Background: Majority of recent deaths in the Philippines were attributed to noncommunicable diseases. While adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables can potentially decrease the burden of some of these noncommunicable diseases, health promotion and education interventions have also shown to increase the fruit and vegetable intake that will help prevent certain heart diseases and cancer. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a self-management intervention on psychosocial variables and fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) of public school teachers in Negros Oriental, Philippines. Methodology: The study utilized the Solomon Four Group Design. The psychosocial variables were derived from Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory and Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior. FVI was measured using a food frequency questionnaire. An assessment of interaction between the intervention and pretest, group comparison tests, and nested ANOVA approach was performed. Results Teachers from 44 schools were included in the analysis; 112 were in the intervention group and 116 in the control group. Results indicate no significant interaction between treatment and pre-test group (F[1,224]=0.15, p=0.703) and no significant differences in the psychosocial variables scores and FVI of the intervention and control groups (p=>0.05). Significant findings in two of four psychosocial variables, particularly diet-related attitude (t=2.412, p=0.009) and knowledge regarding the recommended FVI (Fisher's exact test p=0.010), and mean FVI (t=1.898, p=0.031) were only found using data from the posttest-only intervention group who were able to attend the lecture-workshop and control group. Conclusion: The study found no evidence of pretest sensitization. There was insufficient evidence to conclude that there were differences in FVI and psychosocial variables of the intervention and control groups postintervention.
Self-Management ; Psychological Theory

PURPOSE: It has been presumed that male sexual dysfunction correlates highly with psychological factors. We assessed psychological factors such as anxiety, depression, and gender role in patients of psychogenic impotence. We also evaluated the differences in serum lipid profile, norepinephrine and serotonin between the patients and age-matched control subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five men with psychogenic impotence were enrolled in this study, and thirty patients were enrolled as the age-matched control subjects. Lipid profile and norepinephrine were measured with random blood samples. Twenty-four hour urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), a urinary metabolite of serotonin, was measured. Psychological assessment, including Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for anxiety, and the Bem Sexual Inventory (BSRI) for gender role, was conducted. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the patients and control subjects I any laboratory test except low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The value of LDL wee within normal reference ranges but significantly higher in the patients (p<0.05). Scores for depression (p<0.001), psychasthenia (p<0.001), social introversion (p<0.001), schizophrenia (p<0.01), hypochondriasis (p<0.05), and hysteria (p<0.05) were significantly higher in men with sexual dysfunction than in the controls. Patients with sexual dysfunction had higher scores for state and trait anxiety, especially trait anxiety, than the control subjects (p<0.05). In BSRI, a female profile was more apparent in patients than in the control group (37% versus 14%). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that psychosocial factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression are highly correlates with male sexual dysfunction. These factors are poorly correlated with random norepinephrine, lipid profiles and serotonin in the patients with sexual dysfunction.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Female ; Gender Identity* ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Introversion (Psychology) ; Lipoproteins ; Male* ; MMPI ; Norepinephrine ; Psychology* ; Reference Values ; Schizophrenia ; Serotonin

BACKGROUND: The Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire-50 (NOSACQ-50) was developed by a team of Nordic occupational safety researchers based on safety climate and psychological theories. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Persian version of NOSACQ-50 and assess the score of safety climate on a group of workers in a steel company in Iran. METHODS: The Persian version of NOSACQ-50 was distributed among 661 employees of a steel company in Qazvin Province (Iran). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis were used to determine the dimensions of the questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach α coefficient. Pearson correlation test was applied to investigate the correlation between different dimensions. RESULTS: The results of EFA showed that the Persian version of NOSACQ-50 consisted of six dimensions. The Cronbach α coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.94. The mean score of safety climate in all dimensions was 2.89 (standard deviation 0.60). CONCLUSION: The Persian version of NOSACQ-50 had a satisfactory validity for measuring safety climate in the studied Iranian population.
Climate* ; Iran ; Occupational Health ; Psychological Theory ; Steel*

Background: Visual images are used to communicate health effectively, yet visual gender representation in the context of health is not well established as most studies focused on effectiveness, awareness, adoption, or behavior change. Objectives: This study explored emerging gender myths in visual images used to communicate reproductive health, maternal health, family and nutrition, breastfeeding, and childcare with the premise that visuals may shape notions of gender roles and identities. Methodology: Selected images from flipcharts produced by development communication practitioners were analyzed using Kress and Van Leeuwen's social semiotics (2006). Interpretive visual analysis was used to analyze visual impacts (denotation) and cultural meanings (connotation) by Barthes' Order of Signification, and gender roles and identity naturalized by the images. Results: Images for health communication used more women as subjects relative to the topics that are primarily women's concern. The subject's gaze were indirect offered as items of information, showing a relation of symbolic equality, and implying that health topics are part of the social discourse. Visual impacts and cultural meanings of images uncovered myths that embody the roles, and identities, and social expectations of men and women in health. Emerging gender myths have to do with anatomy, mainly as basis for the role, identity, and expectations, especially of women as main actors in health. Conclusion This study reveals that gender roles and identities portrayed in health are still universal and are not historically and culturally contingent.
Gender Role ; Gender Identity

PURPOSE: Korean American women have twice the rate of cervical cancer than white women and demonstrate low rates in participation in cervical cancer screening. This study was to describe the perceptions about cervical cancer and factors related to cervical cancer screening among Korean American women. METHOD: Focus group methods. RESULT: Five themes emerged. First, knowledge about cervical cancer; misconceptions about cervical cancer, its causes, reproductive anatomy and the treatment Second, perceived meanings of having cervical cancer; most of the women felt that cervical cancer represented a loss of femininity and existential value of womanhood. Third, knowledge about cervical cancer screening ; regular medical check-ups were necessary for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. Forth, experiences and perceived meanings of cervical cancer screening; the participants expressed their feelings; embarrassment, fear, shame and shyness. Fifth, practices of cervical cancer screening; various intervals in participating in cervical cancer screening. But they mentioned several deterrents, language, insurance, time constraint, embarrassment, fear of the screening results, misbelief about susceptibility, lack of health prevention behavior, and lack of information written in Korean. CONCLUSION: Results emphasize the critical need for culturally appropriate health education to encourage participation of Korean American women in cervical cancer screening.
Adult ; Aged ; *Asian Americans/education/ethnology/statistics & numerical data ; Communication Barriers ; Existentialism/psychology ; Fear/psychology ; Female ; Focus Groups ; Gender Identity ; *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Korea/ethnology ; *Mass Screening/psychology/utilization ; Middle Aged ; Needs Assessment ; Nursing Methodology Research ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/*ethnology/statistics & numerical data ; Patient Education as Topic/standards ; Qualitative Research ; Questionnaires ; Shame ; Shyness ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*diagnosis/ethnology ; *Vaginal Smears/psychology/utilization ; Washington/epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to test the construct validity of the Type D personality scale (DS14). METHODS: The DS14 and other personality scales, which have good construct validity (MMPI-2), TCI-RS, MBTI, NEO-PI-R) were administered to 151 college students. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to evaluate the validity of the DS14. RESULTS: There were significant positive correlations between the DS14 total score and scores on the F, D, Pa, Pt, Sc, Si and 'negative emotionality' scales (MMPI-2), the 'harm avoidance' scale (TCI), the 'neuroticism' scale (NEO-PI-R), and the 'introversion' scale (MBIT). Additionally, there were significant negative correlations between the DS14 total score and extroversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, cooperativeness, and reward dependence scales. Stepwise regression analysis also showed coherent RESULTS: negative emotionality, introversion, RCd and RC2 (MMPI-2), harm avoidance (TCI), neuroticism (NEO-PI-R), introversion, thinking (MBIT) scales were selected as significant explanatory variables. CONCLUSION: Individuals with a Type-D personality, as assessed by the DS14, seem to have a tendency to experience negative emotions such as depression and anxiety. As a construct, Type-D personality also seems to be closely related to neuroticism and introversion. These results indicate that the DS14 has sound construct validity as a screening tool for measuring stress-vulnerability traits, that is to say, type-D personality.
Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders ; Depression ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Humans ; Introversion (Psychology) ; Mass Screening ; Reward ; Thinking ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: Even though many studies have indicated that the personality of medical students affects learning style and academic achievement, the effect of personality types on the performance skill tests has not been well known in the medical field due to the rarity of published papers. Thus, the aim of this study was to reveal the effect of personal traits on clinical skill performance tests. METHODS: Fifty-seven fourth-grade medical students were enrolled in this study. They had all completed clinical performance tests. To assess personality types, we used the Korean version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). RESULTS: Fifty-five of 57 senior medical students responded completely to the MBTI questionnaire. The proportion of four paired MBTI dimensions was Introversion (I)-Extroversion (E) (67.3% vs. 32.7%), Sensing (S)-Intuition (I) (76.4% vs. 23.6%), Thinking (T)-Feeling (F) (61.8% vs. 38.2%), and Judging (J)-Perception (P) (56.4% vs. 43.6%). The dominant personality types were ISTJ (23.6%), ESTJ (14.5%), and ISTP (10.9%). The first objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) test showed higher scores in Extraversion, Judging, and Sensing-Judging types compared to the counterparts (p<0.05), but this effect was not observed in the second OSCE test. On the clinical performance examination, Extraversion, Sensing, and Judging types had a higher score, as measured by standardized patients. CONCLUSION: Specific personal traits affect the test scores of the clinical performance skill examinations. So, personality measurement might be a useful tool for understanding a student who has difficulty in performance tests. We hope this study will give valuable information to examiners when they instruct and counsel students about clinical performance tests.
Achievement ; Clinical Competence ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Humans ; Introversion (Psychology) ; Learning ; Personality Inventory ; Students, Medical ; Thinking ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Blindness ; rehabilitation ; Bonding, Human-Pet ; Culture ; Dogs ; Humans ; Locomotion ; Singapore

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychological type and marital satisfaction, divorce proneness, positive affect, and conflict regulation in couple visiting a clinic. METHODS: Couples (n=62) who visited "M" couple clinic participated in the study. Data were collected from March to June 2009 using the Marital Satisfaction Scale, Marital Status Inventory, Positive Affect Inventory, and Conflict Regulation Inventory. RESULTS: The couples showed no significant differences in marital satisfaction, positive affect, and conflict regulation according to similarities between spouses in MBTI types. However, they showed significant differences in divorce proneness of husband according to a similarity in the Sensing/Intuition indicator. They also showed significant differences in divorce proneness, positive affect, and conflict regulation between the couples for ISTJ (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging) or ESTJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging) types compared to other couples. CONCLUSION: When nurses counsel couples, they should understand that differences in psychological type between spouses affects their marital relationship. In addition, nurses should educate couples on the characteristics of each type according to the couple's types and help them to understand each other, especially for couples where one spouse is the ISTJ/ESTJ type. These interventions will improve marital satisfaction and prevent the divorce in these couples.
Adult ; *Conflict (Psychology) ; *Divorce ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Female ; Humans ; Introversion (Psychology) ; Judgment ; Male ; *Marriage ; Middle Aged ; *Personality Inventory ; Spouses/psychology ; Thinking

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore predictors of successful aging in older Korean women based on a recent mid-range nursing theory, the Successful Aging Theory (SAT). METHODS: This study utilized a descriptive correlational design. The convenience sample was composed of 174 older women living in the community. Successful aging was measured using the Successful Aging Inventory (SAI). Transcendence was measured using the Self-transcendence Scale (STS). Adaptation was measured using the Coping behavior scale. Stepwise multiple regression was used to identify significant predictors of successful aging. RESULTS: Transcendence, adaptation, and religion were shown to be predictive of successful aging. This regression model explained 56% of the variance in successful aging. The factor with the highest influence was transcendence which explained 52% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Gerotranscendence-promoting interventions can be an important consideration in caring for older Korean women. Adaptation and spirituality should be included in a holistic aging care.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Aging ; Female ; Humans ; Nursing Theory ; Spirituality