Relationship between depression,smartphone addiction,and sleep among Chinese engineering students during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND Existing research has demonstrated that depression is positively related to smartphone addiction, but the role of sleep has not been discussed thoroughly, especially among engineering undergraduates affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.AIM To evaluate sleep as a mediator of the association between smartphone addiction and depression among engineering undergraduates.METHODS Using a multistage stratified random sampling method, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 692 engineering undergraduates from a top engineering university in China, and data were collected by self-reported electronic questionnaires. The data included demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version(SAS-SV), the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the association between smartphone addiction and depression, while structural equation models were established to evaluate the possible mediating role of sleep.RESULTS Based on the cutoffs of the SAS-SV, the rate of smartphone addiction was 63.58 percent, with 56.21 percent for women and 65.68 percent for men, among 692 engineering students. The prevalence of depression among students was 14.16 percent, with 17.65 percent for women, and 13.18 percent for men. Smartphone addiction was positively correlated with depression, and sleep played a significant mediating effect between the two, accounting for 42.22 percent of the total effect. In addition, sleep latency, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction significantly mediated the relationship between depression and smartphone addiction. The mediating effect of sleep latency was 0.014 [P < 0.01;95% confidence interval(CI): 0.006-0.027], the mediating effect of sleep disturbances was 0.022(P < 0.01;95%CI: 0.011-0.040), and the mediating effect of daytime dysfunction was 0.040(P < 0.01;95%CI: 0.024-0.059). The influence of sleep latency, sleep disturbances, and daytime dysfunction accounted for 18.42%, 28.95%, and 52.63% of the total mediating effect, respectively.CONCLUSION The results of the study suggest that reducing excessive smartphone use and improving sleep quality can help alleviate depression.

Clean Air Act:Awareness and Opinions Among Marine Engineering Students

This study aims to determine the awareness and opinions on Clean Air Act among marine engineering students at maritime university,specifically,John B.Lacson Foundation Maritime University-Molo,Iloilo City,Philippines.The participants of this study were 30 marine engineering students of the maritime university,especially JBLFMU-Molo for school year 2014-2015.Participants of the study were enrolled at the College of Maritime Education,JBLFMU-Molo,Iloilo City,Philippines.The researchers employed quantitative research design.The respondents’comments,suggestions,observations,and remarks on the perceived awareness and opinions on Clean Air Act were captured in this study.After gathering the qualitative information,the researchers classified and categorized the write-ups of the respondents into different categories.The results reveal that the participants of the present study were aware of the Clean Air Act as an entire group and when classified according to different categories.Most of the participants said that Clean Air Act protects the environment,followed by the participants who said that Clean Air Act can prevent air pollution.Next,in rank,the participants who said“it is good because you can go everywhere to inhale fresh air,followed by participants who said Clean Air Act can reduce the things that can harm the ozone layer,the last participants said that they never heard of Clean Air Act.

Investigation of Critical Thinking Tendency of Engineering Students and Analysis of Teaching Countermeasures

“New Engineering”construction puts forward higher requirements for the critical thinking ability of engineering talents in the future.With“California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory Chinese Revision”,the critical thinking tendency of engineering majors in local engineering colleges was investigated and analyzed.The results showed that the critical thinking level of the engineering students was obviously lower.According to the findings and teaching practice,this paper gives some teaching countermeasures to strengthen the cultivation of critical thinking of engineering students.

An Needs Analysis of English Writing Skills in the Engineering Context in China

This paper aims at investigating the needs of developing an English writing course for Chinese engineering students by employing the instruments of questionnaires and interview protocols.The results will be beneficial for the course development.