Challenges Of Daily Life Research Articles

Recognition of Hearing Impairment Disability: First Comprehensive Study on the Deaf in Lebanon

People with disabling hearing disabilities face multiple levels of daily-life challenges where access to services and information remain difficult. In Lebanon, no data is available about the hard-of-hearing individuals. The aim of the study is to reflect the current situation of the Deaf community in Lebanon, to compare it with that of the general Lebanese population and propose practical ways to improve their national status and quality of care. A snowball sampling method was used to recruit hard-of-hearing individuals over the age of eighteen, via institutions and schools for the Deaf. Participants were asked to anonymously fill a qualitative questionnaire, individually or in groups in the presence of interpreters. The analysis was descriptive, and 95% binomial exact confidence intervals were constructed to compare parameters with those of the general population. Deaf adults in Lebanon have poorer socioeconomic conditions, lower literacy levels and limited access to information. However, they appear to be physically healthier than the general population while presenting frequent mental health problems and facing discrimination and poorer access to services. There still is no valid data available about the Deaf community in Lebanon. Hard-of-hearing people remain underserved by the current Lebanese healthcare, education, employment and public systems.

Prevalence of Child’s Behavioural Feeding Problems, Body Mass Index and Mental Health Issues Among Parents and Children with Autism in Malaysia

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a group of pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders that include significantly impaired functioning in terms of cognitive skills and socialization, verbal and receptive communication, and repetitive behaviors. Several problems arise when handling children with ASD which of them is related to eating behavior. The challenges in daily life that need to be faced by parents of ASD children during mealtime are increased food selectivity, food refusal, and problematic mealtime behaviors. A cross-sectional study was carried out to identify prevalence of child’s behavioural feeding problems, body mass index and mental health issue experience by both parents and children with ASD in Malaysia. A total of 213 parents participated in this study. Data on sociodemographic, eating behavior were collected using a questionnaire. Respondents completed the self-reported Sociodemographic form, anthropometry form and Behavioral Paediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS) questionnaire, Strength and Difficulty questionnaire and answer 10-item perceived stress scale to evaluate the intended measures. The prevalence abnormal of eating behavior is higher among the participants was 80.8% (n=172). For BMI, 49.8% (n=106) of the respondents reported the highest prevalence of overweight. Peer and pro-social problems were the most frequently reported mental health issues among ASD children, but emotional, behaviour, and hyperactivity issues were reported less frequently. The majority of parents surveyed in this study assessed themselves to be under considerable stress (93.4 percent). In conclusion, this cross-sectional study demonstrated a high frequency of behavioural feeding difficulties, mental health concerns, and obesity among children with autism spectrum disorders in Malaysia. The findings from this study will contribute to the body of information regarding the nutritional health of children with autism spectrum disorders. The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in children with ASD is one of the indicators that this study should investigate additional factors that may influence children's weight status.

Cognitive-behavioral group therapy for ADHD predominantly inattentive presentation: A feasibility study of a new treatment protocol

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly impairing condition with varying clinical presentations. Psychological treatments for ADHD are often similar, irrespective of predominant symptomatology. However, because inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity are associated with different challenges in daily life more presentation-specific treatments are warranted. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility and explore the preliminary effects of a novel group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol for ADHD predominantly inattentive presentation (ADHD-I), with the aim to reduce symptoms of inattention and associated problems. Materials and Methods. Using an open trial design, 39 adult patients with ADHD-I were included. Participants underwent 14 sessions of the new CBT for ADHD-I (CADDI) protocol, which includes skills training in organizing and initiating activity and coping with procrastination and passivity. In addition, mindfulness meditation is practiced throughout treatment. Results. The CADDI protocol proved feasible in terms of session completion and treatment acceptability. However, home assignment completion was moderate and attrition was high. Inattentive symptoms, assessed by clinicians and self-report, were reduced of a medium effect size, (Cohen’s d = 0.65 and d = 0.55, respectively) and symptoms of depression of a small effect size (d = 0.48). An increase of a large effect size was observed for mindfulness meditation (d = 0.91). No effects were seen in functional impairment, nor in quality of life. Conclusions. The CADDI protocol is a potentially valuable new psychological treatment for adults with ADHD-I, although treatment effects need to be further evaluated and participant retention secured in randomized controlled trials.

Teachers’ Perspective on Scientific Literacy in Science Learning: Descriptive Survey

Survey of questionnaire-based research was conducted to assess the perspective of junior high school (JHS) science teachers on scientific literacy in science learning. Four perspectives for teachers in JHS on scientific literacy were obtained from the research results of the experiments, namely the reading of scientific texts, scientific knowledge, the use of science in everyday life and the use of science-based learning tools. The majority of participants chose the response choice to train all students to apply science learning results in decision-making on daily life challenges. Thus, JHS Science Teachers in Purwakata Regency have a variety of scientific literacy perspectives, but there is no perspective that is considered outside the context of scientific literacy

Interior Design: A New Perspective in Supportive Care of Patients with Acute Onset of Debilitating Diseases.

Background:Upon the onset of a debilitating rapidly evolving condition (such as cancer or a rapidly progressing myopathy, neuropathy, respiratory disease, or a severe traumatic injury), individuals have limited time to find a new home or make radical structural modifications in their residence. How the affected patients can continue sharing the same house with their families, while meeting their own special requirements, is thus rising as a critical issue. Household and daily routine rearrangements, either temporary or permanent, may be necessary, to ameliorate the life of patients with impairments, lasting for months or even years.Objectives:Interior design may provide a highly efficient “living” palliation for debilitating medical conditions directly at patients' home-site.Methods:Research of relevant literature, using keywords “debilitating conditions,” “home care,” “end of life care,” “care of advanced cancer patients,” “care of patients with mental disorders,” “home care of covid-19 affected patients,” and “care of patients with degenerative illnesses.”Results:We found that patients and their relatives may not be aware of the probable interior design solutions to their daily life challenges, imposed by a disease-related impairment. In parallel, interior design experts may equally be unaware of these issues, as well as of who needs the available solutions.Similarly, medical and architectural sciences are not connected, eventually failing to meet patients' everyday needs.Conclusions:Interior architecture and health scientists are called to cooperate, aiming to provide a highly efficient and meaningful support to patients and families affected by unforeseen debilitating medical conditions.

Role of Mothers Resilience in the Development of Resilience and Prevention of Depression and Anxiety in Daughters

Background: Resilience has proven to be a protective factor against adverse conditions. However, mental health professionals have started studying resilience in terms of reducing depression and anxiety. In Pakistan especially, this area needs to be explored to develop interventions to make people resilient. This study aimed to investigate and understand the role of mothers' resilience in developing resilience and prevention of depression and anxiety in daughters.
 Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study, and data were collected from 88 participants hailing from different areas of Karachi, Pakistan, and among them, 44 were girls, and 44 were their biological mothers. The variables were assessed using the resilience and depression anxiety scale.
 Results: The study results reveal that when mothers are resilient, it helps develop resilience in daughters. Since there was no significant difference between mothers' and daughters' resilience, all the mothers were resilient, and their daughters were resilient. Further, this study also showed that resilience is negatively correlated with depression and anxiety. Moreover, there was a significant positive relationship between mothers' resilience and daughters' depression and anxiety scores. Besides this, a significant positive relationship has also been found between daughters' resilience and mothers' depression anxiety scores.
 Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is suggested that for the development of a healthy society, intervention programs that promote resilience must be adapted for children as well as adults so that they can overcome the challenges of daily life.

A qualitative investigation of the impact that therapeutic recreational camps have on the psychological wellbeing of siblings of individuals with health conditions.

The siblings of individuals with health conditions are often overlooked, despite being at risk of experiencing psychological difficulties. There is a lack of literature investigating interventions which could promote siblings' psychological wellbeing. Therapeutic recreational (TR) camps promote self-perception and self-worth, yet there are currently no UK studies qualitatively investigating siblings' experiences of TR camps. This study aims to understand siblings' lived experiences of attending TR camps, providing a greater depth of understanding of whether these camps have a positive impact on siblings' wellbeing. Due to the paucity of qualitative research regarding individuals' experiences of TR camps, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight individuals who had attended TR sibling camps. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Analysis revealed three superordinate themes. The first, an environment that facilitates autonomous challenge, demonstrated the importance of siblings having a place where they felt autonomous in a fun, care-free environment. This encouraged participants to engage in challenges, feeling determined to overcome them. The second, an inclusive and supportive environment, highlighted the importance of connectedness. Facing challenges and reflecting on this within a supportive team, encouraged a sense of belonging. The final superordinate theme, a transformational journey, revealed that siblings gained determination and a positive outlook to facing challenges in daily life. Additionally, they gained self-acceptance and a positive self-image, becoming more confident with, and accepting of, their identity. This study presents a novel contribution to the existing literature and highlights the importance of camp providers ensuring their TR model incorporates autonomous challenge, success and reflection. These encourage positive youth development and self-determination in young people. In addition, recommendations include implementing teams, promoting positive volunteer-camper relationships and implementing reflective sessions. These recommendations could potentially enhance the positive impact that TR camps have on siblings' psychological wellbeing.

User-Centered Virtual Reality Environments to Support the Educational Needs of Children With ADHD in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The use of technology to face the challenges in daily life is something that is increasingly needed and in complicated times like the one we live in today where there is a health contingency (COVID-19) that prevents people from exposing themselves to each other and restricts physical contact, virtual reality can be an alternative that allows the transmission of knowledge in an immersive and interactive way in various fields. This work proposes the use of virtual reality environments as an alternative to support the learning process in children with special educational needs such as Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other associated disorders that occur in basic education. These proposed virtual reality environments are designed under a user-centered approach and their contents are in accordance with expert therapeutic guidelines. As a result of this proposal, a case study is presented in which the user experience is evaluated through the use of an interactive environment to support the special educational needs of elementary school children attending an educational institution in Mexico.

Smart Aid for Blind People

Abstract: Eyesight is one of the most useful living organisms, but visually impaired people do not realize that sense. They are unable to see the beauty of nature. Not all the problems of the visually impaired can be solved but with the help of modern technology life could be made easier for them. In this era, where everybody tends to be independent in order to survive, people with lack of visuality find it almost not possible. Blindness is a very common disability across the world. Our project is designed in order to give blind people a helping end in overcoming their daily life challenges. The “Smart Aid for Blind People” project consists of Ultrasonic sensors for detection of obstacles like a car, staircase and alert the person with the help of in-built buzzer and a voice module. It also detects the motion of the object by Sensors. We have also used vibrating motor and voice module for sending alert message to the blind person. The overall aim of the project is to provide a safety and convenience to blind people. Keywords: Blind People, Ultrasonics sensors, Voice Module, Arduino Microcontroller, Wearable Device, Ear Phone, Buzzer, Obstacle.

A Descriptive Study to Assess the Daily Life Challenges Faced by Female Teachers during COVID-19

Introduction: The challenges of working women differ with the job they are doing, and the family in which they are living. The teaching profession mostly includes female teachers, therefore, a descriptive study was undertaken, to assess the daily-life challenges faced by female teachers doing household chores and taking online classes during COVID-19 lockdown in a selected area of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Objectives: The study was conducted to assess the daily-life challenges faced by female teachers doing household chores and taking online classes during COVID-19 lockdown and to seek the association between the challenges faced and the selected demographic variables. Methodology: Quantitative approach was adopted using descriptive research design to accomplish the objectives of the study. 60 female teachers were selected as study samples using purposive sampling technique. The tool used for conducting the study was a structured rating scale to assess the daily-life challenges. Online Google survey forms were distributed to samples using their email ids. Result: Data were collected andanalysis and interpretation were done using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study showed that moderate daily life challenges were faced by the female teachers.Conclusion:The study concluded that daily life challenges are faced by female teachers doing household chores and taking online classes during COVID-19 lockdown in the selected area of Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

The Application of Life Skills in Sunnah: A Study Based on Recommended Life Skills by WHO

Life skills refer to adaptive and positive behaviors that help people effectively cope with the needs and challenges of daily life. Thus, this study aimed at the analysis of the application of life skills in the Sunnah of Prophet (PBUH) based on the life skills recommended by WHO such as problem-solving, decision making, creative thinking, critical thinking, self-awareness, empathy, interpersonal relationship, effective communication, coping with stress, coping with emotions. The deductive content analysis of topic-related data in Hadith which refers to the verbal, action, and recognition of the Prophet (PBUH), classic Islamic and modern literature, is conducted through the descriptive narrative method. The finding reveals the acknowledgment and the application of life skills on several occasions in Sunnah, as well as the adherence to such skills will assist walking through the guidance of Sunnah. As a result, it strongly suggests that the icon would serve as a guide for every individual in the modern world in terms of the effective application of life skills at various levels and circumstances that can assist in leading a successful life. This study will be referred for future studies regarding the application and the impact of life skills.

Impact of sense of coherence, resilience and loneliness on quality of life amongst older adults in long-term care: A correlational study using the salutogenic model.

This study aimed to identify the predicting factors of quality of life (QoL) from a set of psychosocial, sociodemographic and clinical variables amongst older adults in a long-term care setting. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study. The study was conducted in a nursing home and a day care centre from July to December 2019. Two hundred older adults were recruited. Guided by the salutogenic model, the sense of coherence (SOC) scale, Connor-Davidson resilience scale, de Jong Gierveld loneliness scale and World Health Organization quality of life instrument-older adults (WHOQOL-OLD) were used. The sociodemographic and clinical profiles of participants were collected. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, independent-samples t test, one-way analysis of variance and stepwise regression were utilised in the analysis. The mean score for WHOQOL-OLD was 94.42±19.55. The highest mean score was observed in the "Death and Dying" facet, while the lowest mean scores were reflected in the "Autonomy" and "Intimacy" facets of QoL. Regardless of resident type, most QoL scores were similar across different variables. Based on the stepwise regression, higher manageability and meaningfulness in SOC, higher resilience, lower social loneliness, lower emotional loneliness and hearing impairments are significantly associated with higher QoL. Manageability, meaningfulness and resilience should be enhanced while ameliorating feelings of loneliness to improve the QoL amongst older adults receiving long-term care. Age, marital status, educational level, care arrangement, body mass index, performance in activities of daily living, comorbidities and hearing and mobility impairments could influence QoL and thus warrant more attention. Future interventions can be conducted in group sessions to facilitate social interaction and alleviate loneliness. More resources should be allocated to enhance older adults' care arrangements and coping mechanisms to provide them with the support, as they face challenges in daily life due to mobility impairment and other restrictions.

A Lean UX Process Model for Virtual Reality Environments Considering ADHD in Pupils at Elementary School in COVID-19 Contingency.

Today, the world is experiencing the COVID-19 health contingency, which prevents people from being exposed to one another and restricts physical contact. Under this context, the use of technology has become an essential tool to face the challenges of daily life, and virtual reality can be an alternative in the development of solutions that effectively support the acquisition of learning skills and knowledge transmission through the execution of tasks designed by multi-disciplinary groups. In addition, it can encourage the user to continue with the acquisition of learning skills in a friendly and fun way in a health and education context. This work proposes the use of virtual reality environments as an alternative to support the learning process in children with special educational needs such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other associated disorders that occur in basic education. These proposed reality environments are designed under the Lean UX process model and their contents are designed according to expert therapeutic guidelines. As a result of this proposal, a case study is presented in which the user experience is evaluated through the use of an interactive environment to support the special educational needs of elementary school children attending an educational institution in Mexico.

A shift in perspective on secondary disabilities in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) often contend with daily life challenges. For many years, these have been called "secondary disabilities." Ranging widely, these are described as school disruption, legal problems, independent living needs, mental health difficulties, and more. Starting in the mid-1990's, in multiple countries, clinic-based and national register studies documented elevated rates of problems in adaptive behavior and secondary disabilities occurring for individuals with FASD (e.g., Streissguth et al., 1996; Streissguth et al., 2004; Spohr et al., 2007; Temple et al., 2011; Rangmar et al., 2015). Accumulating data revealed these challenges as ongoing, functionally impairing, and especially troubling as individuals with FASD advanced into adolescence and adulthood.

Believers, Attractiveness and Values

Societies are undergoing an intensive process of transformation, and the role that religion plays in guiding such rapid changes remains underexplored. In recent decades, postmodern discourse has hindered the attractiveness of involvement in religious affairs and reading sacred books, highlighting how “uncool” and useless these practices are in responding to current daily life challenges. Decades of research have evidenced the positive impact of reading the most precious universal literary creations. Since sacred books are considered universal texts, this study explores the potential of dialogic interreligious gatherings (DIGs) focused on sacred books to enhance the attractiveness of key values such as love, kindness, humility, and generosity. These spaces are grounded in strong principles that guarantee the freedom of participants. This context opens up a possibility of discussing sacred books in a dialogic and egalitarian space where everyone’s voice is heard. In this context, especially in times where freedom is jeopardized in many spheres, believers from different faiths and nonbelievers engage in dialogues and relate sacred book content to their personal experiences and current social challenges. The communicative analysis conducted shows that DIGs drive the attractiveness of fundamental values present in sacred books, creating possibilities to enhance their effects in spurring personal and social change.

The effect of life skills training on the coping of people with multiple sclerosis

Aim: One of the psychological interventions that help patients effectively deal with the problems and challenges of daily life is life skills training. So determining the effect of life skills training on the coping of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) was the aim of this study. Design: A quasi-experimental study. Methods: The research was conducted with a sample of 80 people with MS attending the Tehran MS Association in 2017. The intervention group received four one-hour life skills training sessions and the control group received only routine care. To contrast the results between the two groups and the findings before and after the intervention, the independent t-test and paired t-test, respectively, were used. Results: Most of the respondents in both the intervention and control groups (55.0% and 57.5%, respectively) were males. There was no significant disparity in terms of coping with MS between the two groups before the intervention (p < 0.05) but a significant disparity after the training (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Applying life skills as effective and useful training was the achievement of this study. Therefore, application of the life skills training program is recommended for MS patients.

Do ADHD Symptoms, Executive Function, and Study Strategies Predict Temporal Reward Discounting in College Students with Varying Levels of ADHD Symptoms? A Pilot Study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between temporal reward discounting and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in college students. Additionally, we examined whether temporal reward discounting was associated with executive functioning in daily life and with learning and study strategies in this group. Thirty-nine college students (19 with ADHD and 20 controls) participated after meeting criteria for ADHD or non-ADHD based on standardized assessment. Strong preferences for small immediate rewards were specifically associated with the ADHD symptom domain hyperactivity–impulsivity. Additionally, these preferences were associated with daily life executive function problems and with weak learning and study strategies. This suggests that steep temporal discounting may be a key mechanism playing a role in the daily life challenges that college students with ADHD symptoms face. If these findings are replicated in larger samples, then intervention strategies may profitably be developed to counteract this strong preference for small immediate rewards in college students with ADHD symptoms.

Sleepless in Taipei: The application of photovoice method to explore the major challenges perceived by homeless people facing multifaceted social exclusion

Homeless people typically experience multiple social exclusions that severely affect their well-being. Therefore, based on clients’ participation, this study aims to explore what homeless people facing multifaceted social exclusion perceive as their biggest challenges in daily life, thereby rethinking the current homelessness policies and practices in Taiwan. Using the photovoice method, six homeless people living in the vicinity of the Taipei Main Station participated in the three-stage project. They took photographs to illustrate the main life difficulties and satisfactions they faced and engaged in dialogues through the images presented in the photographs. Through the photovoice workshops, ‘poor sleep’ was identified as their major common predicament, and all participants responded with strong emotions about the dire need to sleep well. In the final stage, homeless participants proposed the ‘Sleep First’ solution based on their own perspectives, which supported the philosophy of the ‘Housing First’ approach to addressing homelessness.

COVID-19 Isolation in Healthy Population in Israel: Challenges in Daily Life, Mental Health, Resilience, and Quality of Life.

Background: Pandemics produce long-lasting secondary impacts on health, with a significant burden on people and society. Until now, the secondary impact of COVID-19 has been little estimated. Our aim was to investigate factors underlying quality of life (QOL) during COVID-19 lockdown among a healthy population, while QOL reduction expands vulnerability to the pandemic secondary impact. Methods: During the spring lockdown in Israel, 571 healthy adults completed a survey that included standard measurements for psychological distress, participation in daily life activities, a sense of social connectedness, resilience, and QOL. Results: We found a high level of psychological distress, significant reduction in participation dimensions, and in QOL (psychical, psychological, and social). These indices were even lower among women, younger adults, and the unemployed. Path analysis demonstrated that psychological distress, participation dimensions, social connectedness, and self-efficacy explained QOL, while participation dimensions were found to be the mediators. Conclusions: The COVID-19 has had a wide impact on the general population, with the potential for negative secondary impacts. Women, young adults, and the unemployed are at high risk for secondary effects. Public health strategies should address the reported factors and populations in order to improve QOL in a healthy population and limit the impact of the pandemic.

Bioinspired surfaces with special micro-structures and wettability for drag reduction: which surface design will be a better choice?

Human beings learn from creatures in nature and imitate them to solve challenges in daily life. Thus, the use of bioinspired surfaces for drag reduction has attracted extensive attention in recent years due to their important applications in many fields, such as pipeline systems, maritime transportation, and military weapons. Herein, we introduce some typical plants and animals with low drag surfaces that exist in nature, focusing on their drag reduction patterns. There are two main mechanisms to explain how surfaces reduce frictional drag, where one is to design a suitable surface geometry to change the flow distribution of surrounding fluid and the other is to introduce a low friction lubricating layer (usually air or non-toxic silicone oil) to partially or completely replace the solid-liquid interface. Hence, by mimicking these organisms, some surfaces have been fabricated to reduce frictional drag, including riblets, superhydrophobic surfaces, and slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces. With the increasing research on drag-reducing surfaces, the drag reduction rate of different types of surface designs has greatly improved in recent years. This review provides a holistic overview that facilitates direct comparisons between these surface types. To select an optimal surface for drag reduction in practical applications, the merits and deficiencies of different surface designs are analysed and compared. Finally, based on the current challenges, we present some future prospects for the application of bioinspired surfaces in drag reduction.