1.Work Ability Index: Psychometric Testing in Aeronautical Industry Workers
María Eugenia GONZÁLEZ-DOMÍNGUEZ ; Elena FERNÁNDEZ-GARCÍA ; Olga PALOMA-CASTRO ; Regina María GONZÁLEZ-LÓPEZ ; María Paz Rivas PÉREZ ; Luis LÓPEZ-MOLINA ; Jesús GARCÍA-JIMÉNEZ ; José Manuel ROMERO-SÁNCHEZ
Safety and Health at Work 2024;15(1):80-86
Background:
The Work Ability Index (WAI) is an instrument that measures work ability. The wide dispersion of the WAI internationally has led to its adaptation for use in different countries. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the WAI.
Methods:
A methodological design was used over an opportunistic sample of 233 workers in the aeronautical industry in Spain. Reliability was evaluated through internal consistency. Factorial validity, known groups, and convergent validity were tested.
Results:
The Cronbach's alpha and item-total correlation indicated an adequate internal consistency. The confirmatory factor analysis, performed to evaluate the factorial validity, found adequate fit indices for a two-factor solution with a high correlation between the factors. Factor 1, “Subjectively estimated work ability and resources”, was composed of 3 subscales and factor 2, “Ill-health-related”, of 2 subscales. Subscales 4 and 6 had loading in both factors. Workers under 45 years of age obtained higher significant scores than older ones. Convergent validity was also evidenced since WAI was highly correlated with self-assessment of health status.
Conclusions
The Spanish version of the WAI has shown evidence of reliability and validity in this study, supporting its use in individual and collective health surveillance by occupational health professionals. The factorial solution that was found has previously been reported in another international context. However, further research is needed to resolve the discrepancies detected in the role of some subscales between other national and international studies.
2.Neural Mechanisms in Eating Behaviors: A Pilot fMRI Study of Emotional Processing
Rosa M. MOLINA-RUIZ ; T. GARCÍA-SAIZ ; Jeffrey C.L. LOOI ; E. VIA VIRGILI ; M. RINCÓN ZAMORANO ; Laura DE ANTA TEJADO ; Helena Trebbau LÓPEZ ; Jose Luis Carrasco PERERA ; Marina DÍAZ-MARSÁ
Psychiatry Investigation 2020;17(3):225-236
Objective:
Emotional processing dysfunction evident in eating disorders (ED) such as anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), is considered relevant to the development and maintenance of these disorders. The purpose of the current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to pilot a comparison of the activity of the fronto-limbic and fronto-striatal brain areas during an emotion processing task in persons with ED.
Methods:
24 women patients with ED were scanned, while showing emotionally stimulating (pleasant, unpleasant) and neutral images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS).
Results:
During the pleasant condition, significant differences in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) activations were found with AN participants presenting greater activation compared to BN and ED comorbid groups (EDc) and healthy controls also showing greater activation of this brain area compared to BN and EDc. Left putamen was less activated in EDc compared to both controls (C) and AN. During the unpleasant condition, AN participants showed hyperactivation of the Orbito-frontal Cortex (OFC) when compared to EDc.
Conclusion
This study highlights the potential functional relevance of brain areas that have been associated with self-control. These findings should help advance understanding the neural substrate of ED, though they should be considered as preliminary and be cautiously interpreted.