Covid-19 pandemic anxiety, academic stress, and quality of life among college students in the Philippines: A mediation study

Students' lives can be impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study investigates the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic anxiety and the quality of life of Filipino college students and examines the mediating role of academic stress in this relationship. A total of 1,024 students enrolled in Philippine universities and colleges participated in this cross-sectional analytical study. Findings suggest that pandemic anxiety positively correlates with the quality of life (c=.399, p=0.002). When academic stress is added as a mediator, pandemic anxiety has a negative indirect effect on the quality of life (ab=-.410, p<.001), and maintains a positive direct effect on the quality of life (c'=.809, p<.001), yielding an inconsistent mediation model among the three variables. In short, the COVID-19 pandemic anxiety has a double-edged effect on the quality of life, with its negative effect explained through academic stress. Stakeholders in college education are suggested to employ interventions to address academic stress among students. © 2023, author.

Parenting and child mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online study with Portuguese and British Families

(Spanish) COVID-19 y la subsiguiente respuesta de salud publica crearon muchas tensiones adicionales para las familias. Examinamos el comportamiento de los padres durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en dos paises europeos y exploramos la asociacion entre el comportamiento de los padres y la ansiedad y la calidad de vida del nino. Cuidadores de ninos y adolescentes (N = 442;86.7% madres) entre 6 y 16 anos (M = 10, DT = 2,85) participaran en una online encuesta en Portugal y en el Reino Unido. En los resultados se observa que la mayor ansiedad y una menor calidad de vida de los ninos se asociaron con niveles mas altos de demandas parentales poco realistas, menor autocuidado y mayor desregulacion emocional de los padres. El estimulo a la expresion de las emociones de los ninos y el manejo de la exposicion a la informacion de COVID-19 se asocio negativamente con la ansiedad de los ninos. La promocion de rutinas, el apoyo a la modulacion de las emociones de los ninos y la promocion de estilos de vida saludables de los ninos se asociaron positivamente con la calidad de vida de los ninos. Los predictores difirieron segun el pais y el grupo de edad. Estos resultados resaltan la importancia de comportamientos parentales especificos en la salud mental de los ninos durante el COVID-19. La necesidad de moderar las demandas poco realistas y prestar atencion al autocuidado de los padres para reducir la desregulacion emocional de los padres es importante. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Factors influencing physical activity in postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing postpartum physical activity (PA), taking into consideration psychosocial perceptions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by comparing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional survey of 787 postpartum women was conducted between March and October 2021. After applying the exclusion criteria, 590 women were analyzed. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form, was used to assess the level and amount of PA. The Short Form-12 Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2) was used to measure HRQoL. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine whether sociodemographic factors and psychosocial perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with the level of PA. Based on the current national guidelines for exercise in Japan, respondents were classified by weekly PA level as an Inactive group and an Active group to assess the influence of PA on HRQoL. RESULTS: Mean total PA was 19.3 total metabolic equivalents hour/week, and the prevalence of an inactive lifestyle was 45.9% among respondents. Each year of age was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.92 (95% CI 0.87-0.97) for becoming physical inactivity during postpartum. Factors positively associated with more active levels were greater number of days for delivery (OR = 1.00; 95% CI 1.00-1.01), multiparity (OR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.00-2.23), having someone to talk about childcare and the individual's partner (OR = 2.04; 95% CI 0.96-4.36) and not having anxiety symptoms (OR = 0.58; 95% CI 0.35-0.97). The Active group had significantly higher HRQoL scores than the Inactive group in the following scales: physical component summary (p < 0.001), mental component summary (p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: The influential factors for postpartum PA level were younger age, longer duration after childbirth, multiparity and not having anxiety symptoms, which correlated positively with PA. The presence of someone with whom can talk to about childcare and partner issues was associated with the maintenance of higher PA among postpartum women, suggesting that factor as a positive influence on PA under unsettled conditions.

The impact of COVID-19 anxiety on quality of life in Canadian adults: The moderating role of intolerance of uncertainty and health locus of control

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to a global increase in mental health problems including "COVID-19 anxiety," the presence of dysfunctional anxiety about the novel coronavirus (e.g., fear of contracting or spreading the virus). The present study investigated potential moderators of the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and (a) daily functioning and (b) quality of life, to determine which individuals are most susceptible to these negative outcomes. Intolerance of uncertainty and health locus of control were examined as possible moderators. This study recruited 193 Canadian adults using crowdsourcing platforms during the third wave of COVID-19. Participants completed online questionnaires assessing demographics and the constructs of interest. Regression analyses found that neither intolerance of uncertainty nor health locus of control significantly moderated the relationships between COVID-19 anxiety and daily functioning. However, both intolerance of uncertainty and health locus of control were significant moderators between COVID-19 anxiety and quality of life. These findings extend past research by emphasizing the need to target specific risk factors, such as intolerance of uncertainty and health locus of control, in therapeutic settings to better support individuals' quality of life during this difficult and unpredictable time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (French) La pandemie de coronavirus (COVID-19) a contribue a une augmentation mondiale des problemes de sante mentale, dont l'<< anxiete liee a la COVID-19 , c'est-a-dire la presence d'une anxiete dysfonctionnelle associee au nouveau coronavirus (par exemple, la peur de contracter ou de propager le virus). La presente etude a examine les moderateurs potentiels de la relation entre l'anxiete liee a la COVID-19 et (a) le fonctionnement quotidien et (b) la qualite de vie, afin de determiner quelles personnes sont les plus susceptibles de subir ces effets negatifs. L'intolerance a l'incertitude et le locus de controle de la sante ont ete examines comme moderateurs possibles. Cette etude a recrute 193 adultes canadiens en utilisant des plateformes de production participative (crowdsourcing) pendant la troisieme vague de COVID-19. Les participants ont rempli des questionnaires en ligne evaluant les donnees demographiques et les constructions d'interet. Les analyses de regression ont montre que ni l'intolerance a l'incertitude ni le locus de controle de la sante ne moderent de maniere significative les relations entre l'anxiete liee a la COVID-19 et le fonctionnement quotidien. Or, l'intolerance a l'incertitude et le locus de controle de la sante etaient tous deux des moderateurs significatifs entre l'anxiete liee a la COVID-19 et la qualite de vie. Ces resultats prolongent les recherches anterieures en soulignant la necessite de cibler des facteurs de risque specifiques, tels que l'intolerance a l'incertitude et le locus de controle de la sante, dans des contextes therapeutiques afin de mieux soutenir la qualite de vie des individus durant cette periode difficile et imprevisible. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement High coronavirus disease (COVID) anxiety during Canada's third wave of the pandemic was associated with reduced quality of life in individuals. Specific risk factors such as intolerance of uncertainty and internal health locus of control resulted in a greater vulnerability to the psychological consequences of COVID-19. These findings highlight potential areas for clinical intervention to support Canadians suffering during and after the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)