ABSTRACT
Background: China implemented a home quarantine policy in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, college students stayed at home for a long time, facing their parents and being directly exposed to family affairs every day. Thus, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and home quarantine on college students' experience of family harmony are worth discussing. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to explore whether there was any difference in college students' experience of family harmony before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: Participants in this study were undergraduates from a university in Tianjin. They completed the college students' experience of family harmony questionnaire (CSEFHQ) before and after the COVID-19 outbreak (December 2019 and March 2020). A total of 215 participants (96 men and 119 women) completed the whole test. Results: The paired sample t-tests showed that the scores on seven dimensions of CSEFHQ: getting along (t = 5.116, p < 0.001), conflict (t = 6.442, p < 0.001), sharing (t = 5.414, p < 0.001), self-isolation (t = 3.014, p < 0.01), help-seeking (t = 5.353, p < 0.001), avoidance (t = 6.010, p < 0.001), support-providing (t = 5.818, p < 0.001), and the total scores of CSEFHQ (t = 6.496, p < 0.001) were all significantly reduced after the COVID-19 outbreak, while the scores on the other two dimensions, undertaking housework (t = 1.379) and indifference (t = 1.765), did not change significantly. Conclusions: The college students' experience of family harmony was significantly worse after the COVID-19 outbreak. These results can be used to improve the level of family harmony of college students during the pandemic and improve their quality of life.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiology , Disease Outbreaks , Female , Humans , Male , Pandemics , Quality of Life , StudentsABSTRACT
The experience of family harmony, as an individual's subjective evaluation of harmonious family relations, has an important influence on the development of their physical and mental health. This study aimed to develop the College Students' Experience of Family Harmony Questionnaire that is fit for college students in China. On the basis of literature analysis and survey with questionnaires, five pairs of opposite assessment indexes were constructed in this paper, namely, Atmosphere of family (getting along vs. conflict), Responsibility to housework (undertaking housework vs. refusing housework), Time-sharing (sharing vs. self-isolatedness), Seeking help (help-seeking vs. avoidance), and Supporting family members (support-providing vs. indifference). Items of this questionnaire were collected from investigation, relevant scales, and discussion with experts. Here, 562 college students were selected for the pre-test and 696 for the formal test. The results showed that, except for the dimension of refusing housework, which has been deleted, other dimensions remain unchanged, and the final nine dimensions accounted for 66.03% of variance variation. Furthermore, the result of confirmatory factor analysis indicates that the model fit well with the data in construct validity [χ2/df = 2.71, Incremental Fit Index (IFI) = 0.90, Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.89, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.90, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.05]. The Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient of this questionnaire was 0.97. The split-half reliability was 0.92, and the test-retest reliability was 0.75 for the total questionnaire. The total score of the questionnaire was significantly positively correlated with the total score of family function, family cohesion, family adaptability, and well-being (r = 0.73, 0.71, 0.75, 0.51, respectively, all p < 0.01), and it had a significant negative correlation with loneliness (r = -0.56, p < 0.01). The results showed that the final structure was reasonable, and reliability and validity conformed to the requirements of psychometrics. Therefore, the questionnaire developed in this study can be used as a valid instrument for assessing the experience of family harmony among college students in China.
ABSTRACT
Resumen: 15. El objetivo de este artículo es conocer, a partir de la experiencia de familiares de enfermos con cáncer terminal, la beneficencia del médico hacia el enfermo. Este propósito es parte de un trabajo más amplio titulado "Los cuidados, la atención y la decisión de los enfermos con cáncer terminal al final de la vida: una visión desde la experiencia del familiar". La experiencia de los familiares proporciona información acerca del actuar del médico sobre los riesgos y beneficios de tratamientos o procedimientos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio cualitativo que parte del paradigma hermenéutico fenomenológico, elegido porque permite conocer la percepción que tienen las personas del mundo en el cual viven y el significado que le dan. Se entrevistó a 11 familiares y cuidadores primarios y se utilizó el análisis temático y el método de van Manen. La experiencia de los familiares muestra que algunos médicos, en ocasiones, no actuaron a partir del principio de beneficencia, porque no proporcionaron información detallada, la omitieron o no hubo comunicación, no respetaron las decisiones y no controlaron o eliminaron el malestar o dolor del enfermo. Los médicos deben reconocer y subsanar situaciones en las que no logran cumplir con este principio.
Abstract: 19. The aim of this paper is to learn from the experience of relatives of patients with terminal cancer about the medical beneficence during a terminal illness. This paper is part of a broader study entitled "The care, attention and decision of patients with terminal cancer at the end of life: a vision from the experience of family". The experience of the family provides information about the act from the doctor about the risks and benefits of treatments or procedures. A qualitative study was carried out that part of the phenomenological hermeneutical paradigm. It is approached from the phenomenological stance because it lets you know the perception that people have of the world in which they live and the meaning they give you. 11 family members and primary caregivers, were interviewed. Thematic analysis and the method of van Manen were used. The experience of family shows that some doctors sometimes did not act from principle of beneficence because they did not provide detailed information, omitted or no communication, they did not respect their decisions and not controlled or eliminated the discomfort or pain of the patient. Physicians must recognize and address situations that fail to comply with this principle.
Resumo: 23. O objetivo deste artigo é conhecer, a partir da experiência de familiares de pacientes com câncer terminal, a beneficência do médico ao paciente. Este objetivo faz parte de um trabalho mais amplo intitulado "Os cuidados, a atenção e a decisão de pacientes com câncer terminal no final da vida: uma visão da experiência da família". A experiência dos membros da família fornece informações sobre a atuação do médico sobre os riscos e benefícios de tratamentos ou procedimentos. Um estudo qualitativo foi conduzido partindo do paradigma hermenêutico fenomenológico, escolhido porque este método permite conhecer a percepção que têm as pessoas no mundo em que vivem e o significado que elas o dão. Foram entrevistados 11 familiares e cuidadores primários e foi utilizada a análise temática e o método de van Manen. A experiência dos familiares mostra que alguns médicos em certas ocasiões não agiram a partir do princípio da beneficência, porque não forneceram informações detalhadas, omitiram-na ou não havia nenhuma comunicação, não respeitaram as decisões e não controlaram ou eliminaram o desconforto ou dor do paciente. Os médicos devem reconhecer e corrigir situações que não respeitam este princípio.
