Perceived Stress in Relation to Demographics and Clinical Forms among Patients with Infective Endocarditis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a disease of the endocardial surface of the heart, caused by infection of the native or prosthetic valve or an indwelling cardiac device. Apart from IE predisposing risk factors that include heart conditions and medical procedures, the novel trajectories from demographic factors to perceived stress conditions have been under investigation in recent years. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the associations between perceived stress and demographic characteristics as well as clinical forms of IE among survivors of IE in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Lifetime Traumatic Experiences and Leisure Physical Inactivity among Adolescent Boys.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the associations between lifetime traumatic experiences and leisure physical inactivity among adolescent boys and to determine to what extent those associations are mediated by posttraumatic stress symptoms, unhealthy behaviors (smoking, alcohol use), the daily consumption of fresh fruit, and sense of coherence.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire combining 3 instruments measured leisure physical activity level (Godin and Shephard), symptoms of posttraumatic stress (IES-revised), lifetime traumatic experiences, sense of coherence (SOC-13, from Antonovsky), and behavioral and dietary patterns in a representative sample of eighth grade boys from a number of Kaunas, Lithuania, secondary schools (N = 885; response rate 88.6%).

Leisure-time physical inactivity and psychological distress in female-dominated occupations in Lithuania.

Poor mental health, manifesting as psychological distress, has become a leading problem recently; therefore, determining associated factors is important, especially in female-dominated occupations, as women are more prone to psychological distress than men, in part due to demands of both professional and domestic tasks. The objective of the present study was to investigate associations between leisure-time physical inactivity and psychological distress, accounting for the possible relation of psychosocial factors at work (job demands, job control, social support at work, workplace bullying) and life events in representative samples of family physicians, internal medicine department nurses and secondary-school teachers in Lithuania. In total, 323 family physicians, 748 internal medicine department nurses and 517 secondary-school teachers were interviewed during 2012-2014 in Lithuania.