Demonstration of the relationship between MSD and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kochu Therisa Karingada ◽  
Michael Sony
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Right ◽  
Almost All

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has caught many educational institutions by surprise and warranted an abrupt migration from offline to online learning. This has resulted in an education change, without any time for due consideration, as regards its impact on musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) on students. The purpose of this study is to investigate MSD related to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate students in India. In total, 261 students participated in this online survey.FindingsThe study finds that around 80% of students have reported some symptom in the head, neck and eyes since they started online learning. In total, 58% have reported MSD symptom in the right shoulder and 56% in the right hand fingers. Besides, more than 40 % of students experienced some MSD symptoms, in almost all the body parts studied, due to online learning. Correlation analysis is conducted between time spent on online learning per day and MSD symptoms.Originality/valueThis is the first study conducted on MSD and online learning during COVID-19 pandemic.

Does Dispositional Mindfulness Predict the Development of Grit?

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buaphrao Raphiphatthana ◽  
Paul Jose ◽  
Karen Salmon
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Dispositional Mindfulness ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Self Report Data ◽  
Acting With Awareness ◽  
Mindfulness Facets

Abstract. Grit, that is, perseverance and passion for long-term goals, is a novel construct that has gained attention in recent years ( Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007 ). To date, little research has been performed with the goal of identifying the antecedents of grit. Thus, in order to fill this gap in the literature, self-report data were collected to examine whether mindfulness, a mindset of being-in-the-present in a nonjudgmental way, plays a role in fostering grittiness. Three hundred and forty-three undergraduate students completed an online survey once in a cross-sectional study, and of these, 74 students completed the survey again 4.5 months later. Although the cross-sectional analyses identified a number of positive associations between mindfulness and grit, the longitudinal analysis revealed that the mindfulness facets of acting with awareness and non-judging were the most important positive predictors of grit 4.5 months later. This set of findings offers implications for future grit interventions.

Peer effects in the valuation and practices of food safety: findings from the study of dairy consumers in India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj Chandra ◽  
Abdul Munasib ◽  
Devesh Roy ◽  
Vinay K. Sonkar
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Peer Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
Social Multiplier ◽  
Multiplier Effects ◽  
The Right

Purpose Information is often available to consumers through their social networks. Focusing on dairy consumers in India, this paper aims to present evidence of peer effects in consumers’ attitudes towards various food safety attributes and food safety practices. Design/methodology/approach Unobserved individual heterogeneities are crucial confounders in the identification of social (endogenous) effects. The identification is based on exploiting within-consumer variation across different aspects of attitude (or practices) related to food safety. Findings This paper uses a novel identification strategy that allows for average effects across attributes and practices to be estimated. Using the strategy, though this paper cannot estimate endogenous effects in each attribute or practice, this paper is able to identify such effects averaged over attributes or practices. Research limitations/implications Cross-sectional study, caste affiliation is not defined at the right level of granularity. Practical implications The results suggest that information campaigns aimed at creating awareness about food safety can have social multiplier effects, and this also translates into changes in the practices followed to mitigate food safety risks. Social implications In health-related awareness and practices, there are well-established cases of multiplier effects. The most significant example of this is the Pulse Polio campaign in India, where an awareness drives through social multiplier effects had such a significant impact that in 2012 India was declared polio-free. Perhaps, a similar campaign in matters related to food safety could be very fruitful. Originality/value The methodology and the issue are unique. Little exists in assessing social networks in the context of food safety.

scholarly journals Mental health of undergraduate distance learners: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayani P. Gamage ◽  
H.M.Chulani J. Herath
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Distance Learners ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

PurposeMental health is as important as physical health and new university entrants report high prevalence of depression. In open and distance learning (ODL), students must manage both work and studies. Those who are unable to effectively balance these aspects may experience negative outcomes such as dropping out, distress and physical health problems. Therefore, the study aims to investigate psychological distress amongst distance-learning undergraduate students to gather evidence for recommending necessary interventions.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted using depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS-21). Participants were undergraduate students from the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). The students' socio-demographic details, history of physical and mental illnesses were also recorded.FindingsAccording to scoring, 51% of the sample was categorised as “psychologically distressed” relating to the anxiety levels they reported whilst depression (35%) and stress remained (20%) at low levels. The three-factor structure of DASS-21 was also confirmed with reliability scores of 0.8 obtained for all three sub-scales.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations were low-response rate (less than 50%) and inability to provide causal explanations for psychological distress. Further research could address these.Practical implicationsThe current research identified anxiety as a psychologically distressing factor for ODL students with the use of a reliable screening tool. Therefore, exploring reasons and interventions to help reduce anxiety could be developed.Social implicationsMajority of distance learners are contributing to a country's economy whilst learning to improve their current socio-economic status. Therefore, addressing these negative impacts is important.Originality/valueThe study explored ODL students' psychological distress and highlighted the need to identify causes and development of support systems to enhance mental well-being.

Associations between white blood cells count and obesity in apparently healthy young adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 1013-1019
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Ghannadiasl
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
White Blood Cells ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Body ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Apparently Healthy

Purpose The elevated white blood cells (WBCs) count has been reported to be a predictor of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. This study aims to determine the associations between WBCs count and obesity in apparently healthy young adults. Design/methodology/approach In this cross-sectional study, the authors evaluated the body mass index (BMI) in 392 apparently healthy young adults of both sexes. The WBCs count was measured using standard counter techniques. The inclusion criteria were the agreement to participate in the study, between 18 and 25 years of age, lack of self-reported diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, kidney and infectious diseases. Findings According to the BMI classification, underweight and overweight or obesity were observed in 14.58 and 11.48 per cent of young adults, respectively. The mean WBC was 6.5 ± 1.5 (×10³ cells/µL). Higher values of WBCs were found in women than in men (p = 0.02). The young adults with higher BMI had a higher WBCs count. There was a positive correlation between WBCs count and weight and BMI (r = 0.19 and r = 0.22, p < 0.001, respectively). Research limitations/implications This research was a cross-sectional study. Future studies are suggested using longitudinal studies to examine more relationships between obesity and WBCs count in apparently healthy young adults. Practical implications The results of this study provide evidence for weight management in this age group to reduce diseases associated with increased WBCs count. Originality/value The WBCs count was related to increasing levels of BMI per cent 2 C even in the normal range.

scholarly journals The Influence of Husband's Role on Mother Interest in Giving Exclusive Breastfeeding

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunik Windarti ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
The Body ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Nahdlatul Ulama ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Postpartum Mothers

ABSTRACT Background: Woman who become mother have gone through various life cycles, from pregnancy till childbirth. During this postpartum period, almost all mothers also breastfeed their babies. The process of restoring the body health after childbirth along with caring for the baby often leaves the mother physically and psychologically exhausted. So many mothers cannot provide exclusive breastfeeding. This is where the husband’s role is very important to provide support to the mother. This study aimed to analyze the influence husband’s role on the mother’s interest in giving exclusive breastfeeding. Subjects and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 2 months on 46 postpartum mothers. This study conducted in Wonokromo, Surabaya, in 2020. The independent variable was the husband’s role and the dependent variable was the mother’s interest in giving exclusive breastfeeding. The data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using Chi Square test. Results: The results showed that out of 21 (57.14%) mothers who had less husband’s role, most had a low interest in giving exclusive breastfeeding. Of the 25 mothers who have a good husband’s role, almost all (92%) have a high interest in exclusive breastfeeding (p< 0.001), and it was statistically significant. Conclusion: The better husband’s role in supporting his wife, the higher the mother’s interest in giving exclusive breastfeeding. Keywords: husband role, mother, exclusive breastfeeding Correspondence: Yunik Windarti. Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya, East Java. Jl. Smea No 57 Surabaya, East Java. Email: [email protected]. Mobile: 081330330090. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26911/the7thicph.03.22

scholarly journals Association Between Sampling Method and Covid-19 Test Positivity Among Undergraduate Students: Testing Friendship Paradox in Covid-19 Network of Transmission

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sina Kianersi ◽  
Yong-Yeol Ahn ◽  
Molly Rosenberg
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
University Policy

In November 2020, we conducted a cross sectional study to implement and test the method of acquaintance sampling (randomly sampling friends of randomly sampled individuals) in detecting students with higher probability of COVID-19 positivity. Overall, 879 students were randomly sampled and participated in this study. In an online survey, the randomly sampled participants nominated a friend, and reported their own and their nominated friend's COVID-19 status. Nominated friends were about 1.64 (95% CI: 1.33, 2.00) times more likely to have ever been infected with COVID-19, compared to randomly sampled students. Our study corroborates the effectiveness of acquaintance sampling for identifying members of networks with higher COVID-19 risk. These findings could be useful for university policy makers when developing mitigation testing programs and intervention strategies against COVID-19 spread.

Perceived stress and its relationship with the body composition of undergraduate students of a medical college in Nigeria.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayoola Ibifubara Aiyegbusi ◽  
Sunday Rufus Akinbo ◽  
Oluwadamilola Bolarinwa Adebisi
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Muscle Mass ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Level ◽  
Visceral Fat ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Relationships

Background: Stress among medical undergraduates has been reported to be on the increase with subsequent tendency towards obesity. However, the association between perceived stress and body composition has yet to be determined.Objective: This cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the relationship between perceived stress and body composition among undergraduates of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria.Methods: Three hundred and twenty-nine apparently healthy undergraduates (165 males and 164 females) with ages between 17 to 35 years participated in the study. Physical characteristics such as weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and body composition indices were measured using standard procedures. Questionnaires were administered to assess the levels of perceived stress of the participants. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient analysis.Results: The mean stress level was low (27.33 ± 10.60). There were significant relationships between the body composition indices and perceived stress with visceral fat having the strongest relationship (p = 0.004) while BMI had the least correlation (p = 0.037). There were also significant relationships between age, gender and body composition indices. The percentage muscle mass, visceral fat, and body fat had significant relationships with the gender of the participants.Conclusion: Visceral fat, BMI, and percentage muscle mass increased with an increase in perceived stress level, and females had a lower level of perceived stress than males.

Evaluating the knowledge, attitudes and practices of adults on food safety: a cross-sectional sample from Turkey

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pınar Göbel ◽  
Nevin Şanlier ◽  
Sine Yilmaz ◽  
Onur Toka ◽  
Büşra Açikalin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The Body ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the levels of food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of consumer. Design/methodology/approach In total, 1,161 volunteers were included in this study, which has been developed to measure the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of adults on food safety. Study data were collected through an online survey technique. Findings A statistically significant difference was determined between male and female participants and also at the education level considering total food safety attitude and practice scores (p < 0,001). It was determined that university graduates had higher scores at all scales than the median scores. When an assessment was made on the body mass index of the participants, it was seen that the implementation and attitude scales were statistically different from each other, and in paired comparisons on these scales, the average scores of normal-weight individuals were observed higher in the sub-dimensions than slightly obese individuals (p < 0.007; p < 0.001). Research limitations/implications Even though the population of the study was adults living in different cities, the results should not be generalized to all adults and the whole country. Also, the fact that the answers to the questions were not face-to-face, could create a bias. Although the reliability coefficient was found to be high, the data reported by the individuals participating in the study about their behavior formed the study results. Originality/value This study makes an important contribution to the literature. Determining the knowledge, attitude and behavior of consumers about food safety is important in ensuring food safety.

scholarly journals Determinants of enrolment in the NHIS for women in Ghana – a cross sectional study

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1318-1334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Kusi ◽  
Ama Fenny ◽  
Daniel Kojo Arhinful ◽  
Felix Ankomah Asante ◽  
Divya Parmar
Keyword(s):  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Power Relationships ◽  
Wealth Status ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Almost All

Purpose The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced in 2005 to provide equitable access to healthcare. Furthermore, concessions were made for pregnant women, yet inequities in access continue to exist. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether dimensions of social exclusion explain why some groups of women are not benefitting from the scheme. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 4,050 representative households in five districts. Logistic regression is used to examine the factors that determine enrolment of women under the NHIS. Findings The study sample consists of a sub-sample of 3,173 women out of whom 58 per cent were insured. The majority (64.9 per cent) of the women were in the reproductive age (15–45 years). The results show that wealth status, age, health status, locality, perception about the quality of care at health facilities and perception of the NHIS, are the key factors that determine enrolment into the scheme. Practical implications By conceptualising social exclusion as the multi-dimensional processes driven by unequal power relationships which lead to differential inclusion and exclusion in social systems, the study provides evidence to show that certain groups of women are systemically excluded from participating in the NHIS. Social implications With women dominating the informal sector of Ghana’s economy which is often characterised by relatively low incomes, these inequities in access need to be addressed. Originality/value Although gender equality incorporates discussions on issues affecting men and women this paper focusses on women in Ghana due to disadvantaged position in which many of them find themselves in terms of access to resources. Almost all of the identified barriers in previous studies have been worsened by gender with women generally facing greater difficulties in accessing adequate care. Few of these papers have taken account the specific health needs and gender-specific constraints of women in the NHIS. The authors aim to fill this gap by using a social exclusion lens to explore whether Ghanaian women (i.e. 15 years and above) are participating in the NHIS and examine the processes by which exclusion occurs and what explains the patterns observed.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Pain Among U.S. College Music Students and Faculty

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy L Stanek ◽  
Kevin D Komes ◽  
Fred A Murdock
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Medical Professional ◽  
College Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Right

OBJECTIVES: Studies over recent decades have demonstrated significant performance-related pain among professional musicians. However, there have been no large-scale studies to evaluate pain among college musicians. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and anatomical locations of performance-related pain among students and faculty at the college level and learn what musicians do when they have pain. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected using an online survey distributed to colleges across the United States. Data were analyzed using REDCap electronic data capture tools and Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: We received 1,007 survey responses and found that 67% of musicians at colleges experienced performance-related pain. The highest prevalence of pain was in woodwind musicians, with 83% reporting performance-related pain. The most common locations of pain were upper back (27%), lower back (26%), and fingers of the right hand (25%). Many student musicians with pain seek help from their teacher, but almost as many do not seek help at all. Less than 25% see a medical professional. CONCLUSIONS: Most musicians at colleges experience performance-related pain in a variety of anatomical locations depending upon instrument/voice. Performing arts health organizations can increase awareness of treatment options for musicians suffering from performance-related pain, which may lead to improved quality of life and increased career longevity for college musicians.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document