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Journal Article 2017; 37(8): 543-550 PubMed PMID: 28326750 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Czech Republic, Depressive Disorder:diagnosis, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychometrics:standards, Reproducibility of Results, Sex Factors, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVES: Hope is an important factor that influences mental state of individuals and efficacy of systematic and supportive psychotherapy. The goal of the study was to translate the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (ADHS) to Czech, evaluate its psychometric properties and create norms to interpret the scale scores.
METHODS: The scale consists of twelve items. Four items assess the ability of pathway thinking, four items measure agency, and the remaining four items are fillers that are not interpreted. There were 394 adult participants with negative psychiatric history who completed the ADHS and BDI-II. Their mean age was 27.1±11.7 years, most of them were women (n=303; 76.9%).
RESULTS: There was no significant relationship between age or sex and hope. Reliability was analyzed by Cronbach alpha (α=0.82) and the split-half method (Spearman-Brown coefficient = 0.81). The factor structure of the scale was approved by the results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, except the ninth item that similarly saturated both subscales. The ADHS moderately negatively correlated with BDI-II. Norms were created for the scores of the entire scale and both subscales.
CONCLUSION: The Czech version of the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale shows adequate psychometric properties....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(Suppl 2): 35-42 PubMed PMID: 26748525 Citation  Keywords:  Adipose Tissue:physiology, Adult, Blood Pressure:physiology, Body Mass Index, Czech Republic:ethnology, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity:ethnology, Overweight:ethnology, Roma:ethnology, Sex Factors, Waist Circumference:physiology,.   

OBJECTIVES: The objective of our correlation study was to compare selected indicators of overweight and obesity of Roma and non-Roma (majority) populations in the South Bohemia Region or the Czech Republic.

METHODS: The following indicators were chosen for evaluation of overweight and obesity: body height and weight, waistline measurement, waist/height index, waist/hips index, BMI, total fat and blood pressure. 600 participants were examined and interviewed in total, including 302 Roma and 298 non-Roma participants. Each of the participants had a personal examination performed by a general nurse, under hygienic-epidemiological conditions. The criteria for inclusion of participants into the study were consent with examination and age greater than 18 years.

RESULTS: The statistical analysis showed that, at a level of significance of p < 0.001, the following values differed between the Roma and non-Roma population of the South Bohemia Region: waist/height index, waistline, total fat, body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Differences in the incidence of the waist/hips index were significant at p < 0.01. Correlations of incidence with indicators of overweight and obesity in Roma were registered in relation to both age and gender of participants. The results show that overweight and obesity indicators were recorded more frequently in Roma female respondents. Although the results are unique, the conclusions cannot be generalized for Roma throughout the Czech Republic.

CONCLUSION: The conclusions of the above findings will be implemented in strategic materials for community planning in the South Bohemia Region. The goal will be to offer services aimed at supporting a healthy life style for Roma living in the South Bohemia Region of the Czech Republic....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(2): 106-111 PubMed PMID: 26071575 Citation  Keywords:  Ethology, Facial Expression, Fear:physiology, Humans, Sex Factors,.   

: Facial expression is one of the core issues in the ethological approach to the study of human behaviour. This study discusses sex-specific aspects of the recognition of the facial expression of fear using results from our previously published experimental study. We conducted an experiment in which 201 participants judged seven different facial expressions: anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise (Trnka et al. 2007). Participants were able to recognize the facial expression of fear significantly better on a male face than on a female face. Females also recognized fear generally better than males. The present study provides a new interpretation of this sex difference in the recognition of fear. We interpret these results within the paradigm of human ethology, taking into account the adaptive function of the facial expression of fear. We argue that better detection of fear might be crucial for females under a situation of serious danger in groups of early hominids. The crucial role of females in nurturing and protecting offspring was fundamental for the reproductive potential of the group. A clear decoding of this alarm signal might thus have enabled the timely preparation of females for escape or defence to protect their health for successful reproduction. Further, it is likely that males played the role of guardians of social groups and that they were responsible for effective warnings of the group under situations of serious danger. This may explain why the facial expression of fear is better recognizable on the male face than on the female face....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(1): 67-71 PubMed PMID: 25789590 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Endothelium, Vascular:physiopathology, Female, Humans, Hyperemia:physiopathology, Male, Manometry, Middle Aged, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting:physiopathology, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Vascular Diseases:physiopathology,.   

OBJECTIVE: Large epidemiological studies suggest higher risk of vascular events in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Chronic inflammatory response and oxidative stress, key-players in a process of atherogenesis, are also suspected to play a role in pathophysiology of MS. Prospective studies elucidating risk of atherosclerosis in MS patients are currently missing. The aim of the study was to assess endothelial function in patients with MS and in healthy controls.

METHODS: We enrolled 46 patients with diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS and age-matched population of 31 healthy subjects. Endothelial function was assessed using peripheral arterial tonometry and expressed as reperfusion hyperemia index (RHI).

RESULTS: RHI in MS population was significantly lower than in controls (1.77 vs 2.30; p=0.001), even though control population seemed to have higher burden of known vascular risk factors (significantly higher portion of male sex and significantly higher body mass index; p ≤ 0.001 for both parameters). The presence of MS was the only significant independent variable associated with the RHI (beta=0.396, p<0.001) in multiple linear regression model.

CONCLUSION: Results of our study suggest significant impairment of endothelial function in MS population compared to age matched control population with low burden of vascular risk factors....

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Comparative Study 2014; 35(4): 314-321 PubMed PMID: 25038601 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Faculty, Female, Firefighters, Humans, Hydrocortisone:biosynthesis, Male, Middle Aged, Occupational Diseases:etiology, Saliva:chemistry, Sex Factors, Stress, Psychological:metabolism,.   

BACKGROUND: It's indicated negative-perceived stress could induce worse health status and change of cortisol secretion.

OBJECTIVES: To assess salivary cortisol levels in two occupations with a high psychosocial workload, but different features, teachers and firefighters.

METHODS: The study population consisted of 142 school teachers and 136 firefighters. Four saliva samples were collected from pedagogical participants during their busiest workday. The cortisol measures used were: morning values, evening values, slope of decline, ratio (evening value divided by morning value), and area under the curve (AUC).

RESULTS: The salivary cortisol measurements in both genders were almost equal regarding morning values, slope, and AUC increase. Evening values were lower and the relative reactivity was higher (lower ratio) for female teachers, compared to male teachers. There was a tendency of a lower total daytime output of cortisol (AUC ground) among female teachers. Firefighters had lower levels of cortisol, lower total daytime output, and higher relative reactivity (lower ratio), but lower absolute reactivity, regarding both slope and AUC increase.

CONCLUSION: Overall, male teachers might be the group most affected by stress in this study, even if some of their cortisol values were almost equal to the female teachers' values. Male teachers also seemed to be more affected by stress, according to salivary cortisol, compared to male firefighters, even if there were some inconsistencies....

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Comparative Study 2012; 33(4): 425-430 PubMed PMID: 22936252 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Analysis of Variance, Biomarkers:metabolism, Computer Simulation, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone:metabolism, Male, Maze Learning, Reaction Time, Reference Values, Saliva:metabolism, Self-Assessment, Sex Factors, Spatial Behavior, Stress, Psychologi.   

OBJECTIVES: Spatial learning is shown to be influenced by acute stress in both human and other animals. However, the intricacies of this relationship are unclear. Based on prior findings we hypothesized that compared to a control condition, a social stress condition would not affect spatial learning performance despite elevated biochemical markers of stress.

METHODS: The present study tested the effects of social stress in human males and females on a subsequent spatial learning task. Social stress induction consisted of evaluative stress (the Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) compared to a placebo social stress.

RESULTS: Compared to the placebo condition, the TSST resulted in significantly elevated cortisol and alpha amylase levels at multiple time points following stress induction. In accord, cognitive appraisal measures also showed that participants in the TSST group experienced greater perceived stress compared to the placebo group. However, there were no group differences in performance on a spatial learning task.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that unlike physiological stress, social stress does not result in alterations in spatial learning in humans. It is possible that moderate social evaluative stress in humans works to prevent acute stress-mediated alterations in hippocampal learning processes.....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(Suppl 2): 13-16 PubMed PMID: 22101875 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Alcoholic Beverages:statistics & numerical data, Animals, Beer:statistics & numerical data, Beverages, Coffee, Czech Republic:epidemiology, Diet Surveys, Energy Intake, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Milk, Sex Factors, Surveys.   

BACKGROUND: Food intake is a commonly monitored issue in many studies. In contrast, almost no information has been published on beverage intake in adults.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: To evaluate beverage intake, we studied a population of 1, 200 adults (656 males and 544 females, aged 18-54 years). The volumes and types of beverages were obtained from self-reported questionnaires.

RESULTS: The mean beverage intake was highly variable, with a minimum of 450 mL/day and a maximum of 5,330 mL/day. A mean of 1,575 mL/day was found in the entire population (2,300 mL in males and 840 mL in females). Different patterns in the consumption of beverage types were observed between the males and females. For both males and females, the most common beverage consumed was water followed by tea. The next preferable beverages were alcoholic beer, coffee, and non-alcoholic beer in males and coffee, milk, and alcoholic beer in females. The estimated caloric intake from beverages covers, in most individuals, 10-30% of the recommended daily caloric intake.

CONCLUSIONS: There is substantial variation among individuals, both in beverage intake and in caloric intake through beverages. The caloric intake from beverages reaches, in some individuals, one-third of the recommended daily caloric rate....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(6): 837-841 PubMed PMID: 21196912 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Attention, Autistic Disorder:diagnosis, Female, Humans, Japan, Male, Salivary Glands:metabolism, Sex Factors, Testosterone:metabolism,.   

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between salivary testosterone levels and autistic traits in adults.

METHODS: A total of 92 male and female adults participated in the present study. Their salivary testosterone level (T) and score of Japanese version of Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ) were assessed to examine the relationship between salivary testosterone level and autistic traits in adults.

RESULTS: We observed a positive correlation between T and AQ in a group of both sexes. The correlation disappeared when we conducted correlation analysis by sex. However, although there was no sex difference in the score of the subscale of attention switching, attention switching was related to T.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the relationship between T and AQ may mainly result from sex differences, the subscale of attention switching may be modulated by testosterone....

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