Optimism, Daily Stressors, and Emotional Well-Being Over Two Decades in a Cohort of Aging Men

Reciprocal relationships between positive expectancies and positive emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-lagged panel study

INTRODUCTION

Previous research highlighted the importance of investigating distinct protective factors that predict the experience of positive emotions during stressful situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this longitudinal study, we specifically focused on positive expectancies towards the future (optimism, response expectancy, and response hope) in relation to the experience of positive emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our primary objectives were to identify the best predictors for experiencing short-term and long-term positive emotions and investigate their interrelationships.

METHODS

Data from 271 participants (average age = 29.2 years, 84.7% female) were analyzed using four cross-lagged models.

RESULTS

Results showed that response expectancy was the best predictor for experiencing positive emotions in the short term, while optimism was the best predictor for experiencing positive emotions in the long term. Additionally, through further exploratory analysis, multiple bidirectional relationships were identified between positive expectancies and positive emotions.

DISCUSSION

Our results highlight the significant role played by positive expectancies in predicting the experience of positive emotions. Specifically, dispositional optimism emerged as a stronger predictor of longer-term positive emotions, whereas response expectancy proved to be a better predictor of shorter-term positive emotions. Thus, interventions targeting positive expectancies have the potential to enhance emotional functioning in individuals during challenging situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

A cross-sectional study on the moderating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between sociodemographic variables and nutrition literacy among older adults in rural areas of North Sichuan

Objective

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating role of self-efficacy among rural elderly individuals in northern Sichuan Province in the relationship between certain sociodemographic variables and nutritional literacy.

Methods

Convenience sampling was used to select 264 elderly individuals aged 60 and above from rural communities in Cangxi County, Guangyuan City, Yilong County, Nanchong City, and Bazhou District, Bazhong City, Sichuan Province. A self-designed questionnaire, including sociodemographic variables, the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and the Nutrition Literacy Questionnaire for the Elderly (NLQ-E), was administered through face-to-face interviews using a paper-based version. The relationships between sociodemographic variables, self-efficacy, and nutritional literacy in the elderly were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and the Process plugin to examine the relationships between variables and to test for moderation effects.

Results

(1) There were significant differences in nutrition literacy scores among elderly people of different ages, genders, marital statuses, educational levels, personal monthly living expenses, dental conditions, and number of chronic diseases (p < 0.05). (2) When elderly individuals have lower self-efficacy, their nutritional literacy is lower as they become older, and they have poorer nutritional literacy with a higher number of chronic diseases.

Conclusion

General population demographic data has a significant impact on the nutritional literacy level of elderly people in rural areas of northern Sichuan. Self-efficacy plays a moderating role in the relationship between age and nutritional literacy, as well as the relationship between the number of chronic diseases and nutritional literacy.