Veritati

Institutional Repository of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa

The Institutional Repository (Veritati) is a reference platform for those who want to access scientific production, as well as master's dissertations and doctoral theses, developed within the scope of the teaching and research activities of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP).

As part of the RCAAP project (Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal), it aims to preserve and disseminate scientific production, thus increasing its visibility and impact.

The Institutional Repository is also integrated into the UCP science management ecosystem, which includes, namely, the Ciência-UCP platform and the Scientific Journals of Universidade Católica Portuguesa portal

Universidade Católica Portuguesa Resources

Email repositorio@ucp.pt

Recent Submissions

Perceived economic hardship and adjustment outcomes of children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Publication . Ribeiro, Luísa A.; Keles, Serap

Most studies about the relation between economic hardship and child/adolescent outcomes include either objective assessments of economic hardship, such as income and social benefits, or both objective and subjective assessments without disentangling their effects. The aim of this meta-analysis was to synthesize the evidence about the strength of the association between perceived (subjective) economic hardship and psychological outcomes of school-aged children and adolescents (ages 6–18). We hypothesized a negative association between perceived economic hardship (by children, parents, or both) and child/adolescent positive adjustment outcomes and a positive association between perceived economic hardship and child/adolescent negative adjustment outcomes. The design and reporting of this meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Based on a comprehensive and systematic literature search of relevant peer-reviewed articles and dissertations, 53 cross-sectional studies (344 effects) were included in this meta-analysis. We used correlated and hierarchical effects models with robust variance estimation to synthesize the results. Results showed a small but significant negative pooled effect size for positive adjustment outcomes (r = −.132, 95% CI [−0.171, −0.092], p < .001) and a positive pooled effect size for negative adjustment outcomes (r = .177, 95% CI [0.129, 0.225], p < .001). For both positive adjustment and negative adjustment outcomes, type of outcome was a significant moderator. Additionally, parent education was a significant moderator for positive adjustment outcomes, with stronger effects for studies with less educated parents. For negative adjustment outcomes, the moderator informants was also significant. Notably, despite our broad age range, child/adolescent age was not a significant moderator. We also conducted supplementary analyses for the few studies reporting longitudinal effects, which yielded similar, albeit expectedly smaller, effect sizes. Overall, the results point to a small significant relation between perceived economic hardship and adjustment outcomes, which can have implications for research with children and adolescents, by informing strategies to mitigate the effects of perceived hardship.

2025-12-01Review article

Open access

The role of lifestyle nursing in promoting planetary health: a scoping review protocol

Publication . Coelho, Anabela; Catarino, Marta Sofia; Monteiro, Vanessa Cardoso; Bia, Florbela; Marques, Maria do Céu; Antunes, Mónica Couto

This scoping review aims to explore and map the existing scientific evidence on how lifestyle nursing contributes to the promotion of planetary health. Lifestyle nursing encompasses interventions related to healthy behaviour change, including physical activity, nutrition, stress management, and sustainable practices. Planetary health, in turn, refers to the interconnectedness of human well-being and the health of natural systems.The review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews and be reported according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Relevant literature will be identified through comprehensive searches in databases such as CINAHL Ultimate, MEDLINE, Complementary Index, BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, and ScienceDirect, along with grey literature sources. Studies involving nurses or nursing interventions that address individual lifestyle, and environmental sustainability will be included. The results will provide a synthesis of current knowledge, highlight gaps in the literature, and inform future research and nursing practice related to sustainability and global health.

2025-12-01Research article

Open access

Multiple myeloma laboratory diagnostics made simple: practical insights and key recommendations

Publication . Portuguese Multiple Myeloma Grp; Sousa, Maria José Rego de

Multiple myeloma is a clonal plasma cell malignancy with a highly variable range of clinical manifestations. Over recent decades, substantial progress has been made in laboratory diagnostics, which has deepened our understanding of disease biology, improved risk stratification, and informed treatment strategies. In an era of transformation and innovation, conventional laboratory methods remain essential, as cutting-edge technologies might not be immediately accessible to all laboratories. Nonetheless, even widely used laboratory methodologies present many challenges, such as variability in assay performance, interpretative criteria, and standardization. This review by the Portuguese Multiple Myeloma Group of the Portuguese Society of Hematology provides a comprehensive overview and practical appraisal of current conventional laboratory methods employed for multiple myeloma diagnosis.

2025-10-09Review article

Open access

Coping strategies before competition: the role of stress, cognitive appraisal and emotions

Publication . Nogueira, José Miguel; Simães, Clara; Morais, Catarina; Mansell, Paul; Gomes, A. Rui

Sports, and especially competitions, can be a stressful experience for athletes, who often struggle to find and apply strategies to cope with stress. Thus, this study analyzes how different coping strategies anticipated to be employed in an important competition are explained by psychological (i.e., cognitive appraisal and emotions) and person and sports- related factors (i.e., gender, type of sport). Specifically, athletes were asked to complete a protocol 24–48 h prior to an important competition to assess their adaptation to stress related to high performance. The study included 383 athletes (60% male, Mage = 22.9 ± 5.3 years), from individual (swimming and running, n = 157; 41%) and team sports (handball, vol- leyball, n = 226; 59%) competing in major national leagues. Hierarchical linear regression analyses (enter method) were performed to examine the extent to which coping strategies and coping efficacy were explained by psychological, personal and sport-related variables. Results indicated (a) higher control perception and excitement were related with higher intention to use active coping; (b) being a female athlete, practicing individual sports, and excitement (higher intensity and facilitative value) were associated with a higher intention to use emotional support; (c) being a female athlete, lower coping perception, higher anger intensity, and higher facilitative value of happiness were associated with a higher antic- ipated use of humor; and (d) being a male athlete, higher anxiety, anger, and happiness intensity, and lower facilitative value of dejection and excitement were associated with higher anticipated use of denial. In sum, the explanation of each coping strategy is distinct and should be analyzed separately.

2025-10-01Research article

Open access

Effect of the primary nursing model on self-care skills of hospitalized older patients with multimorbidity: a quasi-experimental study

Publication . Gonçalves, Isabel; Almeida, Sofia; Jesus, Élvio; Nunes, Elisabete

Background/Objective: The global increase in life expectancy has led to a higher prevalence of multimorbidity among older patients, often requiring frequent and complex healthcare. Enhancing self-care skills during hospitalization is a key priority in promoting patient autonomy and improving outcomes. The objective of the study was to analyze the effect of the primary nursing model on the therapeutic self-care of older patients with multimorbidity during hospitalization. Methods: It was a quasi-experimental study conducted in two comparable medical-surgical units of a private hospital in Portugal. The intervention unit adopted the primary nursing model, while the control unit maintained standard nursing care. A convenience sample of older patients with multimorbidity was recruited (n = 206; intervention group = 106, control group = 100). Therapeutic self-care was measured using the Portuguese version of the Therapeutic Self-Care Scale at admission, discharge, and follow-up. Statistical analyses included independent samples t-tests to assess between-group differences. Results: At baseline, the intervention group had significantly lower self-care scores than the control group (t(191.045) = −2.24; p = 0.026). However, between admission and follow-up, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in self-care scores compared with the control group (t(187.55) = 2.68; p = 0.008). Conclusions: The primary nursing care model contributed to enhanced therapeutic self-care skills in older patients with multimorbidity during and after hospitalization. Nurse managers and clinical teams can consider the primary nursing model as an effective care organization strategy to foster self-care, promote patient-centered outcomes, and improve care continuity for older patients with complex needs. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06702150 (Registered 12 November 2024).

2025-09-27Research article

Open access