Sleep as a mediator of the relationship between social class and health in higher education students.

A substantial body of research indicates that higher education students from lower social class backgrounds tend to have poorer health than those from higher social class backgrounds. To investigate sleep as a potential mediator of this relationship, online survey responses of students from five large Australian universities, one Irish university and one large Australian technical college were analysed in three studies (Study 1 N = 628; Study 2 N = 376; Study 3 N = 446). The results revealed that sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep disturbances, pre-sleep worries and sleep schedule variability mediated the relationship between social class and physical and mental health. Sleep remained a significant mediator when controlling for related variables and other mediators. Thus, the findings suggest that sleep partly explains social class differences in health. We discuss the importance of addressing sleep issues among students from lower social class backgrounds.

The psychometric properties of the grazing questionnaire in an obesity sample with and without binge eating disorder.

BACKGROUND: Despite being the first validated measure of grazing, the Grazing Questionnaire (GQ) has not been investigated among individuals with obesity. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the GQ in an obesity sample. METHODS: Participants (N = 259) were recruited from community and clinical settings in Australia. The sample comprised adults with normal weight (n = 77) and obesity (n = 182). A portion of individuals with obesity (n = 102) had binge eating disorder (BED). Data from the obesity group was examined to establish the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the GQ. A one-way ANOVA with planned contrasts was conducted to compare scores on the GQ across groups. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the 2-factor model of the GQ was the best model fit for individuals with obesity. The GQ demonstrated high internal consistency, test-retest reliability over 3 months, and convergent and divergent validity. As hypothesised, the obesity group had significantly higher scores on the GQ than the normal weight group, while the obesity with BED group had significantly higher scores than the obesity without BED group. CONCLUSION: This was the first study to investigate the psychometric properties of the GQ in an obesity sample. Overall, findings indicated that the GQ is a psychometrically sound measure of grazing among individuals with obesity. These findings provide further support for two distinct subtypes of grazing and highlight the importance of increased assessment and management of grazing behaviours for individuals with obesity and eating disorders. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the greatest challenges for individuals with obesity. Certain eating patterns such as grazing may contribute to difficulties in weight management. Grazing is the repetitive and unplanned eating of small amounts of food that is not related to feeling hungry. Researchers and clinicians often use self-report questionnaires to measure grazing. However, the first validated questionnaire of grazing has not been investigated among individuals with obesity. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine and validate the Grazing Questionnaire in individuals with obesity. Overall, our results showed that the Grazing Questionnaire is a valid and reliable self-report measure of grazing in individuals with obesity. Similar to previous research, we found that there are two subtypes of grazing. The first subtype involves continuous, unplanned eating. The second subtype is associated with a sense of loss of control over eating. We also found that people with obesity and binge eating disorder graze more than people with obesity that do not have binge eating disorder, while both groups graze more than individuals with normal weight. We recommend that clinicians routinely assess and treat unhelpful grazing patterns when working with individuals with obesity and eating disorders.

Stressors for emergency department nurses: Insights from a cross-sectional survey.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to profile stress, exploring whether demographics and/or other factors uniquely contribute to stress for emergency departments nurses. BACKGROUND: Nursing has been identified as a stressful profession with the potential to have negative impacts on nurses' physical and mental health. Nurses working in emergency departments face unique daily stressors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey using a correlational design. METHODS: The survey was distributed in May 2019 to ED nurses working in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. A total of 242 nurses completed the survey, of which 190 cases were analysed. A standardised scale was used in the survey, the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS). The sampling method for this research was non-probability purposive sampling. STROBE checklist was used for this manuscript. RESULTS: The results of this study indicated that emergency department nurses experience stress in their work settings. Stress is experienced predominantly because of problems in dealing with patients and their families, high workloads, and uncertainty concerning treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide valuable insights into the work-related stress experienced by emergency department nurses. This information can be used to inform the development of strategies to minimise stress for emergency nurses. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study builds on existing, and contributes to new, knowledge about the current stressors for emergency department nurses. The results provide insights into how policies and procedures may need to be adjusted and interventions developed, that can help in reducing stress.

Experimental induction of self-focused attention via mirror gazing: Effects on body image, appraisals, body-focused shame, and self-esteem.

Cognitive and behavioural models of body dysmorphic disorder posit that selective self-focused attention via mirror gazing plays a key role in the aetiology and maintenance of the disorder. However, there is little empirical support for these theoretical claims. This study aimed to induce self-focused attention via mirror gazing to examine the proposed theoretical effects on body image, distress, body-focused shame, and self-esteem. Fifty-one non-clinical participants (78.43% female) were randomly allocated to one of the two conditions: low self-focused attention (i.e., looking into a mirror placed 100 cm/ 39 in away) vs. high self-focused attention (i.e., focusing on a disliked part in a mirror placed 10 cm/ 4 in away). Following 5 min of mirror gazing, the high self-focused attention condition experienced decreased satisfaction with appearance, perceived attractiveness, and self-esteem, and increased distress about appearance, distress about disliked parts, urges to change appearance, and body-focused shame. Approaching the mirror from a distance appeared to have no effect. Findings are consistent with theories suggesting that self-focused attention and mirror behaviours might contribute to the development of body dysmorphic disorder and maintain its psychological effects.