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This research describes the psychometric properties of a new child self-report measure, the separation anxiety scale for children (SASC), which assesses the frequency of symptoms of separation anxiety in children from 8 to 11. The factor solution with a sample of 1,201 children from 8 to 11, isolated three factors, discomfort from separation, worry about separation, and calm at separation, tested by confirmatory factor analysis, which accounted for 32.80% of the total variance. Results indicated that the SASC has a high internal consistency (alpha = 0.83). The results revealed a high test-retest reliability of the instrument, and a high number of correctly diagnosed cases. The correlation of scores with other anxiety measures shows that the variable most associated with separation anxiety is trait-anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Super Skills for Life is a structured intervention rooted in cognitive-behavioral therapy and a transdiagnostic approach, aimed at preventing childhood emotional problems. Over the past decade, it has demonstrated positive outcomes in various formats and countries. This study evaluated the comparative effectiveness of two individual modalities: the computerized and the traditional version enriched with multimedia content, through a comparative randomized effectiveness trial., Method: 109 children (55.24 % female) aged 8-12 years participated, randomly assigned to either the traditional (n = 54) or computerized (n = 51) groups. Pre- and post-intervention assessments involved emotional problem measures completed by children and parents., Results: Both groups exhibited significant reductions in all outcomes according to parent reports, including depression, anxiety, and anxiety-related life interference. Children's self-reports indicated improvements across all general measures. Generalized Estimating Equations indicated marginally better improvements in the traditional group., Limitations: Limitations included the absence of follow-up assessment, variability in participant regions across Spain, and input from other informants like teachers., Conclusions: This study pioneers the examination of short-term effects of the program in both a fully computerized format supervised by a specialized therapist and an enriched traditional individual format, and the promising results suggest their potential for indicated prevention of childhood emotional problems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Compared to traditional psychosocial interventions, the transdiagnostic approach focuses on common processes or factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of emotional problems. In Spain, the Super Skills Program has proven its effectiveness, but issues with displacement or scheduling for families can hinder access to the intervention. This study aims to examine the program's effectiveness in preventing children's psychosocial problems through learning socio-emotional skills when self-administered via the Internet. Participants were 283 Spanish children between the ages of 8 and 12. The children and their parents completed anxiety and depression scales before and after receiving the intervention and 12 months later. The program consisted of 8 self-applied sessions, at a rate of two per week, which included emotional education, cognitive restructuring, self-regulation techniques, training in social skills, problem-solving, and video feedback with cognitive preparation. Significant differences in anxiety and depression symptoms were found after the intervention. A significant reduction in anxiety scores and a marginally significant decrease in depression scores was observed at the long-term follow-up. The "intention to treat" analysis revealed a tendency for children who improved to drop out of the program, completing the intervention children with more symptomathology. Learning socio-emotional skills through a self-applied intervention via the Internet effectively reduced emotional symptoms in school children and is a valuable resource to improve child well-being and prevent future psychological problems.

Background: Nighttime fears are highly prevalent in children, ranging from normative fears to triggering fear-related anxiety disorders. The lack of available assessment instruments recently prompted the development of the Nighttime Fears Scale (NFS) for children aged 8-12 years. The present study aimed to adapt and psychometrically evaluate the parent-reported version for children aged 3-8 years (NFS-P) as a complement for younger children., Methods: Two hundred eighty-four Spanish-speaking parents (47% girls) completed the NFS-P and anxiety measures., Results: Confirmatory factor analyses supported a four-factor structure of the NFS-P. Strong internal consistency and validity evidence were obtained. No significant differences were found in NFS-P scores between sexes and age groups., Conclusions: The findings offer support for the use of the NFS-P as a valuable instrument in clinical and research settings, supplementing the NFS for older children. Both scales provide an efficient means to comprehensively assess the presence and intensity of typical nighttime fears across preschool and school years., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Nighttime fears are common among school-aged children and may be linked to psychological difficulties, while coping strategies may vary and affect their emotional well-being. This study aimed to identify patterns of nighttime fears and coping styles in school-aged children using Latent Profile Analysis. Subsequently, possible predictors of the latent profiles were tested through multinomial logistic regression analysis., Method: A sample of 786 Spanish-speaking children (aged 8 to 12; Mage = 9.66, = 1.20; 51.3% girls) participated and completed self-report measures of nighttime fears and coping responses., Results: The results revealed four latent profiles: (1)"low fears, low self-control" (24.2%), (2)"high fears (except for imaginary fears), maladaptive coping" (22.8%), (3)"moderate fears, adaptive coping" (44.9%), and (4)"high fears, maladaptive coping" (8.1%). The regression analysis revealed that sociodemographic characteristics and children's perceived helpfulness of coping strategies were predictors of the latent profiles., Conclusions: These findings suggest the presence of distinct patterns and heterogeneous subgroups, which may emerge as higher or lower risk profiles. It highlights the need to consider the existing patterns to provide tailored interventions targeting nighttime fears.

This longitudinal study aimed to analyze the evolution of patterns of daily activities (physical activity time, screen usage time, and sleep hours) in European youth during school closure due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Participants were 624 caregivers of children and adolescents aged 3-18 from Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Evaluations were online, and four time-points were considered: retrospective measurement of daily activities before confinement (T1), and two (T2), five (T3), and eight (T4) weeks after starting the lockdown. Generally accepted international guidelines on physical activity time, screen usage time, and hours of sleep by age group were used to determine whether the pattern might increase the risk for ill health or not. To estimate the evolution of daily activities, generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used. The percentage of children who practiced less than 60 min of daily exercise increased significantly from before home confinement (47.8%) to T2 (86.4%); it slightly decreased at T3 (79.8%), and remained stable at T4 (76.1%). The percentage of children who made excessive use of screens (according to their age group) significantly increased from T1 to T2 and remained stable and high in the rest of the evaluations. The percentage of children who slept fewer or more hours than recommended for their age group remained stable between T1 and T4, although there was a significant increase at T3. In general, results found unhealthier behaviors as confinement was extended. Results are discussed in order to find strategies for promoting healthy daily activities for future pandemics., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Super Skills for Life (SSL) is a CBT-transdiagnostic group intervention currently being translated and validated in multiple countries. In Spanish children, it has shown a positive impact on anxious and depressive symptoms, as well as other variables such as self-concept, prosocial behaviors, or behavioral problems. However, the effectiveness of the program to treat internalizing symptoms in children with a mental disorder in a clinical setting has not been examined so far. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of SSL in a Spanish sample of children with a major internalizing disorder. Participants aged 8-12 years (71.6% boys) were randomly allocated to the SSL group (n = 43) or the waiting list control (WLC) group (n = 43). All children and their parents completed a series of measures before the first session and after the last session or at about the same time in the WLC group. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed using generalized estimating equations. Significant reductions from pretest to posttest across multiple outcomes were found in children who participated in SSL group compared to those in the WLC group, including anxiety symptoms (SCAS, p = .02), anxiety interference (CALIS, p = .002), depressive symptoms (CDI, p = .033) and remission from diagnosis (K-SADS, p < .001). This study provides initial support for SSL as an effective treatment for children with emotional disorders in clinical settings. Future studies are needed to analyze long-term effects and broader benefits of the program in clinical contexts., (Copyright © 2023 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Super Skills for Life (SSL) is an eight-session transdiagnostic program based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), aimed at the indicated prevention of childhood emotional problems, which has been implemented with positive short- and long-term results. The present study aimed to examine the effects of a self-applied computerized program based on SSL that maintains the same objectives and contents as the face-to-face program., Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 75 children (49.3 % female) aged 8-12 years (M age  = 9.45, SD = 1.31), selected for exhibiting emotional symptoms, were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 35) or the waiting list control (WLC) group (n = 40). Pre- and post-intervention data were collected through self-reports and the report of parents who completed parallel versions of the same measures of emotional and behavioral problems., Results: Overall, compared to the WLC group, the intervention group showed positive effects on targeted emotional symptomatology in the short term. Based on parents' reports, a significant reduction was found in outcomes such as anxiety, depression, emotional symptoms, and internalizing problems, while self-reported results were similar except for anxiety. In addition, a positive impact was found on symptoms related to other types of difficulties (e.g., externalizing problems and general difficulties measured)., Limitations: Small sample size, non-inclusion of follow-up assessment and other informants (e.g., teachers)., Conclusions: In conclusion, this research provides novel and promising data on the self-applied computerized adapted version of the SSL program, within a multi-informant approach, suggesting that it may be a useful tool for the indicated prevention of childhood emotional problems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict of interest to report in relation to the research presented in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Emotional disorders in children are often associated with low self-concept and problems with peers, and in many cases externalizing symptoms. Super Skills for Life (SSL) is a transdiagnostic treatment for emotional problems in children that has also shown benefits in other comorbid symptoms. This study aimed to examine, for the first time, the effect of SSL on a clinical sample of Spanish children aged 8-12 years with a major emotional disorder and comorbid externalizing symptoms and low self-concept. A quasi-experimental design with two groups, pretest and posttest, was carried out. Thirty-eight children received the SSL intervention, and 36 children were assigned to a wait-list control (WLC) group. Children in SSL showed statistically fewer posttest emotional symptoms ( p < .001), peer problems ( p = .002), and overall internalizing and externalizing difficulties ( p = .005) compared to children in WLC, in addition to higher posttest self-concept ( p = .002). There were no differences in the postinterventional changes between boys and girls in internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, significant differences were found in some facets of self-concept. The results of this study suggest that the SSL protocol may be useful in Spanish clinical contexts. Still, more research is needed to overcome some of the inherent limitations.

Background: Self-concept plays a role as a mediator in the development and maintenance of internalizing symptoms but mechanisms through which the early presence of anxiety symptoms is associated with the subsequent development of depression is unknown. The aim of this longitudinal study was to analyze the mediating role of different areas of self-concept in the relationship between the early development of anxiety symptoms and the later appearance of depressive symptoms., Methods: A longitudinal study with 3 time-points was conducted, including baseline, 2 months and 12 months from the baseline assessment. A total of 217 children aged 8-12 years participated. Mediation analyses were conducted using PROCESS Macro for SPSS., Results: Academic self-concept (Time 2) mediated the relationship between Anxiety (Time 1) and Depression (Time 3) when controlling for children's sex and, age, baseline value of the mediator, anxiety (at Times 2 and 3), and depression (at Times 1 and 2). Children with self-reports of higher anxiety symptoms (Time 1) presented lower Academic self-concept (Time 2). Children who reported lower levels of Academic self-concept and Family self-concept (Time 2) were more likely to develop depressive symptoms (Time 3)., Conclusions: Feeling competent in the school environment may be considered a protective factor against the development of depression in childhood. The identification of risk factors facilitates the development and implementation of preventive programs., (© 2022 The Authors. Child and Adolescent Mental Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)

The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) is one of the most used instruments to assess anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. Extensive research has been conducted to examine its psychometric properties and to develop other versions of the scale. The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the SCAS across different versions and populations. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered. APA PsycINFO, Web of Science (Core Collection) and MEDLINE (PubMed) were searched. Fifty-two studies were included in this systematic review. They examined the factor structure, convergent and divergent validity, and internal consistency of the scale. The most supported model was the original six-factor model, followed by the higher order six-factor model for the long version of the SCAS. Studies provided evidence of convergent validity and internal consistency. It is concluded that the SCAS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents, with a six-factor model structure well supported in most populations. Further research on the psychometric properties and factor structure of other versions of the scale and its application to clinical populations is warranted., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Although several studies have reported an increase in psychological problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of stressful life events on Spanish children and adolescents using a person-oriented statistical approach and the relationships between the profiles and emotional and behavioral symptoms have not yet been examined. The present study aims to identify profiles of Spanish children and adolescents, considering life-threatening stressful events during the COVID-19 pandemic., Method: Participants were 252 parents of children aged 3 to 15 years old who completed an online structured questionnaire that collected information about stressful life events related to the pandemic and its impact on their children's welfare., Results: Through Latent Class Analysis (LCA), four profiles of children and adolescents were found according to the stressful events experienced: "COVID infection, social confinement", "economic loss", "reduced social contact" and "parental stress", with no significant age or gender differences. Reduction in social contact was the most prevalent stressor. Comparisons of psychological symptoms across latent classes were analyzed., Conclusions: The findings increase our understanding of how stressful life events during the COVID-19 situation impacted young people's psychological welfare and highlight the need to promote strategies to prevent emotional problems during a pandemic considering the identified profiles.

Background: The Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) is one of the few well-established available measures designed to assess childhood depression. The objective of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties and explore the differential item functioning (DIF) of the SMFQ in a community sample of Spanish children. Gender and age differences in SMFQ scores were also analyzed., Method: The sample included 824 students aged 8-12 years (Mage = 9.64, SD = 1.2) recruited from four public and private schools in urban areas in the southeast of Spain., Results: Findings from factor analysis and Polytomous Rasch analysis supported a unidimensional interpretation of the SMFQ, thereby replicating findings across cultures and languages. The SMFQ had good reliability, and test-retest analysis indicated fair to good temporal stability. Evidence of construct validity was provided by a path diagram of the SMFQ and SDQ subscales. No age or gender differences in the SMFQ scores were observed. However, two items (3 and 11) exhibited gender-related DIF., Conclusions: The use of SMFQ sum-scores as a continuous measure of the severity of depressive symptoms can be supported. The measure shows promise as brief, reliable, valid instrument for the assessment of depressive symptoms in Spanish children.

Comorbidity between anxiety and depression symptoms is often high in children. Person-oriented statistical approaches are useful to detect heterogeneity of individuals and diverse patterns of response to treatment. This study aimed to explore the different profiles in a sample of Spanish children who received the Super Skills for Life (SSL) transdiagnostic program, to identify which profile of individuals benefited most from the intervention and the likelihood of transition of symptom patterns over time. Participants were 119 children (42.9% were female) aged 8-12 years old ( M = 9.39; SD = 1.26). Children completed anxiety and depression measures at the baseline, postintervention, and 12-months follow-up. Results from latent transition analysis (LTA) revealed two groups depending on the severity of the anxiety and depression symptoms: low symptoms (LS) and high symptoms (HS). LS group remained stable and HS decreased by 25%, switching to the LS group. Children with greater social anxiety benefited most from the program over time. Furthermore, older children were more likely to improve rapidly one year after the intervention compared to younger children. This study provides information to consider when implementing preventive interventions for schoolchildren and to tailor them according to the target population characteristics to increase their effectiveness.

Aiming to slow down the spread of the COVID-19, a lockdown was declared in the first term of 2020 in many European countries, applying different restrictions measures. Although the psychological effects of home confinement in children have been described, there is a lack of longitudinal research examining the impact of the confinement over time. The present study analyzes the evolution of the psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents from three European countries with different restrictions. Parents of 624 Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years old completed the "Impact Scale of COVID-19 and Home Confinement on Children and Adolescents" two, five, and eight weeks after the lockdown. Results show a different pattern for each country. Children from Italy, the first European country that applied a lockdown, were better adapted than Spanish and Portuguese children the first two weeks after confinement but they were more psychologically impacted by home confinement at the eight-week assessment. Portuguese children, who followed a general duty of home confinement, were the best adapted to the situation, with no significant differences over time. A significant change was found in anxiety symptoms in Spanish children, with a decrease at the last assessment. Findings suggest that long confinements and hard restrictions affect children, so prevention measures should be applied during confinements to prevent psychological problems in children., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

During adolescence, the difficulty to control impulses is especially notable. The Brief Self-Control Scale has been used in different countries for years to study associations between self-control and other variables. However, its factor structure is not completely clear, and it is necessary to have a scale with psychometric assurances that evaluates self-control in adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the factorial structure of the Brief Self-Control Scale and to provide evidences of reliability, validity, and factor invariance across gender and age in a sample of Spanish adolescents. Participants were 693 adolescents from Southeastern Spain, aged 13 to 18 years. Data supported an excellent fit to a two-dimensional model and evidences of reliability, validity and factor invariance across gender and age were obtained. This study provides new data on the two-dimensionality of self-control. The need of this tool becomes increasingly relevant to the susceptibility of new emerging addictions, such as mobile phones or internet.

Anxious children report a more negative perception of their social performance and increased nervous behaviors. The video-feedback with cognitive preparation allows children to contrast and modify their negative social self-image, increasing their self-confidence and decreasing anxiety behaviors. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Super Skills for Life (SSL) program in improving social performance in a sample of children with emotional symptoms. Results indicated that both objective and subjective evaluation showed positive effects of the SSL program on the children's social performance, enhancing their social skills and reducing anxiety behaviors in social situations, both during the program and in the last session. Girls felt more comfortable and showed better speech and social performance than boys. Our findings increase the evidence about the short-term effects of the video-feedback with cognitive preparation of the SSL program and provide a useful transdiagnostic protocol for application in the clinical setting.

The small percentage of children with anxiety problems who receive psychological treatment, and the negative psychological consequences associated with these problems highlight the need for early detection. Although assessment instruments with appropriate measurement properties exist, they tend to be extensive, making it difficult to apply them in clinical settings, schools, or primary care practices. This study aimed to adapt the Spanish brief version for parents of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P-8). For this purpose, information on 215 children between 8 and 12 years of age was reported by 163 parents. The Spanish version of the SCAS-P-8 adequately fit a one-factor structure, χ 2 = 44.25; df = 19; comparative fit index = .97; Tucker-Lewis index = .96; root mean square error of approximation: .07 (.04, .09); standardized root mean squared residual = .08. Evidence of internal consistency of the total SCAS-P-8 score was good ( α = 0.82), and the direct correlations obtained between the SCAS-P-8 and internalizing problems showed evidence of convergent validity. Moreover, the appropriate measurement properties of the SCAS-P-8 were shown to be independent of gender. Differences in sociodemographic variables and SDQ-P between children with anxiety symptoms and those without anxiety symptoms were also discussed. Information reported by parents can help the clinician carry out an accurate diagnosis. A brief assessment scale can be easily applied in schools or primary care settings.

Objective: This study aimed to validate the self-reported brief version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale-Children (SCAS-C-8) in pre-adolescent Spanish children., Method: Participants were 824 children aged 8-12 from a community sample. The results revealed a good fit to the one-factor structure, adequate internal consistency (α = 0.75), and evidence of test-retest reliability (α = 0.77)., Results: The strong relationship between the SCAS-C-8 and emotional problems provided evidence of convergent validity. Also, the results showed factorial gender invariance., Conclusion: The SCAS-C-8 is a suitable instrument for pre-adolescent Spanish children. The brevity and simplicity of this scale may facilitate early detection and help to narrow the existent gap between the presence of anxiety problems and psychological assistance-seeking., (© 2021 The Authors. Heat Transfer published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Coping strategies can play an important role in dealing with nighttime fears and related anxiety problems in school-aged children, but well-established self-reporting tools are lacking, and research in this area is limited. The aim of this study was to develop a new self-report instrument assessing coping strategies in school-aged children when facing nighttime fears, the Nighttime Coping Response Scale (NCRS), and to examine its psychometric properties. Participants were 786 children (48.7% boys) aged 8-12 years, who completed the NCRS and other measures related to anxiety and behavioral problems. The construction of the NCRS was based on relevant prior literature and experts' criteria. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses supported a three-factor structure, comprising 15 items measuring coping strategies related to self-control, social support seeking, and avoidance. The NCRS was shown to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and divergent validity. This research found preliminary support for the use of the NCRS, suggesting the potential suitability of this brief tool to be used by clinicians and researchers to identify and address the use of children's maladaptive coping strategies when dealing with nighttime fears. The NCRS could also be important to enable the development of further research in this field., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The present study aimed to compare psychological symptoms and coping strategies in 1480 preschoolers, schoolchildren, and adolescents during home confinement due to COVID-19. We enrolled parents from Italy, Portugal, and Spain who completed a survey between the second and fourth week of lockdown. The results showed that preschoolers displayed more sleeping difficulties, temper tantrums, and dependency while adolescents' reactions were more related to COVID-19 worries and uncertainty. Schoolchildren showed more difficulty in concentrating. Adolescent girls showed higher anxiety levels than schoolchildren boys. Schoolchildren relied more on emotion-oriented strategies, which were linked to increased internalizing and externalizing symptoms in all ages. Task-oriented strategies, regardless of the child's age, work best to cope with stress. Our findings provide information for professionals and parents about children's most common and adaptive coping strategies according to age. Furthermore, they contribute to the early detection of long-term psychological maladjustment in children., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Super Skills for Life (SSL) is a transdiagnostic prevention program for school-aged children with internalizing problems. The current study aimed to examine the short- and long-term (12-month follow-up) effectiveness of SSL, depending on implementation fidelity. Participants were 123 Spanish-speaking children aged 6-8 years with internalizing symptoms and their parents. High (n = 41) and low fidelity (n = 26) groups were established and compared with a control group (CG) (n = 56). Compared to CG, the high-fidelity group (HFG) achieved better outcomes than the low-fidelity group (LFG) at short and long term, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and internalizing problems, and also externalizing problems at long-term. The LFG improved key symptoms at short term (depression) and long term (anxiety and depression). Findings suggest that SSL is beneficial even if not delivered at maximum fidelity, although considering the influence of implementation fidelity is critical because the high-fidelity implementation yielded the greatest effects when compared to the CG. This research provides valuable data, analyzing for the first time the influence of fidelity on SSL outcomes in young school-aged children exhibiting internalizing symptoms, while there is still a lack of studies of these characteristics concerning transdiagnostic prevention programs targeting childhood anxiety and depression., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective(s): This study analyzed the short-term effects of the Super Skills for Life (SSL) program in its individual format from the parents' perspective., Methods: Parents of 70 Spanish children aged 8-11 years (M = 9.31; SD = 1.16) completed assessment instruments about their children's emotional state at the baseline and postintervention., Results: Analyses revealed significantly lower scores in depression (The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire), anxiety, and specific disorders (The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale) (i.e., panic attack/agoraphobia, separation anxiety, social phobia, and generalized anxiety). Significant improvements were also found in anxiety life interference at home (The Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale), total difficulties, internalized and externalized problems, emotional symptoms, peer problems, and hyperactivity/inattention (The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) at posttest. SSL was effective in reducing psychopathological symptoms similarly in both girls and boys., Conclusions: These promising results provide preliminary support for the usefulness of the SSL program in individual format for the indicated prevention of children's emotional problems. This study provides a valuable resource for research and clinical practice., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Animal Welfare Attitudes (AWA) are defined as human attitudes towards the welfare of animals in different dimensions and settings. Demographic factors, such as age and gender are associated with AWA. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences among university students in a large convenience sample from twenty-two nations in AWA. A total of 7914 people participated in the study (5155 women, 2711 men, 48 diverse). Participants completed a questionnaire that collected demographic data, typical diet and responses to the Composite Respect for Animals Scale Short version (CRAS-S). In addition, we used a measure of gender empowerment from the Human Development Report. The largest variance in AWA was explained by diet, followed by country and gender. In terms of diet, 6385 participants reported to be omnivores, 296 as pescatarian, 637 ate a vegetarian diet and 434 were vegans ( n = 162 without answer). Diet was related with CRAS-S scores; people with a vegan diet scored higher in AWA than omnivores. Women scored significantly higher on AWA than men. Furthermore, gender differences in AWA increased as gender inequality decreased.