Positive Youth Development, Mental Stress and Life Satisfaction in Middle School and High School Students in Portugal: Outcomes on Stress, Anxiety and Depression.

The relation between positive youth development and stress, anxiety and depression was studied considering the mediator role of psychological symptoms and life satisfaction. A total of 3109 students included in the "Psychological Health and Well-being" study of the School Observatory participated, including 1618 females and 1491 males aged between 11 and 18 years old (M = 14.45; SD = 1.88), belonging to different school groups in different regions of the country. Adolescents with higher stress, depression and anxiety levels reported lower levels of competence, confidence and connection, as well as more psychological symptoms and lower life satisfaction. The results also showed that adolescents with higher levels of competence, confidence and connection reported less psychological symptoms and more life satisfaction. Two separate mediation analyses were performed to analyse the role of mental distress and life satisfaction on the relationship between positive youth development indicators and stress, anxiety and depression. These analyses confirmed the predicted relationships and partial mediations between mental distress and life satisfaction. These results should be taken into account in public policies concerning young people's health and education that should involve both targeted and indicated prevention strategies, including school and community-based interventions, in order to be effective.

Civic engagement and mental health trajectories in Norwegian youth.

Introduction: Applying variable-centered analytical approaches, several studies have found an association between civic engagement and youth mental health. In the present study, we used a person-centered approach to explore whether civic engagement was related to optimal trajectories of mental health compared to other trajectories. We also examined how sociodemographic factors, such as socioeconomic status (SES), gender and age were related to youth mental health trajectories. Methods: Our sample comprised 675 students (aged 16-22) who had participated in three waves of data collection (Mage = 18.85, SD = 0.55; 43% males) in the COMPLETE project, a cluster-randomized controlled trial that involved Norwegian upper secondary schools. Results: The results revealed three trajectories of mental health (reflecting a combination of mental distress and mental well-being): optimal, intermediate, and sub-optimal. Contrary to our expectations, higher levels of civic engagement were not related to the optimal trajectory of mental health vs. other trajectories. However, we found that students who reported higher levels of SES and males were more likely to follow the optimal trajectory compared to other trajectories. Discussion: While the findings on civic engagement could be due to our measurement's inability to capture the concept of "dugnad," a well-established civic activity in the Norwegian society, the findings regarding the influence of SES and gender suggest that there is still more work to be done concerning the assessment and advancement of factors that can address mental health inequalities across SES and gender.

Heat-induced female biased sex ratio during development is not mitigated after prolonged thermal selection.

BACKGROUND: The negative impacts of climate change on biodiversity are consistently increasing. Developmental stages are particularly sensitive in many ectotherms. Moreover, sex-specific differences in how organisms cope with thermal stress can produce biased sex ratios upon emergence, with potentially major impacts on population persistence. This is an issue that needs investigation, particularly testing whether thermal selection can alleviate sex ratio distortions in the long-term is a critical but neglected issue. Here, we report an experiment analyzing the sex ratio patterns at different developmental temperatures in Drosophila subobscura populations subjected to long-term experimental evolution (~ 30 generations) under a warming environment. RESULTS: We show that exposure to high developmental temperatures consistently promotes sex ratio imbalance upon emergence, with a higher number of female than male offspring. Furthermore, we found that thermal selection resulting from evolution in a warming environment did not alleviate such sex ratio distortions generated by heat stress. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that heat stress during development can lead to clear sex ratio deviations upon emergence likely because of differential survival between sexes. In face of these findings, it is likely that sex ratio deviations of this sort occur in natural populations when facing environmental perturbation. The inability of many insects to avoid thermal shifts during their (more) sessile developmental stages makes this finding particularly troublesome for population subsistence in face of climate warming events.

Healthy Social Network Use and Well-Being during Adolescence: A Biopsychosocial Approach.

Screen time and the use of social networks is the most frequent form of leisure time occupation and socializing for adolescents. The present study is aimed at understanding and characterizing, from an ecological perspective, what distinguishes healthy and less healthy or even dependent use of social media in young people and the influence on adolescents' well-being. This paper is based on the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) from 2022, a survey carried out every 4 years, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), following an international protocol. A total of 7643 students from the 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th school grades responded, of which 53.9% were female, with an average age of 15.05 (SD = 2.36). The sample is representative of the school grades under study. The results allow us to study and identify similarities and differences between three groups related to the level of healthiness in the use of social networks and its relations to well-being from an ecological perspective. What distinguishes adolescents with less healthy use of social networks is that they are more often female, older, have more self-injurious behaviour, higher alcohol consumption, and a worse relationship with teachers. The adolescents with the highest level of dependence on social networks are those who have a higher perception of lack of safety at school and in their area of residence, as well as a higher use of screen time as a leisure activity. The well-being of adolescents using social media in a healthy way is explained by fewer psychological symptoms, better stress management strategies, better body awareness, more physical activity, less time online with friends, and better relationships with family and teachers. Technologies and social networks are important for the well-being of adolescents; it is essential to promote a healthy, critical and balanced use with other "screen-free" activities and to promote socio-emotional skills, a lack of which seems to be one of the biggest risk factors associated with the healthy use of technologies.

Perceived Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction: Does the Role of Gender, Age, Skills, and Psychological Factors Remain Relevant after the COVID-19 Pandemic?

BACKGROUND: After two years of psychological, physical, social, economic, environmental, and societal challenges, this paper examines the psychological health and well-being of Portuguese students based on their socioemotional skills (SSES), positive youth development (PYD), depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS), as well as the relationship between these variables and their influence on perceived quality of life and life satisfaction. METHODS: This study examined 3235 students from lower to upper secondary, half of whom were female (M = 14.46 ± 1.883 years old). Using SPSS software, descriptive statistics were determined for all variables; mean differences between age and gender were found using ANOVA and the post hoc Scheffe test. Linear regressions with the Enter method were used to study how to predict perceived quality of life and satisfaction with life. RESULTS: Males had scores indicating more SSES|optimism, emotional control, resilience, confidence, sociability, creativity, energy, a sense of belonging to school, and PYD. Girls had better skills for cooperating and relating to teachers but more test anxiety and DASS. Younger adolescents had better psychological health, greater skills, and a better perception of quality of life and life satisfaction when compared to older adolescents. Age, gender, SSES, PYD, and the DASS variables can explain 69% of the variance in life satisfaction, while these variables can explain 60.5% of the variance in perceived quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: These results point to the relevance of SSES for psychological health and well-being, suggesting that interventions should focus on promoting these variables, paying special attention to female gender and age-related challenges.

Microbes are potential key players in the evolution of life histories and aging in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Microbes can have profound effects on host fitness and health and the appearance of late-onset diseases. Host-microbe interactions thus represent a major environmental context for healthy aging of the host and might also mediate trade-offs between life-history traits in the evolution of host senescence. Here, we have used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to study how host-microbe interactions may modulate the evolution of life histories and aging. We first characterized the effects of two non-pathogenic and one pathogenic Escherichia coli strains, together with the pathogenic Serratia marcescens DB11 strain, on population growth rates and survival of C. elegans from five different genetic backgrounds. We then focused on an outbred C. elegans population, to understand if microbe-specific effects on the reproductive schedule and in traits such as developmental rate and survival were also expressed in the presence of males and standing genetic variation, which could be relevant for the evolution of C. elegans and other nematode species in nature. Our results show that host-microbe interactions have a substantial host-genotype-dependent impact on the reproductive aging and survival of the nematode host. Although both pathogenic bacteria reduced host survival in comparison with benign strains, they differed in how they affected other host traits. Host fertility and population growth rate were affected by S. marcescens DB11 only during early adulthood, whereas this occurred at later ages with the pathogenic E. coli IAI1. In both cases, these effects were largely dependent on the host genotypes. Given such microbe-specific genotypic differences in host life history, we predict that the evolution of reproductive schedules and senescence might be critically contingent on host-microbe interactions in nature.

Depressive symptoms and alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents / Sintomas depressivos e uso de álcool e maconha em adolescentes / Síntomas depresivos y uso de alcohol y marihuana en adolescentes

Risk behaviors are common in adolescence and demonstrates an association with depressive symptoms. Considering the psychological health implications of this phase in adult life, the aim of this study was to verify associations between depressive symptoms and consumption of alcohol and marijuana, self-injurious behavior, health self-perception, life satisfaction, anxiety symptoms and suicidal ideation in adolescents. A total of 298 adolescents, aged 12 to 14 years (61.1% girls), participated in the study. The measures were the translated Health Behavior in School-aged Children questionnaire (HBSC - BR) and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). The chi-square test, student's t test and binomial logistic regression (p<0.05) were used. Depressive symptoms were associated with anxiety symptoms and self-injury. Higher risk for alcohol use and consumption, self-injury, negative health self-perception, anxiety and depression related to females. The findings of this population suggest worrying health outcomes, especially for girl. (AU)

Comportamentos de risco são comuns na adolescência e demonstram associação com sintomas depressivos. Considerando as implicações da saúde psicológica dessa fase na vida adulta, o objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar associações entre sintomas depressivos e consumo de álcool e maconha, comportamento autolesivo, autopercepção de saúde, satisfação com a vida, sintomas ansiosos e ideação suicida em adolescentes. Participaram 298 adolescentes, de 12 a 14 anos (61,1% meninas). Os instrumentos utilizados foram o questionário traduzido Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC - BR) e o Inventário de Depressão Infantil (CDI). Utilizou-se os teste Qui-Quadrado, t de student e regressão logística binomial (p<0,05). Sintomas depressivos associaram-se com sintomas ansiosos e autolesão. Maior risco para uso e consumo de álcool, autolesão, autopercepção de saúde negativa, ansiedade e depressão em relação ao sexo feminino. Os achados desta população sugerem resultados preocupantes de saúde, sobretudo para o sexo feminino. (AU)

Las conductas de riesgo son comunes en la adolescencia y demuestran una asociación con síntomas depresivos. Considerando las implicaciones psicológicas para la salud de esta fase en la vida adulta, el objetivo de este estudio fue verificar asociaciones entre síntomas depresivos y consumo de alcohol y marihuana, autolesión, autopercepción de salud, satisfacción con la vida, ansiedad e ideación suicida en adolescentes. Participaron 298 adolescentes de 12 a 14 años (61,1% niñas). Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el cuestionario traducido Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC - BR) y el Inventario de Depresión Infantil (CDI). Se utilizaron las pruebas de chi-cuadrado, t de Student y regresión logística binomial (p<0,05). Los síntomas depresivos se asociaron con síntomas de ansiedad y autolesiones. Mayor riesgo de uso y consumo de alcohol, autolesiones, autopercepción negativa de la salud, ansiedad y depresión en relación con el sexo femenino. Los hallazgos de esta población sugieren resultados de salud preocupantes, especialmente para las mujeres. (AU)

Comportamentos Autolesivos, Percepção de Suporte Familiar e Sintomas Ansiosos e Depressivos em Adolescentes Pernambucanos / Self-Injurious Behaviors, Family Support Perception and Anxious and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents from Pernambuco / Comportamientos Autolesivos, Percepción de Apoyo Familiar y Síntomas Ansiosos y Depresivos en Adolescentes de Pernambuco

Comportamentos autolesivos na adolescência se tornaram um problema de saúde pública mundial. Frequentemente, esses comportamentos compõem o quadro sintomático de doenças psiquiátricas, sendo conceitualizados como estratégias disfuncionais de regulação emocional. Diante disso, este estudo investiga a relação entre comportamentos autolesivos, percepção de suporte familiar e sintomas ansiosos e depressivos em adolescentes da rede estadual de ensino do Recife, assim como estima a prevalência do fenômeno (n=501). Também buscou-se estimar a prevalência do fenômeno e sua relação com variáveis sociodemográficas. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Protocolo Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children, a Spence Children's Anxiety Scale e o Inventário de Depressão Infantil, todos adaptados ao português brasileiro. Foram realizadas análises da consistência interna, qui quadrado, teste t, correlação e descritivas. Os resultados apontaram prevalência de 31,3% para comportamentos autolesivos. Adolescentes do sexo feminino apresentaram 2,26 vezes mais chance de engajar na prática de comportamentos autolesivos. Verificou-se diferenças significativas entre participantes que se autolesionavam e aqueles que não se autolesionavam no tangente à percepção de sintomas depressivos, sintomas ansiosos e suporte familiar. Nossos achados enfatizam a importância dos vínculos familiares no combate aos comportamentos autolesivos. Assim, esperamos contribuir para a construção de estratégias preventivas contra comportamentos de risco, ansiedade e depressão.

Self-injurious behaviors in adolescence have become a public health problem worldwide. Often these behaviors are symptoms of psychiatric diseases, conceptualized as dysfunctional strategies of emotional regulation. Therefore, this study investigates the relation between self-injurious behaviors, family support perception and anxiety and depressive symptoms within adolescents from the state education network in Recife. It also estimates the prevalence of the phenomenon (n=501). Another goal was to estimate the prevalence of the phenomenon and its relation with sociodemographic variables. The instruments used were the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Protocol, the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale and the Children's Depression Inventory, all adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. Internal consistency, chi-square, t-test, correlation and descriptive analyzes were performed. The results showed a prevalence of 31.3% for self-injurious behaviors, with female adolescents being 2.26 times more likely to engage in self-injurious behaviors. There were significant differences between participants who engaged in self-injurious behaviors and those who did not due to their perceptions of depressive symptoms, anxious symptoms and family support. Our findings emphasize the importance of family bonds in combating self-injurious behaviors. Thus, we hope to contribute to the creation of preventive strategies against risk behaviors, anxiety and depression.

Los comportamientos autolesivos en la adolescencia se han convertido en un problema de salud pública mundial. Estos comportamientos componen el cuadro sintomático de enfermedades psiquiátricas, siendo conceptualizados como estrategias disfuncionales de regulación emocional. Este estudio investiga la relación entre las conductas autolesivas, la percepción del apoyo familiar y los síntomas de ansiedad y depresión entre adolescentes de la red estatal de educación en Recife, además de estimar la prevalencia del fenómeno (n=501). También se buscó estimar la prevalencia del fenómeno y su relación con variables sociodemográficas. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el protocolo Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children, la Spence Children's Anxiety Scale y el Invetario de Depresión Infantil, todos adaptados al portugués brasileño. Se realizaron análisis de consistencia interna, chi cuadrado, prueba t, correlación y descriptivos. Los resultados apuntaron para la prevalencia de 31,3% para comportamientos autolesivos. Adolescentes del sexo femenino presentaron 2,26 veces más chances de involucrarse en la práctica de comportamientos autolesivos. Se verificaron diferencias significativas entre participantes que se autolesionaban y aquellos que no se autolesionaban frente a la percepción de síntomas depresivos, síntomas ansiosos y apoyo familiar. Esperamos contribuir con la construcción de estrategias preventivas contra conductas de riesgo, ansiedad y depresión.

Slow and population specific evolutionary response to a warming environment.

Adaptation to increasingly warmer environments may be critical to avoid extinction. Whether and how these adaptive responses can arise is under debate. Though several studies have tackled evolutionary responses under different thermal selective regimes, very few have specifically addressed the underlying patterns of thermal adaptation under scenarios of progressive warming conditions. Also, considering how much past history affects such evolutionary response is critical. Here, we report a long-term experimental evolution study addressing the adaptive response of Drosophila subobscura populations with distinct biogeographical history to two thermal regimes. Our results showed clear differences between the historically differentiated populations, with adaptation to the warming conditions only evident in the low latitude populations. Furthermore, this adaptation was only detected after more than 30 generations of thermal evolution. Our findings show some evolutionary potential of Drosophila populations to respond to a warming environment, but the response was slow and population specific, emphasizing limitations to the ability of ectotherms to adapt to rapid thermal shifts.

Sex and population differences underlie variation in reproductive success in a warming environment.

Current rising temperatures are threatening biodiversity. It is therefore crucial to understand how climate change impacts male and female fertility and whether evolutionary responses can help in coping with heat stress. We use experimental evolution to study male and female fertility during the real-time evolution of two historically differentiated populations of Drosophila subobscura under different thermal selection regimes for 23 generations. We aim to (a) tease apart sex-specific differences in fertility after exposure to warming conditions during development, (b) test whether thermal selection can enhance fertility under thermal stress, and (c) address the role of historically distinct genetic backgrounds. Contrary to expectations, heat stress during development had a higher negative impact on female fertility than on male fertility. We did not find clear evidence for enhanced fertility in males or females evolving under warming conditions. Population history had a clear impact on fertility response under thermal stress, particularly in males with those from lower latitude presenting better performance than their higher latitude counterparts. We show that the impact of thermal stress on fertility varies between traits, sexes, and genetic backgrounds. Incorporating these several levels of variation is crucial for a deeper understanding of how fertility evolves under climate change.

Quality of Life and Well-Being of Adolescents in Portuguese Schools.

The quality of the school environment is associated with greater school involvement and academic success and improved levels of well-being/quality of life. In this sense, this study intends to explore the relationship between the quality of life of Portuguese adolescents and school. 8215 adolescents participated in this study, 52.7% of which were female, aged between 10 and 22 years and an average age of 14.36 years (SD = 2.28). The sample was collected as part of the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. The results show that girls like school, teachers, school breaks (between classes) and classes more than boys and present less concerns/difficulties with school. Compared to boys, they report more pressure with the schoolwork and a better perception of safety at school. On the other hand, boys have a better relationship with their peers and teachers, miss more classes on purpose and report a higher perception of quality of life. An above-average QoL is statistically and significantly related with liking school, peers, teachers, school breaks (between classes) and classes. It is also related with feeling less pressure with the schoolwork, a better perception of school success and of safety in the school environment. Additionally, having an above-average QoL is statistically significantly associated with having a better relationship with peers and teachers and less concerns/difficulties with school. This is an important message for the reorganization of schools in terms of their practices and curricula. The need to develop strategies to promote greater identification of students with school is reinforced.

How Is Leisure Related to Wellbeing and to Substance Use? The Probable Key Role of Autonomy and Supervision.

The present research is based on a large and representative national survey and intends to analyse the correlation of several leisure activities with risk, and with health and well-being outcomes. This work is part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, a collaborative WHO international study that aims to explore the school-aged children behaviour regarding health and risk behaviours in their life contexts. Participants were 8215 Portuguese adolescents, randomly chosen from those attending the 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th grades in 2018. The sample included 52.7% of girls and the mean age was 14.36 years old. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed (ANOVAS and Chi-Square). The results of the present study suggested that several leisure activities, namely sports and social engagement activities (politic involvement and participation, religious activities, scouting and volunteer work), are associated with the adolescents' well-being and life satisfaction. However, these types of activities can also be associated with an increase in substance use. However, some activities are also associated with risky behaviour. Identifying activities that promote well-being in young people can be important for professionals, families and public policies.

COVID-19, Wellness and Life Satisfaction in Adolescence: Individual and Contextual Issues.

During and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, several works reflected on young people's physical and psychological health. The Dual Factor Model, which we refer to as the quadripartite model, is useful for understanding children's and adolescents' psychological health and differentiating them regarding their attitude toward the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this investigation, students from the fifth to twelfth year of schooling enrolled in the DGEEC study "Psychological Health and Wellbeing in Portuguese schools" were considered. Four groups were created based on life satisfaction (low or high) and psychological distress (with or without symptoms). The study included 4444 students (M = 13.39 years ± 2.41), of whom 47.8% were male. Of the participants, 27.2% were in the second cycle of primary education, and 72.8% were in lower and upper secondary education. Differences in gender and education level (as a proxy for age) were observed. Additionally, when considering students' perceptions of changes in their lives following the COVID-19 pandemic (stayed the same, became worse, became better), these three groups were compared concerning personal and contextual variables, revealing significant differences at both the individual and contextual levels. Finally, the study discusses the influence of education and health professionals and the need for friendly public policies.

Past history shapes evolution of reproductive success in a global warming scenario.

Adaptive evolution is critical for animal populations to thrive in the fast-changing natural environments. Ectotherms are particularly vulnerable to global warming and, although their limited coping ability has been suggested, few real-time evolution experiments have directly accessed their evolutionary potential. Here, we report a long-term experimental evolution study addressing the evolution of Drosophila thermal reaction norms, after ∼30 generations under different dynamic thermal regimes: fluctuating (daily variation between 15 and 21 °C) or warming (daily fluctuation with increases in both thermal mean and variance across generations). We analyzed the evolutionary dynamics of Drosophila subobscura populations as a function of the thermally variable environments in which they evolved and their distinct background. Our results showed clear differences between the historically differentiated populations: high latitude D. subobscura populations responded to selection, improving their reproductive success at higher temperatures whereas their low latitude counterparts did not. This suggests population variation in the amount of genetic variation available for thermal adaptation, an aspect that needs to be considered to allow for better predictions of future climate change responses. Our results highlight the complex nature of thermal responses in face of environmental heterogeneity and emphasize the importance of considering inter-population variation in thermal evolution studies.

Handwashing adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study based on protection motivation theory.

RATIONALE: The associations between the number of COVID-19 cases/deaths and subsequent uptake of protective behaviors may reflect cognitive and behavioral responses to threat-relevant information. OBJECTIVE: Applying protection motivation theory (PMT), this study explored whether the number of total COVID-19 cases/deaths and general anxiety were associated with cross-situational handwashing adherence and whether these associations were mediated by PMT-specific self-regulatory cognitions (threat appraisal: perceived vulnerability, perceived illness severity; coping appraisal: self-efficacy, response efficacy, response costs). METHOD: The study (#NCT04367337) was conducted in March-September 2020 among 1256 adults residing in 14 countries. Self-reports on baseline general anxiety levels, handwashing adherence across 12 situations, and PMT-related constructs were collected using an online survey at two points in time, four weeks apart. Values of COVID-19 cases and deaths were retrieved twice for each country (one week prior to the individual data collection). RESULTS: Across countries and time, levels of adherence to handwashing guidelines were high. Path analysis indicated that smaller numbers of COVID-19 cases/deaths (Time 0; T0) were related to stronger self-efficacy (T1), which in turn was associated with higher handwashing adherence (T3). Lower general anxiety (T1) was related to better adherence (T3), with this effect mediated by higher response efficacy (T1, T3) and lower response cost (T3). However, higher general anxiety (T1) was related to better adherence via higher illness severity (T1, T3). General anxiety was unrelated to COVID-19 indicators. CONCLUSIONS: We found a complex pattern of associations between the numbers of COVID-19 cases/deaths, general anxiety, PMT variables, and handwashing adherence at the early stages of the pandemic. Higher general anxiety may enable threat appraisal (perceived illness severity), but it may hinder coping appraisal (response efficacy and response costs). The indicators of the trajectory of the pandemic (i.e., the smaller number of COVID-19 cases) may be indirectly associated with higher handwashing adherence via stronger self-efficacy.

Mediterranean diet adherence and nutritional literacy: an observational cross-sectional study of the reality of university students in a COVID-19 pandemic context.

Aim: To evaluate the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the level of nutritional literacy (NL) among university students from different academic fields of study, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 1114 first-year undergraduate students at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, were included in this study. A self-administered online questionnaire was applied that included questions regarding sociodemographic information, the MD measured by the PREDIMED questionnaire (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) and NL assessed using the Newest Vital Sign questionnaire. Results: The average PREDIMED score revealed a low adherence (6.79±2.14 points) to the MD. Notably, students in the Social Sciences and Humanities academic fields showed the highest level of adherence (U=21 071; p<0.05). Within the Health field, there was a greater prevalence of dietary behaviours aligned with the MD, contributing to higher overall adherence scores. Furthermore, 84.1% of the participants demonstrated adequate NL. Interestingly, students in the Exact Sciences and Engineering field demonstrated the highest levels of NL (5.07±1.19), particularly in questions involving mathematical reasoning. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that university students in Lisbon do not follow a MD and are far from the recommendations of this dietary pattern. While most participants showed adequate NL, it is essential to highlight the link between knowledge and application to daily practice. Despite positive literacy levels, there remains a deficit in translating this knowledge into correct dietary practices.

Shedding Light on the Lifestyle and Participation of Portuguese Adolescents with Chronic Conditions-Data from the HBSC 2018 Study.

Variables associated with lifestyle can constitute either risk or protective factors for the development and progression of chronic conditions (CC). This study intends to explore the differences between adolescents with and without CC and between adolescents whose school participation is affected/not affected by the existing CC with regard to variables related to lifestyle (i.e., sleep, physical activity, BMI, and leisure). In addition, it also intends to analyze the influence of these variables (i.e., CC and lifestyle) regarding the adolescents' quality of life (QoL). This work is part of the Portuguese HBSC 2018 study. A total of 8215 adolescents participated (52.7% female), with an average age of 14.36 years (SD = 2.28). The results showed that the adolescents with CC and whose school attendance and participation are affected by their CC exhibit more sleep difficulties (i.e., they experience lower sleep quality and have a higher degree of sleepiness), higher BMI levels (i.e., higher values of overweight and obesity), less participation in leisure activities, and a lower perception of QoL. A higher perception of QoL is associated with school participation unaffected by the existing CC, sleeping well, a low level of sleepiness, a more frequent practice of physical activity, a lower BMI, and a greater involvement in leisure activities. Adolescent health and well-being are a prominent issue in terms of public policies, with behavior and lifestyle playing a significant role in this domain. This message needs to be reinforced in regard to families, educators, healthcare professionals, and public sector policies, particularly concerning students with CC.

We Are Concerned about the Future and We Are Here to Support the Change: Let's Talk and Work Together!

Scarcely explored, intergenerational dialogue may support the re-encounter between generations. BACKGROUND: Focused on intergenerational sharing and on the identification of differences between generations, the project #GenerationsWithAVoice aims to identify generational inequalities, with the aim of promoting awareness of intergenerational challenges, boosting public debate and interest in public policies. METHODS: Twenty focus groups were developed, and an evaluation instrument was applied. RESULTS: (i) Young people believe that they have more knowledge, but less propensity for action, leaving this task to the following generations; (ii) the family and housing emerge as the issues with the greatest number of problems identified, but also as important resources; (iii) government and politics, community and society, and the economy are of less interest and knowledge on the part of this generation; (iv) school seems to be the ideal scenario for the implementation of strategies that lead to change. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight the role of this work in the deconstruction of beliefs regarding previous generations, the development of knowledge, and the promotion of cohesion and social support.

COVID-19 and Lockdown, as Lived and Felt by University Students.

In the last 2 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread all over the world, forcing the closure of universities, among other unusual measures in recent history. (1) Background: This work is based on the study HOUSE-ULisbon, a survey carried out during the second confinement (March-May 2021) in Portugal with the collaboration of all the Faculties of the University of Lisbon (UL). The present work aims to explore gender differences in how first-year college students experienced and felt COVID-19 and the second confinement. (2) Methods: A questionnaire was carried out. In total, 976 university students (19.66 years (SD = 4.033); Min = 17 and Max = 65) from the first year of the UL were included, of which 69.5% (n = 678) were female, and 30.5% were male (n = 298). SPSS v. 26 was used for quantitative data and MAXQDA 2020 for qualitative data. (3) Results: Overall, students reported various symptoms of physical and mental discomfort (especially females). Statistically significant differences were found in the problems that could arise from the pandemic, such as the prevalence of higher anxiety and worries by females, and online gaming by males. In coping strategies, differences were found in leisure and family relationships, with greater difficulty on the female side. Social interaction was perceived as difficult or very difficult by both genders. As strategies for future pandemics, they highlighted a concerted effort between the government and media in the transmission of messages to the population, facilitating information, knowledge and adoption of protective behaviors. (4) Conclusions: These results are important data for activating or maintaining resources and services for first-year university students, who in some university institutions were supported during the pandemic by psychological, material (e.g., computers, internet), and financial support measures, which are now diminished or extinct. The impacts on their lives will certainly not be extinguished post-pandemic, and health, education, and public policy measures should be prioritized for this group. These results are important data for activating resources and services for students, informing health and education professionals, and supporting public policies.