ABSTRACT
Abstract Introduction: The psychophysiology of emotional response in adolescence is a crucial factor for understanding risk and deviant behaviors. Objective: To compare specific characteristics of psychophysiological emotional response between risk behavior adolescents and controls. Materials and methods: Characterization of risk behaviors (RB), variations in the heart rate (HR), electromyography (EMG), skin conductance (SC) and temperature during the presentation of visual emotional stimuli. The emotional valence parameters, activation and dominance of such stimuli were qualified as well. Results: Significant differences were found among RB adolescents compared to the non-risk group, as well as signs of major psychophysiological response to emotionally loaded stimuli in RB when compared to the control group. The control group was characterized by initial bradycardia, which was more evident than in the risk behavior group. Conclusions: The control group presented more expressive initial bradycardia in comparison to the RB group. Both groups showed more pronounced cardiac deceleration when experiencing unpleasant stimuli, higher levels in EMG to pleasant stimuli in the RB group, and higher CP indicators for the three types of stimulus. A cohort study is required in order to compare current findings in RB versus physiological emotional response among adolescent groups.
Resumen Introducción. La psicofisiología de la respuesta emocional en la adolescencia es un factor clave en la comprensión de conductas de riesgo y desadaptación. Objetivo. Comparar especificidades de la reacción psicofisiológica emocional entre adolescentes con y sin conductas de riesgo. Materiales y métodos. Las medidas consistieron en la caracterización de conductas de riesgo (CR), variaciones en la frecuencia cardiaca (FC) electromiografía (EMG), conductancia de la piel (CP) y temperatura durante la presentación de estímulos emocionales visuales, así como la calificación en parámetros de valencia emocional, activación y dominancia de dichos estímulos. Resultados. Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los adolescentes con CR comparados con aquellos que no las presentaban: se detectaron signos de mayor reacción psicofisiológica a los estímulos emocionales. Conclusiones. El grupo control se caracterizó por una bradicardia inicial más expresiva en comparación con el grupo con CR, ambos grupos mostraron desaceleración cardíaca más pronunciada ante estímulos desagradables, niveles más altos en EMG ante estímulos agradables en el grupo con RB e indicadores más elevados de CP ante los tres tipos de estímulo. Se requiere un estudio de cohorte a fin de comparar los hallazgos actuales en CR frente a la reacción fisiológica emocional entre los grupos de adolescentes.
ABSTRACT
We conducted an independent evaluation of the "Teens and Toddlers" intervention. Our randomized trial examined effects on self-reported last sex without contraception, >1 episode of sex without contraception in previous 3 months, expectation of teenage parenthood and youth development score, plus secondary outcomes among 449 at-risk girls age 13/14 in England. The intervention involves 18-20 weekly sessions in pre-school nurseries. Response rates were 95% post-intervention and 91% one year later. At follow-up two, there was no evidence of intervention benefits for primary outcomes and a positive impact for our secondary outcome, low self-esteem. At follow-up one, there was no evidence of benefits for our primary outcomes but evidence of benefits for our secondary outcomes: low self-esteem; low sexual health knowledge; and difficulty discussing the contraceptive pill. The intervention should be refined, with a clearer logic model and more emphasis on sex education, and re-evaluated.
