Psychometric properties of the screen for child anxiety related emotional disorders for socially anxious and healthy Spanish adolescents.

Socially anxious and healthy Spanish adolescents were studied in order to test the psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Confirmatory factor analyses were employed to test measurement invariance between these two populations, Cronbach's alphas were calculated to determine the reliabilities of the scales, and partial eta-square tests calculated the effect size of the differences between socially anxious and healthy adolescents and between the adolescent boys and girls. The psychometric properties of the SCARED were good, as demonstrated by having acceptable reliabilities (ranging from .75 - .41) and a moderate multivariate effect size (η(p)(2) = .08) between the adolescent boys and girls. Most importantly, it was demonstrated that the SCARED could differentiate between socially anxious and healthy Spanish adolescents as demonstrated by measurement invariance (χ(2) = 254.27, df = 1343, GFI = .884, AGFI = .872, RMR = .031) and the large effect size (η(p)(2) = .22) between the samples.

Infant neurocognitive development is independent of the use of iodised salt or iodine supplements given during pregnancy.

The benefits of iodine supplements during pregnancy remain controversial in areas with a mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of improving iodine intakes, with iodised salt (IS) or iodine supplements, in pregnant Spanish women. A total of 131 pregnant women in their first trimester were randomly assigned to three groups: (1) IS in cooking and at the table, (2) 200 µg potassium iodide (KI)/d or (3) 300 µg KI/d. No differences were found in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) or thyroid volume (TV) between the three groups. Regardless of the group in which women were included, those who had been taking IS for at least 1 year before becoming pregnant had a significantly lower TV in the third trimester (P= 0.01) and a significantly higher urinary iodine in the first (173.7 (sd 81.8) v. 113.8 (sd 79.6) µg/l, P= 0.001) and third trimesters (206.3 (sd 91.2) v. 160.4 (sd 87.7) µg/l, P= 0.03). Also, no differences were seen in TSH, FT4 or FT3. Children's neurological development was not significantly associated with the consumption of IS for at least 1 year before becoming pregnant and no differences were found according to the treatment group. In conclusion, in pregnant women with insufficient iodine intake, the intake of IS before becoming pregnant was associated with a better maternal thyroid function. The form of iodide intake was not associated with maternal thyroid function or children's neurological development.

Psychometric properties of the screen for child anxiety related emotional disorders for socially anxious and healthy Spanish adolescents

Socially anxious and healthy Spanish adolescents were studied in order to test the psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Confirmatory factor analyses were employed to test measurement invariance between these two populations, Cronbach’s alphas were calculated to determine the reliabilities of the scales, and partial eta-square tests calculated the effect size of the differences between socially anxious and healthy adolescents and between the adolescent boys and girls. The psychometric properties of the SCARED were good, as demonstrated by having acceptable reliabilities (ranging from .75 - .41) and a moderate multivariate effect size (çp2 = .08) between the adolescent boys and girls. Most importantly, it was demonstrated that the SCARED could differentiate between socially anxious and healthy Spanish adolescents as demonstrated by measurement invariance (÷2 = 254.27, df = 1343, GFI = .884, AGFI = .872, RMR = .031) and the large effect size (çp2 = .22) between the samples (AU)

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Effect of iodine prophylaxis during pregnancy on neurocognitive development of children during the first two years of life.

CONTEXT: The association between thyroid function during pregnancy and the later mental and psychomotor development of the child is supported by numerous experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychological development of infants aged 3 to 18 months whose mothers had received 300 microg of potassium iodide during the first trimester of their pregnancy and compare with infants whose mothers had received no iodine supplements. DESIGN AND STUDY SUBJECTS: The study included 133 women who had received 300 microg of potassium iodine and 61 women who had received no iodine supplements. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The neuropsychological status of the children was evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and measurements were made of TSH, free T(3), free T(4), and urinary iodine. RESULTS: Those children whose mothers had received an iodine supplement of 300 microg had a more favorable psychometric assessment than those of the other group of mothers. They had higher scores on the Psychomotor Development Index (P = 0.02) and the Behavior Rating Scale. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary iodine supplements not only have no harmful effect on the neurodevelopment of the children, they may even be beneficial. Given the possible presence of confounding variables not controlled for in this study, these findings should be considered as preliminary.

Validación de un inventario para la medida del estrés percibido y las estrategias de afrontamiento en enfermos de cáncer (ISEAC) / Validation of an inventory for the measurement of perceived stress and coping strategies in cancer patients (ISEAC)

Objetivo: El objetivo de esta investigación espresentar un nuevo instrumento (ISEAC) de medida del nivel de estrés y las estrategias de afrontamiento utilizadas en las situaciones estresantes específi cas relacionadas con la enfermedad del cáncer. El ISEAC evalúa: a) las situaciones estresantes específi cas ligadas a la enfermedad oncológica, b) el nivel de estrés o malestar emocional experimentado respecto a estas situaciones y c) las estrategias de afrontamiento que utiliza el paciente para cada una de estas situaciones. Método: La validez predictiva del instrumento se ha evaluado analizando la relación entre las puntuaciones del ISEAC y medidas de ansiedad y depresión (Escala Hospitalaria de Ansiedad y Depresión) y calidad de vida (Cuestionario de Calidad de Vida SF-36). En el estudio participaron 78 pacientes oncológicos que fueron entrevistados individualmente. Resultados: Los resultados muestran que el área de mayor preocupación en los pacientes es la referida a la situación de emociones negativas (estado de ánimo irritable, apático y/o triste) y la preocupación por el malestar de los familiares. Las estrategias de afrontamiento más frecuentemente utilizadas son, por este orden, la distracción cognitiva, la evitación y la aceptación estoica de la enfermedad. Tanto la puntuación total en estrés como la derivada de las distintas situaciones estresantes (AU)

Objective: The aim of this study is to present a new instrument (ISEAC) for the measurement of stress and coping strategies used in the specifi c stressful situations related to cancer. The ISEAC evaluates: a) the specifi c stressful situations related to the cancer disease, b) the level of stress-emotional discomfort experienced with regard to these situations, and c) the coping strategies that the patient uses for each of these situations. Methodology: The predictive validity of the instrument has been evaluated analyzing the relation between the punctuations of the ISEAC and measures of anxiety and depression (The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and quality of life (Short-Form Health-Survey, SF-36). Seventy-eight cancer patients participated in the study and they were individually interviewed. Results: The results show that the area of greater worry in the patients is that related to the situation of negative emotions (irritable, apathetic, and/or sad state) and the worry about the discomfort produced by the patient’s illness in their relatives. The coping strategies more frequently used are, in this order, cognitive distraction, avoidance and the stoic acceptance of the disease. Both the total stress score as well as the stress in the specifi c different stressful situations are positively associated to anxiety and depression levels, but negatively related to quality of life indicators. As regards the coping strategies are concerned, stoicism is negatively related to quality of life, whereas the redefi nition of the situation is negatively related to depression but positively associated to social functioning . Conclusions: The results suggest that the ISEAC can be useful in the psychological evaluation of the cancer patients and, specifi cally, in the detection of specifi cs areas (both related to stressful situations as with the way of coping) with need of intervention (AU)