Validation of the brief scale for the evaluation of acculturation stress in migrant population (EBEA)

Abstract Background: Acculturation stress is associated with poorer physical and mental health and a lower level of psychological well-being. The causes of acculturation stress are diverse, but most are similar in the migrant population. Despite the importance of evaluating this variable, few studies have reported culturally adapted and validated instruments for specific populations. Based on this, the aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a short scale for the evaluation of acculturation stress (EBEA). Methods: Two studies were conducted, involving 1725 first-generation Colombian and Peruvian migrants living in Chile, between the ages of 18 and 60 years. In addition to the EBEA and as evidence of validity, the Beck Anxiety Scale and the WHOQOL-BREF psychological health domain were applied. A confirmatory factor analysis was carried out, and the reliability and nomological validity were evaluated. Results: The results in both studies indicated that the scale presents a factorial structure of three dimensions: (a) the stress derived from the preparation and departure from the country of origin, (b) the stress produced by socioeconomic concerns in the host country, and (c) the tensions typical of adaptation to sociocultural changes or Chilean society. The reliability coefficients and the analysis of their nomological validity were very good. Conclusions: The EBEA is a measure that offers quick, useful screening for researchers who need a short measure for research among migrants. This tool contributes to the work of education, prevention, and intervention in the field of general health and migrants' mental health.

Special features of high-risk pregnancies as factors in development of mental distress: a review / Particularidades da gravidez de alto risco como fatores para o desenvolvimento de sofrimento mental

Abstract Introduction: Approximately 22% of all pregnant women are classified as having high-risk pregnancies, which may involve feelings of vulnerability because of having a high-risk pregnancy, resulting in greater exposure to stressful feelings. Objective: To review aspects of high-risk pregnancy that can have a negative impact on the these women's mental health status. Method: Original articles were identified by conducting searches of the PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS and SciELO databases, followed by a manual search of references to select articles and additional bibliographic material. Articles from the last 22 years were included in the review (1992-2014). Results: Fifteen articles were found that specifically studied high-risk pregnancies and mental health outcomes. Women with high-risk pregnancies exhibited a significantly higher level of stress and reported negative emotions as they dealt with stress and had worse emotional status than women with normal pregnancies. Researchers found that hospitalized pregnant women had higher levels of anxiety than non-hospitalized women. Studies of women going through normal and high-risk pregnancies show that women with normal pregnancies had good self-perceived quality of life. Conclusion: Special features of high-risk pregnancies could be factors in development of mental distress, in addition to psychological and social factors. Therefore, only a biopsychosocial research study would be able to identify the factors that can affect the quality of mental health during high-risk pregnancy.

Resumo Introdução: Aproximadamente 22% de todas as mulheres grávidas são classificadas como tendo gravidezes de alto risco, podendo experimentar vulnerabilidade por esta situação. Desta forma, estão mais expostas a sentimentos de estresse. Objetivo: Revisar aspectos da gravidez de alto risco que podem ter um impacto negativo sobre o estado de saúde mental dessas mulheres. Métodos: Artigos originais foram localizados por meio de uma busca eletrônica nas bases de dados PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS e SciELO, bem como uma busca manual de referências para selecionar artigos e material bibliográfico adicional. Foram selecionados artigos publicados nos últimos 22 anos (1992-2014). Resultados: Foram encontrados 15 artigos que estudavam especificamente gravidez de alto risco e o desfecho saúde mental. Mulheres grávidas de alto risco demonstraram um nível significativamente mais elevado de estresse e relataram emoções negativas ao lidar com o estresse; elas também apresentavam pior estado emocional quando comparadas a mulheres com gravidez normal. Os pesquisadores observaram que as mulheres grávidas internadas tinham níveis mais elevados de ansiedade do que mulheres não hospitalizadas. Outros estudos envolvendo mulheres com gestações normais e de alto risco mostram que as mulheres com uma gravidez normal têm uma boa percepção de sua qualidade de vida. Conclusões: As particularidades das gestações de alto risco, além de fatores psicológicos e sociais, podem ser fatores no desenvolvimento de transtornos mentais. Portanto, somente um estudo biopsicossocial seria capaz de identificar os fatores que podem afetar a qualidade da saúde mental durante a gravidez de alto risco.

Salud mental y estrés por aculturación en inmigrantes sudamericanos en el norte de Chile / Mental health and stress by acculturation in immigrants from South America in northern Chile

Background: Coping with changes brought about by immigration and social circumstances that often characterize this process may cause mental health problems. Aim: To analyze the relationship between acculturation stress and mental health symptoms in South American immigrants residing in Antofagasta, Chile. Material and Methods: The OQ questionnaire, which assesses mental health and the acculturation stress questionnaire from Ruiz, were answered by 431 immigrants (53.8% Colombian and 46.2% Peruvian) aged between 18 and 65 years old. Results: The major source of acculturation stress was distance from origin, followed by difficulties in social relationships and perceived discrimination and rejection. About 50% of respondents had elevated levels of discomfort in their life, with mental health problems derived from their adjustment to social roles and relationships. There was a high correlation between acculturation stress levels and severity of mental health symptoms. Conclusions: Immigrants are exposed to high levels of stress resulting in a negative impact on their mental health.

A Predictive Model of Domestic Violence in Multicultural Families Focusing on Perpetrator

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to assess predictor variables of husbands in multicultural families and examine the relationship among variables after setting up a hypothetical model including influencing factors, so as to provide a framework necessary for developing nursing interventions of domestic violence. METHODS: The participants were 260 husbands in multicultural families in four cities in Korea. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 20.0. RESULTS: Self-control, social support, family of origin violence experience and stress on cultural adaptation directly affected to dysfunctional communication, and the explanatory power of the variables was 64.7%. Family of origin violence experience in domestic stress on cultural adaptation, and dysfunctional communication were directly related to domestic violence in multicultural families, and the explanatory power of the variables was 64.6%. We found out that all variables in the model had mediation effects to domestic violence through dysfunctional communication. In other words, self-control and social support had complete mediation effects, and family of origin violence experience in domestic violence and stress on cultural adaptation had partial mediation effects. CONCLUSIONS: The variables explained in this study should be considered as predictive factors of domestic violence in multicultural families, and used to provide preventive nursing intervention. Our resutls can be taken into account for developing and implementing programs on alleviating dysfunctional communication in multicultural families in Korea.

Raça, racismo e saúde: a desigualdade social da distribuição do estresse / Race, racism and health: the social inequality of the distribution of stress

A presente revisão explora os conceitos de raça e racismo, delimitando particularidades quanto ao perfil de saúde de indivíduos ou grupos submetidos à discriminação ou preconceito racial. Além disso, pretende-se levantar evidências da relação entre racismo e saúde a partir dos estudos sobre o estresse. Apresenta-se a desigualdade social como um poderoso fator na causação de iniquidades em saúde, o que fomenta disparidades em relação à prevalência de estresse. Sendo o racismo um elemento criador e mantenedor de estressores no âmbito das relações sociais, discorre-se sobre como a discriminação racial implica limitações fundamentais na vida dos indivíduos, o que impacta incisivamente na quantidade de estresse experienciada. Enfim, procurou-se sistematizar o conhecimento acerca das relações entre raça e saúde, investigando-se o impacto deletério do racismo sob o princípio da distribuição social do estresse.

This review exploits the concepts of race and racism and defines particularities for the health profile of individuals or groups subject to discrimination or racial prejudice. In addition, we intend to seek evidences of the relationship between racism and health from the studies on stress. It presents social inequality as a powerful factor in the causality of health inequalities, which generates disparities in the stress prevalence. Racism is a creator and sustainer element of stressors in the context of social relations, and it explains how racial discrimination provokes fundamental limitations in the individuals' life, which impacts broadly on the amount of stress experienced. We tried to systematize knowledge about the relationship between race and health, investigating the deleterious impact of racism on the principle of social distribution of stress.

Cultura, saúde e doença / Culture, health and disease

Cultura, saúde e doença enfatiza o papel que a antropologia médica pode desempenhar na compreensão dos problemas de saúde em diversos contextos culturais e sociais, e como prevenir e lidar com eles. São apresentados novos tópicos, entre eles - perspectivas interculturais sobre o ciclo humano de vida, especialmente infância e velhice; narrativas de pacientes sobre doença e sofrimento; visão das crianças da doença e da assistência médica; efeitos sociais e psicológicos da tecnologia médica; aspectos culturais da deficiência e comprometimento físicos; perspectivas antropológicas dos transtornos psicossomáticos; dimensões culturais da malária, da tuberculose e da epidemia de AIDS; problemas de saúde de refugiados; efeitos da globalização sobre a nutrição e a desnutrição; a relação de dieta com o câncer. Para auxiliar o leitor a se aprofundar ainda mais, uma lista de periódicos e websites relacionados ao assunto foi incluída nesta edição.

Aspectos psicossociais do impedimento laboral por motivos de saúde em trabalhadores de cozinhas industriais / Psychosocial aspects of labor impediment by health reasons in industrial kitchens workers

Este estudo teve por objetivo investigar a relação trabalho / saúde em trabalhadores de cozinhas industriais, focalizando o aspecto socioeconômico e outras dimensões da vida social (estresse no trabalho e eventos de vida produtores de estresse), incluindo-se morbidade (obesidade, doenças crônicas e transtornos mentais comuns), condição laboral (incômodos ambientais e acidentes de trabalho) e comportamentos relacionados à saúde (consumo alimentar, tabagismo e álcool). Utilizando dados coletados nos nove restaurantes populares do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, apresentam-se três artigos. O primeiro descreve a população de estudo, considerando três grupos ocupacionais: administrativos, cozinheiros e copeiros, e os auxiliares de serviços gerais. O segundo artigo investiga a associação entre as características psicossociais e o impedimento laboral por motivos de saúde, considerando uma análise hierarquizada e, finalmente, o terceiro artigo discute a certificação da reprodutibilidade, na população de estudo, do questionário sueco da versão para o português do Demand-Control Questionnaire (DCQ), utilizado para avaliar estresse no ambiente de trabalho. Os homens representaram 62,7 por cento do total de trabalhadores. A idade média dos funcionários foi de 35,1 anos, (DP=10,3). A renda familiar líquida foi de até dois salários mínimos para 60 por cento dos trabalhadores. Obteve-se para o tempo de trabalho em cozinhas, uma média de 59,8 meses, tendo variado de um mínimo de 2 meses e máximo de 30 anos. A prevalência de doenças que tinham diagnóstico médico foi de15,0 por cento para Doença Osteomusculares Relacionadas ao Trabalho (DORT); 14,3 por cento para Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica; 12,7 por cento para Gastrite; e, 2,1 por cento para Diabete Mellitus tipo II...

Reliability and construct validity of the Malay version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) among secondary school teachers in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.

This study was conducted to assess the reliability and construct validity of the Malay version of Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) among secondary school teachers in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. A total of 68 teachers consented to participate in the study and were administered the Malay version of JCQ. Reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency whilst construct validity was assessed using factor analysis. The results indicated that Cronbach's alpha coefficients revealed decision latitude (0.75), psychological job demand (0.50) and social support (0.84). Factor analysis showed three meaningful common factors that could explain the construct of Karasek's demand-control-social support model. The study suggests the JCQ scales are reliable and valid tools for assessing job stress in school teachers.

Cigarette, alcohol use and physical activity among Myanmar youth workers, Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand.

Over 1.2 million migrants from Myanmar are currently residing in Thailand. Little information is known about Myanmar youth risk behaviors. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence and the factors associated with cigarette and alcohol use, and physical inactivity, among Myanmar youth working in a harbor town in Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand. One hundred and seventy-seven young workers aged 15-24 years, living in the study area, were interviewed by structured questionnaire. About 21.5% were current smokers, 25.4% were alcohol drinkers, and 36.7% were physically inactive. Univariate analysis indicated one variable was significantly associated with cigarette smoking: education level higher than primary school (OR=2.3, 95% CI 1.02-5.0), Three variables were significantly associated with alcohol drinking: married status (OR=2.2, 95%CI 1.02-4.5); non-seafood-processing workers, i e, street vendors, construction laborers, etc. (OR=3.4, 95% CI 1.7-7.1), and high job stress due to supervisor/boss (OR=2.1 95% CI 1.1-4.2). Two variables were significantly associated with physical inactivity: female youth (OR=3.9 95% CI 2.1-7.5), and education level higher than primary school (OR=0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.8). The prevalence of smoking, alcohol drinking and physical inactivity among Myanmar migrant youths was quite high. Government and non-government organizations should co-operate to provide interventions to reduce youths' risk behaviors.

Rearing Behavior and Rearing Stress of Fathers with Children of Preschool and School Age / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare the paternal rearing behavior and rearing stress level between fathers with a preschooler and fathers with school children so that it can be utilized as a basic source for developing parental rearing education programs. METHODS: A descriptive comparative method was conducted to identify the paternal rearing behavior and paternal rearing stress. Respondents were 361 fathers who had either preschoolers (n=189) or children of elementary age (n=172). RESULTS: Comparing the two group's means, the rearing activity score and rearing stress there were significant differences. In the school children's group's father, 'outdoor activity' and 'guidance on discipline activity' were significantly higher than the other group. In the preschool children's fathers group, 'play interaction activity' was statistically significant higher than the other, and the child-part mean score of paternal rearing stress was significantly higher than the other group. The correlation between paternal rearing behavior and paternal rearing stress, indicates that more paternal rearing behavior means less paternal rearing stress. CONCLUSION: These results of this study will help design more effective rearing programs for fathers that have either preschool children or school children by providing the basic data for paternal rearing behaviors and paternal rearing stress.