A health promotion intervention directed at preventing unhealthy habits in relation to physical exercise, hygiene habits, diet and personal relationships can lead to a decrease in diseases during adulthood and obtaining a better quality of life. The intervention had a participative and multidisciplinary nature, and it was developed by health professionals, teachers and parents for school children. It promoted healthy lifestyle habits around food by working on four areas through video lessons, interactive talks, practical and theoretical–practical classes and an individual project on behalf of the student where they had to design healthy menus. We randomly selected, by stratified multistage sampling, three public primary education schools. A sample of 479 students registered during the 2014/2015 academic year aged between 6–12 years were included in the study. After the educational intervention, we found a significant reduction in the BMI of the students (p < 0.001). For breakfast, the overweight or obese children modified their usual food consumption after the intervention for a healthier breakfast based on fruit juice and bread instead of sugary snacks (p < 0.001). Regarding eating habits during the mid-morning break, there was a decrease in the consumption of sugary snacks (p < 0.001) and an increase in the consumption of fruits and sandwiches. We found that, after the intervention, the excessive consumption of pasta for the main meal reduced in favor of an increase in the consumption of proteins and different beans and pulses (p > 0.001). Educational interventions on healthy lifestyle habits carried out in children during their early years improve and correct unhealthy habits.

The aim is to identify the source of sexuality education used during childhood and adolescence and to analyse whether this education influences their sexual attitudes, their ability to cope with unwanted situations they experience and their satisfaction with their sexual lives. This is a non-experimental, quantitative, ex post facto, cross-sectional study. The sample is formed of 675 young people, with 50% of the ages included being between 20 (Quartile 1) and 22 (Quartile 3) years. The data collection was done by means of an online questionnaire, including sociodemographic and Likert questions about their sex life. Fisher “Independence Contrasts”and correlations were used to see and quantify the relationship among the variables. The main source of education was pornography (29.3%) and the internet (12.4%). The source of education has a significant relationship with whether the use of contraceptives is accepted or not (p < 0.001), refusal to use contraceptives (p < 0.001), engaging in risky sexual practices (p < 0.001), facing unwanted sexual situations (p < 0.001) and dissatisfaction with their sex life (p < 0.001). It is necessary that children and adolescents have sex education in safe environments, such as in a home or school setting, and the school nurse plays a vital part in this education. This would reduce the need for adolescents and young people to use the internet and pornography as a source of education. School nurses should be the educational axis to offer children and adolescents a reliable point of information about sex education. A joint work with teachers, nurses, students and parents would contribute positively to reduce the number of risky situations young people are facing, and it would promote and improve healthy attitudes towards sex and interpersonal relationships.

Research on the dark triad traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy) is increasingly focusing on the functional or dysfunctional influences of personality traits on cognitive, behavioural and emotional responses. Thus, studies in sport contexts have shown that athletes who participate in competitive sports have higher scores in the dark triad than those who do not. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to evaluate the linear and predictive relationships between dark traits and competitiveness (p < 0.01), as well as to identify any differences based on sports orientation (professionals vs. amateurs). Scales SD3 (dark personality) and C−10 (competitiveness) were applied to a sample of Spanish athletes (n = 806). The results show that competitiveness is strongly related to the traits of the dark personality triad. Narcissism is related to both the desire to win and the fear of losing, while Machiavellian tendencies are high when athletes feel like losers. Finally, psychopathic tendencies are related to feelings of inferiority and fear of failure. In conclusion, the results suggest that dark personality traits are related not only to the individuality of the athletes, but also to the self-perception of both their psychological response and the competitiveness of their sporting environment.

In Spain, 34,331 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed in 2018 and 15,923 individuals died from this disease in the same year. The highest incidence of colorectal cancer is among individuals aged 65–75 years and the physiological consequences of aging, alongside the effects of the disease and its treatment, can exacerbate their physical deterioration and cognitive impairment and reduce their social relationships. The learning of coping strategies may help to improve the quality of life of patients after cancer diagnosis. To test the hypothesis that the utilization of coping strategies can improve the quality of life of elderly patients with colorectal cancer, PubMed and EBSCO databases were searched, up to 2021, using the following terms: “coping strategies and colorectal cancer” with “anxiety”, “quality of life”, “depression”, “unmet needs”, “optimism”, “intimacy”, “distress”, “self-efficacy” and “self-esteem” with Boolean operators “AND”, “OR”. The literature search retrieved 641 titles/abstracts written in English. After an exhaustive analysis, only 7 studies met the inclusion criteria. Randomized evidence was scant and was reported only in 3/7 of the studies analyzed. Data from available randomized evidence support that patients improved on their depression and quality of life and felt more prepared to deal with their cancer. Coping strategies in patients with colorectal cancer were effective in improving patient adaptation to their new situation. Healthcare professionals working with these patients should receive training in this complementary treatment, to be able to conduct comprehensive care in order to improve the quality of life of these patients.

Background: In an unprecedented situation of interruption of the sporting dynamics, the world of sport is going through a series of adaptations necessary to continue functioning despite coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). More than ever, athletes are facing a different challenge, a source of discomfort and uncertainty, and one that absolutely alters not only sports calendars, but also trajectories, progressions, and approaches to sports life. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the levels of psychological vulnerability that may have been generated in the athletes, because of the coexistence with dysfunctional responses during the COVID-19 experience, and which directly influence the decrease of their mental health.Methods: With a descriptive and transversal design, the study aims to identify the state of the dysfunctional psychological response of a sample of Spanish athletes (N = 284). The DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale), Toronto-20 (alexithymia), and Distress Tolerance Scale questionnaires were administered to a sample of high-level Spanish athletes in Olympic programs.Results: The results suggest that the analyzed athletes indicate high levels of dysfunctional response (e.g., anxiety, stress, depression, and alexithymia) when their tolerance is low. In addition, the variables show less relational strength, when the capacity of tolerance to distress is worse and age is lower. At the same time, the greater the anxiety and uncertainty are, leading to more catastrophic and negative thoughts, the younger the athletes are.Conclusions: It is clear that both age and tolerance to distress are considered adequate protective factors for psychological vulnerability in general and for associated dysfunctional responses in particular. Moreover, the psychological resources offered by more experienced athletes are also a guarantee of protection against negativity and catastrophism.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a metabolic disease reaching pandemic levels worldwide. In parallel, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) are the two leading causes of dementia in an increasingly long-living Western society. Numerous epidemiological studies support the role of T2D as a risk factor for the development of dementia. However, few basic science studies have focused on the possible mechanisms involved in this relationship. On the other hand, this review of the literature also aims to explore the relationship between T2D, AD and VaD. The data found show that there are several alterations in the central nervous system that may be promoting the development of T2D. In addition, there are some mechanisms by which T2D may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD or VaD.