Ban of Religious Gatherings during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Christian Church Leaders' Well-Being in Ghana

Post-Covid-19 pandemic extension delivery: A systematic review of E-extension services prospects in Ghana

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the limitations of the traditional, in-person agricultural extension services in Ghana. This systematic review investigates the potential and readiness of Ghana to adopt digital agricultural extension services (E-extension) in the post-pandemic era. Employing the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools, we analyzed institutional and journal articles from 2010 to 2022. Our findings reveal a rapidly growing telecommunication sector in Ghana, with mobile phone usage and ICT adoption exceeding the Sub-Saharan Africa average. This digital infrastructure creates a promising foundation for public E-extension initiatives. However, the review emphasizes the critical need to integrate digital strategies with existing methods to ensure inclusive and effective reach, particularly for marginalized communities. Ultimately, this review highlights the untapped potential of leveraging ICT advancements for resilient and accessible E-extension services in Ghana, offering a transformative pathway for agricultural extension in the post-pandemic era.

The Effects of Spiritual Wellbeing on Self-Perceived Health Changes Among Members of the Church of England During the COVID-19 Pandemic in England

This paper tests whether changes in spiritual wellbeing were correlated with self-rated changes in mental and physical health after controlling for changes in psychological wellbeing in a sample from the Church of England taken during the third national COVID-19 lockdown in 2021. During the third lockdown in England an online survey, named Covid-19 and Church-21, was delivered through the Qualtrics XM platform from 22 January to 23 July 2021. The responses included 1878 Anglicans living in England. The change in spiritual wellbeing scale was produced using self-reported changes in the frequency of key spiritual practices (prayer and Bible reading), trust in God, the quality of spiritual life, and spiritual health. Changes in mental and physical health were assessed using single self-report items. Changes in psychological wellbeing were assessed using the Index of Balanced Affect Change (TIBACh). After controlling for changes in psychological wellbeing, better change in spiritual wellbeing was positively correlated with better change in both mental and physical health. Negative affect may have mediated the relationship between spiritual wellbeing and both mental and physical health, and positive affect may also have mediated the relationship with mental health. The results suggest changes in spiritual wellbeing, as defined within a Christian religious context, may have had positive effects in promoting better mental and physical health during a sudden crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Testing the Effectiveness of the Health Belief Model in Predicting Preventive Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Romania and Italy

We use a cultural psychology approach to examine the relevance of the Health Belief Model (HBM) for predicting a variety of behaviors that had been recommended by health officials during the initial stages of the COVID-19 lockdown for containing the spread of the virus and not overburdening the health system in Europe. Our study is grounded in the assumption that health behavior is activated based on locally relevant perceptions of threats, susceptibility and benefits in engaging in protective behavior, which requires careful attention to how these perceptions might be structured and activated. We assess the validity of the HBM in two European countries that have been relatively understudied, using simultaneous measurements during acute periods of infection in Romania and Italy. An online questionnaire provided a total of (N = 1863) valid answers from both countries. First, to understand individual difference patterns within and across populations, we fit a General Linear Model in which endorsement was predicted by behavior, country, their interaction, and a random effect for participants. Second, we assess the effect of demographics and health beliefs on prevention behaviors by fitting a multi-group path model across countries, in which each behavior was predicted by the observed health belief variables and demographics. Health beliefs showed stronger relationships with the recommended behaviors than demographics. Confirming previously reported relationships, self-efficacy, perceived severity, and perceived benefits were consistently related to the greater adoption of individual behaviors, whereas greater perceived barriers were related to lower adoption of health behaviors. However, we also point to important location specific effects that suggest that local norms shape protective behavior in highly contextualized ways.

The Relationship Between Pre-pandemic Measures of Religiosity and Psychological Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Secondary Analysis of Data From a Multi-Country Study

Background

The uncertainty and socioeconomic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been frequently associated with negative affective responses, particularly depression and anxiety. People from countries across the globe have frequently resorted to religious coping to deal with these emotions. However, there are conflicting results in the literature about the impact of prior patterns of religious belief and practice on emotional responses to COVID-19.

Methods

In this cross-sectional, country-level study, the association between pre-pandemic measures of religious affiliation and practice, obtained from prior survey data and self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress across 29 countries from a recent multi-country study, were examined while correcting for potential confounders.

Results

There was a trend towards a positive association between pre-pandemic religious belief and practice and anxiety in response to the pandemic (r = .36, p = .057), but this was not significant on multivariate analysis (β = .08, p = .691). Cultural individualism and urbanization were negatively associated with anxiety during the pandemic. There was also preliminary evidence of a non-linear relationship between religiosity and pandemic-related anxiety.

Conclusions

The relationship between religiosity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to be a direct one and can be influenced by demographic and cultural factors.