scholarly journals Well-being of Polish university students after the first year of the coronavirus pandemic: The role of core self-evaluations, social support and fear of COVID-19

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259296
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Turska ◽  
Natalia Stępień-Lampa
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
University Students ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Core Self

Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic represents an unprecedented situation in the most recent history. It has had a number of negative consequences for individuals and for whole societies. Individual effects of the pandemic include not only loss of life and of physical health, but also deteriorated quality of life. Objective This study examines the effect of core self-evaluations (CSE), social support and fear of COVID-19 on the well-being of university students in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted an online survey on a nationwide group of 1,000 students of Polish universities. The survey was carried out between 1 and 15 March 2021. The respondents filled out the following set of tools: World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale, Core Self-Evaluations Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and The Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Results The findings showed that core self-evaluations (CSE) were significantly positively associated with well-being in each of the four domains studied: physical health (r = 0.519), psychological (r = 0.763), social relationships (r = 0.465) and environment (r = 0.496). Similarly, social support correlated positively with physical health (r = 0.277), psychological health (r = 0.306), social relationships (r = 0.552) and environment (r = 0.496). Fear of COVID-19 correlated negatively with well-being in the domain of physical health (r = 0.188), in social relationships (r = 0.042) and with regard to the environment (r = 0.071), the correlations were weak. However, the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and well-being in the psychological domain was not confirmed. Conclusion The findings point to the significant role of CSE and the role of social support in the perceived quality of life of young people during the pandemic. They provide valuable data concerning individuals who are particularly vulnerable to the adverse psychological effects at the time of the pandemic. They also prove that research conducted to explore other factors protecting individual well-being in difficult situations, including that of the pandemic, should be continued.

scholarly journals Benefits of Equine-Based Therapy for Individuals with Dementia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lauren Fearn
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Energy Level ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equine Assisted

Individuals living with dementia typically experience progressive, cognitive, and functional decline which limits their ability to communicate and fully perform activities (Pimouguet el al., 2019). Horses have been shown to benefit individuals with dementia by improving well-being, physical health, functional capacity, and social relationships (Fields et. al., 2019). A 6-week OT-based virtual equine-assisted activities program was conducted to determine if participation in equine-assisted activities could improve the quality of life of individuals with dementia. Outcomes of the program resulted in improvements in mood, energy level, engagement, communication, memory, socialization, and overall quality of life.

scholarly journals Depression and Quality of Life in Older Gay and Bisexual Men in Spain and Portugal

2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-213
Author(s):  
Henrique Pereira ◽  
Brian de Vries ◽  
Juan Pedro Serrano ◽  
Rosa Marina Afonso ◽  
Graça Esgalhado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Gay And Bisexual Men ◽  
World Health ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
And Bisexual

The purpose of this study was to assess levels of depressive symptoms and quality of life in older gay and bisexual older Spanish and Portuguese men and explore associations between these two samples and these variables. Using online surveys, 191 older gay and bisexual men from Spain and Portugal (mean age = 70 years) completed the Spanish and Portuguese versions of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression Scale and World Health Organization Instrument to Assess Quality of Life. Overall, moderate levels of depression and quality of life were found. Gay men and Spanish men report higher levels of depressive symptoms than bisexual and Portuguese men. Gay men score higher on physical health dimensions; bisexual men score higher on the social relationships dimension. Lower levels of physical health, psychological symptoms, and social relationships were significant predictors of depressive symptoms. These exploratory findings offer both similarities and differences between the samples from the two countries—and with U.S. data—and further evidence of the pervasive experience of depression in the lives of sexual minority older men with a renewed awareness of myriad contexts within which individuals age.

scholarly journals Quality of life in older adults receiving hemodialysis: a qualitative study

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 655-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasheeda K. Hall ◽  
Michael P. Cary ◽  
Tiffany R. Washington ◽  
Cathleen S. Colón-Emeric
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Frailty Status

Abstract Purpose Patient priorities for quality of life change with age. We conducted a qualitative study to identify quality of life themes of importance to older adults receiving dialysis and the extent to which these are represented in existing quality of life instruments. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 adults aged ≥ 75 years receiving hemodialysis to elicit participant perspectives on what matters most to them in life. We used framework analysis methodology to process interview transcripts (coding, charting, and mapping), identify major themes, and compare these themes by participant frailty status. We examined for representation of our study’s subthemes in the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL-36) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life for Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD) instruments. Results Among the 12 participants, average age was 81 (4.2) years, 7 African-American, 6 women, and 6 met frailty criteria. We identified two major quality of life themes: (1) having physical well-being (subthemes: being able to do things independently, having symptom control, maintaining physical health, and being alive) and (2) having social support (subthemes: having practical social support, emotional social support, and socialization). Perspectives on the subthemes often varied by frailty status. For example, being alive meant surviving from day-to-day for frail participants, but included a desire for new life experiences for non-frail participants. The majority of the subthemes did not correspond with domains in the KDQOL-36 and WHOQOL-OLD instruments. Conclusion Novel instruments are likely needed to elicit the dominant themes of having physical well-being and having social support identified by older adults receiving dialysis.

scholarly journals Quality of life of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Assessing the level of quality of life and the associated factors after the end of movement lockdown

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Farris Iman Leong Bin Abdullah ◽  
Nor Shuhada Murad ◽  
Soo Huat Teoh ◽  
Mohd Afifuddin Mohamad
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
University Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Purpose: Despite the significant impact of COVID-19 on mental health among university students, data on the related quality of life (QoL) are lacking in this group of the population. This study aimed to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and determine its association with various factors and social support among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic after the end of movement lockdown. Methods: This was an online, cross-sectional study recruited a total of 316 participants. Participants were administered a self-reported questionnaire to gather data on demographic, personal, clinical and psychological characteristics; the 21-item depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) to assess the severity of their depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms; the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) to assess the degree of social support; and the World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQoL-BREF) to assess QoL. Results: The psychological and social QoL scores were lower than the non-pandemic norms of the general population, while the physical health and environmental QoL scores were comparable. After adjusting for relevant demographic, personal, and clinical variables, religious coping; greater number of hours of online classes attended; and greater social support from family, friends and significant others were found to be significantly associated with higher QoL among the participants. Frustration because of study disruption, living in areas with a high prevalence of COVID-19 cases, and a higher severity of depressive and stress symptoms were significantly associated with lower QoL. Conclusion: COVID-19 impaired the QoL of university students even after the movement lockdown was lifted.

scholarly journals Gender difference in quality of life (QoL) among outpatients with schizophrenia in a tertiary care setting

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleha Shafie ◽  
Ellaisha Samari ◽  
Anitha Jeyagurunathan ◽  
Edimansyah Abdin ◽  
Sherilyn Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Clinical Features ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Chinese Ethnicity

Abstract Background Patients with mental illness report lower quality of life (QoL) compared to the general population. Prior research has found several differences in clinical features and experiences of male and female patients with schizophrenia. Given these differences, it is also important to explore if there are any gender differences in terms of their QoL. This study aimed to investigate differences in QoL between and within each gender among outpatients with schizophrenia in Singapore. Methods A total of 140 outpatients were recruited through convenience sampling at the Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. QoL was measured using the brief version of World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) which consists of four domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. QoL scores of males and females were compared using independent t-tests, and multiple linear regressions were used to examine sociodemographic correlates of QoL in the overall sample and within each gender. Results There was no significant difference in QoL domain scores between genders. Among males, Indian ethnicity (versus Chinese ethnicity) was positively associated with physical health (β=3.03, p=0.018) while males having Technical Education/ Diploma/ A level education (versus Degree and above) were positively associated with social relationships domain (β=2.46, p=0.047). Among females, Malay ethnicity (versus Chinese ethnicity) was positively associated with physical health (β=1.95, p=0.026) psychological health (β=3.21, p=0.001) social relationships (β=2.17, p=0.048) and environment (β=2.69, p=0.006) domains, while females who were separated/divorced (versus single) were inversely associated with psychological health (β=− 2.80, p=0.044) and social relationships domains (β=− 4.33, p=0.011). Females who had Secondary and below education (versus Degree and above) were inversely associated with social relationships (β=− 2.29, p=0.028) and environment domains (β=− 1.79, p=0.048). Conclusions The findings show the importance of treatments targeting QoL to attend to both the clinical features of the illness as well patient’s sociodemographic characteristics.

Psychometric Properties of the WHOQOL-BREF Questionnaire for the Norwegian General Population

2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berit R. Hanestad ◽  
Tone Rustøen ◽  
Øistein Knudsen, ◽  
Anners Lerdal ◽  
Astrid K. Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
General Population ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Domain Structure ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
World Health ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Component Solution

In 1994, the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) Group developed the procedure (the WHOQOL 100) to measure quality of life in healthy and ill persons from diverse cultures. The purpose of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of a 26-item version of the WHOQOL 100, the WHOQOL-BREF, when applied to the Norwegian general population. The questionnaire was sent to 4,000 randomly selected Norwegian citizens aged 19 to 81 years. The response rate was 48.5%. Cronbach’s alpha ranged from .60 in the social relationships domain to .84 in the physical health domain. Factor analysis resulted in a four-component solution partly supporting the established domain structure. Multiple regression analysis with sex, age, education, cohabitation and self-reported disease as independent variables explained 28%, 8%, 4%, and 15% of the variance for the physical health, psychological, social relationships and environmental domains, respectively. Self-reported disease was the strongest factor. The results appear to be promising regarding scaling qualities, discriminative power, and domain structure.

Curiosity and Interest: The Benefits of Thriving on Novelty and Challenge

2009 ◽  
pp. 366-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd B. Kashdan ◽  
Paul J. Silvia
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Scientific Attention

An imbalance exists between the role of curiosity as a motivational force in nearly all human endeavors and the lack of scientific attention given to the topic. In recent years, however, there has been a proliferation of concepts that capture the essence of curiosity—recognizing, seeking out, and showing a preference for the new. In this chapter, we combine this work to address the nature of curiosity, where it fits in the larger scheme of positive emotions, the advantages of being curious in social relationships, links between curiosity and elements of well-being, and how it has been used in interventions to improve people's quality of life. Our emphasis is on methodologically sophisticated findings that show how curiosity operates in the laboratory and everyday life, and how, under certain conditions, curiosity can be a profound source of strength or a liability. People who are regularly curious and willing to embrace the novelty, uncertainty, and challenges that are inevitable as we navigate the shoals of everyday life are at an advantage in creating a fulfilling existence compared with their less curious peers. Our brief review is designed to bring further attention to this neglected, underappreciated, human universal.

scholarly journals Quality of Life among University Students with Premenstrual Syndrome

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (05) ◽  
pp. 312-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Figueira Victor ◽  
Ariani Impieri Souza ◽  
Cynthia Danúbia Tavares Barreiros ◽  
João Lucas Nunes de Barros ◽  
Flavia Anchielle Carvalho da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
University Students ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Premenstrual Syndrome ◽  
Short Form ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Significant Difference

Objective To evaluate the quality of life among university students with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculdade Pernambucana de Saúde, in Recife, Brazil, between August 2016 and July 2017. Sociodemographic, gynecological, and lifestyle variables, and PMS occurrence, were investigated among 642 students. The short form of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL Bref) questionnaire was used to evaluate four domains of the quality of life of the students: physical, mental, social relationships, and environmental. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' criteria were used to define PMS. Results Of the 642 students, 49.9% had PMS, 23.3% had mild PMS and 26.6% had premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Most of the students were between 18 and 24 years old, had regular menstrual cycles, and practiced physical activity. Regarding the physical and mental domains of the WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire, a statistically significant difference was observed between the students who did not have and those who had mild or PMDD (p < 0.001). A difference was also found between the students who did not have PMS and those who had mild PMS in the social relationships (p = 0.001) and environmental domains (p = 0.009). Conclusion Mild PMS and PMDD are prevalent among university students on health-related courses, and the syndrome can affect the students' self-assessment of all the domains of quality of life.

scholarly journals Quality of life and its contributors among adults with late-onset Pompe disease in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanquan Chen ◽  
Jingxuan Wang ◽  
Jianfeng Zhu ◽  
Roger Yat-Nork Chung ◽  
Dong Dong
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Assistive Devices ◽  
Chinese Patients

Abstract Background Pompe disease (PD) is a rare inherited disorder caused by the deficiency of acid-α glucosidase, which leads to the impairment of organ and tissue functions and causes disabilities. As the first national survey on patients with late-onset PD (LOPD) in China, this study investigated the quality of life (QOL) of adult patients with LOPD in China and explored its contributors. Methods Data were derived from a nation-based, cross-sectional, self-response survey on rare diseases (RDs) in early 2018. Answers from 68 adult Chinese patients with LOPD were used for data analysis. QOL was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life: Brief Version. Covariates included age, gender, education, employment, reliance on assistive devices, medication history, social support, and disease economic burden. Data were analyzed using linear regression in R. Results For adult patients with LOPD, the average scores and standard deviations (SD) of the four dimensions of QOL were physical health = 33.77 (SD = 18.28), psychological health = 43.81 (SD = 21.70), environmental health = 39.43 (SD = 16.93), and social relationship = 46.20 (SD = 19.76); the scoring for each dimension was evaluated on a scale of 0 to 100. At the significance level of p < 0.05, with increasing age, the patients experienced a significant decrease in physical health QOL (β = − 0.75) and environmental health QOL (β = − 0.79). Those who relied heavily on assistive devices had lower perceived physical health (β = − 17.8), psychological health (β = − 22.76), environmental health (β = − 17.8), and social relationships (β = − 22.12) than those who did not. A one-unit increase in the amount of social support, as a form of social interaction, led to a significant increase in physical health (β = 0.28), psychological health (β = 0.71), environmental health (β = 0.72), and social relationships (β = 0.70). Conclusion Adult Chinese patients with LOPD had a lower physical health and QOL compared to their counterparts with other RDs. Being employed was found to affect the QOL of adult Chinese patients with LOPD in almost all dimensions. Encouraging adult Chinese patients with LOPD to be socially active and help them become more involved in social life might improve their QOL.

scholarly journals Quality of Life and Its Contributors Among Adults With Late-onset Pompe Disease in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanquan Chen ◽  
Jingxuan Wang ◽  
Jianfeng Zhu ◽  
Roger Yat-Nork Chung ◽  
Dong Dong
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Assistive Devices ◽  
Chinese Patients

Abstract Background: Pompe disease (PD) is a rare inherited disorder caused by the deficiency of acid-ɑ glucosidase, which leads to the impairment of organ and tissue functions and causes disabilities. As the first national survey on patients with late-onset PD (LOPD) in China, this study investigated the quality of life (QOL) of adult patients with LOPD in China and explored its contributors. Methods: Data were derived from a nation-based, cross-sectional, self-response survey on rare diseases in early 2018. Answers from 68 adult Chinese patients with LOPD were used for data analysis. QOL was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life: Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF). Covariates included age, gender, education, employment, reliance on assistive devices, medication history, social support, and disease economic burden. Data were analyzed using linear regression in R.Results: For adult patients with LOPD, the average scores and standard deviations (SD) of the four dimensions of QOL were physical health=33.77 (SD=18.28), psychological health=43.81 (SD=21.70), environmental health=39.43 (SD=16.93), and social relationship=46.20 (SD=19.76); the scoring for each dimension was evaluated on a scale of 0 to 100. At the significance level of p<0.05, with increasing age, the patients experienced a significant decrease in physical health QOL (β=-0.75) and environmental health QOL (β=-0.79). Those who relied heavily on assistive devices had lower perceived physical health (β=-17.8), psychological health (β=-22.76), environmental health (β=-17.8), and social relationships (β=-22.12) than those who did not. A one-unit increase in the amount of social support, as a form of social interaction, led to a significant increase in physical health (β=0.28), psychological health (β=0.71), environmental health (β=0.72), and social relationships (β =0.70).Conclusion: Adult Chinese patients with LOPD had a lower physical health and QOL compared to their counterparts with other rare diseases. Being employed was found to affect the QOL of adult Chinese patients with LOPD in almost all dimensions. Encouraging adult Chinese patients with LOPD to be socially active and help them become more involved in social life might improve their QOL.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document