scholarly journals Profiling the Variability and Inequity in the Residential Environment in Cyprus According to Citizens’ Ratings: A Cross-Sectional Internet-Based “Place Standard” Survey

Author(s):  
Daphne Kleopa ◽  
Andrie Panayiotou ◽  
Christiana Kouta ◽  
Chrystalla Kaiafa ◽  
Nicos Middleton

Abstract Background The “Place Standard Tool” (PST) offers a practical framework for structuring conversations about physical and social dimensions of Place which can impact on health and well-being. While extensively used in the context of community engagement, its properties as a measurement tool haven’t been explored. Methods Under the auspices of the Cyprus Healthy Cities Office, an open call was addressed to citizens to rate their neighbourhood environment across the 14 PST items (1: large to 7: little room for improvement). Exploratory factor, cluster and regression analyses were used to explore the dimensionality of the scale, depict neighbourhood profiles and explore differences in ratings according to socio-demographic characteristics, area-level census indicators and residents’ assessment of neighbourhood social position on a 10-step ladder. Results With the exception of safety (M=4.4, SD=1.7), 492 participants (mean age 42, 50% residents for >10 years) from 254 postcodes (21.7% islandwide) did not rate other features favourably, with lowest scores for “influence and sense of control” and “public transport”. A stepwise pattern of dissatisfaction was observed along the social position continuum both for features rated less favourably as well as more favourably (e.g. social contact). For instance, among participants who placed their neighbourhood at the three top steps of the ladder 48.8% gave a low rating for “influence and sense of control”, while the equivalent figure was 81.0% at the bottom three steps (OR=4.5, 95% CI 2.3, 8.6). A clear dimensionality of Built (6 items, Cronbach’s α coefficient for internal consistency=0.798), Physical (3 items, α = 0.765), Social (2 items, α = 0.749) and Service (3 items, α = 0.58) environment was identified. A social gradient was evident according to objective census measures of socio-economic disadvantage (e.g. pre-1980 housing, single-parent households) with larger differences in terms of the built than the social environment. Conclusions The study profiled the variability and documented the inequity in the health-related neighbourhood environment across Cypriot communities. The readily interpretable dimensionality of the scale supports its construct validity, allowing calculation of composite scores. The PST can be used as measurement tool in research as well as public health practice to advocate for neighbourhood initiatives which support and enhance citizens’ participation.

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
N Middleton ◽  
D Kleopa ◽  
C Kouta ◽  
S Kaifa ◽  
G Photiou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Census data, GIS, surveys and audits are used to profile “place”, each with shortcomings. There are several “neighbourhood environment” tools, including the “Place Standard” a policy and advocacy tool developed in Scotland. “Place” is not a strong feature in the public health agenda in Cyprus. Methods In an internet survey under the auspices of the Cyprus Healthy Cities Office, participants rated 14 features of their neighborhood environment. Exploratory factor, cluster and regression analysis were used to explore the dimensionality of the concept, neighborhood profiles and differences according to individual and area-level characteristics. Results With the exception of safety (M = 4.4, SD = 1.7 on a 1: large to 7: little improvement), 492 participants (mean age 42, 50% residents for >10 years) from 266 postcodes (33% islandwide) did not rate other features favourably, with lowest scores for “influence and sense of control”. A clear dimensionality of Built, Physical, Social and Service environment supports the construct validity of the tool. People who rated their neighbourhood lower on a social position ladder were consistently more likely to rate all contextual neighrbourhood features less favourably. The social gradient was evident according to both individual sociodemographic characteristics and census-based area measures of built (e.g. pre-2001 housing) and socio-economic disadvantage (e.g. single-parent households) and appeared stronger in terms of the built (e.g. moving around) than the social environment (social contact, identity and belonging). Conclusions The “place standard” shows good metric properties and can be used as a public health research, and practice tool to profile the variability and document the inequity in the neighbourhood health environment as well as to support and enhance citizens' participation in the dialogue, which they generally rate lowest. Key messages The “Place Standard” offers a framework and a tool to profile the neighbourhood environment in research and public health practice. Generally unfavourable rating of health-related neighbourhood environment with evidence of social gradient across all features with larger differences in built environment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Narendra Kumar Singh ◽  
Nishant Goyal

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with a high familial, social and economic burden. Schizophrenia is also associated with a high level of disability which may create impediments on the social and economic areas of the patients as well as on their respective family networks. Families with schizophrenia may encounter problems such as impairment of health and well being of other family members, restriction of social activities of the family members and shrinking of support from the social network. Aims: The present study examined the difference in perceived social support and burden of care between the male and female caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study examining the difference in perceived social support and burden of care between the male and female caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 60 (30 male and 30 female) caregivers of the patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia as per ICD-10-DCR. Results and Conclusion: This study revealed that male caregivers perceived more social support and less burden of care as compared to female caregivers. Key words: Gender, social support, burden


Author(s):  
Xueli Wei ◽  
Lijing Li ◽  
Fan Zhang

Pumping elephantThe COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the lives of people around the world in millions of ways . Due to this severe epidemic, all countries in the world have been affected by all aspects, mainly economic. It is widely discussed that the COVID-19 outbreak has affected the world economy. When considering this dimension, this study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world economy, socio-economics, and sustainability. In addition, the research focuses on multiple aspects of social well-being during the pandemic, such as employment, poverty, the status of women, food security, and global trade. To this end, the study used time series and cross-sectional analysis of the data. The second-hand data used in this study comes from the websites of major international organizations. From the analysis of secondary data, the conclusion of this article is that the impact of the pandemic is huge. The main finding of the thesis is that the social economy is affected by the pandemic, causing huge losses in terms of economic well-being and social capital.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Bertrams ◽  
Myriam Zäch

Social anxiety (alternatively: social-contact uncertainty) in the university context can lead to reduced health, well-being, and performance, and can even cause premature leaving of education. With the present study, we intended to supplement cross-sectional studies on students' autistic traits and social anxiety with longitudinal findings. We measured autistic traits and social-contact uncertainty of 118 university students on two occasions, roughly 1 year apart. Correlation, multiple regression, and cross-lagged analyses showed that more pronounced autistic traits predicted higher future social-contact uncertainty. Social-contact uncertainty did not predict autistic traits. We conclude that university students who are high in autistic traits tend not only to be more socially anxious at the moment but have a heightened risk of still being so in the future.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 3209-3218
Author(s):  
Jinhua Liu ◽  
Hongsheng Chen ◽  
Yang Chen ◽  
Zhigang Li

Objective This study investigated the effect of the number of close friends (within and outside of social housing neighbourhoods) on the emotional well-being of men and women in social housing neighbourhoods in China. Methods Data (n = 535) were collected in 13 social housing neighbourhoods in Guangzhou from September to December 2013 using the random sample method. The t-test, chi-square test, and linear regression analysis were used to analyse the factors influencing residents’ emotional well-being. Results Having a greater number of close friends living within the social housing neighbourhood had a significantly positive association with the respondents’ emotional well-being (regression coefficient = 0.473). The number of close friends living in nearby neighbourhoods was only positively related to women’s emotional well-being (coefficient = 0.433). Conclusions These results highlight the importance of friendship for residents’ emotional well-being. Especially for women, friendship outside the social housing neighbourhood is essential for good mental health. This conclusion is based on analysis of cross-sectional data, and reflects the directionality of social associations. The mental health of the poor warrants greater attention in China.


Author(s):  
Jit Hui Tan ◽  
Edimansyah Abdin ◽  
Shazana Shahwan ◽  
Yunjue Zhang ◽  
Rajeswari Sambasivam ◽  
...  

Background: Understanding the lower level of happiness among older adults with cognitive impairment has been a largely neglected issue. This study (1) reports on the level of happiness among older adults in Singapore and (2) examines the potential mediating roles of depression, disability, social contact frequency, and loneliness in the relationship between cognitive scores and happiness. Methods: Data for this study were extracted from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study: a cross-sectional; comprehensive single-phase survey conducted among Singapore citizens and permanent residents that were aged 60 years and above (n = 2565). The Geriatric Mental State examination (GMS) was administered to the participants. Questions pertaining to socio-demographic characteristics; happiness; loneliness; social contact; depression; and, disability were utilized in this study. Logistic regression analyses and mediation analyses were used to explore the correlates of happiness and potential mediating factors. Results: Overall, 96.2% of older adults in Singapore reported feeling either fairly happy or very happy. In the regression analysis, individuals of Malay descent, those who were married/cohabiting, or had higher education levels were more likely to report feeling happy. After controlling for socio-demographic factors, higher cognitive scores were associated with higher odds of reporting happiness. We found that the positive association between cognition and happiness was fully mediated by disability, depression, loneliness, and frequency of contact with friends. Conclusion: The majority of the older adult population reported feeling fairly or very happy. While cognitive impairment has shown limited reversibility in past studies, unhappiness among older adults with cognitive impairment might be potentially mitigated through interventions addressing accompanying issues of social isolation, disability, and depression


Author(s):  
Nisreen Al Awaji ◽  
Monira Aldhahi ◽  
Shahnaz Akil ◽  
Salwa Awad ◽  
Eman Mortada

Substantial changes in life dynamics resulting from the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could have an impact on the quality of life (QoL) of mothers of children with and without disabilities. This study compared the quality of life (QoL) of mothers of children with disabilities (MCD) to the QoL of mothers of children without disabilities (CON) in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 lockdown. It explored mothers’ concerns and the type of support they need during the quarantine. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted during the lockdown. An online questionnaire was distributed to mothers raising children with and without disabilities in Saudi Arabia. A total of 340 mothers participated in the study by completing the survey: 93 MCD and 247 CON. The QoL of MCD and CON was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Furthermore, detailed information was provided by the mothers regarding their needs and concerns during the lockdown. The results of the study revealed that the overall QoL was significantly higher in the CON group, compared to the MCD group, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The social well-being and environmental well-being reported by MCD were significantly lower on the total scale of the WHOQOL-BREF than those reported by the CON group. The comparison between the two groups revealed significant differences in the support required by mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a higher percentage of MCD needed emotional and psychological support, especially from family members. The major concerns reported by MCD were the deterioration of their children’s medical conditions and the lack of medical supplies during the lockdown.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emerson Lucas Silva Camargo ◽  
Bruna Isabela Adolpho de Oliveira ◽  
Igor Fessina Siffoni ◽  
Anderson Reis de Sousa ◽  
Jules Ramon Brito Teixeira ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIntroductionLittle is known about how sheltering in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 over extended periods affects individuals’ psychological well-being. This study’s objective was to analyze the factors associated with MSM’s (men who have sex with men) low psychological well-being in the COVID-19 pandemic context.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted online in the entire Brazilian territory (26 states and federal district) in April and May 2020. The participants were recruited using an adapted version of Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS), and Facebook posts. Data were collected using social media and MSM dating apps. We estimated the prevalence, crude prevalence ratio (PR), and respective confidence intervals (CI95%).ResultsThe prevalence of low psychological well-being found in the sample was 7.9%. Associated factors were belonging to the youngest group (PR: 2.76; CI95%: 1.90-4.01), having polyamorous relationships (PR: 2.78; CI95%: 1.51-5.11), not complying with social isolation measures (PR: 6.27; CI95%: 4.42-8.87), not using the social media to find partners (PR: 1.63; CI95%: 1.06-2.53), having multiple sexual partners (PR: 1.80; CI95%: 1.04-3.11), having reduced the number of partners (PR: 2.67; CI95%: 1.44-4.95), and group sex (PR: 1.82; CI95%: 1.23-2.69)ConclusionThe well-being of MSM living in Brazil was negatively affected during the social distancing measures intended to control the spread of COVID-19. The variables that contributed the most to this outcome include social isolation, relationships established with partners, and sexual behavior.Policy ImplicationsPlanning and implementing public policies and actions to promote psychological well-being are needed to improve MSM’s resilience by adopting safe strategies and behavior.


2021 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-383
Author(s):  
Christof Van Mol ◽  
Sabien Dekkers ◽  
Ellen Verbakel

Abstract The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on subjective well-being of (international) higher education students in the Netherlands In this paper we investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on subjective well-being of higher education students in the Netherlands. More specifically, we compare international students and Dutch students, based on the Dutch data of the COVID-19 International Student Well-Being Study, a cross-sectional survey conducted between May-July 2020 among higher education students across the Netherlands (N = 10.491). Based on the sociological literature on the relationship between social capital and subjective well-being, we investigate in particular whether changes in social contact during the first lockdown can explain differences in subjective well-being between international and Dutch students. Our results suggest that although international students report lower levels of subjective well-being compared to Dutch students, these differences cannot be directly explained by (changes) in social contact during the lockdown.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 252-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Msetfi ◽  
Sarah Jay ◽  
Aisling T O’Donnell ◽  
Michelle Kearns ◽  
Elaine L Kinsella ◽  
...  

Few studies have investigated the role of disenfranchisement and denial of agency in women’s sexual health. To address this, a cross-sectional study of disenfranchisement, control (general and reproductive control) and health was conducted in Ireland, where abortion is severely restricted. Multiple mediation models ( N = 513 women) indicated that general but not reproductive control mediates the association between disenfranchisement and psychological well-being. Additionally, serial mediation shows disenfranchisement is associated with lower sense of control, which is linked to poorer well-being and risky sexual behaviour. Disenfranchisement arising from socio-political contexts may have important implications for women’s sexual health.


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