CRC-W - Contribuições em Revistas Científicas / Contribution to Journals
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Browsing CRC-W - Contribuições em Revistas Científicas / Contribution to Journals by Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) "04:Educação de Qualidade"
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- Bridging the gap: environmental health literacy as key to adolescent well-being and sustainable behaviorsPublication . Matos, Margarida Gaspar de; Branquinho, Cátia; Domingos, Leonor; Guedes, Fabio Botelho; Cerqueira, Ana; Gaspar, TaniaAdolescents who possess environmental health literacy are more equipped to handle the effects of the environment on their health. This study uses data from Portugal’s 2022 HBSC survey to investigate the environmental health literacy (EHL) of teenagers. The Environmental Health Literacy Scale (EHLS) was verified by confirmatory component analysis. Within the framework of an ecosystem, this study investigates factors related to health and well-being. There are 7355 adolescents in the sample. EHLS_Social Norms and participation in volunteering activities were found to be significant predictors of EHL_Knowledge, which explained 25.2% of the variance in the final model. EHLS_Social Norms and EHLS_Knowledge accounted for 42.9% of the variance in EHL_Behaviors, while school grade was adversely connected with pro-environmental behavior. While actions and knowledge were major positive predictors, gender and school grades showed negative relationships, and EHL_Social Norms accounted for 46% of the variance. This study establishes a valid measure of environmental health literacy in adolescents, informing science education strategies and public health interventions.
- Care: new challenges arising from transnational dynamicsPublication . Guerra, Inês; Barros, CarlosCare and support are central determinants of social work. However, the needs and specificities for an integral perception of this assistance need to be drawn in the context of a globalizing society and increasingly evident macro and micro contextual phenomena. By taking care of aging people in the context of Portuguese transnational families as an example, this paper aims to be a space of dialogue between challenges and possible answers in an attempt to reflect on the main issues of care in transnational families. The main results/reflections emphasize the need to broaden educational training to recognize care as inherently interdisciplinary and rooted in cross-cultural knowledge. Digital communication technologies play a crucial role in enabling care that transcends geographical boundaries, improving both the quality of interactions with care-related elements and social responses.
- MindRegulation-SEL: randomized controlled trial of the effects of a relaxation and guided imagery intervention with socioemotional learning on the psychological and biophysiological well-being, socioemotional development, cognitive function and academic achievement of elementary school childrenPublication . Galinha, Iolanda Costa; Carvalho, Joana Leite da Cunha Sampaio de; Oliveira, Ana Cristina Pires de; Arriaga, Patrícia; Gaspar, Augusta D.; Silva, Hugo P.; Ortega, VitóriaBackground: Mental imagery has long been used in psychological therapies, but only recently did research begin to provide a scientific background for it. Imagery interventions are inexpensive and a substantial body of research supports their effectiveness on anxiety reduction, behavior change, promotion of health outcomes, and adherence to medical interventions, in both adults and children. However, literature on the benefits of relaxation and guided imagery interventions for children in elementary school context is very scarce. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to contribute to that knowledge by implementing and testing the benefits of an intervention program MindRegulation-Socioemotional Learning (MR-SEL) comprising breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, instructions for body posture, and guided imagery with socioemotional learning, conveying adaptive beliefs about oneself, the relationships with others and the environment. Method: The MR-SEL intervention will be developed in the classroom for 15 min before learning activities, three times per week, for 5 months, and its effects will be measured on a range of psychosocial and emotional, biophysiological, and cognitive outcomes. Seventeen classes will be randomly assigned to three conditions: (a) relaxation and guided imagery with SEL (MR-SEL); (b) relaxation only; and (c) waitlist control. The RCT includes four data collection times: pretest, intermediate, posttest, and a 6-month follow-up. The sample comprises 259 students, elementary school third and fourth graders, 8–11 years old. The variables measured are well-being, affect, anxiety, emotional regulation, socioemotional competencies, attention and processing speed, and perceived benefits of the intervention. Physiological indicators of emotional arousal, emotional regulation, stress, and well-being are also taken, specifically, heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, actigraphy, and salivary DHEA-S and cortisol. The validity of the measures will be tested for the population and objectives of the study. Discussion: Significant improvements on the children’s well-being, socioemotional regulation, cognitive function, physiological activity, and academic performance are expected after 5 months’ intervention at posttest and 11 months’ follow-up at MR-SEL condition, compared to the relaxation and control conditions. Changes in physiological activity are expected during MR-SEL and relaxation sessions. Emotional regulation, well-being, and anxiety are expected to mediate the effects of the interventions over socioemotional competence, cognitive function, and academic performance. Well-being and anxiety levels at pretest are expected to moderate the interventions’ effects. Trial Registration: MindRegulation: https:ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT06101225. Registered 5th October, 2023.
- Trend analysis of self-harm behaviors and stress management skills in adolescents between 2018, 2022, and 2024: a comprehensive ecological modelPublication . Gaspar, Tania; Serafim, Cheila; Matos, Margarida Gaspar de; Carvalho, MarinaHighlights: Non-suicidal self-harm behavior (NSSHB) reflects both individual distress and systemic gaps in psychosocial support, underscoring the importance of ecological and multilevel prevention strategies. Stress management skills are a central vulnerability factor, consistently lower among adolescents with NSSHB, and strongly influenced by family, school, and mental well-being contexts. Strengthening coping resources through supportive family and school environments emerges as a crucial pathway for reducing NSSHB and promoting adolescent resilience during and beyond public health crises. Background/Objectives: Although non-suicidal self-harming behaviors (NSSHBs) are increasingly recognized as both a symptom and risk factor in adolescent development, few studies have explored their biopsychosocial correlates, such as stress management, quality of life, family and peer support, and school-related factors, within a longitudinal framework. The present study aims to explore self-harm behaviors among adolescents from an ecological and biopsychosocial perspective over three distinct time points: pre-pandemic (2018), during the pandemic (2022), and post-pandemic (2024). Methods: The total sample comprised 12,233 adolescents, with 5695 in 2018, 5931 in 2022, and 607 in 2024. The percentage of adolescents reporting self-harm behaviors increased from 18.0% in 2018 to 21.8% in 2022 and slightly decreased to 20.2% in 2024. Results: Results show that, in both groups, stress management skills were positively predicted by family support, teacher relationship, quality of friendship, and future expectations, and they were negatively predicted by psychosomatic symptoms. The explained variance (adjusted R2) was consistently higher in the self-harm behavior group. The findings confirm that NSSHB is not only a symptom of individual distress but also a marker of insufficient psychosocial support and coping resources. Conclusions: Stress management skills emerged as a key vulnerability domain and were consistently lower among adolescents with NSSHB. Family support, school relationships, and mental well-being were central predictors of coping skills, reinforcing the relevance of multilevel, ecological approaches to prevention and intervention.
