What’s important to you? Socioeconomic inequalities in the perceived importance of health compared to other life domains

Background Pressing issues, like financial concerns, may outweigh the importance people attach to health. This study tested whether health, compared to other life domains, was considered more important by people in high versus low socioeconomic positions, with future focus and financial strain as potential explanatory factors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2019 among N=1,330 Dutch adults. Participants rated the importance of two health-related domains (not being ill, living a long life) and seven other life domains (e.g., work, family) on a five-point scale. A latent class analysis grouped participants in classes with similar patterns of importance ratings. Differences in class membership according to socioeconomic position (indicated by income and education) were examined using structural equation modelling, with future focus and financial strain as mediators. Results Three classes were identified, which were defined as: neutralists, who found all domains neutral or unimportant (3.5% of the sample); hedonists, who found most domains important except living a long life, work, and religion (36.2%); and maximalists, who found nearly all domains important, including both health domains (60.3%). Of the neutralists, 38% considered not being ill important, and 30% considered living a long life important. For hedonists, this was 92% and 39%, respectively, and for maximalists this was 99% and 87%, respectively. Compared to belonging to the maximalists class, a low income predicted belonging to the neutralists, and a higher educational level and unemployment predicted belonging to the hedonists. No mediation pathways via future focus or financial strain were found. Conclusions Lower income groups were less likely to consider not being ill important. Those without paid employment and those with a higher educational level were less likely to consider living a long life important. Neither future focus nor financial strain explained these inequalities. Future research should investigate socioeconomic differences in conceptualisations of health, and if inequalities in the perceived importance of health are associated with inequalities in health. To support individuals dealing with challenging circumstances in daily life, health-promoting interventions could align to the life domains perceived important to reach their target group and to prevent widening socioeconomic health inequalities.

Varying importance of the work-life balance dimension of career success for Korean accountants: The effects of gender and generation

In this study, we examine the effects of gender, generation, and the interaction between gender and generation on Korean accountants’ perception of career success. With the large survey data collected from 1,000 accountants working in South Korea, we found that Korean female accountants have higher perceived importance of work-life balance dimension of career success than male accountants; and younger generations (Millennials or younger) have higher perceived importance for this dimension than older generations (Generation X or older). No interaction effects between gender and generation were found in relation to the perceived importance of work-life balance dimension of career success. Specifically, female accountants had higher perceived importance of work-life balance than their male counterparts regardless of generation; and while the mean was higher for younger generations the gap between the female accountants’ means and the male accountants’ means of work-life balance dimension has not been reduced. The insignificant interaction effects between gender and generation regarding the perceived level of the work-life balance dimension of career success suggest that, despite the national and organizational efforts in changing the gender discriminating practices, Korean accounting field may still be making a very slow progress in breaking its glass ceiling.

Psychological Restorative Potential of a Pilot On-Campus Ecological Wetland in Malaysia

This study examines the perceptions and engagement tendencies of 788 university students, as well as their relationship with psychological distress, with respect to an on-campus ecological wetland. The students’ awareness, understanding, perceived importance, satisfaction level, and engagement tendency towards the ecological wetland were evaluated using a structured questionnaire. The psychological symptoms were assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem and depression, anxiety, and stress scales, and the predictors of psychological distress were determined. The majority of the students were actively engaged (62.3%), aware (88.3%), and satisfied (51.0%) with the ecological wetland. Gender, age, educational attainment, engagement, perceived importance, and satisfaction level towards the ecological wetland were the predictors of psychological distress. The results outlined the environmental and mental restorative values of the ecological wetland in mediating psychological distress among the university students. These findings shed light on the necessity of preserving the sustainability and integrity of the on-campus ecological wetland. Longitudinal investigations to explore the restorative values of built environments and psychological wellbeing among high-risk populations are warranted.

The Lens of “Thingness”

Environmental medicine and related fields have developed from a structural perspective that assigns a static, anatomical “thingness” to our physiology and our environment. This viewpoint arises from a reductionist school of thought and foundational biomedical discoveries such as the discovery that human organs are made up of cells organized as tissues or that our DNA is the source “code” for the building blocks of life. As a consequence of these discoveries and their perceived importance, medical sciences have organized the study of the human body into the study of component parts. Attempts to incorporate time into existing structural perspectives have often taken the form of multiple structural analyses laced together as a circuit operating in a series of connections. Such approaches ignore that humans and their environment are temporally dynamic processes. Environmental Biodynamics argues for a functional perspective that rejects the reductionist view of human physiology and the human environment. In stark contrast to the prevalent structural paradigms, this approach places temporal dynamics at its core.

Perception of Dental Students towards the usage of Online Assessment during COVID -19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic have forced educational institutions to shift rapidly to distance and online learning. This study aims to explore attitude and perception of dental students towards online assessment during pandemic. Objective: To assess student’s perception, attitudes, and readiness toward online assessment. Methodology: A self constructed questionnaire including 10 questions was designed with 5 specialists, to improve the design ambiguity. The study was conducted through electronic media. Results: A total of 270 dental students answered the survey. The overall response rate was 70.68%. More than 50% students are well versed with online assessment. One fourth of the participants found convenience as the advantage while 64.7% students encountered technical issue as the limitation of online assessment. There was overall positive attitude towards usage of online assessment. Conclusions: This study showed acceptable levels of individual characteristics and system ability levels as well as the perceived importance of using online tools in dental education among the participants.

The Role of Media and Communication in Reducing Uncertainty During the Syria War

Ten years after the uprising in Syria, millions of its citizens remain displaced and uncertain about their fate. Throughout that period, media coverage about the ensuing civil war played a major role in informing Syrians and contributed to altering their levels of fear and anxiety about their country’s future and their survival prospects. This study examined the role of legacy media, online media, and interpersonal communication in increasing or reducing uncertainty among displaced and non-displaced Syrians. Through a revised construct of uncertainty reduction theory within the context of a civil war, we assessed the relationship between exposure to these media sources and feeling anxious, uncertain, angry, and in danger, and whether these feelings influenced information consumption trends. We also probed the connection between their anxiety levels and sharing information, both interpersonally and on social media. The study surveyed 2,192 Syrian adults (95% CI, ±2.5) living in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, both inside and outside refugee camps, using a random multistage cluster sampling technique. The findings revealed a strong relationship between positive emotions and time spent on legacy and online media. The more secure, proud, and hopeful people felt, the more likely they were to spend time on media sources. This relationship, however, was moderated by the perceived importance of these sources. Feelings of pride, security, and hopefulness generated by television and online media correlated with the time people spent on these media sources, and the perceived importance of such media further strengthened this relationship. A different picture appeared in the relationship between positive emotions and interpersonal communication, where the perceived importance of talking to people not only significantly moderated the relationship but also canceled out the main effect of positive emotions on the time people spend communicating with others. The findings also indicated that feelings of uncertainty about these sources may stand in the way of sharing information about the war on social media.

Older Adults Pursue More Autonomy During Pandemic: An Explanation by Social Obligation

Older adults are considered more vulnerable under the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the pandemic also highlights the social obligation of all individuals, young and old. We investigated whether older adults pursued more autonomy during the pandemic than did middle-aged adults, and the moderating effect of perceived social obligation. One hundred and twenty-three Hong Kong citizens (62 females, Mage=60.59±13.28 years old) participated in this study in 2018 (before pandemic) and 2020 (during pandemic). Comparing these two waves, the results showed a larger increase of perceived importance of independence and autonomy among older adults than among middle-aged adults. Moreover, the age difference became stronger with a higher increase in expectation on social obligation, suggesting that the pandemic might make older adults feel more socially obligated to be independent and autonomous, so as not to be a burden on others. Future ageism-related studies should take the social obligation of older adults into consideration.

Assessing nephrology competence in general paediatrics—A survey of general paediatricians, paediatric nephrologists, residents, and program directors

Objective The objective of this study was to identify nephrology topics of lowest perceived competency and importance for general paediatricians. Methods Surveys were distributed to general paediatricians, paediatric residents, paediatric residency program directors, and paediatric nephrologists. Perceived importance and competence were rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Means and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results Mean perceived competency from general paediatricians across all nephrology domains was 3.0, 95%CI (2.9 to 3.1) and mean importance was 3.2, 95%CI (3.1 to 3.3). Domains scoring below the means for competence and importance, respectively were kidney stones (2.5, 95%CI [2.2 to 2.7]) and 2.6, 95%CI [2.3 to 2.8]), acute kidney injury (2.5, 95%CI [2.2 to 2.8] and 2.4, 95%CI [2.1 to 2.8]), chronic kidney disease (1.9, 95%CI [1.7 to 2.2] and 2.1, 95%CI [1.8 to 2.4]), tubular disorders (1.8, 95%CI [1.6 to 2.0] and 2.0, 95%CI [1.8 to 2.3]), and kidney transplant (1.6, 95%CI [1.4 to 1.8] and 1.7, 95%CI [1.4 to 1.9]). Residents, program directors, and paediatric nephrologists agreed that stones, chronic kidney disease, tubular disorders, and transplant were of lower importance. However, acute kidney injury was the domain with the largest discrepancy in perceived importance between residents (4.4, 95%CI [4.2 to 4.6]), nephrologists (4.2, 95%CI [3.8 to 4.6]), and program directors (4.2, 95%CI [3.7 to 4.7]) compared to general paediatricians ([2.4, 95%CI [2.1 to 2.8]; P<0.05). Conclusion Paediatricians did not believe acute kidney injury was important to their practice, despite expert opinion and evidence of long-term consequences. Educational interventions must address deficits in crucial domains of renal health in paediatrics.