Impact of Risk Perception about COVID-19 on the Coping Behavior of the Elderly:Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy

Objective:This study aimed to explore the mediating role of self-efficacy on the relationship between risk perception and the coping behavior of the elderly during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Methods:The study employed the convenience sampling method to select a total of 550 elderly from Chongqing,Chengdu and Luohe in China.A questionnaire composed of the perception scale,self-efficacy scale,and coping behavior scale was used to collect data.Results:Risk perception exerted a significantly direct effect on positive coping behavior and avoidant coping behavior.Moreover,it positively predicted the components of self-efficacy.In turn,self-efficacy positively predicted the components of positive coping behavior,which confirm that it plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between risk perception and positive coping behavior.Moreover,self-efficacy negatively predicted the components of avoidant coping behavior,which confirms that it also plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between risk perception and avoidant coping behavior.Conclusion:A simple mediation model revealed that self-efficacy partially mediated the direct and indirect effects of risk perception on coping behavior.Based on the results,the study recommended several countermeasures and suggestions for enhancing the positive coping behavior of the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Relationship of Stress Coping Behaviors and Changes in Resilience during an Integrated Nursing Practicum

This study aims to clarify what kinds of resilience and coping strategies students employ to successfully complete their clinical practicum and provide suggestions for instruction that will allow students to carry out effective learning activities. The study subjects were 86 students enrolled at Nursing University A for the 2019 school year and planning to take the integrated nursing practicum. The survey was conducted using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to determine the amount of change in resilience factors from the surveys before and after the practicum. Subsequently, multiple regression analysis was carried out with stress coping behaviors that were significantly associated with resilience factors in univariate analysis as independent variables and the amount of change in resilience factors before and after the practicum as dependent variables. A total of 56 responses were received (response rate 65.8%) from the 85 survey subjects. Innate resilience factors increased significantly from 41 pre-practicums to 44 post-practicums. Acquired resilience factors also increased significantly from 32 pre-practicums to 35 post-practicums (p < 0.01). The results of multiple regression analysis found that the stress coping behavior of “changing point of view” (β = 0.361, p < 0.01) and pre-practicum innate resilience factors (β = −0.456, p < 0.01) were significantly associated with innate resilience factors. Examining the relationship between the amount of change in student resilience and stress coping behaviors revealed that the stress coping behavior of “changing point of view” was associated with innate resilience. This finding suggests that resilience may be increased by changing one’s perspective on an event by taking on a new way of thinking. The results suggested that helping students transform realizations made during reflection into learning and create a sense of meaning may lead to fostering innate resilience during integrated nursing practicums.

Livelihood Vulnerability and Adaptation for Households Engaged in Forestry in Ecological Restoration Areas of the Chinese Loess Plateau

Chinese Loess Plateau has achieved a win-win situation concerning ecological restoration and socio-economic development.However,synergistic development may not be realized at the local scale.In areas undergoing ecological restoration,livelihood vulner-ability may be more pronounced due to the inflexibility,policy protection,and susceptibility to climate and market changes in forestry production.Although this issue has attracted academic interest,empirical studies are relatively scarce.This study,centered on Jiaxian County,Shaanxi Province of China explored the households’livelihood vulnerability and coping strategies and group heterogeneity con-cerned with livelihood structures or forestry resources through field investigation,comprehensive index assessment,and nonparametric tests.Findings showed that:1)the percentage of households with high livelihood vulnerability indicator(LVI)(>0.491)reached 46.34%.2)Eight groups in livelihood structures formed by forestry,traditional agriculture,and non-farm activities were significantly different in LVI,land resources(LR),social networks(SN),livelihood strategies(LS),housing characteristics(HC),and socio-demo-graphic profile(SDP).3)The livelihood vulnerability of the groups with highly engaged/reliance on jujube(Ziziphus jujuba)forest demonstrated more prominent livelihood vulnerability due to the increased precipitation and cold market,where the low-engaged with reliance type were significantly more vulnerable in LVI,SDP,LR,and HC.4)The threshold of behavioral triggers widely varied,and farmers dependent on forestry livelihoods showed negative coping behavior.Specifically,the cutting behavior was strongly associated with lagged years and government subsidies,guidance,and high returns of crops.Finally,the findings can provide guidance on the dir-ection of livelihood vulnerability mitigation and adaptive government management in ecologically restored areas.The issue of farmers’livelihood sustainability in the context of ecological conservation calls for immediate attention,and eco-compensations or other forms of assistance in ecologically functional areas are expected to be enhanced and diversified.

Psychological aspects of diabetes care: Effecting behavioral change in patients

Patients with diabetes mellitus(DM) need psychological support throughout their life span from the time of diagnosis. The psychological make-up of the patients with DM play a central role in self-management behaviors. Without patient's adherence to the effective therapies, there would be persistent sub-optimal contro of diseases, increase diabetes-related complications,causing deterioration in quality of life, resulting in increased healthcare utilization and burden on healthcare systems. However, provision of psychosocial support is generally inadequate due to its challenging nature of needs and demands on the healthcare systems. This review article examines patient's psychological aspects in general, elaborates in particular about emotion effects on health, and emotion in relation to other psychological domains such as cognition, self-regulation,self-efficacy and behavior. Some descriptions are also provided on willpower, resilience, illness perception and proactive coping in relating execution of new behaviors,coping with future-oriented thinking and influences of illness perception on health-related behaviors. These psychological aspects are further discussed in relationto DM and interventions for patients with DM. Equipped with the understanding of the pertinent nature of psychology in patients with DM; and knowing the links between the psychological disorders, inflammation and cardiovascular outcomes would hopefully encourages healthcare professionals in giving due attention to the psychological needs of patients with DM.

Urban residents'behavioral response to climate change and its influencing factors:A case study of Tianjin,China

Climate change is a global issue that poses a significant risk to the global economy and therefore warrants coordinated collective action.Employing a questionnaire survey in China,this study presents urban residents'behavioral response to climate change and its influencing factors.The results indicated that urban residents in Tianjin often took low-cost,intuitive,and quickly implementable actions,namely behavioral coping responses.Proactive adaptive behavior was also evident,which involved greater financial investment.Furthermore,according to regression analysis results of urban residents'behavior and its influencing factors,knowledge of climate change manifested a positive correlation with urban residents'behavioral coping response.In contrast,cost manifested a negative correlation with urban residents'proactive adaptive behavior,which was a more complex,costly,and challenging anticipatory action.Knowledge of climate change manifested a positive correlation with both behavioral coping response and proactive adaptive behavior.Finally,recommendations for encouraging beneficial behaviors among urban residents are suggested.

Caregiver empowerment program based on the adaptation model increase stroke family caregiver outcome

Objective:Post-stroke disability and psychosocial disorders cause burdens for the families of stroke patients,including physical and financial burdens.The physical and psychological health of family caregivers determines the quality of care they provide to patients.The purpose of this study was to identify the effectiveness of the Caregiver Empowerment Program Based on the Adaptation Model(CEP-BAM)in increasing the family caregiver’s coping ability against various problems and reducing their burden while caring for the stroke patient.Methods:This research was a quasi-experimental study with pre-and post-test control group design.The intervention group received CEP-BAM,while the control group received a conventional intervention in the form of a discharge planning program for family caregivers in the hospital.The samples were caregivers who care for and facilitate the recovery of stroke patients during their convalescence at home.We selected the samples from the population using the stratified random sampling method.The number of samples completed in the study was 40 in the intervention group and 40 in the control group.Measurement of outcome variables(coping and caregiver burden)was carried out 4 times including pre-test before the intervention,post-test 1 at 4 months after the intervention,post-test 2 at 5 months after the intervention,and post-test 3 at 6 months after the intervention.Results:There were significant differences in caregiver’s coping(P=0.016)and caregiver’s burden(P=0.009)in measurements between the two groups.Conclusions:The CEP-BAM interventions were effective in increasing adaptive coping strategies and reducing the burden of caregivers 4 months and continuing 6 months after the intervention.