Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

06 Dec 2024

UP Cebu

The Philippines may have limited engagement with cause-and-effect concepts in social sciences

This paper examines the role of causal inference in the on-going methodological debate in political science research. Here, we critically...

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05 Dec 2024

UP Diliman

Advising in Language Learning complements the Flipped Classroom in teaching foreign language

The Flipped Classroom Approach is a novel methodology used in language learning. In this set-up, students are tasked to study...

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04 Dec 2024

UP Open University

Artificial intelligence allows detection of heart problems using only sound

This paper explores a new way to detect heart disease by using sound. Just like a doctor listens to your...

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03 Dec 2024

UP Diliman

Public school teachers in the Philippines perform various tasks that can be considered health work

While the chronically overburdened state of public school teachers in the Philippines is well-established, little is known about how they...

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19 Nov 2024

UP Manila

BPO workers are prone to physical and mental stress which could cause other health problems

This study looked at how to keep people healthy and safe while working in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry...

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22 Oct 2024

UP Diliman

An active learning system which generates training sequences comparable to randomly labeled video sequences has potential use in vehicle tracking

The development of an efficient and reliable transport system has a direct impact on the economy of the country. One...

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12 Sep 2024

UP Mindanao

Tarsiers need small forest fragments to survive, making it crucial to protect these isolated environments

The Philippine tarsier Carlito syrichta (Linnaeus, 1758) is considered a specially protected flagship species in the Philippines. However, the species is threatened...

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20 Aug 2024

UP Mindanao

In Visayan and Mindanao epics, the “Man With No Breath” is seen as deathless and invulnerable, contrary to the common view of continuous breathing as a sign of wellbeing

In Visayan and Mindanao epics, one encounters the figure of an enigmatic character called the “Man With No Breath”. This...

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09 Aug 2024

UP Diliman

Height and height differences impact different areas of life including jobs, education, sports and social interactions

This review article examines the meanings and materialities of human stature, from serving as a marker of human difference to...

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02 Aug 2024

UP Los Baños

Saba banana peels offer many health benefits including potential effectiveness in treating obesity and related disorders

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the potential health benefits of saba banana peel (SBP). The study reveals that...

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29 Jul 2024

UP Manila

Pharmacy students are skilled in nonverbal communication and language use, but less confident in developing and managing treatment plans

Pharmacists are in a unique position to provide important medication information, prevent errors, and help improve patient outcomes. Patient medication...

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19 Jul 2024

UP Los Baños

Large-scale study involving samples from 90 countries reveals that butterflies originated approximately 100 million years ago in what is now the Americas

The research, conducted over seven years and involving over 80 scientists worldwide, aims to contribute to our understanding of butterfly...

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Research

The Philippines is one of Southeast Asia’s top consumers of beauty products. There have been few studies on the psychological aspects of skin-lightening product (SLP) consumption in the Philippines. Hence, we investigated the association between knowledge of, perception towards, and frequency of use of SLPs and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) levels among Filipino emerging adults. Using convenience sampling, a cross-sectional online survey collected data from Filipino emerging adults (18 to 29 years old) residing in the Philippines. Associations between knowledge, perception, and use of SLPs and psychological distress levels were estimated using generalized linear models with Poisson log-link function, adjusted for confounding factors. Effect estimates were expressed as adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). We recruited 3,127 participants (67% female; Mage =20.91, SD =2.97). High perceived benefit of SLP use is associated with increased depression levels (aPR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.07–1.37). In addition, a high frequency of SLP use is related to decreased depression levels (20–24%) and increased anxiety levels (11–18%). Lastly, once-a-week use of SLP is linked with reduced stress levels among the participants by 35% (aPR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.49–0.86). We conclude that perceptions and frequency of SLP use are suggested to be associated with psychological distress levels among Filipino emerging adults.

Authors: Zypher Jude G. Regencia ( Department of Clinical Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila | Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila), Jean-Philippe Gouin (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Concordia University), Mary Ann J. Ladia (Department of Clinical Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines-Manila, Manila | Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila), Jaime C. Montoya (Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila), Margaret Gamalo (Global Product Development-I&I Statistics, Global Biometrics & Data Management, Pfizer Innovative Health) and Emmanuel S. Baja (Department of Clinical Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila | Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila)

Read the full paper: https://jphe.amegroups.org/article/view/9809