scholarly journals IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF DIGITAL NATIVES

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 531-539
Author(s):  
Sohima Anzak ◽  
Aneela Sultana ◽  
Ambreen Fatima

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this research article is to explore how engagement with digital tools affects the health and social well-being of digital natives. The study aims to look into the facts that how youth are getting benefits from this digitalization and how it is also increasing their exposure to the associated health risks. Methodology: The qualitative research is conducted in three selected universities of Islamabad. Through a closed-ended questionnaire, demographic data about the activities of the youth on digital technology was collected. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation were the core techniques used in the research. Main Findings: Digital natives have improved awareness about health issues and actively educating the digital immigrants to access knowledge about treatments on various health issues at the local and global levels. The research shows that digital youth do realize that these technologies are leaving some bad effects on their health and well-being yet have not been able to get rid of them because their daily life activities are dependent on these tools. Applications of this study: The study will be of great significance for the policymakers, who are handling the rising health issues due to digitalization impact in the society. It will be an addition to the knowledge in the disciplines of Public health, Anthropology, and Psychology besides the medical sector. Data will be used to address the health issues in the coming days by the medical professionals and social scientists. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study has generated the information about the impact of digitalization on youth’s health by using the emic approach. Digital technology has taken up the role of socialization agent for the digital natives. So it is very important to listen to the youth's voices rather than assuming what is best for them. This study is novel in the sense that it is reflecting youth and how they perceive the digital technology as a beneficial tool and how it risks their life in many ways.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12225
Author(s):  
Silvio Cristiano ◽  
Samuele Zilio

An increasing interest has been present in scientific literature and policy making for the links between urban environments and health, as also learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaboration between urban planning and public health is therefore critical for enhancing the capabilities of a city to promote the well-being of its people. However, what leverage potential for urban health can be found in existing plans, policies, and strategies that address urban health? Starting from the relationship between urban systems and health issues, the purpose of this contribution is to broaden the systemic knowledge of urban systems and health so as to try to figure out the impact potential of local urban governance on public health. Considering the systemic nature of health issues, as defined by the World Health Organisation, this is done through a systems thinking epistemological approach. Urban health proposals are studied and assessed in four European cities (Copenhagen, London, Berlin, and Vienna). Current criticalities are found, starting from the guiding goal of such proposals, yet a systemic approach is suggested aimed at supporting and evaluating lasting and healthy urban planning and management strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Leonardi ◽  
Silvia Stefani

Purpose Considering the case study presented, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of the pandemic in local services for homeless people. Drawing from the concept of ontological security, it will be discussed how different services’ levels of “housing adequacy” shaped remarkably different experiences of the pandemic for homeless people and social workers in terms of health protection and agency. Design/methodology/approach This paper focuses on a case study concerning homeless services for people during the COVID-19 pandemic in the metropolitan and suburban area of Turin, in Northern Italy. In-depth interviews with social workers and participant observation during online meetings of workers from the shelters constitute the empirical data that have been collected during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy. Findings According to the findings, the pandemic showed shelters as unsafe places that reduce homeless people’s decision power and separate them from the rest of the citizenship. Instead, Housing First projects emerged as imore inclusive and safermore inclusive and safer spaces, able to enhance people’s power over their own lives. The pandemic did not create emerging issues in the homeless services system or discontinuities: rather, it amplified pre-existing problematic aspects. Originality/value The case study presented provides empirical insights to recognise at the political and organisational level the importance of housing as a measure of individual and collective security, calling for an intervention to tackle homelessness in terms of housing policies rather than exclusively social and emergency treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florina Guadalupe Arredondo-Trapero ◽  
José Carlos Vázquez-Parra ◽  
Martín De Jesús González-Martínez

Purpose The aim of this study is to analyse teachers’ perceptions of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the effect they have on their students, comparing male and female teachers in rural and urban areas of Mexico. Design/methodology/approach This is a quantitative study with a validated questionnaire that records the perception of school teachers from a state in the northeast of Mexico. The questionnaire was designed by interviewing 20 teachers who have had problematic situations in the use of technology by students. The main problems that were perceived in their students were cyberbullying, cyberviolence, online pornography, excessive use of videogames and also lack of ability to use digital technology. Hypothesis testing was applied to identify differences between gender (female or male) and region (rural or urban), considering these problems and the efforts made by the school to address these issues. Findings Both the gender of the teaching staff and the region where the school is located are variables that are influencing the willingness to incorporate ICT issues that are affecting the well-being of students into the educational agenda. While teachers are the main actors in preparing their students on how to face these challenges, students in schools with mostly male teachers, or located in rural areas, will be in a situation of greater vulnerability to be victims of the problems that arise as part of ICT risks in a digital society Research limitations/implications This article only offers a first approach to ICT and teachers’ perceptions. It is necessary to broaden the scope of this type of research to include different educational contexts and to ask questions that reveal in greater detail how schools are dealing with ICT and its possible risks and the factors that have influenced the successes or failures they are having in these attempts. Practical implications This finding can help schools to promote programs focused to apply ICT for student flourishment and help them to deal with the risk that digital technology is generating in young students. Originality/value Although multiple research have been conducted to address teachers’ perception about diverse topics, there has been no specific research on the self-perception of teachers in dealing with technology and preparing students for the problems presented by ICT and its risks. This research contributes to the literature on the impact that teachers’ perceptions can have on the adoption of technology in education, and how this can be different by gender and region.


Author(s):  
Tatsuya Imai

Previous studies have found that the use of social networking sites (SNSs) is associated with the user's positive outcomes such as perceived social support and psychological well-being (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007; Nabi, Prestin, & So, 2012). To seek those positive influences, those with health issues such as physical illness or mental illness actively use SNSs (e.g., Shpigelman & Gill, 2014a; Gowen, Deschaine, Gruttadara, & Markey, 2012). The first aim of this chapter is to describe previous studies on the use of SNSs by those with health issues such as mental illnesses, HIV/AIDS, cancer, intellectual disabilities, and diabetes. The second aim is to propose a new direction of research on the use of SNSs by those with health issues: the impact of stigma on communication on SNSs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristín Thórarinsdóttir ◽  
Kristján Kristjánsson ◽  
Thóra Jenný Gunnarsdóttir ◽  
Kristín Björnsdóttir

A phenomenologically derived assessment tool, Hermes, was developed in a rehabilitation setting for adopting the central ideals of person-centered care and patient participation into health-assessment practices in nursing. This focused ethnographic study aimed at exploring the feasibility of using Hermes for enabling the application of these ideals into assessment of patients with chronic pain upon admission to a rehabilitation center. Participants were patients with chronic pain, enrolled in rehabilitation, and their nurses. Data were collected by participant observation and interviews, and analyzed by thematic analysis. By the use of Hermes, the impact of illness was explored through supportive connection and dialogue with open, reflective, and interpretative features; understanding of the illness situation was enhanced; and possibilities provided in adjusting to health issues of concern. In sum, Hermes facilitated person-centered participation of patients with chronic pain in their health assessment and made a phenomenological philosophy usable in nursing-assessment practices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Benevene ◽  
Ilaria Buonomo ◽  
Michael West

Despite the relative scarcity of studies on the impact of leadership styles on satisfaction and commitment of volunteers within non-profit organizations, this relationship plays a crucial role in fostering sustained volunteerism and volunteers' well-being. A questionnaire was administered to more than 200 volunteers involved in delivering social services in non-profit organizations from Central and Northern Italy. The questionnaire contained the Volunteer Satisfaction Index, the sub-scale on Affective Commitment of the Organizational Commitment Scale, and two sub-scales of the Key Leadership Behaviors, namely: Helping people to grow and lead, and Enabling learning and innovation. Socio-demographic data were collected as well. Findings revealed that leaders' actions oriented toward the enablement of learning and innovation have an effect on volunteers' affective commitment, through the full mediation of volunteer satisfaction. Leaders' actions oriented toward the growth and empowerment of volunteers, instead, did not show significant relationships with volunteer satisfaction and affective commitment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Sushil Paudel ◽  
Niraj Parajuli ◽  
Rabindra Prasad Sharma ◽  
Sudip Dahal ◽  
Sudarshan Paudel

Chronic urticaria (CU) is a skin condition characterized by sudden and recurrent episodes of wheals, angioedema, or both and commonly associated with itching for a duration of more than six weeks. The available data indicate that urticaria markedly affects both objective functioning and subjective well-being of patients. A review of patients’ records with chronic urticaria attending Civil Service Hospital from January 2018 to December 2019 was done. A detailed demographic data of all patients with chronic urticaria was also retrieved. Dermatology Life Quality Index questionnaire (DLQI) Nepalese version was used for the assessment of the impact of disease on life quality. Mann–Whitney U-test was applied to compare means, and principle component analysis for factor analysis was used. A total of 149 patients were included, with a male-to-female ratio of 1 : 1.9. The mean age of the study population was 32.86  ±  12.837 years. The mean DLQI score was 8.30  ±  6.73 with men having a significantly greater score than women ( p < 0.02 ). DLQI scores negatively correlated with age ( p < 0.01 ). There was a high internal consistency among items (Cronbach’s alpha 0.89), and all items had satisfactory correlation with each other as well. Principle component extraction revealed that there were two underlying factors in the DLQI questionnaire on measuring quality of life in chronic urticaria. Males had a greater impairment in quality of life than females due to chronic urticaria. Most severe impairment was seen in symptoms/feelings subdomain. It also revealed that there were two different underlying factors in DLQI questionnaire.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naeem Aslam ◽  
Kanwal Shafique ◽  
Ammar Ahmed

Purpose Fear of COVID-19 is one of the pivotal components that have generated higher levels of stress, obsessions and anxiety among the adult population, thus creating numerous mental health issues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate psychological well-being based on COVID-19-related fear, obsessions and anxiety during the pandemic situation. Design/methodology/approach The current study aimed to evaluate the relationship between COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety, stress and well-being among adult populations. Additionally, the aim was to see the impact of COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety and stress on well-being. This was a cross-sectional study based on nonclinical sample of (n = 250) adults; data was obtained via online questionnaire survey method and analysis was performed by using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS-22). Findings The authors’ findings based on descriptive statistics showed that COVID-19-related fear and obsessions were positively associated with COVID anxiety and stress and negatively associated with well-being. COVID anxiety was positively associated with stress and negatively associated with well-being. Moreover, perceived stress is negatively associated with well-being. The results additionally provide the outcome/conclusion that COVID-related anxiety significantly negatively predicted the psychological well-being. Overall the model explained 24% of the variance in psychological well-being. Females scored significantly high in COVID-19-related anxiety and obsessions as compared to males. Research limitations/implications A distinctive feature of this study is the understanding of COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety, stress and well-being among adult populations, and the findings are highlighting the need for psychological and social interventions for this specific population; therefore, immediate attention is needed by the clinical health professionals dealing with mental health issues. Originality/value There is a vital need to explore and develop psychological interventions aiming at the negative consequences being faced by the adult populations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impending second wave that will expose individuals to various mental health issues evolving because of the health crisis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 159 ◽  
pp. 104003
Author(s):  
Daniel James Mourlam ◽  
Daniel A. DeCino ◽  
Lisa A. Newland ◽  
Gabrielle A. Strouse

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