Researchers from the University of Malaga have created the 'Inventory of Daily Stressors', a method aimed at schoolchildren. According to experts, worrying about physical appearance, taking part in numerous extracurricular activities and being alone a lot are some of the factors that increase the risk of suffering from childhood stress.
"The figures endorse the need for specific tools to assess daily stress amongst schoolchildren", Mar-a Victoria Trianes, the main author of the study and professor at the University of Malaga, explains to SINC. That is why her team devised the 'Childhood Inventory of Daily Stressors' (IIEC [Spanish acronym]).
The report, published in the Spanish journal Psicothema, lists 25 daily situations in the fields of health, school, family and peer relationships, all relevant to childhood development. The inventory is also validated by other sources such as teaching staff and parents.
The IIEC is linked to school grades and health problems. Some of the most influential factors are worrying about physical appearance, taking part in too many extracurricular activities and being alone a lot. The inventory is also associated with a hormonal indicator (cortisol levels on waking up) and enables 'socio-emotional change' in children to be predicted.
"The IIEC provides valuable information for the development of psychoeducational intervention guidelines to improve school interaction and encourage children to develop the appropriate tools to manage daily stress throughout their lives", states the researcher.