Introduction: Alcohol consumption constitutes one of the main modifiable risk factors that contribute to the increase in the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the consumption of alcoholic beverages on the state of physical health and its equivalence according to gender. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (n = 3865), collected during 2020 were used. Structural equation modeling was applied to assess the fit of the model, which included the prediction of measures of alcohol consumption in physical health and the equivalence of measurements of the proposed structural model in men and women. Results: The proposed structural model reported adequate goodness-of-fit indices (SBχ²/gl = 3.817, CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.968, RMSEA [90% CI] = 0.027 [0.016-0.039]; SRMR = 0.016). Frequent alcohol consumption had a negative effect on physical health ( b = −0.13, P < .01). Similarly, occasional alcohol consumption negatively predicted elevated BMI and chronic conditions such as, diabetes, hypertension, CVD, and cancer ( b = −0.09, P < .01). In addition, drinking patterns of alcoholic beverages affect physical health in equal ways for men and women. Conclusion: The findings highlight that frequent and occasional alcohol consumption significantly affected physical health in a negative way. Future interventions could address ways to encourage the adoption of a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risks of chronic conditions derived from excessive alcohol consumption.

The study aims to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of academic motivation and emotional intelligence on academic engagement. It is a quantitative and predictive research composed of 416 Peruvian students through structural equation analysis (SEM), who answered three instruments to evaluate the variables. The results refer significant effects of emotional intelligence and motivation on school engagement, simultaneously emotional intelligence predicted motivation with optimal SEM goodnessof- fit indices. Additionally, a multigroup SEM analysis was performed to determine the structural invariance of the predictive model as a function of sex and age. We conclude the mediating role of academic motivation between emotional intelligence and academic engagement, which is important for better academic performance and achievement. The mediating model was equivalent between females and males, as well as between younger and older adolescents.

Background: Vegetarianism is commonly associated with various health benefits. However, the association between this dietary regimen and aspects of mental health remains ambiguous. This study compared the symptoms of depression and anxiety, emotional eating (EmE), and body mass index (BMI) in Peruvian vegetarian and non-vegetarian adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 768 Peruvian adults, of whom 284 (37%) were vegetarians and 484 (63%) were non-vegetarians. The Depression Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-2 (GAD-2), and an EmE questionnaire were applied; additionally, the BMI was calculated. Simple and multiple linear regression and Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to evaluate the association between depression, anxiety, EmE, and BMI with dietary patterns. Results: The vegetarians (Adjusted Prevalence Ratio [PR] = 0.24, 95% CI 0.16–0.31; p < 0.001) reported more depressive symptoms than the non-vegetarians. This trend persisted for anxiety, with an adjusted PR of 0.17 (95% CI: 0.01–0.29; p = 0.012). However, the vegetarians (adjusted PR = −0.38, 95% CI: −0.61–−0.14; p < 0.001) reported lower EmE scores compared to the non-vegetarians. Likewise, the vegetarians had a lower mean BMI than the non-vegetarians (B = −0.16, 95% CI: −0.21–−0.08; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Vegetarian diets are associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as lower EmE and BMI scores. Further longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate these associations and determine causality and the underlying mechanisms involved.

Introduction: One of the key psychosocial factors that impact mental and emotional health is social support. While much research has been conducted on the role of social support in the lives of cancer patients, there is a lack of studies that consider populations who need specific tools to assess this concept. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the MOS Social Support Scale (1991) in 499 Peruvian cancer patients between the ages of 18 and 87 (M= 46.30, SD = 15.747). Methods: In this study, three models of the MOS were analyzed based on 19-item versions (four factor, second order and bifactor model). Results: The results showed a better psychometric fit in the 19-item bifactor model with optimal fit indices through the structural equation method (SB-χ 2/df = 1.94, CFI = 0.966, TLI= 0.955, SRMR = 0.038 and RMSEA = 0.058). Additionally, there was evidence of configural, metric and scalar invariance with this instrument according to the gender of the surveyed cancer patients. Convergent validity using a network analysis approach revealed positive associations between social support dimensions and quality of life. Conclusion: Emotional support and positive interactions dimensions were found to be important interconnections in the overall network, as indicated by their greater centralities. Therefore, this instrument could be suggested as a reliable way to evaluate cancer patients and their perceived support.

Background: Depressive symptoms can affect people’s quality of life and social environment. In addition, in severe situations, they can lead to suicidal behaviors. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the differences in depressive symptoms in underweight and obese Peruvian adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out based on secondary data obtained from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI), Lima, Peru. A sample of 10 053 participants was considered, of which 55.96% were women. Two Gaussian plot models were estimated and the levels of depressive symptomatology were compared between the 2 groups (adults with underweight and obese). Results: A total of 1510 (15.02%) were underweight adults and 8543 (84.98%) were obese adults. There were differences in the reporting of depressive symptoms in the underweight group; the most central items were “Depressed mood” (PH2), “Tiredness/low energy” (PH4), and “Psychomotor difficulties” (PH8). Conclusion: This study provides new evidence on the dynamic relationship between depressive symptoms according to the body mass index categories (underweight and obese) assessed.

Background: Information on understanding the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and positive and negative stress among students is limited. The objective of this research was to evaluate the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between positive and negative stress and PTG in university students. Methods: The research was carried out using an associative strategy with an empirical approach and explanatory design, with a sample of 507 participants whose average age was 22.38 years ( $${\text{S}\text{D}}_{\text{a}\text{g}\text{e}}$$ = 3.758), the sample was mostly composed of women (70.4%). Results: The results allow us to describe that resilience plays a complete mediating role in the relationship between negative stress and PTG. On the other hand, mediation was partial when resilience mediated the relationship between positive stress and PTG. In addition, multigroup invariance analyses according to gender and geographic context show that there is no difference in males, females, and the region where they reside. Conclusion: In conclusion, the hypothesis that resilience fulfills the mediating function is ratified.