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Objective: Investigate the relationship between body satisfaction, attitudes toward body and obesity, diet quality and emotional health in a group of university students. The initial hypothesis was that attitudes to thinness and fear of obesity induces weight control behaviours and lower diet quality. Methods: 55 women of 19-25 years. The relationship between body mass index (BMI), diet quality (DQ), restrictive behaviours, eating attitudes (EDI-2, CIMEC) and attitudes toward obesity (AFA) was analyzed. Measures of health (SF-12) and emotional state (PNA) were also collected. Results: 10.9% of the sample had a diet classified as 'poor', 83.6% 'needs improvement' and 5.5% followed a 'good' diet. Most of participants were dissatisfied with their weight even when their BMI was located in the normal range. Weight-restrictive behaviors were associated with risk attitudes to eating disorders, but DQ did not discriminate among high and low BMI groups, nor was related to attitudes. The more was the anxiety (negative affect), the more were the body dissatisfaction and pressures on body image. Idealized social image of thinness was linked to the stigmatization of obesity, lower dietary diversity and more restrictive practices. Conclusion: The results of this pilot study contributes to clarify the relationship between psychological and behavioral indices related to diet in university women students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional tears are vehicles for bonding between individuals, even with those belonging to different social categories. Yet, little is known about the reactions they provoke toward members of underprivileged groups such as immigrants or the explanatory mechanisms of their effects. Across three experiments (with 546 adults) using standardized images of emotional displays, we tested the effects of tears on cognitive inferences (of warmth and competence) and self-reported affective responses (such as compassion or discomfort), and both directly and indirectly on self-reported prosocial behavioral intentions toward an immigrant male. Compared with nontearful (i.e., neutral and sad) expressions, observers perceived a tearful immigrant as warmer but not as less competent (except for study 3). They also felt more compassion (but not discomfort) and were more willing to offer an immigrant person emotional (i.e., to approach and comfort) and instrumental support (i.e., to donate money to an organization helping immigrants but not volunteer their time). Inferred warmth and felt compassion (or compassion-related emotions) explained the effects of tears on emotional support and donation intentions. This research highlights the need to study emotion expression in the context of interethnic and, more broadly, intergroup relations and the effects of emotional tears beyond the willingness to provide immediate assistance. We also discuss implications that tears might have for promoting different types of solidarity with members of underprivileged groups such as immigrants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate food purchasing behaviors, choice determinants, and opinions about on-campus food availability by a university community and to analyze differences in these aspects between students, education and/or research staff (ERS), and administrative and services staff (ASS), and between males and females., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that involved a representative sample of students (n = 1089), ERS (n = 396), and ASS (n = 300) who completed an anonymous online survey. A previously adapted version of the questionnaire was administered. The results were weighted to ensure representativeness of this community population using weighted coefficients., Results: The results showed that most of the participants purchased food on campus (91.6%), especially for lunch (67.4% of foods and 37.4% of drinks) and snack (65.4% of foods and 45.4% of drinks). Hot drinks (i.e., coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc.; 60.5%), bottled water (49.2%), and hot foods (i.e., small servings [38.2%] and sandwiches/hamburgers [31.7%]) were the most purchased items. Taste (98.6%) was the most important determinant in choice, followed by price for students, nutritional value for ASS, and health value for ERS. The "top 5" opinions suggested for the campus food environment and potential changes were "greater capacity to access free filtered drinking water", "greater capacity to recycle food packaging," "more healthy options in vending machines", "discounts for healthy choices," and "allergen labeling.", Conclusion: Interventions that improve sustainability and the affordability of products with high nutritional quality, price-manipulation directives, and allergen information on labeling would be well received among this community., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this article, we review the conceptions of Collective Effervescence (CE) -a state of intense shared emotional activation and sense of unison that emerges during instances of collective behavior, like demonstrations, rituals, ceremonies, celebrations, and others- and empirical approaches oriented at measuring it. The first section starts examining Émile Durkheim's classical conception on CE, and then, the integrative one proposed by the sociologist Randall Collins, leading to a multi-faceted experience of synchronization. Then, we analyze the construct as a process emerging in collective encounters when individuals contact with social ideal and values, referring to the classical work of Serge Moscovici as well as those more recent empirical approaches. Third, we consider CE as a set of intense positive emotions linked to processes of group identification, as proposed by authors of the Social Identity Theory tradition. Finally, we describe CE from the perspective of self-transcendence (e.g., emotions, experiences), and propose a unified description of this construct. The second section shows the results of a meta-analytical integration ( k = 50, N = 182,738) aimed at analyzing CE's proximal effects or construct validity (i.e., Individual Emotions and Communal Sharing) as well as its association with more distal variables, such as Collective Emotions, Social Integration, Social Values and Beliefs and Empowerment. Results indicate that CE strongly associates with Individual Emotions -in particular, Self-Transcendent Emotions- and Communal Sharing constructs (e.g., Group Identity, Fusion of Identity), providing construct validity. Among the distal effects of CE, it is associated with Collective Positive Emotions, long-term Social Integration (e.g., Ingroup Commitment), Social Values and Beliefs and Empowerment-related variables (e.g., Wellbeing, Collective Efficacy, Collective Self-Esteem). Among the moderation analyses carried out (e.g., study design, CE scale, type of collective gathering), the effects of CE in demonstrations are noticeable, where this variable is a factor that favors other variables that make collective action possible, such as Group Identity ( r pooled = 0.52), Collective Efficacy ( r pooled = 0.37), Negative and Self-Transcendent Emotions ( r pooled = 0.14 and 0.58), and Morality-related beliefs ( r pooled = 0.43)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Pizarro, Zumeta, Bouchat, Włodarczyk, Rimé, Basabe, Amutio and Páez.)

Objective: This participatory research sought to understand how engagement in awareness-raising multicultural activities strengthens well-being and group efficacy among immigrants and host nationals. We also examined the mediating role of self-transcendent emotions and shared flow., Method: We tested our predictions across three studies, each focused on one awareness-raising activity organized by a nongovernmental organization, SOS Racismo-Mugak, working closely with the local community. This investigation was conducted in line with a community-based participatory research framework and thus with participation of community members in the procedure design, recruitment and data collection, as well as the dissemination of research findings. In Study 1, 204 participants responded to a survey before, during, and after participating in a multicultural lunch promoting interaction between immigrant and host national families. In Study 2, 106 participants were surveyed during an open-outdoors multicultural community meal. In Study 3, 93 participants completed an online survey after an antiracist protest., Results: Self-transcendent emotions and shared flow explained the relationship between the quality of participation and well-being (Studies 1 and 2) among immigrants and host nationals. The indirect effect of shared flow was stronger for immigrants (Study 1). The relationship between quality of participation and group efficacy was mediated by self-transcendent emotions (Study 2) and shared flow (Study 3) for both groups., Conclusions: Our results point out that participation in community awareness-raising activities has several positive outcomes, such as individual and collective empowerment, and elicits shared flow and self-transcendent emotions among immigrants and host nationals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

There is a limited number of studies on the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on university students and their positive effect on collective experiences of shared flow. The aim of the present study was to explore the effectiveness of mindfulness training in terms of reducing stress and enhancing well-being, experiences of shared flow and classroom climate (engagement and affiliation). The intervention and control groups were matched by age and sex (n = 125; M = 20.71, SD = 4.60, 68% women). The intervention group comprised mindfulness exercises performed in the classroom over the course of 7 weeks. The principal variables were measured at pretest and posttest, and shared flow was also measured in the intervention group. In comparison with the control group, statistically significant differences were observed in the intervention group in relation to mindfulness, perceived stress, and classroom climate (affiliation). Furthermore, the perception of shared flow among students increased from the beginning to the end of the program. Mindfulness skills were found to mediate improvements in perceived well-being and stress. It is concluded that mindfulness practice can turn learning into a challenging and shared task. The study highlights the importance of fostering programs that enhance the development of competencies related to mindfulness among university students., (© 2021 The Authors. PsyCh Journal published by Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objective: To evaluate diets in terms of nutritional characteristics and quality from the perspectives of health, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and possible associations with each other in a representative sample of students at a public university., Design: Cross-sectional. Dietary intake was evaluated with a validated FFQ, and diet quality was assessed through the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) and MedDietScore (MDS). GHGE data were obtained from the literature. In addition, sex, socio-economic status (SES) and body fat (BF) status were analysed as covariates., Setting: Basque Autonomous Community, Spain., Participants: Totally, 26 165 healthy adults aged 18-28 years., Results: Student diets were characterised by low consumption of carbohydrates (38·72 % of total energy intake (TEI)) and a high intake of lipids (39·08 % of TEI). Over half of the participants had low dietary quality. The low-emitting diets were more likely to be consumed by subjects with low HEI-2010 scores (β: 0·039 kg eCO2/1000 kcal/d) and high MDS scores (β: -0·023 kg eCO2/1000 kcal/d), after controlling for sex, SES and BF status. Both the low-emitting and healthy diets were more likely to be consumed by women and by those with normal BF percentage., Conclusions: UPV/EHU university students' diets were characterised by moderate quality from a nutritional perspective and moderate variation in the size of carbon footprints. In this population, diets of the highest quality were not always those with the lowest diet-related GHGE; this relationship depended in part on the constructs and scoring criteria of diet quality indices used.

Abundant literature shows the effects of negative emotions on motivations to engage in collective action (i.e., to collectively mobilize personal resources to achieve a common objective), as well as their influence on the creation of shared identities. In this proposal, we focus on the possible role of Self-Transcendent Emotions (STEs) defined as positive-valence emotions that have been key in the creation and maintenance of collective identities, as well as in promoting individuals well-being. In detail, we examine their influence in (a) strengthening a global identification, (b) increasing willingness to collectively help others, and (c) improving people's wellbeing. For this reason, we conducted a preliminary literature review of k = 65 independent studies on the effects of STEs on connection to others. Through this review (fully available in Supplementary Materials), we selected a sample of STEs (Awe, Elevation, and Kama Muta) and elicitors to conduct a video-base study. In it, 1,064 university students from 3 different cultural regions (from Spain and Ecuador) were randomized to answer one of three STE scales (i.e., each measuring one of the selected STEs), and evaluate three videos in random order (i.e., each prototypical for the selected STEs). Participants also answered a measure of global identification and intentions to collectively help others (after each video), as well as self-transcendent and well-being (at the end of the survey). Results from SEM analyses show these STEs motivated a fusion of identity with all humanity, as well as collective intentions to help others, even controlling for individuals' value orientations. In addition, the three of them indirectly increased participants' well-being through a higher global identity. While there are differences among them, these three STEs share common elements and their effects are constant across the different cultural regions. It is concluded that Awe, Elevation, and Kama Muta, even individually experienced, have a significant potential to influence people's behavior. Specifically, in various forms of collective action aimed at helping others., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Pizarro, Basabe, Fernández, Carrera, Apodaca, Man Ging, Cusi and Páez.)

Introduction: Studies which focus on the process of acculturation in the lifestyles, nutritional status and health of immigrants from the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) in the Iberian Peninsula are still scarce. This study aims to explore the influence of the acculturation process and dietary acculturation on the lifestyle and nutritional and health status of CPLP immigrants in Portugal and Spain, focusing on two Iberian contexts: Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the Basque Country., Methods and Analysis: A mixed methods sequential explanatory design, combining cross-sectional studies and semistructured interviews. Official data will also be analysed. Primary data will be collected through a questionnaire and assessment of nutritional status and body composition. The estimated samples sizes are 1061 adults (≥18 years old) in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and 573 in the Basque Country. Time-location sampling will be used for the quantitative component and non-probabilistic sampling for the qualitative component. If safety conditions are not guaranteed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, online studies will be conducted. The semistructured interviews will complement the questionnaire data and extend knowledge about the process of acculturation of CPLP immigrants and their relationship with eating habits and physical activity. Thematic analysis will be used for qualitative data. Triangulation of data derived from different methods will be carried out. An integrative approach will be used to address potential discrepancies in findings and limitations inherent to the study design. As inter-method discrepancies may occur, triangulation protocol will be used, elaborating a 'convergence coding matrix' to display findings emerging from each component of the study., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval was obtained through the IHMT Ethics Council (Doc No 20/2020), Portugal, and it was submitted to the Ethics Committee of the UPV/EHU (Doc No under revision), Spain., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

8 March (8M), now known as International Women's Day, is a day for feminist claims where demonstrations are organized in over 150 countries, with the participation of millions of women all around the world. These demonstrations can be viewed as collective rituals and thus focus attention on the processes that facilitate different psychosocial effects. This work aims to explore the mechanisms (i.e., behavioral and attentional synchrony, perceived emotional synchrony, and positive and transcendent emotions) involved in participation in the demonstrations of 8 March 2020, collective and ritualized feminist actions, and their correlates associated with personal well-being (i.e., affective well-being and beliefs of personal growth) and collective well-being (i.e., social integration variables: situated identity, solidarity and fusion), collective efficacy and collective growth, and behavioral intention to support the fight for women's rights. To this end, a cross-cultural study was conducted with the participation of 2,854 people (age 18-79; M = 30.55; SD = 11.66) from countries in Latin America (Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador) and Europe (Spain and Portugal), with a retrospective correlational cross-sectional design and a convenience sample. Participants were divided between demonstration participants ( n = 1,271; 94.0% female) and non-demonstrators or followers who monitored participants through the media and social networks ( n = 1,583; 75.87% female). Compared with non-demonstrators and with males, female and non-binary gender respondents had greater scores in mechanisms and criterion variables. Further random-effects model meta-analyses revealed that the perceived emotional synchrony was consistently associated with more proximal mechanisms, as well as with criterion variables. Finally, sequential moderation analyses showed that proposed mechanisms successfully mediated the effects of participation on every criterion variable. These results indicate that participation in 8M marches and demonstrations can be analyzed through the literature on collective rituals. As such, collective participation implies positive outcomes both individually and collectively, which are further reinforced through key psychological mechanisms, in line with a Durkheimian approach to collective rituals., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Zumeta, Castro-Abril, Méndez, Pizarro, Włodarczyk, Basabe, Navarro-Carrillo, Padoan-De Luca, da Costa, Alonso-Arbiol, Torres-Gómez, Cakal, Delfino, Techio, Alzugaray, Bilbao, Villagrán, López-López, Ruiz-Pérez, Cedeño, Reyes-Valenzuela, Alfaro-Beracoechea, Contreras-Ibáñez, Ibarra, Reyes-Sosa, Cueto, Carvalho and Pinto.)

Latin-American immigration has transformed Chilean schools into new multicultural scenarios. Studies about intergroup dynamics among students from different cultural backgrounds and their psychological consequences are still limited in south-south migration contexts. Literature has suggested that intergroup relations influence students' satisfaction with school, and they could be improved by the development of competences to cope with cultural differences. This study aims to verify if cultural self-efficacy and its dimensions mediated the influence of prejudice on satisfaction with school, in a sample composed by N = 690 Chilean and Latin-American immigrant secondary students. Results showed that cultural self-efficacy reduced the effect of prejudice in satisfaction with school, in the cases of both immigrant and Chilean students. The dimensions of cultural self-efficacy in processing information from other cultures and mixing with different others make the difference. Findings' contributions for the understanding of adolescents' intergroup relations and psychosocial interventions at school are discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Mera-Lemp, Bilbao and Basabe.)

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in the relationship between participation in collective gatherings and rituals and different important psychosocial variables and processes, such as social sharing of emotions, group cohesion, identity fusion, prosocial tendencies and behaviors, and well-being (e.g., Rimé, 2009; Xygalatas et al., 2013; Khan et al., 2015; Páez et al., 2015). These studies, coming from different lines of research, have proposed diverse explanatory mechanisms to explain the positive social and psychological effects of collective gatherings. In the present article, we focus on one of these mechanisms, known as collective effervescence, emotional communion, emotional entrainment, or perceived emotional synchrony (PES). First, we briefly discuss current conceptions of the emotional states and experience during collective gatherings and what they bring to the definition of PES. We close this point by proposing an integrative definition of PES. Second, structural validity of the original PES scale is examined. Third, incremental validity of PES is examined in two longitudinal studies, particularly with respect to well-being. Finally, we propose an integrative short form of the PES Scale, which measures antecedents and behavioral effects of collective effervescence., (Copyright © 2020 Wlodarczyk, Zumeta, Pizarro, Bouchat, Hatibovic, Basabe and Rimé.)

English-speakers sometimes say that they feel "moved to tears," "emotionally touched," "stirred," or that something "warmed their heart;" other languages use similar passive contact metaphors to refer to an affective state. The authors propose and measure the concept of kama muta to understand experiences often given these and other labels. Do the same experiences evoke the same kama muta emotion across nations and languages? They conducted studies in 19 different countries, 5 continents, 15 languages, with a total of 3,542 participants. They tested the construct while validating a comprehensive scale to measure the appraisals, valence, bodily sensations, motivation, and lexical labels posited to characterize kama muta. The results are congruent with theory and previous findings showing that kama muta is a distinct positive social relational emotion that is evoked by experiencing or observing a sudden intensification of communal sharing. It is commonly accompanied by a warm feeling in the chest, moist eyes or tears, chills or piloerection, feeling choked up or having a lump in the throat, buoyancy, and exhilaration. It motivates affective devotion and moral commitment to communal sharing. Although the authors observed some variations across cultures, these 5 facets of kama muta are highly correlated in every sample, supporting the validity of the construct and the measure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Background: Initiating dialysis can produce psychological benefits. These positive changes, most frequently referred to as posttraumatic growth (PTG), have not previously been explored in these patients., Objective: To identify patterns in the temporal course of PTG in patients during their first 12 months of dialysis, and to relate to perceived stress., Design: A prospective, longitudinal, observational study., Setting and Methods: The sample included 98 patients, aged from 18 to 70 years, who commenced dialysis in the nine nephrology units of the Basque Country, Spain. Three assessments were carried out at 1, 6 and 12 months, using a PTG questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale. ANOVAs with post-hoc analysis were performed to identify significant differences between the groups., Results: Four groups were established based on the observed changes in PTG over time: high, increasing, decreasing and low PTG. Maintaining high PTG and decreasing PTG levels was associated with moderate levels of perceived stress., Conclusion: Four different patterns of PTG have been identified, contributing to our understanding of the dynamics of the process of growth and enabling us to identify patients who may be more vulnerable., (© 2017 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.)

This cross-sectional study analyzes the relationship between collective efficacy and two psychosocial processes involved in collective sport-physical activities. It argues that in-group identification and fusion with the group will affect collective efficacy (CE). A sample of 276 university students answered different scales regarding their participation in collective physical and sport activities. Multiple-mediation analyses showed that shared flow and perceived emotional synchrony mediate the relationship between in-group identification and CE, whereas the relationship between identity fusion and CE was only mediated by perceived emotional synchrony. Results suggest that both psychosocial processes explain the positive effects of in-group identification and identity fusion with the group in collective efficacy. Specifically, the role of perceived emotional synchrony in explaining the positive effects of participation in collective sport-physical activities is underlined. In sum, this study highlights the utility of collective actions and social identities to explain the psychosocial processes related to collective efficacy in physical and sports activities. Finally, practical implications are discussed.

The aim of this study was to examine the multi-dimensional structure of well-being in immigrant population, as well as to explore the complexity of well-being disparities between immigrants and host nationals. We analyzed hedonic, psychological, and social well-being in a sample of 1250 immigrants from Bolivia, Colombia, Morocco, Romania and Sub-Saharan Africa, together with that of 500 matched host nationals from Spain. Participants were selected by means of probability sampling with stratification by age and sex. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the re-specified tripartite model of well-being, including hedonic, psychological, and social components of the individual's functioning, was the best fitting model, as compared to alternative models. Importantly, after adjustment for perceived friendship and support, marital status, income, sex and age, immigrants presented higher levels of well-being than host nationals. Compared to host nationals, immigrants reported especially higher eudaimonic well-being: social contribution and actualization, personal growth, self-acceptance, and purpose in life, and lower levels of well-being only in terms of positive relations with others and negative affect. These results are discussed in the context of positive psychology., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In a classic theory, Durkheim (1912) predicted that because of the social sharing of emotion they generate, collective gatherings bring participants to a stage of collective effervescence in which they experience a sense of union with others and a feeling of empowerment accompanied by positive affect. This would lead them to leave the collective situation with a renewed sense of confidence in life and in social institutions. A century after Durkheim's predictions of these effects, though, they remained untested as a whole. This article reports 4 studies, 2 correlational, 1 semilongitudinal, and 1 experimental, assessing the positive effects of participation in either positively valenced (folkloric marches) or negatively valenced (protest demonstrations) collective gatherings. Results confirmed that collective gatherings consistently strengthened collective identity, identity fusion, and social integration, as well as enhancing personal and collective self-esteem and efficacy, positive affect, and positive social beliefs among participants. In line with a central tenet of the theory, emotional communion, or perceived emotional synchrony with others mediated these effects. Higher perceived emotional synchrony was associated with stronger emotional reactions, stronger social support, and higher endorsement of social beliefs and values. Participation in symbolic collective gatherings also particularly reinforced identity fusion when perceived emotional synchrony was high. The respective contributions of perceived emotional synchrony and flow, or optimal experience, were also assessed. Whereas perceived emotional synchrony emerged as strongly related to the various social outcomes, flow was observed to be related first to collective efficacy and self-esteem, and thus, to encompass mainly empowerment effects., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

Objectives: The current study compares subjective mental and physical health among native Spaniards and immigrant groups, and examines the effects of ethnicity and perceived discrimination (PD) on subjective health in immigrants., Design: Two random samples of 1250 immigrants to Spain from Colombia, Bolivia, Romania, Morocco, and Sub-Saharan Africa and 500 native Spaniards, aged between 18 and 65, were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Several hierarchical regression analyses of ethnicity and PD on subjective mental and physical health (assessed using the health-related quality of life items, HRQLSF-12) were carried out separately for men and women., Results: Male immigrants from Colombia and Sub-Saharan Africa showed better physical health than natives, controlling for age and socioeconomic and marital status. The immigrants - except for the Colombians - had poorer mental health than natives, especially African men and Bolivian women. Socioeconomic status had no impact on these differences. Among immigrants, PD was the best predictor of physical and mental health (controlling for socio-demographic variables). African men, Bolivian women and women without legal status exhibited the poorest self-rated mental health., Conclusion: Clear differences in health status among natives and immigrants were recorded. The self-selection hypothesis was plausible for physical health of Colombians and Sub-Saharan African men. Acculturation stress could explain poorer mental health in immigrants compared with natives. The association between ethnicity and poor self-reported mental health appears to be partially mediated by discrimination.

Some authors have suggested that body weight dissatisfaction may be high in students majoring in dietetics. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the extent of body weight and image dissatisfaction in a sample of women in dietetics major. Additionally, predictors of magnitude of body weight dissatisfaction were analyzed. Participants were 62 volunteers with normalweight whose mean age was 21.87 +/- 1.89 years old (non-random sample). The assessment instruments included anthropometric measurements, a somatomorphic matrix test and an eating disorders inventory (EDI-2). Data were analyzed using SPSS vs. 15.0. A larger proportion of students chose an ideal body weight lower than actual weight (67.7%) and body image with less body fat and more muscle mass than actual values (56.4%). The magnitude of body weight dissatisfaction was associated with muscle mass and body fat dissatisfaction, and with the subscale of EDI-2 "body dissatisfaction". So, from a public health standpoint, we consider important to continue working in this line of research with the aim of better understanding the extent of body weight dissatisfaction in women dietitians, and how this dissatisfaction could interfere with their professional practice.

Some species of the Acanthamoeba genus cause keratitis, a very painful, most likely unilateral corneal infection , associated with eye and vision impairment. We here present a case of a 31-year-old female patient, a regular user of soft contact lenses without good practices of lens hygiene and handling. The patient attended medical consultation after two months of inflammation and pain in her right eye. After ophthalmological studies, and due to suspicion of a parasitic infection, a biopsy was performed and the sample submitted for bacteriological and parasitological analyses. Moreover, contact lens holders and lens cleaning solutions were studied. The samples yielded negative results for bacterial infection. However, cultivation of all samples showed the presence of amoeboid parasites. Isolated amoebae were morphologically and molecularly classified as members of the Acanthamoeba genus. This is the first case of keratitis caused by Acanthamoeba in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires Province, where the parasite was identified by specific and sensitive molecular techniques.

Myiasis is the infestation of live human and vertebrate animals with dipterous larvae which, at least for a short period, feed on the host's dead or living tissue, liquid body-substance, or ingested food. The objective of this study was to identify the flies producing myiasis in Bahía Blanca city, Argentina, from 01/03/2000 to 31/05/2005. Seventeen clinical cases were studied. The larvae obtained from lesions were forwarded from laboratories and from public and private hospitals. Part of the larvae were fixed in alcohol 70 masculine and processed according to the Mazza & Jörg technique (1939). The other part continued growing in flasks with meat in laboratory conditions to obtain the adults. The etiological agents of myiasis were identified by observing the diagnostic characteristics of the larvae III and of the adults, and by using taxonomic keys. Myiasis was produced by Cochlyiomia hominivorax (Coquerel) in thirteen of the cases and by Phaenicia sericata (= Lucila sericata) (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in the other four. The cases were traumatic and aural myiasis and happened from December to March. The ages of patients were four to eighty-six years and 76.5% of the cases occurred in male patients. Given the aggressiveness of these larvae, mainly C. hominivorax, in causing human myiasis, the importance of specific and quick diagnosis and of adequate treatment must be acknowledged.