Effect of Technostress on academic productivity- E-engagement through persuasive communication

The focus of most of the existing studies on technostress is with regard to working professionals. In spite of the explosion of digital device use in education, not many studies have identified its effects on students. This study examines the presence of technostress among management students aged 22-29 years. Using a sample of 300+ students of a management college of India, this study validates the technostress instrument. With the pandemic, education has seen a paradigm shift. Sessions including classes, interactions, discussions, team projects, assignments, examinations, have gone online and this has ushered the compulsion of spending more time with technology and digital devices (laptops, mobile phones, desktop etc). It examines the effect of technostress on academic productivity of students. The study further explores the students’ expectations from the college to control their technostress, thereby indicating the need of enhancing e-engagement through persuasive communication.

Kebiasaan dan Pengetahuan Masyarakat Usia Produktif Mengenai Kesehatan Mata Selama Pandemi Covid-19

COVID-19 pandemic requires the community to adapt and limit their activities to minimize the transmission of COVID-19. This policy increasing the use of gadgets, which can affect eye health. The purpose of this study is to determine the level of public knowledge about eye health while using gadgets before and after receiving education and to determine the relationship between habitual electronic device use and Computer Vision Syndrome. The design of this research is analytic observational. Data were obtained from questionnaires given before and after education regarding eye health when using gadgets during WFH. Data were analyzed descriptively and presented in frequency table and statistical analysis will be conducted using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, Chi-Square and Contingency Coefficients. The mean scores at pre-test and post-test were 4.84±1.65 and 6.10±1.77, respectively, representing a significant increase in knowledge of eye health by 26.0% (p= 0.000). Habits of using gadgets including duration, distance and use of spectacles correlated with the incidence of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) (p=0.016, C=0.168; p=0.010, C=0.181; p=0.035, C=0.181). Eye health education is useful for increasing knowledge and changing people's behavior to prevent fatigue due to the use of gadgets. Inappropriate use of gadgets can increase the incidence of CVS.

Understanding the role of the bring-your-own-device policy in medical education and healthcare delivery at the University of Botswana’s Faculty of Medicine

Purpose Seeking to leverage on benefits of personal mobile device use, medical schools and healthcare facilities are increasingly embracing the use of personal mobile devices for medical education and healthcare delivery through bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies. However, empirical research findings that could guide the development of BYOD policies are scarce. Available research is dominated by studies that were guided by technocentric approaches, hence seemingly overlooking the complexities of the interactions of actors in mobile device technologies implementation. The purpose of this study was to use the actor–network theory to explore the potential role of a BYOD policy at the University of Botswana’s Faculty of Medicine. Design/methodology/approach Purposive sampling was used to select the participants and interviews, focus group discussions, observations and document analysis were used to collect data. Data were collected from 27 participants and analysed using grounded theory techniques. Emerging themes were continually compared and contrasted with incoming data to create broad themes and sub-themes and to establish relationships or patterns from the data. Findings The results suggest that the potential roles for BYOD policy include promoting appropriate mobile device use, promoting equitable access to mobile devices and content, and integrating mobile devices into medical education, healthcare delivery and other institutional processes. Research limitations/implications BYOD policy could be conceptualized and researched as a “script” that binds actors/actants into a “network” of constituents (with shared interests) such as medical schools and healthcare facilities, mobile devices, internet/WiFi, computers, software, computer systems, medical students, clinical teachers or doctors, nurses, information technology technicians, patients, curriculum, information sources or content, classrooms, computer labs and infections. Practical implications BYOD is a policy that seeks to represent the interests (presents as a solution to their problems) of the key stakeholders such as medical schools, healthcare facilities and mobile device users. BYOD is introduced in medical schools and healthcare facilities to promote equitable access to mobile devices and content, appropriate mobile device use and ensure distribution of liability between the mobile device users and the institution and address the implication of mobile device use in teaching and learning. Originality/value The BYOD policy is a comprehensive solution that transcends other institutional policies and regulations to fully integrate mobile devices in medical education and healthcare delivery.

Direct and Indirect Relationships Between Impaired Sleep, Obesity Risk Factors and Overweight and Obesity

PurposeThe relationship between impaired sleep and overweight/obesity may be explained by sleep-disrupting behaviour that are practised by overweight people (e.g. night-eating, insufficient physical activity [PA], electronic device use) and stress/affective distress. Thus, we evaluated whether sleep parameters predicted overweight/obesity after taking into account the behaviour and affective state.MethodsOnline questionnaires asked about sleep quality, night-eating, PA, electronic device use and stress/affective distress at T1 (baseline) and T2 (3-months later). Height, weight and waist and hip circumference were measured. PA and sleep were assessed over 24-hours on two occasions using actigraphy in 161 participants at T1 and T2.ResultsAt T1, high body mass index (BMI)/waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and obesity category were together related to more sleep disturbances (subjective) and longer awake time (objective), after controlling covariates (e.g. watching TV) and demographics (e.g. older age, male gender). At T2, high WHR was predicted by older age and male gender after controlling T1 WHR, demographics and covariates. Mediational analyses showed that sleep disturbances mediated nocturnal indigestion (NI) to BMI, poor subjective sleep quality mediated NI to WHR and high daytime dysfunction mediated NI to obesity category relationships.ConclusionMore time spent awake during the night (experienced as more sleep disturbances) was related to overweight/obesity indices even after taking into account other obesity risk factors (e.g. night-eating, insufficient PA, affect) and demographics. Mediational results suggest that NI parsimoniously explained the impaired sleep - overweight/obesity relationship.Level of Evidence: Level III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort.

Night-eating, Overweight/obesity and Sleep Quality

PurposeImpaired sleep has been reported to be a consequence of overweight/obesity. However, sleep-disrupting behaviour that tend to coexist with overweight/obesity are also independent risk factors for impaired sleep such as night-eating, alcohol use, insufficient physical activity (PA), electronic device use and stress/affective distress. Thus, it is unclear whether night-eating and measures of body fatness will still predict sleep quality once concurrent behaviour and affective state are taken into account. MethodsOnline questionnaires asked participants about sleep quality, night-eating, alcohol use, electronic device use and stress/affective distress at T1 (baseline) and T2 (3-months later). Height, weight and waist and hip circumference was measured at T1 and objective physical activity (PA) was assessed over 24-hours (using actigraphy) in 161 participants at T1 and T2. ResultsAt T1, night-eating was related to poorer subjective sleep quality, longer sleep onset latency, lower sleep efficacy, more sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction and obesity category was related to daytime dysfunction after controlling demographics and covariates. At T2, high BMI predicted lower sleep efficacy after controlling T1 sleep components, demographics and covariates. ConclusionNight-eating and obesity category were associated with multiple impairments in sleep quality, but only high BMI predicted sleep quality at T2. Thus, night-eating and measures of body fatness predicted sleep quality components at T1 and T2 even after co-existing behaviour and emotional states were taken into account.Level of EvidenceLevel III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort.

Effects of Digital Technologies on Zimbabwean Adolescent Lives During the COVID-19 Era

The chapter focuses on the effects of using digital technology amongst Zimbabwean adolescents. The research was necessitated by the fact that adolescents are a vulnerable group still in the self-discovery age. COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the widespread use of digital learning to facilitate learning, communication, and social interaction among adolescents. Focus groups and interviews were used to gather data in primary schools. There is a disparity in technological device use and access to the internet between urban and rural areas dwellers. Ninety percent of students in rural areas did not have access to technological devices, and during the pandemic, they hardly used them for learning purposes but mostly used them for communicating with relatives. In Zimbabwe, digital technology devices have not yet replaced social relationships as most adolescents are restricted to 2-3 hours on their devices. A model for effective use of digital technologies in adolescents can be developed and implemented.

Emotional intelligence and adult attachment: effects on problematic smartphone usage

Smartphone usage can become problematic when individuals have difficulties in emotional regulation. To clarify risk factors for problematic smartphone usage, the study had three objectives: To analyze the effect of emotional intelligence and attachment dimensions on smartphone usage; to evaluate differences by types and styles of attachment in problematic smartphone usage; to explore the roles of sex and age. For this purpose, the Smartphone Dependency and Addiction Scale, the Wong & Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, and the Adult Attachment Questionnaire were used. The study included 552 young adults (M = 21.79, SD = 2.66; 74.1% women) selected by purposive sampling, and classified in Generation Z and Millennials. The results showed that low awareness of one's emotions (emotional intelligence), poor self-esteem and need for approval, hostile conflict resolution, rancor, and possessiveness (attachment) predicted problematic smartphone usage. Furthermore, insecure type of attachment and negative styles such as fearfulness were closely related to smartphone addiction. Sex had some explanatory power with respect to device use, with women showing higher levels of problematic smartphone usage. In conclusion, the findings support the importance of the secure and positive attachment system, and being able to evaluate and regulate one’s own emotions for preventing problematic smartphone use. El uso del smartphone puede tornarse problemático cuando se presentan dificultades de regulación emocional. En la investigación se plantearon tres objetivos: analizar el efecto de las dimensiones de inteligencia emocional y el apego sobre el uso del smartphone; evaluar las diferencias en el uso problemático del móvil atendiendo a tipos y estilos de apego; explorar el efecto del sexo y la edad. Se utilizaron la Escala de Dependencia y Adicción al Smartphone, la Escala de Inteligencia Emocional de Wong & Law y el Cuestionario de Apego adulto. El estudio incluyó a 552 jóvenes (M = 21.79, SD = 2.66; 74.1% mujeres) seleccionados por muestreo intencional y clasificados en Generación Z y Millennials. Una baja conciencia de las propias emociones (inteligencia emocional), una pobre autoestima y necesidad de aprobación, la resolución hostil de conflictos, rencor y posesividad (apego) predecían el uso problemático. Además, el tipo inseguro de apego y los estilos negativos como el temeroso se relacionan más con este uso problemático. El sexo aportaba cierta capacidad explicativa, siendo las mujeres las que mostraron más problemas. Los hallazgos apoyan la relevancia de construir un apego seguro y positivo y de ser capaces de evaluar las propias emociones para prevenir los usos problemáticos del smartphone.