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1.
Int J Sex Health ; 36(1): 100-110, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38600898

ABSTRACT

Using a Bayesian statistical approach, this study aimed to provide a robust assessment of associations between religiosity and personal faith, timing of sexual initiation and sexual risk taking in young people. To produce posterior probability distribution of the estimation of associations, this study combined two population-based surveys of emerging Croatian adults and meta-analytical estimates pertaining to international studies published between 2000 and 2020. Regardless of the prior used, age at sexual debut was delayed by both religiosity (correlations ranged from 0.10 to 0.13) and personal faith (r = 0.09-0.13). Apart from delaying sexual debut, the findings suggest a very limited role of religiosity and personal faith in the protection of sexual and reproductive health among young people.

2.
Stress Health ; 2023 Oct 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37861340

ABSTRACT

Numerous studies have pointed to the strong impact of stressful life events on subjective stress and indirectly on the adolescents' mental health. However, the results of many such studies contain bias caused by the choice of measurement method or an incomplete theoretical framework. To estimate the extent of possible bias when using self-reports, we conducted research on a representative sample of 2201 Croatian adolescents aged 14-18 years. Using manipulation we examined the influence of measurement method and the number of constructs included in the model on the variance of subjective stress explained by stressful events. Structural equation modelling indicated that different measurement methods, occurrence-based and severity-based, provide a marked discrepancy in the impact size estimation. The occurrence-based method provided estimates of a much smaller proportion of the explained variance (6%-25%) compared to the severity-based approach, which estimated the explained variance in the range of 25%-55% depending on the model. The complexity of the tested models additionally contributed to the variation in the estimates. It is recommended that when using self-reports to measure stressful life events, occurrence-based and severity-based methods are used simultaneously and that impact estimates are expressed within intervals.

3.
J Health Psychol ; 28(12): 1103-1116, 2023 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37073440

ABSTRACT

Findings since 2000 about the association between the frequency of religious service attendance (formal religiosity) and sexual risk taking in adolescents and emerging adults were explored. A systematic literature search (April 2020) focused on articles with data on religiosity and age at sexual debut, number of sexual partners, condom use at most recent sexual intercourse, and consistent condom use. A total of 27 studies with 37,430 participants (Mage = 18.4, range: 12-25, 43.5% male) were included. In random-effects meta-analysis, the link between formal religiosity and sexual risk taking was significant only for age at sexual debut (r = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.13) and the number of sexual partners (r = -0.14, 95% CI = -0.19, -0.09). Weak associations between the constructs of interest indicate that formal religiosity is not sufficient to protect young people's sexual health.


Subject(s)
Sexual Behavior , Sexual Partners , Adult , Adolescent , Male , Humans , Female , Religion , Safe Sex , Risk-Taking
4.
Soc Sci Med ; 291: 114488, 2021 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34662764

ABSTRACT

RATIONALE: Although there is some evidence that religious faith may offer protection against sexual risk taking in adolescence and emerging adulthood, no attempts have been made to systematically quantify the association. OBJECTIVE: Using data from studies conducted in the 2000-2020 period, this meta-analysis aimed to estimate the link between religious faith and four sexual risk-taking behaviors in samples of adolescents and emerging adults. METHODS: Five different search systems were used to conduct a systematic literature search in April 2020. Studies that contained quantitative data on religious faith and at least one indicator of sexual risk taking (age at sexual debut, number of sexual partners, condom use at most recent sexual intercourse, and consistent condom use) were searched for. In total, 35 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, in English, were identified. Random-effects meta-analytic approach was used to assess target associations among 41,758 adolescents and emerging adults (Mage = 18.9 years, 37% male). To estimate the effect across the four risk indicators, we employed robust variance estimation (RVE) method. RESULTS: We found small associations between religious faith on the one hand and age at sexual debut (r = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.12) and the number of sexual partners on the other hand (r = -0.15, 95% CI = -0.21, -0.09). No association with condom use was observed. With all studies included, the overall effect size was 0.11 (95% CI = 0.06, 0.16), indicating a small (protective) role of religious faith in young people's sexual risk taking. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the limited role of religious faith in young people's sexual and reproductive health, comprehensive sexuality education remains essential for risk-reduction, even among more religious young people.


Subject(s)
Risk-Taking , Sexual Behavior , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Safe Sex , Sex Education , Sexual Partners
5.
Stress Health ; 37(5): 1026-1034, 2021 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33876570

ABSTRACT

Although stress strongly predicts life satisfaction, the psychosocial mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. To investigate the possible mediating role of coping, we conducted a cross-sectional study that assessed youths' life stress levels, propensity to engage in three different coping styles (i.e., active coping, internal coping, & withdrawal), ​and life satisfaction in a probabilistic, two-stage stratified cluster sample of 1830 high school seniors (986 females; age range: 17-22 years old) from 26 schools in or around the four largest cities in Croatia. We used correlational analyses and structural equation modelling to test the hypothesis that coping mediates the relation between stress and life satisfaction. The tested model was marginally acceptable: χ2  = 1613.85, df = 177, p < 0.001, goodness-of-fit-index = 0.92, Comparative Fit Index = 0.91, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.89, root mean square error of approximation = 0.067 (90% CI = 0.064 to 0.070), standardized root mean squared residual = 0.056. As hypothesized, stress was related to life satisfaction directly (ßc' = -0.22, p < 0.01) but also indirectly (ßab = -0.05, p < 0.01) by affecting youths' likelihood of engaging in withdrawal behaviours, such as avoiding problems, distracting, or using anger, alcohol, or drugs. The proportion of the total effect mediated by withdrawal was 19.4%. In contrast, neither active nor internal coping were significant mediators. Based on these results, we conclude that preventive and educational programs for enhancing youth mental health may benefit from reducing adolescents' stress levels and stress-related withdrawal behaviour, and by encouraging youth to use active coping strategies instead.


Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Personal Satisfaction , Adolescent , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Latent Class Analysis , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
6.
J Sex Res ; 57(1): 16-28, 2020 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31042055

ABSTRACT

Pornography has been theorized to affect sexual satisfaction for decades, yet only two prospective studies, both conducted in the Netherlands, have explored this link among adolescents. Given the unprecedented availability of (online) sexually explicit content and the potential importance of its relationship to sexual satisfaction for young people, we have revisited the association between these variables in a less sexually permissive society. Using a panel sample of 775 female and 514 male Croatian high school students (Mage at baseline = 15.9 years, SD = 0.52) and latent growth curve modeling with six observation points, we did not find a significant association between changes in the frequency of adolescents' pornography use over time and their sexual satisfaction at wave six. The association between the initial levels of pornography use and sexual satisfaction, which, if present, would have indicated a possible relationship during middle adolescence, was also null. These patterns were similar across genders. Possible explanations for the difference between our results and the results of the previous studies are discussed.


Subject(s)
Adolescent Behavior/psychology , Erotica/psychology , Sex Education/methods , Students/psychology , Adolescent , Croatia , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Prospective Studies , Self Concept , Surveys and Questionnaires
7.
Psychiatr Danub ; 31(1): 54-61, 2019 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30948690

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Some authors suggest that working memory may underlie most of cognitive deficits found in schizophrenia and contribute to the most salient features of the disorder. Many authors further believe that, despite the differences in magnitude, profile of cognitive impairment is quite similar across schizophrenia and affective psychosis. To test the hypothesis of profile similarity between SCZ and BPD compared to healthy individuals, we carried out a comparative study applying several working memory tasks. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 64 subjects participated in the study, 20 diagnosed with schizophrenia, 18 with bipolar affective disorder and 26 healthy controls. Groups were matched according to age, sex and education, and two clinical groups were also matched according to the number of hospitalizations. To measure working memory we applied se Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), STROOP task, Trail making test (TMT), Digit span forward and backward tasks. To test the size and profile similarities of the groups, we used ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests on individual measures and on factor scores. RESULTS: Most indicators of the WCST did not differentiate between the groups, but all of the remaining indicators indicated weaker working memory of the two clinical groups compared to the healthy controls. All applied measures could be reduced to two latent constructs provisionally named WM Attention and WM Capacity. Both clinical groups scored lower on the capacity component than controls, whereas the three groups could not be distinguished according to the attention component. Results provided no evidence of difference in either size or profile of working memory impairment in patients with SCZ and BDP. CONCLUSIONS: The current study determined impairment of WM in patients diagnosed with SCZ and BPD compared to healthy controls. However, no difference was found regarding either the size or the profile of impairment between SCZ and BPD patients.


Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder , Memory, Short-Term , Schizophrenia , Schizophrenic Psychology , Bipolar Disorder/psychology , Humans , Mood Disorders , Neuropsychological Tests
8.
Stress Health ; 35(2): 217-224, 2019 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30609225

ABSTRACT

Adolescence is a developmental period during which time individuals adopt health behaviors that affect their lifelong health and disease risk. Socioeconomic status, social-cultural values, and stress have all been hypothesized to play a role in this association, but very few studies have examined how these factors interrelate and explain differences in health behaviors in adolescence. To address this issue, we assessed youths' socioeconomic status, social-cultural values, life stress levels across seven domains, and health behaviors in a national sample of 1,830 high school seniors living in the four largest cities in Croatia. Structural equation modelling examined the extent to which stress mediates the effects of socioeconomic status and social-cultural values on positive and negative health behaviors. As hypothesized, stress levels significantly mediated associations between youths' socioeconomic status, social-cultural values, and healthy and unhealthy habits. Additionally, whereas better socioeconomic status predicted less stress, greater social-cultural value on achieving a "good life" predicted more stress. More stress, in turn, was associated with engaging in fewer healthy behaviors for both males and females, and more unhealthy behaviors for males. Socioeconomic status and social-cultural values thus appear to influence stress levels, which may in turn affect adolescents' health behaviors and, potentially, their lifespan health.


Subject(s)
Culture , Health Behavior , Psychology, Adolescent , Social Class , Stress, Psychological/etiology , Adolescent , Croatia , Female , Humans , Male
9.
Int J Biometeorol ; 62(2): 165-175, 2018 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28884366

ABSTRACT

There is ample evidence that environmental stressors such as extreme weather conditions affect animal behavior and that this process is in part mediated through the elevated activity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis which results in an increase in cortisol secretion. This relationship has not been extensively researched in humans, and weather conditions have not been analyzed as a potential confounder in human studies of stress. Consequently, the goal of this paper was to assess the relationship between salivary cortisol and weather conditions in the course of everyday life and to test a possible moderating effect of two weather-related variables, the climate region and timing of exposure to outdoors conditions. The sample consisted of 903 secondary school students aged 18 to 21 years from Mediterranean and Continental regions. Cortisol from saliva was sampled in naturalistic settings at three time points over the course of a single day. We found that weather conditions are related to salivary cortisol concentration and that this relationship may be moderated by both the specific climate and the anticipation of immediate exposure to outdoors conditions. Unpleasant weather conditions are predictive for the level of salivary cortisol, but only among individuals who anticipate being exposed to it in the immediate future (e.g., in students attending school in the morning shift). We also demonstrated that isolated weather conditions or their patterns may be relevant in one climate area (e.g., Continental) while less relevant in the other (e.g., Mediterranean). Results of this study draw attention to the importance of controlling weather conditions in human salivary cortisol research.


Subject(s)
Hydrocortisone/analysis , Saliva/chemistry , Weather , Adolescent , Adult , Biomedical Research , Croatia , Humans , Young Adult
10.
Biochem Med (Zagreb) ; 28(1): 010902, 2018 Feb 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29187800

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this nested study is to provide the reference intervals for already published measurements of salivary cortisol from the Croatian Adolescence Stress Study (CLASS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 969 individuals (372 males and 597 females) were included in the reference sample (age range: 18-21 years). Salivary cortisol concentrations were determined by the enzyme immunoassay (LUCIO-Medical ELISA Salivary Cortisol Kit, Nal von Minden, Germany) in the Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics, University Hospital Split. Nonparametric statistics were used for calculating the reference intervals (RIs) and 90% confidence intervals (90% CIs). RESULTS: The lower limits of RIs determined by the direct method were higher in females (> 10%) than in males for the cortisol concentrations at awakening (SCC0), 30 to 45 after awakening (SCC30-45) and at bedtime (SCCbedtime). The upper limits of RIs for the SCCbedtime were higher (> 10%) in males than in females. Females also had higher upper limits of RIs for the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and the diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) and higher lower limits of RIs for the CAR and the area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCG). The lower limits of RIs for the DCS were higher in males than in females. CONCLUSIONS: Obtained reference values open the arena for introducing salivary bioscience in Croatian clinical laboratory practice and provide important data for better understanding of gender differences in adaptation to stress during late adolescence.


Subject(s)
Hydrocortisone/analysis , Saliva/chemistry , Adolescent , Area Under Curve , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/standards , Female , Humans , Hydrocortisone/standards , Male , ROC Curve , Reference Values , Sex Factors , Stress, Psychological , Wakefulness , Young Adult
11.
Biochem Med (Zagreb) ; 26(3): 408-420, 2016 Oct 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27812308

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to examine basal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and to determine associations of various covariates (gender, sleep-wake rhythm, demographic, academic, life style and health-related characteristics) with altered daily salivary cortisol profiles in late adolescence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The total analytic sample consisted of 903 Croatian secondary school students aged 18 - 21 years (median 19 years). Salivary cortisol was sampled at home at three time points over the course of one week and its concentrations were measured by using the enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: In comparison to males, female students had a higher cortisol awakening response (CAR) (median 4.69, IQR 10.46 and median 3.03, IQR 8.94, respectively; P < 0.001), a steeper ("healthier") diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) (median 0.51, IQR 0.55 and median 0.44, IQR 0.51, respectively; P = 0.001), and a greater area under curve with respect to ground (AUCG) (median 206.79, IQR 111.78 and median 191.46, IQR 104.18, respectively; P < 0.001). Those students who woke-up earlier and were awake longer, had a higher CAR (P < 0.001), a flatter ("less healthy") DCS (P < 0.001), and a greater AUCG (P < 0.001), than students who woke-up later and were awake shorter. Less consistent but still significant predictors of salivary cortisol indexes were age, school behaviour, friendship, diet healthiness and drug abuse. CONCLUSION: Gender and sleep-wake up rhythm were major determinants of the altered daily salivary cortisol profiles in late adolescence. The predictive power of other covariates, although less clear, has a potential for identifying vulnerable subgroups such as male drug users and females without a best friend.


Subject(s)
Hydrocortisone/metabolism , Saliva/metabolism , Stress, Psychological/metabolism , Adolescent , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Sex Factors , Sleep , Wakefulness , Young Adult
12.
Stud Health Technol Inform ; 154: 185-9, 2010.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20543295

ABSTRACT

AIM: The aim of the current study was to compare basal psychophysiology and startle reflexes in acute stress disorder (ASD) patients and controls. Stress reactions to traumatic event include acute and chronic reactions like ASD and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They are characterized by prominent psychophysiological symptoms that can give insight into the pathogenesis of PTSD. METHODS: We measured heart-rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), electrodermal activity (EDA) and electromyography (EMG) of musculus orbicularis occuli during an acclimation period and during the presentation of startle stimuli in 29 ASD patients with different traumatic experiences and in 33 healthy controls. RESULTS: ASD subjects had similar habituation to the startle probe as healthy controls. EDA for individuals with ASD after traffic accident was higher then for healthy controls. There were no differences for heart-rate in two compared groups. CONCLUSION: EDA appears to offer the most reliable psychophysiological indices in the ASD following traffic accident.


Subject(s)
Psychophysiologic Disorders/physiopathology , Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute/diagnosis , Adult , Female , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Male , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/physiopathology , Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute/physiopathology , Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute/psychology
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