Analysis of Adversity Quotient of Nursing Students in Macao: A Cross-Section and Correlation Study

Background Many studies have shown that people's success depends not only on intelligence and technical ability, but also on their resilience and ability to overcome adversity, which is called adversity quotient (AQ). Objectives To investigate the AQ of Macao undergraduate nursing students and to analyse its influencing factors in order to understand how best to cultivate their AQ. Methods A Cross-Section and Correlation design was chosen and a convenience sampling method (n=158 valid) was used to select nursing students from a tertiary institute in Macao. In addition to demographic questions the adversity scale, emotional intelligence (EI) scale, simplified coping style questionnaire and the Chinese version of parental styles scale, were used to assess the student’s characteristics. Results The average AQ score of the students was 116.72±11.39. AQ scores were negatively correlated with coping-negative, and maternal style (excessive interference, excessive protection) (r=-0.332, p<0.001; r=-0.167, p=0.036). Coping-negative entered the regression equation (F=19.154, p<0.001). The female nursing students had higher AQ-ownership scores than their male counterparts (t=-4.442, p<0.001). Conclusions The average AQ scores of Macao undergraduate nursing students was moderate. The female nursing students are more likely to attribute the cause of adversity to themselves. Specific psychosocial and cultural issues maybe at play and there is a necessity for Macao nursing students to improve their ability to overcome setbacks. Special attention should be paid to the cultivation of students’ positive coping styles

Validation of a Chinese version of the dental anxiety inventory

Objectives: To translate the English version of Dental Anxiety Inventory (DAxI) and its short-form (SDAxI) and to validate their use in Hong Kong Chinese. Methods: The DAxI and SDAxI were translated into Chinese. A total of 500 adults (18-64 years) were interviewed, the Chinese DAxI, Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were completed. Based on their initial DAxI scores, 135 interviewees were invited to attend a dental examination 1 month later. Then, the subjects completed the DAxI again, together with Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) which measured the state anxiety level of the participants. Two months after the initial interview, all 500 subjects were asked to complete the DAxI again. Another 300 adults were recruited and interviewed for the SDAxI validation. Results: Cronbach's alpha of the Chinese DAxI and SDAxI were 0.77 and 0.80 and the test-retest correlation coefficients were 0.90 and 0.84, respectively. High correlation between BAI and DAxI scores and its stability over time supported construct validity of the Chinese DAxI. Small positive correlations between the DAxI and other subscales of the SCL-90, DASS and STAI supported discriminant validity of the instrument. The SDAxI demonstrated comparable validity and reliability with DAxI. Conclusion: The translated Chinese DAxI demonstrated good validity and reliability. It is available for use in dental anxiety research in adult Chinese. In situations where a short-form is desirable, the Chinese SDAxI is a simple, valid, reliable and interpretable scale for measuring dental anxiety in both research and dental practice. © Blackwell Munksgaard, 2005.postprin

Forecasting tourism recovery amid COVID-19

The profound impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on global tourism activity has rendered forecasts of tourism demand obsolete. Accordingly, scholars have begun to seek the best methods to predict the recovery of tourism from the devastating effects of COVID-19. In this study, econometric and judgmental methods were combined to forecast the possible paths to tourism recovery in Hong Kong. The autoregressive distributed lag-error correction model was used to generate baseline forecasts, and Delphi adjustments based on different recovery scenarios were performed to reflect different levels of severity in terms of the pandemic’s influence. These forecasts were also used to evaluate the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry in Hong Kong