Browsing by Author "Leal, Isabel Pereira"
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- Abortion counselling according to healthcare providers: A qualitative study in the Lisbon metropolitan area, PortugalPublication . Beja, Vanda; Leal, Isabel PereiraObjective To gain a deeper understanding of healthcare providers’ perceptions on the abortion counselling they provide and its usefulness. Method We conducted in-depth interviews with 16 healthcare providers working in the Lisbon metropolitan area. The interviews were then subjected to content analysis. Results We identified the following themes on abortion counselling description: receiving the woman and understanding her request; providing information; supporting decisionmaking; managing emotional and psychological issues; addressing contraception; managing third-party involvement; offering psychological counselling; informing about the State’s support and offering social counselling. All participants described counselling as useful but valued different aspects of it: information provision; addressing contraception to prevent future unplanned pregnancy/abortion; emotional support; decision-making support; addressing emotional issues beyond abortion; enticing women to seek healthcare in the future; preventing poor emotional post-abortion adjustment. Counselling was considered of no use to change the woman’s abortion decision. Conclusion The abortion counselling provided in Portugal is in tune with the latest literature on the subject, following a client-centred approach focused on the provision of information and emotional support. It can be improved, however, particularly in what concerns the staff’s communication and counselling skills. Further research is needed to improve the provision of abortion care in Portugal.
- Adaptação dos inventários de sexismo moderno para Portugal : O Inventário de Sexismo Ambivalente e o Inventário de Ambivalência em Relação aos HomensPublication . Costa, Pedro Alexandre; Oliveira, Raquel Lara Velez; Pereira, Henrique Marques; Leal, Isabel PereiraA relação entre homens e mulheres é única e composta por desigualdade e preconceito dirigido aos membros do sexo oposto. Enquanto a forma hostil de sexismo foi já muito estudada, o sexismo moderno é caracterizado pela simultaneidade de formas hostis e benevolentes de preconceito, e por isso conceitualizado como Sexismo Ambivalente. O objetivo deste estudo foi adaptar o Inventário de Sexismo Ambivalente (ASI) e o Inventário de Ambivalência em relação aos Homens (AMI) para a população Portuguesa, e avaliar as suas propriedades psicométricas. Ambos os inventários foram administrados a 258 estudantes universitários (31% homens e 69% mulheres), com uma média de idade de 27 anos. As análises fatoriais confirmatórias revelaram evidência da multidimensionalidade de ambos os inventários, validade fatorial, convergente e discriminante, e fiabilidade interna. Os homens revelaram níveis mais elevados de hostilidade e de benevolência dirigido às mulheres, as mulheres revelaram maiores níveis de hostilidade dirigida aos homens. A hostilidade em relação aos homens aumentou com a idade, enquanto a benevolência diminuiu. O preconceito hostil e benevolente foi maior em pessoas com menos anos de escolaridade. Religiosidade correlacionou significativamente com os índices de sexismo benevolente. Foi assim demonstrada a validade e confiabilidade da adaptação dos Inventários de Sexismo Moderno em Portugal.
- Adaptação e desenvolvimento de um inventário de comportamentos parentaisPublication . Costa, Pedro Alexandre; Pereira, Henrique Marques; Leal, Isabel PereiraObjetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo foi desenvolver uma versão Portuguesa de um Inventário de Comportamentos Parentais. Este inventário pretende avaliar a frequência de diferentes práticas e comportamentos parentais, classificados em duas dimensões de Parentalidade Positiva e Parentalidade Opressiva. Método: Os participantes (253 mães e 92 pais) responderam um questionário online em que constava este inventário, uma escala de ansiedade depressão e stress, e um questionário sobre problemas de saúde e de saúde mental no agregado. Resultados: A análise fatorial confirmatória do inventário revelou evidência de um modelo sólido de nove dimensões de comportamentos, assim como de um modelo de segunda ordem consistindo nas dimensões positiva e opressiva de parentalidade. Foram encontradas associações positivas entre a adoção de comportamentos educativos opressivos ou ineficazes com problemas de saúde e de saúde mental, e negativas entre a existência de problemáticas e comportamentos parentais de reforço positivo e autonomia. Foi também observado que os pais, em comparação com as mães, tendem a usar mais disciplina e disciplina inconsistente quando têm filhos de ambos os sexos. Conclusão: Tendo em conta a falta de instrumentos de práticas parentais em Portugal, este pode ser um importante inventário para avaliar a relação entre os comportamentos parentais e os problemas de comportamento infantil. ------ ABSTRACT ------ Aim: The purpose of the present study was to develop a Portuguese version of a Parenting Behaviour Inventory. This inventory aims to evaluate the frequency of different parenting practices and behaviours, classified into two dimensions of Positive Parenting and Oppressive Parenting. Method: Participants (253 mothers and 92 fathers) responded to an online questionnaire which consisted of this inventory, a scale of depression stress and anxiety, and a questionnaire of health and mental health related problems in the household. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis of the inventory revealed evidence of a solid model of nine behavioural dimensions, as well as of a second-order model consisting of a positive and an oppressive parenting dimension. Significant positive associations were found between the adoption of ineffective or oppressive childrearing behaviours with health and mental health problems; and negative associations between these problems and positive childrearing behaviours. It was also found that fathers tended to use more disciplinary and inconsistent disciplinary behaviours when they had children of both genders. Conclusion: Considering the lack of instruments to evaluate parenting practices in Portugal, this can be an important measure to assess the relationship between parenting behaviours and child behaviour problems.
- Adaptação e estudo da escala de valor da saúdePublication . Pimenta, Filipa; Leal, Isabel Pereira; Maroco, JoãoO presente estudo pretende averiguar se pessoas com diferentes comportamentos de consumo de tabaco valorizam a sua saúde de forma discrepante; é igualmente objectivo desta investigação adaptar a Escala de Valor da Saúde (Lau, Hartman, & Ware, 1986) à população Portuguesa. Para tal aplicou-se o instrumento a uma amostra de 380 estudantes universitários (fumadores regulares, ocasionais e exfumadores). Os resultados demonstram que pessoas com diferentes padrões de consumo tabágico atribuem um valor elevado à sua saúde, não existindo diferenças significativas entre os três grupos (F=1,594; p=0,205). O estudo das características psicométricas do instrumento, já utilizado em estudos anteriores, salienta que, numa amostra de 380 alunos do ensino superior, esta escala não é adequada para medir a variável em questão. ------ ABSTRACT ------ The aim of the present study is to analyse if people with diverse smoking patterns value their health differently. It is also an objective of this research to adapt the Health Value Scale (Lau, Hartman, & Ware, 1986) to the Portuguese population. A sample of 380 college students (regular and occasional smokers, and ex-smokers) has filled this instrument. The results show that people with different smoking patterns attribute a high value to their health and that there are no significant differences between the three groups (F=1,594; p=0,205). The study of the psychometric characteristics of the scale, which has been used in previous studies, evidence that, in a sample of 380 college students, this instrument is not adequate to measure the variable health value.
- Adaptation of “the resilience scale” for the adult population of PortugalPublication . Deep, Cláudia Alexandra Ferreira de Carvalho Ng; Leal, Isabel PereiraThis paper describes the adaptation of “The Resilience Scale” for Portuguese adults. This instrument was submitted to back-translation (linguistic and conceptual equivalence), to psychometric validation (n = 365), to pretest and retest. It was obtained conceptual and linguistic equivalence/psychometric validation with alpha Cronbach 0.868 for the 23 items, suggesting internal consistency. Factorial analysis grouped the 23 variables in 4 factors: I – Perseverance; II-Sense of life; III-Serenity; IV Self- reliance and self-confidence, with satisfactory alpha Cronbach values for each factor. The sensitivity of items was verified by the coefficient of asymmetry and flatness. It was proved temporal stability of the scale. The scale shows good psychometric characteristics checking levels of resilience in this population.
- Adjustment and age through the eyes of portuguese and english community dwelling older adultsPublication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Leal, Isabel Pereira; Pimenta, FilipaTo analyze subjective age (SA) and the contributors to adjustment to aging (AtA) identified by older adults and to investigate the latent constructs that can work as major determinants in SA and AtA in an older population. Method: Measures were completed, using a variety of appropriate methods, including demographics and interviews. Complete data were available for 108 older adults aged between 75-99 years (M = 81.1; SD = 6.43). Data was subjected to content analysis. Representation of the associations and latent constructs were analyzed by a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). Results: The most prevalent response of the interviewed participants for contributors to AtA was ‘sense of limit and existential issues’ (20.2%). ‘With congruence’ (29.3%) was identified as the most frequent SA response. AtA and SA for Portuguese elderly were explained by a three-factor model: ‘integrated’, ‘involved’ and ‘youngat- heart’. A three-dimension model formed by ‘attentive’, ‘driven’ and ‘connected’ was indicated as a best-fit solution for English elderly. Conclusions: AtA is related to SA in older adults in both samples. The results presented in this paper stressed the under-developed potential of an adjustment and age overall model for this population.
- Adjustment to aging in late adulthood : A systematic reviewPublication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Leal, Isabel PereiraBackground: This systematic review aims at providing a trustworthy overview of the concept of adjustment to aging (AtA) in late adulthood. Methods: A computerized literature search was carried out, and PubMed/Medline, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and Scielo databases were searched for studies published from 1981 to 2012. Studies must have investigated AtA in old age. Results: Thirteen articles from 1291 records met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 1156 participants aged 60 years. There are rather consistent findings that older adults develop active and adaptive strategies during AtA, and that psychological variables, engagement with significant others, and social and temporal processes of comparison have a relevant role in AtA among older populations. Conclusion: The findings presented here contribute to a better understanding of AtA and its multidimensionality. These may be a starting point for further research in this insufficiently explored field.
- Adolescent’s subjective perceptions of chronic disease and related psychosocial factors: Highlights from an outpatient context studyPublication . Santos, Teresa; Matos, Margarida Gaspar de; Marques, Adilson; Simões, Celeste; Leal, Isabel Pereira; Machado, Maria do CéuBackground: Adolescents with chronic disease (CD) can be more vulnerable to adverse psychosocial outcomes. This study aims: 1) to identify differences in psychosocial variables (health-related quality of life, psychosomatic complaints, resilience, self-regulation and social support) among adolescents who feel that CD affects or does not affect school/peers connectedness (measured by self-reported participation in school and social activities); and 2) to assess the extent to which psychosocial variables are associated with connectedness in school and peer domains. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 135 adolescents with CD (51.9% boys), average age of 14 ± 1. 5 years old (SD = 1.5). Socio-demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables were assessed, using a self-reported questionnaire, which included the Chronic Conditions Short Questionnaire, KIDSCREEN-10 Index, Symptoms Check-List, Healthy Kids Resilience Assessment Module Scale, Adolescent Self-Regulatory Inventory, and Satisfaction with Social Support Scale. Descriptive statistics, GLM-Univariate ANCOVA and Logistic Regression were performed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 22.0. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: Thirteen to eighteen percent of the adolescents felt that CD affected participation at school (PSCH) and participation in leisure time with friends (PLTF). These adolescents presented lower results for all psychosocial study variables, when compared with adolescents who did not feel affected in both areas of participation. From the studied psychosocial variables, the most important ones associated with PSCH (after controlling for age, gender, diagnosis, and education level of father/mother) were self-regulation and psychosomatic health. Concerning the PLTF, social support was the sole variable explaining such association. Conclusions: The present study pointed out the association between psychosocial variables; and living with a CD and school/peers connectedness. The need to focus on the assessment of the effects of a CD on adolescents’ lives and contexts is suggested, as well as on the identification of vulnerable adolescents. Such identification could help to facilitate the maximization of social participation of adolescents with CD, and to plan interventions centered on providing support and opportunities for a healthy youth development. For that purpose, a complex and multifactorial approach that includes clinicians, schools, family, and peers may be proposed.
- Aging with diabetes: Sense of coherence and satisfaction with life in european older adults with type 2 diabetesPublication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Leal, Isabel Pereira; Santos, Susana; Niculescu, GeorgetaABSTRACT -- Objectives: The population’s increased longevity is leading to a worldwide concern about older adults’ well-being and about the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes. The present research intends to: (a) determine significant differences among three groups of older adults with diverse diabetes diagnosis, namely, participants with only type 2 diabetes, participants with diabetes and other chronic diseases and the remaining without any chronic disease, regarding the satisfaction with life (SWL) and sense of coherence (SOC) scores, and (b) to assess the association of SWL with SOC in these groups. Method: We recruited 304 non-institutionalized older adults aged between 74-100 years (M=82.9; SD= 6.71), who were allocated to three groups, according to their diagnosed medical condition. Measures were completed, including demographics, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire. Results: Significant differences were found regarding the SWL and SOC among the three groups. The lowest SOC and SWL scores were found in the ‘only diabetes’ group. Findings also indicated the existence of an association between SOC and SWL scores in the with ‘only diabetes’ group. No correlations were found between SOC and SWL scores in the ‘without diabetes’ and ‘with diabetes and other’ groups. Conclusions: Findings suggest that chronic diseases such as diabetes, as well as the existence of comorbidities, differently influence both SWL and SOC. Furthermore, this study discloses the importance of SWL and SOC for the elderly, in particular when in the presence of diabetes, and their relevance in the context of healthy aging in older populations.
- Ajustamento conjugal: Características psicométricas da versão portuguesa da Dyadic Adjustment ScalePublication . Gomez, Rita M. M.; Leal, Isabel PereiraA Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS; Spanier, 1976) é considerada uma das melhores medidas de avaliação da qualidade da relação conjugal. O objectivo deste estudo foi analisar o comportamento psicométrico da versão portuguesa da DAS. A amostra incluiu um total de 207 participantes (103 mulheres e 104 homens) casados ou a viver maritalmente com o companheiro/a há pelo menos seis meses. Os resultados de análises factoriais confirmatórias revelaram um bom ajustamento da estrutura multidimensional originalmente proposta. O alfa para a escala global de 32 itens foi .897, e variou entre .655 e .849 para as quatro sub-escalas. Os restantes dados (incluindo sobre a fidelidade teste-reteste e associação das notas com várias variáveis) indicaram também que a versão portuguesa da DAS apresenta características psicométricas equivalentes às da versão original. Adicionalmente, os resultados deste estudo sugerem que a sub-escala de Satisfação (10 itens) pode ser usada como uma versão curta da DAS quando o objectivo for avaliar o ajustamento conjugal em termos globais. ------ ABSTRACT ------ The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS; Spanier, 1976) is considered to be one of the best measures of marital quality. The goal of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the DAS. The sample was constituted of 207 participants (103 women and 104 men) who were married to or cohabiting with the partner for at least six months. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a good fit of the multidimensional factor structure proposed originally. The alpha was .897 for the global scale, and varied between .655 and .849 for the four sub-scales. Additional analyses (including of testretest reliability and the association of scores with various variables) provided further evidence for similar psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the DAS as compared to the original version. The results of the present study also suggest that the Satisfaction sub-scale (10 itens) can be used as a short-form of the original DAS when the aim