Levels Of General Self-efficacy Research Articles

A Lifeline to Fill the Silence of Homelessness: Person-Centered Analysis of Digital Coping and Links to Mental and Physical Health.

Individuals experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable population for mental and physical health disparities. Despite navigating numerous stressors on a day-to-day basis, they are vastly underrepresented within coping research. Using a person-centered approach, this study addresses ways in which technology is leveraged to manage ongoing stressors associated with the experience of homelessness. We employed a two-step and k-means cluster analysis within a sample of unhoused individuals (n = 66). Two distinct clusters emerged, revealing unique patterning of digital coping, stress, self-efficacy, and technology use. Resulting clusters were validated across numerous health outcomes, including mental and physical health problems, as well as digital service use and experience of homelessness. High digital engagement/low self-efficacy individuals (65% of sample) reported high levels of digital self-efficacy, yet lower levels of general self-efficacy. In contrast, low digital engagement/high self-efficacy individuals (35% of sample) engaged in relatively lower digital coping and technology use, with lower stress and higher general self-efficacy. High digital engagement/low self-efficacy individuals, in turn, reported more mental and physical health problems; whereas low digital engagement/high self-efficacy reported somewhat decreased digital access. Relatively few differences emerged between the clusters on experiences of homelessness. Due to the transient nature of unhoused people, reaching such vulnerable populations via technology to support their digital coping and subsequently enhance well-being outcomes represents a critical next step for digital equity. This population is poised to benefit from digital equity efforts, with critical implications for reduced health disparities.

Examining the influence of social support and resilience on academic self-efficacy and learning outcomes in pre-licensure student nurses

BackgroundAcademic self-efficacy is recognized as a vital element influencing students' academic performance, while social support and resilience have been recognized as potential predictors of academic self-efficacy. PurposeThe purposes of this study are twofold: (1) to examine the influence of academic self-efficacy on learning outcomes in nursing students, and (2) to explore whether social support and resilience serve as predictors of academic self-efficacy. MethodA quantitative cross-sectional research design was utilized in this study. A total of 265 Filipino student nurses registered in a government nursing school participated in the study. ResultsStudent nurses reported moderate to high levels of general academic self-efficacy. Increased levels of academic self-efficacy were associated with better academic performance and clinical performance. Resilience emerged as a strong predictor of academic self-efficacy. ConclusionsThe findings of this study highlighted the value of resilience in promoting academic self-efficacy among student nurses. Furthermore, the research establishes the significance of academic self-efficacy in enhancing positive learning outcomes for these students. The findings underscore the need for interventions targeting the development of resilience to enhance academic self-efficacy, leading to improved learning outcomes.

Can I improve my personal goal level through executive coaching over time? A randomised control trial study

ABSTRACT While existing literature strongly supports the effectiveness of executive coaching, there is a scarcity of empirical studies that assess how coaching facilitates change over time and its potential conditions. This study, conducted in a corporate setting using an experimental design with two measurement points, explores the potential of executive coaching to enhance the perceived coaching client’s personal goal level over time and the possible moderators. Two hundred and two managers from 13 organisations were randomly assigned to a coaching or waiting list condition. Managers in the coaching condition received four weekly coaching sessions from 33 external coaches. The results indicate that managers who received coaching significantly improved their goal level compared with those who did not, suggesting that executive coaching is an effective learning intervention for improving goal measurement for individuals with different backgrounds. The general self-efficacy was not a condition for increased goal level for those who received coaching, highlighting that coaching is an effective tool regardless of the participant’s level of general self-efficacy. However, low general self-efficacy predicted the decision to withdraw from the study, emphasising the importance of the general self-efficacy trait in assessing the readiness of those involved in coaching.

Moderating Effect of General Self-Efficacy on the Relationship between Pregnancy Stress, Daily Hassles Stress, and Preterm Birth Risk in Women Experiencing Preterm Labor: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study investigated the moderating role of general self-efficacy (GSE) on how stress caused by pregnancy and daily hassle affect the risk of preterm birth (PTB) in women experiencing preterm labor. This cross-sectional study included 196 pregnant women experiencing preterm labor before 37 weeks of gestation. We used IBM SPSS Statistics 27 and employed Hayes process macro version 4 (model 1) and hierarchical regression to analyze the moderating effect of GSE on the relationship between pregnancy stress, daily hassle stress, and PTB risk. Stress caused by pregnancy and daily hassle was positively correlated to PTB risk (r = .54, p < .001; r = .25, p < .001, respectively). While GSE did not significantly correlate with pregnancy stress, it negatively correlated with daily hassle stress (r = - .19, p = .009). GSE significantly moderated the relationship between combined stressors and PTB risk. As GSE levels increased, escalation in PTB risk in response to increasing stress levels was a more pronounced, highlighting a complex interaction between higher GSE levels and response to escalating stress levels. This model accounted for 39.5% of the variance in the PTB risk. Higher GSE may amplify the impact of stress on PTB risk, rather than mitigate it, which suggests a more nuanced role of GSE in the stress response of pregnant women at risk of preterm labor. GSE should be considered in care strategies, and managing its impact on stress perception and responses in pregnant women is crucial.

Optimism, Resilience, and General Self-Efficacy Predict Lower Somatic Burden during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

There is scarce evidence of a relationship between positive and psychosomatic characteristics. This study aimed to examine the associations of somatic burden with psychological resources such as optimism, resilience, and general self-efficacy. Russian participants (n = 1020) completed measures of psychological resources at Time 1 and somatic symptoms at Time 2. The results showed that somatic burden decreased with greater levels of optimism, resilience, and general self-efficacy. Regarding health and sociodemographic characteristics, female sex increased somatic burden in the model with optimism scores, university education decreased somatic burden in the model with resilience scores, and history of COVID-19 disease increased somatic burden in the models with optimism, resilience, and general self-efficacy scores. This study has theoretical and practical contributions. It combines positive psychology and psychosomatic medicine and highlights the value of psychological resource interventions in the treatment and prevention of somatic burden. These findings may be useful for scientists, clinicians, and practitioners.

Factors affecting psychological resilience, self-efficacy and job satisfaction of nurse academics: A cross-sectional study.

The study aimed to determine the factors affecting psychological resilience, self-efficacy and job satisfaction in nurse academics. Nurse academics follow an emotionally and mentally intense career path, along which they are required to balance many different roles and responsibilities, including teaching, research and guidance. However, in some cases, this equilibrium is disrupted and may cause functional disruptions; in achieving this balance, resilience, self-efficacy and job satisfaction play important roles. The data of this cross-sectional study were collected between January and April 2023, and 446 nurse academics were included in the study. The Descriptive Characteristics Information Form, Brief Psychological Resilience Scale (BPRS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS) were used to collect the research data.We adhered to the STROBE checklist for reporting. A significant positive relationship was found between general self-efficacy levels and psychological resilience and job satisfaction levels. There is a significant positive relationship between job satisfaction levels and age, total years of service, psychological resilience and general self-efficacy levels. In addition, it has been noted that family relationships, friend relationships and academic title factors were effective on the nurse academics' psychological resilience, self-efficacy and job satisfaction levels. Managers can play an important role in increasing the psychological resilience, self-efficacy and job satisfaction levels of nurse academics by developing strategies for these effective factors. Governments need to ensure that nurse academics have an appropriate career framework that enables them to balance the competing demands on their time and that they have adequate mentoring and support in the early stages of their careers to enable them to adapt to working life as a nurse academic.

Eight weeks of high-intensity interval training versus stretching do not change the psychoneuroendocrine response to a social stress test in emotionally impulsive humans

PurposeResearch supports physical activity as a method to heighten stress resistance and resilience through positive metabolic alterations mostly affecting the neuroendocrine system. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been proposed as a highly effective time-saving method to induce those changes. However, existing literature relies heavily on cross-sectional analyses, with few randomised controlled trials highlighting the necessity for more exercise interventions. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effects of HIIT versus an active control group on the stress response to an acute psychosocial stressor in emotionally impulsive humans (suggested as being strong stress responders).MethodsThe study protocol was registered online (DRKS00016589) before data collection. Sedentary, emotionally impulsive adults (30.69 ± 8.20 y) were recruited for a supervised intervention of 8 weeks and randomly allocated to either a HIIT (n = 25) or a stretching group (n = 19, acting as active controls). Participants were submitted to a test battery, including saliva samples, questionnaires (self-efficacy- and perceived stress-related), visual analogue scales (physical exercise- and stress-related), and resting electroencephalography and electrocardiography assessing their reaction to an acute psychological stressor (Trier Social Stress Test) before and after the exercise intervention.ResultsHIIT increased aerobic fitness in all participants, whereas stretching did not. Participants from the HIIT group reported perceiving exercising more intensively than those from the active control group (ƞp2 = 0.108, p = 0.038). No further group differences were detected. Both interventions largely increased levels of joy post-TSST (ƞp2 = 0.209, p = 0.003) whilst decreasing tension (ƞp2 = 0.262, p < 0.001) and worries (ƞp2 = 0.113, p = 0.037). Finally, both interventions largely increased perceived levels of general self-efficacy (ƞp2 = 0.120, p = 0.029).ConclusionThis study suggests that 8 weeks of HIIT does not change the psychoneuroendocrine response to an acute psychological stress test compared to an active control group in emotionally impulsive humans. Further replications of supervised exercise studies highly powered with active and passive controls are warranted.

Association between general self-efficacy and health literacy among stroke survivors 1-year post-discharge: a cross-sectional study

Stroke may affect physical functioning, cognition, and mental and social aspects of one’s life. Health literacy and self-efficacy are associated with positive health outcomes and are important factors for managing the diverse consequences of a stroke. However, there is very little literature on the association between health literacy and self-efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the association between health literacy and self-efficacy among stroke survivors 1 year after discharge from hospital. Participants in this cross-sectional study were patients diagnosed with a stroke, mainly a mild stroke, who were referred to rehabilitation in primary care after discharge from hospital in Sweden. Data was collected using questionnaires, performance-based tests, and medical records. Ordinal logistic regression was used to analyze the association between general self-efficacy and health literacy in adjusted models. The analysis revealed that higher levels of general self-efficacy and higher levels of performing activities of daily living were associated with higher levels of health literacy. Stroke survivors with higher general self-efficacy also report higher health literacy 1-year post-discharge from hospital. Future studies should focus on the pathways by which health literacy and general self-efficacy work among stroke survivors and in populations with low health literacy, severe stroke or significant cognitive impairments.

The role of hope in college transition: Its cross-lagged relationships with psychosocial resources and emotional well-being in first-year college students.

College transition is often regarded as the most stressful phase of life by college students. Hence, it is necessary to find ways to help them adjust more smoothly to this transition. Hope, as conceptualized by C. R. Snyder, has been widely studied as a predictor of optimal functioning and has been shown to be associated with better adjustment among college students. This study aimed to shed light on the role of hope in college transition by examining its unique reciprocal relationships with an array of important psychosocial resources and emotional well-being among first-year college students. Data were collected from a sample of Hong Kong college freshmen (N = 433, Medianage = 18 years old, 63.7% female) at two time points. At each time point, participants completed self-reported measures tapping into their levels of hope, psychosocial resources, and emotional well-being. Psychological resources included general and academic self-efficacy, meaning in life, and optimism. Social resources included secure attachment, perceived school environment, and social support. Emotional well-being was operationalized as positive and negative emotions. Cross-lagged panel models were constructed and tested by path analyses. When autoregression and the effects of other variables were controlled, a greater sense of hope uniquely predicted higher levels of general and academic self-efficacy, greater presence of life meanings, more secure attachment, and more positive and fewer negative emotions. On the other hand, higher levels of meaning in life (both presence and search) and social support uniquely predicted greater hope. Academic hope and presence of life meanings reciprocally predicted one another, whereas other significant cross-lagged relationships were unidirectional. The findings suggest interventions that promote hope can be useful in helping college freshmen adjust to the new college environment by enhancing their psychosocial resources and emotional well-being. Such interventions would be more effective if they included elements that boost meaning in life and social support, which are expected to further enhance the perceptions of hope.

An examination of mothers’ self-efficacy and their interaction with their children aged 60-72 months

The present study has the aim of examining the parental self-efficacy of mothers in terms different variables, establishing the correlation between parenting and the general self-efficacy levels of mothers and to identify the characteristics of their interactions with their children in the context of their self-efficacy. Explanatory sequential design, a mixed method, was used in this study. For the quantitative part, 251 mothers with children who are 60-72 months was involved in. The sample for the qualitative part was formed of volunteers out of the said sample and consists of 20 mothers with 20 children in total; in this group of mothers, the self-efficacy levels were determined as low (n=10) or high (n=10). The data were collected through a set of forms, namely the “Demographic Information Form”, “General Self-Efficacy Scale”, “Berkeley Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale Revised”, and “Mother-Child Interaction Games Video Records”. Statistical analyzes revealed that the total scores of mothers' self-efficacy did not differ according to their educational status and social support from their spouses, but showed a significant difference according to the gender of their children, in favor of mothers with girls. Additionally, it was found that mothers' general self-efficacy levels and parenting self-efficacy were positively related. Mothers having low parenting self-efficacy levels exhibit more behaviors gravitating towards a “focusing on success” first and foremost, followed by “sensitivity” and “play interaction”. Mothers with high parenting self-efficacy, on the other hand, exhibited behaviors towards the theme of "sensitivity" the most, unlike mothers with low self-efficacy in games. However, the frequency of behavior for the themes of "achievement orientation" and "game interaction" was also found to be high.

Hemşirelik Öğrencilerinin COVİD-19 Korkusu ve Özyeterlilikleri ile Klinik Stres Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişki

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and self-efficacy of nursing students and their clinical stress levels. Material and Methods: The study was conducted in a descriptive and cross-sectional type between July and August 2021 in first-year nursing students of a health sciences faculty of a university. The study was completed with 89 nursing students who agreed to participate without sample selection (91% of the population was reached). The research data was collected using the Student Introductory Information Form, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Clinical Stress Questionnaire. Results: It was determined that the mean age of the students was 20.24±1.15 years, 59.6% were women, 43.8% had COVID-19, 60.7% had families with COVID-19, and 14.6% had lost due to COVID-19. The mean score of the students on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was 24.83±5.87, and the total score of the General Self-Efficacy Scale was 63.91±11.18. The Clinical Stress Questionnaire total score was 31.19±7.8. While there was a positive and significant relationship between the total score of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and the total score of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (p&amp;lt;0.05), no significant. Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that first-year nursing students experienced high levels of fear of COVID-19, had high levels of general self-efficacy, and experienced low levels of stress in their first clinical practice experience.

Perception of the activity-based working concept by bank's employees as a working condition.

The aim of the research was to explore the potential of the concept of work in the activity-based working (ABW) environment, including its impact on stress, back pain and psychomedical parameters of employees subjected to and not subject to relocation. The data of 396 employees of both sexes were analyzed. The study used standardized psychological questionnaires to measure the level of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), the level of readiness for change (Readiness for Change Questionnaire), the severity of health behaviors (Health Behavior Inventory) and the level of general self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale). The set included questionnaires measuring the level of knowledge of occupational health and safety rules and the frequency of back pain. In the group of people whose workplace was moved to another building (in accordance with the concept), the relationship between the level of stress and selected variables: age, sense of generalized self-efficacy was checked. A significant negative correlation between the level of stress and age was confirmed (ρ = -0.16, p = 0.023), meaning a decrease in the level of stress with age. The level of stress correlated positively with the sense of efficacy (ρ = 0.21, p = 0.003), which means, the higher the sense of effectiveness, the higher the level of stress. In addition, it was confirmed that the level of stress in the group of people changing their location differed significantly from the general population. Work in the ABW concept can contribute to the improvement of interpersonal communication and facilitate the social integration of employees and better evaluation of work in this model. Work in concept has not been shown to be a protective factor against back pain in people with obesity. It was confirmed that in people relocated from traditional office to office in the concept, relocation was associated with stress, but also with a greater sense of self-efficacy. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(4):526-40.

A Clinical Incivility Management Module for Nursing Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Incivility experienced by pre-licensure nursing students in clinical settings continues to grow. Interventions for clinical incivility to nursing students are needed. Our study aimed to examine the effects of a piloted two-hour interactive incivility management module on nursing students' perceived stress and general self-efficacy levels and preparedness for responding professionally to clinical incivility. A quasi-experimental post-test-only non-equivalent comparison design with control and experimental groups was used. Senior nursing students enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program from a nursing college located in Seoul, South Korea, were recruited. The control group (n = 94) completed a self-administered online survey without the clinical incivility management module. The experimental group (n = 93) completed the same survey after receiving the clinical incivility management module. The two groups' survey data were compared; qualitative data from the experimental group's post-module debriefing session were also analyzed. The prevalence of reported clinical incivility was 72.73% (n = 137 out of 187 participants). Clinical incivility experienced by the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (z = -4.865, p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in stress levels and self-efficacy between the two groups. The mean score of the experimental group on preparedness for responding professionally to clinical incivility was statistically higher than the control group's mean score (z = -2.850, p = 0.004). Interventions to prepare students for the experience of clinical incivility are useful; they can positively affect the students' ability to respond professionally.

The Effect of Ventrogluteal Intramuscular Injection Training with Animated Video Containing Subliminal Messages: A Randomized Controlled Study

Background: In the literature, there is increasing interest in the effects of subliminal stimuli on humans.&#x0D; &#x0D; Objectives: To investigate the effects of the positive subliminal messages placed in a video used for ventrogluteal intramuscular injection training of nursing students on students’ remembering, anxiety, self-confidence, general self-efficacy and practice skill levels.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methods: The population of the randomized controlled study conducted between 9-10 October 2018 consisted of first year nursing students at a faculty of health sciences (n=64). An animated video on ventrogluteal intramuscular injection that contained subliminal messages was shown to the students in the experiment group. In the study, the students in the control group were given only practice together with the theoretical education on the subject. A Student Information Form, Trait-State Anxiety Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Self-Confidence Scale, and Ventrogluteal Intramuscular Injection Practice Skill Evaluation Form were used. In the study, the independence Chi-square test was used to compare the experiment and control groups.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results: Although statistically non-significant (p&gt;0.05), identifying ventrogluteal intramuscular injection sites (n=21, 33.9%) and proper injection technique (n=22, 35.5%) steps were remembered more by students in the experiment group. It was found that ventrogluteal intramuscular injection practice skill was at ‘adequate’ level in the experiment group (n=21, 35%).&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion: Visual subliminal messages used in ventrogluteal intramuscular injection training have no effect on nursing students’ anxiety, self-confidence, and general self-efficacy levels. Basic nursing skill applications can be prepared with animated videos in a way to attract students’ attention.

Quality of life in people with visual impairment compared with the general population

Abstract Aim The aim of the present study was to examine quality of life and its associated factors among adults with visual impairment in Norway. Subject and methods Of the 1216 adults contacted, 736 (61% response rate) participated in a cross-sectional survey. A general population probability sample served as reference (n=1792, 36% response rate). Differences between the populations were examined with independent t-tests for continuous variables and with Chi-square tests for categorical variables. Quality of life covariates were investigated with linear regression analysis. Results People with visual impairment had lower quality of life than the general Norwegian population, across all age groups (mean QOL: 6.8 versus 7.6, p&lt;0.001) and within all age groups (all p&lt;0.01). Compared with the general population, people with visual impairment were less likely to report the highest levels and more likely to report intermediate levels of quality of life. Higher quality of life was associated with lower onset-age of impaired vision (B=-0.11, p&lt;0.001), having employment (B=0.36, p=0.02), lower levels of loneliness (B=-0.28, p&lt;0.001) and higher levels of social support (B=0.40, p&lt;0.001) and general self-efficacy (B=0.07, p&lt;0.001). Conclusion Quality of life was lower among people with visual impairment and may be increased by promoting work participation, social inclusion, connectedness, and coping.

THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF GENERAL SELF-EFFICACY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF SCHOOL HEADS AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT OF TEACHERS

The purpose of this study was to determine the mediating effect of general self-efficacy on the relationship between the transformational leadership of school heads and the organizational commitment of teachers. Utilizing quantitative, non-experimental design via correlational technique, data were obtained from 300 elementary public-school teachers who belong to the 3 districts, Magsaysay, Bansalan and Matan-ao under the Division of Davao Del Sur in the province of Davao Del Sur. The researcher utilized a stratified random sampling technique and an online survey mode of data collection. The researcher also utilized the statistical tools mean, Pearson r and Medgraph using Sobel z-test. From the results of the study, it was found out that there is a very high level of mean scores for transformational leadership of school heads, a very high level of the mean score for the organizational commitment of teachers and a high level of general self-efficacy for teachers. Also, results revealed that there are significant relationships between the transformational leadership of school heads and the organizational commitment of teachers, between the transformational leadership of school heads and general self-efficacy of teachers, and between general self-efficacy and organizational commitment of teachers. Further, it was revealed that there was a full mediation effect of general self-efficacy on the relationship between the transformation leadership of school heads and the organizational commitment of teachers.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0025/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

GENERAL SELF-EFFICACY AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN ECUADOR

Dropping out and poor academic performance have been considered a socio-community problem due to their impact on student development. Several factors have been studied as determinants in these academic problems, especially self-efficacy. This study analyzes the relationship between general self-efficacy and academic self-efficacy in university students in Ecuador. The study design is non-experimental, cross-sectional, with a population of 190 students. The results obtained confirm that the higher the level of general self-efficacy in students, the higher their academic self-efficacy. These findings can contribute to academic strengthening, through the implementation of study plans or strategies that allow stimulating the development of general and academic self-efficacy.

Mediating role of psychological resilience in the relationship between self-efficacy and professional identity among nurses

ABSTRACT To explore the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between general self-efficacy and professional identity of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional design was employed. A total of 982 nurses from four Grade III, class A hospitals in Shandong Province were investigated using general information questionnaire, nurses’ professional identity rating scale, general self-efficacy scale (GSES), and Connor-Davidson flexibility scale (CD-RISC). SPSS22.0 and Amos21.0 were used for data analysis and structural equation modeling. p % counseling The nurses had a score of （27.038±5.933） for general self-efficacy score, 38.290±6.234 for psychological resilience, and （114.99±16.209） for professional identity. A positive correlation between general self-efficacy, professional identity, and psychological resilience (<0.01) was found. The SEM analysis shows that psychological resilience plays a mediating role between general self-efficacy and professional identity. The ratio of the effect is 75.155. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the levels of general self-efficacy and professional identity of nurses was medium, while psychological resilience was high. Nurses’ general self-efficacy can affect their professional identity through psychological resilience. During the pandemic, the psychological status of nurses should not be ignored. Nursing managers should fully utilize of group and cognitive therapy based on mindfulness to improve nurses’ psychological resilience and general self-efficacy, and to promote nurses’ professional identity, so as to ensure the lower turnover rate.

Health literacy and self-efficacy associations with non-adherence to dental treatment among young adults.

The aim of this study was to investigate associations of health literacy (HL), general self-efficacy (GSE), and sociodemographic variables with non-adherence to dental treatment among Brazilian young adults. This is a cross-sectional study based on a cohort study of 248 young adults aged 19 to 25 years followed up in an earlier study. The participants completed the perceived general self-efficacy scale (GSE), a questionnaire on socioeconomic and demographic variables and were examined for oral conditions. HL was measured using the Brazilian version of the health literacy questionnaire (HLQ-Br), which provides nine individual scores based on an average of the items within each of the nine scales. Dental treatment adherence was evaluated as the decision of young adults to seek a dentist to finish the recommended restorative treatment for dental caries. The effects of HL domains on the adherence to dental treatment were analyzed by logistic regression and the effect was adjusted for sex, age, family income, paternal and maternal education, type of housing, and self-efficacy. The results of the adjusted analysis showed associations among young adults who did not adhere to dental treatment with lower self-efficacy levels, living in non-owner-occupied homes, and lower HL levels in almost all of the HL domains (p < 0.05). Only the HLQ6 domain "Ability to actively engage with healthcare providers" was not associated with the outcome (p>0.05). Adherence to dental treatment in primary care among young adults was associated with their general self-efficacy levels, socioeconomic characteristics, and individual's lower HL aspects.

Protective and Educational Effects of Physical Activity Practice on Mental Health in Young Age during COVID-19 Lockdown

Background: The restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have modified the lifestyle of young people, worsening their mental health. Although some countries were allowed to practice outdoor physical activity (PA) in cases of lockdown, the PA level in the general population decreased. The current study aims to assess the differences in fear of COVID-19, anxiety, neuroticism, and general self-efficacy between university students who practiced PA during the second wave of lockdown and those who did not practice any PA. Methods: The sample consisted of 276 university students (176 females, 63.8%; mean age: 22.13, SD: ±3.94) who answered an online questionnaire detecting life habits (e.g., PA practice) during COVID-19 restrictions, fear of COVID-19, anxiety, neuroticism, and general self-efficacy. In addition, a 2 (gender) × 2 (physical activity) MANCOVA model was used to compare the variables’ differences. Finally, a path analysis model was performed to assess the protective effect of physical activity. Results: The students engaging in PA during lockdown showed lower fear of COVID-19, state and trait anxiety, neuroticism, and higher levels of general self-efficacy. Gender differences concerning fear of COVID-19 and a significant interaction with physical activity emerged: physically active females displayed the highest fear of COVID-19 compared to sedentary females and active males. Gender differences also emerged concerning state and trait anxiety and neuroticism. The path analysis model confirmed a light protective effect of sport/PA practice on mitigating neuroticism and anxiety, which, in turn, affect general self-efficacy. Conclusions: According to the results, it emerged that physical activity could represent a protective and educational factor for male students’ mental health during the COVID-19 restriction and partially for female ones.