Exposure to intimate partner violence and lack of asthma control in adults: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic airway disease that affects 339 million people worldwide. It is a heterogeneous disease with different risks, including in family environments, where intimate partner violence occurs. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the possible association between psychosocial factors and asthma control in adults exposed to intimate partner violence. DESIGN AND SETTING: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a Brazilian public higher education institution in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. METHODS: The study population consisted of adults clinically diagnosed with severe asthma and those with mild/moderate asthma identified at an asthma referral outpatient clinic. The sample comprised 492 participants who underwent clinical evaluation and completed questionnaires to assess asthma control, depression, stress, and resilience. The Conflict Tactics Scale, which measures tactics for managing marital conflicts, was used to estimate the level of intimate partner violence. RESULTS: Of the 492 participants, 76.2% were women and 91% self-referenced color black/brown, 37.8% reported low family income, 87.4% reported low education level, 71.7% reported high stress, 32.5% reported low resilience, 18.5% reported moderate or severe depression, 83.3% reported resolute negotiation, 49.4% reported major psychological aggression, 19.6% reported major physical aggression, 15.5% reported major injury, and 7.3% reported major sexual coercion. Regression analysis revealed that sex was an effect modifier. CONCLUSION: Women in situations of social vulnerability, with low income and poor education, with depression, severe asthma, and those who used aggression to resolve marital conflicts had a profile associated with a lack of asthma control.

Inteligencia emocional, empatía y buen trato como factores protectores frente a la agresión física en adolescentes / Emotional intelligence, Empathy and Warmth as Protective Factors Against Physical Aggression in Adolescents

Resumen La adolescencia es una etapa durante la que se desarrollan recursos psicológicos que influyen en la forma de relacionarse con el otro, y pueden representar factores protectores frente a problemáticas como la agresividad física. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar el valor predictivo que tienen la inteligencia emocional, la empatía y el buen trato sobre la agresión física en adolescentes. La muestra incluyó 2161 estudiantes de preparatoria de la Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México (M=16.7 años, DE= .023). Los participantes respondieron el Inventario de Competencias Socioemocionales para Adolescentes (EQi-YV), la Escala Básica de Empatía adaptada para Adolescentes, versión corta (EBE), la Escala de Buen Trato (EBT) y la Escala de Agresión Física del Cuestionario de Agresividad. Los análisis estadísticos incluyeron pruebas de correlación y una regresión lineal múltiple por el método de pasos sucesivos. Los resultados indican una correlación negativa entre todas las variables de estudio y la agresividad física (p<.01). En el modelo predictivo final se encontró que el manejo del estrés, la adaptabilidad, amabilidad, cordialidad, empatía afectiva y buen trato autogenerado físico son factores protectores frente a la agresividad física. Por su parte, la competencia intrapersonal, la empatía cognitiva y el buen trato psicológico se presentan como variables predictoras de este tipo de agresividad (R2 = .30). Se concluye que las competencias sociales y emocionales, orientadas a la regulación de las emociones y la atención de las necesidades del otro, son recursos que influyen en la manera de responder al conflicto en los adolescentes.

Abstract Adolescence is a stage in which psychological resources that influence the interactions with others are developed, some of which can represent protective factors against problems such as physical aggressiveness. The aim of this study was to analyze the predictive value of emotional intelligence, empathy, and warmth over physical aggression in adolescents. The sample included 2161 high school students of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico (M=16.7 years, SD= .023). The participants answered the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQi-YV), the Basic Empathy Scale, modified for adolescents (EBE), the Warmth Scale (EBT) and the scale of physical aggression from the Aggression Questionnaire. Statistical analysis included correlation test and a stepwise multiple lineal regression. The results indicated a negative correlation between all the study variables and physical aggression (p<.01). In the final predictive model, it was found that stress management, adaptability, kindness, consideration, affective empathy, and self-generated physical warmth are protective factors against physical aggression. Likewise, the intrapersonal competence, cognitive empathy and self-generated psychological warmth appeared as predictive variables for this type of aggression (R2 = .30). We conclude that social and emotional competences, oriented towards emotional regulation and attention to the other´s needs, are resources that influence the way an adolescent responds to conflict.

Distintos estilos del sentido del humor y su relación con las conductas agresivas físicas y verbales en adolescentes argentinos / Different styles of sense of humor and their relationship with aggressive physical and verbal behavior in Argentine adolescents

Resumen El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar la relación entre los estilos de humor adaptativos (humor afiliativo y humor mejoramiento personal) y desadaptativos (humor agresivo y humor descalificación personal) propuestos por Martin (2003), y las conductas agresivas físicas y verbales. Se trabajó con una muestra de 100 adolescentes argentinos, entre 16 y 18 años, de ambos sexos, quienes respondieron dos escalas: el Cuestionario de Agresividad Física y Verbal (Caprara y Pastorelli, 1993, versión española de del Barrio, Moreno Rosset, López y Martínez, 2001), y la versión adaptada al español por Cayssials (2004) de la Escala de Estilos de Humor (Martin, 2003). Los resultados indican que el humor agresivo predice positivamente las conductas agresivas en general, tanto verbales como físicas, mientras que el estilo de humor de mejoramiento personal mitiga las conductas agresivas evaluadas en general y las conductas agresivas verbales. Por último, las conductas agresivas físicas únicamente fueron predichas por el estilo de humor agresivo.

Abstract The sense of humor gives a new perspective of life by turning the person into a spectator of what is happening, being able to laugh at oneself and to what happens to one. Because of that, it is considered that humor allows us to face problematic situations in a different way. Carbelo and Jáuregui (2006) argue that sense of humor is not a mere remedy to prevent or help overcome disease; instead, it has the capacity to promote greater well-being, enjoyment of life, growth towards greater humanity and fulfillment. These same authors add that sense of humor is a unique trait of the human species and it is possessed by all human beings of different cultures (Carbelo y Jáuregui, 2006). While each culture has its own rules about which facts or situations may be the object or cause of humor, "both humor and laughter are universal" (Cassaretto y Martínez, 2009, p. 289). Although humor has been associated with psychological, physical and social well-being, not all research show consistent results. This is because sense of humor does not imply only positive components, but also negative components (Martin, 2003; Cassaretto y Martínez, 2009). In general, the different studies carried out have perceived sense of humor as a positive feature with the potential to generate positive effects. However, there are negative elements of humor that have a negative correlation with psychological well-being (Martin, 2003; Grimshaw, Kirsh, Kuiper y Leite, 2004). Therefore, it is important to be able to consider the sense of humor not as a one-dimensional construct (taking into account only its positive components), but to be able to focus on a multi-dimensional approach capable of considering all the characteristics and consequences -positive and negative- of it. Martin (2003) postulates that humor is a personality trait composed of either healthy or adaptive components and of unhealthy or unadaptable components. This author proposes the following classification: Adaptive humor is formed by affiliative humor (the tendency to say funny things, to make jokes, and spontaneous and witty jokes to amuse other people) and self-enhancing humor (it implies having fun with the incongruities of life even in adversity and using humor as a strategy to face the vicissitudes), and unadaptive humor is formed by aggressive humor (the tendency to use humor for the purpose of criticizing or manipulating others by resorting to sarcasm, bothering with jokes, ridiculing others) and self-defeating humor (people who use this kind of humor are self-deprecating, make or say funny things at the expense of themselves and laugh with others while ridiculing or belittling). The aim of this work is to study the relationship between these two types of humor and physical and verbal aggressive behaviors. We worked with a sample of 100 adolescents from Argentina of both sexes, aged between 16 and 18 years, of the middle socioeconomic strata of Buenos Aires, Argentina. All participants responded to two scales: the questionnaire of physical and Verbal aggression (Caprara y Pastorelli, 1993, Spanish version of Barrio, Moreno Rosset, López Martínez, 2001), and the version adapted to Spanish by Cayssials (2004) of the scale of humor styles (Martin, 2003). The results indicate that aggressive humor positively predicts aggressive behaviors evaluated in a general way, and aggressive behaviors verbal and physical evaluated specifically. On the other hand, personal improvement humor style mitigates general aggressive behaviors and verbal aggression specifically. Finally, aggressive physical behaviors were only predicted by the aggressive humor style.

Epidemiologia da fratura de face de pacientes atendidos no pronto socorro de cirurgia plástica do Distrito Federal / Epidemiology of patients with facial fractures treated by the plastic surgery team in an emergency room in the Federal District of Brazil

Introdução: O trauma permanece como uma das principais causas de morbidade e mortalidade, no mundo ocidental, entre os adultos jovens. A prevalência de lesões traumáticas na face é alta devido à enorme exposição dessa região e a sua pouca proteção. Objetivo: Avaliar a etiologia, a idade, o gênero, a localização, os sintomas e o tipo de tratamento das vítimas de traumas de face dos atendidos no Hospital Regional da Asa Norte (HRAN), Brasília, Distrito Federal. Método: Trata-se de um estudo retrospectivo, realizado no pronto socorro do HRAN-DF, visando avaliar o perfil epidemiológico de vítimas de trauma de face, no período do 2° semestre de 2012. Resultados: O estudo compreendeu 46 pacientes, destacando-se o gênero masculino, com 32 pacientes (69,56%). Quanto à causa, predominou a agressão física, em ambos os sexos, com 22 casos (47,82%), seguida pelas quedas, com 11(23,91%). As quedas foram as causas predominantes das lesões em crianças, mas se verificou a participação cada vez maior da agressão física como mecanismo de trauma facial com o aumento da idade. A principal faixa etária foi de 21 a 30 anos, compreendendo 43,47% dos casos. O nariz foi o local mais acometido nas fraturas de face, correspondendo a 62,96% dos casos. O tempo médio de internação foi de dois dias e o tempo entre o primeiro atendimento e a operação foi de seis dias. Conclusão: O perfil epidemiológico do paciente com fratura de face é de um jovem, do gênero masculino, vítima de agressão física, com fratura de nariz e quadro clínico desse tipo de lesão e submetido a redução fechada.

Introduction: Trauma remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality amongst young adults in the Western world. The prevalence of traumatic lesions on the face is especially high, as the facial area is generally exposed with little protection. Objective: To evaluate the etiology, age, sex, location, symptoms, and the type of treatment given to victims of facial trauma treated at the North Wing Regional Hospital (NWRH), Brasilia, Federal District. Method: This was a retrospective study conducted in the emergency room of the NWRH to evaluate the epidemiological profile of patients with facial trauma who presented during the 2nd half of 2012. Results: The study included 46 patients, of which 32 patients (69.56%) were male. Physical aggression was the prevailing cause in both sexes with 22 cases (47.82%), followed by falls with 11 (23.91%). Falls were the predominant cause of injuries in children. Physical aggression as a mechanism for facial trauma became more common with age. The main age group affected was the 21 to 30 years group, comprising 43.47% of cases. The nose was the most commonly affected bone in facial fractures, with nasal fractures occurring in 62.96% of cases. The mean hospital stay was two days and the mean time between the first visit and the operation was six days. Conclusion: The predominant epidemiological profile of a patient with facial fracture is that of a young male, victim of physical aggression, presenting with a nasal fracture and a clinical picture of this type of injury, and treated with closed reduction.

Violência física contra menores de 15 anos: estudo epidemiológico em cidade do sul do Brasil / Physical abuse of minors under 15: epidemiological study in a city in the south of Brazil

OBJETIVO: apresentar o perfil de casos notificados de violência física contra menores de 15 anos em Londrina, Paraná, no ano de 2006. MÉTODO: Estudo transversal, com coleta retrospectiva nos prontuários dos Conselhos Tutelares e serviços de atendimento do município. Os dados foram processados e tabulados pelo programa Epi Info. RESULTADOS: Foram estudados 479 casos de violência por força corporal e 9 casos de violência por outros meios (7 por instrumentos, 1 por objeto cortante e 1 por substância corrosiva). Na violência por força corporal, predominaram vítimas do sexo feminino (53,4 por cento) e maior risco na idade de seis anos (12,2 por 1.000). O pai foi o agressor mais frequente (48,8 por cento) e o alcoolismo esteve presente em 64,0 por cento dos casos. A violência por instrumentos foi praticada através de cinta (42,9 por cento), fio (28,6 por cento), ferro (14,3 por cento) e instrumento de cozinha (14,3 por cento), com vítimas do sexo feminino (85,7 por cento), na faixa etária de doze anos (33,3 por cento), sendo o pai (71,4 por cento) e a mãe (28,6 por cento) os únicos agressores, com o alcoolismo presente em 57,1 por cento destas situações. A vítima de violência por objeto cortante era do sexo masculino, 13 anos e o agressor, desconhecido, tinha de 15 a 19 anos. A violência por substância corrosiva teve como vítima um adolescente de 13 anos, do sexo masculino, cujo agressor foi o pai, sendo o alcoolismo a situação presente. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados apontam para a importância epidemiológica do abuso físico contra crianças e adolescentes e podem contribuir para a elaboração de estratégias de prevenção e acompanhamento das vítimas.