Changes in Alienation in Physical Education Classes, School Happiness, and Expectations of a Future Healthy Life after the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents

Associations between social isolation, perceived ageism and subjective well-being among rural Chinese older adults: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social isolation, perceived ageism and subjective well-being among rural Chinese older adults and its mechanisms of action.

METHODS

A total of 403 rural resident older adults were surveyed from March to April 2024. Data were collected using the General Information Questionnaire, the General Alienation Scale (GAS), the Perceived Ageism Questionnaire (PAQ), and the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH). SPSS 27.0 and PROCESS macro were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation (p<0.01) between subjective well-being and social isolation (r = -0.720) and perceived ageism (r = -0.661) among rural older adults. Perceived ageism partially mediated the effect between social isolation and subjective well-being in rural older adults, and the mediating effect accounted for 29.9 % of the total effect (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Social isolation can reduce the subjective well-being of rural older adults through perceived ageism.

Future expectation levels of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

This study was aimed at examining the future expectations of high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A future expectation questionnaire was administered to 412 high school students, and the change in their expectations for the future during the COVID-19 pandemic period was questioned in this questionnaire.

Results

Scale sub-scores and total scores of those who were infected with COVID-19 were significantly lower than those who were not (p < 0.001). The scale sub-scores and total scores of those whose relatives were infected with COVID-19 were significantly lower than those who were not (p < 0.05). The scale sub-scores and total scores of those who think that the pandemic will always continue, those who think that their education is disrupted due to the pandemic, those who think that the pandemic affects their choice of profession, and those who express that they look to the future with more hope than before the pandemic were found to be significantly lower (p < 0.05).

Discussion

The future expectation is a more sensitive concept among adolescents than adults. During and after the pandemic, activities should be organized by considering the sensitivity of young people about their future expectations, and families and society should be made aware of this issue.

Factor Structure of the Korean Version of the Occupational Socialization of Beginning Physical Education Teachers Scale in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Relationship with Health Perception Education

This study aimed to explore the factor structure of the Korean version of the occupational socialization of beginning physical education teachers scale, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to verify its relationship with health perception education. In October 2021, 257 Korean beginning physical education teachers were enrolled in this study. Data were analyzed using frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Regarding the findings, first, the occupational socialization of beginning physical education teachers scale showed a six-factor structure: role recognition, past physical education class experience, pre-service teacher education, organizational atmosphere, fellow physical education teachers, and sports facility. Second, occupational socialization of beginning physical education teachers showed a partial positive effect on health perception education. These results suggest that the Korean Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education and Korean schools should develop various methods to support and ensure the occupational socialization of beginning physical education teachers. Such efforts may enable these new professionals to effectively adapt to their schools, teaching roles, and provide effective health education to students under the difficult context of the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein normal educational activities are hindered.

Analysis of the Impacts on the Psychological Changes of Chinese Returning College Students After the Outbreak of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease

This work aims to analyze the impacts on the psychological changes of Chinese returning college students after the outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A questionnaire survey is used to take 1,482 college students who returned to school after the epidemic as the research objects. The Chinese college students' knowledge of the epidemic, alienation in physical education class, school happiness, and expectations for a healthy life in the future are investigated and analyzed. The research results manifest that Chinese returning college students have relatively poor awareness of COVID-19, and the overall degree of alienation in physical education classes after the epidemic is low, with an average score of 3.55 ± 1.018. The overall level of school happiness is high, with an average score of 4.94 ± 0.883; the overall level of expectation for a healthy life in the future is high, with an average score of 3.50 ± 0.840. It denotes that the epidemic has a great psychological impact on returning college students, and it is necessary to strengthen mental health education for college students after COVID-19. It provides a sustainable theoretical reference for the formulation of psychological intervention measures for returning college students.