Tânia Gaspar

Psychometric Properties of a Brief Version of the Escala de Satisfação com o Suporte Social for Children and Adolescents

The main objective of this study was to develop a brief version of the Escala de Satisfação com o Suporte Social for children and adolescents (Ribeiro, 1999). A representative sample of 3195 children and adolescents was obtained from 5th and 7th graders throughout all five Portuguese regions. The results showed a good internal consistency for the social support satisfaction factor, alpha = 0.84; acceptable for the necessity for activities connected to social support factor, alpha = 0.69. By using ANOVA, gender, age and socioeconomic status related differences were identified. A confirmatory factorial analysis was done and an adjusted model was found by taking off item 5. The concurrent validity was inspected with measures related to social support, such as optimism, self-worth and perceptions of health related quality of life. With this analysis, we verified that women and younger participants (< 12 years) showed a higher social support satisfaction. Medium-high socioeconomic status participants showed a higher negative social support satisfaction. These results suggest the validity of the scale in assesing perceptions of social support.

Optimismo em crianças e adolescentes: adaptação e validação do LOT-R

The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the Life Orientation Test, reviewed for children and adolescents. This study included a sample of 3195 participants from the 5th and 7th grades. Through Principal Component Analyses we found two dimensions, one related to optimism and another linked to pessimism. Results in the confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit model. Additionally, items discriminating validity and concurrent validity were inspected with measures related to optimism, such as, social support satisfaction, self-worth and quality of life. This instrument seems to be adequate for the measurement of life orientation in children and in teenagers, and may be useful in other contexts, such as health psychology.

Associations between self-reported fitness and self-rated health, life-satisfaction and health-related quality of life among adolescents

Background/objective In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the associations between physical fitness (PF) and psychosocial aspects of health. This study aimed to analyse the associations between self-reported PF and self-rated health (SRH), life-satisfaction (LS), and quality of life (QoL). Methods This is a cross-sectional study of 3554 adolescents (1652 boys), aged 13–18, from the HBSC Portuguese survey. PF, health, LS and OoL were self-rated. Results SRH, LS, and health-related OoL (HRQoL) were significantly and positively correlated with all PF components. From regression model, overall fitness was significantly related with SRH (boys: β = 0.18, p < 0.001; girls: β = 0.16, p < 0.001), LS (boys: β = 0.36, p < 0.001; girls: β = 0.43, p < 0.001), and HRQoL (boys: β = 2.26, p < 0.001; girls: β = 2.54, p < 0.001). Cardiorespiratory fitness was also positively and significantly related with SRH (boys: β = 0.17, p < 0.001; girls: β = 0.11, p < 0.001), LS (boys: β = 0.13, p < 0.05; girls: β = 0.31, p < 0.001), and HRQoL (boys: β = 1.74, p < 0.001; girls: β = 1.57, p < 0.001). Conclusion These findings suggest that perceived PF is associated with a better SRH, LS, and perceived HRQoL. A few implications regarding public policies were highlighted.

Estratégias de Auto-Regulação em Pré-Adolescentes e Adolescentes: Versão Portuguesa do TESQ-E

Self-regulation plays a key role in the eating behavior of children and adolescents, while facing the environment temptations. The Tempest Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TESQ-E; www.tempestproject.eu) is an instrument for measuring cross-cultural self-regulation. It has been constructed, adapted and translated into nine European Countries within the TEMPEST project. This article aims to study the validation of the Portuguese version of the instrument. The sample includes 1200 Portuguese pre-adolescents and adolescents, of average age 12.5 years (SD = 1.61) between nine and 17 years of age, 48.3% boys, from different educational grades: 5th grade (16.8%), 6th grade (19.8%), 7th grade (30.8%), 8th grade (17.8%) and 9th grade (14.9%). The Portuguese version of the instrument demonstrated good psychometric properties and kept the factor structure of the original version: three dimensions, which include six strategies for self -regulation, two in each dimension. The most popular dimension was Maintaining healthy eating objectives, and the less popular Change the meaning of temptation. The study concluded that the TESQ-E is a reliable instrument to estimate the self-regulation strategies in children and adolescents. Psychometric guidelines are presented to the Portuguese population aged nine to 17 years old.A auto-regulacao tem um papel fundamental no comportamento alimentar em criancas e adolescentes face as tentacoes do ambiente. O Tempest Self-Regulation Questionnaire for Eating (TESQ-E; www.tempestproject.eu) e um instrumento de medida da auto-regulacao transcultural que foi construido, traduzido e adaptado em nove paises europeus, no âmbito do Projeto TEMPEST. Este artigo tem como objetivo o estudo da validacao da versao Portuguesa do instrumento. Participaram da amostra 1200 pre-adolescentes e adolescentes Portugueses, com media de idades de 12,5 anos (DP=1,61), entre os nove e os 17 anos de idade, 48,3% rapazes, de diferentes niveis de escolaridade 5o ano (16,8%), 6o ano (19,8%), 7o ano (30,8%), 8o ano (17,8%) e 9o ano (14,9%). A versao portuguesa do instrumento demonstrou boas propriedades metricas, e confirmou a estrutura factorial da versao original: tres dimensoes, que incluem seis estrategias de auto-regulacao, duas em cada dimensao. A dimensao mais popular foi a Manutencao de objectivos de alimentacao saudavel, e a menos popular, Mudanca do sentido atribuido as tentacoes. Conclui-se que o TESQ-E e um instrumento confiavel para estimar as estrategias de auto-regulacao em criancas e adolescentes. Orientacoes psicometricas sao apresentadas para a populacao portuguesa entre os nove e os 17 anos.

Unemployment, life satisfaction and deprivation: Gender and partnership differences in the context of economic recession

BACKGROUNDnThe economic recession produced a rapid rise of unemployment rates that was more visible in Southern European countries. There is evidence that unemployment correlates highly with individuals poor life satisfaction.nnnOBJECTIVEnTo analyse the relationship between life satisfaction, household composition and socioeconomic deprivation in people facing unemployment during the economic recession.nnnMETHODSnA sample of 748 unemployed people from Lisbon (Portugal) completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Cantrils ladder of life scale, and the latent and manifest benefits of work scale (LAMB). Multiple regression analyses were used to test the associations between life satisfaction and all other variables.nnnRESULTSnPartnered people report higher life satisfaction compared to singles. Financial deprivation and lack of structured time were the strongest factors negatively related to life satisfaction in both partnered and single people. Having children had a particular negative effect on the life satisfaction of partnered men; and living with an unemployed partner together with lack of social contact and high enforced activity had a negative effect on life satisfaction in partnered women.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe heterogeneity of socioeconomic needs found by household composition bring practical policy implications for support actions targeting unemployed individuals in the unique context of economic recession.