scholarly journals Technology Makes the Heart Grow Fonder? A Test of Media Multiplexity Theory for Family Closeness

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Bhoj Balayar ◽  
Michael Langlais
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Relationship Closeness ◽  
Media Multiplexity ◽  
Family Closeness ◽  
The Impact

Technology can be helpful for family relationships. Media multiplexity theory illustrates that the more technological connections (i.e., multimodality) an individual has with their family members, the stronger that relationship. Yet, this theory assumes that spending time face to face (FtF) is equitable to multimodality for relationship quality. The goal of this study is to examine the impact of online and offline interactions for the quality of family relationships. Data are from undergraduate students completing an online survey (N = 154). Results reveal that spending time FtF is better for the quality of relationships for one parent, but not the other. Although FtF was not significantly different for grandparent and sibling relationships, participants felt closer to siblings when they texted. Correlational analyses revealed that individuals scoring high in collectivism report that spending time FtF is associated with higher relationship closeness and love, particularly with parents, but not other family members. These results provide some evidence for the importance of spending quality time with family members, particularly for those who identify as collectivistic.

Inequality and Access to Online Education During a Global Crisis

2021 ◽  
pp. 340-361
Author(s):  
Herbert Ntuli ◽  
Edwin Muchapondwa ◽  
Victor Ntuli ◽  
Lina Mangwende
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Free Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Method Approach

The impact of inequality and technology on access to online education has received tremendous attention within the past two decades from researchers across the globe. What remains under-researched is the knowledge of how shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic affect access to online education. The main objective of the study was to examine inequality in accessing online education in the context of a crisis in a developing region. A mixed-method approach was used to collect and analyze online survey data based on 393 undergraduate students from six countries in Southern Africa. Both observable and hidden inequality sources such as income and participation in household chores compromise the quality of online education. A shift from face-to-face teaching to online education is likely to result in learning difficulties and deterioration in the quality of education. Policies such as the provision of free data improve the learning experience by reducing inequality. Therefore, decision-makers should take into consideration inequality in designing policies and strategies during a crisis.

scholarly journals Experiences and Implications on Family Relationships for Grandmothers Raising Their Grandchildren

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 345-345
Author(s):  
Carol Musil ◽  
Elizabeth Tracy ◽  
Rashon Braxton ◽  
McKenzie Wallace ◽  
Alexandra Jeanblanc
Keyword(s):  
Family Relationships ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Primary Caregivers ◽  
Grandparent Caregivers ◽  
Spousal Relationships ◽  
Need Support ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

Abstract In the U.S., over 2.7 million grandparents are primary caregivers to grandchildren. It is critical to understand the experiences of grandparent caregivers to design tailored, supportive programs. Our aim was to analyze written journals of 129 grandmothers with respect to the impact of raising grandchildren on relationships with family members. As part of a national RCT study of grandmother caregivers, participants completed daily journals for 4 weeks. Employing thematic data analysis, three members of the research team coded using NVIVO 12 Plus. The research team met regularly to compare and resolve discrepancies in coding. Percent agreement was > 80%. Relationships with the grandchild’s mother were characterized by anger/tension, resentment, and the realization that the mother was incapable of parenting while at the same time expressing worry/concern for her. Relationships with the grandchild’s father mirrored these dynamics while also depicting the father as a distant figure, inconsistent, and financially absent. Spousal relationships were marked by challenges faced by the spouse, their shared role/influence as a grandparent, and the quality of their time spent together. The other relationships described were often focused on their other adult children, as well as their own adult siblings. Grandmother caregivers expressed stress or strain and frustration within these relationships. Caregivers also verbalized gratitude for support from family members within the context of familial and financial stress. Grandmother caregivers may need support in managing familial relationships and stress within these relationships, which may be a target for future interventions.

scholarly journals Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on the quality of life of the survivors, partners and family members: a cross-sectional international online survey

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e047680
Author(s):  
Rubina Shah ◽  
Faraz M Ali ◽  
Stuart J Nixon ◽  
John R Ingram ◽  
Sam M Salek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Outcome Measure ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Psychosocial Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Euroqol Group ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveThis study aimed to measure the impact of COVID-19 on the quality of life (QoL) of survivors and their partners and family members.Design and settingA prospective cross-sectional global online survey using social media.ParticipantsPatients with COVID-19 and partners or family members (age ≥18 years).InterventionOnline survey from June to August 2020.Main outcome measureThe EuroQol group five dimensions three level (EQ-5D-3L) to measure the QoL of survivors of COVID-19, and the Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16) to assess the impact on their partner/family member’s QoL.ResultsThe survey was completed by 735 COVID-19 survivors (mean age=48 years; females=563) at a mean of 12.8 weeks after diagnosis and by 571 partners and 164 family members (n=735; mean age=47 years; females=246) from Europe (50.6%), North America (38.5%) and rest of the world (10.9%). The EQ-5D mean score for COVID-19 survivors was 8.65 (SD=1.9, median=9; range=6–14). 81.1% (596/735) reported pain and discomfort, 79.5% (584/735) problems with usual activities, 68.7% (505/735) anxiety and depression and 56.2% (413/735) problems with mobility. Hospitalised survivors (20.1%, n=148) and survivors with existing health conditions (30.9%, n=227) reported significantly more problems with mobility and usual activities (p<0.05), with hospitalised also experiencing more impact on self-care (p≤0.001). Among 735 partners and family members, the mean FROM-16 score (maximum score=highest impact =32) was 15 (median=15, range=0-32). 93.6% (688/735) reported being worried, 81.7% (601/735) frustrated, 78.4% (676/735) sad, 83.3% (612/735) reported impact on their family activities, 68.9% (507/735) on sleep and 68.1% (500/735) on their sex life.ConclusionCOVID-19 survivors reported a major persisting impact on their physical and psychosocial health. The lives of their partners and other family members were also severely affected. There is a need for a holistic support system sensitive to the needs of COVID-19 survivors and their family members who experience a major ‘secondary burden’.

scholarly journals Social Media Use During Social Gathering Among Youth: A Study on Moghbazar Area of Dhaka City

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-219
Author(s):  
Md. Tahsinul Haque ◽  
Easrat Jahan Eyemoon ◽  
Arifur Rahaman
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Social Gathering ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

The rise of social media and continuous technological advances have had a significant impact on how people communicate. Social media sites include social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and any website that allows social interaction. Many studies have been conducted on the impact of social media, but this study is specifically based on the impact of social media on social gatherings in Dhaka. The primary objective of this study is to examine how the virtual world reshapes the way of social gathering. In this study, an online survey was administered to find out the level of engagement of social media during a social gathering. The researcher collected a total of 120 respondents using the purposive sampling method. Findings suggest that social media intensely affects social gatherings. Despite respondents' awareness of the decrease of face-to-face communication as a result of social media, more than 74 percent of respondents continue to use social media during a social gathering. Use of social media sites found to be harnessing the quality of conversation. While technology facilitates instant communication, it also harms regular interaction.

scholarly journals EFFECT OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES ON DAILY SUPPORT TO FAMILY AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IN ADULTHOOD

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S235-S235
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Kong ◽  
Yin Liu ◽  
David Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Well Being ◽  
National Study ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Extensive evidence suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can lead to negative health effects across a lifetime. This study examines the impact of ACEs on the frequency of providing daily support (i.e., unpaid assistance, emotional support, and disability-related assistance) to family members and the moderating effects of ACEs in the association between providing daily support to family and daily negative affect. Using the National Study of Daily Experiences II, we analyzed a total of 14,912 daily interviews from 2,022 respondents aged 56 on average. Key results showed that a greater number of ACEs were associated with providing more frequent emotional support to family. We also found the significant interaction effect that adults with more ACEs showed greater negative affect on the days when they provided assistance to family members with disabilities. The findings underscore the long-term negative impact of ACEs on daily well-being in the context of family relationships.

scholarly journals Family reported outcomes, an unmet need in the management of a patient's disease: appraisal of the literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Shah ◽  
F. M. Ali ◽  
A. Y. Finlay ◽  
M. S. Salek
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Chronic Health Condition ◽  
Family Quality Of Life ◽  
Good Reliability ◽  
Huge Impact ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background A person’s chronic health condition or disability can have a huge impact on the quality of life (QoL) of the whole family, but this important impact is often ignored. This literature review aims to understand the impact of patients' disease on family members across all medical specialities, and appraise existing generic and disease-specific family quality of life (QoL) measures. Methods The databases Medline, EMBASE, CINHAL, ASSIA, PsycINFO and Scopus were searched for original articles in English measuring the impact of health conditions on patients' family members/partner using a valid instrument. Results Of 114 articles screened, 86 met the inclusion criteria. They explored the impact of a relative's disease on 14,661 family members, mostly 'parents' or 'mothers', using 50 different instruments across 18 specialities including neurology, oncology and dermatology, in 33 countries including the USA, China and Australia. These studies revealed a huge impact of patients' illness on family members. An appraisal of family QoL instruments identified 48 instruments, 42 disease/speciality specific and six generic measures. Five of the six generics are aimed at carers of children, people with disability or restricted to chronic disease. The only generic instrument that measures the impact of any condition on family members across all specialities is the Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16). Although most instruments demonstrated good reliability and validity, only 11 reported responsiveness and only one reported the minimal clinically important difference. Conclusions Family members' QoL is greatly impacted by a relative's condition. To support family members, there is a need for a generic tool that offers flexibility and brevity for use in clinical settings across all areas of medicine. FROM-16 could be the tool of choice, provided its robustness is demonstrated with further validation of its psychometric properties.

scholarly journals Impact of Pediatric COVID-19 on Family Health-Related Quality of Life: A Qualitative Study from Latvia

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 2333794X2110123
Author(s):  
Inese Stars ◽  
Liene Smane ◽  
Zanda Pucuka ◽  
Ieva Roge ◽  
Jana Pavare
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Information on family health-related quality of life (FHRQoL) among families of children with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. This qualitative study explores the impact of pediatric COVID-19 on FHRQoL from the parents’ perspective. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents (n = 20) whose children had tested positive for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Inductive thematic analysis revealed the following 10 themes that represented parents’ perception of FHRQoL while taking care of a child with COVID-19: pediatric COVID-19 as a disease with many unknowns; emotional saturation; internal family relationships in the context of “a new experience”; routine household activities and daily regimen while family is in lockdown; plenty of free time; a wide social support network; social stigma associated with COVID-19; different options for work; savings and debts; challenges with family housing and transport availability. Our results show that parents experience multiple effects of pediatric COVID-19 with regard to FHRQoL.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown Measures on Quality of Life among Italian General Population

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Stella Epifanio ◽  
Federica Andrei ◽  
Giacomo Mancini ◽  
Francesca Agostini ◽  
Marco Andrea Piombo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Sampling Strategy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world in the year 2020 has put a strain on our ability to cope with events and revolutionized our daily habits. On 9 March, Italy was forced to lockdown to prevent the spread of the infection, with measures including the mandatory closure of schools and nonessential activities, travel restrictions, and the obligation to spend entire weeks in the same physical space. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on quality of life (QoL) in a large Italian sample, in order to investigate possible differences in QoL levels related to both demographic and pandemic-specific variables. A total of 2251 Italian adults (1665 women, mainly young and middle adults) were recruited via a snowball sampling strategy. Participants were requested to answer to an online survey, which included demographic and COVID-related information items, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The results showed statistically significant differences in QoL depending on a number of variables, including sex, area of residence in Italy, and being diagnosed with a medical/psychiatric condition. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess QoL during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, therefore the present findings can offer guidelines regarding which social groups are more vulnerable of a decline in QoL and would benefit of psychological interventions.

The Impact of Between-Wave Engagement Strategies on Response to a Longitudinal Survey

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Cleary ◽  
Nigel Balmer
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Longitudinal Surveys ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Participant Engagement ◽  
Engagement Strategies ◽  
Design Attributes ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Better Than

Maintaining participant engagement in longitudinal surveys has been a key focus of survey research, and has implications for the quality of response and cost of administration. This paper presents new research measuring the impact of the design of between-wave keeping-in-touch mailings on response to the mailing and subsequent wave of a longitudinal survey. Three design attributes of the mailings were randomly implemented: the form of response request (whether respondents were asked to respond only if their address had changed, or in all cases to confirm or update their address); the newsletter included with the mailing (contrasting a newsletter with content tailored to respondent characteristics with a general newsletter and no newsletter); and the outgoing postage used (stamped or franked). The experiments were fielded on a new longitudinal study, the English and Welsh Civil and Social Justice Panel Survey (CSJPS), and took place between waves one and two. Fieldwork for both waves was conducted by Ipsos MORI face-to-face interviewers. Our main finding was that the tailored newsletter was associated with a significant increase in the wave-two response rate. However, in relation to response to the request, the tailored newsletter, or sending no newsletter at all, were equally effective at inducing response, and significantly better than the general newsletter. We also found that, in relation to the form of request, the ‘change of address’ request was as effective as the more costly ‘confirmation’ request. Findings are discussed with reference to the design of keeping-in-touch mailings for longitudinal surveys.

Resilience, pessimism, and depression in undergraduates in Hong Kong during Covid-19: A cross-sectional online survey study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Yi Sum ◽  
Sherry Kit Wa Chan ◽  
Gloria Hoi Yan Wong
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Adolescence and young adulthood is a period of heightened risk of mental disorders onset. The Covid-19 pandemic may have impacted the daily lives and learning of students, exposing them to risks of emotional distress. Understanding factors associated with individual differences in distress can inform remedial strategies for schools. OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of Covid-19 on undergraduate students’ lifestyle and learning, and explore relationship between depressive symptoms, resilience, and optimism/pessimism bias in undergraduate students in Hong Kong. METHODS Cross-sectional online survey of undergraduate students in a university (n=1020) before and during the third wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Hong Kong between May and August 2020. Changes in habits and family conflicts, depressive symptoms (measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-9), resilience (measured using Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), optimism/pessimism towards Covid-19 risks, and knowledge about Covid-19 were recorded. Multivariable linear regression and mediation analyses were used to explore relationships with depressive symptoms. RESULTS 61.7% of respondents have mild to severe depressive symptoms. The regression model found that 18.5% of the variance in depressive symptoms was explained by resilience, pessimism bias, changes in sleep, decrease in study at home, and increase in family conflict. Mediation analysis showed that resilience is indirectly related to depressive symptoms through its relationship with pessimism (ab = -0.042, CI = -0.057 to -0.013). Higher resilience was associated with lower depressive symptoms even after accounting for resilience’s indirect effect through pessimism (c’ = 0.311, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the mental health vulnerability of undergraduate students. Measures to reduce family conflict, maintain healthy daily habits, adjust optimism/pessimism bias, and enhance resilience may be useful for improving the mental wellbeing of undergraduate students during the pandemic.

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