scholarly journals Lifestyle, behavior, perception and practices of Nepalese during lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (229) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samikshya Kandel ◽  
Mahesh Lamsal ◽  
Saroj Adhikari Yadav ◽  
Dipak Bhandari ◽  
Ganesh Adhikari ◽  
...  

Introduction: COVID-19 infection is caused by a new strain of SARS CoV-2 virus, which transmits directly from person-to-person and has become a pandemic. To counteract this, actions related to mass quarantines or stay-at-home orders have been used termed as lockdown. This study aims to study lifestyle, behaviour, perception and practice of people regarding during the lockdown. Methods: An online survey was conducted with structured questionnaire in Google forms after ethical approval from Nepal Health Research Council (Ref-2631). The attributes of knowledge, attitude and practices were explored using multiple-choice questions and results were statistically analysed using Microsoft excel. Results: Five hundred fifty-five respondents completed the survey with 280 (50.5%) males and 275 (49.5%) female. The knowledge regarding viral pandemic was increased in 496 (89.3%) respondents. 424 (76.4%) people developed stress due to pandemic. Three hundred fifty three (63.6%) were adversely affected by professional works or suffered economic loss in business. More than 42% participants are using their time for study in personal development, online classes etc. Conclusions: The knowledge of viral pandemic as well as personal hygiene habits have improved in majority of people but many also developed stress. They were convinced that lockdown lowered transmission of infection which in turn affected lifestyle behaviour and practices. Practicing social distancing becomes too difficult for the poor in the absence of proper social security system and government support. E-Learning has become more acceptable due to lockdown. Further studies with in-person interviews are warranted.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuldeep Kaur Juneja

The present study highlights the challenges and benefits influencing the acceptance, and use of e-learning as tool for teaching within higher education. It will help to develop a strategic plan for the successful implementation of e-learning and view technology as a positive step towards evolution and change. An attempt has been made to find the effectiveness of online teaching-learning methods in Higher Education. A questionnaire has been specially designed and deployed among college faculties and students. About 200 faculties from university and Education colleges in Ujjain have taken part in the online survey and submitted responses. It was found that multimedia, digital collaboration with peers, video lectures delivered by faculty handling the subject, online quiz having multiple choice questions, interaction by the faculties during lecture and online materials provided by the faculty promoted effective online learning. Virtual classroom unlike traditional classroom, give unlimited scope for introducing teaching innovation strategies. The use of ICT tools promotes technological innovations and advances in learning and knowledge management. This paper explores the online teaching - learning tools, methods, and a survey on the innovative practices in teaching and learning. Challenges and benefits of online teaching, various components on the effective use of online tools, team- based collaborative learning, simulation and animation - based learning are discussed and explained in detail.


2021 ◽  
Vol 03 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adel Khalifa Sultan Hamad ◽  
Abdulla Shehab ◽  
Khalifa Abdulrahman Ali ◽  
Dayaram Makwana ◽  
Ghada AlQassim

Background: COVID-19 has a significant impact on lives worldwide. Owing to the adverse effect of this pandemic, there has been a major shift from in-person learning activities to virtual learning. Different methods of virtual learning or e-learning, such as online classes and webinars, have emerged rapidly. Objective: The aim of this study is to identify the perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: An online survey was conducted using Microsoft Forms sent via a text link to mobile phones and emails to healthcare professionals. The questionnaire had multiple-choice questions and five-point scaling to determine perceptions about virtual learning. Data in the form of responses were collected, analyzed, and summarized as mean ± standard deviation and percentage. Results: Responses were received from a total of 410 participants, out of which 240 (58.54%) were females, and 170 (41.46%) were males. Among all participants, 294 (71.71%) were doctors. A vast majority of participants (90%) attended online webinar/e-conferences since the pandemic. The mobile phone was the most commonly used device for e-learning. More than half of the participants opined that in-person meetings are more effective than virtual meetings. In terms of medical learning, 40.48% of participants believed that virtual conferences are more convenient compared to conventional in-person attendance. According to 42.2% of participants, lack of personal interaction in virtual meetings affected their ability to acquire knowledge and experience. Conclusion: Our survey demonstrated the acceptance of virtual learning by healthcare professionals as a new learning method. The majority of participants seem willing to adapt to this new medium.


Crisis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Andriessen ◽  
Dolores Angela Castelli Dransart ◽  
Julie Cerel ◽  
Myfanwy Maple

Abstract. Background: Suicide can have a lasting impact on the social life as well as the physical and mental health of the bereaved. Targeted research is needed to better understand the nature of suicide bereavement and the effectiveness of support. Aims: To take stock of ongoing studies, and to inquire about future research priorities regarding suicide bereavement and postvention. Method: In March 2015, an online survey was widely disseminated in the suicidology community. Results: The questionnaire was accessed 77 times, and 22 records were included in the analysis. The respondents provided valuable information regarding current research projects and recommendations for the future. Limitations: Bearing in mind the modest number of replies, all from respondents in Westernized countries, it is not known how representative the findings are. Conclusion: The survey generated three strategies for future postvention research: increase intercultural collaboration, increase theory-driven research, and build bonds between research and practice. Future surveys should include experiences with obtaining research grants and ethical approval for postvention studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s118-s118
Author(s):  
Mary T. Catanzaro

Background: The CDC and The Joint Commission have called for an interdisciplinary approach to antibiotic stewardship implementation. The healthcare team should consist of infectious disease physicians, pharmacists, infectious disease pharmacists, infection preventionists, microbiologists, and nurses. The scant literature to date has looked at nurses’ attitudes and beliefs toward participating in antibiotic stewardship and have identified several factors that contribute to the lack of uptake by nurses: lack of education around stewardship, poor communication among healthcare providers, and hospital or unit culture, among others. Additionally, nurses’ lack of interest in what would be more work or not within their scope of work was put forth as an additional factor by infection preventionists and pharmacists as a barrier to implementation. Method: An investigator-developed online survey was used to assess the usefulness of 3 investigator-developed educational e-learning modules that encompassed the role of nurses in antibiotic stewardship, pharmacy and laboratory topics related to antimicrobial stewardship, as well as the nurses’ attitudes toward their participation in such activities. Results: Participants took the survey after review of the 3 e-learning modules. The results indicate that, contrary to what pharmacists and infection preventionists thought, 82% of nurses felt they should contribute to and be part of the antimicrobial stewardship team. Additionally, after completing the modules, 73% felt more empowered to participate in stewardship discussions with an additional 23% wanting more education. 100% felt that they learned information that they could utilize in their everyday work. Barriers to implementation of stewardship activities on their unit included lack of education (41%), hospital or unit culture (27%), with only 4% citing they did not feel it was their job or that they had anything to contribute to a discussion. Also, 24% felt that there were no obstacles to participation. Conclusions: Surprisingly, most nurses who took this educational series and survey felt that they should be part of the antibiotic stewardship team. As cited previously from the literature, education and culture need to be addressed to overcome the nurses’ barriers to stewardship involvement. E-learning can provide an easy first step to educating nurses when time permits and can provide a good springboard for discussion on the units and with physicians and pharmacists. For a copy of the modules, please contact the author.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Mieth ◽  
Maike M. Mayer ◽  
Adrian Hoffmann ◽  
Axel Buchner ◽  
Raoul Bell

Abstract Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, billions of people have to change their behaviours to slow down the spreading of the virus. Protective measures include self-isolation, social (physical) distancing and compliance with personal hygiene rules, particularly regular and thorough hand washing. Prevalence estimates for the compliance with the COVID-19 measures are often based on direct self-reports. However, during a health crisis there is strong public pressure to comply with health and safety regulations so that people’s responding in direct self-reports may be seriously compromised by social desirability. Methods In an online survey, an indirect questioning technique was used to test whether the prevalence of hygiene practices may be lower than in conventional surveys when confidentiality of responding is guaranteed. The Extended Crosswise Model is an indirect questioning technique that guarantees the confidentiality of responding. To the degree that direct self-reports are biased by social desirability, prevalence estimates of hygiene practices such as thorough hand washing based on the Extended Crosswise Model should be lower than those based on direct self-reports. Results We analysed data of 1434 participants. In the direct questioning group 94.5% of the participants claimed to practice proper hand hygiene; in the indirect questioning group a significantly lower estimate of only 78.1% was observed. Conclusions These results indicate that estimates of the degree of commitment to measures designed to counter the spread of the disease may be significantly inflated by social desirability in direct self-reports. Indirect questioning techniques with higher levels of confidentiality seem helpful in obtaining more realistic estimates of the degree to which people follow the recommended personal hygiene measures. More realistic estimates of compliance can help to inform and to adjust public information campaigns on COVID-19 hygiene recommendations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Shita Lusi Wardhani ◽  
Manggar Wulan Kusuma

<em>The Covid-19 outbreak and the enactment of restrictions on community activities have had many impacts, one of which is the change in teaching methods from offline learning or face-to-face activities to online learning or distance learning</em><em>. These changes can affect the learning process, especially subjects related to business practices, such as entrepreneurship. In online learning, several factors contribute to the successful delivery of online courses. However, little is known about the impact of these factors on Indonesian students' interest in entrepreneurship. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of personal attitude and e-learning on interest in entrepreneurship in the Covid-19 pandemic era. Data was collected through an online survey of 190 students who were taking entrepreneurship courses at selected universities in Yogyakarta. Data collected through online surveys were analyzed using Smart Partial Least Square (SmartPLS) 3.0. The results of this study found that interest in entrepreneurship is significantly influenced by personal attitude and e-learning. This study also found that perceived learning was not able to moderate the effect of e-learning on entrepreneurial interest.</em>


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Fatma Lestari ◽  
Abdul Kadir ◽  
Muhammad Idham ◽  
Fahrul Azwar ◽  
Ganis Ramadhany ◽  
...  

People’s behaviors can affect the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Public behaviors, including proper personal hygiene and healthy life practices, the use of appropriate masks, and the application of good disinfectants, have an important role in human health and protection towards prevention and control of COVID-19 spread. This study aims to perform a survey of public behavior and best practices related to COVID-19 prevention and control among Indonesian communities. A cross-sectional study was designed to collect information using an online survey. Respondents were gathered from 34 provinces in Indonesia through the Indonesia National Safety and Health Council network and Universities network. Respondents voluntarily submitted their response to a predesigned online questionnaire. The collected data was then analyzed using SPSS 24.0. A total of 771 respondent subjects (male 386; female 385) were recruited. The results show that 96% of participants implement positive behavior of personal hygiene, including wearing a mask when going outside their house, and almost 67.3% of respondents sprayed a disinfectant in their house. The majority of participants hold a door handle (37.2%) and desk (28.1%) at a frequency of more than six times a day. There were 8.2% of participants implementing good personal hygiene, including hand-washing at least once a day and maximum of more than six times after going to the toilet. At-risk behaviors were conducted by respondents in which they touched part of their face at a frequency of once during an hour. It was identified that males are less likely to perform better hand hygiene as opposed to females. In conclusion, the study showed that positive behavior of personal hygiene related to COVID-19 has been implemented among Indonesian communities. This result suggests that positive behavior based on community-based prevention and control needs to be continually maintained in order to prevent and control COVID-19 spread.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Chirag Buch ◽  
Hetal Rathod ◽  
Raj Kamble

Background: E-learning is essential in health science education, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated its utility. Objectives: The study aimed to observe the changes in the scenario of e-learning in Indian Medical Education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 905 undergraduate health science students who agreed with an online survey. A questionnaire was prepared, including sociodemographic details, utilization of commercially available e-learning programs before the pandemic, and the scenario of teaching-learning activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was validated and circulated among medical students of various states across India through social media. Qualitative data were presented as numbers and percentages and quantitative data as mean (SD). Results: Of the 905 students surveyed, 69.17% (n = 626) were female students and 30.83% (n = 279) were male students. Besides, 85% (n = 395) of the students found commercial programs useful in clarifying concepts. Institutional e-learning was mandatory for 71.16% (n = 644) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 644 students for whom e-learning was mandatory, 69.10% (n = 445) found tools like videoconferencing, Google classroom, zoom meetings, etc. useful in flexibility and autonomy. However, 50.47% (n = 325) of the students preferred a combined method of classroom teaching and e-learning, whereas only 9.93% (n = 64) of students preferred only e-learning as a method of teaching. They were satisfied with institutional programs for clarifying concepts (n = 386; 60%) and communication skills (n = 320; 50%). Conclusions: The utility of e-learning has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, students preferred e-learning in combination with traditional teaching, especially in health science courses.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liviu Ciucan-Rusu

As a dynamic transformation of the economy, companies put pressure on universities and other educational suppliers to deliver the labor force with new knowledge and skills required, to ensure their innovation and competitiveness. Because of these dynamics, students are also under pressure when they must decide about future jobs. There is also confusion in the mind of young adult that needs to bear the influence of public media, social media, online communities about the personal development in regional, national, or global environment. In this case, universities and high schools have to inform about trends and perspectives of future career and support students in their choice but they lack of communication capabilities or marketing aspects are overestimated. Our study is based on an online survey with more than 500 participants from Mures county high schools during the 2018-2019 academic year. Most of the student wants to continue their study at university 83,2 %. As a preferential channel of information about university programs students voted as very useful, university websites and meetings with representatives of faculties. The main fields students interested in are: business, engineering, informatics, medicine, public administration and law. Around 13.4% of the high school students intend to continue their study abroad. Almost half of the respondents have clear idea of study program to be chosen. Regarding the influence factors of their choice, family and acquaintances who are already university students have the higher impact rather than colleagues, friends and professors. When referring to criteria for choosing the future university, they favor the number of tax-free places and international mobility. Generally, we can say that students consider university the most important next step in their future career and they proof themselves rather independent to decide about this step. Our study also emphasizes significant levels of indecision and we will deepen our further research for better understanding of the phenomenon.


Author(s):  
Shikha Gautam ◽  
Salamah Parveen Imteyaz ◽  
Mohammed Iqbal Alam

Introduction: The coronavirus pandemic has involved nearly all the countries of the world. The lockdowns and closure of educational institutes to reduce the risk of disease transmission has brought a change in the medium of teaching as most educational institutes have moved to the online mode. There is a widespread increase in stress as the number of cases and mortality associated with Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) continue each day. Aim: To assess the stress status of first year undergraduate medical students in reference to the coronavirus pandemic and the perception of first year undergraduate medical students in reference to the E-learning being carried out during the coronavirus pandemic. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional web-based online survey that was conducted using a questionnaire in August 2020 at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, New Delhi, India. The questionnaire was prepared and reviewed by the involved faculty members of the project and it was approved by a faculty from Department of Psychiatry. Reliability of questionnaire was measured using Cronbach’s alpha (0.89). A questionnaire with 20 questions was administered via Google forms to all 100 students of first year MBBS course. Some of the questions in the questionnaire were framed to assess the stress status of the students; some were designed to study students’ perception of E-learning. Data was represented as the percentage distribution of response for each question. Results: Ninety five responses were received, after accounting for exclusion factors; data was compiled for 91 respondents. Out of the 91 participants in the study, 48.4% were males (n=44) and 51.6% were females (n=47). Most of the students in this study (84.6%) felt that online teaching had helped in learning Physiology theory; around 43% students found online practical teaching useful. Around 39% students have reported internet connectivity issues all the time while 59% faced problem sometimes. Total 51.6% of students had difficulty in accessibility to devices. Due to coronavirus pandemic, 37.4% of students have reported to be under stress. Around 33% reported feeling unsafe all the time while 39.5% felt unsafe some of the times. Conclusion: Students found online teaching more helpful in learning Physiology theory than practical. Majority of class reported internet connectivity issues. All the responders agreed that this pandemic affected their regular life. Most of the students felt that online classes have helped them to remain positive and motivated towards study.


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