User Segmentation Based on Travel Regularity in E-Scooter Sharing Service

The dockless e-scooter sharing service is rapidly spreading, replacing existing transportation, and improving last-mile accessibility. User segmentation with travel regularity and segment-level behavior analysis, which are already conducted in public transit, also benefits e-scooter sharing service to enhance service quality and increase usage. In this work, we group e-scooter users according to their travel regularity and identify each group's usage characteristics. Through the dockless e-scooter usage data, as operated in six cities in South Korea, travel regularity measured by users' repetitive departure time and destination is discovered and spatiotemporal usage patterns are identified. We divide e-scooter users into three groups by type of travel regularity: irregular user, spatially regular user, and regular user. Regular users more frequently use e-scooters, travel shorter distances, and walk longer distances to find an e-scooter than other groups. It is also revealed that the use in morning peak hours only occurs in the regular user group. By decomposing the temporal patterns of spatially regular and regular users, we discover that spatially regular users are composed of daytime, evening peak, and nighttime users. In contrast, regular users are composed of morning peak, evening peak, and lockdown (restriction in response to COVID-19 pandemic) peak users. This research suggests user segmentation based on travel regularity in e-scooter sharing services, enabling multiple strategies to be drawn to retain users with high regularity and convert users with low regularity to regular users.

Prediction model of intention to use digital fitness services for health promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic: a gender-based multi-group analysis

As the number of people infected with COVID-19 in Korea is increasing, several measures have been implemented to gradually restrict outdoor activities and indoor gatherings while promoting a non-face-to-face social culture. In this study, we performed a gender-based multi-group analysis using a technology acceptance model (TAM) as an external variable for COVID-19 risk perception to verify the model's predictive ability to increase participation behavior toward digital fitness services. We analyzed the data of 433 Koreans using an online survey consisting of 23 items. A structural equation model was used to verify the perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), intention to use and exercise participation behavior of the TAM with COVID-19 risk perception as an external variable. First, our results showed that COVID-19 risk perception had a statistically higher significant and positive effect on PEOU (beta = 0.170, t = 3.296, p < 0.001) than on PU (beta = 0.130, t = 2.848, p = 0.004) of digital fitness services. Second, the PEOU of the digital fitness service was found to have a statistically higher significant positive effect on PU (beta = 0.512, t = 9.728, p < 0.001) than on intention to use (beta = 0.130, t = -2.774, p = 0.006). Third, the PU of digital fitness services was found to have a statistically significant positive effect on the intention to use (beta = 0.684, t = 12.909, p < 0.001). Fourth, the intention to use the digital fitness service was found to have a statistically significant positive effect on exercise participation behavior (beta = 0.796, t = 16.248, p < 0.001). Lastly, we observed a significant difference between men and women in COVID-19 risk perception and PEOU among the six paths established. Digital environments that encourage participation in exercises could promote health during a pandemic. This study highlighted the need to consider digital environments that encourage exercise participation in creating physical exercise contents as there was no significant difference in the intention to use digital fitness services between men and women.Copyright © 2023 The Author(s).

Impact of the Risk Perception of COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Body Weight in CKD Patients

Background: The recent novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to restrictions in physical activity. We evaluated the impact of risk perception on physical activity, and its impact on kidney function in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients during the pandemic. Method(s): A population of CKD patients registered in a SKETCH (Study on Kidney disease and EnvironmenTal Chemicals, Clinical Trial No. NCT04679168) cohort recruited from June 2020 to October 2020 was included in the study. Patients were followed-up every 3 months for a year. We obtained risk perception and physical activity information by a questionnaire survey. Physical exercise, 3-times/week, was categorized into three groups according to the frequency of positive response during 5 visits: group 1, 0-2;group 2, 3-4;group 3, 5. We used Logistic regression analysis to identify the significance of risk perception to physical activity. The cox-proportional hazard model was used to identify the significance of physical activity for kidney function. Result(s): A total of 262 patients were included, and the mean age was 60.5+/-12.8 years old. Mean eGFR was 43.4+/-20.9 mL/min/1.73 m2, and there were 220 (84.0%) with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73m2. There were 122 (46.6%) of patients who showed higher risk perception for COVID-19 infection. After adjustment with age, sex, comorbidities, and laboratory results, higher risk perception was significantly associated with decreased physical activity (adjusted OR 0.44, 95% CI, 0.23, 0.84). During 364.8+/-38.6 days, 52 (19.8%) patients showed decreased kidney function with decreasing eGFR >=30%. Group 1 showed a significantly increased risk for kidney dysfunction (adjusted HR 3.36, 95% CI 1.23, 9.20). This result was prominent in age over 60, male sex, patients with hypertension. Conclusion(s): Decreased physical activity related to higher risk-perception, and that was significantly increased risk for kidney dysfunction. Healthcare provider needs to consider a new strategy to encourage physical activity irrespective of risk perception.

Impact of Metabolic Acidosis on All-Cause Mortality in Patients With COVID-19

Background: Low total CO2 (tCO2) levels are significantly associated with allcause mortality. Lots of factors are related to the poor prognosis of COVID-19, it was a lack of data to evaluate the impact of tCO2. We evaluated the impact of metabolic acidosis on all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19. Method(s): We retrospectively reviewed the data from two independent hospitals that care for admitted patients with COVID-19 between February 2020 and September 2021. We excluded subjects with underlying end-stage kidney disease, no data of tCO2 value, and age under 18 years old. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. We evaluate the impact of tCO2 as a continuous variable on mortality using the Cox-proportional hazard model. In addition, we tried to find the relative value of tCO2 to increase the risk of mortality using a generalized additive model. We also evaluated the impact of such a value of tCO2 and 22mEq/L of tCO2 on mortality. Result(s): A total of 4,423 patients were included, and the mean age was 54.7+/-18.3 years old. Mean tCO2 was 26.2+/-3.6 mEq/L, and there were 792 (17.9%) with tCO2 <22 mEq/L. Increased in 1 mEq/L of tCO2 significantly decreased risk for all-cause mortality after adjustment with age, sex, history of hypertension, diabetes, and laboratory results such as serum white blood count, hemoglobin, platelet, calcium, phosphate, albumin, and eGFR (adjusted HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91, 0.99). We found that the level of 24 mEq/L of tCO2 as a cut-off value to increase risk of mortality. In the Cox-proportional hazard model, the risk of all-cause mortality was significantly increased by around 1.6 times in subjects with lower tCO2 irrespective of the cut-off value of 22 or 24 mEq/L. Conclusion(s): Decreased tCO2 significantly increased the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19. Monitoring of tCO2 could be a good indicator to predict prognosis, and it needs to be considered to encourage in patients with a specific condition.

Behavioral characteristics and related factors among CKD patients in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The recent novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to unprecedented changes in behavior. We evaluated the current status of precautionary behavior and physical activity in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A population of CKD patients (n=306) registered in a SKETCH (Study on Kidney disease and EnvironmenTal Chemicals, Clinical Trial No. NCT04679168) cohort recruited from June 2020 to October 2020 was included in the study. We conducted a questionnaire survey related to (1) risk perception of COVID-19, (2) hygienic behavior, (3) social distancing, and (4) physical activity during the past year (before the pandemic) and during the pandemic. To compare behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wilcoxon-signed rank test was used. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the relative factors related to risk recognition or behavior changes. Results: There were 187 (61.1%) patients with eGFR <45 mL/min/1.73 m2. This population showed a higher degree of risk perception for COVID-19 than the general population. During the pandemic, social distancing and hygiene-related behavior was significantly increased (P <0.001). The frequency of exercise was decreased only among those with regular exercise, without diabetes, or with a lower Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (P <0.001), with no change among the other groups. Socioeconomic status and comorbidities significantly affected behavioral characteristics regardless of the category. Age was the most significant determinant of risk perception among CKD patients. Education and income were significantly associated with precautionary behaviors such as staying at home and hand sanitizer use. Also, patients with higher CCI status significantly increased their frequency of exercise (adjusted OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.01-4.38). Conclusions: CKD patients showed higher risk-perception with active precautionary behavioral changes than the general population. Healthcare providers should be aware of the characteristics to comprise precautionary behavior without reducing the physical activity.

Rapid, centralised decision-making in a higher education emergency

Purpose: This study aims to explain the primacy that rapid, centralised decision-making gained in higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on Australian universities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper draws on discussions regarding policy problems of an international, purpose-convened on-line policy network involving over 100 registrations from multiple countries. It analyses emerging institutional policy governance texts and documents shared between network participants, applies policy science literature regarding traditional institutional policy-making routines and rapid decision-making, and references media reportage from 2020. The paper traces how higher education institutions rapidly adjusted to pandemic conditions and largely on-line operations. Findings: The study finds that higher education institutions responded to the COVID-19 crisis by operationalising emergency management plans and introducing rapid, centralised decision-making to transition to remote modes of operation, learning and research under state-imposed emergency conditions. It highlights the need to ensure robust governance models recognising the ascendance of emergency decision-making and small-p policies in such circumstances, notwithstanding longstanding traditions of extended collegial policy-making routines for big-P (institutional) Policy. The pandemic highlighted practice and policy problems subject to rapid reform and forced institutions to clarify the relationship between emergency planning and decision-making, quality and institutional policy. Practical implications: In covering a range of institutional responses, the study advances the possibility of institutions planning better for unexpected, punctuated policy shifts during an emergency through the incorporation of rapid decision-making in traditionally collegial environments. At the same time, the paper cautions against the normalisation of such processes. The study also highlights key practices and policies that require urgent reconsideration in an emergency. The study is designed as a self-contained and freestanding narrative to inform responses to future emergencies by roundly addressing the particularities of the 2020 phase of the COVID-19 pandemic as it affected higher education. Originality/value: There is only limited research on policy-making in higher education institutions. This research offers an original contribution on institutional policy-making during a prolonged emergency that deeply changed higher education institution’s governance, operations and outlook. Particularly significant is the synthesis of experiences from a wide range of sector personnel, documenting punctuated policy shifts in policy governance (meta-policy), institutional policy-making routines and quality assurance actions under great pressure. This paper is substantially developed from a paper given at the Association for Tertiary Education Management Institutional Policy Seminar, 26th October 2020. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

The Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Job Satisfaction: A Case Study of SME Management Consultants in Korea

SMEs are constantly demanded of changes in the rapidly-evolving business environment, which involves the fourth industrial revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this period, management consulting service becomes more in demand to provide technical and strategic solutions for management problems. This study aimed to empirically analyze the direct effects of emotional intelligence on job satisfaction and the indirect effects of such parameters as learning agility and self-efficacy on job satisfaction in management consultants. On the basis of a literature review, inter-variable association was designed in the research model. Based on an online survey of those in the Korean SME management consultants, this study collected 221 questionnaires then used structural equation modeling for statistical analysis. The results reveal that emotional intelligence significantly affected job satisfaction and, also significantly positively affected learning agility and self-efficacy. In addition, a significant indirect correlation could be found between learning agility and self-efficacy. Meanwhile, if learning agility and self-efficacy mediated job satisfaction, emotional intelligence had no significant effect on job satisfaction and fully mediated learning agility and self-efficacy. It is necessary to develop an emotional intelligence education program that can help management consultants improve their emotional intelligence with the objective of giving successful management consulting services.