Risk of psychological distress by decrease in economic activity, gender, and age due to COVID-19: A multinational study.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2-virus. COVID-19 has officially been declared as the latest in the list of pandemics by WHO at the start of 2020. This study investigates the associations among decrease in economic activity, gender, age, and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic considering the economic status and education level of countries using multinational surveys. Methods: Online self-report questionnaires were administered in 15 countries which were spontaneously participate to 14,243 respondents in August 2020. Prevalence of decrease in economic activity and psychological distress was stratified by age, gender, education level, and Human Development Index (HDI). With 7,090 of female (49.8%), mean age 40.67, 5,734 (12.75%) lost their job and 5,734 (40.26%) suffered from psychological distress. Results: Associations among psychological distress and economic status, age, and gender was assessed using multivariate logistic regression, adjusted for country and education as random effects of the mixed model. We then measured the associations between HDI and age using multivariate logistic regression. Women had a higher prevalence of psychological distress than men with 1.067 Odds ratio, and younger age was significantly associated with decrease in economic activity for 0.998 for age increasing. Moreover, countries with lower HDI showed a higher prevalence of decrease in economic activity, especially at lower education levels. Discussion: Psychological distress due to COVID-19 revealed a significant association with decrease in economic activity, women, and younger age. While the proportion of decrease in economic activity population was different for each country, the degree of association of the individual factors was the same. Our findings are relevant, as women in high HDI countries and low education level in lower HDI countries are considered vulnerable. Policies and guidelines for both financial aid and psychological intervention are recommended.

Influencing factor of COVID-19 vaccination trust and hesitancy in Wonju city, South Korea.

Social capital (SC) has been documented to effectively reduce the spread of diseases, including COVID-19; however, research pertaining to SC and COVID-19 vaccination in Korea is lacking. This cross-sectional study conducted in the city of Wonju, Gangwon Province, Korea (n = 1,096) examined the differences in COVID-19 vaccine trust and hesitancy considering individual characteristics and investigated the effects of SC on COVID-19 vaccine trust and hesitancy. SC was measured based on 14 items pertaining to social trust, network, and norms. Responses regarding COVID-19 screening history, vaccine trust, and vaccine hesitancy were also assessed. SC scores did not differ between sexes, but differed significantly according to age and household income; thus, adults aged 70-79 years had the highest SC scores, and mean SC score increased significantly with income. COVID-19 vaccine trust differed significantly according to age, average household income, social organization involvement, and SC score. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy differed significantly with age, SC score, and COVID-19 screening history. In univariate logistic regression, age, average household income, social organization involvement, and SC score were significant predictors of vaccine trust; in multivariable analysis, however, the identified predictors were age and SC. In particular, people with an SC score ≥50 were 2.660 times more likely to trust COVID-19 vaccines than those with lower scores. In multivariable analysis, age and SC were significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy. In particular, people with an SC score ≥50 were 1.400 times more likely not to be hesitant about receiving COVID-19 vaccines than people with lower scores. These results indicate that prioritizing policies to increase SC and trust in the government could boost the COVID-19 vaccination rate.

Self-Regulated Learning Strategies for Nursing Students: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Distance learning (DL) based on information and communication technologies is gaining importance due to its convenience and cost savings. However, there is not enough evidence to identify the effect of DL on students requiring a high level of self-regulated learning (SRL). Therefore, this study aims to compare the effects of the use of augmented reality (AR) as an innovative learning method and the use of a textbook as a conventional learning method. Both methods were based on SRL strategies. In this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), SRL using an AR group (n = 31) and a textbook group (n = 31) was performed. Perceived learning (PL) competency, knowledge, SRL competency, academic stress, and learning flow were measured to evaluate the effect of intervention. Although, there was not significant interaction between the effects of time and the intervention in PL competency, knowledge, academic stress, and learning flow. In the subdomains of SRL competency, environmental structuring, task strategies, time management, help seeking, and self-evaluation were significantly improved after intervention. SRL using innovative methods is more important after COVID 19. Therefore, well-designed larger RCTs are required to identify the effect of SRL strategy using innovative method.

Predictors of academic achievement in distance learning for nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Distance learning (DL) is no longer simply an alternative method in the new educational environment induced by COVID-19. The ability of learners to control the learning process is becoming an essential prerequisite for DL because learners are physically separated from their instructors. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the factors influencing DL and investigate the appropriate learning strategy. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the relationships between academic achievement and the factors influencing DL. DESIGN: This study adopted a cross-sectional design. SETTING: This study was conducted in nursing colleges in Korea. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and one undergraduate nursing students in Korea participated in this study. METHODS: An online survey of academic achievement, self-regulated learning (SRL), learning flow, engagement, academic stress, and grade point average was conducted using Google Surveys on December 22 and 23, 2020 at four nursing colleges. A hierarchical multiple linear regression model was conducted to identify the predictors of academic achievement. Age and sex were included in the regression model in the first step. Then, learning flow and engagement were included in the second step, and SRL was included in the final step. RESULTS: Learning flow (ß = 0.37, p < .001), engagement (ß = 0.23, p = .001), and SRL (ß = 0.22 p = .003) explained 49.5% of the variance in academic achievement (Adj R2 = 0.50, F = 40.21, p < .001). After controlling for sex, age, flow state, and engagement in learning, SRL explained an additional 2% of the variance in academic achievement (R2 change = 0.02, p = .003). CONCLUSIONS: The development of learning strategies, including SRL ability, learning flow and engagement in DL, contributes not only to students achieving high academic competency but also to educating students about perceptions of their 'future possible self'.

Family Caregiver Suffering in Caring for Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning of the suffering experience of Korean ALS family caregivers. This is a descriptive phenomenological study that included ten participants using convenience sampling with maximum variation in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. Colaizzi's data analysis method was used to inductively determine themes and formulate meanings. The three main themes derived from analysis were: "frustration with seeing a patient suffering", "burnout at the cost of a life of dedication", and "desperate need for help". Caregivers experience high levels of suffering, which can come in various forms depending on the circumstances of the particular patient and family. Especially, distress from seeing a loved one suffering was another aspect of suffering in Korean ALS caregivers, reflecting strong family ties. At the same time, patients are in desperate need of help and support from their families. Thus, it is essential to provide care to lessen the causes of distress and meet the needs of not only patients, but also caregivers through family-centered care to improve overall quality of life for all involved.

A bibliometric analysis of COVID-19 research published in nursing journals

Purpose: This bibliometric study investigated the current state of documents on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) published in nursing journals. The analysis focused on the description of most productive journals, institutions, and countries, as well as the characteristics of the documents. Methods: The publications analyzed in this study were retrieved from the Web of Science database with search keywords. The searches used to establish the study dataset were last updated on July 10, 2020. The inclusion criteria were relevant English-language publications in journals published in the Science Citation Index Expanded or Social Science Citation Index. Content analysis of original articles and reviews was done. Results: An analysis of 125 publications on COVID-19 from 48 journals showed that the most productive journal and country were the Journal of Clinical Nursing (n=18) and the USA (n=53), respectively. Original articles (n=27, 21.6%) and review papers (n=4, 3.2%) accounted for 24.8% of the articles, and the highest number of papers were found in early access (published ahead of print) (n=51, 40.8%) and Q1 journals (n=73, 58.4%). The content analysis found 10 data-based original articles or reviews, which dealt with the topics of nurse training (n=2), nurses' psychosocial status (n=2), nursing research methodology (n=1), nursing guidelines (n=4), and protection for nurses (n=1). Conclusion: This study presents the current situation of nursing research on COVID-19 based on an analysis of publications in nursing journals and provides meaningful information to nursing researchers and editorial board members. The number of data-based original articles on nursing related to COVID-19 remains low.