Submitted by SBI Biblioteca Digital (sbi.bibliotecadigital@puc-campinas.edu.br) on 2018-05-04T18:39:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ALINE DA SILVA BOSCHI MARTINS NEVES.pdf: 1713644 bytes, checksum: f8d45029bc62915e3c5e77690c011494 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-04T18:39:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ALINE DA SILVA BOSCHI MARTINS NEVES.pdf: 1713644 bytes, checksum: f8d45029bc62915e3c5e77690c011494 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-26 / Stress is one of the constructs emphasized when evaluating the health-disease process. However, because it is a latent variable, specific instruments are needed to measure it. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is an instrument that has been used to assess the perception of stress in the last month. Despite numerous validations in several countries, their psychometric properties have not been consensual. The main objective of this work was to investigate the internal structure of the PSS-10 and PSS-14 versions, through exploratory factorial (AFE) and network analysis. Thus, two studies were carried out: in Study I, PSS-10 and PSS-14 were analyzed through AFE and, in study II, the scales were analyzed through network analysis. We used: a) the PSS-10 with a sample composed of 686 participants, being 175 (27.3%) men and 466 (72.7%) women (n = 641), with a mean age of 33.9 SD = 11.3) years, ranging from 18 to 73 (n = 632); and (b) the PSS-14 was answered by 690 participants, of which 304 (44.1%) were men and 386 (55.9.7%) were women, with a mean age of 34.72 (SD = 12, 56), with a range of 18 to 65. In both analyzes, the psychometric properties of PSS-10 and PSS-14 were shown to be reliable and confirmed the two-dimensional structure of distress and coping. Also, the network analysis allowed to explore the PSS in the Brazilian context, allowing new association patterns to emerge from the analyzed samples. And, even AFE being a widely used technique in the construction and evaluation of psychometric tests, network analysis has shown to be a promising and much more comprehensive tool at the level of the symptom, accommodating the numerous processes of psychological constructions. In this study, the network analysis showed how the perception of control influences the outcome of stress. Thus, in addition to providing evidence of validity of the PSS-10 and PSS-14, this study demonstrated how much the network analysis has to contribute in the psychology and health area. / O estresse ? um dos construtos enfatizados quando se avalia o processo sa?de- doen?a. No entanto, por ser uma vari?vel latente, instrumentos espec?ficos s?o necess?rios para mensur?-lo. A Escala de Estresse Percebido (Perceived Stress Scale - PSS) ? um instrumento que tem sido utilizado para avaliar a percep??o do estresse no ?ltimo m?s. Apesar de in?meras valida??es em diversos pa?ses, suas propriedades psicom?tricas n?o t?m sido consensuais. O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi investigar a estrutura interna das vers?es PSS-10 e PSS-14, por meio de an?lise fatorial explorat?ria (AFE) e de rede. Assim, dois estudos foram realizados: no Estudo I, a PSS-10 e a PSS-14 foram analisadas atrav?s da AFE e, no estudo II, analisaram-se as escalas por meio da an?lise de rede. Foram utilizadas: a) a PSS-10 com uma amostra composta por 686 participantes, sendo 175 (27,3%) homens e 466 (72,7%) mulheres (n = 641), com m?dia de idade de 33,9 (SD = 11,3) anos, com amplitude de 18 a 73 (n = 632); e b) a PSS-14 que foi respondida por 690 participantes, dos quais 304 (44,1%) s?o homens e 386 (55,9,7%), mulheres, com m?dia de idade de 34,72 (SD = 12,56) anos, com amplitude de 18 a 65. Nas duas an?lises, as propriedades psicom?tricas da PSS-10 e PSS-14 demonstraram-se confi?veis e confirmaram a estrutura bidimensional de distress e coping. Ainda, a an?lise de rede permitiu explorar a PSS no contexto brasileiro, permitindo que novos padr?es de associa??o emergissem das amostras analisadas. E, mesmo a AFE sendo t?cnica muito utilizada na constru??o e avalia??o de testes psicom?tricos, a an?lise de rede demonstra ser uma ferramenta promissora e muito mais abrangente no n?vel do sintoma, acomodando os numerosos processos das constru??es psicol?gicas. Neste estudo, a an?lise de rede evidenciou o quanto a percep??o de controle influencia no desfecho do estresse. Assim, al?m de fornecer evid?ncias de validade da PSS-10 e PSS-14, este estudo demonstrou o quanto ? an?lise de rede tem a contribuir no ?mbito da psicologia e na ?rea da sa?de.

Objectives Different studies have reported the association between perceived stress and unhealthy diet choices. We aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between perceived stress and fat intake among undergraduate medical students. Methods/Principal findings A cross-sectional study was performed including first-year medical students. The outcome of interest was the self-report of fat intake assessed using the Block Screening Questionnaire for Fat Intake (high vs. low intake), whereas the exposure was perceived stress (low/ normal vs. high levels). The prevalence of high fat intake was estimated and the association of interest was determined using prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Models were created utilizing Poisson regression with robust standard errors. Data from 523 students were analyzed, 52.0% female, mean age 19.0 (SD 1.7) years. The prevalence of high fat intake was 42.4% (CI: 38.2%–46.7%). In multivariate model and compared with those with lowest levels of stress, those in the middle (PR = 1.59; 95%CI: 1.20–2.12) and highest (PR = 1.92; 95%CI: 1.46–2.53) categories of perceived stress had greater prevalence of fat intake. Gender was an effect modifier of this association (p = 0.008). Conclusions Greater levels of perceived stress were associated with higher fat intake, and this association was stronger among males. More than 40% of students reported having high fat consumption. Our results suggest the need to implement strategies that promote decreased fat intake.

Nurses are already exposed to plenty of stressors while at work, one of which being the unavoidable nature of rotating shift work scheduling which can have profound physiological effects carrying heightened long-term health risks. Working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new stressors while further exacerbating the effects of pre-existing ones in this already understudied group of essential workers. The purpose of this research was to examine physiological markers of stress and health in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nine subjects (mean age 32.11 ± 7.25 years) from two hospitals in the Greater Victoria region collected data over an eight-day shift roster consisting of two 12-hour day shifts, two 12-hour night shifts, and four days off in two separate collection periods; remote data collection was used to adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines. Salimetrics ELISA kits were used to conduct analyses for salivary cortisol, melatonin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) content. Frequency domain heart rate variability (HRV) was collected with a Polar H10 Chest Strap and Polar Ignite Activity Tracker. A salivary sample and 5-minute HRV recording were obtained upon waking or shortly thereafter on each day; a second saliva sample was obtained after work for the four working days. The Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS) was completed at the end of the last night shift in each period. There were no significant differences between IL-6 concentrations across the eight days within each period; the same was observed for cortisol. Additionally, no difference was apparent between the morning and evening salivary cortisol concentrations, thus demonstrating a blunting of the diurnal release pattern. Evening salivary cortisol concentrations remained elevated near the level of morning samples and were consistently above reference values for the population age group. Morning salivary melatonin concentrations significantly differed by day (F(5, 25) = 6.626, p < 0.001) but not period; melatonin concentrations were lowest following night shifts, showing a suppression in release due to participants being exposed to light at night with shift work. No statistically significant differences were apparent between any frequency domain HRV parameters in either Period 1 or Period 2. Perceived occupational stress was heightened in comparison to previously published pre-pandemic research using the ENSS. The results of this research reveal alterations to the circadian nature of cortisol and melatonin alongside elevated perceived occupational stress; these physiological and psychological effects can compound the risk for adverse health outcomes. While it is difficult to discern the root cause of these responses, it nevertheless reveals insight into the effects of nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic and raises concern for potentially related disease risk. / Graduate