S. Simões

1227 – Differences in eating habits/behaviours and eating disorders symptoms in adolescents from a rural and a urban school

Introduction Differences in eating habits/behaviours and eating disorders (ED) symptoms in adolescents from rural and urban schools has not been very considered, particularly in Portugal. Objectives explore differences between students who attend rural and urban schools in eating habits/behaviors and ED symptoms; verify if there are differences regarding Body Mass Index (BMI) by school area. Methods 282 adolescents students (mean age = 14,5; SD = 1,69; variation = 12-18 years old; urban subsample = 126, 44,7%), studying in two schools, one from an urban area and another from a rural area answered sociodemographic questions, eating habits/behaviours items and EAT-25 (Eating Attitudes Test-25). Results Most of the adolescents from both schools have breakfast and drink milk daily. Moreover, they eat vegetables and fruits daily or weekly and only rarely fast-food. Adolescents that practice a sport eat more fruits/vegetables. Adolescents attending a rural school ingest more vegetables and less fast-food. ED symptoms (EAT-25) present a lower prevalence, comparing to a young adults sample. There were no significant differences in all the EAT-25 dimensions, EAT total score and BMI by school area. Conclusions Eating habits/behaviours seem to be positive in both schools (e.g. most adolescents have breakfast daily). There were only some small differences between the two schools in particular eating habits but adolescents from the two areas do not seem to differ in ED symptoms and BMI, which is not in accordance with the literature that tends to signal urban areas as a “risk factor” for dysfunctional eating behaviors.

EPA-1703 – Hope and well-being in the elderly

Introduction The concepts of well-being and hope are associated with life satisfaction. Public policies should include the promotion of quality of life in the elderly. Objectives The current study sought out to address the concepts of hope and well-being in the elderly, analysing the role of socio-demographic variables. It also aimed to characterize this population in terms of other quality of life indicators such as perception of general health status, loneliness and degree of activity. Method The sample included 130 elderly people, both from the community and institutionalized, with ages between 65 and 94 years old. Participants answered questions about socio-demographic data, quality of life indicators, cognitive functioning and measures of hope (HP; Snyder et al.; 1991), life satisfaction (SWLS; Diener et al, 1985), and positive and negative affect (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1998). Results The majority of participants perceived their health status as reasonable and mentioned feelings of loneliness. Only 20% considered themselves active. Men presented higher levels of hope when compared with women. Participants who were not institutionalized showed higher levels of hope and positive affect, considering themselves more active when compared to the ones living in nursing homes or attending day centres. Hope showed to be positively correlated with life satisfaction, positive affect, health status perception and degree of activity, and negatively correlated with negative affect. Negative affect showed to be correlated with the perception of loneliness. Conclusion This study enhances the importance of socio-demographic and psychological variables in the promotion of well-being in the elderly.

1513 – Exploratory study of risk-taking and self-harm behaviours in adolescents: prevalence, characteristics and its relationship to attachment styles

Introduction Risk-taking (RT) and self-harm (SH) occur across the lifespan, but many types of RT and SH typically appear for the first time in adolescence. According to Vrouva, Fonagy, and Fearon (2010), it is important to measure RT and SH simultaneously because they are clinically, empirically, and conceptually linked. Objectives (1) analyse the prevalence of risk-taking and self-harm behaviours in community adolescents, controlling the effect of genderand age; (2) examine the link between RT and SH behaviours; (3) investigate the relationship between attachment style and RT and SH behaviours. Methods 346 adolescents (girls: n = 194, 56%) aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 15.10, SD = 1.77) completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Risk-Taking and Self-Harm Inventory for Adolescents (RTSHIA) and the Attachment Questionnaire for Children (AQ-C). Results RT behaviours more prevalent are taking chances while doing one’s hobbies, smoking tobacco and cheating. SH behaviours more frequent are self-demeaning thoughts and behaviours intentionally. Boys showed higher RT behaviours than girls. There is a positive association between age and both behaviours (RT and SH). Insecurely attached teenagers reported higher SH behaviours than did securely attached adolescents. Conclusions This study shows the prevalence of RT and SH behaviours in a community sample of adolescents, showing how gender and age can influence the expression of both behaviors. It seems that secure attachment may be protective to the engagement in SH behaviors, strengthening the important role of quality of relationships on psychological adjustment in adolescents

Parental Rearing Styles, Selfcriticism and Selfcompassion: Parent´s Perception

Introduction and objectives Studies about the association between parental rearing styles and self-criticism/self-compassion focus in adult´s perception about their parent´s rearing styles, their own levels of self-criticism/self-compassion and psychopathology (possibly associated with that styles). Our objectives were to: evaluate parent´s perception about their own parental rearing styles and levels of self-criticism/self-compassion; explore associations between these variables and between these variables and sociodemographic variables. Methods 114 parent´s (women = 71.9%; mean age = 41.3/SD = 6.29) answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the EMBU-PARENTS, the Forms of Self-Criticizing and Reassuring Scale/FSCRS and the Self-Compassion Scale/SELFCS. Results There were no differences, by gender, regarding rearing parental styles and self-criticism dimensions. Women and parent´s with a higher level of education presented higher levels of Human Condition (SELFCS). Married parent´s presented higher levels of Emotional Support . Parent´s with a lower level of education presented higher levels of Control. Inadequate self correlated positively with Rejection and Control; Hated self with Rejection; Reassuring self with Emotional Support. Warmth – Comprehension, Human Condition and Mindfulness correlated positively with Emotional Support; Over identification and Isolation with Rejection and Control. Conclusions The results found regarding parent´s perception about their parental rearing styles, their levels of self-criticism/self-compassion show this perception is similar to adult´s perception about their parents rearing styles and levels of self-criticism/self-compassion. We can extrapolate, although in a cross-sectional study, that parent´s parental rearing styles and their levels of self-criticism/self-compassion (influenced by the same variables on their own parents) have impact in the levels of these same variables in their children.

1554 – Verbal fluencies associated factors in elderly

Verbal fluency (VF) involves complex processes and has been a good marker of cognitive decline. However, the literature is inconsistent concerning to witch factors are associated with VF. Our aims are to analyze the relationship between both phonemic verbal fluency (PVF) and semantic verbal fluency (SVF) and sociodemographic and psychopathological variables, and explore which emerge as significant predictors. A subsample of 429 of healthy institutionalized elderly from the Aging Trajectories at Coimbra Council Project were surveyed (60 to 100 years; mean age = 80.38 ± 7.24), the majority was women (76.9%), without a partner (82.2%), without education or with less than four years of education (85.7%), manual occupation (90.1%), and attending day care centers. We evaluated VF phonetically (letters P, M, R) and semantically (animals and food), anxiety symptoms through the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), depressive symptoms through Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and feelings of loneliness through Loneliness Scale (UCLA). PVF was significantly related with education, occupation, GAI, and GDS. SVF was significantly associated with age, education, occupation, and GDS. Furthermore, SVF scores were worse in elderly men and in those living in night care center, and PVF scores were lower in those with high levels of anxiety symptomatology. In logistic regression analysis none of the variables accounted for the variance in PVF. The only predictor of SVF was sex. In conclusion, this study allowed us to elucidate the only key factor underlying verbal fluency. Being a man may affect SVF performance in institutionalized elderly.

1225 – Sex differences in eating habits/behaviours and eating disorders symptoms, in a sample of adolescents

Introduction The literature recognizes differences in the prevalence, eating disorders (ED) symptoms and eating habits/behaviours by sex, but few studies in Portugal considered this subject. Objectives To explore associations between sex, Body Mass Index (BMI), Eating Attitudes Test-25 (EAT-25) dimensions and items, the EAT-25 score dichotomized by the cutoff of 19 (a score equal/above 19 indicates “possible” ED) and, finally, some items about eating habits/behaviors; to verify possible associations between sociodemographic variables and items assessing eating habits/behaviours. Methods 308 adolescents (M = 14,5 years; DP = 1,67; girls, n = 184, 59,7%) answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and the EAT-25. Results There were no significant associations between sex, categorized and dimensional BMI, EAT-25 dimensions, categorized EAT-25 (cutoff of 19) and items assessing eating habits/behaviors. However, some items of the EAT-25 revealed a significant association with sex. Most adolescents from both sexes presented a score below the cutoff of 19. The frequency with which young people drink sodas and eat vegetables is associated with fathers educational level. The frequency with which adolescents eat vegetables and fast food is associated with the school area they attend. Conclusions Eating habits/behaviours are not as much negative as documented in some literature. There does not seem to exist significant sex differences regarding eating attitudes, “possible” ED, BMI and eating habits/behaviours. However, there are sex differences regarding some of the specific symptoms of EAT-25. It is good to verify that both sexes reveal a low prevalence of “possible” eating behaviour disorder, although girls reveal a higher value.

1549 – Correlates of elderly loneliness

In Portugal, the number of elderlies living alone and being institutionalized are rising. Institutionalized elderlies are susceptible to loneliness. Loneliness is associated with depression, anxiety, poor sleep quality, and cognitive decline. Determining which variables predict loneliness in institutionalized elderlies may allow appropriate targeting interventions in loneliness to potentially preserve mental and cognitive health. We want to explore the prevalence of loneliness in a sample of institutionalized elderly, and determining which variables predict loneliness. Loneliness was measured using UCLA loneliness scale. We also included a measure of socio-demographic aspects and health-related variables, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Sleep Subjective Index for Elderly. Our sample included 539 elderly (60-100 years, mean age = 80.03 ± 7.38), mostly women (75.8%), widowed (60.3%), with primary basic education (39.5%), frequenting day care center (61.0%) or living in retirement home (39.0%). The prevalence of loneliness feelings was 68.2%. Loneliness was significantly related with more anxiety and depressive symptoms, poor sleep quality, and poor life satisfaction. Women and elderlies without partner had also more loneliness feelings. Loneliness was not associated with age, education, living alone/accompanied, number of social contacts, nor with cognitive performance or sensorial problems (low vision and poor hearing). After the multiple logistic regression of the significant variables, only satisfaction with live predicted loneliness (OR = 1.07, p = 0.05). In conclusion, satisfaction with live may affect feelings of loneliness. More studies with non-institutionalized are needed for appropriated targeting interventions.