Biopsychosocial Insights on Adolescents With Chronic Urticaria: The Role of Eosinophils and Stress Coping Strategies

Background: The urticaria control test (UCT) is a patient-reported outcome measure designed to determine the current level of disease control in patients with chronic urticaria (CU). Recently, a Brazilian UCT was developed, but its validity and reliability are unknown. Method: The clinimetric properties of the Brazilian UCT short form (UCTsh) and its long form (UCTlg) were determined in 130 patients with CU. In parallel, the urticaria activity scores (UAS) that covers 7 days (UAS7) and 28 days (UAS28) were used to assess disease activity. Subsequently, the results were analyzed statistically to determine the validity, reliability, and interpretability of the Brazilian UCT versions. Results: A total of 107 female (82%) and 23 male patients with CU completed both versions of the Brazilian UCT. Both of the Brazilian UCT versions showed excellent internal consistency reliability. In addition, the Brazilian UCT results showed strong correlations with UAS7 and UAS28 results, which indicated high levels of convergent validity. The test-retest reliability was examined in a subsample of 27 patients with CU and was found to be excellent. Notably, the results of both Brazilian UCT versions correlated extensively, which suggested that the UCTsh can replace the UCTlg without changing the UCT results. Conclusion: The Brazilian UCT is a valid and reliable tool for assessing disease control. To facilitate the use of the Brazilian UCT in global studies and to put a stronger focus on the specificity, we propose that the same cutoff values for well-controlled disease should be used as identified in the original publication of the UCT, i.e., ≥12 points for the UCTsh.

Validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change of the traditional Chinese Urticaria Control Test (UCT) in Hong Kong

The urticaria control test (UCT) is a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for chronic urticaria (CU) patients. As a Persian version of the UCT was not available, the present research aimed to develop such a version, to test its reliability and validity as well as to evaluate urticaria control among Persian-speaking patients. This research was conducted at the Urticaria Centre of Reference and Excellence (UCARE) of Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. In a first step, a linguistically validated Persian version of the UCT was developed through a structured forward and backward translation process and subsequent cognitive debriefing interviews. In a second step, the Persian version of the UCT was completed by 100 well-characterized CU patients together with two anchor instruments, the Chronic Urticaria Quality of life Questionnaire (CU-Q2oL) and the urticaria activity score (UAS), to obtain information on its internal consistency reliability and convergent validity. The Persian version of the UCT was found to have acceptable internal consistency reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.68. In addition, the results obtained with the Persian UCT correlated with the CU-Q2oL total score (-0.48, p<0.001) and the UAS (-0.404, p˂0.001), suggesting convergent validity. Virtually all patients had poorly controlled CU (UCT<12). A Persian version of the UCT is now available and may help to improve the assessment and monitoring of disease control in Persian-speaking CU patients and to optimize treatment decisions.

The Benefit of Complete Response to Treatment in Patients With Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria—CURE Results

The relationship of Fric test responses with an urticaria activity score, urticaria control test and quality of life scales in patients with symptomatic dermographism؆

Objectives: To explore the effect of social support and ability perception on stress coping strategies for competitive stress, and to reveal the mediating effects of primary and secondary evaluation, so as to further improve the theoretical model of stress coping in soccer players.Methods: A total of 331 male athletes from 22 teams in the Chengdu Middle School Campus Football League were taken as survey samples, and surveys were conducted on their stress experience, social support, ability perception, cognitive assessment, and coping strategies for competition stress. SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0 statistical analysis software were used. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to process the obtained data.Results: (1) Positive primary assessment acted as a full mediator in the relationship between social support and secondary assessments, and negative primary assessment acted as a partial mediator in the relationship between competence perception and secondary assessments; (2) Secondary assessment played a partial mediating role between positive primary assessment and positive coping strategies, and a full mediating role between negative primary assessment and positive coping strategies; (3) Secondary assessments played the mediator neither between social support and a coping strategy for stress nor competence perception and a coping strategy for stress; (4) Positive primary assessment, positive negative assessment, and secondary assessment all had significant positive benefits for positive coping. Still, the impact of positive primary assessment on positive coping was significantly better than negative primary assessment and secondary assessment.Conclusion: The coping strategy for the competitive stress model proposed by this study has a very good fit for the causal model. It can be used to explain the observed data from soccer players in middle schools. The primary and secondary assessments play different roles in the model. The combination of problem focuses and emotional focus on the positive stress coping strategy is suitable in the field of competitive sports. Still, the relevant research results need to be further explored and verified in the future.

The Urticaria Activity Score—Validity, Reliability, and Responsiveness

Development and validation of the Urticaria Control Test: A patient-reported outcome instrument for assessing urticaria control

Stress Coping Strategies, Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Compassion Satisfaction Amongst Israeli Dentists: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant challenge to education systems worldwide, adversely affecting student life. This study aimed to compare perceived stress and coping strategies among Nursing and Arts/Science students during the pandemic. Methods: This quantitative analytical study used the Cochran formula to determine sample size. A stratified sampling technique selected 93 Nursing students and 198 Arts/Science students. Perceived stress was measured using Sheldon Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale and coping strategies with Brief COPE Strategies, alongside a self-developed sociodemographic questionnaire and a five-point scale for stressors. Results: Most subjects in both groups were aged 17-20 years (55% Nursing vs. 73% Arts/Science) and female (99% Nursing vs. 91% Arts/Science). Key stressors included COVID-19 restrictions (72.1% Nursing vs. 77.8% Arts/Science), with the highest stress from being unable to leave home and financial issues. Moderate perceived stress was common in both groups (64.5% Nursing vs. 79.3% Arts/Science), while high perceived stress was more prevalent among Nursing students (19.4% vs. 9.6%). A majority of Nursing students had high coping scores (57%) compared to Arts/Science students (2%), who predominantly had moderate coping scores (79.3% vs. 38% Nursing). Maladaptive coping strategies were prevalent in both groups, with mean scores of 26.09 (SD 6.569) for Nursing and 23.53 (SD 4.537) for Arts/Science. There was a significant difference in coping strategies between the groups (t=10.22, p&lt;0.01), but no significant association between perceived stress and sociodemographic data. Conclusion: The use of maladaptive coping strategies during COVID-19 among students may adversely affect their long-term attitudes and health. Strengthening counseling services and educating on adaptive coping methods are essential for student well-being.

ObjectivesTo determine to what degree particular coping strategies mediate the association between stress and insomnia in novice nurses who are employed while continuing their education and how type of education...

Validation of the Turkish version of the Urticaria Control Test: Correlation with other tools and comparison between spontaneous and inducible chronic urticaria

Omalizumab, an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, is an effective treatment in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Predictors of fast and good response for omalizumab treatment have not yet been identified and characterized. To evaluate whether soluble FcεRI (sFcεRI), a marker of IgE-mediated mast cell activation, predicts the time of response to omalizumab in CSU. Sera of 67 CSU patients were obtained before omalizumab treatment and analysed for sFcεRI levels by ELISA (2 ng/mL was used as cut-off for elevated sFcɛRI). Treatment response during the first 4 weeks was assessed with the urticaria activity score (UAS7), urticaria control test (UCT) and the rolling UAS7 (rUAS7). Elevated pre-treatment sFcɛRI levels were detected in more than 70% of patients with completely controlled disease (UCT = 16) and well-controlled disease (UCT = 12-15) and were significantly associated with disease control (χ2 = 4.94, p < 0.05). More than half of the patients (14/25) with low levels had poor disease control (UCT < 12). Of the patients who achieved complete and marked UAS7 response, respectively, 75% and 63% had elevated baseline sFcɛRI levels. Post-treatment UAS7 scores were lower in patients with elevated sFcɛRI levels reaching statistical significance at Week 3 (p < 0.05). Patients with elevated baseline sFcɛRI levels achieved rUAS7 ≤ 6 and = 0 earlier than those with lower levels (Days 9 vs. 13 and Days 12 vs. 14, respectively). Elevated sFcεRI serum levels predict early and good response to treatment with omalizumab, which may help to better design treatment options for CSU patients.

Teachers are burdened by high work pressure, suggesting the need for an effective stress coping system to support them. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of coping strategies currently utilized by teachers and explored the potential contribution of group sandplay to coping. The study was led by a group of experienced therapists and sandplay practitioners. Two hundred teachers served as participants, equally divided into two groups: An experimental sandplay group (EG) and control group. Both groups received a 3-hour tutorial on the psychological pressure at work, reactions to it, and physical/mental symptoms resulting from overwhelming pressure, and were introduced to the working principles and process of sandplay. EG participants then engaged in group sandplay for three consecutive days. The Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire was used as an objective measure of participants' coping styles. Therapists' and practitioners' observations were used as subjective information, including the scenes and themes created by participants, individual performance during sandplay activities, and feedback regarding changes to stress coping strategies. We compared participants' pre-and post-test stress coping strategies. The results revealed a significant improvement in the EG sample at the shift from passive coping (pre-test M = 1.94, 95% CI [1.83-2.05]; post-test M = 0.96, 95% CI [0.92-1.00]) to active coping (pre-test M = 1.76, 95% CI [1.69-1.83]; post-test M = 2.41, 95% CI [2.29-2.53]). Overall, our findings support the conclusion that group sandplay effectively improved Chinese teachers' overall stress coping abilities.

Indication of Omalizumab for Chronic Urticaria Using the ‘Urticaria Control Test’ Instead of ‘Urticaria Activity Score’: Possible Impact for Health Systems