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Everyone understands the necessity of health management, especially in light of the COVID-19 viral infection. How to care for and manage health has emerged as the main topic of conversation, whether it concerns the elderly, adults, patients, or children. There are numerous ways to maintain one's health, and smartwatches are good at doing this because their owners can monitor their health constantly. The idea behind a smartwatch is to utilise its green light to measure the wearer's blood pressure before gathering information about their health. Because smartwatches can constantly detect and analyse users' daily health information. Users or guardians can use this information to take care of their bodies;therefore, they are an excellent choice for many people with dementia, depression, high-stress conditions, and athletes who need to monitor their physical fitness. This article analyses in depth the value of smartwatches, their applications for managing people's health, and their benefits and drawbacks. © 2023 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
With the popularity of the metaverse, researchers are turning to augmented reality and virtual reality to innovate their recent pain points, particularly healthcare issues during COVID-19. At the same time, social robots can be a great tool for alleviating many challenges during the pandemic. However, before the integrated technology's possibilities for the metaverse and social robots can be suitably harnessed, certain recent developments for integration during the pandemic should be addressed. For this reason, this paper proposes a new systematic summary of pioneering social robotic systems using the metaverse through immersive experiences from an interdisciplinary healthcare perspective during the COVID-19 outbreak. We also highlight social robots to deal with medical healthcare issues during the virus outbreak both elderly adults and younger people. Moreover, we compare recent metaverse-driven social robotic works for dealing with assisted living and healthcare issues through telepresence and remote interaction during COVID-19. Ultimately, we provide a recommendation and forecast a future scenario for the integration between socially interactive robots and metaverse technology to improve and help the quality of life both in the current COVID-19 situation and in the post-COVID-19 society. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Background and objective: COVID-19 has imposed burdens on public health systems globally. Owing to the urgency of vaccination, this study aimed at comparing the differences in preference and willingness to pay of COVID-19 vaccine among Chinese and American middle-aged and elderly adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey containing demographic questions, rating their acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination with and without recommendations from friends, family members or employers (the social cues referred to in our study), and a discrete choice experiment understanding COVID-19 vaccine preference and willingness to pay was conducted to collect data. Propensity score matching was utilized to adjust confounding factors of baseline characteristics and the relative importance of respondents' preference for each attribute and its level was estimated using a conditional logit model. Then, willingness to pay was calculated. Results: In total, 3,494 (2,311 and 1,183 from China and the United States, respectively) completed the questionnaire, among which 3,444 questionnaires were effective. After propensity score matching, 1,604 respondents with 802 from the US and 802 from China were included. Under the influence of the social cues, Chinese respondents' vaccine acceptance decreased from 71.70 to 70.70%, while American respondents' vaccine acceptance increased from 74.69 to 75.81%. The discrete choice experiment showed that American respondents regarded the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine as the most important attribute, whereas Chinese respondents attached the highest importance to the cost of vaccination. But overall, the COVID-19 vaccine with the higher efficacy, the milder adverse effect, the lower cost, and the longer duration will promote the preference of the public in both countries. Additionally, the public were willing to spend the most money for a reduction in COVID-19 vaccine adverse effect from moderate to very mild (37.476USD for the United States, 140.503USD for China), followed by paying for the 1% improvement in its efficacy and paying for the one-month extension of its duration. Conclusion: Given the impact of social cues on vaccine acceptance, Chinese government should promote reasonable vaccine-related information to improve national vaccination acceptance. Meanwhile, considering the influence of COVID-19 attributes on public preference and willingness to pay, regulating the vaccine pricing, improving the efficacy of the vaccine, reducing its adverse effect, and prolonging the duration of the vaccine works will contribute to vaccine uptake.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Vaccines , Middle Aged , Aged , Humans , Adult , United States , COVID-19 Vaccines , Propensity Score , Cross-Sectional Studies , COVID-19/prevention & controlABSTRACT
Objective: The objective of this paper is to describe and compare the frequency, duration, and intensity of physical exercise performed by the participants, as well the types of exercise, in three different periods: 2019 (1), January and February 2020 (2), and during the social distancing period (SDP) due to the COVID-19 pandemic (3). Methods: This is a mixed-methods (retrospective/cross-sectional) study of a population of adults and older adults from a public recreation center in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The participants were invited to take a survey on Google Forms addressing the characteristics of the physical exercises performed in the periods covered in this research. The questionnaire remained available throughout October 2020. Results: The sample comprised 194 participants (63.49±14.14 years; 93.2% were women). During period 1, the most performed exercises were strength/aerobic exercises twice a week for 46 minutes to 1 hour per session at intensity 6. During period 2, walking was the most reported exercise performed three times a week for 31 to 45minutes per session at intensity 7. During period 3, strength/aerobic exercises were the most frequent, being performed three times a week for 31 to 45minutes per session at intensity 5. Conclusion: When compared to the first period, a significant decrease in in total time, intensity and duration of exercises performed by the population analyzed was observed in the other periods. Similar behavior was observed across the age ranges.
Objetivo: O objetivo deste artigo é descrever e comparar a frequência, a duração e a intensidade de exercícios físicos realizados pelos participantes, bem como os tipos de exercícios, em três períodos diferentes: em 2019 (1), janeiro e fevereiro de 2020 (2) e durante o período de distanciamento social devido à pandemia COVID-19 (3). Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo misto (retrospectivo/ transversal) com população composta por adultos e idosos de um centro recreativo público de Porto Alegre, Brasil. Os participantes convidados responderam a um questionário disponibilizado por meio dos Formulários Google, acerca das características dos exercícios físicos praticados nos períodos abrangidos por esta pesquisa. O questionário permaneceu disponível durante o mês de outubro de 2020. Resultados: Compuseram a amostra 194 participantes (63,49 ± 14,14 anos; 93,2% mulheres). No período 1 os exercícios mais praticados compuseram-se por força/aeróbica, duas vezes/semana, de 46 minutos a 1 hora/sessão, na intensidade 6. No período 2, a caminhada apresentou-se como a atividade mais citada, três vezes/ semana, de 31 a 45 min/sessão, na intensidade 7. No período 3, a aula de força/aeróbica apresentou-se como a atividade mais frequente, três vezes/semana, de 31 a 45 min/sessão, na intensidade 5. Conclusão: Quando comparado ao primeiro período, houve diminuição significativa nos demais períodos quanto ao tempo total, intensidade e duração de exercícios realizados pela população investigada, além de apresentar este mesmo comportamento entre os grupos etários.
Objetivo: El objetivo del artículo es describir y comparar la frecuencia, la duración y la intensidad de los ejercicios físicos de los participantes, así como los tipos de ejercicios en tres periodos distintos: enero de 2019, febrero de 2020 y durante el periodo de alejamiento social (PAS) por la pandemia de la COVID-19. Métodos: Estudio misto (retrospectivo/transversal) con la población deadultos y mayores de un centro de recreación público de Porto Alegre, Brazil. Los participantes han sido invitados para contestar una encuesta del Google Forms sobre las características de los ejercicios físicos practicados en los periodos del estudio. La encuesta estuvo disponible durante el mes de octubre de 2020. Resultados: El estudio tuvo 194 participantes (63,49±14,14 años; 93,2% mujeres). Durante el periodo 1 los ejercicios más realizados han sido los de fuerza/clase de aeróbic, dos veces a la semana con duración entre 46 minutos y una hora la sesión e intensidad 6. Durante el periodo 2, lo más relatado ha sido la caminata, tres veces a la semana entre 31- 45 minutos la sesión e intensidad 7. Durante el periodo 3, la clase de aeróbic y fuerza fue la más frecuente, tres veces a la semana, entre 31 y 45 minutos la sesión e intensidad 5. Conclusión: Hubo una disminución significativa en los otros periodos comparados al primero respecto al tiempo total, la intensidad y la duración de los ejercicios realizados por la población investigada además de presentar la misma conducta entre los grupos de edad
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Social Change , COVID-19ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Recently, in the view of network analysis, depression has been conceptualized as a complex and dynamic network model combining individual symptoms. To date, no studies have systematically examined and compared depressive symptom networks across different populations. METHODS: A total of 36,105 participants were recruited and asked to complete the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 among junior high school students, senior high school students, college students, and elderly adults who were more susceptible to depression during the COVID-19 lockdown in China. In the analysis, we applied the optimal cutoff score ≥ 8 for students and a score ≥ 6 for elderly adults to identify 5830 participants who were likely to be depressed. The index of "strength" was used to identify central symptoms in the network structure. RESULTS: The results showed that Sad Mood was the most central symptom among junior high school students, senior high school students, and college students, but the most central symptom in the elderly was Guilt. Among the top three central symptoms, Suicide Ideation was unique to senior high school students, while Anhedonia was most prevalent among college students. Guilt - Suicide Ideation, Anhedonia - Energy, Anhedonia - Sad Mood, and Sleep - Energy showed the strongest association among junior and senior high school students, college students, and elderly adults, respectively. NCT (i.e., Network Comparison Test) suggested that the network's global connectivity was ultimately inconsistent, but the network structure remained roughly intact. CONCLUSION: In treatment, targeting central symptoms may be critical to alleviating depression.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Communicable Disease Control , Depressive Disorder, Major , Aged , Humans , Anhedonia , COVID-19/prevention & control , Depressive Disorder, Major/epidemiology , Depressive Disorder, Major/psychology , Pandemics , Students/psychology , Students/statistics & numerical data , Health Surveys , Adolescent , Young AdultABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to understand the meaning given by elderly adults in central Chile to the period of the Covid-19 pandemic concerning health and physical exercise. From the methodological perspective, the research is inscribed in the perspective of the interpretative-comprehensive paradigm, through the qualitative methodology. Seventeen seniors were interviewed on two occasions;the year 2020, the year 2021, the interviews were performed via Skype or video call due to the restrictions imposed by the sanitary authority, to avoid physical contact with the interviewees. The results of the study are related to the adverse effects in psychosocial terms that the elderly population has experienced as a result of the confinement, oppositely, despite the pandemic, the seniors have maintained healthy lifestyles. In conclusion, this study proposes further studies to show the negative impact of confinement on elderly adults and, as follows, influence the State to assume a better direction in public policies aimed at this age group. Alternate : El propósito de este artículo es comprender el significado que le otorgan adultos mayores de la zona central de Chile al periodo de la pandemia Covid-19 respecto a la salud y al ejercicio físico. Desde el punto de vista metodológico, la investigación se inscribe en la perspectiva del paradigma interpretativo-comprensivo, a través de metodología cualitativa. Se entrevistó a 17 adultos mayores en dos ocasiones, año 2020 año 2021, las entrevistas se realizaron vía Skipe o video llamada producto de las restricciones impuestas por la autoridad sanitaria, para evitar el contacto físico con los entrevistados. Los hallazgos del estudio dicen relación con los efectos adversos en términos psicosociales, que ha experimentado la población de adultos mayores producto del confinamiento, por otro lado, a pesar de la pandemia, los adultos mayores han mantenido hábitos saludables. En conclusión, se propone profundizar en estudios que permitan mostrar el impacto negativo del encierro en los adultos mayores y de esta manera influir para que el Estado asuma una mejor dirección en las políticas públicas dirigidas a este grupo etario.Alternate :O objectivo deste artigo é compreender o significado dado pelos adultos mais velhos da zona central do Chile ao período da pandemia de Covid-19, durante a segunda parte do ano 2020 e o primeiro semestre do ano 2021. Do ponto de vista metodológico, a investigação está inscrita na perspectiva do paradigma interpretativo-compreensivo, através da metodologia qualitativa. Numa primeira fase, 17 adultos mais velhos foram entrevistados em 2020 e depois 10 deles foram novamente entrevistados em 2021, via Skype ou videochamada devido às restrições impostas pela autoridade sanitária, a fim de evitar o contacto físico com os entrevistados. Os resultados do estudo estão relacionados com os efeitos adversos em termos psicossociais, que os idosos experimentaram como resultado do confinamento, por outro lado, apesar da pandemia, os adultos mais velhos mantiveram hábitos saudáveis e fizeram exercício como caminhar e dançar, individualmente ou acompanhados por um membro da família. Em conclusão, propõe-se aprofundar em estudos desta natureza e que o Estado assuma uma melhor orientação nas políticas públicas dirigidas a este grupo etário. Traduzido com a versão gratuita do tradutor - www.DeepL.com/Translator