Sample Of Portuguese Adolescents Research Articles

Portuguese Validation of the Climate Change Attitude Survey: Psychometric Properties and Relations with Positive Youth Development

ABSTRACT Promoting positive development may lead to young people’s active contributions to their environment through positive attitudes and behaviours. The Climate Change Attitude Survey (15-item version) aims to identify climate change attitudes differences in groups of students and to assess pre- to post-intervention attitude changes. We intended to validate and test a possible extension of this scale among a Portuguese sample of adolescents and emerging adults. We also investigated whether higher scores on this scale would be positively associated with positive youth development. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance, and convergent validity were assessed. The results showed good psychometric properties aligned with the original factorial structure. Significant differences were found among female and male samples regarding beliefs and intentions. A small but significant positive association was identified with a positive youth development scale. We suggest this may be an adequate instrument to assess youth climate change beliefs and intentions.

Measuring self-disgust in adolescence: Adaptation and validation of a new instrument for the Portuguese adolescent population

ABSTRACT Self-disgust is a complex emotion related to feeling aversion or revulsion about internal and personal physical attributes, personality, functioning and behaviours. The aim of the present study was to adapt, validate and examine the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Self-Disgust Scale, in a sample of Portuguese adolescents (MSDS-A). Participants were 540 adolescents (n = 308females, 57%), with ages between 13 and 18 years. Data were analysed through SPSS and MPLUS was used to perform a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Self-report questionnaires were used to assess several indicators of psychopathology and self-compassion. Results from the CFA showed that a 4-factor model with a second order factor presented good fit indices. The full scale and its factors showed good internal consistency, adequate temporal stability, and good convergent, divergent and incremental validity. The MSDS-A seems a valid measure to assess self-disgust in adolescents, with important implications to clinical context and research.

An assessment of the Key Construct of the Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential (ICAP) Theory: Psychometric Qualities of the Antisocial Attitudes Scale Among a Sample of Portuguese adolescents

Antisocial Potential is the key construct of the Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential (ICAP) theory, and it has been measured by the antisocial attitude (AA) scale. The ICAP theory is one of the main theoretical frameworks in developmental and life-course criminology. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the AA scale in the Portuguese adolescent population. Our sample was comprised of 485 participants. The Portuguese version of the AA scale was demonstrated to be a reliable and valid measure of antisocial potential. This is the first study exploring the AA scale outside of the scope of the CSDD and it reveals antisocial potential as a strong predictor of criminal behavior that should be considered in future research.

Changes in Physical Fitness Parameters in a Portuguese Sample of Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A One-Year Longitudinal Study.

Due to a worldwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many changes were imposed on individuals' daily lives, including those related to the physical activity of children and adolescents. The present study aims to comprehend the impact of early COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on Portuguese adolescents' physical fitness parameters during two school years. A total of 640 students from the 5th to the 12th grades participated in the longitudinal study. Data on body composition, aerobic fitness, speed, agility, lower and upper body strength, and flexibility were collected at three moments: 1. before the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2019); 2. after the COVID-19 lockdown when the schools reopened delivering in-person classes (October 2020), and 3. two months after the in-person classes started (December 2020). To analyze the overall changes between the three moments and between two age groups, we conducted repeated measure ANOVAs. The main findings indicate that participants' body composition (i.e., waist circumference) and aerobic fitness (i.e., maximal oxygen uptake) deteriorated after the first lockdown but improved two months after the in-person classes started. However, the same did not happen to neuromuscular fitness (i.e., horizontal Jumps and Sit and Reach). These findings suggest that the COVID-19 lockdown may have negatively impacted adolescents' physical fitness, particularly older adolescents. Altogether, data reinforce the importance of in-person classes and school context in promoting adolescents' physical health.

Validação do Conduct Disorder Screener entre jovens portugueses

Conduct Disorder (CD) may be related to persistent and severe delinquency be-haviors in adolescence. It can last into adulthood and be a precursor to Antisocial Personality Disorder. Considering the strong consensus regarding the need for prevention and early intervention in youths with CD, due to the negative impact they have on society, the Conduct Disorder Screener (CDS) can fill a significant gap in quickly obtaining relevant data on CD in adolescents and make an im-portant contribution to their research in our Country. The aim of the present study was to validate the CDS in a total sample of Portuguese adolescents (N = 601; M age = 15.95 years; SD = 1.05 years; range = 13-18 years) subdivided in forensic male group, school male group and school female group. The scale showed ade-quate psychometric characteristics, namely in terms of a one-dimensional facto-rial structure, internal consistency by Cronbach's alpha and Omega coefficient, convergent validity, divergent validity, criterion validity and known-groups va-lidity. Considering the obtained results, it is justified to use it in a forensic and school context to identify Conduct Disorder in Portuguese adolescents.

Psychological Vulnerability Indices and the Adolescent's Good Mental Health Factors: A Correlational Study in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents.

Background: Psychological vulnerability (PV) indicates the individual’s inability to adapt to stressful situations. Adolescents experience negative impacts on their future mental health if they do not acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to have good mental health during their developmental stage. Aim: To compare the PV index among the three stages of adolescence and to explore the factors involved in good mental health, including the relationship between adolescents’ PV indices and sociodemographic variables, and the relationship between adolescents’ PV index and their knowledge of the factors that characterize good mental health. Method: An exploratory, cross-sectional, correlational study was carried out in three public schools in a region of Portugal, using online self-completed questionnaires: the Psychological Vulnerability Scale (PVS) and the Mental Health-Promoting Knowledge (MHPK-10). Results: Our convenience sample consisted of 260 adolescents, with a mean age of 14.07 years who were students between 5th and 12th grades, mostly female. Moderate PV indexes were obtained that were higher in late adolescence, i.e., in older adolescents, who were females in a more advanced school year, with worse self-perceptions of their physical and mental health and body image, and who frequently used a health service due to mental health problems. The association between the PV index and the level of knowledge about the factors involved in good mental health did not reach a statistical significance (p = 0.06). Conclusions: These results suggest a need for a design of personalized interventions that promote adolescents’ mental health literacy, that prevent PV, and that should be initiated in early adolescence.

Levels of Covid fear in a sample of adolescents: does mental health literacy helps?

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic generated great fear and anxiety across the world. Debates concerning mental health promotion and mental illness prevention have reinforced the importance of promoting mental health literacy and providing psychological help to the population. Nonetheless, no study has examined the effect of mental health literacy and psychological help in levels of fear of covid. Aims: This study aims to explore the relationship between literacy about mental illness, literacy about mental well-being, having consulted a psychologist / psychiatrist in the past and levels of fear of covid, in a sample of Portuguese adolescents. Methods: Using cross-sectional design we collected a sample of 345 adolescents (53.2% of the participants are female) aged between 15-18 years old, that filled during the months of May-June 2021 an online survey composed of a sociodemographic questionnaire, two mental health literacy scales – one measuring literacy about mental illness (Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire - MHLq), one measuring literacy about mental well-being (Positive Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire - PosMHLit) - and two questionnaires measuring coronavirus anxiety and fear of Covid (CAS and FCV-19S). In order to assess professional psychological help,subjects werealso asked if they had consulted a psychologist or psychiatrist in the past. Results: Fear of covid is related to mental health literacy and having psychological support in the past. Results from multiple regression analysis, on the other hand, suggest that variance in fear of covid is better explained by sociodemographic variables, such as gender, than by mental health literacy. Conclusions: Exploring the main findings and the relationships between variables, the implications of the results will be addressed.

Validity of the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire and Its Relationship with Parent-Reported Eating Behaviors among Adolescents in Portugal.

The Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire (AEBQ) is a tool developed in the UK, used in the investigation of appetitive traits in adults and adolescents, and later validated in a number of countries. To date, the validity of the AEBQ has not been tested on Portuguese-speaking popula-tions. The aim of this study was to validate the AEBQ in a sample of Portuguese adolescents. Participants were 4483 13-year-olds enrolled in the population-based cohort study Generation XXI. Appetitive traits were self-reported by adolescents through the AEBQ and parents also reported adolescent eating behaviors. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were conducted. Construct validity was tested through correlations between AEBQ subscales and parent-reported eating behaviors, and linear regressions between AEBQ subscales and adolescent body mass index z-scores were performed. Adequate internal consistency and several associations with parent-reported eating behaviors and measured adolescent body mass index z-scores were found. This study supports the validity of a five-factor AEBQ (Food Responsiveness and Enjoyment of Food; Slowness in Eating; Food Fussiness; Emotional Over- and Undereating) to measure appetitive traits among Portuguese adolescents and provides a convenient and easy-to-use tool to be used in large-scale research.

Correlates of Active Commuting to School among Portuguese Adolescents: An Ecological Model Approach.

Active commuting to and from school can be an important contribution to improving health in adolescents. This study aimed to analyze the influence of multilevel variables of the ecological model in the active commuting of a representative sample of Portuguese adolescents. The 2018 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children questionnaire was applied to 5695 adolescents with an average age of 15.5 years old (SD ± 1.8), 53.9% of whom were girls. The associations were studied by applying chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression models. In this study, 36.5% of the participants reported walking or cycling to school. Active commuting to school was directly associated with age (OR = 1.2; p < 0.05), strong family support (OR = 1.2; p < 0.05), a moderate to low financial level of the family (OR = 1.3; p < 0.05) and living near the school (OR = 2.4; p < 0.05). The results revealed that an adolescent’s choice to travel to and from school using an active mode of transportation increased with strong family support. As a result, promotion campaigns should consider the adolescent’s family context.

Dark Triad: Associations with juvenile delinquency, conduct disorder and trauma

The Dark Triad (DT) consists of three personality traits (machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy). This is considered relevant for understanding the development of undesirable characteristics for society, frequently observed in young people and adults with antisocial and delinquent behaviours. Aversive personality traits have only recently aroused interest in researchers as a cohesive set of factors. The aim of this study was to analyse the associations of the DT (machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) with juvenile delinquency, conduct disorder (CD), and trauma. For this, a total sample of Portuguese adolescents (n=601; Mage=15.95 years, SD=1.05 years, range=13-18 years) was used, subdivided into a male forensic group, male school group, and female school group. After the elaboration of multiple linear regression models, the results indicated that the psychopathy dimension was the one with the greatest association with juvenile delinquency and CD, while the narcissism dimension was the one with the greatest association with trauma. In future studies, the associations of the DT with juvenile delinquency, CD, and trauma in Portuguese adolescents should continue to be explored in the forensic and school contexts, to further clarify these relationships and contribute to the development and implementation of prevention and intervention programs for Youth with these characteristics.

Measuring Self-Serving Cognitive Distortions with Special Reference to Juvenile Delinquency: A Validation of the "How I Think" Questionnaire in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents.

The present study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the "How I Think" (HIT) questionnaire. The HIT questionnaire is a self-report measure of self-serving cognitive distortions. Our sample was comprised of 442 Portuguese-speaking adolescents and young adults (254 males and 188 females), aged between 12 and 20 years. Of the total 442 participants, 351 were recruited from a Portuguese school and 91 from four Portuguese detention centers for juvenile delinquents. Data analysis provided evidence supporting the original six-factor model solution, composed of a four-category typology of self-serving cognitive distortions (i.e., Selfcentered, Blaming Others, Minimizing/Mislabeling, and Assuming the Worst), an Anomalous responding, and one Positive filler factor. Further, results showed satisfactory internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. In conclusion, this article provides Portuguese researchers and practitioners with a valid measure of self-serving cognitive distortions.

Eating habits and food literacy: Study involving a sample of Portuguese adolescents

Abstract Adolescents tend to neglect food and their eating pattern is influenced by several factors. Adolescents’ health literacy substantiates their ability to respond to the growing demands of health, being linked to health promotion in several areas, including food. The goal of this work was to analyze the relationship between sociodemographic and contextual variables with secondary school students’ food literacy. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study was carried out with a sample of 181 nonprobabilistic secondary school students, aged between 16 and 21 years (mean = 18.09 years ± 1.45), mostly female (58.0%), from 11th grade (35.4%), who are part of a secondary school in central Portugal. As a tool for data collection, the questionnaire of the project “Your PEL – Promote and Empower for Health Literacy in the young population” was used, aggregating three areas: eating behaviors, harmful consumptions and sexuality. The results showed that 58.6% of young people eat 4–5 meals a day, consume fast food weekly (79%) and eat soup (82.3%). Additionally, they eat fruit and vegetables on a daily basis (94.5 and 83.4%, respectively). The results further showed that 10th grade students have higher levels of health and food literacy. It was observed that both girls and boys are interested in receiving information regarding food, transmitted through social networks and by a communication application (84.5 and 73.5%, respectively), with significant differences (χ 2 = 4.768; p = 0.028). Adolescents face unique health challenges and a critical level of health literacy compromises their understanding of information about diet and future health. The results indicate that educational plans to empower adolescents in these areas, which integrate gender and age differences and sources of information as important variables to be considered, are pivotal for increasing levels of health and food literacy.

Escala de percepción del comportamiento de salud bucal aplicada en una muestra de adolescentes Portugueses.

Introduction: The application of a scale can be particularly useful for the epidemiological studies comparing different populations and for analysis of the influence of distinct aspects of oral health on the development of certain health conditions. The aim of this study consists in the creation of a scale to classify the level of perception of the oral health behaviors applicable to a sample of Portuguese adolescents. Material and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was designed with a total of 649 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years old from five public schools in the Viseu and Guarda districts, in Portugal. Data was collected by the application of a self-administered questionnaire and, after analysis of data collection, the newly Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) oral health perception scale was created. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS-IBM software version 24.0 (IBM SPSS, Chicago, Il., USA). In the descriptive statistical analysis, absolute and descriptive frequencies were used for variables with nominal measurement level, mean as a measure of central tendency and standard deviation as a measure of dispersion for interval variables. Results: Oral health behaviors perception respecting the assumptions defined by the present scale has been elaborated. The result showed that 67% of the sample presented a poor perception of their oral health behaviors, 23.9% intermediate/sufficient, while 8.2% refer having good perception, respecting the assumptions defined for the elaboration of the present scale. Conclusion: For this purpose, through the scale to classify the level of oral health behaviors applicable to the sample of portuguese adolescents, it is possible to compare the data of several samples and understand what are the most frequent oral or eating habits among adolescents.

Reproducibility and validity of the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED Index) in a sample of Portuguese adolescents.

The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED Index) is frequently used to evaluate adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern among children and adolescents, through sixteen questions with the associated total score ranging from -4 to 12. However, in the authors' best knowledge, the psychometric properties of this index had not yet been investigated in Portugal. Thus, the main purpose of the present study was to investigate the reproducibility and the validity of the KIDMED Index in a sample of 185 Portuguese adolescents. The reproducibility was tested by comparing the application of the KIDMED Index at two different times (2-week interval), using McNemar test and Kappa statistics. There was moderate agreement (κw = 0·591; 95 % CI 0·485, 0·696) and no significant change (P-value = 0·201) in the KIDMED Index classification, between the two applications. The validity was explored by comparing the results obtained by the KIDMED Index and by the average of 3-d Dietary-Record (DR), using Spearman's correlation coefficient and Kappa statistics. There was weak correlation (ρ = 0·317; P-value < 0·001) and slight agreement (κw = 0·167; 95 % CI 0·071, 0·262) between the KIDMED Index classification and the 3-d DR-derived KIDMED score, and moderate correlation (ρ = 0·423; P-value < 0·001) and fair agreement (κw = 0·344; 95 % CI 0·202, 0·486) between the terciles of the KIDMED Index and the Mediterranean Adequacy Index scores. The results suggested an acceptable reproducibility and validity of the Portuguese version of the KIDMED Index, in alignment with the few studies investigating psychometric properties of this index in other countries.

Risk Perceptions and Cannabis Use in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents and Young Adults

Cannabis is the most used illicit substance worldwide, which has been associated with substantial adverse consequences. A recent trend toward a harmless vision of cannabis use in the general population has been observed. The present study sought to examine cannabis use frequency, differences according to cannabis use status in cannabis use risk perceptions, and the relation between risk perceptions and cannabis use in a sample of Portuguese adolescents and young adults (N = 721). The results showed that of the total sample 32.3% had ever used cannabis during their lifetime and 24% during the last year. In addition, those participants who had ever used cannabis perceived significantly less risk associated with cannabis use when comparing to never users. Finally, results showed that some specific dimensions of perceived risks for cannabis use were related to cannabis consumption during the last 12 months, 30 days, and 7 days. The findings of the present study suggest that cannabis use risk perceptions are relevant factors for cannabis use, which could inform for prevention-related efforts of cannabis use. Additional studies are warranted to examine deeply the relationships between cannabis use risk perceptions and cannabis use initiation and progression.

Validação Preliminar da Versão Portuguesa do Child Trauma Screen em Adolescentes

EnglishThe trauma resulting from exposure to childhood maltreatment can have a negative impact and significantly compromise child development and should at present be understood as a public health problem. Considering the prevalence, consequences on the mental health of the child and the impact on adulthood, CTS has filled a significant gap in the rapid collection of relevant trauma data in adolescents. The aim of the present study was the preliminary validation of the Portuguese version of the Child Trauma Screen (CTS) in a sample of Portuguese adolescents of both sexes in the school context (N=470; M age=15.89 years; SD=1.00 years; range=14-18 years). The scale showed adequate psychometric properties, namely in terms of factorial structure, internal consistency by Cronbach's alpha, divergent validity and known groups validity, justifying its use in Portuguese adolescents. portuguesO trauma resultante do maltrato na infância pode ter impacto negativo e comprometer de forma relevante o desenvolvimento da crianca, devendo ser entendido como um problema de saude publica. Considerando a prevalencia, as consequencias na saude mental da crianca e o impacto na idade adulta, o Child Trauma Screen (CTS) vem preencher uma lacuna significativa na obtencao rapida de dados relevantes sobre o trauma em adolescentes. O objetivo do presente estudo consistiu na validacao preliminar da versao portuguesa do CTS numa amostra de adolescentes portugueses de ambos os sexos em contexto escolar (N=470; M idade=15.89 anos; DP=1.00 anos; amplitude=14-18 anos). A escala demonstrou adequadas propriedades psicometricas, nomeadamente, em termos de estrutura fatorial, consistencia interna por alfa de Cronbach, validade divergente e validade de grupos conhecidos, justificando-se a sua utilizacao em adolescentes portugueses.

Coesão e flexibilidade familiar: Validação do pacote FACES IV junto de adolescentes portugueses

A Escala de Avaliação da Coesão e Flexibilidade Familiar, desenvolvida no âmbito do estudo do Modelo Circumplexo dos Sistemas Conjugais e Familiares, permite avaliar o funcionamento familiar através de um diagnóstico relacional. Este instrumento está subdividido em seis subescalas que permitem uma avaliação dos níveis equilibrados e disfuncionais (extremamente baixos e extremamente elevados) das dimensões de coesão e flexibilidade familiar. O Pacote FACES IV inclui ainda dois questionários que permitem a avaliação da comunicação e satisfação familiar. O presente artigo analisa as propriedades psicométricas dos instrumentos incluídos no Pacote FACES IV junto de uma amostra de adolescentes portugueses em dois estudos. No primeiro estudo, incluímos um grupo comunitário de 757 estudantes e um grupo clínico de 67 adolescentes que recorrem a consultas psiquiátricas. Os resultados deste estudo revelaram um modelo fatorial de 24 itens com qualidades psicométricas satisfatórias, permitindo concluir um ajustamento aceitável à nossa amostra. No segundo estudo, a solução fatorial obtida no estudo anterior foi replicada junto de uma amostra independente de 707 jovens estudantes. Os resultados desta validação apresentam o FACES IV como um instrumento útil para o diagnóstico familiar junto de adolescentes portugueses.

Development of a Prototype-Based Scale for Assessing Saudade

Saudade is a psychological experience resulting from the absence of significant others or familiar places. Four studies were conducted in view of creating a measure of saudade derived from previous prototype analyses. Data from four samples were collected: two samples of Portuguese undergraduate students, one sample of Portuguese adults, and one sample of Portuguese adolescents. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, a three-factor latent structure of saudade was identified: Missing Close Others, Lack of Intimacy, and Longing for the Past. This three-factor structure was meaningfully associated with theoretically related constructs such as life satisfaction, negative affect, loneliness, love satisfaction, self-esteem, or neuroticism and was not associated with theoretically unrelated constructs such as tolerance or openness.

A bifactor analysis of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form (DERS-SF) in a sample of adolescents and adults

The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) is a measure of emotion regulation that has been extensively used in research and clinical settings, both with adolescents and adults. However, its length has been recognized as an important limitation. In addition, its adequacy as a multidimensional measure and the utility and interpretability of the Awareness subscale has been questioned. The goal of this study is to contribute to the clarification of these issues through the examination of the factor structure and psychometric properties of a short form of the DERS in a large sample of Portuguese adolescents and adults from the community. Two studies were conducted. The first study comprised 1314 adults and the second study comprised 612 adolescents, who completed the DERS-SF and additional measures to assess validity evidence for DERS-SF scores in relation to other relevant variables (self-compassion, attachment orientations, anxiety and depressive symptoms, dispositional mindfulness, perceived stress, emotion suppression, and quality of life). Several models were examined in two studies as well as bifactor model-based psychometric indices. In both studies, bifactor models, particularly the one that excluded the Awareness items, exhibited a good fit to the data. ECV and OmegaH indices suggest a strong general factor of emotion dysregulation and do not support individual use of the Objectives, Strategies, Impulse, and Nonacceptance subscales. The DERS-SF scores correlated with the other measures as expected. Our findings suggest that the Awareness subscale should be excluded when computing the DERS-SF total score and that the total score can be considered essentially unidimensional. This study supports the use of a total score to assess emotion dysregulation but does not support the use of most subscale scores.

Quality of sibling relationship and parental differential treatment in a sample of Portuguese adolescents

Os irmãos são extremamente importantes na vida do adolescente. Com este estudo tivemos por objetivo explorar de que modo estão relacionados a vinculação entre irmãos, o tratamento parental diferenciado e o uso de táticas resolução de conflito no relacionamento entre irmãos. Numa amostra de 192 adolescentes portugueses, 64.6% do sexo feminino, com idades compreendidas entre os 11 e os 16 anos, aplicou-se o Inventário de Vinculação na Adolescência (versão irmãos), as Escalas de Táticas do Conflito Revisadas (versão irmãos) e o Inventário de Experiências Diferenciadas entre Irmãos. Os resultados mostram que um tratamento parental igualitário está associado à maneira positiva de resolver os conflitos entre irmãos; o sexo masculino relatou maior distanciamento entre irmãos do que o sexo feminino, e uma relação negativa entre irmãos parece influenciar a ocorrência de violência entre estes. Este estudo enfatiza a importância de pais e profissionais de saúde promoverem precocemente a proximidade entre irmãos.