ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Occupational balance (OB) is related to physical health as well as physical and psychological well-being (PWB). The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the occupations of people probably affecting their OB and PWB. AIMS: The aim of the study was to determine OB of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic and establish relationships between a. OB and changes in occupations in comparison with the pre-pandemic period as perceived by the study group, b. OB and PWB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An exploratory study was performed using a cross-sectional research design during the second wave of the pandemic in November 2020. 1,330 university students aged 18-30 took part in the study. The Occupational Balance Questionnaire and the Psychological General Well-Being Index were used. Three-Way ANOVA as well as Forward Stepwise Regression analyses were used, and ρ Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated. RESULTS: A greater OB was found in men, people studying in a small city and first year students. The respondents declared changes in the time spent on almost all occupations, especially an increase in the time spent on using the Internet and passive resting, but a decrease in the time of meetings friends. OB positively correlated with the increase in time spent on almost all occupations, except for the Internet and with PWB. CONCLUSIONS: Polish university students observe that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their daily occupations. Some of these changes may adversely affect their OB and, consequently, PWB. SIGNIFICANCE: Occupational therapists should increase students' awareness of the importance of OB, support them in pursuing their hobbies, meeting friends, and getting sufficient sleep and physical activity.
ABSTRACT
Objective: The aim of the study was to determine potential mood changes reported by Polish undergraduates during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and how mood may be differ, according to gender, field and year of study. Differences in coping strategies depending on mood changes were also Investigated. Method: The study involved 1330 students (767 women and 563 men) aged 18-30 years studying various faculties at the Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Poland. A modified version of the the Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology Mood Adjective Check List UMACL was used to identify mood changes, and brief version of the Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced COPE was used to identify the coping strategies employed. Results: A decrease in hedonic tone and energetic arousal and an increase in tense arousal was reported during the pandemic, with a deterioration in students' mood. Mood deterioration was lower in male students and sport and physical education students. Students who reported mood improvement were most likely to use positive reframing, acceptance, active coping, humour, and physical activity. Students with deteriorated mood used self-blaming, venting, denial, behavioural disengagement, and doing something else most frequently. Discussion: Female students, those studying physiotherapy, tourism and recreation, and other majors (nursing, occupational therapy, cosmetology), and first-year master's students are more likely to report negative psychological impact during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of emotional and avoidance coping strategies may increase the affective cost of pandemic stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to establish a hierarchy of strategies and the structure of copIng with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic by university students and the relationship between coping strategies and psychological well-being. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: An exploratory study was conducted using a cross-sectional research design. The study involved 1330 university students, aged 18 to 30 years. The Brief COPE Scale, being the Polish adaptation by Juczynski and Oginska-Bulik, and the short version of the Psychological General Well-Being Index (authors' adaptation) were used. RESULTS: Acceptance, doing something else, active coping, and physical activity were the most commonly used strategies for coping with stress during the second wave of the pandemic. Substance use, denial, and behavioral disengagement were lowest in the hierarchy of coping strategies. Female and master's students used a variety of strategies more than male and bachelor's students. Coping strategies correlated significantly with psychological well-being. Four second-degree factors were distinguished, explaining 55.1% of the total variation: maladaptive coping, coping by support, by positive reappraisal, and by action. Stepwise regression analysis confirmed the importance of the second-degree factors as predictors of psychological well-being. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that young adults studying at the university of physical Education in Poland used adaptive strategies to cope with stress during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gender differences in coping with pandemic stress are similar to those found in previous studies. The structure of coping with pandemic stress is to some extent similar, but also partially dependent on various cultural factors.