BACKGROUND:Multiple factors contribute to cognitive maintenance and the development of cognitive reserve in aging, including life experiences and behaviors. Among these, education plays a key role, particularly through language-related activities such as reading and writing. OBJECTIVE:This study investigates the impact of Reading and Writing Habits (RWH), alongside educational level and socioeconomic status (SES), on word and pseudoword naming across the lifespan in Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS:Using a stepwise linear regression model, we analyzed the predictive value of age, SES, education, and RWH on naming performance in young and older adults, utilizing response time and accuracy as dependent variables. RESULTS:Results indicate that age, SES, education, and RWH significantly influence naming latencies and accuracy. While education showed the strongest effect on response time, RWH also contributed meaningfully, particularly in populations with limited formal education and low SES. CONCLUSION:These findings suggest that RWH may serve as an important compensatory factor in cognitive processing. Overall, the study highlights the combined role of formal education and lifelong reading and writing habits in supporting language-related cognitive performance and maintaining cognitive reserve, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
In Brazil, ultra-processed food consumption has increased disproportionately among lower-income groups, and food insecurity has been linked to food addiction. Previous studies have examined income and food addiction separately as predictors of ultra-processed food intake. This study evaluated the joint contribution of household income and food addiction to ultra-processed food intake in Brazilian university students. METHODS:A cross-sectional online study was conducted with 368 Brazilian university students aged 18-30 years. Ultra-processed food intake was assessed using a score based on the Nova classification, reflecting the number of ultra-processed food subgroups consumed on the previous day. Food addiction was measured with the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 and operationalized as diagnostic severity (none, mild, moderate, severe) and symptom presence (zero vs. one or more symptoms). Household income was categorized into four classes (A-D/E). Associations were examined using negative binomial regression, with multivariable models adjusted for body mass index and additional models including gender, race, and perceived stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS:Lower household income was consistently associated with higher intake of ultra-processed foods. Compared with the highest income class, participants in income classes C and D/E showed expected intakes 39% and 42% higher, respectively. When food addiction was analyzed using diagnostic criteria, only the mild diagnosis group differed from the non-food addiction group, showing lower expected intake after adjustment for body mass index. In contrast, symptom-based analyses revealed that participants with one or more food addiction symptoms had an approximately 18% higher expected ultra-processed food intake than asymptomatic individuals. Lower income and symptom presence were particularly associated with consumption of ultra-processed foods that replace or accompany meals, as well as ultra-processed beverages. CONCLUSIONS:Household income and food addiction symptoms jointly influence ultra-processed food intake among Brazilian university students. Symptom-based measures appear more sensitive than diagnostic categories for identifying population-level vulnerability. These findings highlight the need for public policies that address both socioeconomic inequalities and addictive-like eating behaviors to reduce excessive ultra-processed food consumption.
Abstract Aim This study was conducted to determine the relationship between parental acceptance-rejection theory and emotional intelligence, emotional coping, and family life satisfaction levels in individuals. Method This descriptive and correlational study was conducted between 01.11.2021 and 01.04.2022 using the online snowball sampling method via the Google platform with 750 individuals aged 18 and over who agreed to participate. The data were collected using the Personal Data Form, Parental Acceptance-Rejection Scale (PARS), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EACS), and Family Life Satisfaction Scale (FLSS). Findings According to the results of the study, the mean PARS score was 39.17 ± 12.06, the mean EIS score was 71.12 ± 15.76, the mean EACS score was 56.97 ± 14.26 and the mean FLSS score was 45.45 ± 22.14. A significant and negative correlation was found between the PARS and the EIS and EACS, while a significant and positive correlation was observed with the FLSS. A significant and positive correlation was found between the EIS and the EACS, while a significant and negative correlation was found between the EACS and the FLSS. Furthermore, a significant and negative correlation was also found between the EACS and the FLSS. Regression analyses revealed that the PARS score was significantly predicted by gender, having children, income level, consultation with a psychological professional, and a history of psychological treatment within the family. Having children and consultation with a psychological professional increased the score, while male gender and high income had a decreasing effect. The EIS score was significantly predicted only by the mother’s living situation, the EACS score by the father’s living situation, and the FLSS score by marital status and consultation with a psychological professional. These findings summarize the explanatory power of the relationships between the psychosocial variables central to the study and parental perception, emotional intelligence, and family life satisfaction. Conclusion In our study, it was observed that those who experienced parental rejection had lower emotional intelligence and emotional coping scores and higher family life scores. The results confirmed our assumption and supported Rohner’s parental acceptance-rejection theory.
Abstract Background Financial well-being is a key determinant of quality of life, since it reflects the individual's ability to meet current and ongoing financial obligations, feel secure about their financial future, and make choices that allow enjoyment of life. This is particularly important contexts with high inequality and uncertainty such as the case of Chile where many individuals rely on consumer credit from retail and banking institutions for monthly expenses. Therefore, having an instrument the reliably measures said variable across different sociodemographic groups, such as gender, ethnicity, and employment status is essential. Methods This study examined the psychometric properties of the Personal Financial Wellness Scale (PFWS) among Chilean emerging adults. An adapted version of the PFWS was administered to 624 university and technical students (64.1% women), aged 18 to 29 years (M = 20.44, SD = 3.35). Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) was used to test the factorial structure, and multigroup analyses evaluated measurement invariance across gender, ethnicity, and employment status. Results Results supported a two-factor model, financial distress and financial well-being, with satisfactory internal consistency and model fit. Partial measurement invariance was established across ethnicity and employment status, with changes in fit indices remaining within acceptable thresholds (ΔCFI ≤ .01, ΔRMSEA ≤ .015, ΔSRMR ≤ .030). For ethnicity, constraints on item 7 were released, and for employment status, intercepts of items 4 and 7 were relaxed. In contrast, full invariance was achieved across gender, with non-significant model comparisons (χ 2 (26) = 42.350, p = .023; χ 2 (52) = 61.946, p = .163) and stable fit indices across nested models (ΔCFI = 0.000, ΔRMSEA = 0.005, ΔSRMR = 0.013). Conclusions These findings confirm that the PFWS captures essential dimensions of financial well-being in a culturally sensitive way, supporting its use as an early detection tool for financial distress and for guiding targeted interventions in socioeconomically vulnerable young adults.
Abstract Background The Young Adult Attachment to Phone Scale (YAPS) is a 6-item self-report measure assessing emotional attachment to smartphones across two dimensions: using the phone as a source of comfort (Refuge) and experiencing it as burdensome (Burden). This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the YAPS in a Portuguese young adult sample. Methods Participants were 648 Portuguese young adults (aged 18–35). We examined factorial structure via confirmatory factor analysis, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, and measurement invariance across gender and education level. Given the ordinal nature of the items, analyses employed the DWLS estimator. Results The two-factor structure was confirmed with excellent model fit (CFI = 0.990, RMSEA = 0.069). Internal consistency was good for Refuge (ω = 0.83) and acceptable for Burden (ω = 0.74). Both factors demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity. Full measurement invariance was established across gender, and partial invariance across education levels. Latent mean differences emerged by education but not by gender. Conclusion The Portuguese YAPS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing phone-specific attachment in young adults. Findings support its use in research and practice, while highlighting the need for further refinement of the Burden dimension. The scale offers a culturally appropriate tool for understanding technology engagement in Portugal's highly connected youth population.
