The mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between health locus of control and life satisfaction: A moderator role of movement disability

The mediating role of health behaviors in the relationship between internal locus of control and life satisfaction in public health students

Well-being is a continuous process requiring decisions and actions to maintain or build health. This study examines the indirect effect of health locus of control on life satisfaction via healthy behaviors based on living systems theory. Participants were 730 students of various majors related to medicine and health, aged between 19 and 30 (M = 22.29, SD = 1.64), including 79.04% women. Self-report measures were used to assess life satisfaction, multidimensional health locus of control, and health behavior. Women scored higher than men on the total health behavior scale, especially in a healthy diet and preventive behavior. Men scored higher than women on internal health locus of control (HLC), while women scored higher than men on the powerful others HLC in making decisions about their health. The study confirmed the mediating effect of healthy behavior on the relationship between the internal HLC and life satisfaction. The present mechanism highlights the crucial role of internal motivation in increasing subjective well-being by maintaining health behaviors among young adults. The role of intervention programs focused on improving internal HLC and health behaviors is discussed.

Autonomy, Resilience and Life Satisfaction among Badminton Paralympians

Background

People with disabilities are marginalised in mainstream culture and they also experience increased restrictions in a variety of areas, such as sport. The barriers they encounter may adversely affect their life satisfaction, especially if they have a low perceived sense of autonomy and resilience. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between autonomy, resilience and life satisfaction in para-badminton athletes and the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between autonomy and life satisfaction.

Methods

Data were collected from 137 para-badminton athletes (male: 65.0% and female: 35.0%). Self-reported measures were used to assess the participants' autonomy, resilience and life satisfaction levels.

Results

A structural equation model analysis was performed; the model had sufficient fit indices (comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.94, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.06, standardised root mean square residual [SRMR] = 0.07). The findings showed that autonomy had a significant effect on resilience (β = 0.32, P = 0.001). Further, resilience had a significant effect on life satisfaction (β = 0.19, P = 0.011) and significantly mediated the effect of autonomy on life satisfaction (β = 021, P = 0.033).

Conclusion

This study revealed that autonomy fosters resilience among athletes, in turn allowing them to achieve greater life satisfaction. Therefore, society and sport communities should actively seek ways to improve the autonomy and resilience levels of athletes with disabilities.

The Association of Health Locus of Control with Clinical and Psychosocial Aspects of Living with Multiple Sclerosis

Health Locus of control (LOC) refers to one's beliefs regarding control over one's health. This study aimed to determine the relationship between LOC on clinical and psychosocial aspects associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). 5059 participants with MS completed a questionnaire pack including the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale. Associations between LOC and sociodemographic (age, gender, educational level) and clinical variables (duration, disability, depression, anxiety, self-efficacy, QoL) were explored. LOC was found to be significantly associated with all of the clinical variables and age, but not gender or educational level. When controlling for level of disability, Chance (CLOC) was associated with higher self-efficacy, lower anxiety and higher QoL than Powerful Others (PLOC), while Internal (ILOC) had no association. The proportion with ILOC preference was lower in increased disability. In MS, believing that health is controlled mainly by chance confers the most benefit with regard to quality of life. There is prima-facie evidence that LOC preference changes with MS progression, in a pattern that is protective against psychological distress.

Healthy lifestyle mediates the association between health locus of control and life satisfaction among college students in Hubei, China: during the normalization stage of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have primarily focused on the relationships among the health locus of control (HLC), healthy lifestyle and life satisfaction of college students. However, little is known about the mediating mechanism of healthy lifestyle on the other two aspects. This study aims to address this issue.

METHODS

A total of 2394 students from six colleges in Hubei Province validly completed self-report questionnaires, including the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire for college students and Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC), which covered three dimensions: internal HLC, powerful others HLC and chance HLC. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyses the hypothesized relationships in the path model, and a mediation analysis was used to verify the indirect relationships.

RESULTS

Healthy lifestyle and life satisfaction showed positive relations with both internal HLC and powerful others HLC, but a significant negative association with chance HLC. In addition, healthy lifestyle mediated the relationships of internal HLC, powerful others HLC and chance HLC with life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Healthy lifestyle mediates the impact of HLC on life satisfaction. Students with high IHLC tend to develop a healthier lifestyle and have higher LS. Powerful others also exert positive effects in collectivist cultural backgrounds. Thus, colleges should give full play to the positive role of psychological health and physical education courses in improving students' IHLC. Meanwhile, the positive guiding effect of powerful others should be stressed. Further, particular emphasis should also be placed on the peer influence, new media publicity functions, community intervention, and college systematic appraisal, especially during and after public health emergencies.

Exploring the Factors Creating Happiness with Nursing Staff: The Mediating Effect of Life Satisfaction

Objectives: In this study, we investigate the relationships among personal well-being, self-esteem, supervisor support, life satisfaction, and happiness in a sample of nurses. In this study, we also investigate the mediating role of life satisfaction. Methods: Present research was quantitative in nature and the research design was cross-sectional. Data were collected from a convenience sample of nurses working in hospitals by using a self-administered survey. We used partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for the assessment of statistical significance of the proposed model. Results: We found a statistically significant and positive relationship between personal well-being, life satisfaction, and happiness. Similarly, self-esteem and supervisor support positively affected life satisfaction. Conclusion: Our research adds to the present literature on the factors that affect happiness among nurses. The study also adds to the current literature on PLS-SEM in terms of the assessment of mediation and direct relationships. Our findings are helpful for decision-makers in the health sector in developing happiness and life satisfaction among nurses. These results are also valuable for academicians for their future studies.

Intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy as mediators between personality traits and adjustment disorder in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

In April 2020, early in the COVID-19 outbreak, governments restricted public gatherings and ordered social distancing. These demands led to challenging adaptations, which in some cases resulted in mental health issues, including adjustment disorder. Guided by the transactional stress model, the current study aimed to examine the relations between personality traits and adjustment disorder in crisis situations and vagueness and the role of intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy in these relations. During Israel's first lockdown, 673 Israeli adults completed self-reported e-version questionnaires regarding Big Five personality traits, adjustment disorder, intolerance to uncertainty, self-efficacy, and background variables. The study was designed to examine the association between personality traits and adjustment disorder and the potential mediation of intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy in associations. The findings revealed that intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy mediated the association between personality traits and adjustment disorder. The results are consistent with the transactional stress model. They shed light on the role of intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy as cognitive mechanisms that promote the development of adjustment disorder. Recommendations for future studies and practice are discussed.

Physical Activity, Psychological and Functional Outcomes in Non-Ambulatory Stroke Patients during Rehabilitation-A Pilot Study

Despite the extensive literature on stroke rehabilitation, there are few studies that comprehensively show non-ambulatory stroke patients. The aim of the study was to explore the dynamics of the change in physical activity (PA), psychological and functional outcomes, and the correlation between them in non-ambulatory patients during early in-patient post-stroke rehabilitation. Measurements were taken on 21 participants at the beginning of and 6 weeks post-conventional rehabilitation with the Barthel Index (BI), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Trunk Control Test (TCT), Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), General Self-Efficacy Scale, Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SSEQ), the original scale of belief in own impact on recovery (BiOIoR), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Acceptance of Illness Scale and when the patient could walk—Time Up & Go and 6 Minute Walk Test. Daily PA was assessed over 6 weeks using a Caltrac accelerometer. Only outcomes for BI, BBS, TCT, SIS, and SSEQ significantly improved 6 weeks post-rehabilitation. PA energy expenditure per day significantly increased over time (p < 0.001; effect size = 0.494), but PA only increased significantly up to the third week. PA change was correlated with BiOIoR post-treatment. Self-efficacy in self-management mediated improvement in SIS. The BiOIoR and confidence in self-management could be important factors in the rehabilitation process.

Family function and life satisfaction of postgraduate medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of meaning in life and depression

Recent studies have documented life satisfaction of people have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unknown about the influential factors and mechanisms of life satisfaction of postgraduate medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a strong link among life satisfaction and individual quality of life and achievement, so it is important to explore the influence mechanism of life satisfaction of postgraduate medical students and explore ways to improve life satisfaction for the development of postgraduate medical students. The current study was based on the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family System, The Theory of Family Functioning, The Meaning Maintenance Model, The Theory of Personal Meaning and Existential Theory to construct theoretical framework and examine whether meaning in life and depression would mediate the link between family function and postgraduate medical students' life satisfaction. By convenient sampling method, a total of 900 postgraduate medical students (Mage = 27.01 years, SD = 3.33) completed questionnaires including Family APGAR Scale, Chinese Version of Meaning In Life Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Satisfaction With Life Scale. In this study, SPSS 25.0 was used for correlation analysis, regression analysis and common method bias test, and AMOS 23.0 was used for structural equation modeling analysis. The results showed that (a) family function could predict life satisfaction of postgraduate medical students significantly; (b) both meaning in life and depression mediated the association between family function and life satisfaction in a parallel manner; (c) meaning in life and depression sequentially mediated the link between family function and life satisfaction of postgraduate medical students. The study illuminates the role of meaning in life and depression in improving life satisfaction and implies that it is necessary to focus on the changes of life satisfaction of postgraduate medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and medical educator can improve the sense of meaning in life of postgraduate medical students through improving their family function, further decreasing the risk of depression, finally improving their life satisfaction.

Psychological variables and quality of life in women with endometriosis

BACKGROUND

Endometriosis is a common gynecological condition which has been found to have a detrimental impact upon women's quality of life (QoL). This study investigated the impact of pain self-efficacy, health locus of control (HLOC), coping style and illness uncertainty on QoL in women with endometriosis.

METHOD

Two hundred and thirty women completed online questionnaires. Standard multiple regressions assessed the relationship between the psychological predictors and QoL.

RESULTS

The psychological variables accounted for a statistically significant proportion of the variance (p < .0005) in scores across the four QoL domains. The model accounted for 55, 26, 10 and 32% of the scores in physical, psychological, social and environmental QoL domains, respectively. Pain self-efficacy made the largest unique contribution, followed by illness uncertainty.

CONCLUSIONS

Women's perception of their ability to manage their pain and how uncertain they felt about their condition, were important factors in QoL, particularly in the physical domain.

Satisfaction with life among university students from nine countries: Cross-national study during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic

Background

A cross-sectional study was performed to examine life satisfaction differences between university students from nine countries during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-national comparison of the association between life satisfaction and a set of variables was also conducted.

Methods

Participants in the study were 2349 university students with a mean age of 23 years (M = 23.15, SD = 4.66). There was a predominance of women (69.26%) and individuals studying at the bachelor level (78%). The research was conducted between May and July 2020 in nine countries: Slovenia (n=209), the Czech Republic (Czechia)(n=308), Germany (n=267), Poland (n=301), Ukraine (n=310), Russia (n=285), Turkey (n=310), Israel (n=199), and Colombia (n=153). Participants completed an online survey involving measures of satisfaction with life (SWLS), exposure to COVID-19, perceived negative impact of coronavirus (PNIC) on students' well-being, general self-reported health (GSRH), physical activity (PA), and some demographics (gender, place of residence, level of study). A one-way ANOVA was used to explore cross-national differences in life satisfaction. The χ² independence test was performed separately in each country to examine associations between life satisfaction and other variables. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify life satisfaction predictors among a set of demographic and health-related variables in each of the nine countries.

Results

The level of life satisfaction varied between university students from the nine countries. The results for life satisfaction and the other variables differed between countries. Numerous associations were noted between satisfaction with life and several variables, and these showed cross-national differences. Distinct predictors of life satisfaction were observed for each country. However, poor self-rated physical health was a predictor of low life satisfaction independent of the country.

Conclusions

The association between life satisfaction and subjective assessment of physical health seems to be universal, while the other variables are related to cross-cultural differences. Special public health attention should be focused on psychologically supporting people who do not feel healthy.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-12288-1.

Associated factors with constipation and health-related quality of life in lung cancer patients with platinum-based chemotherapy: A cross-sectional study

The main purpose of this study was to investigate current state of constipation for lung cancer (LC) patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy. The relationships between social demography, clinical variables, psychological status, and constipation were analyzed. In addition, quality of life (QoL) in LC patients with constipation was also analyzed. One hundred LC patients participated in this cross-sectional study. Under the guidance of the researchers, Functional Living Index-Emesis, Piper Fatigue Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 (version 3.0), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, General Well-being Scale, Social Support Rate Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and other related questionnaires were completed. The result showed the symptom of constipation was observed in 41 (41%) LC patients. The occurrence and development of constipation were associated with gender, food intake, exercise, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and happiness. The study also found patients with constipation had significant lower QoL scores, especially the score in the general state. Constipation was very common in LC patients undergoing platinum-based chemotherapy. Reduced food intake and fatigue were the independent factors. Constipation significantly affects the QoL of the patients. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the risk factors of constipation in LC patients undergoing platinum-based chemotherapy, the earlier intervention was done to these patients, the better to improve their QoL.

Psychometric Validation of Adapted Inventory of Virtues and Strengths

The purpose of this study was to validate the Adapted Inventory of Virtues and Strengths (AIVS). AIVS is a unique instrument that operationalizes virtues in terms of character traits that are specially designed for psychosocial adaptation and rehabilitation. Data were collected from 464 individuals with disabilities and analyzed via the combination of exploratory ( n = 256) and confirmatory analyses ( n = 208). Although the results suggest dropping some items, the original five-virtue structure was supported and confirmed via both analyses. The construct validity of AIVS was further analyzed via correlation analyses between AIVS and other measures including Values in Action Inventory of Strengths 72-Item, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Connor-Davison Resilience Scale, and General Self-Efficacy Scale. The results suggest that with continuing research to document reliability and validity, AIVS has potential in the context of rehabilitation research. Further discussion on psychometric information of AIVS and future implications were presented.

The relation between self-stigma and loneliness in visually impaired college students: Self-acceptance as mediator

BACKGROUND

Loneliness, a negative emotion that is common in college students, may cause psychological disorders and behavioral issues. Particularly vulnerable are visually impaired college students, who are at an increased risk of loneliness.

OBJECTIVES

This study was aimed at explaining the current situation of loneliness among visually impaired college students as well as its influencing factors and exploring the intermediary role of self-acceptance between self-stigma and loneliness.

METHOD

Seventy-eight college students with visual impairment completed a series of self-report questionnaires, including the Self-Stigma of Disabled Scale (SSDS), the Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ), and the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Mediation analyses were conducted using PROCESS in SPSS.

RESULTS

Participants' mean loneliness score was 44.97 ± 9.35. Two survey factors were significantly associated with loneliness: visual impairment status and relationship with parents (p < 0.05). When controlling for extent of visual damage and relationship with parents, self-stigma showed a significant predictive effect on loneliness (B = 0.37, t = 4.1023, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In China, visually impaired students suffer from a high level of loneliness, and self-acceptance plays a central role in connecting their self-stigma and loneliness.

Association between Satisfaction with Life and Personality Types A and D in Young Women with Acne Vulgaris

People with acne vulgaris report a lower level of satisfaction with life and are more frequently classified as having Type D personalities than those without acne. This research examined, for the first time, the moderating and mediating role of personality type in the relationship between acne severity and satisfaction with life. Among 300 female nursing and cosmetology students ranging in age from 19 to 24 years (M = 21.28, SD = 1.39), 150 individuals (50%) presented with symptoms of acne vulgaris (AV group), while the other 150 (50%) were categorized as controls without acne vulgaris (WAV sample). A cross-sectional study was conducted using three self-report questionnaires: The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Framingham Type A Scale (FTAS), and the Type D Scale (DS14). Acne vulgaris was clinically diagnosed using the Hellgren–Vincent Scale (HVS). The AV group scored significantly higher on the FTAS and DS14 and lower on the SWLS than the WAV sample. Life satisfaction correlated negatively with both the negative affectivity (NA) and social inhibition (SI) subscales of the DS14. The moderating role of the Type A behavioral pattern (TABP) and the mediating role of both NA and SI subscales of the DS14 were observed in the relationship between acne severity and satisfaction with life. The type of personality may explain the mechanism of the relationship between acne disease and subjective well-being. Therefore, psychological interventions and strategies focused on managing stress and mood may effectively improve satisfaction with life in people with acne.