scholarly journals Experiences With COVID-19 Stressors and Parents’ Use of Neglectful, Harsh, and Positive Parenting Practices in the Northeastern United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 107755952110064
Author(s):  
Christian M. Connell ◽  
Michael J. Strambler

Objectives: To estimate household exposure to COVID-19 related stress and the association with parent report of neglectful, harsh, and positive discipline practices. Methods: Cross sectional survey data was collected from 2,068 parents in the Northeastern US. Parents reported personal and household experiences of COVID-19 stressors, their level of distress, and use of neglectful parenting and discipline practices for a randomly selected child in their home. Analyses estimated rates of COVID-19 related stress and parenting practices. Logistic regression was used to assess the relation of COVID-19 stress to parenting behaviors. Results: Individual and household stressor level, as well as distress were each positively associated with likelihood of neglect. Personal exposure to stressors was minimally related to discipline, but household stressor level and parents’ distress were positively associated with harsh and positive discipline. Discussion: Indicators of COVID-19 stress (e.g., exposure to stressors and distress) each uniquely predicted parents’ use of neglect, particularly physical and family-based sub-types, and use of harsh and positive discipline practices. Results suggest that parents may require additional support to provide appropriate care for their children while coping with the increased rates of stress associated with the pandemic and the resulting public health response.

Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.


Author(s):  
Marjorie Rafaela Lima Do Vale ◽  
Anna Farmer ◽  
Rebecca Gokiert ◽  
Geoff Ball ◽  
Katerina Maximova

Purpose: To describe (i) nutrition policies in childcare centres, (ii) the resources and processes used to enable policy implementation, and (iii) the association between policy implementation and childcare centres’ or administrators’ characteristics. Methods: Between October 2018 and June 2019 a web-based survey that addressed nutrition policy, policy implementation, and sociodemographic characteristics was sent to eligible childcare programs (centre-based and provided meals) in the Edmonton (Alberta) metropolitan region. The survey was pretested and pilot tested. Statistical tests examined the relationship between policy implementation with centres’ and administrators’ characteristics. Results: Of 312 childcare centres that received the survey invitation, 43 completed it. The majority of centres had a nutrition policy in place (94%). On average, centres had about 9 of the 17 implementation resources and processes assessed. Most often administrators reported actively encouraging the implementation of the nutrition policy (n = 35; 87%) and least often writing evaluation reports of the implementation of the nutrition policy (n = 9; 22%). Administrator’s education level was associated with implementation total score (p = 0.009; Kruskal-Wallis). Conclusion: Most childcare centres had a nutrition policy in place, but many lacked resources and processes to enable policy implementation. Additional support is required to improve nutrition policy development and implementation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-322
Author(s):  
Martins Olanrewaju Atunde ◽  
Johnson Abiodun Medupin ◽  
Saliu Ishaq Alabi ◽  
Abdulganiyu Adebayo Tijani ◽  
Olabode Awarun ◽  
...  

Background: Incidents of occupational stress among academicians globally is on the rise, despite its impending effects and prospects of coping strategies suggested in literature. Objective: This study examines occupational stress among university faculty staff and its outcomes on university goal achievements in Kwara State, Nigeria.  Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey. A multi-stage sampling technique was used for the selection of 458 faculty staff. Data were collected with the use of a 57-item questionnaire. Results: Results reveal that the level of stress among faculty staff was high (3.25), while stress level differs based on gender (p<.05), age (p<.01), marital status (p<.01), work experience (p<.05) and ownership of workplace (p<.05). The prominent risk associated with occupational-related stress are organizational-related (cluster mean 3.26) and role-related (CM 3.26) factors. Findings further indicate that the social support (CM 3.00) and individual-focused (CM 2.91) coping strategies were moderately adopted for managing occupational-related stress among university faculty, while the organizational support coping strategy was utilized to a low extent (CM 2.47). Conclusion and Recommendation: The study findings implicate the attainment of university goals in terms of delivering quality teaching, research and promoting scholarship and community service. Thus, the mitigation of occupational-related stress requires individual, social and most especially workplace-level interventions. Implications: The research would enable university administrators in designing appropriate workplace policies and intervention strategies or programmes for minimizing high-stress level, risk factors and their attendant effects so that faculty staff can cope effectively with work demands for the enhanced achievements of university goals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 230-243
Author(s):  
Afocha E. E ◽  
Oladele D. A ◽  
Ajibaye O

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is considered a major public health challenge of this century. The disease caused by the virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a pandemic that has caused severe morbidity and mortality globally including Africa with the limited ability of requisite public health response. Therefore, this survey aims to assess the knowledge and risk perception of COVID-19 among the general public in Nigeria following an index case confirmation in the country. This is an online cross-sectional survey among the general adult population in Nigeria aged 18 years and above. Study variables were summarized using descriptive statistical methods while bivariate analysis was done to determine the association between socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and outcome variables. Out of 254 respondents who participated in this study, (50.6%) were males and (49.4%) were females. The most stated source of information on COVID-19 was social media (88.5%). More than half (69.3.%) had good knowledge of COVID-19, less than one-third (26.0 %) had average knowledge while just a few had poor knowledge (4.7%) of the disease. Risk perception among the respondents was low and evenly distributed. There was no statistically significant association between, education, gender, and employment status of the respondents and good knowledge of COVID-19. The study suggests that a considerable proportion of respondents have adequate knowledge and awareness related to COVID-19. However, respondent's risk perception of contracting the disease was low. There is a need therefore for robust enlightenment through effective behavioral change communication campaigns. Key words: Knowledge, Perception, Risk, COVID-19, Nigeria.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldebarán Toledo-Fernández ◽  
Diana Betancourt-Ocampo ◽  
Héctor Romo-Parra ◽  
Ernesto Reyes-Zamorano ◽  
Alejandro González-González

The objectives of this study were to describe severity of psychological distress (event-related stress, anxiety, and depression) during the second stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, and to explore associations between the indicators of psychological distress, sociodemographic characteristics and specific concerns about COVID-19. This report serves as a baseline measure of a longitudinal project to evaluate progression of psychological distress across stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. An online survey was conducted in the State of Mexico from April 8th -18th, 2020, in a sample of men and women who are beneficiaries of a welfare institution in the region. Variables were measured with the Impact of Event Scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disoder-7, and a questionnaire of concerns about COVID-19. A total of 5974 participants were analyzed. Moderate levels of psychological distress (with 23.6% of participants meeting significant event-related stress, but mild levels of depression and anxiety) were found, as well as high values in all concerns about COVID-19, especially regarding financial disruption, worsening of local security and concern of a family member becoming infected. These concerns associated mild-to-moderately with the indicators of psychological distress. Higher values of event-related distress were found in women, individuals with higher educational attainment and those with any current high-risk medical diagnosis, though the effect sizes were mild. Though psychological distress and concerns about COVID-19 have reached significant levels during the pandemic in Mexico, overall, they have not yet reached dysfunctional levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kira Durham ◽  
David Wethmar ◽  
Susanne Brandstetter ◽  
Birgit Seelbach-Göbel ◽  
Christian Apfelbacher ◽  
...  

Background: Early exposure to digital media may affect the physical and cognitive development in young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics and national guidelines recommend no digital media use at all under the age of 18 months. The aim of our study was to determine the actual exposure to digital media in 12-month-old infants and to reveal potential risk factors for screen time.Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional survey, data was collected from the KUNO Kids birth cohort study using parent-report questionnaires regarding the media exposure of the study child. We determined age at first contact with different digital media, mean screen time on an average weekday, and the influence of major demographic and socioeconomic factors.Results: Data for screen time analysis was available for 630 children. In summary, 45% of children had already been exposed to digital media by their first birthday. The most frequent first digital media exposure was the TV (33.0%) followed by smartphones (16.9%), both most commonly exposed to around the age of 8 months. On a regular weekday, 20% of the children spent 0.5–1 h in front of a TV and 9% were exposed to a smartphone for the same time frame, compared to 31% of joint parent-child media use. Predictors for screen time were having one sibling, less living space per person, and excessive TV use in the household, the latter of which doubled the chance of the child being exposed to digital media.Conclusion: A proportion of 10% of 1-year-old children were already regularly exposed to digital media. The TV remains the most predominant device but new media, particularly smartphones, might be catching up. Our study provides further support that family TV time is a major predictor of infant screen time. Pediatric recommendations should be re-evaluated in the light of the actual exposure to digital media already in infancy and parents should be proactively counseled regarding possible effects on child development.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shasha Cui ◽  
Yujun Jiang ◽  
Qianyu Shi ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Dehua Kong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background COVID-19 poses a great challenge to the global health system. The nurses of emergency and fever outpatient (EFO) act as gatekeepers to the health care system in the public health response to COVID-19 epidemic. This study examined the psychological impact of COVID-19 upon EFO nurses in Chinese hospitals. Methods In midmonth of February, 2020, convenience sampling was used to recruit EFO nurses from hospitals in Jiangsu Province. Data were obtained by self-administered online questionnaires, which consisted of a general questionnaire, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Perceived Stress Scale-14 and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. A total of 481 questionnaires were returned and 453 valid questionnaires were recovered. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the influence of socio-psychological and working condition factors on anxiety, stress and stress coping tendency. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the associations among anxiety, stress and coping tendency. Results Among the participants, 281(62.03%) had no anxiety symptoms, 154(34.00%) had mild anxiety, 16(3.53%) had moderate anxiety, and 2(0.44%) had severe anxiety. There were 146(32.23%) participants with scores greater than 25 in the PSS, indicating excessive stress. We found that 229(50.55%) participants were more likely to respond positively to stress, while 224(49.45%) were more likely to respond negatively. The models we used included gender, fear of infecting family members, regretting being a nurse, having children, confidence in fighting outbreak, rest time, professional attitudes, having attended infection prevention training, and number of night shifts; and they were all predictors of the mental health of EFO nurses. Pearson correlation showed a positive correlation of the anxiety with stress score (r=0.443, P<0.001), while the coping tendency score was found negatively correlated with anxiety (r=-0.268, P< 0.001) and stress (r=-0.503, P< 0.001). Conclusion COVID-19 has a certain psychosocial impact upon EFO nurses. Effective measures, such as strengthening protection training, adequate nurses for emergency and fever clinics, reducing night shifts, and timely updates of latest epidemic situation, should be taken. Moreover, greater attention should be paid to female EFO nurses and nurses with children.


Author(s):  
Devon J. Hensel ◽  
Molly Rosenberg ◽  
Maya Luetke ◽  
Tsung-chieh Fu ◽  
Debby Herbenick

AbstractBackgroundResearch demonstrates that pandemics adversely impact sexual and reproductive health (SRH), but few have examined their impact on people’s participation in sex. We examined self-reported changes in solo and sexual behaviors in U.S. adults during early stages of the public health response to COVID-19.MethodsWe conducted an online, nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of U.S. adults (N=1010; aged 18-94 years; 62% response rate) from April 10-20, 2020. We used weighted multinomial logistic regression to examine past month self-reported changes (decreased, stable or increased) in ten solo and partnered sexual behaviors. Predictor variables included: having children at home, past month depressive symptoms, (ACHA 3-item scale), past month loneliness (UCLA 3-Item Loneliness scale), COVID-19 protection behaviors (adapted 12-item scale), perceived COVID-19 consequences (adapted 10-item scale) and COVID-19 knowledge (adapted 10-item scale).ResultsNearly half of all adults reported some kind of change – most commonly, a decrease – in their sexual behavior in the past month. Having elementary aged children at home, past month depressive symptoms and loneliness and enacting more COVID-19 protective behaviors were associated with both reduced partnered bonding behaviors, such as hugging, cuddling, holding hands and kissing, as well as reduced partnered sexual behaviors, such as oral sex, partnered genital touching and vaginal sex. Greater COVID-19 risk perception and greater COVID-19 knowledge were associated with mixed effects in behavior outcomes.ConclusionsOur data illustrate the very personal ways in which different pandemic-associated factors may create or inhibit opportunities for solo and partnered sex. The centrality of sexuality to health and well-being – even during pandemics – means that a critical piece of public health prevention and management responses should is ensuring that services and resource that support positive sexual decision making remain open and available.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-49
Author(s):  
Martins Olanrewaju Atunde ◽  
Johnson Abiodun Medupin ◽  
Saliu Ishaq Alabi ◽  
Olabode Awarun ◽  
Janet Oluwakemi Oladejobio ◽  
...  

This study examined occupational-related stress among university faculty staff and its implications on goal attainment of universities in Kwara State, Nigeria.  The research design was a descriptive research of a cross-sectional survey. Multi-stage sampling technique was used for the selection of 458 faculty staff. Data were collected with the use of 57-item questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed with relevant statistics like percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings revealed that the level of stress among faculty staff was high (3.25), while stress level differs based on gender (p<.05), age (p<.01), marital status (p<.01), work experience (p<.05) and ownership of workplace (p<.05). The prominent risk associated with occupational-related stress were the organizational-related (cluster mean 3.26) and role-related (CM 3.26) factors. Finding further indicated that the social support (CM 3.00) and individual-focused (CM 2.91) coping strategies were moderately adopted for managing occupational-related stress among university faculty, while the organizational support coping strategy was utilized to a low extent (CM 2.47). The findings implicate the attainment of university goals because of the negative effect high-stress level will have on the physiological and behavioural state of faculty staff adding to destructive work and health anomalies.


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