Introduction: Men who assault their partners present deficits in the social skills necessary for adequate interpersonal interaction. Not all of them have the same difficulties, thus they do not constitute a homogeneous group. Various studies have proposed different typologies of abusers based on their sociodemographic characteristics, criminal history, intensity and extent of violent or psychopathological traits. The majority of these investigations have been conducted in community samples, prompting the question of their validity in samples of men convicted of gender violence. The aim of this study was to establish a typology of men convicted in Spain for a gender violences crimes.Methodology: A total of 365 men participated and were subdivided into three classes of abusers based on their childhood, family experiences with violence, criminal history, sexist attitudes and attitudes toward violence, intensity and type of violence, psychopathological state and attachment style.Results: Coinciding with the results found in other research, 30% of the participants were classified as generally violent. They engaged in severe forms of physical, psychological and sexual violence and were more likely to do so than the rest. Additionally, they are more likely to present psychopathological problems and an antisocial character. Twenty-one percent were classified as dysphoric/borderline. They are characterized by minor forms of psychological violence, borderline or depressive symptomatology and an anxious attachment style. The remaining 49% were classified as familial or normalized abusers. This group exhibits moderate attitudes toward violence and sexism, resulting in less psychological and physical aggression. They do not present psychopathological problems and are likely to present a secure attachment style.Discussion: It is argued that determining the psychological characteristics of each type of abuser would contribute to improving and adapting intervention protocols in Spain, leading to a significant improvement in the current issue of abuse.
Background/objective: The widespread use of pesticides in modern agriculture has raised increasing concern about their potential adverse effects on human health. Exposure to these compounds has been linked to multiple negative health outcomes. This systematic review aims to evaluate and synthesise the available scientific evidence on the effects of pesticide exposure on human health during agricultural production—with particular emphasis on alterations in gut microbiota and intestinal membrane permeability—by integrating results from experimental and observational studies conducted on animals and humans. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. A systematic literature search was carried out using the main databases Medline/PubMed, Embase and Web of Science, introducing the search algorithm “pesticides” AND “gut microbiota”, from which a total of seven systematic reviews that met our inclusion criteria were found and subsequently analysed. The quality assessment was based on the principles of evidence-based medicine. This systematic review was registered in the OSF. Results: The findings indicate that prenatal exposure to pesticides is linked to adverse outcomes in foetal development. Additionally, pesticide exposure affects metabolic, immune, and nervous system function due to alterations in gut microbiota composition and membrane permeability. Evidence from animal model studies complements human data by providing insight into the underlying biological mechanisms, such as oxidative stress, liver dysfunction, alterations in hormonal signalling and activation of the inflammatory response. Conclusions: Public health strategies should prioritise reducing pesticide exposure, strengthening environmental protection and supporting further research on gut microbiota modulation and intestinal membrane permeability. Such measures may contribute to the prevention and mitigation of pesticide-related health disorders. Limitations: Human data are insufficient to establish clear causal relationships. Moreover, substantial variability among pesticide types and the difficulty of distinguishing the effects of complex mixtures from those of individual compounds complicate interpretation of the findings.
14 November 2024 in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
Age-related hearing loss, or Presbycusis, is the most frequent sensory deficiency in older adults and is associated with comorbidities such as falls, cognitive decline, and frailty. Frailty is related to poor health outcomes in old age. Recent research suggested that age-related hearing loss may be a potentially modifiable risk factor for frailty, although inconclusive. The use of animal models to study the correlation between age-related hearing loss and frailty is important to test future interventions to be translated into clinical practice. The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between age-related hearing loss and frailty in experimental animals based on the human frailty phenotype. This research studied male and female C57Bl/6J mice at different ages (6, 14, and 22 months). Auditory steady-state response threshold shifts were measured at different frequencies. To assess frailty status, we were based on the “Valence Score,” which consists of measuring: weakness, weight loss, low level of activity, slowness, and little resistance. We found that hearing is significantly lower in older age groups. The mice become frail as they age. The worsening in auditory steady-state responses threshold shifts with age correlates significantly with an increasing frailty. No significant differences were found between both sexes. Our research is, to our knowledge, the first carried out in experimental animals to establish the association between age-related hearing loss and frailty, which would provide a useful tool to evaluate future interventions in mice before translating them into clinical practice.
Background/Objectives: It is known that assisted human reproduction in infertility causes psychological and mental instability in those undergoing this treatment. Patient satisfaction, personal experiences with assisted reproduction treatment (IVF) and self-perception of emotional distress require a comprehensive study using complete and scientifically validated instruments. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a scale enabling nurses to assess patient satisfaction with the care they receive, personal satisfaction with the assisted reproduction treatment process, and self-perceptions of emotional discomfort. Methods: This study employed a mixed research strategy. Initially, a systematic literature review informed the qualitative phase, which involved expert focus groups in formulating the questionnaire items. Subsequently, the developed scale underwent psychometric analysis in the quantitative phase and was given to women undergoing fertility treatment. Results: The scale was found to have an acceptable level of factorial validity and reliability. The items were consistent and homogeneous, with high saturation in their respective factors (3). A negative covariance was observed between factors 1 and 2, and between factors 2 and 3, along with a positive covariance between factors 1 and 3. Furthermore, it was found that satisfaction with nursing care (F1) was associated with a lower need for professional psychological help and that a greater perception of emotional well-being (F2) was associated with a greater need for this type of help (F1: β = −0.07, p = 0.002; F2: β = 0.10, p = 0.004). Conclusions: This scale is a robust and dependable instrument, demonstrating its validity and reliability. Most notable are its user-friendly nature, ease of administration, and minimal time needed. Moreover, the scale proves effective in identifying women who require professional psychological support, which is a critical distinction with significant implications for patient care. In practical terms, the scale equips nurses with a powerful tool for conducting a thorough and efficient assessment of women undergoing fertility treatment.
16 September 2024 in The Spanish Journal of Psychology
Many studies have considered satisfaction as a necessary precursor for developing volunteer role identity (VRI). However, the mechanism involved in that relationship and whether diverse types of satisfaction from volunteering literature are part of this relationship remain unclear. We propose that satisfaction may promote the development of VRI by augmenting the identity saliency of the volunteer role. To address identity salience, we adopt a dual-concept approach, measuring the identity importance and identity invocation of the volunteer role. To investigate the hypothesis, we performed multiple general lineal mediation models employing identity importance and identity invocation as simultaneous mediators of the satisfaction-VRI relationship. A sample of 227 volunteers from different organizations completed an online questionnaire remotely. The results indicate that task satisfaction and motivational satisfaction, but not organizational satisfaction, significantly predict volunteer role identity—both directly and indirectly through the mediating roles of identity importance and identity invocation. Future work may continue investigating the paths through which satisfaction and other factors may promote volunteer role identity.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and associated fac-tors in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Methods: Retrospective, single-center study of a cohort of psoriasis patients in stand-ard follow-up in a dermatology department from July 2008 to January 2024. Patients ≥18 years with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were included and classified into 3 groups according to the treatment received: group 1, biologics or small molecules with or without conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs); group 2, only csDMARDS; and group 3, non-pharmacological treatments. Demographic and clinical variables were collected. The prevalence of PsA was estimated with its 95% confidence interval (CI). The cumulative incidence of PsA was analyzed across groups, and logistic regression models were built. Results: The study population comprised 308 patients (67.2%, 22.7%, 10% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Dif-ferences between the groups were observed in severity of psoriasis, weight, smoking status, and dyslipidemia (p< 0.05). The prevalence of PsA was 11.7% (95% CI, 8.1-15.3), with most patients in group 1. This group had a high-er risk of PsA following diagnosis of psoriasis or initiation of treatment. Belonging to groups 2 and 3 had a smaller effect than belonging to group 1 in the development of PsA; nail involvement and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were associated with development of PsA (p< 0.05). Conclusions: The prevalence estimate was lower than previous estimates, probably owing to the increased use of biologics. Not requiring biologics for disease control had less effect on development of PsA. Nail involvement and OSA were associated with PsA.