Factorial validity and invariance analysis of the five items version of Mindful Awareness Attention Scale in older adults.

Objective: Mindfulness or the full attention state is a factor that contributes to the successful process of aging. This study aims to evaluate the evidence of validity, on the basis of the internal structure, convergent and discriminant validity, reliability and factorial invariance across gender, for the five items Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS-5) within a sample of older adults.Methods: The participants were 323 Peruvian older adults, consisting of 160 women and 163 men, whose average ages were 68.58 (S.D = 7.23) and 68.91 years (S.D = 7.12), respectively. In addition to the MAAS-5, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 were administered.Results: The Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicates that the one-factor structure of the MAAS-5 presents adequate fit for the total sample (χ2 = 11.24, df = 5, χ2/df = 2.25, CFI = .99, RMSEA = .06 [90%CI: .01, .11]; and SRMR = .025), as well as for the sub-samples of men and women. This one-factor solution presents adequate internal consistency (ω = 80 [95%CI: .76 - .82]) and it is invariant across gender. Regarding convergent validity, high scores in the MAAS are associated with a greater satisfaction with life (r = .88, p< .01 [95%CI: .85, .95]) and less depression (r = -.56, p< .01 [95%CI: -.48, -.77]) in older adults.Conclusions: The preliminary results back the use of the MAAS-5 as a self-report measure of mindfulness that has an adequate unifactorial structure that is reliable and invariant across gender for measuring the full attention state in elderly Peruvians.

Impacto del mindfulness en el estrés en trabajadores de una universidad de Lima sur / Impact of mindfulness on stress in workers of a university in southern Lima

RESUMEN Objetivo: Evaluar el impacto de un programa de mindfulness en el estrés fisiológico, distrés emocional, estrés percibido y estrés laboral en un grupo de trabajadores. Materiales y métodos: Participaron 28 trabajadores universitarios (empleados y docentes), quienes habían registrado niveles altos de estrés laboral en una evaluación institucional previa. El programa consistió en seis sesiones de entrenamiento en mindfulness una vez por semana y con dos horas por sesión (12 horas en total), con las técnicas de la atención plena en la respiración, en el cuerpo, pensamiento, emociones y descanso. Se utilizaron mediciones de Biofeedback para evaluar cinco indicadores de estrés fisiológico (temperatura, respiración, pulso, volumen sanguíneo en la piel y presión arterial) y tres pruebas para medir estrés: Inventario de Distrés Emocional Percibido (a = .85), Inventario de Estrés Percibido a = .86), Escala de Estrés Laboral (a = .90), como medidas de pretest y postest. Resultados: Volumen sanguíneo en la piel (d = 0.8), pulso sanguíneo (d = 0.8) y frecuencia de la respiración abdominal (d = 0.9), distrés emocional (d = 0.9), el estrés percibido (d = 0.7) y el estrés laboral (d = 0.6). Conclusión: El mindfulness tuvo un impacto significativo en la reducción del estrés en trabajadores universitarios.

ABSTRACT Objetive: To assess the impacto of a mindfulness program on physiological stress. emotional distress, perceived stress, and work stress in a group of workers. Material and methods: 28 universiy workers (employees and teachers) participated, who had registered high levels of work stress in a previous institutional evaluation. The program consisted of six training sessions in mindfulness once a week and with two hours per sessions (12 hours in total) with the techniques of mindfulness in breathing, in the body (body scan), thinking, emotions and break. Biofeedback measurements were used to evaluate five physiological stress indicators and three tests to measures. Results: blood volumen in the skin (d = 0.8), blood pulse (d = 0.8) and frequency of abdominal breathing (d = 0.9), emotional distess (d = 0.9), perceived stress (d = 0.7) and work stress (d = 0.6). Conclusión: mindfulness had a significant impact on stress reduction in university workers.