COVID-19 Pandemic In China Research Articles

Impact of closed management on gastrointestinal function and mental health of Chinese university students during COVID-19

BackgroundThe innovative closed management of universities may have influenced the physical and mental health of students during the fourth stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The study aimed to assess the gastrointestinal and mental health status of students in this stage and to explore the possible risk factors and mechanisms to provide a reference for future school responses to similar stressful events.MethodA multicenter, cross-sectional survey was administered to 598 college students from 10 Chinese universities. The study used the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19 S), and the Diagnostic Tendency of Functional Bowel Disease Scale (DT-FBD) to evaluate anxiety, depression, fear of COVID-19 and likelihood of being diagnose diagnosed with functional bowel disease (FBD), respectively.ResultsA total of 516 college students completed the questionnaire. The proportions of students with more severe anxiety, more severe depression, greater fear of COVID-19, and a greater likelihood of being diagnosed with FBD were 49.8%, 57.0%, 49%, and 49%, respectively. These symptoms were significantly and positively correlated with the frequency of irregular sleep and eating (p < 0.05). Students in high-risk areas were more likely to experience anxiety and depression than students in areas with low/medium risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–3.24, p = 0.017; OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.11–4.11, p = 0.022). A high likelihood of being diagnosed with FBD was positively associated with the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms and fear of COVID-19 (all p < 0.001). Moreover, mediation analysis revealed the following pathway in college students: fear of COVID-19 → depression and anxiety → poor diet → likelihood of being diagnosed with FBD.ConclusionCollege students generally exhibited higher more severe anxiety and depression symptoms and psychological symptoms with a greater higher propensity likelihood of being to be diagnosed with FBD. Good lifestyle habits, especially adequate sleep and a regular diet, can alleviate these problems. In addition, appropriate psychological intervention is very important.

Engaging customers with online restaurant community through mutual disclosure amid the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of customer trust and swift guanxi

Online restaurant communities have emerged as an important channel for restaurants to engage customers and increase sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic in China. According to social penetration theory and social exchange theory, this study investigates how mutual disclosures between servers and customers influence customers' social influence and knowledge-sharing engagement through customer trust and swift guanxi. Using questionnaire data collected from 340 customers, this study finds that server disclosure facilitates customer disclosure, and both server and customer disclosures positively predict customer trust and swift guanxi. Furthermore, customer trust can in turn promote swift guanxi and customers’ social influence engagement, while swift guanxi promotes both kinds of customer engagement. The outstanding theoretical implications of the present research lie in that it depicts the formation mechanism of customer engagement from the new lens of mutual disclosure and guanxi in Chinese culture. Practical implications can help restaurants improve performance.

Reflections on Lonely, Single and Over 50? China has a Game Show for That.

Journal of the American Geriatrics SocietyEarly View ARS LONGA: HUMANITIES AND AGING Reflections on Lonely, Single and Over 50? China has a Game Show for That Rachel Shapin BS, Corresponding Author Rachel Shapin BS [email protected] Medical School for International Health, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel Correspondence Rachel Shapin, Medical School for International Health, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Rachel Shapin BS, Corresponding Author Rachel Shapin BS [email protected] Medical School for International Health, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel Correspondence Rachel Shapin, Medical School for International Health, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 19 June 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18484Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. REFERENCES 1Zhang J, Liu X. Media representation of older people's vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Eur J Ageing. 2021; 18(2): 149- 158. doi:10.1007/s10433-021-00613-x 2Chen L, Zhang J, Yang F, Gu D. Ageism in media and visual arts. Encycl Gerontol Popul Aging. 2021; A: 178- 186. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9_410 3Smith ML, Steinman LE, Casey EA. Combatting social isolation among older adults in a time of physical distancing: the COVID-19 social connectivity paradox. Front Public Health. 2020; 8: 1- 2. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.00403 4Wang V, Dong J. Lonely, single and over 50? China has a game show for that. The New York Times. 2022 Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/24/world/asia/china-older-dating-shows.html 5Cattagni Kleiner A, Henchoz Y, Fustinoni S, Seematter-Bagnoud L. Volunteering transitions and change in quality of life among older adults: a mixed methods research. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2022; 98:104556. doi:10.1016/j.archger.2021.104556 6Infurna FJ, Okun MA, Grimm KJ. Volunteering is associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2016; 64(11): 2263- 2269. doi:10.1111/jgs.14398 7Gawande A. A Better Life. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Essay, A Metropolitan Paperback. Henry Holt and Company; 2021. Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue ReferencesRelatedInformation

The trends of psychosomatic symptoms and perceived stress among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: Four cross-sectional nationwide surveys, 2020–2023

An unseen wave of vast infection was detected in China in December 2022, and healthcare workers faced inevitable challenges and heavy stress. We aimed to present a dynamic mental health map and, most importantly, provide a timely report of the current situation in healthcare workers. The current study conducted four national cross-sectional online surveys from February and March 2020, Apr 2022, and Jan 2023. The Psychosomatic Symptom Scale (PSSS) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) were used to assess psychosomatic symptoms and perceived stress. Fourteen thousand nine hundred forty-five participants (8578 healthcare workers and 6367 others) participated in the surveys. The prevalence of psychosomatic syndrome, reflected by PSSS, was 19.3% (Wave1), 22.9% (Wave2), 36.4% (Wave3), and 60.7% (Wave4) among healthcare workers, compared to 24.0% (Wave1), 35.7% (Wave2), 34.2% (Wave3) and 50.5% (Wave4) among the others. In addition, healthcare workers exhibited lower PSSS total scores at the beginning but higher in later waves. Despite their infection status, they now suffer from more severe psychosomatic symptoms than the rest of society. Our findings suggest that healthcare workers in China have now experienced severe psychosomatic symptoms and tremendous stress. Therefore, there is an urgent need to utilize social support for them.

Unraveling the socio-environmental drivers during the early COVID-19 pandemic in China.

The effect of environmental and socioeconomic conditions on the global pandemic of COVID-19 had been widely studied, yet their influence during the early outbreak remains less explored. Unraveling these relationships represents a key knowledge to prevent potential outbreaks of similar pathogens in the future. This study aims to determine the influence of socioeconomic, infrastructure, air pollution, and weather variables on the relative risk of infection in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. A spatio-temporal Bayesian zero-inflated Poisson model is used to test for the effect of 13 socioeconomic, urban infrastructure, air pollution, and weather variables on the relative risk of COVID-19 disease in 122 cities of China. The results show that socioeconomic and urban infrastructure variables did not have a significant effect on the relative risk of COVID-19. Meanwhile, COVID-19 relative risk was negatively associated with temperature, wind speed, and carbon monoxide, while nitrous dioxide and the human modification index presented a positive effect. Pollution gases presented a marked variability during the study period, showing a decrease of CO. These findings suggest that controlling and monitoring urban emissions of pollutant gases is a key factor for the reduction of risk derived from COVID-19.

Comparison of depressive symptoms among healthcare workers in high-risk versus low-risk areas during the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

The psychological health of healthcare workers (HCWs) has become a significant concern, particularly during the initial stage of a pandemic. This study compared the depressive symptoms among HCWs in high-risk areas (HRAs) and low-risk areas (LRAs) with matching demographics. A cross-sectional study was employed to compare the depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥ 10), workplace environment characteristics, the Health Belief Model (HBM) and socio-demographics of the HCWs working in HRAs and LRAs in several accessible regions (mainly Hubei Province and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater-Bay-Area) in China. Eight hundred eighty-five HCWs were recruited for unmatched analysis between March 6 and April 2, 2020. After matching with occupation and years of service using a 1:2 ratio, 146 HCWs in HRAs and 290 HCWs in LRAs were selected for matched analysis. Subgroup analyzes were performed using two individual logistic regressions to delineate the associated factors in LRAs and HRAs, respectively. HCWs in LRAs (Prevalence = 23.7%) had 1.96 times higher odds of depressive symptoms than those in HRAs (Prevalence = 15.1%) after adjusting for occupation and years of service (p < 0.001). Significant differences in workplace environment characteristics (p < 0.001) and the 5-dimension of the HBM of HCWs (p < 0.001 to p = 0.025) were found between HRAs and LRAs.Logistic regression showed that workers with years of service between 10 and 20 years (OR:6.27), ever had contact with COVID-19 patients (OR:14.33) and had higher scores of "perceived barrier" of HBM (OR:4.48) predicted depressive symptoms in HRAs while working in pneumology departments and infectious disease units (OR:0.06), and high "self-efficacy" in the HBM (OR:0.13) was a protective factor against depressive symptoms.Contrarily, in LRAs, those HCWs who worked in ICUs (OR:2.59), had higher scores of "perceived susceptibility toward the COVID-19 outbreak" (OR:1.41), "perceived severity of the pandemic" (OR:1.25), and "perceived barriers of wearing masks" (OR:1.43) in the HBM predicted depressive symptoms. High "cues to action" (OR:0.79), and better "knowledge" (OR:0.79) in the HBM were protective factors against depressive symptoms. The risk of depressive symptoms of HCWS was double in LRAs than in HRAs in the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, salient predictors for depressive symptoms among HCWs in HRAs and LRAs were very different.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and co-effects of air quality and carbon dioxide emissions changes during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdown measures in China

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted several nations, including China, to enact unprecedented lockdown measures, leading to significant alterations in environmental conditions. Previous studies have solely analysed the impact of lockdown measures on air pollutants or carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, but few have focused on the spatio-temporal change characteristics and synergistic effects between the two. In this study, we constructed a methodological framework to examine the spatiotemporal characteristics and co-effects of air quality (PM2.5, SO2, and NO2) and CO2 changes in 324 prefecture-level cities in China due to the COVID-19 blockade measures from January 24 to April 30, 2020, using the regression discontinuity in time method and co-effect control coordinate system. The results show that a significant improvement in air quality and CO2 emissions during the lockdown period, with notable north‒south heterogeneity. During the major lockdown period (January 24 to February 29), the measures resulted in respective reductions of 5.6%, 16.6%, and 25.1% in the concentrations of SO2, NO2, and CO2 nationwide. The proportions of cities with negative treatment effects on PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and CO2 were 39.20%, 70.99%, 84.6%, and 99.38%, respectively. Provinces where concentrations of CO2 and NO2 declined by over 30% were primarily concentrated in southern areas of the ‘Yangtze River Defense Line’. Starting from March, the improvement effect of air quality and CO2 has weakened, and the concentration of air pollutants has rebounded. This study offers crucial insights into the causal effects of lockdown measures on air quality changes, and reveals the synergy between air quality and CO2, thereby providing a reference for devising effective air quality improvement and energy-saving emission reduction strategies.

The COVID-19 pandemic in China: from dynamic zero-COVID to current policy.

On 8January 2023, after 3years of pandemic control, China changed its management of COVID-19, applying measures against classB infectious diseases instead of ClassA infectious diseases. This signaled the end of the dynamic zero-COVID policy and the reopening of the country. With apopulation of 1.41billion, China's reopening policy during the COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by ascientific, gradual, and cautious approach. Several factors contributed to the reopening policy, including an expansion of healthcare capacity, the widespread promotion and uptake of vaccination, and improved prevention and control mechanisms. According to the latest report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the country reached apeak of 1.625 million on January5, 2023, and has since continued to decline. As of February13, the number decreased to 26,000: areduction of 98.4%. Thanks to the efforts of healthcare workers and society as awhole, the country managed to get through the peak of the epidemic in astable manner.

Understanding the role of social media usage and health self-efficacy in the processing of COVID-19 rumors: A SOR perspective

Apart from the direct health and behavioral influence of the COVID-19 pandemic itself, COVID-19 rumors as an infodemic enormously amplified public anxiety and cause serious outcomes. Although factors influencing such rumors propagation have been widely studied by previous studies, the role of spatial factors (e.g., proximity to the pandemic) on individuals’ response regarding COVID-19 rumors remain largely unexplored. Accordingly, this study, drawing on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework, examined how proximity to the pandemic (stimulus) influences anxiety (organism), which in turn determines rumor beliefs and rumor outcomes (response). Further, the contingent role of social media usage and health self-efficacy were tested. The research model was tested using 1246 samples via an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The results indicate that: (1)The proximity closer the public is to the pandemic, the higher their perceived anxiety; (2) Anxiety increases rumor beliefs, which is further positively associated rumor outcomes; (3) When the level of social media usage is high, the relationship between proximity to the pandemic and anxiety is strengthened; (4) When the level of health self-efficacy is high, the effect of anxiety on rumor beliefs is strengthened and the effect of rumor beliefs on rumor outcomes is also strengthened. This study provides a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of the propagation of COVID-19 rumors from a SOR perspective. Additionally, this paper is one of the first that proposes and empirically verifies the contingent role of social media usage and health self-efficacy on the SOR framework. The findings of study can assist the pandemic prevention department in to efficiently manage rumors with the aim of alleviating public anxiety and avoiding negative outcomes cause by rumors.

Network analysis of eating disorder and depression symptoms among university students in the late stage of COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Eating disorders (EDs) and depression are common in university students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to elucidate characteristics of EDs and depression symptoms networks among Chinese university students in the later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. A total of 929 university students completed the SCOFF questionnaire measuring EDs and Patient Health Questionnaire with 9 items (PHQ-9) measuring depression in Guangzhou, China. The network model was applied to identify central symptoms, bridge symptoms, and important connections between SCOFF and PHQ-9 using R studio. The subgroup analyses of both genders in medical and non-medical students were further explored. In the networks of the whole sample, central symptoms included "Loss of control over eating" (EDs) and "Appetite changes" (depression). The bridge connections were between "Loss of control over eating" (EDs) and "Appetite changes" (depression), between "Deliberate vomiting" (EDs) and "Thoughts of death" (depression). "Appetite changes" (depression) and "Feeling of worthlessness" (depression) were central symptoms in both subgroups of medical and non-medical students. "Fatigue" (depression) was the central symptom in the female and medical students group. The edge between "Loss of control over eating" (EDs) and "Appetite changes" (depression) acted as a bridge in all subgroups. Social network approaches offered promising ways of further understanding the association between EDs and depression among university students during the pandemic of COVID-19 in China. Investigations targeting central and bridge symptoms would help to develop effective treatments for both EDs and depression for this population.

Factors associated with professional identity among ICU nurses during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study.

To determine the associated factors of professional identity among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Multicentre cross-sectional study. This study invited 348 ICU nurses in five hospitals in China from May to July 2020. Online self-report questionnaires were adopted to collect their demographic and occupational characteristics, perceived professional benefits and professional identity. Based on univariate and multiple linear regression analysis, a path analysis was performed to determine the associated factors' effects on professional identity. The mean score of professional identity was 102.38 ± 16.46. Perceived professional benefits, doctor recognition level and family support level were associated with ICU nurses' professional identity. The path analysis revealed that perceived professional benefits and doctor recognition level had direct effects on professional identity. In addition, doctor recognition level and family support level had indirect effects on professional identity through the mediation of perceived professional benefits.

Critical Metaphor Analysis of War Metaphors in Official News Reports of COVID-19 in China

This paper initially situates research on the conceptual metaphors based on Critical Metaphor Analysis with regard to their manifestation in public discourses. Specifically, it centers on the cognitive features and social effects of war metaphors used in the official coverage of COVID-19 pandemic in China. The war metaphors was first identified and analyzed by both manual metaphor identification and the aid of vocabulary analytic software AntConc. 3. 5. 9. Then the cognitive mechanism and social functions of the selected metaphors were analyzed in the perspective of cognitive linguistics. The findings show that: (1)despite of the possible negative emotions they might bring, war metaphors can arouse cognitively the public’s awareness of self-protection and stimulate properly the positive emotions of the public with the embedded Chinese narrative characteristics “a party in trouble, assistance comes from all sides”; (2) the application of war metaphors can function as positive guidance in conveying government policy and play an important role in soothing the public tension and help to stabilize. The adoption of war metaphors in the COVID-19 news reports in China official media can help to stimulate the positive emotions of the public, arouse the collectivism values, construct a unified epidemic prevention cognition system of the public, and play a crucial role in providing information, policy interpretation and humanistic guidance.

The Roles of Trust and Its Antecedent Variables in Healthcare Consumers' Acceptance of Online Medical Consultation during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China.

Online medical consultation (OMC) is generating considerable interest among researchers and practitioners due to the mandatory quarantine measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. However, the acceptance rate of OMC has declined over time. This paper aims to empirically investigate OMC acceptance using a proposed research model by integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) with trust and its antecedent variables. A quantitative self-administered cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data from 260 healthcare consumers. A partial least squares structural equation modeling method was used to examine the data. Results revealed that healthcare consumers' behavioral intention was influenced by attitudes, while perceived usefulness and trust significantly influenced behavioral intention through attitude as a mediator. In addition, perceived risk, perceived privacy protection, network externalities, cognitive reputation, and interactivity directly influenced trust. Overall, the research model explained 50% of the variance in attitude and 71% of the variance in behavioral intention. The study's findings should provide useful insights into making effective design, development, and implementation decisions for OMC services.

Prevalence and correlators of burnout among health professionals during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Persistently increased workload and stress occurred in health professionals (HPs) during the past 3 years as the COVID-19 pandemic continued. The current study seeks to explore the prevalence of and correlators of HPs' burnout during different stages of the pandemic. Three repeated online studies were conducted in different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic: wave 1: after the first peak of the pandemic, wave 2: the early period of the zero-COVID policy, and wave 3: the second peak of the pandemic in China. Two dimensions of burnout, emotional exhaustion (EE) and declined personal accomplishment (DPA), were assessed using Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSMP), a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and a 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) to assess mental health conditions. An unconditional logistic regression model was employed to discern the correlators. There was an overall prevalence of depression (34.9%), anxiety (22.5%), EE (44.6%), and DPA (36.5%) in the participants; the highest prevalence of EE and DPA was discovered in the first wave (47.4% and 36.5%, respectively), then the second wave (44.9% and 34.0%), and the third wave had the lowest prevalence of 42.3% and 32.2%. Depressive symptoms and anxiety were persistently correlated with a higher prevalence risk of both EE and DPA. Workplace violence led to a higher prevalence risk of EE (wave 1: OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.16-1.63), and women (wave 1: OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.00-1.42; wave 3: OR =1.20, 95% CI:1.01-1.44) and those living in a central area (wave 2: OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.20-2.31) or west area (wave 2: OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.26-1.87) also had a higher prevalence risk of EE. In contrast, those over 50 years of age (wave 1: OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39-0.96; wave 3: OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.38-0.95) and who provided care to patients with COVID-19 (wave 2: OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57-0.92) had a lower risk of EE. Working in the psychiatry section (wave 1: OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.01-1.89) and being minorities (wave 2: OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04-1.58) had a higher risk of DPA, while those over 50 years of age had a lower risk of DPA (wave 3: OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.36-0.88). This three-wave cross-sectional study revealed that the prevalence of burnout among health professionals was at a high level persistently during the different stages of the pandemic. The results suggest that functional impairment prevention resources and programs may be inadequate and, as such, continuous monitoring of these variables could provide evidence for developing optimal strategies for saving human resources in the coming post-pandemic era.

Factors Affecting Users' Continuous Usage in Online Health Communities: An Integrated Framework of SCT and TPB.

Online health communities (OHCs) provide a new channel for users to obtain more health-related information and support, playing an important role in alleviating hospital congestion and uneven medical resource distribution, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. An in-depth study of users' continuous usage is of great value for the long-term development of OHCs. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that influence users' continuous usage in online health communities based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and social cognitive theory (SCT). Data from 480 users with experience in online health communities were collected through a questionnaire survey, and structural equations were applied to verify the model hypotheses empirically. Self-efficacy and controllability have significant effects on users' continuous intention; attitude has a significant relationship with continuous intention; social norms have a positive effect on continuous intention. Moreover, the relationship between continuous intention and behavior is positive. Self-efficacy and outcome expectations have significant positive associations with continuous usage. Finally, system quality, information quality, and social interaction ties have significant and positive relationships to continuous usage. To improve the level of user's continuous usage, online health service providers can improve the quality of the community by organizing the website's page layout, navigation menus, and site elements to ensure users quickly search and find what they want meanwhile try to change people's cognition gradually, in addition, decision and policymakers should provide more favorable policies to stimulate and help provider in building and managing strategic plans for sustaining a thriving online community. A supportive climate in society through public service advertisements and others for the sake of OHCs is necessary. (1) This study collected data through a cross-sectional survey. Thus, it lacked the process of capturing the changes in participants' attitudes toward all variables. (2) The environmental factors in SCT theory need to be more comprehensive, containing online factors without offline factors. (3) The dates were obtained from China, which neglects the different cultural content.

Emergency Language Services in a Zhuang Village in the China-and-Vietnam Borderland

As a localized sociolinguistic concept, emergency language services (ELS) have gained an increasing importance during the Covid-19 pandemic in China. Despite the nation-wide promotion of ELS, previous studies seem to center on the language practices in the cosmopolitan cities whereas our knowledge about the peripheral regions remains poorly understood. Given that China has the largest number of bordering countries, it is of significance to conduct ELS in the borderlands. Adopting ELS (Li, Rao, Zhang, &amp;amp; Li, 2020) as a theoretical framework, this study investigates what ELS have been available to a Zhuang-centered minority village in Yunnan bordering Vietnam and how local people respond to the Covid-19 related messages. Based on the semi-structured interviews with two village chiefs, one rural Zhuang doctor and six Zhuang people of different ages and language backgrounds, the study finds that there are insufficient language services available to Zhuang people who are lack of proficiency in Putonghua. The grassroots efforts yet play critical roles, including rural Zhuang doctor who provides emotional support and medical treatment, and village chiefs working as language broker translating Putonghua-mediated messages into Zhuang oral language through the multiple social media. The findings and results of the study can shed lights on providing effective language services for Chinese multilingual population from peripheral regions.

Corporate ESG and resilience of stock prices in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in China

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on both the financial market and the real economy, leading to widespread concern about the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibilities and shareholders' wealth. This paper examines the relationship between ESG responsibility and stock returns in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and investigates the impact of ESG responsibility on stock price resilience. The results indicate that corporate ESG scores have positive impacts on stock returns during and after the COVID-19 crisis, with the positive impacts of ESG being more significant in the post-crisis period. Among the different ESG dimensions, environmental responsibility (ESG_E) has a more significant impact on stock returns, while social responsibility (ESG_S) and governance responsibility (ESG_G) have mixed impacts during the crisis. Furthermore, during and after the outbreak of COVID-19, the positive impacts of ESG are more pronounced among firms located in low-trust regions and firms with lower analyst coverage. Additionally, the study finds that corporate ESG responsibility help restore the resilience of stock prices during the crisis, with better ESG performance leading to stronger stock price resilience. Overall, the results strongly support the conclusion that ESG has acted as an “equity vaccine” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Self-directed learning: Alternative for traditional classroom learning in undergraduate ophthalmic education during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift in medical education from traditional face-to-face to online or remote learning, which provided challenges to faculty and students that have traditionally given face-to-face instruction. Self-directed learning (SDL) has gained popularity in undergraduate education such as nursing and adult education. Although the application of SDL in many medical teachings is practical, the application of SDL in undergraduate ophthalmology education has not been well investigated. COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in the learning style of undergraduate medical students to adapt to the shift from traditional classroom learning (TCL) to online or remote learning. Self-directed learning is a process in which individuals take the initiative in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies and evaluating learning outcomes. This study compared students' perspectives and study outcomes of the SDL and TCL to preliminarily investigate the effect of SDL in undergraduate ophthalmology education. The students showed equal perspectives and satisfaction with both learning models. There was no difference in learning outcomes at the end of the study. The students with different interests in ophthalmology had different perspectives on SDL and TCL. Self-directed learning is an essential alternative to traditional classroom learning in undergraduate ophthalmic education during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Moral injury and suicidal ideation among health professionals: The role of mental health

BackgroundThe prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has burdened health professionals mentally and physically. This study aims to explore the relationship between moral injury (MI) and suicidal ideation (SI), and the role of mental health conditions in this relationship. MethodsThree-wave repeated online cross-sectional study with a total of 10,388 health professionals were conducted in different stages (2020–2022) of the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China. Participants completed the Chinese version of the Moral Injury Symptoms Scale-Health Professional, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM-5 coupled with a blanket of scales. ResultsThe prevalence of SI and MI among health professionals was 9.8 % and 40.2 %, respectively. The prevalence risk of SI was lower in wave 2 (OR = 0.64, 95 % CI: 0.54–0.77) and wave 3 (OR = 0.71, 95 % CI: 0.60–0.84) when compared with wave 1. MI (OR = 4.66, 95 % CI: 3.99–5.43), medical error (OR = 1.15, 95 % CI: 1.00–1.32), workplace violence (OR = 1.13, 95 % CI: 0.97–1.32), depression (OR = 94.08, 95 % CI: 63.37–139.69), anxiety (OR = 25.54, 95 % CI: 21.22–30.74), PTSD (OR = 24.51, 95 % CI: 19.01–31.60) were associated with a higher risk of SI. The mediation model revealed that depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms explained 90.6 % of the total variance in the relationship between MI and SI. ConclusionsThe risk of SI has reduced among health professionals since the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. MI may contribute to prevalent SI, and mental health conditions, especially depressive symptoms, play a significant role as mediators. LimitationsCross-sectional design precludes the investigation of casual relationships. The nonrandom sampling method limits the generalization.

223 Spectrum changes of pediatric dermatological disorders before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A single national center for children’s health experience

223 Spectrum changes of pediatric dermatological disorders before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A single national center for children’s health experience