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Thorpe H, Barrett N, Nemani MJ, O'Leary G, Ahmad N. "It made me feel like a shit parent": an intersectional analysis of pandemic mothering. FRONTIERS IN SOCIOLOGY 2024; 9:1359827. [PMID: 38629108 PMCID: PMC11018904 DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1359827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the everyday and exceptional challenges for mothers. Rarely, however, did research or social commentary acknowledge the multiplicities of motherhood during this prolonged period of risk, disruption, and uncertainty. This paper draws upon interviews with 24 mothers living in Aotearoa New Zealand during the pandemic, including women who were pregnant and gave birth during lockdowns, teenage mothers, single and low-income mothers, and working mothers. The sample was intentionally diverse, including Māori, Pacific, Asian and migrant mothers. Engaging an intersectional lens on motherhood and women's health, this paper builds upon and extends feminist research on mothers' experiences during the pandemic, highlighting the many different challenges facing mothers of diverse social, cultural, and economic positionalities and during various stages of motherhood. Across the sample, we reveal the significant emotional toll on mothers, particularly with the absence of critical social, medical and health support systems during lockdown periods and sustained social restrictions. Many of the women described how the pandemic affected their feelings about motherhood, prompting new reflections on their relationships with the home, family, work, and broader society. Despite some similarities, the pandemic experiences of Māori, Pacific, migrant and single mothers were further intensified by various forms of isolation, judgement, and discrimination. In this way, the pandemic shed light on the gendering of everyday maternal life, but also the need for more intersectional culturally and gender-responsive policies that acknowledge the multi-layered complexities of mothers' lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Thorpe
- Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Nikki Barrett
- Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Mihi Joy Nemani
- Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Grace O'Leary
- Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Nida Ahmad
- Independent Scholar, Denver, CO, United States
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Baskici C, Aytar A, Ersoy H, Wiktsröm-Grotell C, Arell-Sundberg M, Neves H, Coutinho V, Blaževičienė A, Vaškelytė A, Söderlund A, Fritz J, Strods R, Jansone-Ratinika N, Kav S. "Being in the digital box". Academic staff experiences in online practical teaching: A qualitative study from six universities and countries. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24275. [PMID: 38298646 PMCID: PMC10827755 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused radical changes in education, as in everything else, bringing many challenges. Despite all the difficulties, the COVID-19 pandemic has enormous opportunities for online teaching and the use of digital technologies. A comprehensive understanding of this period is needed to investigate these opportunities. Thus, this study aims to explore the academic staff's experiences of online teaching and the use of digital technologies in practical skills-based courses in health care education. This study was conducted at six universities from six countries (Türkiye, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania). Data were collected between June 17, 2021 and November 30, 2021 via a focus group with an in-depth interview technique. 22 focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 117 participants. Colaizzi's method was used to evaluate the data to discover, comprehend, and define the experiences of academic staff. The analysis of the interview data resulted in 6 themes, 25 subthemes and 56 categories that captured participants' experiences regarding online teaching of practical skills and using digital technologies in health care education. The findings of the study provide crucial information that will help online teaching and digital technology for practical skills be successfully integrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cigdem Baskici
- Department of Healthcare Management, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Aydan Aytar
- Department of Orthopedic Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Halil Ersoy
- Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Camilla Wiktsröm-Grotell
- Graduate School and Research, Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Marina Arell-Sundberg
- School of Engineering, Culture and Wellbeing, Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hugo Neves
- Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Nursing School of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Verónica Coutinho
- Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Nursing School of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Alina Vaškelytė
- Department of Nursing, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Anne Söderlund
- Graduate School and Research, Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Johanna Fritz
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Raimonds Strods
- Centre for Educational Growth, Rīga Stradiņš University, Rīga, Latvia
| | | | - Sultan Kav
- Department of Nursing, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey
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Pajek J, Mancini K, Murray M. COVID-19 and children's behavioral health: An overview. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 2023; 53:101491. [PMID: 38040607 DOI: 10.1016/j.cppeds.2023.101491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The paper reviews the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's and adolescents' well-being. A trauma-informed framework is employed to discuss the emerging evidence of notable changes in youth's psychological, developmental, academic, and social well-being since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children and adolescents have been uniquely affected based on their age at the start of the pandemic. Despite multiple resiliency factors, COVID-19 and its ramifications have had an adverse effect on youth in general and have exacerbated preexisting racial and socioeconomic disparities. This review concludes with recommendations for child health clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Pajek
- MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2500 MetroHealth Drive, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA.
| | - Kathryn Mancini
- MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2500 MetroHealth Drive, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA
| | - Marsheena Murray
- MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2500 MetroHealth Drive, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA
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Testoni I, Palazzo L, Iacona E, Segalla O, Pizzolato L, Rigo M, Ferrari L. Exploring Emotions Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic through Death Education: A Qualitative Study at Italian Primary Schools. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ 2023; 13:1920-1936. [PMID: 37754478 PMCID: PMC10528353 DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe13090139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of individuals, families, and children worldwide. In Italy, the implementation of measures such as lockdowns and distance learning in schools affected the mental health of children and families. METHODS This article employs a qualitative method to explore the efficacy of a death education project that aimed to help primary school children process the emotions and losses that they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study encompassed both the children who took part in the death education project and their teachers and parents to investigate their perspectives on the emotions of the minors and the effectiveness of the project. RESULTS Distance learning posed challenges for the learning process and exacerbated social inequalities. The children suffered from limited social contact with their friends and experienced negative emotions, including anger, fear, and concern for the health of their loved ones. The death education project provided a safe space for children's emotional expression and facilitated their acquisition of coping strategies. Open communication between adults and children about illness and death proved effective in mitigating the psychological impacts of loss and preventing traumatic bereavement. CONCLUSION The findings highlight the utility of death education in enhancing children's ability to express their emotions and approach the topic of death more frankly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Testoni
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy; (L.P.); (E.I.); (O.S.); (L.P.); (M.R.); (L.F.)
- Emili Sagol Creative Arts Therapies Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Lorenza Palazzo
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy; (L.P.); (E.I.); (O.S.); (L.P.); (M.R.); (L.F.)
| | - Erika Iacona
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy; (L.P.); (E.I.); (O.S.); (L.P.); (M.R.); (L.F.)
| | - Ottavia Segalla
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy; (L.P.); (E.I.); (O.S.); (L.P.); (M.R.); (L.F.)
| | - Laura Pizzolato
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy; (L.P.); (E.I.); (O.S.); (L.P.); (M.R.); (L.F.)
| | - Matteo Rigo
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy; (L.P.); (E.I.); (O.S.); (L.P.); (M.R.); (L.F.)
| | - Lea Ferrari
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy; (L.P.); (E.I.); (O.S.); (L.P.); (M.R.); (L.F.)
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Liao MH, Lai YC, Lin CM. Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Hospital Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Hospital-Based Repeated Measures Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192316114. [PMID: 36498187 PMCID: PMC9736137 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192316114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Although many studies have investigated burnout, stress, and mental health issues among health care workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, few have linked these relationships to chronic physiological illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases. This study assessed changes in cardiovascular risk factors in HCWs and other hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified vulnerable groups at a higher risk of increased adverse cardiovascular conditions. Five hundred and fourteen hospital employees ≥ 20 years of age underwent physical examinations and laboratory testing once before and once after the first wave of the pandemic in Taiwan during 2020 and 2021. Their sociodemographic characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, blood biochemical parameters, and body mass index, were collected. The differences between pre- and post-pandemic measurements of their biophysical and blood biochemical parameters were analyzed using pairwise tests. The post-pandemic increases in their parameter levels and cardiovascular risk as a function of underlying factors were estimated from multivariate regressions. HCWs showed significant increases in levels and abnormal rates of BMI, blood pressure, plasma glucose, and total cholesterol after the pandemic. Post-pandemic increases in BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure were higher in females than in males. Workers with higher levels of education or longer job tenure had greater increases in BMI, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels than other workers. Females had a higher incidence of abnormal BMI and hypertension than males (adjusted odds ratios [AORs] of 8.3 and 2.9, respectively). Older workers' incidence of hypertension was higher than younger workers' (AOR = 3.5). Preventive strategies should be implemented for HCWs susceptible to cardiovascular diseases during emerging infectious disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mao-Hung Liao
- Superintendent Office, Yonghe Cardinal Tien Hospital, New Taipei 234, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Ching Lai
- Department of Medical Affair, Yonghe Cardinal Tien Hospital, New Taipei 234, Taiwan
- Department of Healthcare Information and Management, Ming Chuan University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ming Lin
- Department of Healthcare Information and Management, Ming Chuan University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
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Sygit-Kowalkowska E, Piotrowski A, Boe O, Rawat S, Minic J, Predoiu A, Predoiu R, Vazne Ž, Fernate A, Malinauskas R, Phuc Nguyen N, Blenkinsopp J, Martinská M. Evaluation of Work Mode and Its Importance for Home-Work and Work-Home Relationships: The Role of Resilience, Coping with Stress, and Passion for Work. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14491. [PMID: 36361368 PMCID: PMC9657361 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated and facilitated the introduction of telework in organizations. This has also impacted the workers' relationship between work and private life. The aim of the current study was to examine the links between resilience and mode of work (stationary vs. remote) and the work-home and home-work relationships, and whether they are mediated by passion for work and strategies of coping with stress. The study was carried out on a sample of 1251 participants from Great Britain, India, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Vietnam. The following measures were used: The Survey Work-Home Interaction, The Brief Resilience Coping Scale, The Passion Scale, and the Brief COPE. Results showed that the more stationary the mode of work, the lower the intensity of the negative influence of personal life on work. Resilience was revealed to have a positive effect on worker functioning. The study also showed a relationship between education and gender and passion for work. Finally, the importance of furthering the knowledge on the home-work and work-home relationships among teleworkers is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Sygit-Kowalkowska
- Department of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Leopolda Staffa 1 St., 85-867 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Andrzej Piotrowski
- Institute of Psychology, University of Gdańsk, Jana Bażyńskiego 4 St., 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ole Boe
- Department of Organisation, Leadership and Management, Inland School of Business and Social Sciences, 2450 Rena, Norway
- Institute of Psychology, Oslo New University College, 0456 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Jelena Minic
- Faculty of Philosophy, University of Priština, 38220 Mitrovica, Serbia
| | - Alexandra Predoiu
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, National University of Physical Education and Sports, 060057 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Radu Predoiu
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, National University of Physical Education and Sports, 060057 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Žermēna Vazne
- Department of Sport and Training Theory, Latvian Academy of Sport Education, Brivibas Gatve 333, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia
| | - Andra Fernate
- Department of Sport and Training Theory, Latvian Academy of Sport Education, Brivibas Gatve 333, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia
| | - Romualdas Malinauskas
- Department of Physical and Social Education, Lithuanian Sports University, Sporto g. 6, 44221 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Nguyen Phuc Nguyen
- Faculty of Business Administration, University of Economics—The University of Danang, 71 Ngu Hanh Son, Danang City 550000, Vietnam
| | - John Blenkinsopp
- Institute of Psychology, Oslo New University College, 0456 Oslo, Norway
| | - Mária Martinská
- Department of Social Science and Languages, Armed Forces Academy of M.R. Štefánik, Demänová 393, 031 01 Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia
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