scholarly journals Physical and social challenges of youth during lockdown in Mizoram: a COVID lockdown study

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 4895
Author(s):  
Catherine Lianhmingthangi ◽  
U. Harikrishnan ◽  
Grace Lalhlupuii Sailo
Keyword(s):  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Male Youth ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Health And Development ◽  
Second Phases

Background: Young people experience the COVID-19 pandemic differently and their new found ‘leisure’ time can pose several challenges in their physical and social life. This paper incorporates findings from an online survey that was conducted to probe into the physical and social challenges that disrupted the daily life of youth across gender during the lockdown in Mizoram, India.Methods: The study adopted a cross sectional descriptive research design and findings are based on an online survey using Google forms questionnaire administered through different social networking platforms among youth aged between 18-35 years. All respondents are permanent residents of Mizoram, India and the study was carried out during the first and second phases of lockdown across the country.Results: Physical challenges such as abuse, body weakness, laziness and appetite issues were found to be more among female youth while social challenges such as communication and socialization; and inability to maintain social distancing were found to be higher among male youth. Gender is found to have a highly significant relationship with laziness (r=0.069), increased appetite (r=0.086) and decreased appetite (r=0.122) and negative significant relationship with increased substance use (r=-0.183).Conclusions: The study found numerous challenges of youth in Mizoram during lockdown. These crisis calls for intervention of various researchers, policy makers and those working in the field of youth health and development.

scholarly journals Health literacy and health-promoting behaviours among Australian-Singaporean communities living in Sydney metropolitan area

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tze Gek Ho ◽  
Hassan Hosseinzadeh ◽  
Bayzidur Rahman ◽  
Mohamud Sheikh
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Smoking And Health

Background: Health literacy affects how individuals navigate and make decisions within the healthcare system and has been recognized to influence health behaviours. However, less is known about its associations with health-promoting behaviours amongst Australian migrant populations. This study is an attempt to fill this gap by investigating the level of health literacy and its associations with physical activity, healthy diet, smoking and health services utilization among Australian-Singaporean communities. Methods: A total of 157 participants were recruited from Singaporean communities living in Sydney metropolitan areas, New South Wales, Australia. Data was collected through a cross-sectional online survey from January 2016 to August 2016. Results: Most of the respondents were female (56.1%), employed (70.7%) and had lived in Sydney for >5 years (80.3%). About 60% of the participants were inadequately health-literate (Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool score ≤ 16). The level of health literacy varied significantly based on participants’ socioeconomic status. Regression analysis indicated that health literacy was a reliable predictor of health-promoting behaviours including diet, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption, physical activity and having a medical check-up. Conclusions: This study’s findings have significant implications for health policy makers and suggest that health literacy should be encouraged and included in any health-promoting behaviour interventions amongst migrant populations.

scholarly journals PROTECTIVE BEHAVIOR AGAINST COVID-19 AMONG VIETNAMESE PEOPLE IN THE SOCIAL DISTANCING CAMPAIGN A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
AISDL
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Protective Behavior ◽  
Protective Behaviors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Precautionary Measures ◽  
Gender Knowledge

In the global fight against the rapid spread of COVID-19, a variety of unprecedented preventive measures have been implemented across the globe, as well as in Vietnam. How Vietnamese people respond to threats to their health and life remains unclear. For this reason, the current study aims to examine Vietnamese people’s protective behavior and its factors. Based on 1,798 online survey respondents’ data collected on the last three days of the nationwide social distancing campaign in mid-April, it is found that gender, knowledge of COVID-19 and preventive measures, and attitudes towards the COVID-19 prevention policies are the three main factors of participants’ protective behaviors. We also find that males are less likely than females to adopt precautionary measures. People who are knowledgeable about COVID-19 may have inappropriate practices towards it. Further research is needed to examine other determinants of protective behaviors to provide more useful information for authorities, public health policy-makers, and healthcare workers to deliver the best practices to control COVID-19 in our country.

scholarly journals Perceived efficacy of COVID-19 restrictions, reactions and their impact on mental health during the early phase of the outbreak in six countries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Jensen Mækelæ ◽  
Niv Reggev ◽  
Natalia Bezerra Dutra ◽  
Ricardo M. Tamayo ◽  
Reinaldo A. Silva-Sobrinho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Early Phase ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Effective School ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
School Closings ◽  
Life Habits

The COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of people to drastically change their social life habits as governments employed harsh restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus. Although beneficial to physical health, the perception of physical distancing and related countermeasures could impact mental health. In a pre-registered online survey, we assessed how effective a range of countermeasures were perceived, how severely they affected daily life, general distress and paranoia during the early phase of the outbreak in Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Israel, Norway and US. Most of our over 2000 respondents rated the countermeasures as effective. School closings were perceived as having the strongest effect on daily life. Participants who believed their country reacted too mildly perceived the risk of contracting Sars-CoV-2 to be higher, were more worried and expressed reduced beliefs in the ability to control the outbreak. Relatedly, dissatisfaction with governmental actions corresponded with increased distress levels. Together, we found that satisfaction with one’s governmental actions and fear appraisal play an important role in assessing the efficacy of countermeasures during the pandemic and their related psychological outcomes. These findings inform policy-makers on the psychological factors that strengthen resilience and foster the well-being of citizens in times of global crisis.

scholarly journals A Glimpse of the Sports Nutrition Awareness in Spanish Basketball Players

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Ignacio Escribano-Ott ◽  
Juan Mielgo-Ayuso ◽  
Julio Calleja-González
Keyword(s):  
Time Management ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Team Sport ◽  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Sports Nutrition ◽  
Professional Support ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Descriptive Research

Basketball is a team sport, with many fans and practitioners worldwide from all ages and levels. In all cases, players accumulate high levels of fatigue, and there is also limited time to recover between games or practices. In particular, nutrition plays a key role in optimizing performance and recovery. However, it is typical to observe erroneous nutritional behaviors among basketball players. It has been theorized that these behaviors are influenced by habits acquired based on the individual’s knowledge. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to conduct a descriptive research of the sports nutrition knowledge and practices in a sample of Spanish basketball players, from athletes under 18 years old (n = 69) to nonprofessional (n = 14) and professional adult players (n = 21). The sample was comprised of 49 men and 55 women. This was a transversal, cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study. All participants (n = 104) completed an anonymous online survey in order to analyze their sports nutrition knowledge and practices. In view of the obtained results, we can conclude that the knowledge of sport-specific nutrition in players under 18 years old, as well as non-professional and professional adult basketball players, is insufficient through all the categories and levels. The lack of professional support and time management difficulties were identified as some of the main barriers.

scholarly journals Proposal and psychometric validation of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus-2 Fear Scale (SCoV-2-FS)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sérgio Monteiro de Almeida ◽  
Clara Putini Villibor ◽  
Suzana Carstensen ◽  
Ricardo Rasmussen Petterle
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Psychometric Validation ◽  
Security Measures ◽  
Internal Reliability ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Challenges

Abstract Background: The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created an unprecedented global health, economic, and social challenges, generating fear. Fear can cause a range of physical and psychological disorders including depression, anxiety, and panic. Leading to lower social isolation and adherence to security measures, consequently increasing infection risk. The objective was to validate an 11-item unidimensional fear scale to identify and assess the severity of the fear of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted through an online survey questionnaire. The sample included the Brazilian general population, randomly recruited by social networking platforms, during the pandemic. Participants aged ≥18 were included. A self-applicable fear scale named as the SARS-CoV-2 Fear Scale (SCoV-2-FS), comprising 11 questions addressing the fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection in performing daily activities was validated. The reliability and validity of the SCoV-2-FS were psychometrically evaluated using reliability measures and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The sample comprised 1332 Brazilian participants. Results: Cronbach’s α was 0.9, indicating very good internal reliability. The results of the CFA showed that the unidimensional factor structure of the SCoV-2-FS fitted well with the data.Limitations: The sampling method could have introduced selection bias in terms of socio-demographics.Conclusion: The SCoV-2-FS is a valid and reliable tool with robust psychometric properties, useful for assessing the psychological impact of fear due to COVID-19. Clinical relevance: The development of a scale may assist in the development of measures to control mental health disorders resulting from fear during and after the pandemic.

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.

scholarly journals Multidimensional impacts of coronavirus pandemic in adolescents in Pakistan: A cross sectional research

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262325
Author(s):  
Nazish Imran ◽  
Fauzia Naz ◽  
Muhammad Imran Sharif ◽  
Sumbul Liaqat ◽  
Musarrat Riaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ethical Approval ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Background COVID-19 has posed unique challenges for adolescents in different dimensions of their life including education, home and social life, mental and physical health. Whether the impact is positive or negative, its significance on the overall shaping of adolescents’ lives cannot be overlooked. The aim of the present study was to explore impacts of the pandemic on the adolescents’ everyday lives in Pakistan. Methods Following ethical approval, this cross-sectional study was conducted through September to December, 2020 via an online survey on 842 adolescents with the mean age of 17.14 ± SD 1.48. Socio-demographic data and Epidemic Pandemic Impact Inventory-Adolescent Adaptation (EPII-A) was used to assess the multi-dimensional effects of the pandemic. Results Among the 842 participants, 84% were girls. Education emerged as the most negatively affected Pandemic domain (41.6–64.3%). Most of the adolescents (62.0–65.8%) had reported changes in responsibilities at home including increased time spent in helping family members. Besides, increase in workload of participants and their parents was prominent (41.8% & 47.6%). Social activities were mostly halted for approximately half (41–51%) of the participants. Increased screen time, decreased physical activity and sedentary lifestyle were reported by 52.7%, 46.3% and 40.7% respectively. 22.2–62.4% of the adolescents had a direct experience with quarantine, while 15.7% experienced death of a close friend or relative. Positive changes in their lives were endorsed by 30.5–62.4% respondents. Being male and older adolescents had significant association with negative impact across most domains (p<0.05). Conclusions Results have shown that COVID-19 exert significant multidimensional impacts on the physical, psycho-social, and home related domains of adolescents that are certainly more than what the previous researches has suggested.

scholarly journals Perceived efficacy of COVID-19 restrictions, reactions and their impact on mental health during the early phase of the outbreak in six countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 200644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Jensen Mækelæ ◽  
Niv Reggev ◽  
Natalia Dutra ◽  
Ricardo M. Tamayo ◽  
Reinaldo A. Silva-Sobrinho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Early Phase ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Effective School ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
School Closings ◽  
Life Habits

The COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of people to drastically change their social life habits as governments employed harsh restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus. Although beneficial to physical health, the perception of physical distancing and related restrictions could impact mental health. In a pre-registered online survey, we assessed how effective a range of restrictions were perceived, how severely they affected daily life, general distress and paranoia during the early phase of the outbreak in Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Israel, Norway and USA. Most of our over 2000 respondents rated the restrictions as effective. School closings were perceived as having the strongest effect on daily life. Participants who believed their country reacted too mildly perceived the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 to be higher, were more worried and expressed reduced beliefs in the ability to control the outbreak. Relatedly, dissatisfaction with governmental reactions corresponded with increased distress levels. Together, we found that satisfaction with one's governmental reactions and fear appraisal play an important role in assessing the efficacy of restrictions during the pandemic and their related psychological outcomes. These findings inform policy-makers on the psychological factors that strengthen resilience and foster the well-being of citizens in times of global crisis.

scholarly journals Accidental Consumption of Aspartame in Phenylketonuria: Patient Experiences

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 707
Author(s):  
Ella Newbould ◽  
Alex Pinto ◽  
Sharon Evans ◽  
Suzanne Ford ◽  
Mike O’Driscoll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Patient Experiences ◽  
Chewing Gum ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Vending Machines ◽  
Sports Drinks ◽  
Prescribed Medicines ◽  
The Impact

Aspartame is a phenylalanine containing sweetener, added to foods and drinks, which is avoided in phenylketonuria (PKU). However, the amount of phenylalanine provided by aspartame is unidentifiable from food and drinks labels. We performed a cross-sectional online survey aiming to examine the accidental aspartame consumption in PKU. 206 questionnaires (58% female) were completed. 55% of respondents (n = 114) were adults with PKU or their parent/carers and 45% (n = 92) were parents/carers of children with PKU. 74% (n = 152/206) had consumed food/drinks containing aspartame. Repeated accidental aspartame consumption was common and more frequent in children (p < 0.0001). The aspartame containing food/drinks accidentally consumed were fizzy drinks (68%, n = 103/152), fruit squash (40%, n = 61/152), chewing gum (30%, n = 46/152), flavoured water (25%, n = 38/152), ready to drink fruit squash cartons (23%, n = 35/152) and sports drinks (21%, n = 32/152). The main reasons described for accidental consumption, were manufacturers’ changing recipes (81%, n = 123/152), inability to check the ingredients in pubs/restaurants/vending machines (59%, n = 89/152) or forgetting to check the label (32%, n = 49/152). 23% (n= 48/206) had been prescribed medicines containing aspartame and 75% (n = 36/48) said that medicines were not checked by medics when prescribed. 85% (n = 164/192) considered the sugar tax made accidental aspartame consumption more likely. Some of the difficulties for patients were aspartame identification in drinks consumed in restaurants, pubs, vending machines (77%, n = 158/206); similarities in appearance of aspartame and non-aspartame products (62%, n = 127/206); time consuming shopping/checking labels (56%, n = 115/206); and unclear labelling (55%, n = 114/206). These issues caused anxiety for the person with PKU (52%, n = 106/206), anxiety for parent/caregivers (46%, n = 95/206), guilt for parent/carers (42%, n = 87/206) and social isolation (42%, n = 87/206). It is important to understand the impact of aspartame and legislation such as the sugar tax on people with PKU. Policy makers and industry should ensure that the quality of life of people with rare conditions such as PKU is not compromised through their action.

scholarly journals COLLEGE CONVERSION INTO QUARANTINE CENTER: STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION ON SAFETY AT KENYA MEDICAL TRAINING COLLEGE, MOMBASA

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Marsellah Ogendo ◽  
Garama Mramba ◽  
Rhoda Nchogu ◽  
Rachael Mwende ◽  
Winnie Barawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Sample Size Determination ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Public Facilities ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
Multistage Sampling

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the perception of students of Kenya Medical Training College Mombasa on its safety after conversion into a quarantine center.Methodology: The study was conducted at KMTC Mombasa, using a descriptive cross-sectional design, where students were selected using multistage sampling. Sample size determination was done using Fischer’s statistical formula at a confidence level of 95% (p=95%). Data was collected using a structured online survey questionnaire and a focused group discussion. Analysis of data was done using SPSS and results presented in Excel tables and narrations.Findings: 65.2% (165) of the students felt the college was safe for resumption of studies while 34.8% (88) felt the college was unsafe. 56% (93) of those who felt the college was safe stated that safety is a personal responsibility and that they would observe the recommended measures. 22% (36) had confidence that the institution would implement all the measures possible to ensure safety of the facility upon reopening. Two reasons advanced by the students as to why they felt the college was unsafe were; proximity of the college to an isolation center and interaction with other students cited by 31% (27) and 30% (26) of the students respectively. The study demonstrated a significant relationship between students’ department and how comfortable they were to use the hostels after getting back to college (p=0.036).  Students felt safest to use the library while the toilets were the least safe.Unique contribution to theory, practice and Policy: The perception of students towards safety of their learning institution after its use as quarantine center during a pandemic has not been reported in literature. The findings of this study are important for leaders and policy makers across sectors in guiding decision making in instances where public facilities may need to be converted to serve other purposes. Stakeholders may have reservations as to whether the usual users are going to feel safe in such facilities after its temporary use. 

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