PREDISPOSITION TOWARDS AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR, EXPRESSION OF AFFECTIVE TEMPERAMENT AND OTHER DYSFUNCTIONS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD AS LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF PRENATAL STRESS

Raziskava je privedla do zaključka, da obstaja pomembna povezava med stresom in razvojem patologij tako na telesnem kot duševnem področju, še posebej pa so raziskave v zadnjem času začele izpostavljati pomen stresa pred rojstvom. Kot kažejo študije, stres pred rojstvom vpliva tako neposredno na perinatalno obdobje (nižja telesna teža in višina ob rojstvu, nedonošenost) kot tudi kasneje na razvoj v otroštvu in odraslosti. Namen magistrske naloge je bil ugotoviti, ali obstaja razlika v izraženi agresivnosti, afektivnem temperamentu, nedonošenosti, uživanju PAS, spolnem vedenju, v indeksu telesne mase in ohranjanju telesne mase med udeleženci, ki so bili izpostavljeni vojni za Slovenijo (rojeni med 30. 6. 1991 in 8. 3. 1992) in kontrolnima skupinama, ki sta bili rojeni pred vojno in po njej. Hkrati je bil narejen tudi pregled razlik glede na tromesečja in interakcijo spola in skupine rojstva. V raziskavo je bilo zajetih 773 udeležencev, študentov različnih smeri treh univerz v Sloveniji. Uporabljeni so bili vprašalnik TEMPS-A za preverjanje izraženosti afektivnega temperamenta, vprašalnik agresivnosti Bussa in Perryja ter uvodni vprašalnik. Rezultati so pokazali, da imajo udeleženci, ki so bili izpostavljeni stresu pred rojstvom, bolj izražen anksiozni temperament. Prav tako se je pokazalo, da imajo moški, ki so bili izpostavljeni stresu pred rojstvom, bolj izražen splošni faktor agresivnosti, medtem ko imajo ženske, ki so bile izpostavljene stresu pred rojstvom, manj izraženo jezo v primerjavi s kontrolnima skupinama. Ženske, ki so bile stresu izpostavljene v tretjem tromesečju nosečnosti, so imele višje izraženo jezo v primerjavi s preostalimi skupinami. Oba spola sta v primerjavi s kontrolnima skupinama imela hitreje tudi prvi spolni odnos. Statistično pomembnih razlik v drugih konstruktih nismo našli. Ugotovitve naše raziskave kažejo, da ima stres pred rojstvom večji učinek na psihološko kot fiziološko delovanje posameznika in da se kot kritični okni za razvoj sprememb in disfunkcij pojavljata prvo in tretje tromesečje nosečnosti. Ker se nakazujejo tendence v razlikah med skupinami, bi jih bilo smiselno raziskati in nadgraditi s fiziološkimi raziskavami.Studies have shown that there exists a connection between stress and development of different physical and mental pathologies. Especially the prenatal stress plays an important role. Conclusions of various studies have shown that prenatal stress affects perinatal period (lower birth weight and size, premature birth) and also development later in life. The purpose of our thesis was to determine if there exist differences between participants that were exposed to War for Slovenia (born between 30. 6. 1991 and 8. 3. 1992) and two control groups that were born before war and conceived after. We examined the differences in affective temperament, aggressive behaviour, premature birth, addiction to psychoactive substances, sexual behaviour, body mass index and problems with weight maintenance. In analysis we also included differences between trimesters and interaction between gender and group. There were 773 participants included that were students of three Slovenian Universities. For research we used an introduction questionnaire, the TEMPS-A questionnaire for affective temperament and Buss and Perry’s Aggression Questionnaire. Results have shown that participants who were exposed to prenatal stress have more expressed anxious temperament. Further analysis have also revealed that male participants have more expressed general aggression, while female participants have less expressed anger in comparison to control groups, whereas women that were exposed to prenatal stress in third trimester had more expressed anger in comparison to all other groups. For both gender we also established that their first sexual intercourse was earlier in comparison to control groups. No other statistically significant differences were found. Our findings so far indicate that prenatal stress has more effect on psychological than physiological functioning of an individual and that a critical window for development of abnormalities could be the first and third trimester of pregnancy. All things considered there seem to be tendencies for differences between groups which should be examined further, including physiological research