scholarly journals The buffer effect of therapy dog exposure on stress reactivity in undergraduate students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra J. Fiocco ◽  
Anastasia M. Hunse
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Buffer Effect ◽  
Therapy Dog ◽  
Effect Of Therapy

Stress is an insidious health risk that is commonly reported among university students. While research suggests that dog exposure may facilitate recovery from a stress response, little is known about the buffer effect of dog exposure on the stress response to a future stressor. This study examined whether interaction with a therapy dog could reduce the strength of the physiological stress response when exposed to a subsequent stressor. Sixty-one university students were randomly assigned to either a therapy dog (TD, n = 31) or a no-dog control (C, n = 30) group. The stress response was measured by electrodermal activity (EDA) in response to the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Participants also completed questionnaires that assessed pet attitude, general stress levels, and affect. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) showed that increase in EDA was significantly more pronounced in the C group than in the TD group (p < 0.01). Pet attitudes did not modulate the buffer effect of therapy dog exposure. Results suggest that therapy dog exposure may buffer the stress response in university students, which has implications for the promotion of a viable stress management program on university campuses. Keywords: stress; therapy dog; intervention; human-animal interaction

scholarly journals The buffer effect of therapy dog exposure on stress reactivity in undergraduate students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra J. Fiocco ◽  
Anastasia M. Hunse
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Buffer Effect ◽  
Therapy Dog ◽  
Effect Of Therapy

Stress is an insidious health risk that is commonly reported among university students. While research suggests that dog exposure may facilitate recovery from a stress response, little is known about the buffer effect of dog exposure on the stress response to a future stressor. This study examined whether interaction with a therapy dog could reduce the strength of the physiological stress response when exposed to a subsequent stressor. Sixty-one university students were randomly assigned to either a therapy dog (TD, n = 31) or a no-dog control (C, n = 30) group. The stress response was measured by electrodermal activity (EDA) in response to the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Participants also completed questionnaires that assessed pet attitude, general stress levels, and affect. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) showed that increase in EDA was significantly more pronounced in the C group than in the TD group (p < 0.01). Pet attitudes did not modulate the buffer effect of therapy dog exposure. Results suggest that therapy dog exposure may buffer the stress response in university students, which has implications for the promotion of a viable stress management program on university campuses. Keywords: stress; therapy dog; intervention; human-animal interaction

Effect of Aerobic Fitness on the Physiological Stress Response in Women

1999 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Summers ◽  
M. Kathleen B. Lustyk ◽  
Margaret Heitkemper ◽  
Monica E. Jarrett
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Aerobic Fitness ◽  
Mental Stress ◽  
Stress Testing ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Muscle Tension ◽  
Baseline Heart Rate

Stress reactivity was assessed in aerobically fit (n = 14) and unfit (n = 8) females during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Participants completed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and provided a urine sample for catecholamine analysis before and after mental stress testing, Stroop Color-Word Test. Blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and skin conductance were measured during mental stress testing. Fit and unfit participants differed significantly in baseline heart rate but not in stress reactivity or in state or trait anxiety. These data suggest that aerobic fitness does not attenuate the stress response in women prior to menopause.

scholarly journals Remote learning and students’ mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic: A mixed-method enquiry

Prospects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Lischer ◽  
Netkey Safi ◽  
Cheryl Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
Learning Conditions ◽  
Support Students

AbstractThe disruption caused by Covid-19 in the educational sector may last longer than originally predicted. To better understand the current situation, this article analyses the mental health status of university students during the pandemic and investigates the learning conditions needed to support students. The sample included 557 undergraduate students who took part in an online survey. Overall, the students reported coping well during lockdown but indicated that lecturers were challenged by distance teaching, which created some stress for the students.

An Explanatory Model of Problematic Internet Use of Southern Spanish University Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 089443932199865
Author(s):  
José-María Romero-Rodríguez ◽  
José-Antonio Marín-Marín ◽  
Francisco-Javier Hinojo-Lucena ◽  
Gerardo Gómez-García
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Internet Addiction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Problematic Internet Use ◽  
Moderate Degree ◽  
Cross Sectional

The problematic Internet use (PIU) has become a topic of special relevance since it is a problem that affects the whole world. It has been detected that the population at greatest risk is university students along with adolescents. At the same time, Spain is one of the countries with the highest PIU rate. The purposes of this article were to analyze the presence and degree of Internet addiction among university students and to check the sociodemographic factors that influence the PIU. To this end, 13 hypotheses were put forward and contrasted using a structural equation model. The study adopted a cross-sectional approach by applying the Internet addiction test to a sample of undergraduate students in southern Spain ( n = 1,013). The results indicated a prevalence of PIU among students of almost 12.5% and with a moderate degree of addiction. In turn, the following hypotheses that had a significant effect on the PIU were supported: gender; field of knowledge; living in the parents’ home; Internet daily use for leisure; Internet daily use for academic purposes; number of social networks; sexual orientation; marital status. Finally, the main findings of the study were reviewed, and the main recommendations and implications for mitigating the negative effects of technology and enhancing the positive ones were established.

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