Money or love? The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer life goals and subjective well-being

AbstractIntroduction. The COVID-19 is the name of an infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2). It was first diagnosed in December 2019 in patients in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The symptoms are dominated by features of respiratory tract infections, in some patients with a very severe course leading to respiratory failure and, in extreme cases to death. Due to the spread of the infection worldwide, the WHO declared a pandemic in March 2020.Aim. An investigation of the impact of social isolation introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic on selected aspects of life. The researchers focused on observing changes in habits related to physical activity and their connections with people’s subjective well-being and emotional state.Material and methods. The study was carried out within the international project of the group „IRG on COVID and exercise”. The research tool was a standardized questionnaire.Results. Based on the data collected and the analysis of the percentage results, it can be observed that the overwhelming majority of people taking up physical activity reported a better mood during the pandemic. However, statistical tests do not confirm these relationships due to the small sample size.Conclusions. Isolation favours physical activity. Future, in-depth studies, by enlarging the population group, are necessary to confirm the above observations.

Download Full-text

Determining the impact of postoperative complications in neurosurgery based on simulated longitudinal smartphone app-based assessment

Acta Neurochirurgica ◽

10.1007/s00701-021-04967-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lion D. Comfort ◽

Marian C. Neidert ◽

Oliver Bozinov ◽

Luca Regli ◽

Martin N. Stienen

Keyword(s):

Postoperative Complications ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Well Being ◽

Smartphone Application ◽

Simulated Patients ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Longitudinal Assessment ◽

User Friendliness ◽

User Friendly ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Complications after neurosurgical operations can have severe impact on patient well-being, which is poorly reflected by current grading systems. The objective of this work was to develop and conduct a feasibility study of a new smartphone application that allows for the longitudinal assessment of postoperative well-being and complications. Methods We developed a smartphone application “Post OP Tracker” according to requirements from clinical experience and tested it on simulated patients. Participants received regular notifications through the app, inquiring them about their well-being and complications that had to be answered according to their assigned scenarios. After a 12-week period, subjects answered a questionnaire about the app’s functionality, user-friendliness, and acceptability. Results A total of 13 participants (mean age 34.8, range 24–68 years, 4 (30.8%) female) volunteered in this feasibility study. Most of them had a professional background in either health care or software development. All participants downloaded, installed, and applied the app for an average of 12.9 weeks. On a scale of 1 (worst) to 4 (best), the app was rated on average 3.6 in overall satisfaction and 3.8 in acceptance. The design achieved a somewhat favorable score of 3.1. One participant (7.7%) reported major technical issues. The gathered patient data can be used to graphically display the simulated outcome and assess the impact of postoperative complications. Conclusions This study suggests the feasibility to longitudinally gather postoperative data on subjective well-being through a smartphone application. Among potential patients, our application indicated to be functional, user-friendly, and well accepted. Using this app-based approach, further studies will enable us to classify postoperative complications according to their impact on the patient’s well-being.

Download Full-text

The impact of social media use types and social media addiction on subjective well-being of college students: A comparative analysis of addicted and non-addicted students

Computers in Human Behavior Reports ◽

10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100122 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 100122

Author(s):

Lei Zhao

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Social Media ◽

Comparative Analysis ◽

Media Use ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Social Media Use ◽

Social Media Addiction ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

How does area-level deprivation depress an individual’s self-rated health and life satisfaction? Evidence from a nationwide population-based survey in Japan

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10578-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Takashi Oshio ◽

Hiromi Kimura ◽

Toshimi Nishizaki ◽

Takashi Omori

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Internet Survey ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Individual Level ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Level Data ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Area-level deprivation is well known to have an adverse impact on mortality, morbidity, or other specific health outcomes. This study examined how area-level deprivation may affect self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS), an issue that is largely understudied. Methods We used individual-level data obtained from a nationwide population-based internet survey conducted between 2019 and 2020, as well as municipality-level data obtained from a Japanese government database (N = 12,461 living in 366 municipalities). We developed multilevel regression models to explain an individual’s SRH and LS scores using four alternative measures of municipality-level deprivation, controlling for individual-level deprivation and covariates. We also examined how health behavior and interactions with others mediated the impact of area-level deprivation on SRH and LS. Results Participants in highly deprived municipalities tended to report poorer SRH and lower LS. For example, when living in municipalities falling in the highest tertile of municipality-level deprivation as measured by the z-scoring method, SRH and LS scores worsened by a standard deviation of 0.05 (p < 0.05) when compared with those living in municipalities falling in the lowest tertile of deprivation. In addition, health behavior mediated between 17.6 and 33.1% of the impact of municipality-level deprivation on SRH and LS, depending on model specifications. Conclusion Results showed that area-level deprivation modestly decreased an individual’s general health conditions and subjective well-being, underscoring the need for public health policies to improve area-level socioeconomic conditions.

Download Full-text

Public Sector Employment, Quality of Government, and Well-Being: A Global Analysis

International Area Studies Review ◽

10.1177/22338659211011747 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 223386592110117

Author(s):

Robert Davidson ◽

Alexander Pacek ◽

Benjamin Radcliff

Keyword(s):

Public Sector ◽

Global Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Political Factors ◽

The Public ◽

Employment Quality ◽

The Impact

While a growing literature within the study of subjective well-being demonstrates the impact of socio-political factors on subjective well-being, scholars have conspicuously failed to consider the role of the size and scope of government as determinants of well-being. Where such studies exist, the focus is largely on the advanced industrial democracies of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development. In this study, we examine the size of the public sector as a determinant of cross-national variation in life satisfaction across a worldwide sample. Our findings strongly suggest that as the public sector grows, subjective well-being increases as well, conditional on the extent of quality of government. Using cross-sectional data on 84 countries, we show this relationship has an independent and separable impact from other economic and political factors.

Download Full-text

The impact of positive psychotherapy of psychoses on the subjective well‐being of people suffering from chronic schizophrenia—Preliminary report

Counselling and Psychotherapy Research ◽

10.1002/capr.12467 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Beata Kasperek‐Zimowska ◽

Agata Bednarek ◽

Marta Giguere ◽

Dorota Parnowska ◽

Agnieszka Żochowska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Preliminary Report ◽

Chronic Schizophrenia ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Positive Psychotherapy ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

The Relevance of Personal Domain Satisfaction for the Quality of Life in South Africa

South African Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1177/008124638801800301 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 69-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Valerie Møller

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

South African ◽

Well Being ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

South Africans ◽

Relative Contribution ◽

Personal Domain ◽

The Impact

South African psychologists have identified the improvement of quality of life as a major goal of the 1980s. This paper reviews the impact of satisfaction with personal aspects of life on perceived well-being. The results of an exploratory study of South African quality of life conducted among 5 587 individuals of all population groups are discussed. Findings confirm the salience of the personal domain and the positive influence of personal satisfactions on subjective well-being. However, results of regression analyses suggest that the relative contribution of satisfactions in the personal domain is too low to play a major role in improving the quality of life of all South Africans in the longer term.

Download Full-text