Psychometric properties of three simplified Chinese online-related addictive behavior instruments among mainland Chinese primary school students

Background/Objective: There are inadequate screening instruments for assessing specific internet-related addictions among mainland Chinese primary school students. Therefore, the present study validated the psychometric properties of three simplified Chinese online-related addictive behavior instruments among mainland Chinese primary school students. Method: Fourth to sixth graders (n = 1108; 48.3% males; mean [SD] age = 10.37 years [0.95]) completed the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scales-Short Form (IGDS-SF9), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), and Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS) in a classroom. The factorial structures and the unidimensionality of the three scales were examined using confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). Measurement invariance of the three scales was examined using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (MGCFAs) across gender. Results: The findings demonstrated that the three scales (Cronbach’s α = 0.73 to 0.84) had unidimensional structure as supported by satisfactory fit indices (comparative fit index = 0.98 to 1.00). The MGCFA findings indicated that the unidimensional structures of the three scales were invariant across gender. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the three simplified Chinese scales (IGDS-SF9, BSMAS, and SABAS) are valid instruments for assessing online-related addictive behaviors among mainland Chinese primary school students irrespective of their gender

The mediational role of trust in the healthcare system in the association between generalized trust and willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination in Iran

For some individuals, there appears to be some level of unwillingness in getting a COVID-19 vaccine which may be due to trust issues. The present study used a mediation model to investigate how trust is associated with an individual’s willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination among Iranians. A total of 10,843 Iranian adults were recruited in Qazvin province using a multistage stratified cluster sampling method. The survey was completed between February 19 and April 9, 2021. The findings showed that generalized trust was positively associated with trust in the healthcare system, trust in the healthcare system was positively associated with willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination, and generalized trust was positively associated with willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination. Also, trust in the healthcare system mediated the association between generalized trust and willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination. There were some significant demographic differences in COVID-19 vaccination willingness. The findings suggest that generalized trust plays a significant role in directly or indirectly influencing individuals’ willingness to get COVID-19 vaccine. Therefore, government bodies and health officials may utilize these findings to appeal in a more transparent and professional manner in encouraging individuals to get a COVID-19 vaccine. However, for those with lower trust levels (in general and in the healthcare system), the focus may be to re-build and/or regain the individuals’ trust through carefully planned transparent communication, information dissemination, and ethical education to help increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination

Associations between vaccination and quality of life among Taiwan general population: a comparison between COVID-19 vaccines and flu vaccines

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted lives worldwide and has led to global vaccination against COVID-19. However, there are concerns about the adverse effects of such vaccines on individuals’ health. Therefore, it is important to investigate the association between vaccination and holistic health outcome (i.e., quality of life [QoL]). The present study analyzed data from the Taiwan Social Change Survey (TSCS), a survey conducted utilizing stratified random sampling. More specifically, data (N = 1425; 47.44% males; mean age = 50.58 y) on their vaccinations (including COVID-19 and flu vaccines) and QoL (using the Short-Form 12) were used. Participants were separated into two age subgroups for analyses (those aged below 50 y, and those 50 y or above). For participants aged below 50 y, those who received COVID-19 vaccine and those who received both COVID-19 and flu vaccines had significantly better physical QoL than those who did not receive any vaccination. Mental QoL was not significantly associated with vaccinations for participants aged below 50 y. Moreover, neither mental nor physical QoL was significantly associated with vaccinations for those aged 50 y or above. The present study showed that not having COVID-19 and flu vaccinations is associated with poor QoL. This finding should be disseminated to the public to help aid vaccination promotion

Instruments assessing problematic use of the internet and their associations with psychological distress among Ghanaian university students

Background: The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) instruments and their correlation with psychological distress and time spent on Internet activities among university students in Ghana. Methods: In the present cross-sectional survey design study, 520 participants (35.96% female) were recruited with a mean age of 19.55 years (SD = 1.94) from several university departments (i.e., Behavioral Sciences, Materials Engineering, Nursing and Midwifery, and Biochemistry and Biotechnology) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) between 19 July and 04 August, 2023. Participants completed a survey that included the following measures: the Gaming Disorder Test (GDT), Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Smartphone Application Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), and the external criterion measure: Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out to evaluate the structure of the instruments. Cronbach’s α, McDonald’s ω, and composite reliability were used to evaluate internal consistency. Pearson correlation was used to examine the associations between the scores of instruments assessing PIU, time spent on Internet activities, and the level of psychological distress. Results: Model fits confirmed the (i) unidimensional structure of the GDT, BSMAS, SABAS, IGDS9-SF, (ii) two-factor structure of the GADIS-A, and (iii) four-factor structure of the NMP-Q. Additionally, the study found that different types of PIU were significantly associated with psychological distress and time spent on related Internet activities. Conclusion: The six instruments validated in the present study demonstrated very good to excellent psychometric properties when applied to university students in Ghana. The significant associations between Internet-related disorders, time spent on Internet-related activities, and psychological distress highlight the importance of addressing issues of PIU among this population

Parallel mediating effects of sleep quality, psychological distress, and self‐stigma in the associations between long COVID symptoms and quality of life among Taiwanese individuals with mental health illness

Background: Long COVID symptoms (i.e., experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 for 3 months post-COVID-19) affect individuals’ health and their quality of life (QoL). However, the pathways through which it does so are not fully known. Aim: The present study examined the mediating roles of sleep quality, psychological distress, and self-stigma in the associations between long COVID symptoms and QoL among individuals with mental illness. Method: Individuals with mental illness (n = 333) were recruited from a psychiatric center in southern Taiwan to participate in the study. Data were collected regarding sleep quality, psychological distress, self-stigma, and QoL. Independent t-tests, Pearson correlations, and regression with Hayes’ Process Macro were used to compare groups, examine relationships, and parallel mediation models, respectively. Results: Participants with long COVID symptoms had significantly worse sleep quality, psychological distress, physical QoL, and psychological QoL compared to those without symptoms. There were significant relationships between sleep quality, psychological distress, self-stigma, and QoL. Sleep quality significantly mediated the associations between long COVID symptoms and physical and social QoL. Psychological distress significantly mediated the associations between long COVID symptoms and all domains of QoL, but not self-stigma. Conclusion: There are alternative pathways (e.g., sleep quality and psychological distress) through which long COVID symptoms may affect the QoL of individuals with mental illness. The findings suggest that individuals with long COVID symptoms have a higher chance of having poor QoL. Therefore, there may be the need for counseling and possible therapy for those who contract COVID-19, especially among individuals who already have mental illness

Motivation to have COVID-19 vaccination explained using an extended protection motivation theory among university students in China: the role of information sources

Background: The aims of the present study were to examine the prediction of the threat and coping appraisal utilizing an extended protection motivation theory (PMT) for the motivation to have COVID-19 vaccination and the influence of various information sources on coping appraisal among university students in China. Methods: The sample comprised 3145 students from 43 universities in China who completed an online survey including PMT constructs as well as constructs added to PMT. The PMT constructs comprised motivation to have COVID-19 vaccination, threat appraisal, and coping appraisal. The extended PMT constructs comprised knowledge about mechanisms and information sources of COVID-19 vaccination. Results: Perceived severity of COVID-19 was positively associated with motivation to have COVID-19 vaccination. Receiving information concerning COVID-19 vaccination from medical personnel was associated with greater self-efficacy, response efficacy, and knowledge, whereas receiving information concerning COVID-19 vaccination from coworkers/colleagues was associated with less response efficacy and knowledge. Receiving online information concerning COVID-19 vaccination was associated with greater response cost of vaccination efficacy and less knowledge. Conclusions: This study supported the prediction of perceived severity in the PMT for motivation to have COVID-19 vaccination among university students in China. Vaccination information sources have different effects on students' coping appraisal of COVID-19 vaccination

Post-traumatic stress disorder in Chinese teachers during COVID-19 pandemic: roles of fear of COVID-19, nomophobia, and psychological distress

There are limited data concerning the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among teachers. Therefore, the present study estimated the prevalence of PTSD among mainland Chinese teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic and to construct a model with mediation and moderation effects to explain the PTSD. Data collection was conducted in schools in the Jiangxi province between October and November 2020 among k-12 schoolteachers. An online survey, including five different psychometric scales, was used to collect data. All participants were assessed for PTSD using the Chinese version of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Hayes’ PROCESS Model 8 was used to examine the potential factors explaining a higher PTSD scores. A total of 2603 teachers from k-12 schools participated. With the cutoff score at 31, the prevalence of PTSD was 12.3% but decreased to 1.0% when the cutoff score was at 49. Nomophobia moderated the effects of Fear of COVID-19 Scale on PTSD. The findings suggest that fear of COVID-19 among teachers leads to PTSD via psychological distress, highlighting the moderating effect of nomophobia in this association. Based on the study’s findings, psychological interventions and educational training are needed to reduce fear among teachers at higher risk of developing PTSD

Expanding protection motivation theory to explain willingness of COVID-19 vaccination uptake among Taiwanese university students

Vaccination appears to be one of the effective strategies to control the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the challenge of vaccine hesitancy may lower the uptake rate and affect overall vaccine efficacy. Being a low-risk group in terms of serious consequences of infection, university students may possess low motivation to get vaccinated. Therefore, an expanded Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) incorporating perceived knowledge, adaptive response, and maladaptive response was proposed to investigate the COVID-19 vaccination intention among Taiwanese university students. University students (n = 924; 575 males; mean age = 25.29 years) completed an online survey during January to February 2021. The proposed expanded PMT model was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that perceived knowledge was significantly associated with coping appraisal (standardized coefficient (β) = 0.820; p < 0.001), and coping appraisal was significantly associated with adaptive response (β = 0.852; p < 0.001), maladaptive response (β = 0.300; p < 0.001) and intention (β = 0.533; p = 0.009). Moreover, maladaptive response (β = −0.173; p = 0.001) but not adaptive response (β = 0.148; p = 0.482) was significantly and negatively associated with intention. The present study's results demonstrated a positive path between perceived knowledge, coping appraisal, and intention among university students. Therefore, improving knowledge among this population may increase the intention to uptake the vaccine

Internet addiction and psychological distress among Chinese schoolchildren before and during the COVID-19 outbreak: a latent class analysis

Background and aims: The present longitudinal study examined the changes in problematic internet use (problematic smartphone use, problematic social media use, and problematic gaming) and changes in COVID-19-related psychological distress (fear of COVID-19 and worry concerning COVID-19) across three time-points (before the COVID-19 outbreak, during the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, and during the COVID-19 outbreak recovery period). Methods: A total of 504 Chinese schoolchildren completed measures concerning problematic internet use and psychological distress across three timepoints. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to classify participants into three groups of problematic internet use comprising Group 1 (lowest level), Group 2 (moderate level), and Group 3 (highest level). Results: Statistical analyses showed that as problematic use of internet-related activities declined among Group 3 participants across the three time points, participants in Group 1 and Group 2 had increased problematic use of internet-related activities. Although there was no between-group difference in relation to worrying concerning COVID-19 infection, Groups 2 and 3 had significantly higher levels of fear of COVID-19 than Group 1 during the COVID-19 recovery period. Regression analysis showed that change in problematic internet use predicted fear of COVID-19 during the recovery period. Conclusion: The varied levels of problematic internet use among schoolchildren reflect different changing trends of additive behaviors during COVID-19 outbreak and recovery periods