The impact of social media use on the relationship between social isolation and connectedness during COVID-19 in Hong Kong

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of social connectedness, whilst the popularity of social media continues to rise. The present study examined the relationship between engagement on social networking sites (SNSs), social connectedness and social isolation in a sample of Hong Kong Chinese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 232 participants (65% female) aged 18–65 years were recruited to a cross-sectional online study. SNS engagement was predictive of social connectedness in the present sample. Findings revealed that SNS engagement was associated with lower levels of social isolation. Younger participants reported greater engagement with SNSs, and lower levels of social isolation compared to older participants. However, older respondents reported greater levels of social connectedness. No gender differences were observed in social connectedness, but men reported significantly higher levels of social isolation compared to women. With the COVID-19 pandemic only just at an end, social restrictions have recently been lifted in Hong Kong, resulting in the significance of online communication becoming ever more important as a means of maintaining social connectedness

Loneliness of Older Immigrant Groups in Canada: Effects of Ethnic-Cultural Background

This study aimed to explore the loneliness of several groups of older immigrants in Canadacompared to native-born older adults. Data from the Canadian General Social Survey, Cycle 22 (Nolder adults = 3,692) were used. The dependent variable is the 6 item De Jong Gierveld lonelinessscale. Determinants of loneliness included country of birth, ethnic background (cultural context);belongingness (community context) and social networks (social context). Results showed that onlysome immigrant groups are significantly lonelier than older adults born in Canada. Immigrants withsimilar language and culture are not lonelier; while those from countries that differ in nativelanguage/culture are significantly higher on loneliness. Multivariate analyses showed the importanceof cultural background, of composition of the network of relatives and friends, and of localparticipation and feelings of belonging to the Canadian society in explaining loneliness of olderimmigrants

Early infant HIV-1 diagnosis programs in resource-limited settings: opportunities for improved outcomes and more cost-effective interventions

Early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV-1 infection confers substantial benefits to HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected infants, to their families, and to programs providing prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services, but has been challenging to implement in resource-limited settings. In order to correctly inform parents/caregivers of infant infection status and link HIV-infected infants to care and treatment, a 'cascade' of events must successfully occur. A frequently cited barrier to expansion of EID programs is the cost of the required laboratory assays. However, substantial implementation barriers, as well as personnel and infrastructure requirements, exist at each step in the cascade. In this update, we review challenges to uptake at each step in the EID cascade, highlighting that even with the highest reported levels of uptake, nearly half of HIV-infected infants may not complete the cascade successfully. We next synthesize the available literature about the costs and cost effectiveness of EID programs; identify areas for future research; and place these findings within the context of the benefits and challenges to EID implementation in resource-limited settings

Social solidarity, social work and Chinese people

Differences in social solidarity among Chinese in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom have been identified from two linked studies. Significant differences emerged between the two Chinese communities. Notably, respondents in Hong Kong reported a higher sense of belonging to their community, greater engagement with the provision of care for others and made a greater contribution to the lives of others than did UK Chinese respondents. Consideration about construction and delivery of social services is discussed

Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Explain Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine among Hong Kong Chinese in Britain

The UK Chinese are known for their underutilisation of western healthcare services. Reasons for this underutilisation are complex. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is a widely used model of social cognition, which in the present study is being applied to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) utilisation and satisfaction with TCM services. Two hundred and seventy-two UK Chinese aged between 15 and 91 years (; SD = 18.53) enrolled in the study. TCM utilisation was associated with gender, age, cultural attachment, and subjective norms. TCM users were more likely to be female and older and have a strong attachment to Chinese culture, and be influenced by the views of important others. Findings highlight the potential of the TPB in exploring TCM utilisation, whilst also throwing light on other factors influential in the use of TCM and satisfaction with TCM service provision among Chinese in the UK

A transnational bicultural place model of cultural selves and psychological citizenship: the case of Chinese immigrants in Britain

The transnational bicultural place of Hong Kong (HK) Chinese immigrants in United Kingdom (UK) comprises bicultural social networks of UK British and UK Chinese connected transnationally by a third network of home compatriots (HK Chinese). Through demonstration that these networks supported immigrants' dual (British and Chinese) cultural selves along ethnic lines (UK British network supported British cultural self, and Chinese networks supported Chinese cultural self), the present survey (N = 272) contributes to research on migration and transcultural identities. Further it confirmed as predicted that dual cultural selves formed the mental basis of psychological citizenship that was affected by (1) the transnational HK Chinese network mediated via Chinese cultural self and (2) the UK British network mediated via British cultural self. The predicted effect of UK Chinese network was non-significant. Unexpectedly Chinese cultural self decreased with the UK British network, possibly because immigrants did not feel fully accepted in UK

Ageing in Hong Kong and the UK : a comparison of the Chinese at home and abroad

It is accepted that many parts of the world are now facing major demographic changes as the population ages and older people become a larger proportion of the population. Being an older person in a modern city can be a challenging experience: the loosening of family bonds, geographical dispersal of family members, cultural dominance of what has been termed “youth culture,” and the loss of social esteem for those beyond working age, combined with some of the inevitabilities of the ageing process, such as the loss of friendships, declining physical abilities, increased likelihood of chronic ill health, and increased likelihood of experiencing depression. How are these tensions likely to be exacerbated for ageing Chinese individuals living in Hong Kong and for those ageing migrants in the UK? The present study explores the differences