Media use, social support, and women’s subjective well-being—Empirical analysis based on CGSS data

BackgroundTraditional and new media use links to young people’s sexual risk behaviour. The social contexts of young people’s daily lives that influence media use and sexual risk behaviour are often investigated as independent causal mechanisms. We examined the link between media use and young people’s sexual risk behaviour, considering the intersecting socio-contextual factors in Sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsAge-adjusted bivariate logistic regression models tested the association between traditional media (TV, radio, and newspapers), and new media (mobile phone and online) use and sexual risk behaviour using the Demographic and Health Surveys from six Sub-Saharan African countries among unmarried sexually active youths, aged 15–24 years. Multivariate logistic regression models ascertained the media sources that had an additional influence on young people’s sexual risk behaviour, after accounting for socio-contextual factors, and knowledge about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.ResultsSocio-contextual factors attenuated the association between media use and young people’s sexual risk behaviour in many countries. However, those who did not have access to new and traditional media were more likely to use unreliable contraceptive methods or not use contraception. Adolescents in Nigeria who did not own phones were 89% more likely to use unreliable contraceptive methods or not use any methods [(AOR = 1.89 (1.40–2.56), p < .001)], those in Angola who did not read newspapers had higher odds of not using contraception or used unreliable methods [(aOR = 1.65 (1.26–2.15), p < .001)]. Young people in Angola (aOR = 0.68 (0.56–0.83), p < .001), Cameroon [(aOR = 0.66 (0.51–0.84), p < .001)], Nigeria [(aOR = 0.72 (0.56–0.93), p = .01)], and South Africa [(aOR = 0.69 (0.49–0.98), p = .03)] who did not own phones were less likely to have 2 or more sexual partners compared to those who owned phones. Lack of internet access in Mali was associated with lower odds of having 2 or more sexual partners (aOR = 0.45 (0.29–0.70), p < .001). Traditional media use was significantly associated with transactional sex in many countries.ConclusionsMedia use is linked to sexual risk behaviour among young people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Socioeconomic inequalities, levels of globalization, as well as rural–urban disparities in access to media, underscore the need to deliver tailored and targeted sexual risk reduction interventions to young people using both traditional and new media.

Intensive use of new media in schools significantly affects the modernization, quality and development of the educational process, especially the teaching activities. However, the use of media in schools is mainly conditioned by several factors, among which are: the attitudes of teachers, their personal opinions on the media tools, and their level of skills for media use. Among the factors influencing the preferences of teachers, especially when it comes to implementing new or traditional media, is the experience of teachers. In line with this, the central issue and the main goal of this paper are to examine the correlation between the years of service of teachers and application of traditional or modern media in school. The starting hypothesis is that teachers with more years of experience prefer the use of traditional media (radio and television), while the younger part of the population of teachers is more directed towards the use of new media, especially the Internet. The work is part of a broader research, which used a sample of teachers from Central and Southern Serbia. The main instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire, which consisted of 32 questions. For the purpose of this paper, items that relate to the use of traditional and modern media were analyzed. Research results confirmed the initial hypothesis and showed that there are statistically significant differences in the attitudes of teachers towards the implementation of the media in relation to their years of work experience. The hypothesis that teachers with fewer years of work experience gladly use the Internet and new media, while older teachers rather use traditional media in teaching, was confirmed. Research findings suggest the need for systematic training of teachers, especially of those with more years of employment, enabling them in the use of modern media resources at the school.

BackgroundThe media is playing an increasingly important role in the lives of older adults. Exploring health inequalities in older adults is essential for achieving healthy aging. However, few studies have focused on the effects of different media types on older adults' physical and mental health levels and health inequalities among older adults with varying levels of education from a health communication perspective.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the media use, physical and mental health (Self-rated health and subjective well-being) levels of older adults in China, the relationship between different media types use (Traditional media, internet media), and physical and mental health levels and the effects of different media types use on physical and mental health disparities among older adults with varying levels of education.MethodsThe data used in this study are from the 2017 China General Social Survey. The descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the media use and the health levels of Chinese older adults; analysis of variance and post hoc analysis were used to analyze the differences in health levels and frequency of media use among older people with different levels of education; bivariate correlation and regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between media use and health levels in older adults; multilevel regression analyses and simple slope plots explored whether the use of different media types widened or narrowed the gap in health levels among older people with varying levels of education.ResultsThe results of the study show that (1) the self-rated health levels (M = 2.986, SD = 1.070) are lower in the old people group relative to subjective well-being (M = 3.908, SD = 0.854). While some older adults have mastered the internet media, most of the older population is more accustomed to using traditional media (Especially TV, 77.08% of the elderly are used to watching TV regularly). There are disparities in media use habits and health levels among older adults with different education levels (p < 0.01). (2) traditional media use was a significant positive predictor of physical (B = 0.1, p < 0.01) and mental health (B = 0.165, p < 0.01) in the older age group. Internet media use was a significant positive predictor of physical health (B = 0.052, p < 0.01) in the older age group. (3) traditional and internet media use could narrow the physical and mental health disparities between older people with different education levels (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThere is an essential correlation between media use and the health levels of old people, and media use can effectively narrow the disparities between the physical and mental health of old people with different educational levels. Society should value the media's important role in promoting older persons' health and well-being. Government-related departments can combine the media with public health campaigns to narrow the health disparity among old people with different educational levels and promote equal healthy aging.

In the context of the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea, this study examines the multifaceted effects of media use considering the current complex media environment. Analysis of a two-wave online panel survey found that traditional media use had a positive influence on MERS knowledge while social media use did not. However, knowledge did not facilitate preventive behaviors. In contrast, negative emotional responses due to media use stimulated desirable behaviors. Furthermore, social media use directly influenced behavioral responses but traditional media use did not show the same effects. Different functions of traditional and social media during an epidemic are discussed.

Media use and insomnia after terror attacks in France

Urban China is witnessing a growth of migrant grandparents apart from the prevalent local grandparent caregiving. However, the health consequences and influencing factors of grandparent caregiving remain largely unknown among migrant and local grandparent caregivers. This study examined informal and formal social support’s mediation roles between domestic generative acts and life satisfaction, as well as investigating Hukou’s (household registration system) moderation effect. Our sample compromised 1013 grandparent caregivers (Migrant = 508, Local = 505) from 12 kindergartens with a multistage clustered random sampling from Eastern China. Migrant grandparent caregivers had significant lower informal social support (M = 4.000, L = 4.355, p < 0.001), formal social support (M = 1.787, L = 2.111, p < 0.001), and life satisfaction (M = 3.323, L = 3.574, p < 0.001) than local ones. Structural equation modeling results indicated that domestic generative acts positively associated with life satisfaction (b = 0.085, p < 0.05), informal (b = 0.223, p < 0.001) and formal social support (b = 0.080, p < 0.05); informal (b = 0.379, p < 0.001) and formal social support (b = 0.138, p < 0.001) positively associated with life satisfaction. In addition, both informal (β = 0.084, CI [0.039, 0.101], p < 0.001) and formal social support (β = 0.011, CI [0.001, 0.018], p < 0.05) mediated the relationship between domestic generative acts and life satisfaction. Furthermore, Hukou status moderated the indirect path from domestic generative acts to life satisfaction via informal social support (p < 0.01), but not formal social support (p > 0.05). Migrant grandparent caregivers, with limited formal social support resources, were found to be more dependent on informal social support than locals. The findings revealed social support and wellbeing disparities among migrant and local grandparent caregivers in urban China. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are also discussed.

Objectives Depression is a major public health concern due to its high prevalence and association with functioning. Ethnic minorities in Western countries are more likely to experience economic disadvantage and exposure to stressors that may put them at higher risk of developing depression. One major protective factor associated with reduced depressive symptoms is an existing support network. This study examined the associations between economic disadvantage, formal and informal social support, and depressive symptoms among two ethnicity groups in Israel: Arab and Jewish mothers of young children, as well as the potential mediating role of formal and informal social support in the associations between economic disadvantage and depressive symptoms. Design We recruited a representative sample of 837 Jewish and Arab mothers of children aged 2–6 years. We collected data via structured face-to-face interviews following approval of the university ethic committee. We used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) scale to measure maternal perceived social support, and a measure designed for this study to quantify formal social support. Results Compared to the Jewish mothers, Arab mothers reported more depressive symptoms, greater economic disadvantage, and fewer informal and formal support networks. Economic disadvantage was negatively associated with informal support but positively associated with formal support among both Jewish and Arab mothers. Results further revealed that informal and formal social support mediated the associations between economic disadvantage and symptoms of depression. Conclusions More attention should be paid to the associations between social determinants and mothers’ mental health, with a possible shift of focus to macro-level factors, such as economic inequality and minority status.

BackgroundWe examined the associations of informal (eg, family members and friends) and formal (eg, physician and visiting nurses) social support with caregiver’s burden in long-term care and the relationship between the number of available sources of social support and caregiver burden.MethodsWe conducted a mail-in survey in 2003 and used data of 2998 main caregivers of frail older adults in Aichi, Japan. We used a validated scale to assess caregiver burden.ResultsMultiple linear regression demonstrated that, after controlling for caregivers’ sociodemographic and other characteristics, informal social support was significantly associated with lower caregiver burden (β = −1.59, P < 0.0001), while formal support was not (β = −0.30, P = 0.39). Evaluating the associations by specific sources of social support, informal social supports from the caregiver’s family living together (β = −0.71, P < 0.0001) and from relatives (β = −0.61, P = 0.001) were associated with lower caregiver burden, whereas formal social support was associated with lower caregiver burden only if it was from family physicians (β = −0.56, P = 0.001). Compared to caregivers without informal support, those who had one support (β = −1.62, P < 0.0001) and two or more supports (β = −1.55, P < 0.0001) had significantly lower burden. This association was not observed for formal support.ConclusionsSocial support from intimate social relationships may positively affect caregivers’ psychological wellbeing independent of the receipt of formal social support, resulting in less burden.

Numerous studies have consistently demonstrated a decline in sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary objective of this study is to explore the impact of engaging with pertinent epidemic information through the media amid the COVID-19 crisis on individuals' sleep quality and the underlying mechanisms through which this influence operates. An online cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 1,063 British adults (36.2% males; M age = 38.85, SD age = 13.36, ranging from 18 to 77 years old) participated in the study and completed our questionnaires, which included media usage frequency during the pandemic, the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Ten-item Personality Inventory (TIPI). Pearson's correlation analyses indicated that there was no significant correlation between COVID-19-related traditional media use (television, radio, newspaper) and psychological distress or sleep quality. However, exposure to information related to COVID-19 through new media use (Facebook, Tik Tok, Twitter) was correlated with greater psychological distress and poorer sleep quality. A moderated mediation analysis showed that psychological distress fully mediated the relationship between new media use and poor sleep, which was moderated by age, with the association between psychological distress and poor sleep quality being stronger among older adults. Exposure to information of COVID-19 via new (but not traditional) media use deteriorated sleep quality through greater psychological distress, and this relationship was stronger among older adults.

The prevalence of chronic diseases is exceptionally high (37.9%) among theadult population of Pakistan. Social support could play a significant role in shaping the copingstrategies and determining the subjective wellbeing of chronically ill patients. Objectives:This research documents the correlation patterns of social support with coping strategiesand subjective well-being among Heart and Kidney Patients. Methods: The primary data wascollected from four major hospitals in Lahore by using purposive sampling method. For thecollection of quantitative data, a hospital-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted with275 admitted patients (131-heart and 144-kidney) 184 male and 91 female (20 to 110 yearsof age) by using a structured interview schedule. Pearson Product-moment Correlation andMultiple Regression Analysis were performed on the data set. Results: Strongest correlationwas found between emotional and informational social support (r=.853). Instrumental socialsupport also indicates strong relationship with the emotional social support (r=.838). Therewas a moderate positive correlation (r=.339) between behavioral coping, emotional socialsupport and informational social support (r=.424). Data show a negative relationship betweenphysical coping and subjective well-being (r=.381). Results of the study suggest that emotional(β=.230) and informational (β=.217) social support affect the patients’ ability to actively engagein behavioral and physical coping for the subjective well-being; however, physical copingindicated negative effects (β=-.225) on the subjective feelings of well-being. Conclusions: Astrong correlations among four types of social support exists and behavioral coping has thestrongest impact on the subjective well-being (β=.629).

This study aims to explore the relationship between media use and Chinese residents’ attitudes toward acceptance of premarital cohabitation (AAPC). We collected data from a national Chinese survey (N = 10,968). The results demonstrated that greater traditional media use was associated with worse AAPC, whereas Internet use was associated with better AAPC. We also found that individualistic orientation could mediate the relationship between traditional media and Internet use and AAPC. Traditional gender role beliefs showed disparate moderating roles in the influence of traditional media and internet use on AAPC. The implications for family therapy practice were discussed.

Trust in government vaccine recommendations during the Covid-19 pandemic in Singapore: A longitudinal survey study.

This study aimed to examine the role that informal and formal social support play with psychological well-being as reflected in positive and negative emotions of injured terror survivors in Israel. A total of 150 survivors who were eligible for social support and assistance by government agencies completed questionnaires that examined positive and negative emotions, informal social support, and formal social support from public government agencies provided by professional trained social workers. A hierarchal regression demonstrated that informal social support is associated with improved psychological state. However, formal social support, although provided by professional agencies, failed to demonstrate such an association. Theoretical, clinical, and policy implications of the findings are discussed.

Misguided social support? How Danish veteran families affected by PTSD experience formal and informal social support

This study explores how audiences seek information from social and traditional media, and what factors affect media use during crises. Using the social-mediated crisis communication (SMCC) model, an examination of crisis information and sources reveals that audiences use social media during crises for insider information and checking in with family/friends and use traditional media for educational purposes. Convenience, involvement, and personal recommendations encourage social and traditional media use; information overload discourages use of both. Humor and attitudes about the purpose of social media discourage use of social media, while credibility encourages traditional media use. Practically, findings stressed the importance of third-party influence in crisis communication and the need for using both traditional and social media in crisis response.