scholarly journals Associations of COVID-19 risk perception, eHealth literacy, and protective behaviors among Chinese college students following vaccination: a cross-sectional study

Author(s):  
Ning Qin ◽  
Shuangjiao Shi ◽  
Guiyue Ma ◽  
Xiao Li ◽  
Yinglong Duan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: In spite of strict regulation of COVID-19 preventative measures and containment in China, there are still confirmed cases sporadically occuring in many cities. College students are at a high risk of being infected, especially with the approach of vacation; thus, identifying the status and related factors of protective behaviors among them after receiving vaccination will be crucial for epidemic control. This study aimed to gather information on the protective behaviors and to identify the associations of COVID-19 risk perception, eHealth literacy and protective behaviors for Chinese college students following vaccinationMethods: A cross-sectional survey of college students who engaged in protective behaviors post vaccination was conducted using the COVID-19 risk perception scale and eHealth literacy scale in one of the groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to confirm the correlation between COVID-19 risk perception, eHealth literacy and protective behaviors for Chinese college students.Results: A total of 5641 Chinese college students were included. Male students comprised 59.01% with an average age of (21.39±2.75) years and most students rating their health as very good (44.85%) or pretty good (46.98%). A smaller percentage (13.76%) believed that they would likely or most likely be infected with COVID-19 after getting vaccinated. In addition, more than 1 in 10 (10.35%) college students had ever suspected to suffer from post-vaccination reactions following the COVID-19 vaccination. The mean score of protective behaviors was (26.06±3.97) at the middle level. Approximately one-third (30.42%) of the students always or often did not wear a mask when going out. Some college students (29.25%) did not keep at least 1 meter away from others in social situations. Older female college students who were in good health and perceived as being at a low risk of getting infected with COVID-19 did not expect to engage in post-vaccination protective measures. Those with a higher level of perceived risk, severe risk perception and eHealth literacy and a lower level of unknown risk perception were more likely to engage in further protective behaviors after getting vaccinated.Conclusions: Overall, the level of protective behaviors among Chinese college students following vaccination could use improvement, especially for male, younger college students in poor health. This study revealed the predictive effects of risk perception and eHealth literacy on protective behaviors, recommending that the negative and positive effects of risk perception should be balanced in epidemic risk management, and eHealth literacy promotion should also be emphasized for public health and social measures.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaojie Li ◽  
Guanghui Cui ◽  
Atipatsa Chiwanda Kaminga ◽  
Sixiang Cheng ◽  
Huilan Xu

BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, Internet has spread a lot of information and provided people with knowledge and advice on health protection for COVID-19. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between health literacy, eHealth literacy and COVID-19 coping behaviors. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the association between health literacy, eHealth literacy and COVID-19 coping behaviors in Chinese college students. METHODS The snowball sampling method was adopted to conduct an anonymous online cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Participants completed surveys on health literacy, eHealth literacy, and COVID-19 coping behaviors. Linear regression was used to explore the association between health literacy, eHealth literacy and COVID-19 coping behaviors, whereas factor analysis was used to analyze the factor structure of the COVID19 coping behaviors. RESULTS A total of 1,873 college students aged 18-25 were recruited. 781 (41.7%) had adequate health literacy. The mean eHealth literacy score was 30.2 ±6.3. The results of factor analysis showed that COVID-19 coping behaviors had two dimensions, namely health protection behaviors and adapting behaviors. COVID-19 coping behaviors score differed significantly (P<.05) with respect to residence, grade, major, family economic level, self-reported health status, family member or friend infected with coronavirus, self-reported coronavirus knowledge level and health literacy level. Further, according to linear regression analysis, health literacy (Beta=.19, P<.001) and eHealth literacy (Beta=.39, P<.001) were positively associated with COVID-19 coping behaviors. CONCLUSIONS College students with higher health literacy and eHealth literacy had better COVID-19 coping behaviors. Nevertheless, COVID-19 coping behaviors varied with respect to place of residence, grade, major, family economic level, self-reported health status, family member or friend infected with coronavirus, self-reported coronavirus knowledge level and health literacy level. Therefore, enhancing health literacy and eHealth literacy has, to some extent, helped in reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection among college students in China. Prospective cohort studies at a larger scale are therefore needed to ascertain these findings.


Author(s):  
Feng-Jen Tsai ◽  
Hsiu-Wen Yang ◽  
Chia-Ping Lin ◽  
Jeffrey Zen Liu

This study aims to evaluate acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines and the impact of risk perception on vaccine acceptance and personal health protective behaviors in Taiwan. A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted from 19 to 30 October 2020; 1020 participants were included in the final analysis; chi-square and logistic regression analyses were conducted. In total, 52.7% of participants were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccines, 63.5% perceived the severity of COVID-19 in Taiwan as “not serious”, and nearly 40% were worried about COVID-19 infection. Participants with higher perceived severity of COVID-19 had significantly higher odds of refusing the vaccine (OR = 1.546), while those worried about infection had lower odds of poor health protective behaviors (OR = 0.685). Vaccine refusal reasons included “the EUA process is not strict enough” (48.7%) and “side effects” (30.3%). Those who had previously refused other vaccinations were 2.44 times more likely to refuse the COVID-19 vaccines. Participants’ age had an influence on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. In general, the Taiwanese public’s acceptance of the vaccine was lower than that in other high-income countries. Elderly participants and those with college-level education and above who had previously refused vaccines had lower willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Risk perception was positively associated with personal health protective behaviors but negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 990
Author(s):  
Cuiting Yong ◽  
Hanmei Liu ◽  
Qiping Yang ◽  
Jing Luo ◽  
Yufeng Ouyang ◽  
...  

This study aims to explore the association between restrained eating, body image, and dietary intake among Chinese college students. This cross-sectional study included 1301 college students at two universities in Hunan Province. Electronic questionnaires were used to collect information including students’ demographic characteristics, restrained eating, perception of body weight, body satisfaction, and dietary intake. Anthropometric measurements were collected to calculate body mass index (BMI). The prevalence of high restrained eating was 52.8%. Students who were dissatisfied with their bodies or overestimated their body weight showed a higher tendency toward high restrained eating (p < 0.05). Students with high restrained eating tended to eat fruits and eggs more frequently, while the frequency of eating domestic animals and poultry, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fast food were the opposite. Moreover, high restrained eating was a risk factor for low dietary diversity (odds ratio (OR) = 1.384, 95% confidence interval: 1.002~1.912). The high incidence of restrained eating among Chinese college students and its energy-restricted diets that may lead to possible health implications require attention. Further studies are needed to investigate the characteristics of college students’ restrained eating to tailor appropriate interventions for forming positive body images and promoting healthy eating behaviors, thus, improving dietary quality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanfa Tan ◽  
Chienchung Huang ◽  
Yun Geng ◽  
Shannon P. Cheung ◽  
Shuyan Zhang

Psychological well-being is an important indicator of well-being and has been found to be associated with a multitude of positive life outcomes. Using data collected from 1,871 Chinese college students from September 23 to October 5, 2020, this study examined students' psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigated how resilience and pandemic-related environmental stress may affect psychological well-being. Results showed that resilience had strong positive effects on psychological well-being during the pandemic. Meanwhile, environmental stress had a moderate effect and marginally reduced psychological well-being. The magnitudes of the estimates suggested that increasing resilience can effectively buffer the negative effect of environmental stress on psychological well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuzhi Yan ◽  
Junyi Zhang ◽  
Shenghong Dong

In order to explore the influence of childhood family routines on adult depression and the mediating role of tolerance of uncertainty and rumination, the current study tested 818 participants by adopting four questionnaires. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that (1) family routines had a negative effect on depression among Chinese college students; (2) family routines were found to have a positive effect on tolerance of uncertainty, and tolerance of uncertainty was a bridge linking family routines and depression; (3) family routines had a significant effect on depression through rumination; (4) the relationship between family routines and depression was partially mediated by the chain of tolerance of uncertainty and rumination. The result reveals not only the fact that childhood family routines have significant influence on college students' depression but also the mechanism of childhood family routines that affect college students' depression. The limitations and implications of our study were also discussed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huaxuan Liu ◽  
Bik-Chu Chow ◽  
Wei Liang ◽  
Holger Hassel ◽  
Ya-Jun Wendy Huang

BACKGROUND eHealth literacy (EHL) refers to a mixture of capabilities that enable individuals to deal with health information via e-approach, and apply it to solve health problems. With the digitization of health care and the wide availability of health applications, a more diverse range of eHealth skills is required to properly use such health facilities. Existing EHL measurements focus mainly on the health skill of information obtaining (Web 1.0), yet skills of online interactivities (Web 2.0) and self-data managing and applying (Web 3.0) have not been well measured. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to (1) develop a measurement of EHL comprising a comprehensive spectrum of Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 skills (eHLS-Web3.0) and (2) evaluate its validity and reliability along with the measurement invariance among college students. METHODS In Study 1, 421 Chinese college students (mean age = 20.5 ± 1.4 years; 51.8% female) and 8 health experts (mean age =38.3 ± 5.9 years; 87.5% female) were involved to develop the eHLS-Web3.0. The scale development included three steps: item pool generation, content validation, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In Study 2, 741 college students (mean age = 21.3 ± 1.4 years; 52.2% female) were recruited from four Chinese cities to validate the new-developed eHLS-Web3.0. The construct validity, convergent validity, concurrent validity, internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance across gender, major, and region were examined by a series of statistical analyses, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and multi-group CFA analysis with SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 7. RESULTS Based on the item pool of 374 statements collected during the conceptual developments, 24 items (4~10 items per subscale) were generated and adjusted after cognitive testing and content validity examination. Through the EFA, we finally developed a three-factorial eHLS-Web3.0, including Acquisition (8 items), Verification (6 items), and Application (10 items). In Study 2, CFAs supported the construct validity of the 24-item three-dimensional eHLS-Web3.0 (χ2 = 903.076, χ2/df =3.701, CFI = .924, TLI = .914, RMSEA = .060, SRMR = .051). The average variance extracted (AVE) of .58 and high correlation between eHLS-Web3.0 subscales and eHEALS (r = .725- .880, P < .001) supported good convergent validity and concurrent validity of the eHLS-Web3.0. Results also supported satisfactory internal consistency reliability (α = .976, ρ = .934 - .956) and test-retest reliability (r = .858, P < .001) of the scale. Multi-group CFAs demonstrated that the 24-item eHLS-Web3.0 to be invariant at all configural, metric, strong, and structural levels across gender (female/male), major (sport-related/medical/general), and region (Yinchuan/Kunming/Xiamen/Beijing). CONCLUSIONS The 24-item three-dimensional eHLS-Web3.0 is developed and verified to be a reliable and valid measurement of EHL in Web 3.0 context among Chinese college students.


2021 ◽  
pp. 28-31
Author(s):  
Deepali Srivastava ◽  
Sandeepa Srivastava ◽  
Ashish Kumar ◽  
Sanjiv Kumar

Introduction: Osteoporosis is more prevalent in women, especially following menopause. The total affected population would have been around 35 to 40 million. Morbidity due to disease includes decreased mobility, decreased quality of life, and increased risk of mortality following an osteoporotic fracture. The morbidity due to the disease may be decreased through diet, exercise, supplementation, and medication. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of 'concern for osteoporosis' and self-perceived 'risk of osteoporosis and fracture' on antiosteoporosis behaviour such as (1) calcium and vitamin D supplementation, (2) seeking medical advice, (3) undergoing bone mineral (BMD) testing, and (4) taking antiosteoporosis medication (AOM). Material And Method:The study was conducted on women attending outpatient clinic of the Obstretics and Gynaecology and Orthopaedics department. Patients were required to ll up the Global Longitudinal Osteoporosis in Women Questionnaire. Enrolled patients were contacted after one year by means of telephone calls, hospital visits and home visits and data was collected for self-reported use of supplements, self-reported seeking of medical advice regarding osteoporosis, self-reported BMD testing, and self-reported use of antiosteoporosis medications etc. Results:Total of 1562 women were enrolled for the study out of which data of only 1000 women was analyzed at end of one year. At the end of one year period 360 women reported use of Calcium and or Vitamin D. Table 4 depicts the association between the use of vitamin supplementation and concern and risk perception. Concern (P=0.61), risk perception to osteoporosis (P=0.13), and risk perception to fracture (P=0.29) were not signicantly associated with use of vitamin supplementation in the next 12 months (i.e., calcium and/or vitamin D). Concern (p= <0.001), risk perception to osteoporosis (p=<0.001), and risk perception to fracture (p=<0.001) were signicantly associated with women seeking medical care during the next one year. Concern (p=0.35) was not signicantly associated with undergoing BMD examination. Risk perception to osteoporosis (p=0.03) and risk perception to fracture (p=0.03) were signicantly associated with women undergoing BMD medical examination in one year. Concern about osteoporosis (p=0.64) was not signicantly associated with treatment with anti-osteoporotic medication. Risk perception to osteoporosis (p=0.06) and risk perception to fracture (p=0.002) were signicantly associated with women. Conclusion: Concern for osteoporosis is associated with likelihood of seeking medical advice. Perception of risk for Osteoporosis and fractures is positively associated with seeking medical advice, BMD examination and AOM treatment


Author(s):  
Shihabul Islam ◽  
Shah Ehsan Habib

Background: Rohingyas living in refugee camps of Bangladesh have been identified as a high-risk group for HIV transmission. This study aimed to assess gender differences in risk perception towards HIV/AIDS among Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar. Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted to assess the level of risk perception towards HIV/AIDS. This analysis utilizes data from a survey of 130 Rohingya people through face-to-face interviews utilizing a 28-item HIV-Knowledge Questionnaire. A systematic sampling technique was used to accomplish data collection survey. Analyzing was done by SPSS 25. Results: Only 41.8% of males and 58.2% of females had a good knowledge score (8 out of 11 items) regarding the transmission of HIV. Knowledge is significantly associated with female gender (χ2 = 8.927, p < 0.005). Gender differences were also significantly associated with the perceived risk of contracting HIV/AIDS in the future (p < 0.001). When rank averages were investigated, perceived risk of contracting HIV/AIDS score of the female participants (mean rank = 76.71) appeared to be higher compared to the score of male participants (mean rank = 54.29). Conclusion: Female Rohingyas perceive a higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS than male Rohingyas. Programs should address harmful gender norms, HIV testing and education emphasizing the risks involved in transactional sex within the camps.


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