Articles

Analysis of Social and Behavioral Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic in Community-dwelling Older Adults Screened for Insomnia

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Objectives: This study sought to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults screened for the Nursing Diagnosis Insomnia (00095).

Methods: Secondary cross-sectional data analysis from a parent study on insomnia in older adults, using Bardin (2011) content analysis. Data from 77 older adults were collected from qualitative February to May 2021 in the pandemic period.

Results: Four thematic categories emerged: (1) Physical exercises; (2) Social impacts; (3) Physical and mental health; (4) Finances. The Physical and mental health category was most representative both in negative perceptions and in positive or neutral perceptions about the pandemic. The excess of bad news generates a negative perception. On the other hand, some older adults enjoyed benefits, such as improved sleep.

Discussion: The verbalized feelings are interconnected, and these spheres of life complement each other, interfering with each other. It is suggested to produce nursing strategies for older people and studies that address nursing interventions in pandemic periods.

Global Fear, Hopelessness and Media Overexposure of the Danger of COVID-19: A Cross-cultural Research

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This study analyzes the role of mass media in inducing hopelessness and fear at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was conducted online in three Asian (China, India, and Indonesia) and three European (Bulgaria, Germany, and Hungary) countries. A total of 2617 participants, between 18 and 80 years, completed an online version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and an additional questionnaire including multiple demographic characteristics. Data obtained show that Asians, compared to Europeans, demonstrated a higher level of hopelessness at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both gender and age have been found to influence levels of hopelessness, but their impact varies across cultures. In addition, data show that some demographic factors such as education, marital status, and established religiosity influence the degree of pessimism and hopelessness. This influence varies in Asian and European cultural environments. For example, highly educated representatives of both cultures display low levels of hopelessness, while those with less education demonstrate extremely high levels of hopelessness. Regarding family status and religiosity, the trends are different. The hopelessness levels increase among single and divorced Europeans and decrease among the married and those cohabiting with a partner. Unlike Europeans, only married Asians demonstrate low levels of hopelessness. Regarding religiosity, the results show that religious individuals display low levels of hopelessness, while among atheists in both cultures, these levels are dramatically high. Findings suggest that media overexposure to the danger of COVID-19, leads to an increase in hopelessness and, in turn, increases in stress, anxiety, and depression.

Social Practices of Covid-19 Resilient Village in Mitigating the Covid-19 Pandemic Disaster in Jember, Indonesia

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Covid-19, a global pandemic disaster since early 2020, has affected the Jember District. Lawgriez Village, as a selected resilient village, was chosen as a pilot village through a competition organized by the Regent of Jember at that time. There are good social practices in mitigating the Covid-19 pandemic in this village. These social practices include habitus, economic capital, social capital, cultural capital, and symbolic capital, and the domain of Lawgriez Village serves as the strength of this village in implementing policies for mitigating the Covid-19 pandemic along with its health protocols. The theory used in this research is the theory of social practice by Pierre Bourdieu. A qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach was chosen by the researcher to determine, examine, and analyze the data and techniques during data collection through observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Purposive sampling was selected as the technique for determining informants. The social practices of the Covid-19 resilient village are institutionalized within a structured institution of the resilient village, accompanied by cooperation from various stakeholders. The self-created and responsive social practices in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic are inseparable from the unity and solidarity of Lawgriez residents. The branding of Lawgriez as a village located near the RSTP Jember has become a reinforcing identity and distinctive characteristic known to the people of Jember.

Study on the Aftermath of Natural Ways to Cure COVID-19 in Bangladesh

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COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, expanded worldwide because of its easier transmission process, which emerged as respiratory infections, multi-organ disorders, and asymptomatic effects. Though several vaccines have been invented to prevent the virus affection, still lots of people are affecting from mild to severe Covid. In this study, we mainly focus on the natural ways that helped the patients to cure COVID-19 in the recent post-covid scenario. Our goal is to find the effectiveness of protein-rich foods and physical activities that may reduce the risks and boost immunity to fight off SARS-CoV-2. This study was conducted in Bangladesh and data was collected from 208 cured people through face-to-face interviews, phone calls, and social media. It was found that protein-rich foods such as sea fish, river fishes, pigeon meat, lemon, ceevit, and physical activities such as walking, jogging, and pushing up were associated with a lower recovery period. Males has the higher recovery period after being cured than females.

Determine the Optimal Capital Structure of PT Indofood CBP Makmur Tbk (PT. ICBP)

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The food and beverage industry is a very large industry both nationally and globally. In Indonesia, the government’s investment realization in the food and beverage industry reached IDR 19.17 trillion. One of the giant food and beverage companies in Indonesia, namely PT ICBP, is one of the largest contributors to Indonesia’s GDP in the food and beverage sector. But the problem occurred in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Apart from the pandemic, in 2022 there was a war between Russia and Ukraine which disrupted the global supply chain. The company’s decision to acquire PCL needs to be questioned because looking at the company’s financial condition, the capital structure of the firm is not in an optimal position. Therefore, this research was conducted with the aim of obtaining optimal capital structure and providing recommendations for strategic steps for PT ICBP. The results obtained are that in 2022 the debt level of the company is not on the optimal capital structure. Therefore, the authors carry out a scenario analysis of the company’s capital structure based on the base scenario where the future financial position will develop, such as the author’s estimation, the best scenario and the worst scenario. The optimal capital structure is obtained if the debt is at the level of 85% for the base scenario, 45% for the best scenario, and 40% for the worst case. With this capital structure, company achieve its maximum firm value. Companies must reduce debt levels according to the framework that Damodaran recommends, namely investing using new equity or retained earnings.

A Comparison of Indonesian and Dutch Generation-Z Preference Shift from Global Fashion Brands to Locals after Covid-19 Pandemic

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The covid-19 pandemic which outbroke four years ago has shifted how people live, work, and shop. Governments restrictions have made people develop new habits that can be done from home. Fashion industry as one of the most influential industries in Indonesia, as well as something that was always being traded offline, becomes one of the impacted areas. The less bodily experience of fashion online shopping and more cost-conscious consumers made this industry experienced a dip especially in 2019 and 2020. However, preliminary findings suggest that this condition benefits local fashion businesses which have been operating online since before this problem emerged. Therefore, this study is conducted to investigate the post-covid-19 pandemic preferences of generation-Z consumers regarding local and global fashion brands, focusing on a cross-cultural comparison between Indonesia and the Netherlands. The research aims to understand the factors influencing Generation-Z’s fashion brand preferences and explore potential differences between the two countries. This study is done using quantitative method with online questionnaires tool distributed to a sample of generation-Z consumers from two universities in Indonesia and Netherlands. Then, the data is processed using partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Results show that generation-Z of both countries prefer local fashion brands compared to global ones. The difference between the two countries is Indonesian participants emphasize the importance of brands interactivity, while the impact of it to Dutch participants is less significant. The study’s implications highlight the evolving Generation-Z consumer behavior after the pandemic especially the shift of preference to local fashion brands. Understanding these preferences can assist fashion business owners and marketing teams in tailoring their strategies to cater the current needs and values of Generation-Z consumers. Furthermore, the cross-cultural comparison sheds light for fashion business owners who are planning to expand their markets to developed countries with similar characteristics as Netherlands.

Scoping Review on Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity in Older Adults

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Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID -19) is highly contagious disease caused by a new corona virus that first appeared in Wuhan, China and was dubbed SARS-CoV-2. Physical activity lowers the risk of numerous chronic diseases and extends life expectancy. The number of older persons suffering from mental illnesses has risen dramatically in recent years around the world. Depression and anxiety are common mental disorders among older persons, and because of their serious implications, they should be considered a public health issue. Physically active lifestyle can help them cope with the psychological stress and drastic lifestyle changes that come with social isolation. The perceived comfort and attractiveness of environmental settings appear to play another important role for older persons in terms of their sense of security towards their own body and the environment. As we all know, a variety of factors such as environmental and social factors can have an impact on the physical and psychological health of the elderly, causing anxiety, depression, and loneliness. In order to overcome these symptoms, physical activity plays a critical role.

Stressors among Healthcare Workers during Covid-19 Era at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Awka Anambra State Nigeria

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The research on stress, its effect, sources and management cannot be over emphasized. The purpose of the study is to determine the stressors among healthcare workers at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka. Six research questions were posited and four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The cross sectional survey research design was used for the study. The multi stage sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 267 out of 772 Healthcare workers (HCWs). The instrument for data collection was a researcher’s designed questionnaire. The instrument was subjected to reliability test using the pilot test method. The data collected were analyzed using frequency and percentages for research questions (1-6) while the null hypotheses were tested using Chi – square statistics. The result revealed ten  stressors to healthcare workers during covid-19 era which were demanding workload which was endorsed by 96.2% of the respondents, Time pressure (84.5%), sleep deprivation (66.8%), role ambiguity and conflicts (54.3%), home/work interconnection (71.3%), emotional exhaustion (87.5%), limited break periods (78.5), fear of exposure to infection (95.8%), physical and psychological abuse (56.2%), and concerns about children not being taken care of properly when you are away (60.8%). Based on the findings and conclusions, the researcher recommended among other things that the demanding workload of the healthcare professionals can be reduced by employing more workers hereby reducing stress. Also, Annual leave, maternity leave, casual leave and break periods amidst work, etc should not be denied any job category in the healthcare system to avoid break down in health of the HCWs.

Pedagogical Challenges and Opportunities during Covid-19 Pandemic: Perspectives from the Pre-Service and High School Teachers

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This study aimed to determine the pedagogical challenges and opportunities of the Pre-Service and high school teachers in the new normal education.  The sample size was determined using the slovins formula and 13 pre-service teachers, and 26 High School Teachers were the participants. Descriptive and inferential were used. Findings revealed that most of the respondents were 21-26 years old, female, high school teachers, and situated mostly in urban areas. The conduct of online classes was the major challenge faced by both pre-service and high school teachers for they used to conduct classroom teaching for many years. The online teaching-learning modality was successfully implemented to practice teaching as a mission to facilitate students learning through various online strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Age, sex, type of respondents, and locality did not show a significant degree of variance in the extent of the pedagogical challenges and opportunities they encountered. The locality has a significant degree of variance in terms of teaching-learning engagement and opportunities for teaching-learning platforms. Hence, seminars and workshops on online pedagogies and online assessment tools strategies to facilitate online teaching more engaging was recommended.

A Survey on the Perceived Impact of the COVID 19 Pandemic on Dental Undergraduate Students in the North Gujarat Region, India

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Aim: This study aimed to assess and compare the perceived impact of covid 19 pandemic on dental undergraduate students in the north Gujarat region.

Objective: To assess & compare the percentage difference in impact of covid 19 on dental undergraduate students based on their academic year.

Material and method: This questionnaire study utilized a validated 28 questions survey. The questionnaire distributed to 200 dental undergraduate students. The questions were divided into categories : demographic and academic information, study career, knowledge about covid 19 infection, risk perception and psychological reactions. The survey was administered through online google form and all the responses kept confidential. The impact of covid 19 on students were recorded.

Result: The questionnaire was completed by 160 students (80%). Responses were from all the academic years in which majority of respondents were interns. Most of the students experienced difficulties in clinical training during and post COVID-19 emergency due to lack of patients’ OPD and reduced training hours. For over half of them online teaching could  replace traditional face-to-face lessons. The negative impact on the study career was particularly high by interns. The level of concern of contracting COVID-19 during clinical activities were higher among students. Most of the students showed symptoms related to high to moderate levels of fear and anxiety. Conclusion: The data showed that the students perceived the COVID-19 pandemic as a negative impact on their study career and their future practice with higher impact on interns compared to other years. Most of the students showed  high to moderate levels of fear and anxiety related to effect of pandemic on their study career. This data could help universities to implement communication modalities to reduce students’ fear and anxiety.