ABSTRACT
Background: Adolescents can benefit from engagement with health-related content on social media (e.g., viewing, commenting, or sharing content related to diseases, prevention, or healthy lifestyle). Nevertheless, such content may be distressing or exaggerated and present a challenge to mental well-being, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rumination about such content may lead to COVID-19 anxiety. Yet, the individual factors that would explain the association between health-related social media use (SMU) and COVID-19 anxiety are understudied. Objective: In the current study, we aimed to fill the gap by investigating the association between health-related social media use (SMU) and COVID-19 anxiety in light of several individual factors: health anxiety, eHealth literacy, and mild and severe experience with COVID-19 infection. We (1) studied the relationship between individual factors and health-related SMU, (2) tested health anxiety as a moderator in the association between health-related SMU and COVID-19 anxiety, and (3) explored a direct effect of experience with COVID-19 on COVID-19 anxiety. Methods: Using structural equation modeling, we analyzed cross-sectional data from a representative sample of 2,500 Czech adolescents aged 11-16, 50% girls. Sociodemographic measures, health-related SMU, COVIDCOVID-19 anxiety, health anxiety, eHealth literacy, and mild and severe experience with COVID-19 infection were assessed with an anonymous online survey. The data were collected in June 2021. Results: We conducted a path analysis to test the main relationships and an additional simple-slopes analysis to explore the moderating effect of health anxiety. Higher health anxiety and eHealth literacy were associated with increased health-related SMU. The effect of experience with COVID-19 infection on both COVID-19 anxiety and health-related SMU was negligible. Health-related SMU and COVID-19 anxiety were positively associated, however, only for adolescents high in health anxiety. For other adolescents, the two variables were unrelated. Conclusion: Our findings show that adolescents with higher health anxiety and eHealth literacy engage in health-related SMU more intensively. Furthermore, for adolescents high in health anxiety, the frequency of health-related SMU is associated with the risk of COVID-19 anxiety. This is likely due to differences in media use. Adolescents with high health anxiety may use social media for content that is more likely to lead to COVID-19 anxiety compared to other adolescents. We recommend focusing on the identification of such content, which may lead to more precise recommendations regarding health-related SMU compared to cut-back on the frequency of overall SMU.
ABSTRACT
A teaching innovation proposal developed in the Marketing Management subject of the Degree in Marketing and Market Research at the University of Cádiz (Spain) is presented. The initiative was evaluated through an ad hoc sequential questionnaire made up of open and closed questions. The results obtained have shown a high degree of student satisfaction with both the initiative and the overall development of the subject. It is suggested to implement teaching-learning activities connected with the environment that allow students to stimulate and develop a greater capacity for problem solving. © GKA Ediciones, authors.
ABSTRACT
Research Problem. Computer science (CS) education researchers conducting studies that target high school students have likely seen their studies impacted by COVID-19. Interpreting research findings impacted by COVID-19 presents unique challenges that will require a deeper understanding as to how the pandemic has affected underserved and underrepresented students studying or unable to study computing.Research Question. Our research question for this study was: In what ways has the high school computer science educational ecosystem for students been impacted by COVID-19, particularly when comparing schools based on relative socioeconomic status of a majority of students?Methodology. We used an exploratory sequential mixed methods study to understand the types of impacts high school CS educators have seen in their practice over the past year using the CAPE theoretical dissaggregation framework to measure schools' Capacity to offer CS, student Access to CS education, student Participation in CS, and Experiences of students taking CS.Data Collection Procedure. We developed an instrument to collect qualitative data from open-ended questions, then collected data from CS high school educators (n = 21) and coded them across CAPE. We used the codes to create a quantitative instrument. We collected data from a wider set of CS high school educators (n = 185), analyzed the data, and considered how these findings shape research conducted over the last year.Findings. Overall, practitioner perspectives revealed that capacity for CS Funding, Policy & Curriculum in both types of schools grew during the pandemic, while the capacity to offer physical and human resources decreased. While access to extracurricular activities decreased, there was still a significant increase in the number of CS courses offered. Fewer girls took CS courses and attendance decreased. Student learning and engagement in CS courses were significantly impacted, while other noncognitive factors like interest in CS and relevance of technology saw increases.Practitioner perspectives also indicated that schools serving students from lower-income families had (1) a greater decrease in the number of students who received information about CS/CTE pathways;(2) a greater decrease in the number of girls enrolled in CS classes;(3) a greater decrease in the number of students receiving college credit for dual-credit CS courses;(4) a greater decrease in student attendance;and (5) a greater decrease in the number of students interested in taking additional CS courses. On the flip-side, schools serving students from higher income families had significantly higher increases in the number of students interested in taking additional CS courses. © 2022 Association for Computing Machinery.
ABSTRACT
This article presents an innovative activity based on the involvement of Experts by Experience in social work education. The activity was conducted in Italy during weeks of lockdown. In the spring of 2020, due to containment measures adopted by the Italian government to face with COVID-19, day-long meetings of students of social work with Experts by Experience were suspended. This impediment encouraged educators to develop a new initiative named 'Social work student telephones Expert by Experience' in which 119 students of social work and 69 Experts by Experience participated. The activity entailed a telephone call exchanged between a student and an Expert by Experience. After their respective calls, each student was invited to fill out an online form describing the lived experience through a short story addressed to an imaginary friend. Three main themes emerged from the content analysis of the students' stories: students' learnings acquired through the activity;students' feelings during the activity;students' overall opinions on the educational activity. In the international field of service users' involvement in social work education, the activity represents an innovation that could inspire other universities to adopt similar practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Background: Confirmed and suspected patients with SARS-CoV-2 may fear contagion to others and the severe consequences of the disease. Therefore, they may feel loneliness, denial, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and hopelessness, reducing treatment adherence. Objective(s): This study aimed to discuss the psychological challenges of survivors' experiences in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Method(s): This descriptive phenomenological study explored survivors' experiences of COVID-19 infection. Validated websites' stories and notes were used to collect data. The stories were transcribed and analyzed by Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis method. The authors screened the transcribed texts, extracted and summarized meaningful statements, and reported the themes indepen-dently. In addition, six criteria of authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, coverage, and appearance were considered for evaluating web page quality. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA 10 software. Result(s): A total of 45 patients' stories with COVID-19 were analyzed. Four general themes and 11 sub-themes were extracted via reading stories and extracting themes, including stigma (the sub-themes of embarrassment, defame, and Hopelessness), horror (sub-themes of denial, not professional experience, and toward death), different lifestyles (the sub-themes of change, unfriended, and sleeplessness), and freedom (two sub-themes of calmness and Rescue). Conclusion(s): Based on the studies, the participants reported high rates of symptoms of fear, change, insomnia, and horror. Sup-porting COVID-19 patients in these critical conditions is one of the essential components of acute care measures. Specific interventions to promote mental health in exposed patients should be applied immediately and require special attention.Copyright © 2023, Journal of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences.
ABSTRACT
Purpose>This study aims to explore patterns of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel's mental health, regarding their levels of anxiety, depression, stress, COVID-19 anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and well-being;and to explore variables that contribute to these patterns, among sociodemographic/professional and COVID-19 experience variables.Design/methodology/approach>Participants were 214 EMS personnel, who answered the Patient-Health Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Well-Being Questionnaire and COVID-19 related questions.Findings>EMS personnel showed an adequate psychological adjustment during COVID-19. Two clusters/patterns were found: the poorly (34%) and the well (66%) psychologically-adjusted. Personnel's age, COVID-19 fear and workplace security measures' adequacy contributed to which pattern they were more likely to belong to.Research limitations/implications>Despite being cross-sectional and not controlling for pre-COVID-19 data, this study adds to the COVID-19 literature. Findings call for the need to explore: other COVID-19 fears;how personnel perceive workplace security measures;COVID-19 valid instruments;pre-COVID-19 data;and mental health patterns with different rescuers.Practical implications>Findings explored EMS personnel's patterns of mental health during the COVID-19, as well as its covariates. Results allow to better prepare emergency management, which can develop prevention strategies focused on older professionals, COVID-19 related fears and how personnel assess security measures.Originality/value>This study contributes to the scarce literature focused on COVID-19 mental health patterns instead of focussing on isolated mental health variables, as well as what contributes to these patterns. Moreover, it is one of the few studies that focused on EMS personnel rather than hospital staff.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic forced educational institutions to adopt online methods which were inevitable to keep continuity of education across all academia after suspension of traditional educational systems. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of faculty and students of online and face-to-face learning, and their preference of the mode of learning after the pandemic. METHODS: This is a mixed-method study. Quantitative data was collected through a survey from 194 medical students and 33 faculty members, while qualitative data was collected through two focus group discussions with 9 students and another two with 13 faculty members. Quantitative variables were presented as means and standard deviations. Paired samples t-test and Chi-square test were used. Thematic analysis of qualitative data was used to code, interpret, and make sense of data. RESULTS: Mean scores of responses of faculty members and students were higher for face-to-face and blended learning compared to online learning in all survey statements with statistically significant differences. More than half of the students (53.1%) preferred the face-to-face mode of learning, while most of the faculty members (60.6%) preferred the blended mode of learning. Qualitative analysis identified five themes, namely: "Transforming the way theoretical teaching sessions are given," "Face-to-face teaching at campus cannot be replaced for some types of education," "Interaction in online sessions is limited," "Problems and challenges of online examinations," and "Technical issues and challenges of online education." It revealed suggestions that at least 30% of the curriculum could be taught online post-COVID-19. Some aspects of clinically oriented teaching including history taking and case discussions can also be delivered online in the future. Faculty members and students reported that dealing with online education was not difficult, although the transition was not smooth. CONCLUSION: Medical students and faculty members were in favor of face-to-face and blended modes of learning. However, they perceived online mode of learning as an acceptable adaptation in theoretical teaching and in some clinically oriented teaching including history taking and clinical case discussions. Although face-to-face education in medicine is irreplaceable, the blended mode of learning remains an acceptable and practical solution for the post-COVID era.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: There is little knowledge to date regarding the influence of the COVID-19 health crisis on tourists' intention to travel differently in the future. This paper addresses this and explores its determinants. The objective of the present study is to determine to what extent the Spanish tourists affected by COVID-19 may change the way they travel in the future, according to the perceived risk of travel in a pandemic context. Design/methodology/approach: Between May and June 2020, the authors conducted a survey with a sample population of Spanish tourists who were resident in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic, for the purposes of studying the role of attitudes and risk in the intention to change the way they want to travel in the future. Cluster analysis and one-way ANOVA were conducted to assess differences among the respondents. Finally, some models were built using the linear regression technique in order to evaluate the role of attitudes in the tourists' adaptive response to the perceived risk of travel. Findings: Results confirm the formation of a new way of life influencing tourists' intentions to travel more sustainably. Accordingly, tourists with a previous environmental attitude are less interested in visiting mass tourism beach destinations in the future. However, changes in the way some tourists travel can also be read as an adaptive and temporary response to the perceived risk of contracting the disease, and do not point to a reduction of the vital importance of tourism in their lives. Research limitations/implications: The exploratory nature of the study and the lack of similar international analyses does not allow the authors to contrast its results at a global level, though it offers a starting point for future research in other countries. There are also methodological limitations, since the field work was carried out between the first and second waves of the disease, at a time when the pandemic was in remission, possibly affecting the orientation of some responses, given the desire to recover normalcy and “normal” travel, and this may have influenced the priority given to tourism. Social implications: This study gives new insights into the debate on the social transformation of the collective consciousness. Despite some signs of change, part of the Spanish tourists are still anchored in traditional tourism practices embedded in cultural factors, which can hinder sustainability in the Spanish tourism industry. The experience of the COVID-19 crisis has not been sufficient to change the declared travel habits of Spanish tourists. Therefore, progress towards the definition of a new tourism system that implies the effective transformation of demand will require applying policies and promoting institutional innovation and education to create paths that facilitate transformative experiences. Originality/value: The study is focused on the analysis of the relationship between attitudes and risk perception, including novel elements that enrich the academic debate on social progress in the transformation of tourism and the possibilities of promoting a reset from the demand side. Moreover, it incorporates, for the first time, the COVID-19 as it was experienced as an explanatory variable to analyse the changing travel attitudes in a post-COVID-19 era. The analysis of the psychosocial mechanisms of risk offers a good opportunity for a better assessment of post-pandemic demand risk perception. Finally, the study offers empirical evidence on how Spanish tourists are reimagining their next and future holidays, which can be highly valuable for destination managers. © 2022, Francesc González-Reverté, Joan Miquel Gomis-López, Pablo Díaz-Luque.
ABSTRACT
Purpose This study aims to explore patterns of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel's mental health, regarding their levels of anxiety, depression, stress, COVID-19 anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and well-being;and to explore variables that contribute to these patterns, among sociodemographic/professional and COVID-19 experience variables. Design/methodology/approach Participants were 214 EMS personnel, who answered the Patient-Health Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Well-Being Questionnaire and COVID-19 related questions. Findings EMS personnel showed an adequate psychological adjustment during COVID-19. Two clusters/patterns were found: the poorly (34%) and the well (66%) psychologically-adjusted. Personnel's age, COVID-19 fear and workplace security measures' adequacy contributed to which pattern they were more likely to belong to. Research limitations/implications Despite being cross-sectional and not controlling for pre-COVID-19 data, this study adds to the COVID-19 literature. Findings call for the need to explore: other COVID-19 fears;how personnel perceive workplace security measures;COVID-19 valid instruments;pre-COVID-19 data;and mental health patterns with different rescuers. Practical implications Findings explored EMS personnel's patterns of mental health during the COVID-19, as well as its covariates. Results allow to better prepare emergency management, which can develop prevention strategies focused on older professionals, COVID-19 related fears and how personnel assess security measures. Originality/value This study contributes to the scarce literature focused on COVID-19 mental health patterns instead of focussing on isolated mental health variables, as well as what contributes to these patterns. Moreover, it is one of the few studies that focused on EMS personnel rather than hospital staff.
ABSTRACT
The hand hygiene may possibly influence the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the multifactorial influence on hand hygiene knowledge and behaviors is proven. The aim of the study was to analyze hand hygiene behaviors in a national representative sample of Polish adolescents in regions stratified by COVID-19 morbidity, while taking socioeconomic status of the region, as well rural or urban environment, into account as possible interfering factors. The study was conducted Polish Adolescents' COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study population (n = 2323) that was recruited based on a random sampling of schools, while the pair-matching procedure was applied within schools and age, in order to obtain adequate number of boys and girls, representative for the general Polish population (n = 1222). The participants were asked about their handwashing habits while using Handwashing Habits Questionnaire (HHQ) and about applied procedure of washing hands. The results were compared in subgroups that were stratified by region for COVID-19 morbidity, socioeconomic status of the region, and rural/urban environment. In regions of low COVID-19 morbidity, a higher share of adolescents, than in regions of high morbidity, declared washing their hands before meals (p = 0.0196), after meals (p = 0.0041), after preparing meals (p = 0.0297), before using the restroom (p = 0.0068), after using the restroom (p = 0.0014), after combing their hair (p = 0.0298), after handshaking (p = 0.0373), after touching animals (p = 0.0007), after contacting babies (p = 0.0278), after blowing nose (p = 0.0435), after touching sick people (p = 0.0351), and after cleaning home (p = 0.0234). For the assessed steps of the handwashing procedure, in regions of low COVID-19 morbidity, a higher share of adolescents included them to their daily handwashing, than in regions of high morbidity, that was stated for removing watch and bracelets (p = 0.0052), removing rings (p = 0.0318), and drying hands with towel (p = 0.0031). For the comparison in regions stratified by Gross Domestic Product, the differences were only minor and inconsistent. For the comparison in place of residence stratified by number of residents in city, there were some minor differences indicating better hand hygiene behaviors in the case of villages and small towns when compared with medium and large cities (p < 0.05). It may be concluded that, in a population-based sample of Polish adolescents, individuals from regions of low COVID-19 morbidity presented more beneficial hand hygiene habits than those from regions of high COVID-19 morbidity.