Sense Of Coherence Questionnaire Research Articles

Validation and Refinement of the Sense of Coherence Scale for a French Population: Observational Study.

Salutogenesis focuses on understanding the factors that contribute to positive health outcomes. At the core of the model lies the sense of coherence (SOC), which plays a crucial role in promoting well-being and resilience. Using the validscale Stata command, we aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the French version of the 3-dimension 13-item SOC questionnaire (SOC-13), encompassing the comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness dimensions. We also aimed to determine if a refined scale, assessed through this method, exhibits superior psychometric properties compared to the SOC-13. A sample of 880 consecutive primary care patients recruited from 35 French practices were asked to complete the SOC-13. We tested for internal consistency and scalability using the Cronbach α and Loevinger H coefficients, respectively, and we tested for construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis and goodness-of-fit indices (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] and comparative fit index [CFI]). Of the 880 eligible patients, 804 (91.4%) agreed to participate (n=527, 65.6% women; median age 51 years). Cronbach α and Loevinger H coefficients for the SOC-13 were all <0.70 and <0.30, respectively, indicating poor internal consistency and poor scalability (0.64 and 0.29 for comprehensibility, 0.56 and 0.26 for manageability, and 0.46 and 0.17 for meaningfulness, respectively). The RMSEA and CFI were >0.06 (0.09) and <0.90 (0.83), respectively, indicating a poor fit. By contrast, the psychometric properties of a unidimensional 8-item version of the SOC questionnaire (SOC-8) were excellent (Cronbach α=0.82, Loevinger H=0.38, RMSEA=0.05, and CFI=0.97). The psychometric properties of the 3-dimension SOC-13 were poor, unlike the unidimensional SOC-8. A questionnaire built only with these 8 items could be a good candidate to measure the SOC. However, further validation studies are needed before recommending its use in research.

Sense of coherence and nutritional maturity versus the feeling of stress among young adults

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the interdependencies between the sense of coherence, nutritional maturity and the sense of stress in a group of young adults, considering their diet. Ultimately, research efforts were aimed at testing the predictive power of the study variables against the feeling of stress. Method: The study was conducted in a group of 100 people in the 20–33 age range that were following either a vegetarian and meat diet. The Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, the Nutritional Maturity Questionnaire (Potocka &amp; Najder, 2016) and the Sense of Stress Questionnaire (Plopa &amp; Makarowski, 2010) were applied. Results: The results indicate a significantly lower intensity of emotional tension, intrapsychic, external and general stress, as well as significantly higher indicators of the sense of coherence and nutritional maturity in the group of vegetarians. Moreover, nutritional maturity was found to be negatively correlated to the sense of stress, while the sense of coherence was noted to be positively correlated to the nutritional maturity. In the end, it was demonstrated that the sense of coherence played an important role in predicting stress as experienced by young adults. Conclusion: The research provided important knowledge on the relationship between attitudes towards nutrition and experiencing stress in a group of young adults.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of a Sinhalese version of the Sense of Coherence 13-item scale among adolescents in Sri Lanka

Sense of Coherence (SOC) is the central construct of the health model of Salutogenesis, which has been identified as an effective approach for health promotion in adolescence as it focuses on pathways and mechanisms leading to health rather than disease and addresses the “upstream” social determinants of health. Antonovsky developed the SOC-13 item questionnaire to assess sense of coherence with the three dimensions, comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness in English-speaking populations. This study was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of Antonovsky’s SOC-13 item questionnaire for use among Sinhala-speaking adolescents in Sri Lanka. The cultural adaptation process included the establishment of item, conceptual, operational, and semantic equivalence of the questionnaire. Principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to determine construct validity. Data from a sample of 400, Sinhala speaking 15-year-old students attending Sinhala medium government schools in Kandy district were used for this purpose. The reliability was assessed using internal consistency and testretest reliability. The culturally adapted ‘Sinhala version of the Adolescence Sense of Coherence questionnaire produced a single-factor solution with 5- items that accounted for 40.8% of the total variance of the scale. These 5 items included at least one item from the three different dimensions of the original questionnaire namely comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. The model fitted adequately with a single factor solution (c2 = 5.65; p=0.32, CFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.026) when assessed with CFA. The reliability of the questionnaire assessed through internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=0.63) and test-retest reliability (Spearman r correlation coefficient=0.65) were moderate. The Sinhala version of the adolescents’ sense of coherence questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument to measure the construct sense of coherence in 15-year-old Sinhalaspeaking students in Sri Lanka.

Fatigue and the psychological characteristics of medical students.

The present study examined the relationship between medical student fatigue with psychological variables: emotional intelligence (EI), sense of coherence (SoC) (comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness), quality of life (QoL), stress, and satisfaction with studying medicine. The sample consisted of 566 medical students from the Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland. The instruments used were the Chalder Fatigue Scale, Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test, Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, and a questionnaire designed by the authors, comprised questions relating to the quality of life, stress levels, and satisfaction with studying medicine. The results show that fatigue was negatively related to the ability to use emotions effectively in the management of one's activities (EI), 1 aspect of SoC - a level of comprehensibility, QoL, and satisfaction with studying medicine. Fatigue is positively related to the ability to recognize, understand, and control emotions (EI) and stress connected with studying medicine. The outcomes of the study afford a better understanding of the relation- ship between selected variables in the field of individual differences in the context of fatigue in the medical student population. It may help medical educators and authorities to have a better understanding of the phenomenon of building resilience and increasing abilities to cope with the negative effects of chronic stress such as fatigue in the population of medical students. Early recognition of specific psychological features in medical stu- dents, such as misunderstanding emotions and their perception of environments as unstructured, would make it possible to prepare early support and development programmes. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(4):517-25.

Investigating the mediating influence of distress tolerance on the relationship between existential thinking, sense of coherence, and the severity of mourning among families who lost a loved one to COVID-19: A cross-sectional study.

The objective of the current study was to examine how distress tolerance functions as a mediator in the relationship between existential thinking, sense of coherence, and the severity of mourning experienced by families who have lost a loved one to COVID-19. The present study employed a descriptive correlational research design, targeting family members of those who passed away due to COVID-19 in the city of Mianeh in 2022. A sample of 160 individuals was selected for statistical analysis. The research instruments used in this study consisted of Flensberg's sense of coherence questionnaire (2006), Simmons and Gaher's emotional distress tolerance questionnaire (2005), Sugbart and Scott's grief experience questionnaire (1989), and Branton Scherer's existential thinking questionnaire (2006). The collected data were analyzed using path analysis, as well as SPSS and Amos software. The findings of the study revealed a significant correlation coefficient between existential thinking (r = 0.465), sense of coherence (r = 0.401), and distress tolerance (r = 0.521) with the severity of mourning experienced by families who lost a loved one to COVID-19. Moreover, the results indicated a positive and significant relationship (p > 0.01) between distress tolerance and sense of coherence (r = 0.126), as well as between distress tolerance and existential thinking (r = 0.059) among the bereaved families. However, the bootstrap test results suggested that distress tolerance did not mediate the relationship between sense of coherence and the severity of mourning in the families of COVID-19 victims. Consistent with prior research, the current study's findings indicated that both existential thinking and sense of coherence had a direct impact on the severity of mourning experienced by families who lost a loved one to COVID-19. Additionally, the results revealed that the influence of existential thinking on the severity of mourning was mediated indirectly by increasing distress tolerance.

Factors associated with nursing students' sense of coherence: A cross-sectional study

Background and objective: The Salutogenic Theory has a central element called Sense of Coherence, which measures the ability to cope of individuals in everyday situations. The objective of this study is to verify the factors associated with the nursing students’ Sense of Coherence.Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study, carried out with 199 students from an undergraduate nursing course at a public university in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, in June 2019. A form with sociodemographic and health characteristics, and Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence Questionnaire were applied. The median of the scale score was used to rate the Sense of Coherence in higher and lower.Results: The variables age up to 21 years (p = .013), not having a job (p = .032), absence of a spouse (p = .018), concern for the future (p = .006), lack of physical activity (0.023), use of psychotropic drugs (p = .002), insomnia (0.004), severe anxiety (p = .001), and moderate and severe depression (p = .000) were associated with a lower Sense of Coherence.Conclusions: The sociodemographic and academic variables presented influence the nursing students’ Sense of Coherence, which emphasizes the need for actions aimed at the more susceptible students’ mental health.

Comparative study of self-compassion and sense of coherence in nurses of psychiatric hospitals

Abstract Objective Nurses, due to the nature of their job, are subjected to various forms of stress and physical and psychological injuries. Self-compassion and a sense of coherence have attracted much attention in research in recent years as having high potential for improving the health and performance of people in the workplace. The present study aimed to compare self-compassion and the sense of coherence in nurses working in psychiatric hospitals and other hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Methods The present study was a descriptive-comparative study of applied type conducted on 100 nurses of Shahid Beheshti Psychiatric Hospital in Kerman by the census method and 100 nurses of other hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences by the stratified random sampling method. The instruments included the self-compassion questionnaire and the sense of coherence questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. Results The results of the present study showed that self-compassion and sense of coherence were higher in psychiatric nurses (39.35 ± 7.7 and 53.02 ± 8.01) than among other nurses (36.03 ± 5.81 and 49.76 ± 6.30). There was a direct and moderate relationship between a sense of coherence and self-compassion (P-value &lt;0.005). The higher the score of compassion for oneself, the higher was the score of sense of coherence. Furthermore, the sense of coherence had a direct and weak relationship with all dimensions of self-compassion, except for the extreme imitation dimension, which showed a direct and moderate relationship to other dimensions (P-value &lt;0.001). Conclusions Self-compassion and a sense of coherence, as a form of self-communication, increase nurses’ satisfaction and reduce nurses’ job stress and, as a result, job performance is improved.

The impact of sense of coherence and the perceived parental goal emphases on teenagers' anxiety disorder

AbstractThe role of the parents is crucial in the children's effective functioning, having a long-term effect on the physical, mental and social health of the individuals. Sense of coherence is one of the most important elements of mental health, having a significant effect on the various aspects of life. So do parental goal emphasis by setting the main directions for the children. The current survey aimed to study the impact of sense of coherence and the perceived parental goal emphasis for teenagers' anxiety disorder. 80 of these students (40 suffering from anxiety disorder and 40 normal individuals) were selected due to a questionnaire about anxiety and sampling method, considering the goal of the research. The sense of coherence questionnaire was filled by students' mothers, and to understand parents', the perceived parental goal emphasis questionnaire was filled by the students themselves. The results were calculated and analysed by a statistical program called SPSS (V.20) with MANOVA on the Dependent variables test. The results indicate that the sense of coherence was different in two groups of mothers and students than anxiety disorder and normal individuals. It shows that sense of coherence had a higher rate in normal students' mothers. Also, the orientation senses of parents and its component had a huge superiority over students with an anxiety disorder than normal.

Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Emotional Self-Regulation and Sense of Coherence in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Emotions and psychological states significantly affect the severity of symptoms in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), with patients experiencing considerable distress due to various physical symptoms and negative emotions. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on emotional self-regulation and sense of coherence in patients with IBS. This study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test design with a control group and a two-month follow-up period. The population consisted of patients with IBS who visited the Gastrointestinal and Liver Research Center in Tehran in the first quarter of 2023. Thirty patients were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received ACT in ten 90-minute sessions, once a week. The instruments used included the Gross and John (2003) Emotional Self-Regulation Questionnaire and the Felsenberg et al. (2006) Sense of Coherence Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance with SPSS version 26. The results showed that ACT significantly impacted emotional self-regulation (p=0.002, F=11.57) and sense of coherence (p=0.004, F=9.88) in patients with IBS. It can be concluded that ACT can be an effective intervention for improving emotional self-regulation and sense of coherence in patients with IBS.

ESG Investing: A Decision-Making Paradox?

<h3>STUDY OBJECTIVE</h3> Knowledge about changes in wellbeing during the passage from professional studies to working life is scarce and controversial. This study examined these changes among university graduates with good and poor employment prospects. <h3>DESIGN</h3> A longitudinal study with four postal questionnaire surveys of a closed cohort. <h3>SETTING</h3> Cohorts of graduating Finnish physicians and architects were followed up from 1994 to 1998. In 1994 Finland9s national economy was still struggling to break loose from a period of severe recession, and unemployment rates were high even among educated professionals. As economic growth eventually got under way the unemployment situation began to ease for physicians but not for architects. <h3>PARTICIPANTS</h3> Architecture students (n = 189) from Finland9s three technical universities and medical students (n = 638) from Finland9s five medical faculties. Both had started their studies in 1989. <h3>RESULTS</h3> In the first questionnaire survey there were no differences between the professions in strain resistance resources, as indicated by Sense of Coherence (SOC), or in psychological distress, as indicated by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Profession emerged as a significant between subject factor in analysis of variance for repeated measures of both SOC and GHQ. Physicians9 scores on the 13 item SOC questionnaire improved during the follow up from 62.6 to 67.5 and on the 12 item GHQ questionnaire from 24.2 to 22.2. Among architects the corresponding scores remained unchanged (62.5–62.2 and 23.1–22.6). The significance of profession remained unchanged when gender and individuals9 graduation and total work experience were introduced to the statistical models as between subject factors. <h3>CONCLUSIONS</h3> Improved SOC in physicians but not in architects supports the hypothesis that good employment prospects are important to employee wellbeing. Although less consistent, indicating fluctuations in day to day psychological distress, GHQ findings are also in line with the hypothesis. In both professions the indicators studied were independent of individuals9 graduation and career. It is concluded that rather than individually, the mechanisms that connect employment prospects with wellbeing operate collectively within the whole profession. Highly educated professionals do not complete their studies until almost 30, and if for reasons of insecure employment they are unable to develop their SOC to the optimum level at that age, their resources for resisting health endangering strain may remain permanently poor.

The Relationship between Sence of Coherence and Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Women with Breast Cancer in Torbat-e Heydarieh, 2019

Background and Objective: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Sense of Coherence (SOC) is one of the most important factors influencing mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between SOC and stress, anxiety and depression in women with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 200 women with breast cancer in Torbat-e Heydarieh. The tools included an individual information form, a 13-question of Antonovsky's SOC questionnaire, and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale- 21 items (DASS-21). Data analysis was performed by SPSS software version 16. Descriptive and inferential tests were analyzed. P levels less than 0.50 were considered significant. Results: Linear regression models were used to investigate the effect of SOC and demographic factors on stress, anxiety and depression. The results showed that SOC was effective on the variables of stress, anxiety and depression (P&lt;0.05). So that by increasing a score to a SOC, the mean scores of stress, anxiety and depression decreased respectively 09.0, 0.11 and 0.07. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the relationship between sense of coherence with stress, anxiety and depression in women with breast cancer so that the sense of coherence person is stronger than perceived stress, anxiety and depression will experience this in itself could To better adapt to the disease, improve their quality of life and mental health.

Level of Professional Burnout and Sense of Coherence among Nurses Working in the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care

Introduction. Burnout syndrome, associated with loss of energy and enthusiasm, is an extremely important issue, especially for nurses working in the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, who constantly observe human suffering and high patient mortality in their work.Aim. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of a sense of coherence on the level of professional burnout of nurses working in the department of anesthesiology and intensive care.Material and Methods. The study involved 89 subjects (71 women and 18 men) working in the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care at the University Clinical Hospital in Wrocław. Questionnaires were used: The Sense of Coherence Questionnaire: SOC — 29, Maslach Burnout Inventory MBI, Job Satisfaction Scale SSP, Perceived Stress Scale PSS — 10 and a questionnaire of own authorship.Results. The mean score on the sense of coherence scale was 120.64, so the respondents presented an average level of sense of coherence. 43.82% of the respondents had a high level of emotional exhaustion. 48.31% had high levels of depersonalization. 69.66% of respondents showed low level of job satisfaction and 58.43% presented high levels of stress. The average level of job satisfaction was indicated by the mean score obtained by the respondents in SSP scale (19.6 points). Sense of coherence correlates positively (r &gt; 0) with job satisfaction and negatively (r &lt; 0) with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Relationship analysis revealed correlations between: gender, marital status and job burnout, marital status and perceived stress, job tenure and job satisfaction, and perceived stress and job satisfaction.Conclusions. A correlation was observed between a sense of coherence and occupational burnout and stress level and job satisfaction. The probability of professional burnout is higher in men and those who are not in a relationship. The results indicate that people who are in a relationship were found to cope better with stress. Job satisfaction is lowest in employees with job tenure, ranging from 6 to 10 years. (JNNN 2022;11(1):8–13)

Burnout, Depression and Sense of Coherence in Nurses during the Pandemic Crisis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk to nurses’ mental health has increased rapidly. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of depression and burnout and to evaluate their possible association with the sense of coherence in nursing staff during the pandemic crisis. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory questionnaire, Beck’s Depression Inventory, and the Sense of Coherence questionnaire were completed by 101 male and 559 female nurses. Individual and demographic data were recorded. Regarding depression, 25.5% of respondents exhibited mild depression, 13.5% moderate depression and 7.6% severe depression. In the burnout scale, 47.1% had a pathological value. Female nurses had higher burnout (t test p < 0.01, 49.03 vs. 38.74) and depression (t test p < 0.01, 11.29 vs. 6.93) scores compared to men and lower levels in the sense of coherence (p < 0.05, 59.45 vs. 65.13). Regression evidenced that 43.7% of the variation in the BDI rating was explained by the CBI, while an additional 8.3% was explained by the sense of coherence. Mediation analysis indicated a partial mediation of burnout in the correlation between sense of coherence and depression. The sense of coherence acted as a negative regulator between burnout and depression.

Risk factors for Central Nervous System drug use among nursing students.

to verify sociodemographic, academic and health risk factors for Central Nervous System drug use among nursing students. a cross-sectional study with 199 public undergraduate students from Ceará, using Characterization Instrument, Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Fischer's exact test and Pearson's chi-square test were performed, verifying an association between variables. Prevalence ratio was used. a total of 34 used such drugs, with predominance of use of anxiolytics, associated with age (p=0.026), dissatisfaction with the relationship between classmates (p=0.003), insomnia (p=0.009), chronic disease (p=0.001), depression (p=0.035), and severe anxiety (p=0.023). using Central Nervous System drugs among students was associated with sociodemographic, academic and health factors, evidencing the need for actions promoting undergraduate students' mental health.

MEDIATING ROLE OF A FIELD OF STUDY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BROAD AUTISM PHENOTYPE AND THE SENSE OF COHERENCE

Recent studies reveal a growing number of individuals with the traits of broad autism phenotype who display communication problems and difficulties in establishing interpersonal relations. Studies suggest that BAP traits are more frequent in students of the sciences than in humanities students. Therefore, the present study aimed to establish the mediating role of a field of study in the relationship between BAP and the sense of coherence. The study included 168 students (90 females and 78 males) of science and humanities. We administered the AQ questionnaires (Autism -Spectrum Quotient, Baron-Cohen et al.,, 2001) for adults, the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC - 29, Antonovsky, 1987, 1993). The study confirmed that BAP traits are more expressed in students of science than in students of arts as well as in men than women. Also, relationships between the intensity of BAP traits and comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness were noted, but not between the total sense of coherence. Therefore, we concentrated on evaluating a mediating effect of the field of study and these three dimensions. The positive relationships between BAP meaningfulness and manageability suggest that the appropriate choice of the field of study plays a significant role in finding meaning in life and deve loping an ability to cope with emerging difficulties. Since the field of study is closely linked to the type of work, it might be assumed that the same role is played by a job that makes sense. It explains the frustration of brain-damaged patients at being unable to work. Clinical data show that giving such patients an oppor tunity to be active in any field restores their sense of meaning in life.

The Effectiveness of Self-healing Training (Healing Codes) on Psychological Capital and a Sense of Cohesion in Drug Addicts

Background: Drug addicts are exposed to many psychological and physical injuries due to the problems they experience in their lives; thus, they need training for psychological improvement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of self-healing training on psychological capital and a sense of cohesion in drug addicts in 2020. Methods: This study was a two-stage quasi-experimental study (experimental and control) in three stages (pre-test, post-test, and follow-up). Using convenience sampling, we selected 30 men willing to participate in the project and randomly divided them into the experimental (n= 15) and control (n= 15) groups. The Psychological Capital Questionnaire and the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire were administered as a pre-test. The experimental group underwent 14 sessions (90 minutes per week) of self-healing training. The follow-up was performed after 45 days. Analysis of the data involved both descriptive and inferential statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and the repeated measures ANOVA. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 24. Results: The results showed that self-healing training had a significant effect on increasing psychological capital, increasing hope with the most effect and resilience with the least effect, as well as increasing participants’ self-efficacy and sense of cohesion (P&lt;0.05). The self-healing training had no effect on optimism. The results remained until the follow-up stage. Conclusion: According to the results, self-healing training can be used as one of the new positive approaches to increase the mental health of drug addicts in treatment centers related to addiction with relatively lasting effects to increase self-care skills.

POCZUCIE KOHERENCJI A ODCZUWANA DOKUCZLIWOŚĆ SZUMÓW USZNYCH U OSÓB DOROSŁYCH

BackgroundTinnitus is usually a chronic (ongoing) condition which in many cases significantly impairs the affected person’s quality of life. Their habituation to tinnitus depends on the patient’s personality resources. The aim of this research was to determine if a particular psychological meta-resource, in this case a sense of coherence, is related to the perceived annoyance of tinnitus.Material and methodsThe study included 176 people (123 females, 53 males) aged 31–80 (M = 59.1) diagnosed with tinnitus. To measure the sense of coherence, we used the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC 29), and to evaluate the tinnitus annoyance, we used the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). The subjects also filled in a survey to capture sociodemographic data and their medical history.ResultsThe sense of coherence (in total and in particular aspects) turned out to be significantly correlated with tinnitus annoyance (in total and in particular aspects). The overall level of coherence turned out to be an essential predictor for the overall level of tinnitus annoyance. The degree of manageability was a particularly important component of the sense of coherence which affected tinnitus annoyance.ConclusionsIn people with a strong sense of coherence, especially with a strong manageability component, there is a lower level of tinnitus annoyance. Psychological interventions – counselling, psychoeducation, psychotherapy – support the development of a sense of coherence and can reduce tinnitus annoyance.

Physical Activity and the Emotional State of Physiotherapy Students Who Finish Their Education.

This study aimed to evaluate the emotional state and the level of the sense of coherence in the context of physical activity among physiotherapy students and investigate how the participating students’ emotional state changed after two years of studying and what factors were associated with the mood disorders. The study group consisted of 110 students—79 female and 31 male. The Back Depression Inventory (BDI), the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC-29) and the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) were used. The results presented an increase in depressive symptoms during the studies of a group of physiotherapy students. Physical activity can play a protective role in the prevention and treatment of mood disorders. The students who regularly engaged in physical activity exhibited better mood, a lower perceived stress level and a higher level of the sense of coherence as compared to the physically inactive students.

Sense of coherence in long-term follow-up of adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Background Sense of coherence (SOC) is a personal resource that allows people to stay healthy in spite of stressful situations. SOC is known to be low in eating disorders. We explored whether SOC correlated with anorexia nervosa (AN) symptoms several years after initial hospitalization for AN, to inform us whether AN treatment concepts could more specifically focus on increasing SOC. Methods Former patients were contacted 5–11 years after hospitalization for AN in a German integrative medicine hospital. Participants completed the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2) and the SOC Questionnaire (SOC-13). Hospital records were reviewed. Correlations between EDI-2 subscales and SOC-13 were tested. A t-test was conducted to assess the difference between the SOC-13 and the norm. A median split was performed, dividing SOC scores into two groups and comparing these with EDI-2 subscales. Results Of 149 previously hospitalized female patients, 83 could be contacted and 68 agreed to participate (46%). 17.6% self-reported that they currently suffered from an eating disorder. The mean follow-up time was 7.2 years. All EDI-2 subscales correlated negatively with the SOC-13 score (p < .01). The mean SOC was significantly lower than the norm (p < .001). In the median split, the lower SOC group had significantly higher scores on all EDI-2 subscales. Conclusions Amongst previously hospitalized AN patients, the SOC was lower than a normative sample and correlated with on-going eating disorder symptoms in long-term follow-up. Strengthening SOC as a personal resource should be incorporated as a specific goal in AN treatment and its impact on long-term outcomes evaluated.

Mother's sense of coherence and dental characteristics in children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta: A paired study.

The relevance of sense of coherence (SOC) is important to the wellbeing of parents, especially mothers of children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Determine whether the oral health status of children/adolescents with OI is associated with mother's SOC. A paired cross-sectional study was conducted with 37 children/adolescents with OI, 37 without OI, and their respective mothers. The children/adolescents were between two and 19 years of age, mean age 7.2 years, being 47 male and 27 female. The mothers completed Antonovsky's SOC questionnaire (SOC-13), and the oral status of the children/adolescents was investigated. The following clinical conditions were evaluated: dentinogenesis imperfecta, malocclusion, gingivitis, and dental caries experience. The genetic condition of the children was significantly associated with mother's SOC (P<.001). Mothers of children with OI had lower SOC scores (mean: 35.6 [± 4.9]) than mothers of children without OI (mean: 38.5 [± 4.3]). In the group with OI, a low socioeconomic status was associated with lower mother's SOC scores (P=.004). In both groups, dental caries experience was associated with lower mother's SOC scores (P=.007). Most individuals with OI presented malocclusion (78.3%) and experience of dental caries (59.4%). Having a child with OI influenced the sense of coherence of the mothers. Socioeconomic status and dental caries experience in children and adolescents with OI were associated with mother's SOC.