http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156526 2026-04-21T15:15:49Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/164380 [EN]Background The profile of caregivers focuses on socio-demographic variables (age, gender, kinship, and educational level). However, buffer variables (e.g., dysfunctional thoughts) and indicators of the impacts of caregiving (e.g., stress) are often overlooked. Objective The study aims to offer a comprehensive view of the profile of the family caregiver of people with dementia by considering aspects contemplated in theoretical explanatory models of care. Methods It was based on a cross-sectional design. Socio-demographic and care-related characteristics and variables of the consequences of caregiving and related buffers were evaluated for 40 family caregivers of people with dementia. The Short form of Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R-25), the Leisure Time Satisfaction Survey (LTS), the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy (RSCSE), the Escala de Habilidades Sociales (EHS), the Psychosocial Support Questionnaire (PSQ), the Cuestionario de Pensamientos Disfuncionales (CPD), the Caregiver Burden Interview (CBI), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment–AGE (WHOQOL-AGE) were utilized. Descriptions of the variables and contrast tests (chi-square tests, t-tests, and two-factor ANOVAs) were made and used to compare the differences according to gender and kinship. Results Family caregivers are women, typically around 60 years old, wives or daughters, married, with primary/secondary education, who spend long hours caring with little support. They presented a low level of social and problemsolving skills, received little social support, had low self-efficacy and quality of life, highly dysfunctional thoughts, overload, depressive symptomatology, and stress. Significant differences were found according to kinship in educational level, employment status, hours per day dedicated to care time, and contemplating placing the person in a nursing home. Significant differences by kinship were also found in self-efficacy for responding to disruptive behaviors, perceived social support, and stress. Spouses have lower levels of this type of self-efficacy and have higher levels of stress but perceive greater social support. Males have higher levels of dysfunctional thoughts. Conclusion This study facilitates the identification of the specific needs of caregivers, to provide them with individualized interventions. Spouses and offspring present different needs and therefore interventions should be different. 2025-03-20T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/162505 [EN]Abstract Aims: Finding out whether there are differences in the levels of stress and burnout between workers providing care to dependent adults and those caring for independent older adults would provide comparative information about two different models of care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, workers caring for older adults were subjected to maladaptive situations that produced stress and burnout. Design: A cross-sectional survey design using the STROBE checklist. Methods: A total of 900 nursing home and égidas workers were assessed for stress and burnout. Data were collected online from October 2020 to February 2021, when Puerto Rico was experiencing the peak of the third wave of COVID-19. MANOVAs were performed to study the interactions between the workplace and having had COVID, the workplace and the size of institution and the workplace and position held. Data Sources: October 2020 to February 2021. Results: All interactions were significant. Nursing homes showed higher levels of stress and burnout when workers had undergone COVID, when the size of the institution was larger and for technical staff other services; in égidas, having undergone COVID did not influence stress or burnout, which increased when the institution was smaller and for executive staff. Conclusions: This study showed that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic affected nursing home workers more significantly than those working in other types of residential models with independent older adults. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Applying preventive interventions aimed at reducing stress and burnout would facilitate the adaptation of workers caring for older adults and help to improve the quality of care. Impact: This study analysed the impact of COVID-19 on the stress and burnout of workers providing services to older adults. Nursing home workers who have had COVID-19 have higher stress and burnout. The size of the institution has a different effect depending on whether older adults are dependent or independent. Workers in institutions dedicated to the care of the older adults. Reporting Method: This study has adhered to the relevant EQUATOR guidelines: STROBE. Patient or Public Contribution: During the different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was difficult to establish direct contact with workers providing care to older adults; this reason made it necessary to apply online systems to obtain information. The workers appreciated the fact that the implications for stress and burnout of the situation experienced during this difficult process were investigated. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/162484 [EN]Abstract Care staff in nursing homes work in a challenging environment, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated those challenges in an unprecedented way. On the other hand, the sense of coherence (SOC) is a competence that could help these professionals perceive the situation as understandable, manageable and meaningful. This study aims to analyse the extent to which potential risk and protective factors against burnout have affected nursing home workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess the contribution of these factors to their burnout. Three hundred forty professionals who worked in nursing homes in Spain completed a survey and reported on their sociodemographic characteristics and their organisational characteristics of the job related to COVID-19, SOC and burnout. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. The results showed that the SOC is highly related to the dimensions of burnout and is a protective factor against this. In addition, the increase in hours has a negative effect, facilitating inadequate responses to stressful situations; and whereas perceived social support and availability of resources have a protective effect, the deterioration in mental and physical health is the most important risk factor. This study could help better understand the psychological consequences of the effort that nursing home workers and can also help design mental health prevention and care interventions for workers that provide them with resources and supports that foster their coping skills. 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/162480 [EN]Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has placed immense strain on nursing home staff, necessitating a closer examination of factors contributing to their stress levels. This study investigates predictors of stress among nursing home workers during the pandemic, focusing on psychological constructs such as burnout, sense of coherence (SOC), psychological flexibility, and cognitive fusion. A total of 170 nursing home professionals participated, completing questionnaires assessing various dimensions of burnout, SOC, experiential avoidance, anxious feelings and thoughts, and perceived stress. Results reveal significant correlations between perceived stress and emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment, SOC comprehensibility, manageability, meaningfulness, experiential avoidance, and anxious feelings and thoughts. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrates that experiential avoidance, anxious feelings and thoughts, emotional exhaustion, SOC comprehensibility, and personal accomplishment significantly predict perceived stress levels. These findings underscore the importance of addressing maladaptive coping mechanisms and promoting factors such as SOC and personal accomplishment to mitigate stress and burnout among nursing home professionals. Targeted interventions aimed at enhancing psychological flexibility and coping strategies are crucial for supporting the well-being of nursing home staff and ensuring high-quality care for residents amidst the ongoing pandemic challenges. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/162472 [EN]Abstract Aims and Objectives: This paper aims to examine the satisfaction and depressed mood experienced by nursing home workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated variables. Specifically, to analyse the factors that may contribute to nursing home workers developing adaptive behaviours that promote satisfaction or, on the contrary, show characteristics associated with a negative mood. Background: Nursing homes have faced unprecedented pressures to provide appropriately skills to meet the demands of the coronavirus outbreak. Design: A cross-sectional survey design using the STROBE checklist. Methods: Professionals working in nursing homes (n = 165) completed an online survey measuring sociodemographic and professional characteristics, burnout, resilience, experiential avoidance, satisfaction with life and depression. Data were collected online from April to July 2021, the time in which Spain was experiencing its fifth wave of COVID-19. Two multiple linear regression models were performed to identify salient variables associated with depressive mood and satisfaction. Results: Resilience, personal accomplishment and satisfaction had a significant and negative relationship with depression and emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and experiential avoidance had a positive relationship with depression. However, emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and experiential avoidance had a negative and significant relationship with satisfaction and personal accomplishment, and resilience had a positive and significant relationship with satisfaction. In addition, it was found that accepting thoughts and emotions when they occur is beneficial for developing positive outcomes such as satisfaction. Conclusions: Experiential avoidance was an important predictor of the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic can have on nursing home workers. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Interventions focusing on resources that represent personal strengths, such as acceptance, resilience and personal accomplishment, should be developed. No Patient or Public Contribution: The complex and unpredictable circumstances of COVID's strict confinement in the nursing home prohibited access to the centres for external personnel and family members. Contact with the professionals involved could not be made in person but exclusively through online systems. However, professionals related to the work environment have subsequently valued this research positively as it analyses ‘How they felt during this complicated process’. 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/162469 [EN]The aim of this qualitative research is to examine the difficulties perceived by caregivers for taking part in an offered intervention, exploring whether there are differences depending on caregiver's degree of kinship. Forty-two family caregivers from Salamanca (Spain) were interviewed after declining an invitation to take part in an intervention programme. All the telephone conversations were transcribed verbatim. The transcriptions were subject to a thematic content analysis using QDA MINER software. The barriers identified were (1) difficulties adapting to the intervention's schedule due to a lack of time, or incompatibility with its dates or timetables, (2) belief among the caregivers that they do not need or are not interested in the support the intervention provides, (3) impossibility to separate from the family member to attend due to the absence of relief or a feeling of guilt, (4) caregiver's health issues, (5) difficulties with accessibility, and (6) belief that the therapies serve no useful purpose. Certain differences were identified depending on the caregiver's kinship. Understanding the difficulties caregivers face for taking part in the interventions will enable steps to be taken to remove and/or reduce such barriers, whereby more caregivers will benefit from interventions. 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156597 [ENG]This paper aims to categorize countries by their e-participation index, according to political, capacity, and governmental environment factors; examine how they are projected based on these factors; and analyze whether this projection corresponds to the current state of e-participation development. It is the first study to provide an overview of the e-participation level using multivariate analysis techniques for three-way data analysis, specifically, the X-STATIS methodology and cluster analysis. These techniques enable the simultaneous representation of countries, factors, conditions, trajectories, and groupings, taking into account national conditions in the evolution of e-participation from 2008 to 2016. The results show that when the conditions of each country interact with the level of e-participation development, and depending on the economic development, 7% of countries are lagging behind in e-participation evolution, given their institutional and political capacity. This delay is particularly relevant in countries that enjoy a higher level of socioeconomic status. Meanwhile, 38% are above the level they would correspond to. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156596 [ENG]Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) stands as the prevailing type of dementia, marked by gradual memory loss and cognitive decline. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive method used to regulate cortical brain function and has been explored as a potential treatment for cognitive impairment. Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of daily home-based active or sham tDCS on cognitive function in patients with early-stage AD and its follow-up after one month. Methods: The study involved a randomized, blinded, and controlled-placebo design, with 18 participants enrolled. The primary outcome measures were general cognitive function, immediate, and delayed recall, and executive function. Participants included in the study were randomly assigned to the anodal and sham tDCS groups. Participants were assessed before and after the intervention and one month after the end of treatment. The home-based intervention was applied for 5 consecutive days, daily. Results: The results showed a significant interaction between the active and sham groups; in particular, improvements in MMSE scores, immediate memory and delayed recall were observed at one-month follow-up in the active group. Conclusions: The positive effects of tDCS on cognitive function in AD patients observed suggest that tDCS may induce long-term neuroplastic changes, leading to sustained improvements in cognitive abilities 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156595 [ENG]Vision-related quality of life (QoL) analyzes the visual function concerning individual wellbeing based on activity and social participation. Because QoL is a multivariate construct, a multivariate statistical method must be used to analyze this construct. In this paper, we present a methodology based on STATIS multivariate three-way methods to assess the real change in vision-related QoL for myopic patients by comparing their conditions before and after corneal surgery. We conduct a case study in Costa Rica to detect the outcomes of patients referred for myopia that underwent refractive surgery. We consider a descriptive, observational and prospective study. We utilize the NEI VFQ-25 instrument to measure the vision-related QoL in five different stages over three months. After applying this instrument/questionnaire, a statistically significant difference was detected between the perceived QoL levels. In addition, strong correlations were identified with highly similar structures ranging from 0.857 to 0.940. The application of the dual STATIS method found the non-existence of reconceptualization in myopic patients, but a statistically significant recalibration was identified. Furthermore, a real change was observed in all patients after surgery. This finding has not been stated previously due to the limitations of the existing statistical tools. We demonstrated that dual STATIS is a multivariate method capable of evaluating vision-related QoL data and detecting changes in recalibration and reconceptualization. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156593 [ENG]The PHQ-9 questionnaire is a screening test worldwide used to measure depression. But it cannot be used in Costa Rica, due to the fact that it has not previously been validated for its population. The present study aims to show the validation of the PHQ-9 questionnaire and its variants (PHQ-2, PHQ- 4, PHQ-8) in a population sample of adults residing in Costa Rica. A sample was collected (n = 1162) using a self-administered questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, and Multiple Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) were tested. One factor was found that explained 73.33% of the variance with excellent internal consistency (α = 0.928). Goodness-of-fit measures were adequate (RMSEA = 0.107; CFI = 0.948), as was diagnostic power at a cut-off of 10 (78.60 for Sensitivity and 27.95 for 1-Specificity). External validation indices were good (r = 0.843 with GAD-7, r = − 0.647 with RS14, and r = 0.301 with FCV19S), and the model showed invariance by sex (Δχ2 = 27.90; df = 27; p < 0.001). Additionally, new cut-off points were proposed for PHQ-9 and its variants for Costa Rican male, female, and general populations. The PHQ-9 and its variants (PHQ-2, 4, and 8) are valid tools for detecting depression (and anxiety for PHQ-4) in Costa Rican population. In addition, new cut-off points differentiated by sex are proposed. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156592 [ENG]Lentinula edodes is known to show high nutritional and organoleptic properties and can be mixed with different by-products in the production of new foods with important functional characteristics. Cocoa pod husk (CPH) is the main by-product in the cocoa industry and presents important bioactivities. In this research, two mixtures were applied based on Lentinula edodes mushroom flour from fifty different strains (strain 1 to strain 50) and cocoa pod husk flour (CPHF): 60% Lentinula edodes mushroom flour from each strain mixed with 40% CPHF (Mixture 1), and 80% Lentinula edodes mushroom flour from each strain mixed with 20% CPHF (Mixture 2). The parameters evaluated were moisture, proteins, fat, total dietary fiber (TDF), ash, carbohydrates, antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity, pH and water activity (aw). The multivariate statistical techniques evaluated those samples that exhibited the highest degree of correlation with the distinct chemical and commercial parameters, showing that sample 13 of both mixture flours (M1 and M2) obtained by the mushrooms of L. edodes (strain 13) with CPH indicated the higher significant of the parameters. In addition, the sensory test of the best flour (sample 13) was applied to 50 panelists, presenting the best sensory characteristics, such as color, aroma, texture and general acceptability. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156590 [ENG]Introduction and objective: The experience of family caregivers after nursing home admission has receivedmuch less attention, probably because many caregivers experience an initial sense of initial emotionalrelief. However, for some caregivers nursing home admission is a stressor despite the reduced physicalburden of caregiving. Caregiver distress following institutionalization has been related to the new burdensand challenges encountered in the nursing home. Ambivalence and guilt related to the institutionalizationdecision have been identified as sources of stress. Therefore, this study examined the effect of guilt andwell-being on the perceived stress of family caregivers of institutionalized dependent persons.Materials and methods: Two hundred and one family caregivers of institutionalized persons in a nursinghome (La Rioja, Spain) participated. Perceived stress, caregiving guilt and subjective well-being, sociode-mographic and caregiving-related variables were assessed. Linear regression analyses and correlationsbetween variables were performed. [ESP]nAntecedentes y objetivo: La experiencia de los cuidadores familiares tras el ingreso en una residencia depersonas mayores ha recibido escasa atención, probablemente porque muchos cuidadores experimen-tan una sensación inicial de alivio emocional inicial. Sin embargo, para algunos cuidadores el ingresoen una residencia de mayores es un factor de estrés a pesar de la reducción de la carga física de loscuidados. La angustia del cuidador tras la institucionalización se ha relacionado con las nuevas cargas yretos que se encuentran en la residencia de mayores. La ambivalencia y la culpa relacionados con la deci-sión de institucionalización se han identificado como fuentes de estrés. Por eso, este estudio examinó elefecto de la culpa y el bienestar en el estrés percibido de cuidadores familiares de personas dependientesinstitucionalizadas.Materiales y métodos: Participaron 201 cuidadores familiares de personas institucionalizadas en unaresidencia de mayores (La Rioja, Espa˜na). Se evalúo el estrés percibido, la culpa para el cuidado y elbienestar subjetivo, variables sociodemográficas y relacionadas con el cuidado. Se realizaron análisis deregresión lineal y correlaciones entre las variables.Resultados: La culpa y 5 dimensiones de bienestar (ansiedad, vitalidad, autocontrol y depresión, exceptosalud general) predijeron significativamente el estrés (R2adj = 0,552 [F (6, 198) = 41,71; p < 0,001]). Eltama˜no del efecto fue grande (IC del 95%: 0,461).Conclusiones: Prestar atención a los sentimientos de culpa de los cuidadores familiares durante la insti-tucionalización es fundamental. Ello permitirá dise˜nar e implementar intervenciones psicosociales quemejoren la adaptación del cuidador inmediatamente después de la institucionalización. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156589 [ENG]Cocoa is the main crop in Ecuador’s agricultural sector and is the most important to the country’s economy. This crop is mainly threatened by moniliasis caused by Moniliophthora roreri and Moniliophthora perniciosa. Monialisis is a disease that causes the watery rot of cocoa beans, causing serious yield losses at crop harvest and great economic losses. In this research, we used 50 Trichoderma spp. cultivated in two culture media, PDA and MEA, to demonstrate mycelial growth and antagonistic capacity against two cacao-crop pathogens: M. roreri and M. perniciosa. Multivariate methods, namely a PCA biplot and a GGE biplot, indicated that four strains of Trichoderma spp. (17, 33, 42 and 44) cultivated on the PDA medium had the highest mycelial characteristic values and antagonistic capacities against Moniliophthora perniciosa. The experimental test showed that the lowest incidence of moniliasis and highest yield of cocoa occurred when using the treatments based on the Trichoderma spp. The results obtained in this study allow the use of strain 42 to control moniliasis in cocoa, avoiding economic losses. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156585 [ENG]Caregivers experience great stress, and coping can be one of the factors, which determine the extent of stress. The aim of the present paper is to analyze the effects of coping strategies on distress of the older adult’s caregiver, including guilt as a mediating factor in those maladaptive strategies. The sample consisted of 201 informal caregivers of institutionalized older adults. The three constructs measured were: stress, guilt, and coping strategies. Results showed that strategies that have a better ability to reduce stress are active, positive reframing and acceptance; on the contrary, behavioral disengagement, self-distraction, self-blame and venting positively predicted the feeling of guilt that facilitated the perception of stress. Given the important association obtained between the experience of guilt and psychological distress in caregivers, it could be relevant to develop psychoeducational interventions with caregivers including techniques to reduce this feeling of guilt and develop cognitive behavioral strategies that facilitate adaptation. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10366/156580 [ENG]Well-being is a widely studied construct in psychology. In 1989, Carol Ryff proposed the “Scale of PsychologicalWell-Being (SPWB)”, which has been validated in multiple languages. The instrument assesses six dimensions of psychological well-being: Self-acceptance, Positive Relationships with Others, Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Purpose in Life, and Personal Growth. In this article, we propose to enrich the traditional approach of directly interpreting the raw scores in each dimension by incorporating Compositional Data Analysis. This new approach aims to identify “what proportion” of each dimension constitutes well-being, which will allow us to analyze the interactions between the different dimensions of well-being and balance among them. To achieve this, we introduce two position ratios (PR1 and PR2) and a general adjustment indicator called the General Indicator of Subjective PsychologicalWell-Being (GISPW), which characterizes individuals in a compositional manner, providing a fresh perspective in the interpretation of psychological test results, specifically those related to PWB. The proposal is illustrated with three cases taken from a study involving 628 university students who completed the psychological well-being scale questionnaire. The results show that the GISPW, PR1, and PR2 obtained offer relevant information about the overall balance of each case in the different dimensions. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z