Gendered Trends in Formal and Informal Care Utilization Among Older Adults in South Korea.

Drawing on data from two waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2010 and 2018), this study examined how community-dwelling older men and women (65+) with functional limitations utilized formal and informal sources of care and how their patterns of care utilization changed over time. The usage patterns of formal and informal caregiving services were categorized into three groups: (a) informal help only, (b) formal-informal mix, and (c) no help from either. More men and women used both formal and informal help for their care needs in 2018 than in 2010 (15% compared to 7%). The proportion of older men who relied on informal help only remained similar across survey years, whereas a smaller proportion of older women relied on informal help only in 2018. Although formal care use has been expanded in South Korea, older men continue to utilize help from their families. However, for older women, the proportion who did not receive any help increased - despite an increase in formal care utilization. These findings highlight the importance of considering gendered resources in caregiving in Korea.

Post COVID-19, still wear a face mask? Self-perceived facial attractiveness reduces mask-wearing intention.

With the emerging post-COVID era, wearing face masks has become a domain of personal choice. Then, who wants to continue wearing a mask when it is no longer mandatory? In this article, we expect and examine the role of self-perceived facial attractiveness in predicting mask-wearing intention and its mechanism across three studies (total N = 1,030). Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that individuals with high (vs. low) self-perceived attractiveness were less willing to wear a mask, due to a weaker endorsement of the belief that mask-wearing enhances their perceived attractiveness (i.e., mask attractiveness belief). Study 3 further revealed that this mediational association was stronger in situations where the need to deliver a favorable impression was high (job interview context) versus low (walking a dog context). Overall, we provide a novel finding that self-perceived attractiveness has significant effects on mask-wearing intention via mask attractiveness belief in the post-pandemic of COVID-19. Our findings suggest that mask-wearing can shift from being a self-protection measure during the COVID-19 pandemic to a self-presentation tactic in the post-pandemic era.

"Why rush to get vaccinated earlier?": Regulatory focus and COVID-19 vaccination.

OBJECTIVES: The health psychology literature has paid little attention to individuals' intention to vaccinate earlier. Building on regulatory focus theory, which proposes two distinct self-regulatory foci: promotion and prevention focus (Higgins, 1997), the present study tests whether, how, and why regulatory focus contributes to the intention to vaccinate earlier (IVE) and whether IVE predicts actual behavior. METHOD: This study used a longitudinal design with data collected at two-time points (3.5 months apart). At Time 1, 487 unvaccinated participants completed a survey assessing regulatory focus, ideal and ought reason for IVE (i.e., hopes/wishes and felt obligation/pressure regarding earlier vaccination, respectively), and IVE through leftover vaccines-vaccines that become available due to last-minute vaccination appointment cancellations. At Time 2, 364 participants reported on the attempts they made to get a leftover vaccine, whether they were vaccinated, and if so, the vaccination type (general vs. leftover vaccine), along with the date of vaccination. RESULTS: A promotion focus was associated with IVE via ideal reason (ß = .141, 95% confidence interval, CI [.085, .198]), whereas a prevention focus was associated with IVE via ought reason (ß = .031, 95% CI [.012, .057]). Furthermore, both the promotion focus (ß = .029, 95% CI [.016, .050]) and prevention focus paths (ß = .006, 95% CI [.001, .015]) extended to vaccinating via leftover vaccines. CONCLUSIONS: The present study illuminates how regulatory focus, especially promotion focus, can be a predictor of earlier vaccination. Our findings suggest that promotion-focused messages highlighting desirable outcomes of vaccination may help encourage earlier vaccination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Convergence in Sleep Time Accomplished? Gender Gap in Sleep Time for Middle-Aged Adults in Korea.

Although the gender gap in sleep time has narrowed significantly in the last decade, middle-aged women between ages 35 and 60 still sleep less than their male counterparts in Korea. This study examines and provides evidence for factors contributing to the gender gap in this age group. Using Korean Time Use Survey (KTUS) data from 2004, 2009 and 2014, we find that middle-aged women’s difficulty in managing work-life balance and traditional role expectations placed upon women are the main causes of the gender gap in sleep time. The decomposition analysis reveals that the improved socioeconomic status and recent changes in familial expectations for women may have helped them sleep more than in the past. However, there remain fundamental differences in attitude and time use patterns between men and women that prevent middle-aged women from getting the same amount of sleep.

Preparation and characterization of gatifloxacin-loaded alginate/poly (vinyl alcohol) electrospun nanofibers.

The aim of this study was to develop novel biomedicated electrospun nanofibers for controlled release. Pre-formulation studies were carried out for nanofibers of sodium alginate (SA) (2 wt %)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (10 wt %) composites (2/8, 3/7 and 4/6), by an electrospinning technique. The morphology and average diameter of the nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optimum ratio (3/7) was used to load gatifloxacin hydrochloride (GH) (1wt %), found to form smooth fibers with uniform structures. The drug entrapment in the composite nanofibers was confirmed by SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and swelling behavior. The drug release behavior was investigated using phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (pH 7.4) at 37°C for 24 h. The XRD and FTIR data demonstrate that there are good interactions between PVA and SA, possibly caused by hydrogen bonds. As much as 90% of the GH was released from the electrospun fibers within 6 h of incubation. Beyond this, the release was sustained for 24 h. The thickness of nanofibers greatly influenced the initial release and rate of drug release. Moreover, GH-loaded sodium alginate/PVA composite nanofibers exhibited a useful and convenient method for electrospinning in order to control the rate and period of drug release in wound-healing applications.