The Loneliness of Older Adults Associated with Various Types of Thai Families

The structures of Thai families have changed, and therefore increased the number of factors negatively affecting older adults. The most common is loneliness, which affects older adults and is closely related to mental state. The purpose of this research was to analyze and compare the level of loneliness of older adults in different family types and study the differences between personal factors, family factors, and social factors of the older adults toward the loneliness of the older adults within a variety of family types. The population was 346 older adults aged 60 years and over. The analysis found that 76% of older adults in the study have low levels of loneliness. The older adults in different family types had a statistically significant difference level of loneliness. The older adults who lived alone had a higher level of loneliness than others. Factors related to the moderate level of loneliness among the older adults within different family types were not participating in family activities of a parent-child family and income inadequacy in a three-generation family. The outcome of this research could be used to promote and improve care for older adults to reduce and prevent loneliness based on their specific family types.

When will Immersive Virtual Reality have its day? Challenges to IVR adoption in the home as exposed in studies with teenagers, parents and experts

In response to the pandemic, many countries have had multiple lockdowns punctuated by partial freedoms limiting physically being together. In 2020-21, during the COVID-19 pandemic parents were stressed and exhausted by the challenges of work, home schooling and barriers to typical childcare arrangements. Children were missing one another, their social lives and the variety of experiences that the world beyond the home brings. Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) offers tried and tested ways to enable children to maintain beyond-household family activities and dynamics. However, it is not viewed as a solution. Instead, as demonstrated through a multiple method study involving a Rapid Evidence Assessment; workshops with 91 teenagers; interviews with 15 experts; a Delphi study with 21 experts; 402 parent questionnaires pre-pandemic; 232 parent questionnaires during the pandemic; and longitudinal interviews with 13 parents during the first UK lockdown in 2020, IVR is not viewed as having value in the home beyond gaming. Results highlight limited consideration of IVR as a way to enhance family life or the home, with a lack of evidence and direction from current research, innovation and policy. The paper empirically demonstrates that experts, teenagers and parents have limited expectations for VR. Further, with parental resistance to adoption and a lack of ideas or innovations in how Immersive Virtual Reality could be used, the likelihood of VR-headset adoption remains low as does its potential as a means of educating, entertaining and socially engaging children and teenagers.

Examining the Relationships Between Fear of Coronavirus, State Anxiety, and Relationship Happiness Among Married Turkish Individuals During COVID-19

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of state anxiety in the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and relationship happiness among married individuals. An additional aim of the study also tested the moderating role of joint family activities between state anxiety and relationship happiness. The study sample consisted of 1713 married individuals (1031 women and 682 men). The study findings showed both the significant direct associations among the studied variables and the mediating role of state anxiety in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and relationship happiness. It also found that the path of state anxiety to relationship happiness among married individuals having family activities was significantly lower than those who did not. Directions for future research and application were discussed.

Examining Children's Questions and Parents' Responses about Covid-19 Pandemic in Turkey

COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on both adults' and children's everyday lives. The conversations about biological processes such as virus, illness, health have started to occur more frequently in daily interactions. Although there are many guidelines for parents about how to talk to their children about coronavirus, only a few studies examine what children are actually curious about coronavirus and how they make sense of the changes in their everyday lives. This study addresses this need by examining children's questions and parents' responses about the Covid-19 Pandemic in Turkey. Using an online survey, we asked 183 parents of 3 to 12-year-olds to report their children's questions about coronavirus and their answers to these questions. We analyzed children's questions and parents' responses using several content categories (Menendez et al., 2020). The majority of children's questions were about the nature of the virus (34%), followed by lifestyle changes (20%). Older children were more likely to ask about school/work and less likely to ask about lifestyle changes than younger children. Parents responded to children's questions by providing realistic explanations (48%) and reassurance (20%). Only 18% of children's questions were explanation-seeking "why" and "how" questions. Parents were more likely to provide explanations if children's questions were explanation-seeking. Family activities such as playing games and cooking were the most common coping strategies reported by parents (69.2%). The findings have important implications for children's learning about coronavirus and how adults can support children's understanding and help them develop coping strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Making Peace” with Bodies and Sexual Selves: Changes during COVID-19 among Adults in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the physical and mental health of many and has necessitated widespread societal shifts, including changes to work and family activities. These changes have impacted individuals’ identity, including their sexual self-image and body image, yet research on perceptions of these changes is missing. This study reports on quantitative and qualitative data from an electronic survey with adults in the United States (N = 326) to examine these perceptions. Body appreciation did not significantly differ between demographic groups. Themes emerging from the qualitative results included changes in general self-image (becoming more restricted or disempowered), changes in sexual self-image (deepening, becoming more sexy/sexual, or less sexy/sexual), and changes in body image (positive, negative, and neutral). Our findings point to positive, negative, and neutral effects on sexual self-image and body image, implying that nuanced approaches are needed to understand how identity has transformed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pandemic-Related Stress Symptoms Among Norwegian Parents of Adolescents in Grades 6 to 8

We investigated pandemic-related stress symptoms during the first COVID-19 lockdown period in spring 2020 among parents of adolescents that were 11 to 13 years old in the study period. We also investigated whether parental stress symptoms were associated with family situation and family activities during lockdown. Altogether 147 couples reported about their own trauma-related stress symptoms following the outbreak of the pandemic. Among the respondents, 9.5% of the mothers and 10.2% of the fathers had scores over cutoff on the screener (IES-6) measuring stress symptoms, a non-significant gender difference. Scores on the screener were not associated with family contamination or lockdown consequences. Family activities during lockdown did not impact the pandemic stress symptom levels. Whereas, the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic pose a stressor to most people, it is unlikely to be a criterion A event for other than directly affected families.

Forms of Parental Involvement in the Spiritual Development of Children: Lessons from Grace Community Christian Ministries Church in Kitengela.

The paper focuses on the forms through which parents are involved in developing the spiritual welfare of their children. The study utilised a case study design to focus on Grace Community Christian Ministries Church (GCCM) in Kitengela. Data collection methods involved the use of interviews. A small group of nine parents - participants - from GCCM church membership was selected. The collected data was further analyzed thematically. The following themes were generated: teaching, Bible stories, family activities, prayer, modelling, Church attendance, choice of school, exhaustion and lack of time, lack of support from spouse, inexperience and, information gap. It was revealed that some of the ways parents got involved in nurturing their children spiritually included: teaching, Bible stories, family activities, prayer, modelling, Church attendance and choice of school for the children. However, the most common methods used were Church attendance and Sunday school. The paper thus recommends that GCCM church should train parents on how to empower their children spiritually at home so that they do not only rely on the activities in Sunday school.

The impact of COVID-19 on perceptions of home and house design in Saudi Arabia

This research explored the changes that may have occurred in attitudes of people in Saudi Arabia toward their dwellings due to the mandatory quarantine from COVID-19. Two online surveys, one from before the lockdown and one after the lockdown assessed residents’ space requirements. A follow up in-person survey asked about specific aspects of their homes and how their impression of home had changed during the lockdown. It was found that based on their lockdown experiences, residents were moving away from traditional cultural activities such as hospitality and trending toward spaces that would function for family activities such as studying, work from home and entertainment. Further research should examine if these trends remain after former outside pursuits resume.

Defining and measuring bedtime routines in families with young children—A DELPHI process for reaching wider consensus

Introduction Bedtime routines are one of the most common family activities. They affect children’ wellbeing, development and health. Despite their importance, there is limited evidence and agreement on what constitutes an optimal bedtime routine. This study aims to reach expert consensus on a definition of optimal bedtime routines and to propose a measurement for bedtime routines. Method Four-step DELPHI process completed between February and March 2020 with 59 experts from different scientific, health and social care backgrounds. The DELPHI process started with an expert discussion group and then continued with 3 formal DELPHI rounds during which different elements of the definition and measurement of bedtime routines were iteratively refined. The proposed measurement of bedtime routines was then validated against existing data following the end of the DELPHI process. Results At the end of the four round DELPHI process and with a consistent 70% agreement level, a holistic definition of bedtime routines for families with young children between the ages of 2 and 8 years was achieved. Additionally, two approaches for measuring bedtime routines, one static (one-off) and one dynamic (over a 7-night period) are proposed following the end of the DELPHI process. A Bland-Altman difference plot was also calculated and visually examined showing agreement between the measurements that could allow them to be used interchangeably. Discussion Both the definition and the proposed measurements of bedtime routines are an important, initial step towards capturing a behavioural determinant of important health and developmental outcomes in children.