Gianluca Castelnuovo

Validation of the Italian Yale Food Addiction Scale in postgraduate university students

PurposeThis study was aimed to examine the structural and construct validity of the Italian version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale in a multisite sample of postgraduate students.MethodsTwo hundred and fifty-six subjects (78.1% females) aged from 18 to 53xa0years (meanu2009=u200923.93, SDu2009=u20094.96) and attending different postgraduate university programs at multiple Italian universities completed the Italian YFAS, the Italian Binge Eating Scale (BES), the Italian Eating Attitudes Test-26 and the Italian Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) online through Qualtrics.ResultsConfirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the single-factor model of the Italian YFAS including all original items had adequate fit indexes (χ2252u2009=u2009454.183; pu2009<u20090.001; normed χ2u2009=u20091.802; RMSEAu2009=u20090.056; 90% CI 0.048–0.076; CFIu2009=u20090.761; WRMRu2009=u20091.592). However, item analysis revealed that item#25 had zero variance (all subjects were assigned the same score after item dichotomization) and item#24 had a low factor loading, and were thus removed. Furthermore, item#10 and item#11 showed to be almost perfectly correlated (ru2009=u20090.998) and were thus parceled. The resulting 19-item single-factor model revealed a better fit to the data (χ2152u2009=u2009235.69; pu2009<u20090.001; normed χ2u2009=u20091.556; RMSEAu2009=u20090.046; 90% CI 0.034–0.058; CFIu2009=u20090.858; WRMRu2009=u20091.236) and its internal consistency was acceptable (KR-20u2009=u20090.72). Also, a single-factor model including the seven diagnostic symptoms was tested and showed adequate fit values (χ220u2009=u200941.911; pu2009<u20090.003; normed χ2u2009=u20092.09; RMSEAu2009=u20090.065; 90% CI 0.037–0.093; CFIu2009=u20090.946; WRMRu2009=u20091.132). Statistically significant and small-to-high correlations were found with all convergent measures, in particular with the BES.ConclusionThe Italian 19-item YFAS resulted to be a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of food addiction in postgraduate students.Level of evidenceLevel V, descriptive study.

Clinical Psychology and Medicine for the Treatment of Obesity in Out-patient Settings: The TECNOB Project,

In 2005, about 1.6 billion adults (above 15 years of age) were estimated to be overweight, whereas about 400 million people were obese. Obesity is a condition with such an increasing prevalence that it can be defined as a global epidemic. In 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese (WHO, 2006). Obesity increases the risk of many health complications such as cardiovascular diseases, some types of cancer, osteoarthritis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hypercholesterolemia, and is associated with early death (Flegal, Graubard, Williamson, & Gail, 2005; Whitlock, et al., 2009). Obesity is a strong risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes (Klein, et al., 2004a, 2004b). Indeed, as BMI (Body Mass Index) increases, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases in a dose-dependent manner (Colditz, et al., 1990; Must, et al., 1999). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is 3–7 times higher in obese than in normal-weight adults, and those with a BMI >35 are 20 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 (Field, et al., 2001; Mokdad, et al., 2003). Obesity-related medical complications weigh heavily on public health care costs and developing effective interventions for substantially reduce weight, maintain weight loss and prevent or manage associated diseases like type 2 diabetes in cost-effective manner is a priority. Stand-alone and combined treatment options (dietetic, nutritional, physical, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, pharmacological, surgical) are available, but clinical practice and research have shown significant difficulties with regard to availability, costs, treatment adherence and long-term efficacy (Weinstein, 2006). These procedures imply high costs both for the obese individuals and the public health system, overall within an enduring care setting. Indeed, the main challenge in the treatment of obesity is to maintain weight loss in the long term (Hill, Thompson, & Wyatt, 2005). Most overweight and obese individuals regain about one third of the weight lost with treatment within 1 year, sometimes even before the end of the intervention, and they are typically back to baseline in 3 to 5 years (Jeffery, et al., 2000; Katan, 2009; Wing, Tate, Gorin, Raynor, & Fava, 2006). Similarly, few

Brief strategic therapy for obsessive–compulsive disorder: a clinical and research protocol of a one-group observational study

Introduction Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling psychopathology. The mainstay of treatment includes cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) and medication management. However, individual suffering, functional impairments as well as the direct and indirect costs associated with the disease remain substantial. New treatment programmes are necessary and the brief strategic therapy (BST) has recently shown encouraging results in clinical practice but no quantitative study has as yet been conducted. Methods and analysis The clinical effectiveness of the OCD-specific BST protocol will be evaluated in a one-group observational study. Participants will be sequentially recruited from a state community psychotherapy clinic in Dublin, Ireland. Outcome measures will be the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Data will be collected at baseline, at treatment termination and at 3u2005month follow-up. The statistical significance of the post-treatment effect will be assessed by the paired-sample Student t test, while clinical significance will be evaluated by means of the equivalence testing method, which will be also used to assess the maintenance of effect at follow-up. Ethics/dissemination The present study is approved by the Hesed House Ethics Board in Dublin. Findings will enhance the evidence-based knowledge about the clinical effectiveness of BST in treating OCD symptoms, prior to assessing its efficacy in a randomised and controlled clinical trial, and will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.

La valutazione della produzione scientifica in psicologia clinica: impact factor e prospettive integrative

All’interno della psicologia clinica, come in molte discipline del sapere, risulta attuale il dibattito sulla valutazione della produttivita scientifica.Tale interesse si e imposto sia per motivi pragmatici, tra i quali il principale e certamente l’accresciuta competizione per l’accesso alle risorse ed ai finanziamenti per la ricerca, che per motivi scientifico-epistemologici, in relazione alla definizione di criteri valutativi per la scienza in generale e per le singole discipline in particolare.

Psychological, Emotional, Social and Cognitive Aspects of Implantable Cardiac Devices

Cognitive impairment (CI) is one of the most common recurring chronic conditions among elderly people. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is recognised as an important cause of CI, not only in the elderly but also in younger people. Cardiac devices such as cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and pacemaker (PM) are frequently used in HF patients and might modify cognitive functioning in different ways. This chapter describes how cardiac devices could influence cognitive functioning in HF patients and how CI could impact the management of heart failure.

Motivazioni e barriere alla donazione di sangue tra gli immigrati in Italia ed Europa

Nel corso degli anni i tassi di donazione di sangue hanno subito significative oscillazioni nei diversi paesi europei. Oggi in Italia le riserve ematiche, seppur in aumento rispetto agli anni ’80, risultano ancora insufficienti a sopperire al fabbisogno nazionale. Molti ricercatori hanno investigato tale fenomeno nel tentativo di individuare barriere ed incentivi alla donazione di sangue. Inoltre le significative tendenze migratorie attuali obbligano ad una piu articolata indagine dei valori, tanto della societa ospite quanto di quella ospitante, che muovono gli individui a donare. Partendo dagli aspetti socio-culturali che determinano la scelta di donare, si e proceduto alla disamina delle tipologie di incentivi maggiormente efficaci e dei fattori predittivi di un mancato comportamento pro-sociale. Fondamentali risultano l’azione di campagne informative e di sensibilizzazione che tengano conto della complessita dei significati simbolici e culturali tipici di ogni sentimento identitario, cosi come il cambiamento di alcuni criteri di donazione, non piu adatti alla nostra epoca, e l’utilizzo di incentivi non monetari adatti a specifici bisogni locali ed individuali.

Quality of Life in Telemedicine-Based Interventions for Type-2 Diabetes Patients: The TECNOB Project

Worldwide, diabetes has become an overwhelming problem due to the increase of over‐ weightness and obesity. As estimated by WHO in 2011 [1], 346 million people globally suffer from diabetes and there is an approximate 3,4 million mortality rate from the consequences of DMT. WHO predicts that diabetes related deaths will double by 2030. Throughout the course of time, diabetes damages the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Indeed, 50% of people with diabetes die due to cardiovascular disease (primarily heart disease and stroke). Reduced blood flow and neuropathic pain can increases the chances of complications such as ulcers and even limb amputations. Diabetic retinopathy represents a significant cause of blindness, as a consequence of damage to blood vessels in the retina. 2% of diabetics become blind after 15 years. Diabetes can result in neuropathy, whose common symptoms are tingling, pain, numbness, or weakness both in feet and hands. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the US [2]. These complications are very important determinants of quality of life. Low QoL may, in turn, affect metabolic control by reducing regimen adherence. Treatment of diabetes involves lowering blood glucose and the levels of other known risk factors that could damage blood vessels. Lifestyle measures, such as the control of body weight, physical activity, a healthy diet and avoidance of tobacco use, have been shown to be effective in preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes.