scholarly journals Experiencing the Unprecedented COVID-19 Lockdown: Abu Dhabi Older Adults’ Challenges and Concerns

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masood Badri ◽  
Mugheer Al Khaili ◽  
Hamad Al Dhaheri ◽  
Guang Yang ◽  
Asma Al Rashdi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Movement Restriction ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Sleeping Disorders ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Policy Guidance

Abstract This study focused on older adults (60 + years old) in Abu Dhabi during the COVID-19 pandemic before vaccines were made available to them. They faced more strict rules of movement restriction and isolation that might have resulted in certain psychological feelings and social reactions. Data were gathered through an online survey of community members conducted from April to July of 2020, in which 574 older adults responded. The main objective was to understand Abu Dhabi older adults’ main psychological feelings during the pandemic and to identify their main concerns and challenges considering the various COVID-19 related policies and restrictions. The influence of the pandemic on older adults’ health and weight was also investigated. Results of descriptive analyses show that some negative psychological feelings were common among older adults’ during the pandemic. However, the psychological feelings did not portray significant changes with time, except for sleeping disorders and overeating. The movement restrictions imposed on elderlies and not being able to see children and grandchildren when wanted were the two main concerns reported. The research summaries some policy guidance while noting some limitations of this study and future research directions.

scholarly journals Experiencing the Unprecedented COVID-19 Lockdown: Abu Dhabi Older Adults’ Challenges and Concerns

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13427
Author(s):  
Masood Badri ◽  
Mugheer Alkhaili ◽  
Hamad Aldhaheri ◽  
Guang Yang ◽  
Muna Albahar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Future Research ◽  
P Value ◽  
Movement Restriction ◽  
Sleeping Disorders ◽  
Screen Use

This study focused on older adults (60+ years old) of both genders in Abu Dhabi during the COVID-19 pandemic before vaccines were made available (age ranged from 60 years to 75 years). They faced more strict rules of movement restriction and isolation that might have resulted in certain psychological feelings and social reactions. The main objective was to understand Abu Dhabi older adults’ psychological feelings during the pandemic and to identify their main concerns and challenges considering the various COVID-19-related policies and restrictions. The psychological feelings focused on fear, loneliness, sadness, irritability, emotional exhaustion, depressive symptoms, sleeping disorders, overeating, and excessive screen use. The objectives also included the changes in the psychological feelings concerning time. Other objectives covered better understanding the differences in (some activities) compared to the other age categories. Data were gathered through an online survey of community members from February to July 2020 as part of government initiatives (Department of Community Development). Responses were collected from 574 older adults in Abu Dhabi (60.1% male and 39.9% female). The analysis mainly used descriptive analysis, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and simple trend analysis. For all tests, a p-value less than 0.05 was used for significance. The results pointed to the significant rise in feelings related to excessive screen use, fear, loneliness, and stress. The most significant concerns were related to more restrictions being imposed and not being able to see the grandchildren.The impact of new technologies on their quality of life was significantly reflected by respondents. The influence of the pandemic on older adults’ health and weight was also investigated. Analysis of variance, t-tests, and regression analysis with relevant tests were employed. The relevant results showed that some negative psychological feelings were common among older adults during the pandemic. However, the psychological feelings did not portray significant changes with time, except for sleeping disorders and overeating. Overall, older adults scored significantly different from other age groups on many challenges, concerns, and views regarding new technologies during the pandemic. No significant differences were observed regarding gender and marital status for the challenges and concerns. The research summarizes some policy guidance while noting some limitations of this study and future research directions.

Gamified Self

2016 ◽  
pp. 304-327
Author(s):  
Rachelle DiGregorio ◽  
Harsha Gangadharbatla
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Self Knowledge ◽  
Over Time

Gamified self has many dimensions, one of which is self-tracking. It is an activity in which a person collects and reflects on their personal information over time. Digital tools such as pedometers, GPS-enabled mobile applications, and number-crunching websites increasingly facilitate this practice. The collection of personal information is now a commonplace activity as a result of connected devices and the Internet. Tracking is integrated into so many digital services and devices; it is more or less unavoidable. Self-tracking engages with new technology to put the power of self-improvement and self-knowledge into people's own hands by bringing game dynamics to non-game contexts. The purpose of this chapter's research is to move towards a better understanding of how self-tracking can (and will) grow in the consumer market. An online survey was conducted and results indicate that perceptions of ease of use and enjoyment of tracking tools are less influential to technology acceptance than perceptions of usefulness. Implications and future research directions are presented.

scholarly journals Motivating Military Trainee Healthy Eating: Insight from Two Sites

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1053
Author(s):  
Anna Kitunen ◽  
Julia Carins ◽  
Sharyn Rundle-Thiele
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Military Training ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Eating Behaviours ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Cooking Skills ◽  
Future Research Directions

This paper investigates eating behaviours and motivations of early career military trainees from two pathways (officer cadets and army recruits) to understand whether, and to what extent, healthful eating behaviours were present, and what motivates eating in general and healthful habits specifically. The study also sought to understand whether groups need strategies that are pathway specific or are transferrable across different trainee populations. Participants were recruited via email to complete an online survey and through in-person invitations to ensure a diverse cross section of trainees (n = 195) and recruits (n = 297). Two-step cluster analysis revealed three distinct segments with education, opportunity and motivation being the most important variables within a wider multivariate segment formation and stepwise linear regression was performed to identify the most optimal model with the least number of predictors for each segment. The ideal model for the uninterested segment contained nine predictors, seven predictors for the Breakfast skippers segment and eight predictors for the Weight conscious segment. This study found that there is room for improvement in the eating habits of military trainees across military training pathways. Eating motivations, and their associations with healthful eating habits, indicate a need for strategies that are broader than instilling or reinforcing health motivations. Strategies that can be implemented to support healthful eating for military trainees include provision of food preparation and cooking skills training, coupled with provision of social support and environments that facilitate healthful eating. Furthermore, three distinct segments were discovered within the trainee population, indicating that strategies for positively changing trainees’ eating behaviours may not need to be pathway specific, rather it may be possible to introduce the same group of segmented strategies across both pathways. Future research directions and limitations are outlined.

scholarly journals Microdosing as a response to the meaning crisis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rotem Petranker ◽  
Juensung Kim ◽  
Thomas Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Optimal Dosing ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Future Research Directions

Background: The use of psychedelic substances like LSD and magic mushrooms in research and to treat mental health conditions has been increasing in the last decade. In particular, the practice of microdosing – using sub-hallucinogenic amounts of psychedelics – has been increasing (Anderson et al., 2019), but large-scale systemic qualitative analyses are still scant.Aims: This study attempted to recognize emergent themes in qualitative reports regarding the experience of microdosing so as to enrich the theoretical landscape in psychedelics research and propose future research directions for both basic and clinical research.Methods: This study used qualitative analysis to analyze free-text responses from individuals who participated in an online survey disseminated on various social media platforms. Participants had reported microdosing at least once in the past year.Results: Data from 118 informative responses suggested four main emergent themes: reasons for microdosing, the practice of microdosing, outcomes linked to microdosing, and meta-commentary about microdosing. Participants mostly reported microdosing for clinical reasons and to improve productivity, and mentioned that the practice is often challenging due to unknown optimal dosing regimen. The outcomes of microdosing varied widely between strong endorsement of the practice and disappointment at the lack of effect. Meta-commentary included warning against overexcitement with the practice. We couch our findings in meaning-making theory and propose that, even at low doses, psychedelic substances can provide a sense of meaning currently lacking in Western culture.Conclusion: Our results suggest that there many of the reported benefits occur regardless of motivation to microdose and are likely due to the enhanced psychological flexibility and sense of connectedness made possible due to the use of psychedelics. Double-blind, placebo controlled experiments are required in order to substantiate these reports.

scholarly journals Do Others Understand Us? Fighting Game Community Member Perceptions of Others’ Views of the FGC

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal Nicole Steltenpohl ◽  
Jordan Reed ◽  
Christopher Keys
Keyword(s):  
Community Psychology ◽  
Community Member ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Negative Comments ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Community Recommendations

Our perceptions of how well others understand us and our communities can affect how we see ourselves, as well as how we perceive and interact with others. Community psychologists may be interested in examining community meta-stereotypes, or how community members believe outsiders see them. The current mixed-methods study asked fighting game community (FGC) members about their perceptions of outsiders’ understanding of the FGC. We collected data from 496 FGC members, who provided descriptions of others’ perceptions of the FGC, reasons these perceptions exist, and their reactions to these perceptions. The data supported our hypotheses that FGC members feel misunderstood by non-members; gaming affiliation and media affiliation each had significant effects on FGC members’ ratings of others’ understanding. Non-gaming media were perceived as exhibiting especially high levels of misunderstanding. Respondents’ negative comments focused on non-gaming media’s overreliance on outdated stereotypes and lack of research into the community. Recommendations for community psychologists, researchers, FGC members, and media outlets are included, which may allow various stakeholders to explore key issues and sources of friction. Finally, future research directions are discussed. Steltenpohl, C.N., Reed, J., & Keys, C.B. (2018). Do others understand us? Fighting game community member perceptions of others’ views of the FGC. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 9, 1-21.

scholarly journals The Support Person's Preferences and Perspectives of Physical Activity Programs for Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence W. H. Chong ◽  
Emily You ◽  
Kathryn A. Ellis ◽  
Kay L. Cox ◽  
Karra D. Harrington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Imaging Biomarkers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
New Information ◽  
Cognitive Benefits ◽  
Future Research Directions

Objectives: Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for older adults' cognition. There is limited research investigating perspectives of support persons (SPs) of next-of-kins (NOKs) with cognitive impairment. This exploratory study aimed to investigate perspectives of SPs of older adults with Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).Methods: A telephone survey of 213 SPs of NOKs from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL) was undertaken to quantitatively assess SPs' beliefs and knowledge about PA benefits, current PA level of their NOK, and PA program preferences. The contribution of age, gender, diagnosis and mental health symptoms was assessed using multiple logistic regression analyses.Results: Many SPs were aware of PA benefits for memory (64%) and believed it would help their NOK (72%). Older SP age was associated with less awareness of benefits (p = 0.016). SPs caring for male NOKs were more likely to believe that PA would be helpful than those caring for female NOKs (p = 0.049). NOK AD diagnosis (rather than MCI) (p = 0.014), older age (p = 0.005) and female gender (p = 0.043) were associated with lower PA levels. SPs were mixed regarding preference for their NOKs to participate in individual (45%) or group (54%) PA. Many SPs wanted to participate in PA with their NOK (63%).Conclusions: The results highlight that SPs have high levels of awareness of the cognitive benefits of PA, and describe their preferences regarding PA programs. The findings provide new information to inform targeted public health messaging, PA prescribers and providers, and future research directions.

scholarly journals A Path Analytic Model Exploration of Determinants of Happiness of Older Adults in Abu Dhabi

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muna Al Bahar ◽  
Masood Badri ◽  
Mugheer Al Khaili ◽  
Fahad Al Neyadi ◽  
Guang Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
The Social ◽  
Future Research Directions

AbstractThe objective of the study was to identify the factors associated with the subjective well-being of older adults in Abu Dhabi when happiness is taken as the dependent variable. In the present research, a framework based on theoretical models was developed in which older adult’s happiness was seen in a synergistic relationship and was associated with many other variables related to various domains in the social system. The sample consisted of 1,004 older adults aged 60 and above, who participated in the First Abu Dhabi General Social Survey administered in 2018. Many subjective well-being variables were considered. Path analysis was used to develop a model that incorporated the five following variables directly affecting the happiness of older adults: housing satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with friendships, life satisfaction, satisfaction with surrounding environment, and some psychological feelings. The study highlighted all direct and indirect associations. Further analysis of variance revealed the associations of gender, marital status, and education attainment. Implications of the study were highlighted along with future research directions.

scholarly journals Antecedents and Outcomes of Innovation Capability: A Case of European Automotive Organizations

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 01-14
Author(s):  
Akhlaq Ahmad ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Innovation Capability ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Creativity And Innovation

Most of the firms are keen to achieve desired performance levels and competitive advantage through creativity and innovation. Thus, drawing on the resource-based view current study aims to contribute by exploring the underlying mechanism through which firms' characteristics are linked with firm performance and competitive advantage. Using online survey data was collected from 303 managers from German and Italian SMEs, results revealed that innovation capability mediated the associations between antecedents (creativity & dynamic capability) and outcomes (competitive advantage and performance). Several key policy insights and future research directions are suggested.

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