxidase, GPx) e testosterona e cortisol salivar, foram avaliados em repouso (linha de base) e em resposta ao efeito acumulado dos dois testes m?ximos de exerc?cio, separados por quatro horas de descanso. RESULTADOS: A maioria dos par?metros eram semelhantes entre os grupos no in?cio do estudo, exceto o grupo de menor volume exibiu maior PCR (+ 60%, p <0,05), carbonilos de prote?nas maiores (+ 23%, p = 0,07) e menor atividade SOD (-4%, p = 0,06) em compara??o com o grupo de maior volume. O TNF-? diminuiu em resposta ao efeito acumulado de exerc?cio agudo de maneira semelhante nos dois grupos (ou seja, linha de base vs. uma amostra coletada ap?s a segunda sess?o de exerc?cio), enquanto PCR aumentou diferencialmente (+ 60% menor volume; + 24% maior volume grupo, efeito de interac??o p <0,05). A citocina IL-6 n?o se alterou em qualquer dos grupos. Os carbonilos de prote?nas diminuiram e os ti?is totais aumentaram de maneira similar em ambos os grupos em resposta ao exerc?cio (p<0,05), mas a atividade da SOD declinou diferencialmente (-14% menor volume; -20% do grupo de maior volume, efeito de intera??o p <0,05). A GPx n?o se alterou em nenhum dos grupos. A testosterona salivar diminu?da em resposta ao exerc?cio foi semelhante em ambos os grupos (p <0,05), ao passo que o cortisol n?o se alterou. CONCLUS?O: Indiv?duos idosos envolvidos em treinamento de maior volume apresentam uma resposta inflamat?ria menor induzida pelo exerc?cio, e um decl?nio maior na atividade de algumas enzimas antioxidantes no plasma p?s-exerc?cio, em compara??o com os idosos envolvidos em exerc?cios de baixo volume.

Submitted by PPG Biologia Celular e Molecular (bcm@pucrs.br) on 2018-04-24T12:44:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 KARINA_VIDARTE_GASPARY_DIS.pdf: 1111674 bytes, checksum: e2b2dc4b1b1eea8b10007b7c07f592ec (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Caroline Xavier (caroline.xavier@pucrs.br) on 2018-05-11T17:57:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 KARINA_VIDARTE_GASPARY_DIS.pdf: 1111674 bytes, checksum: e2b2dc4b1b1eea8b10007b7c07f592ec (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-11T18:03:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 KARINA_VIDARTE_GASPARY_DIS.pdf: 1111674 bytes, checksum: e2b2dc4b1b1eea8b10007b7c07f592ec (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-08 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / Memory and learning allow animals to adapt and modify their behavior towards new experiences. Some factors may result in memory deficits such as: neurodegenerative diseases, changes due to intoxication and the use of drugs. Zebrafish can be used to model complex human behavioral traits such as learning and memory. This study aims to establish a protocol for evaluating the object recognition memory or object location tasks in zebrafish. We evaluated novel object recognition memory and analyzed the exploration time of novel and familiar objects in the training and test sessions. There was a preference of the animal to explore the new object in comparison to the familiar object (61% of exploration time). We also evaluated the object location task and measured the exploration time of each object in the familiar and novel object locations. There was a preference of the animal to explore the object in the novel location in comparison to the object in the familiar location (63% of exploration time). We also evaluated the effect of the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 on the object recognition and object location memory in zebrafish. In this regimen treatment, control (water only) and treated animals (5 ?M MK-801) presented a significant preference in exploring the familiar object in comparison to the new object (66 and 68% of exploration time, respectively); however, 10 ?M MK-801-treated animals did not show differences in the exploration time of the objects. In the object location task, the animals treated with the 5 or 10 ?M MK-801 did not show a significant preference for the familiar or novel location whereas the control group had a higher preference in exploring the object in the familiar location (64% of exploration time). Therefore, it is possible to suggest that 5 ?M MK-801 impaired the memory formation in an object location task, which is in agreement with previous studies demonstrating the cognitive deficit induced by MK-801 treatment in aversive and spatial memory. Considering the different responses of the control group between original task and in the regimen treatment, we evaluated the impact of habituation on cortisol levels of animals in three different protocols: 1) habituated at the experiment apparatus for 3 days (Condition 1 ? C1), 2) habituated at the experiment apparatus for 3 days plus treatment tank exposure at fourth day (Condition 2 - C2), 3) habituated at the treatment tank exposure and experiment apparatus for 3 days and exposed to treatment tank again at fourth day (Condition 3 ? C3). The results showed higher levels of cortisol in animals submitted to C2 and C3 conditions compared to animals submitted to C1. These results demonstrated that the animals submitted to treatment tank exposure have a different performance in object recognition and object location memory due to stress responses. Therefore, these tasks are prone to evaluate memory in physiological and pathological conditions, but its use is limited to perform pharmacological studies due to sensitivity to stress caused by manipulation. / A mem?ria permite que os animais possam adaptar e modificar seu comportamento diante de novas experi?ncias. Uma s?rie de fatores pode resultar num d?ficit de mem?ria como: doen?as neurodegenerativas, altera??es decorrentes de intoxica??es e uso de f?rmacos. O peixe-zebra vem sendo usado para modelar caracter?sticas comportamentais humanas complexas, como o aprendizado e mem?ria. Este estudo tem como objetivo estabelecer um protocolo para avaliar tarefas de mem?ria de reconhecimento de objetos ou de localiza??o de objetos no peixe-zebra. N?s avaliamos a mem?ria de reconhecimento de objeto novo e analisamos o tempo de explora??o de objetos novos e familiares nas sess?es de treino e teste. Houve uma prefer?ncia do animal em explorar o novo objeto em compara??o com o objeto familiar (61% do tempo de explora??o). Tamb?m avaliamos a tarefa de localiza??o de objeto e medimos o tempo de explora??o de cada objeto nos locais familiares e novos. Houve uma prefer?ncia do animal para explorar o objeto na localiza??o nova em compara??o com o objeto na localiza??o familiar (63% do tempo de explora??o). Tamb?m avaliamos o efeito do antagonista n?o competitivo do receptor NMDA MK-801 na mem?ria de reconhecimento de objeto novo e na localiza??o de objeto em peixe-zebra. Neste tratamento, o controle (somente ?gua) e os animais tratados (MK-801 5 ?M) apresentaram uma prefer?ncia significativa na explora??o do objeto familiar em compara??o com o novo objeto (66 e 68% do tempo de explora??o, respectivamente); no entanto, animais tratados com MK-801 10 ?M n?o mostraram diferen?as no tempo de explora??o dos objetos. Na tarefa de localiza??o de objeto, os animais tratados com MK-801 5 ou 10 ?M n?o mostraram prefer?ncia significativa pelo objeto na localiza??o familiar ou nova, enquanto que o grupo controle teve uma prefer?ncia maior em explorar o objeto na localiza??o familiar (64% de tempo de explora??o). Portanto, sugere-se que o MK-801 5 ?M prejudicou a forma??o da mem?ria em uma tarefa de localiza??o de objeto, o que est? de acordo com estudos pr?vios, demonstrando o d?ficit cognitivo induzido pelo MK-801 em mem?rias aversivas ou espaciais. Considerando as diferentes respostas do grupo controle entre a tarefa original e no tratamento, avaliamos o impacto da habitua??o nos n?veis de cortisol dos animais em tr?s protocolos diferentes: 1) habituado ao aparato experimental por 3 dias (Condi??o 1 - C1) 2) habituado ao aparato experimental por 3 dias mais a exposi??o ao aqu?rio de tratamento no quarto dia (Condi??o 2 - C2), 3) habituado na exposi??o ao aqu?rio de tratamento e no aparato experimental por 3 dias e exposto ao aqu?rio de tratamento novamente no quarto dia (Condi??o 3 - C3). Os resultados mostraram n?veis mais elevados de cortisol em animais submetidos a condi??es C2 e C3 em compara??o com animais submetidos a C1. Esses resultados demonstraram que os animais submetidos ? exposi??o ao aqu?rio de tratamento apresentam desempenho diferente nas tarefas de mem?ria de reconhecimento de objetos e de localiza??o do objeto devido ao estresse. Portanto, essas tarefas s?o adequadas para avaliar a mem?ria em condi??es fisiol?gicas e patol?gicas, mas seu uso ? limitado em estudos farmacol?gicos devido ? sensibilidade ao estresse causado pela manipula??o.

Many children experience symptoms of mental health problems and a significant proportion reach clinical thresholds of psychological disorder. It has been argued that the rising incidence of these problems and widespread failure to scale effective treatments for those in need means that prevention and early intervention in the development of emotional and behavioural problems is a public health priority. Child development is shaped by many forces, including for example parenting and peer relationships, this PhD is very specifically interested in the consequences of stress for children’s emotions and behaviour. Although the effects of stress are largely deemed negative, striking individual differences are almost universally observed. In the context of equivalent stressors, some children experience poorer outcomes, some remain relatively unaffected and others appear to experience better outcomes. Understanding what causes these differences is important for advancing our knowledge of the stress process, and is also key to designing services to improve children’s emotions and behaviour. This PhD has four aims. Firstly, it examines the relationship between two routine, school- based stressors and children’s emotional and behavioural outcomes. Secondly, it investigates the role of the cognitive appraisal process in accounting for individual differences in those outcomes. Thirdly, it examines the conditions under which cognitive appraisal operates, both in terms of its role as an organiser of coping efforts and cortisol (a stress hormone) as well as the extent to which children display consistency in their appraisals across contexts. Fourthly, it outlines the implications of the study for policy and practice efforts to improve children’s emotions and behaviour. The empirical study was designed as a prospective longitudinal study, following 66 children over the course of one year in which they experienced two routine, school-based stressors (KS2 exams and transition). Participants were recruited via opportunity sampling methods, and a combination of psychological and physiological data were collected at four time points.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether physical activity status of healthy adult males (N = 59) while in a coping strategy condition (association, disassociation, or control) influences psychophysiological responses to an acute painful stimulus. Measures of pain tolerance, state anxiety, body awareness, and salivary cortisol were investigated. Results indicated no significant differences between physical activity groups for pain tolerance, stress responses (i.e., self-reported state anxiety and cortisol levels), or body awareness. Though, those who indicated using a disassociation coping technique during the exit interview tolerated the acute, surface pain longer. More research is required to further understand the effects of physical activity and coping strategies on pain perception and psychophysiological responses.

O altruísmo é um importante constructo comportamental envolvido nas relações sociais; mesmo que aparentemente não haja ganho imediato em ações altruístas, o objetivo de favorecer o progresso do grupo e da sociedade resulta no beneficiamento do próprio agente. Objetivos são mais facilmente alcançados com a ajuda de outros, ao mesmo tempo que há melhora na qualidade das relações sociais. Alguns fatores influenciam o comportamento altruísta, o estresse é um deles; a indução aguda de estresse pode ser eficiente em verificar comportamentos a curto prazo em laboratório, apesar de não haver consenso de que maneira este modifica as intenções de ajuda e o comportamento prósocial. O estresse também pode influenciar a maneira como avaliamos a distribuição de dinheiro ou bens feita por outrem: percepção de justiça. O Jogo do Ditador mostrase eficiente para analisar altruísmo e percepção de justiça, assim como o cortisol salivar se mostra capaz em auxiliar a análise do estresse agudo. Este trabalho avaliou em 94 estudantes universitários, de diversos cursos da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, se a indução de estresse agudo via tarefa de estresse social (T rier Social Stress Task ) relacionase a comportamentos altruístas e maior avaliação negativa para divisões injustas de dinheiro em dois jogos do ditador computadorizados a interação em ambos foi com desconhecidos. Os grupos foram divididos em dois sexos e em duas condições: experimental estresse e controle placebo. O dinheiro fictício usado para jogar foi ganho em uma tarefa de planejamento, executada em seguida da indução de estresse. Este foi mensurado por duas medidas fisiológicas: batimentos cardíacos e coleta de saliva para análise de cortisol; e por resposta de autoavaliação de ansiedade; as sessões duraram 60 minutos. Não foram encontradas correlações entre medidas fisiológicas e tomada de decisão egoísta, entretanto, encontrouse diferenças estatísticas significativas comportamentais entre os grupos: mulheres do grupo de controle são mais altruístas, quando dividem montantes mais altos de dinheiro; o grupo experimental avaliou como mais injustas ofertas egoístas (menor parte para ele(a)) do montante mais baixo e também como menos injustas ofertas altruístas (maior parte para ele(a)) do montante mais alto; os grupos também diferiram significativamente na oferta de divisão feita a desconhecidos; ademais, o grupo experimental levou mais tempo para iniciar a tarefa de planejamento do que o controle para ambos sexos. Concluise que medidas fisiológicas não se relacionam aos resultados pósestresse, porém diferenças comportamentais podem ser analisadas. Inferese que mulheres tem comportamentos mais altruístas por influência cultural. Percepção de justiça aumentada, comportamento egoísta e aumento do tempo de preparação na tarefa de planejamento podem ser o resultado do aumento da carga cognitiva por efeito da indução de estresse. / Altruism is an important behavioral construct in social relations; even though it appears to be no immediate gain in selfless actions. The purpose of promoting the group's and society’s progress results in the agent's own benefit. Goals are more easily achieved with the help of others, while there is improvement in the quality of social relations. Some factors have influence in altruistic behavior, stress is one of them; inducing acute stress can be effective in checking behaviors in imediate reaction in the laboratory, although there is no consensus on how this modifies intentions to help others and prosocial behavior. Stress can also influence how we evaluate the distribution of cash or goods made by others: perception of justice. The Dictator Game proves efficient to analize altruism and sense of justice, and salivary cortisol has shown able to assist in the analysis of acute stress. This study evaluated the impact of acute stress induction on 94 university students of different graduation courses of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Acute stress was induced via social stress task (Trier Social Stress Task) to identify if it relates to altruistic behavior and the negative assessment to unfair money distribution in two computerized dictator games. The subjects in both games were unknown to each other. Subjects were divided by sex and than two groups: experimental stress condition and control placebo condition. The fictitious money used to play was won in a planning task, followed by the stress induction. The impact was measured by two physiological metrics: heart rate and saliva collection for cortisol analysis; and the selfassessment test of anxiety. Each individual sessions lasted 60 minutes. Correlations between physiological measurements and the making of selfish decision were not found. However, significant statistical behaviors differences were found between: the control group of women who were more altruistic when dividing larger amounts of money; t he experimental group evaluated selfish money offers as more unfair in the lower cash amount experiment (lower share for him/her). We also found as less unfair the altruistic offers made on the experiment’s larger cash amount (highest share for him/her). The groups also differ significantly in the division of money made to unknown individuals; in addition, the experimental group took longer to start the planning task than the control group for both sexes. We conclude that physiological measures are not related to poststress results, but behavioral differences can be analyzed. It appears that women tend to be more altruistic because of cultural influence. Increased perception of justice, selfish behavior and longer time taking to plan the planning task can be the result of increased cognitive overload as a result of induction of stress.

Introdução: o trabalho do policial é complexo e permeado de estresse que, quando associado a hábitos de vida nocivos, aumenta o risco de danos cardiocirculatórios. A crescente onda de violência urbana e o frequente confronto com vândalos expõem os policiais a maior risco de estresse e morte. Objetivo: este estudo tem como objetivo analisar o efeito de uma intervenção educativa de enfermagem (IEE) nos índices da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca em policiais de um Batalhão Militar de Santa Catarina. Método: trata-se de um estudo experimental do tipo antes e depois com um único grupo de abordagem quantitativa com 38 policiais militares do sexo masculino no período de fevereiro a junho de 2016. As variáveis independentes foram compostas por qualidade de vida e estratégias de coping que foram coletadas por meio das escalas de avaliação da qualidade de vida (WHOQOL-Bref) e da escala para avaliar as estratégias de enfrentamento (Coping). Considerou-se variável dependente a variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (VFC). A mensuração da VFC deu-se por meio de método linear, no domínio de tempo e frequência durante quinze minutos. O estresse foi mensurado por meio da variação da concentração de cortisol salivar, com amostras de saliva coletadas individualmente em três horários: ao acordar, 30 minutos após acordar e antes de dormir. Essas medidas foram realizadas no início e ao término das sessões de intervenção educativa. O programa Statistical Package for the Social Sciences foi utilizado para as análises estatísticas descritivas. Os dados foram analisados por meio de medidas de tendência central. A normalidade da distribuição foi analisada pelos testes de Shapiro-Wilk e Kolmogorov-Smirnov. Para comparar as variáveis antes e após a intervenção educativa, usou-se o teste t-Student para amostras pareadas; em caso de assimetria, o teste de Wilcoxon. Para avaliar a associação das variáveis contínuas e ordinais com as variáveis de desfecho após a intervenção, foi aplicado o coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Foram considerados significativos os dados com valor de p bicaudal menor ou igual a 0,05. Resultados: os policiais militares apresentavam idade média de 30,4 anos (±5,6), trabalhavam há quatro anos na instituição, e 34,2% apresentaram problemas de saúde. Os valores médios de pressão arterial se encontravam dentro da normalidade (123 mmHg x 80,1mmHg), entretanto o Índice de Massa Corporal indica sobrepeso (25,5±2,7 Kg/m²) e o Índice de Adiposidade Cutânea mostra 17,95% de gordura acima da média. Em relação à qualidade de vida, os domínios Físico (p=0,002), Meio Ambiente (p=0,039) e Percepção Global de Qualidade de Vida (PGQV) (p=0,002) do WHOQOL-Bref apresentaram medias superiores após a IEE, enquanto a estratégia de coping reduziu (p=0,042). Houve diferenças nas medianas de cortisol após a IEE. Aumentou ao acordar (p= <0,001), indicando melhora do sono; reduziu antes de dormir (p=0,047), como é esperado; na área abaixo da curva (p=0,007), que representa o cortisol total do período, e na resposta de cortisol ao acordar, indicando a expectativa de que o dia está sob mais controle; aumentou também a inclinação da reta (p<0,001), indicando diminuição dos valores de cortisol ao longo do dia. Na variabilidade da frequência cardíaca, a relação Low Frequency/High Frequency (LF/HF) reduziu (p=0,002), podendo indicar maior atividade parassimpática com balanço simpato-vagal sobre o coração. A concentração do cortisol à noite foi associada positivamente ao domínio Psicológico (0,402) e à Percepção Global de Qualidade de Vida (PGQV) (0,382) da escala WHOQOL-Bref. A área abaixo da curva (AUC) do cortisol teve relação estatística com o domínio Psicológico (0,330). A inclinação da reta de cortisol associou-se positivamente com a PGQV (0,411), enquanto a Resposta de Cortisol ao acordar teve associação positiva com a frequência cardíaca LF/HF (0,361). E ainda se observou melhora das médias na escala de alimentação após a intervenção (p<0,001), demonstrando melhora global nos hábitos alimentares. Conclusão: a intervenção educativa de enfermagem obteve efeito benéfico sobre a saúde dos policiais, com melhora em todos os domínios de qualidade de vida, com menor utilização das estratégias nocivas de enfrentamento Fuga-Esquiva, Afastamento e Confronto, além da melhora dos hábitos alimentares, repercutindo no aumento da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca e na redução da concentração de cortisol salivar. Tais intervenções/medidas podem ser úteis na prevenção de adoecimento por doenças cardiocirculatórias decorrentes de respostas fisiológicas ao estresse. / Introduction: the work of the policeman is complex and permeated with stress, which, when associated with harmful living habits, increases the risk of cardiocirculatory damage. The growing tide of urban violence and the frequent confrontation with vandals expose the policemen to a higher risk of stress and death. Objective: this study intends to analyze the effect of an educational nursing intervention (ENI) on the indexes of heart rate variability in policemen of a Military Battalion in Santa Catarina. Method: this is an experimental before-and-after study with a single group, with a quantitative approach, involving 38 male military police officers in the period from February to June 2016. The independent variables were composed of quality of life and coping strategies that were collected through the quality of life assessment scales (WHOQOL-Bref) and the scale for assessing coping strategies. Heart rate variability (HRV) was considered as a dependent variable. The HRV measurement took place by means of the linear method, in the domain of time and frequency for fifteen minutes. Stress was measured by means of the concentration variation of salivary cortisol, with samples of saliva individually collected on three different schedules: when waking up, 30 minutes after waking up and before sleeping. These measures were performed at the beginning and at the end of the educational intervention sessions. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program was used for the descriptive statistical analyzes. The data were analyzed by means of measures of central tendency. The distribution normality was analyzed through the Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. In order to compare the variables before and after the educational intervention, the t-Student test was used for paired samples; in case of asymmetry, the Wilcoxon test was used. In order to assess the association of the continuous and ordinal variables with the outcome variables after the intervention, the Spearman correlation coefficient was applied. The data with a two-tailed p value less than or equal to 0.05 were considered significant. Results: military police officers had an average age of 30.4 years (±5.6), worked for four years in the institution, and 34.2% showed health problems. The average blood pressure values were within the normal parameters (123 mmHg x 80,1mmHg), but the Body Mass Index indicates overweight (25.5±2.7 Kg/m²) and the Cutaneous Adiposity Index shows a fat percentage of 17.95% above average. Regarding the quality of life, the WHOQOL-Bref domains Physical (p=0.002), Environment (p=0.039) and Global Perceived Quality of Life (QOL) (p=0.002) showed higher averages after ENI, while the coping strategy decreased (p=0.042). There were differences in the medians of cortisol after ENI. It increased when waking up (p = <0.001), indicating improvement of sleep; decreased before sleeping (p=0.047), as expected; in the area below the curve (p=0.007), which represents the total cortisol of the period, and in the cortisol response when waking up, indicating the expectation that the day is under more control; it also increased the slope of the line (p<0.001), indicating decrease of cortisol values throughout the day. As for the heart rate variability, the Low Frequency/High Frequency (LF/HF) ratio decreased (p=0.002), which may indicate higher parasympathetic activity with a sympathovagal balance on the heart. The cortisol concentration at night was positively associated with the Psychological domain (0.402) and with the Global Perceived Quality of Life (QOL) (0.382) of the WHOQOL-Bref scale. The area below the cortisol curve (AUC) had a statistical relationship with the Psychological domain (0.330). The slope of the cortisol line was positively associated with QOL (0.411), while the Cortisol Response was positively associated with the LF/HF heart rate (0.361). There was also an improvement in the averages in the feeding scale after the intervention (p <0.001), demonstrating a global improvement in the dietary habits. Conclusion: the nursing educational intervention has obtained a beneficial effect on the health of the policemen, with improvements in all domains of quality of life and less use of the harmful coping strategies related to Escape-Avoidance, Distance and Confrontation, besides the improvement of dietary habits, reverberating in the increased heart rate variability and in the decreased salivary cortisol concentration. Such interventions/measures may be useful in preventing illness due to cardiocirculatory diseases arising from physiological responses to stress.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Ecology-Personal Financial Planning / Sonya L. Britt / There is limited research on physiological stress in the financial planning field. While the literature shows a clear relationship between physiological stress and physical health, little is known about the relationship between physiological stress and financial health perceptions. With Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) theory of cognitive appraisal serving as the framework for this study, three multivariate regressions investigated the relationship between chronic physiological stress and financial health perceptions as measured by changes in financial satisfaction, changes in financial strain, and expectations about one’s financial situation in the future. The sample consisted of 703 individuals that were recruited from 2011-2014 to participate in the Midlife in the United States Refresher study. Based on non-imputed data, respondents were evenly split between male and female and between 25 and 76 years old with a mean age of 51 years old. Respondents were also mostly white, working, married, and had some college education. The sample reported mean household income of $71,052 and a net worth of $586,329. The mean salivary cortisol level was 16.06 Nanomoles per litre (nmol/L), and respondents reported better than the median score for self-reported health status. When comparing before the recession to present day, the mean responses from respondents indicated that their financial strain remained about the same, but financial satisfaction declined. Respondents reported better than the median score for expectations about their financial future. An ordinary least squares regression was used to model changes in financial satisfaction. A cumulative logistic regression was used to model changes in financial strain and expectations about one’s future financial situation. The model results provided support for several key hypotheses formed from the theoretical framework. In particular, salivary cortisol, the proxy for chronic physiological stress, had a statistically significant negative relationship with expectations about one’s future financial situation. An increase in chronic physiological stress was associated with lower expectations about the financial future. There was not a statistically significant relationship between salivary cortisol and changes in financial satisfaction or changes in financial strain. Given the sparse physiological stress research that exists in the financial planning field, this study provides researchers and practitioners with new information regarding the impact of chronic physiological stress on financial health perceptions. Measuring physiological stress in a non-experimental setting gives researchers a different approach to understanding the impacts of physiological stress. For practitioners, uncovering the relationship between chronic physiological stress and financial health perceptions might promote the use of stress reductions as part of holistic approach to financial planning.

The human stress response has been shaped by natural selection to manage acute environmental challenges. While short-term activation of this response is imperative for survival, its chronic stimulation can lead to negative health consequences due to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its end product, the glucocorticoid cortisol. In fact, chronic psychosocial stress has been identified as an important pathway through which lifestyle alterations associated with market integration (MI; the degree of production for and consumption from a market-based economy) impact traditionally-living societies experiencing rapid cultural changes. Few studies, however, have systematically examined the relationships between MI and HPA axis activity. Moreover, limited research has examined how factors associated with MI influence children's perceptions of the shifting cultural milieu. The primary goal of this dissertation was to illuminate the dynamic features of the human stress response among the indigenous Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador with four objectives: 1) To examine HPA axis activity among the Shuar to address fundamental questions about the basic biological mechanisms of the human stress response; 2) To examine individual differences in HPA axis activity as shaped by age, sex, and body mass index (BMI); 3) To evaluate how factors associated with MI influence the HPA axis activity of Shuar children and adolescents; and 4) To utilize a conceptual model (cultural consonance) to better understand how Shuar youth perceive changes in the sociocultural environment. Results suggested that age was positively associated with cortisol levels, while age and sex moderated the relationship between BMI and the decline in cortisol across the day. Factors associated with MI did not directly affect the cortisol patterns of Shuar children and adolescents; however, age, sex, and BMI moderated these relationships. For example, Shuar youth experiencing greater exposure to MI displayed age-related increases in waking cortisol levels. Finally, Shuar children and adolescents with less exposure to MI demonstrated more incongruity with their locally-defined model of lifestyle success due to limited access to items identified as important for “a good life”. These studies illustrate the complexity of the human stress response in the context of culture change. This dissertation includes unpublished, co-authored materials. / 10000-01-01

O trabalho noturno e a alternância de turnos são identificados como fatores de maximização de efeitos negativos na saúde do trabalhador, como o estresse e a fadiga, por dificultarem a adaptação do ritmo circadiano do cortisol ao de trabalho. Objetivo: investigar o efeito do esquema de trabalho em turnos fixo e alternante e noturno de enfermeiros nos índices de estresse ocupacional e fadiga e na expressão circadiana do cortisol salivar. Método: estudo observacional de corte transversal e abordagem quantitativa dos dados estruturado com base no referencial teórico de Cooper. Realizado com 104 enfermeiros das Unidades de Emergência e Bloco Cirúrgico de hospital de ensino público do Estado de São Paulo e outro de Minas Gerais, no período de janeiro a março de 2017. Índices de estresse e fadiga foram mensurados por meio da aplicação de dois instrumentos: o Inventário de Estresse em Enfermeiros e a Escala de Avaliação de Fadiga, ambos validados para utilização no Brasil. A quantificação do cortisol salivar foi realizada por meio da técnica de ELISA. O projeto foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em pesquisa sob protocolo. 55695416.7.0000.5393. Resultados: 66,67% dos enfermeiros trabalhavam em esquema de turnos alternantes e 39,39% eram fixos no turno matutino. Constatou-se 50,8% apresentaram alto índice de estresse e 46,03% fadiga. Não foram observadas associações estatisticamente significativas entre índices de cortisol salivar, turno de trabalho, esquema de turno fixo ou alternante, estresse e fadiga. Entretanto, profissionais de enfermagem de unidades críticas que trabalhavam em esquema de turnos alternante e matutino apresentaram tendência a mais altos índices de estresse e fadiga e menor secreção de cortisol ao longo do dia de trabalho do que aqueles dos turnos fixo e noturno. A fadiga mostrou-se significativa e positivamente correlacionada com a secreção total de cortisol no período da manhã. Conclusão: Os achados do presente estudo fornecem evidências de uma dessincronização do eixo HipotálamoHipófise-Adrenal em enfermeiros dos turnos alternante e matutino e, consequentemente, maior susceptibilidade destes ao desenvolvimento de doenças cardíacas, metabólicas e imunológicas / Night-work and shiftwork are identified as maximizing negative effects on worker health, such as stress and fatigue, by making it difficult to adapt the circadian rhythm of cortisol to work. Objective: to investigate the effect of the fixed and alternating and nocturnal shifts of nurses on the occupational stress index, fatigue and circadian expression of salivary cortisol. Method: observational, cross-sectional and quantitative study based on Cooper\'s theoretical framework. Performed with 104 nurses from the emergency units and surgical center of a public teaching hospital in the State of São Paulo and another from Minas Gerais, from January to March, 2017. Stress and fatigue indexes were measured using two instruments, the Nurses\' Stress Inventory and the Fatigue Assessment Scale, both of which were validated and salivary cortisol quantification was performed by ELISA assay. The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee under protocol. 55695416.7.0000.5393. Results: 66.67% of the nurses worked on alternating shifts and 39.39% were fixed on the morning shift. It was found that 50.8% of the nurses had a high stress index and 46.03% presented fatigue. There were no statistically significant associations between salivary cortisol index, shiftwork, fixed or alternating shift scheme, stress and fatigue. However, nursing professionals from critical units who worked in an alternating and morning shift schedule showed a trend towards higher levels of stress and fatigue and lower cortisol secretion throughout the workday than fixed and night shift workers. Fatigue was significantly and positively correlated to overall morning cortisol. Conclusions: The findings of the present study provide evidence of a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis desynchronization in nurses of the alternating and morning shift and, consequently, a greater susceptibility of these to the development of cardiac, metabolic and immunological diseases